Toy Story 3

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Steve

The Summer of 2010 has so far been rather tepid in the movie department…until now; nothing has motivated us to hit the theaters with much urgency, even Iron Man 2. Originally, I was disappointed when Pixar decided to release its films during Summer instead of Thanksgiving week because Toy Story 1 & 2, A Bug’s Life, The Incredibles and Monsters, Inc. are always synonymous in my brain as pleasant holiday memories. Now I wait with anticipation after the snoozer Cars proved to be the rare exception and not the trend Dreamworks has earned. Toy Story 3 assures the universe that Pixar’s Midas touch continues in what will be the closing chapter of the beloved characters who helped Pixar keep Disney Animation relevant.

I won’t spoil the plot which is my way of passing on the favor I demanded of others who saw this before I did. The ongoing assault of advertising has probably done enough to everybody by now. What I love is the story’s economic approach. Normally with sequels, especially with superhero flicks, I hate how additional characters are tacked on to the point of drowning out the plot and why I enjoyed the original. For example, in Spider-Man, there’s just him against the Green Goblin. By Spider-Man 3 he’s up against the New Goblin, Venom and the Sandman so the character and plot elements get pushed aside to accommodate the rock ’em-sock ’em scenes. Three still introduces new characters (or toys) but leverages them effectively toward moving the story forward without feeling like dead weight to exclusively sell merchandise. If any other studio made this, Stinky Pete and Al would be present in Three too. Sorry if that statement appeared to be a spoiler, it wasn’t, it was stated to make my point on how Pixar didn’t keep “accumulating.”

It was amazing how far technology has come with rendering “real life” human beings in Three. In 1995, the kids Sid and Andy weren’t very fluid and the dog Scud was outright rigid like most computer-generated cartoons of the previous 15 years. Two demonstrated some improvements through the wiener dog and Al yet the unrealistic anatomy of toys remained the focus. Of course other movies beat Pixar to the punch on “accuracy,” but they couldn’t overcome the creepiness factor. By The Incredibles, I think Pixar found the right balance between cartoonish traits and realism then knew when to adjust in either direction as their future stories needed them: WALL-E just outright didn’t bother in some live-action scenes involving Fred Willard.

Worth Seeing? The question for Three really should be shifted to, “Worth seeing in 3-D?” There I give it a resounding yes, namely for the climatic ending which made me well up a bit and I’m not ashamed to admit it. The follow-up question for Austin residents involves the Alamo Drafthouse and Three being seen there is mandatory. I regret that my friends who live elsewhere cannot enjoy moviegoing at the same level as we experience. Meanwhile, Three joins the elite club of movies I can’t wait to buy on DVD in a era when Netflix streaming is sufficient. Hell, I might go again if it’s still around when we’re in Vegas.

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Passion Pit

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Steve

Another concert from the emergency series of the Austin/Ecology Action music showcase which took place last Saturday evening (no pictures were taken neither); volunteers were needed to help pick up the bottles and cans for recycling, namely when the it’s over. For some reason Passion Pit had two sold-out evenings at Stubb’s (according to the singer, my town was one of three cities to book the band in such a manner). My skepticism is more over why so many people were buying tickets when this act only has two albums which usually delegates them to opening-act status or headlining a smaller venue…say Stubb’s indoor location, the Mohawk or possibly Antone’s. Unlike my friend/concert buddy Mark, I still reserved judgment on the material until I saw it live since I haven’t really heard much. I do have the album Manners before their label (the dying behemoth Sony Records) did the cynical re-issuing maneuver (see Owl City and Lady Gaga too) yet the only thing played on the radio is “Sleepyhead.” Thus, the band must have a really big following in circles neither of us know personally. It’s the logical explanation for the high turnout to Citizen Cope every year.

Another friend I have at Waterloo Records said the shows may also have been boosted by the second opener Tokyo Police Club. Their name sounded familiar but I’m probably thinking some other band whose name is three random words strung together.

Singer Michael Angelakos could also maintain his rather weird falsetto in concert (there was a debate at the back bar if it was auto-tune, I was in the “no” camp) and he had the chutzpah to cover the Cranberries’ hit “Dreams” for the encore. I think he could hit higher notes than Dolores O’Riordan as well. In the end, Passion Pit gained my respect through the more difficult realm of performing live and made me want to revisit the current album on my iPod due to the instrumental-electronic elements. Would I pay money to see them again? Probably not until they have a larger, likable body of work yet I think there’s potential.

