I was in San Francisco last week and I had a great opportunity to visit with Sterling Valentine. Sterling is an former DJ who has become a great friend. And on this trip I also discovered that Sterling is a man of many talents. He is a singer/songwriter. So I asked him to pick up his guitar and play for me. He did. Here's a portion of Sterling singing "Someday". Oh, and somehow he got... Continue Reading

Who would have thought the rock band KISS would have survived for decades? I remember when Rock n Roll All Nite came out. I was just a young teen. And yet, all these years later, KISS has endured. It only makes sense that there would be KISS cover bands. Why not, right? Grab your instruments, throw on some makeup, act like you are anti-establishment and find a guitar player with an exceptionally long tongue to... Continue Reading

I make no secret of it. I am a 43-year old man who loves playing computer and video games. And why not? I was a teenage when Space Invaders, Asteroids and Centipede took over the arcades. I was sixteen when I bought my first computer, a TRS-80. It was great for primitive gaming. And I've got a great collection of old computer software in a special room in my basement. Perhaps I'll do a video... Continue Reading

Saturday morning ramblings. I know, it might be Saturday afternoon or Sunday... or even Monday, when you receive this. Nevertheless, it's Saturday morning as a write. So there. :-P Here come the ramblings, kind of a stew from me to you :-) Continue Reading

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun playing guitar. No, I'm not talking about my Yamaha Strat knock-off or my Ibanez steel string. I'm talking about a plastic guitar with no strings and five frets. Huh? Continue Reading

It was on the same exact date last year that a friend and I drove to Wichita, Kansas to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform their annual Christmas concert. This year, we were fortunate enough to have the show come to the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. If you have never heard the TSO or been to a TSO concert, you are missing one of the greatest holiday treats of our generation. Simply put, it... Continue Reading

What a busy day! We started out with some breakfast and then a chairlift ride to the top of Keystone mountain. We were fortunate to have good weather this morning and the view from the top was spectacular. Zach and I decided that we would hike down the mountain, figuring it would take us an hour or so to make the 2000 foot, 3-mile descent. As it turned out, it took us 90 minutes and... Continue Reading

What happens when you combine one the best-selling rock albums of all time with one of the best films of all time? Strange stuff. Filmed in 1939, The Wizard of Oz is an enduring classic from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Who hasn't delighted in the wonderful tale of Dorothy Gale and her journey into the weird and wonderful land of Oz? Dorothy, Toto, Tinman, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the... Continue Reading

About six years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a new Christmas CD by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. For those not familiar with the band, they are all rock and rollers, many with a heavy metal background. Their first album, Christmas Eve and other Stories is unlike anything I've ever heard before. It's a rock opera. It's spiritual. It's progressive rock. Simply put, it is an album that captures the essence of Christmas better... Continue Reading

We start my list of the Best Movies Ever (from my personal DVD collection) with an unlikely candidate. That Thing You Do (1996) makes the cut at #15 because, well, it just makes me feel good! Written and directed by Tom Hanks, That Thing You Do manages to take a trite, cliched storyline, add a perfect supporting cast and a hook that won't let go, and turn it into pure movie magic. The film tells... Continue Reading