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WordPress 3 upgrade is a success!

Posted on June 20, 2010 by Steve

This one went through with little drama, as in a stressed-out online chat with Jeremy to help get the older data recovered.

I’m still digging around to see what the major refinements are. The one which made me press ahead this weekend (no pun intended) was its new default theme called Twenty Ten because it easily lets me change the header image unlike the rather messy attempt I made earlier when I was using Dark Mystery. Hopefully I can bring back the old Picayune banners I used to enjoy making every month with Blojsom.

Tell me what you think!

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Free RolePlaying Game Day (Free RPG Day)

Posted on June 19, 2010 by Steve

I guess D&D and its brethren are trying to combat extinction by taking an idea from the relatively successful Free Comic Book Day (first Saturday of May) and Record Store Day (mid April) promotions.

Extinction?

That’s the litany you usually hear about record stores with the rise of iTunes, Amazon, Wal-Mart and other sources of downloadable MP3s.

Comic books share the same dilemma as other periodical publications plus they are suffering from a similar Napster-esque distribution system which probably gives Marvel and DC’s parent corporations fits. (Fear not, I only subscribe to a few physical titles through my local store and when I’m done with them, I give them away. If you wants some, please ask for a list of what I get.) Recent issues of Justice League of America or Spider-Man running at $3.99/issue certainly fuels the arguments of the people the copyright holders call pirates or thieves. The recent successes their properties have made through movies, DVDs, legit downloads and merchandise aren’t enough to compensate. Maybe the Kindle and iPad will solve it.

However, I think a well run, specialty comic store will endure as the equivalent kind of record store and book store. The shift going on through the Internet will just remove the big-box stores from the distribution system. Fewer music choices through Best Buy, no more comics at the grocery store and Wal-Mart only carrying books their base purchases.

RPGs on the other hand don’t have much to hope. That’s why this me-too move resembles another one of the numerous hail mary passes its industry has attempted since the dawn of World of Warcraft. Admittedly, there have been a other MMORPGs before WoW. Everquest and Ultima Online quickly come to mind but I think WoW’s appearance was the iPod/iPhone of the genre; if it’s being incorporated into South Park, then the majority of the Western world knows about it. Thus WoW is supplanting D&D’s place in popular culture. Personally, I think the tabletop RPGs will be gone in another 10 years. Not gone as in 100 percent, nothing left. Gone like the Shakers or operational Model Ts. Why the pessimism? It’s not negative feelings, it’s really coming to grips with the pending reality.

Over 15 years ago, my sensei Lester gave Frank Chadwick (the president of GDW) some parting advice before he left for TSR (the former publisher of D&D). In short he said to stop wasting GDW’s dwindling, finite resources on publishing more wargames. Computers are solving all the genre’s audience’s problems: the maps, the counters, the cumbersome rules and most importantly finding someone else to play with. If you had ever seen GDW’s Europa: Fire in the East in “action” at GenCon which simulates the Russian front campaign of WWII (a critical time in the war’s outcome yet it’s a boring-as-hell game), even the most ignorant person understands why computers “work.” Frank obviously didn’t heed Lester’s statement as a suggestion on what to shift GDW’s energies toward; stop making paper-based wargames, do only computer-based ones. Frank more likely took Lester’s words as a snide kiss off from an employee who betrayed him to work for the competition. Today, D&D through Fourth Edition is Frank.

Now the RPG which supplanted the wargame is going through the process of getting its comeuppance and this giveaway won’t slow the bleeding as button-mashing, PVP frigtards become the new dominant species of gamer.

I’m no fool though. I scored the free Pathfinder and revised Dark Sun adventure with the Cthulhu thing for my friend Narlyhotep.

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Belated RIP Al Williamson

Posted on June 19, 2010 by Steve

This great comic book artist was one of my friend Steve‘s heroes and an inspiration to become even better (I thought he was pretty good to begin with). Before my GDW tenure, I was pretty ignorant about the guy until Steve pointed out he was the guy who drew the Star Wars newspaper strip in its final years (I think the initial run in 1979 was Russ Manning). Al’s influence and style was very apparent in West End’s heavy hitter Allen Nunis (some even say Al may have done it but let Allen’s signature go on it), the dominant original art dude for the game before WOTC had the license. I would also say you can see it in Mark Schulz’s Cadillacs & Dinosaurs books. Lastly, it’s pretty apparent in Steve’s Athena Voltaire creation.

If you read the green link above, Steve tells his story about meeting one of his idols better. Meanwhile, I do remember very clearly the vacation (more like a de facto workshop) he took in 1992 to meet Al. He was so excited, enough to drive all the way from Central IL to I think Eastern PA in one swoop for this. Steve definitely returned a changed man, inspired and brave enough to take on the Sisyphean tasks involving Mythus.

Other details can be found here.

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Rock Band 3 will hush some critics

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Steve

One of the common complaints about the music video games comes from musicians or in my opinion…purists. Those games don’t encourage kids to learn how to play the guitar, drums…whatever. Anecdotal evidence has seemed to argue in the other direction. Before Somara needed surgery in 2008, I was seriously thinking about buying a low-end Gibson SG like my Guitar Hero 2 came with. After the financial situation over her bills settled, I changed my mind because I didn’t have the time and the Gibson lawsuit really cheesed me off.

Now Harmonix has worked out something with Fender and Madcatz, there will be a guitar which can follow the game AND teach you how to play. How awesome on so many levels. Check it out here. At my advanced age, I’ll probably will only master the power chord stuff.

Posted in Arcade Games, Music | Leave a comment

Cat Wrapping!

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Steve

This is one of the most cooperative cats I have ever witnessed. My guess is that the little furball is doped up on catnip because all of our cats would start attacking the wrapping paper. It’s definitely a unique way to give someone a new pet.

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2000: Molly comes home

Posted on June 16, 2010 by Steve

Molly sleeping in one of her favorite spots.

For many years, I always wanted to have my own pet(s), namely a cat. When I was growing up and living with my parents, we usually had at least one around: Katze, Shadow, Shirley, Farrah, Teddy and Mewsette. There were some gaps when we were cat-less, namely our time in Houston, but after the births of Teddy and Mewsette in 1984, felines have always been around my parents’ house. Our last dog bit me in the ass. This certainly colored my opinion against “man’s (alleged) best friend” and I think they smell it when they growl at me.

Obviously, I didn’t have a pet in college because I lived in the dorms for three years. Then I resided in various apartments by myself or with roommates; animals were out of the picture due to finances, allergies or a lack of consent. One horrible experience I had with (temporary) roommates involved a kitten named Mickey (after a brand of malt liquor) and when I found out they gave the poor brain-damaged critter to the shelter to be destroyed, I promised myself that I would never have a pet unless I could care for it to the end.

The years and other residences passed. Still no pets while other friends accumulated various companions I would help take care of during vacations: Audrey, Copper, Lestat, Brandy, Jiji, Panzer, Penelope and Tora readily come to mind. I was too reluctant to make the commitment, especially in light of the recent move from Austin to Raleigh-Durham and back in less than a year. Then came the hefty deposit with an apartment complex; money remained tight despite having a permanent gig at Apple.

In the Spring of 2000, Somara and I got a place together. Matters in our relationship were working out well enough to take the gamble. One added benefit was Somara’s cat Wicca who thought I was tolerable but I felt she was amusing with her chatter. Here I figured, cool, we have a cat, now I can see how it goes in addition to the relevant matters at hand.

After my backfill as a manager ended in disappointment, Somara could tell I was really bummed so she decided to give me an early birthday present…a cat to call my own. Animals are generally free, the gift part was Somara covering the deposit while I paid the animal shelter. Encouraged over the offer, we drove to the shelter near I-35 and 183. It was hard to choose because it’s sad to see all those abandoned creatures wanting another chance. The shelter people had me fill out a questionnaire and a check (what I jokingly call cat bail) to start the process. Then we got introduced to a cat they felt fit the description of what I was looking for. The first candidate was a huge male named Catcow. He was nice yet not very interested in me. (I only hope he found a good home.) The next was a one-year-old female who was abandoned by her previous owners for undisclosed reasons. Her name was Molly and she was a perfect match. I got her to play with my badge, she hopped up into my lap, she purred audibly while I petted her and Molly reminded me why I prefer cats over dogs or fish.

With my cat selected, the shelter had things to wrap up but to always avoid buyer’s remorse, I couldn’t take Molly home for another day. I suppose they gave her one more exam to ensure she’d be okay.

How I couldn’t wait for work to end that Friday. We rushed out to the shelter with Somara’s cat carrier to take Molly home with a quick diversion to a nearby Petsmart for accessories: her own bowl, a collar and maybe a toy.

Once we arrived at our apartment, the dark side of Molly’s personality manifested as soon as she spotted Wicca…my sweet, new kitty was a bully. A chase up and down the stairs ensued until Somara rescued the older Wicca; to this day I think Wicca resented me since her tiny brain made the correlation (Steve = Molly = I’m not the only child anymore!).

Despite Molly’s initial outburst a decade ago and occasional demonstrations of exerting her authority upon other cats (real or imagined), I have never regretted the decision to adopt her. Molly has given me years of joy, amusement, laughter and a little worry (in 2003 she had to have surgery for a bladder stone). I am definitely her human. Somara told me that when I went away on vacation in 2002 to hang with Jose, Molly would wait near the front door around 5-6 PM, expecting me to come home. I am also sure she eventually thought, “the hell with him” by 7 PM when I was a bust.

Molly recently celebrated her 11th birthday (57 for a human) and there are no signs of her slowing down. Miette and Nemo respect her authority. Kuroneko couldn’t care less since she’s flighty, young and probably figures time is on her side being three.

We’ll celebrate her anniversary like every other day: breakfast around 530 AM while I’m exercising, dinner when I get home and then lap time while watching Netflix.

Posted in Cats, History | Leave a comment

Stars got clobbered in the finale

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Steve

I know I blathered earlier about the season being officially over for me but there was one last game they had to play. I am so glad I didn’t bother to watch. The Hershey Bears cremated my Stars 4-0. Jeremy went to the watching party and even he left by the second intermission; we tend to let the crowd split and stick around until the final buzzer. He had razzed me in the comment section about saying the Calder Championship wasn’t over yet. Unfortunately, I was correct. The way the Bears celebrated their OT victory I could tell my team was done, they had nothing left in the tank. It’s the same prediction I made over the 2002 Stanley Cup series after the Detroit Red Wings won that triple-overtime insanity; I knew the Carolina Hurricanes were through because Hockeytown had all the momentum.

Hopefully many of the players will stay and maintain the core which took us this far. I do predict a couple of them making the roster in Dallas: Perttu Lindgren is a lock. It’s hard to tell with the others due to their age yet I think Warren Peters and Francis Wathier could cut in the NHL if they were on a third line emphasizing checking.

Before I go to bed, I’m going to shave off my beard and see how quickly I can grow a new one with 41 days left to Vegas. Like a weird mourning ritual, especially now that I went 0-3. Oh yeah, and to find a place that will stitch the Calder 2010 patch I scored to put on my customized Stars jersey.

Posted in Hockey | 1 Comment

Belated celebrations, read below

Posted on June 13, 2010 by Steve

Hockey and my back distracted me from getting all of this out there so I apologize profusely.

I’ll start with the one I got on time today, Phil’s birthday. At least he automatically gets the day off from work. Knowing him and his new-found love of SCUBA diving (gave him something to talk about with Somara, diverting the attention away from his inane wisdom at Marquette), he may be in some exotic location like Costa Rica or Mexico. There just isn’t anything in Lake Michigan to check out besides dead mobster informants.

On the late front, the first is my niece Anna. Her birthday was June 1 and she’s now eight. Thankfully she remains old enough for cool toys but none of those crummy educational things or junk with images of Dora, the Backyardigans or Yo Gabba Gabba! I think Barbie remains the center of her personal universe. I need to get to Chicago to meet her in person before she hits the fashionista age which is rapidly getting lowered thanks to America’s obsession with consumption.

Last, a belated happy fourth anniversary to Kelly and Ethan. What a wedding it was. It was a mini-vacation for me too. According to Wikipedia, the half-right source of factual things (history namely), the gifts for number four are linen (tablecloth?), silk (scarf?), fruit (we eat that every day), flowers (those are in the yard) or an appliance. Well there you go, they should buy each other iPads. Those are electrical appliances for keeping shopping lists at the grocery store, chores around the house and keeping their daughter Evie distracted with an episode of Elmo.

Wish these people well if you know them. If you already did unlike tardy ol’ me, great job, you’re more punctual and have better backs than me.

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Rock Band 3 is no longer a rumor

Posted on June 12, 2010 by Steve

This franchise remains my personal favorite because it is more flexible than its predecessor Guitar Hero and less un-cool than Band Hero aka GH for the Miley Cyrus crowd. You probably wouldn’t know it lately. I never got off my behind to write reviews over RB, RB2, RB: Beatles or RB: Lego. When RB3 hits the shelves I promise to cover it on Picayune and explain why it is the coolest marriage of video games and music ever.

I am grateful Harmonix took 2009 off after releasing Beatles, the extra year gave them the opportunity to really make significant improvements/changes in the game.

The Good:

  • Harmonizing vocals which they introduced in Beatles and Green Day.
  • Keyboards are now a playable instrument. This opens up DLCs for bands with prominent keyboardists: Elton John, Ben Folds, and Tori Amos quickly come to mind.
  • Combining the two from above means the game can now accommodate SEVEN players!
  • As always, all the songs on my PS3’s HD that are DLCs will continue to work. I figure they’ll go through a conversion process to add the algorithms for what RB3 has.
  • This version will have some means to actually teach the users how to play the real instruments.
  • Of the 83 confirmed tracks, many are ones I dig: Them Crooked Vultures, Metric, Dio (finally!), Spacehog, Cure, Vines, Rilo Kiley and Huey Lewis & the News. More will probably revealed as the release date gets closer.

The Bad:

  • It will have the drop-in/-out feature GH/RH has. I find that trivial and not a strength worth emulating.
  • Rumor has it Madcatz will take over the peripherals for RB3 won’t have a big “kit” as the predecessors. As much as I love the Fender bass replica, it has problems communicating accurately with my PS3 and it completely failed with a friend’s console.
  • I’m going to need a larger TV to handle all four instruments’ tracks racing down the screen.

Read more about it here! This got me to check up on what they’ve added to the DLCs. Spoon! Smithereens too!

Posted in Arcade Games, Music | Leave a comment

Hockey Season 2009-10 is officially over

Posted on June 12, 2010 by Steve

Last night was the last game for our inaugural season at the CPC (Cedar Park Center). Tomorrow the Calder Cup Championship will conclude in Hershey, PA and judging from how well the Bears kicked my Stars’ asses, they will sew it up Monday. Maybe the Stars will rally and pull off a miracle but I think we’ve used up all our wishes with the Game Seven victories against Chicago and Hamilton. Besides, the Bears have five “ringers” from the NHL, we only have one, Jamie Benn who I think has a promising career with the Dallas Stars’ upcoming rebuilding.

I’m pretty over the losses my favorite teams have had. First the US defeat by Canada in OT. How I really wanted us to land the gold medal on the 30th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. It would’ve been a nice tribute to the memory of Herb Brooks. It wasn’t meant to be because the OIC’s rules allowed Canada to get a mulligan so I consider their triumph rather hollow; like how Barry Bonds has an asterisk next to his batting achievements. At least Team USA 1980 went undefeated.

The Flyers going down in OT during Game Six of the Cup really stung too. I could handle Chicago winning as long as it wasn’t against my team. I was shocked by how many Texans were rooting for Chicago too. They’ve never been too discerning in their dislike of Yankees before. Maybe their loyalty is based upon the conferences. In defense of the Broad Street Bullies, they went down fighting to the end and this was a lineup I wanted to see defeated in the first round to put some heat on the GM and owner. So much for that now. Despite the team losing the Cup, they won the Princes of Wales title (Eastern Conference) and this will strengthen the intransigence of management toward recruiting reliable players while ditching the overpaid has-beens and near-goons. I do give Danny Briere a pass. His salary is ridiculously high yet he’s a good playmaker compared to the price tag Peter “Floppa” Forsberg had. After I completed my cursing and grumbling before bed, I took the high road to set a good example for the Silder boys to demonstrate I can lose a bet with dignity, class and generosity, as I do in victory. What I sent is a surprise until it arrives. I think Helen reads the site and I don’t want them to get any hints. I will say I easily exceeded the $20 limit.

The other downside to getting second place will show up in Las Vegas. I didn’t make it out last Summer to place a future bet therefore it will be difficult finding out what the initial odds were, for curiosity only. I figured they’d win the Cup over my failure. The last time the Flyers were close, I bet five bucks and had 14-1 against with the Venetian. If the Flyers succeeded, I would’ve flown out to collect my 80 clams. Instead they were beat by the Lightning in Game Seven of the Eastern Championship, then came the lockout, the cancellation of the 2004-5 season and the buyouts/trades on John LeClair, Tony Amonte and Jeremy Roenick along with the departures of Mark Recchi and Eric Desjardins. Ignoring all these factors, Vegas still gave Philly 4-1 against when I returned in the Fall of 2005. I think the oddsmakers based this all upon past performance and the acquisition of Forsberg. Next July I imagine all the sportsbooks will offer 2-1 or 3-1 against for Chicago and Philly, never mind the chances of a tw0-peat being poor. Yes, I know the Pens got their re-match against the Red Wings last Summer. I wouldn’t hold my breath for the Blackhawks to return, they’re up against the Salary Cap big time and the Flyers aren’t far behind plus they don’t have a true starting goalie.

Monday will be the coup de puck on my Stars. It was a fantastic ride despite what may happen. How often does any city receive a brand new professional team which goes on to have a winning season, exciting success in the playoffs and a shot at winning a championship? I’m sure Austin isn’t unique yet it has been amazing. The merchandise booth did manage to offer Calder Cup patches. I scored one to have stitched to my customized jersey to strengthen the memory.

After Hershey, I will shave off my playoff beard (I will grow a new beard, I just need to see how long it takes), attend the after-season party, thank the numerous Stars’ players for the great time and recharge to get fired up for 2010-11.

Posted in Hockey | 1 Comment

First session of physical therapy wore me out

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Steve

I’m pretty behind on polluting the Internet with my meandering stories and opinions (namely on hockey) but yesterday, I was exhausted by my first PT session. Personally, I was hoping the assessment was going to be, “The drugs are working along with the Wii Fit, stay the course! Bye!” No dice. The therapist had me go through a string of exercises which should strengthen my shoulder and neck regions which is where the bulk of the pain was. After doing these, the burning sensations returned. Some progress. I didn’t have much energy when we got home. I passed out watching TV quicker than I normally do. What we had for dinner probably didn’t help too.

My follow-up session will be in two weeks. Meanwhile, I have to do the exercises at least five days a week and keep taking the medication until it runs out.

I’ll be catching up on posts over the weekend since I’ve had a little more time to reflect on my Flyers losing the Cup and watching the Stars choke on their home ice.

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No real panic in Austin

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Steve

It started raining last night, shortly after Somara mowed the front yard. Maybe she triggered a rain dance.

Heavy storms with rain, lightning and thunder always mean one major thing…power outages because the grid here is so overloaded and fragile. It’s not quite Mexico but I swear, if a duck farts there’s a brownout here. At home, we recovered easily since it happened while we were sleeping. Work is another matter. First thing I had to do when I arrived was shut down the server lab until all the AC units for it go back on line. It isn’t too hot in there, just noisy which then leads to some who sit near it to close the door and amplify the problem. Hopefully Facilities will have this rectified by lunch time.

Meanwhile, we’ve had over two inches (three in some regions) and we’re under flood warning until 6 PM tonight. I’m not too worried. It’s when the raining ends. All this wetness will lead to an outburst of mold. Blech!

So those of you who don’t live in the area, there’s no reason to worry. If the SCLM decides to cover the weather here, they’re probably exaggerating and they’re bored with yesterday’s primaries.

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Happy 70th Birthday Tom Jones

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Steve

As far as I know, he’s the first Welsh Pop singer to achieve international fame and popularity across several generations: I recall my grandparents liked him back in the Seventies.

His appeal for me is that he isn’t afraid to sing anything, namely genre, or with anyone. I think he also knows what not to sing to avoid the Paul Anka-Pat Boone factor of schmaltz. Over the years, he has performed with The Art of Noise (together they covered Prince’s “Kiss,” and it’s the Purple One’s b0day too), Ruby (“Kung Fu Fighting”), Jools Holland in a series of old Bluesy-Boogie Woogie standards and my personal favorites, covers with fellow Welsh acts Stereophonics and Cerys Matthews of Catatonia.

I haven’t bludgeoned you with this before. I had the great fortune to see Tom “do his thing” in Las Vegas, the best place in the world for a Tom Jones concert. What a performer! He did the old hits: “It’s Not Unusual,” “Delilah,” and “What’s New Pussycat” and mixed it up with new things he liked, namely “Walking in Memphis.” Then kicked off the first encore with Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna’ Go My Way?”

His recent album 24 Hours came out a couple years ago which demonstrated how he hasn’t missed step despite becoming a grandfather.

Finally, the last reason why I admire Tom was from an interview he did with The World Cafe. The host asked an obvious question many of us would love to ask, “Do you ever get tired of singing your older work?” In his trademarked brogue he laughed (you could tell he was smiling back) and said, “Not at all. I’ll stop when people no longer want to hear them.”

Definitely gotta’ dish up my copies of Reload and Tom Jones & Jools Holland to celebrate this week.

Posted in Diversions, Music | 1 Comment