JBJ in Concert for.... Hillary??

Anyone know if this is for real?

Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and Bon Jovi in New York on January 15th



~ Hath

source

New Story, by Rachel

I've added a new story to the fan fic directory. It's called 32 Days.

What do you do when you think you find the person you're meant to be with but fate has other plans? Richie and Cynthia must fight against what seems to be their destinies in order to be together.

~ Hath

Goddess Heading Home

Well, today we pack up the Tahoe with two Christmases worth of holiday swag, dial up the local radio station (because moron that I am, I left my iPod at home) and start the 5-hour trek back to Massachusetts. We have three ferry rides to break the monotony of the road, so it shouldn't be too bad.

My son is in the other room, listening to Jovi. He's become quite the expert in finding things on YouTube.

Right now, he's singing (at the top of his lungs) WHOA, WE'RE HALFWAY THERE..... WHOA-OA LIVIN' ON A PRAYER.... It's hysterical.

Hub is rolling his eyes.

It's gonna be a long trip home.

~ Hath

Richie on Soundstage: B.B. King

Thank you to my Swiss friend, Foxli, for this information:

Soundstage: B.B. King

The man needs no introduction. Truly the reigning king of blues, over the last 60 years B.B. King has developed one of the world's most identifiable guitar styles and has influenced thousands of musicians. Known for integrating precise and complex string bends with left hand vibrato, King has a uniquely regal and velvety tone making every note count.

With trademark Gibson Lucille" settled on his lap, B.B. King presents a set filled with staggering guitar jams on hits like "The Thrill Is Gone" and "One Kind Favor." In between songs, King's characteristic affable persona shines through as he introduces the band he's always toured with and shares stories from his life.

Throughout the show special guests Terrence Howard, Solange, and guitarist Richie Sambora stop by to jam and pay tribute to this renowned blues master. Don't miss legend B.B. King in his element on this episode of Soundstage!"


Alabama Public Television Schedule
Fri, Jan. 30 at 1 a.m. local time
Sat, Jan. 31 at 2 a.m. local time
Sun, Feb. 1 at midnight local time

So, does the Goddess have any devotees in Alabama?

Hmmmm?

~ Hath

The Plot Thickens...

... as seen on The Screen Door

I am pretty convinced that this so-called Fan Concert is connected to the MasterCard Roots of Rock contest where the winners would meet either Jon Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton or Kenny Chesney..."where they started".

It clearly states in the contest rules that the winners will get a meet and greet with applicable artist, a guided tour of concert venue and host city.

Under part (5) of the rules for the MasterCard Roots of Rock contest: (Opt 2): Jon Bon Jovi in New Jersey;

When you read the contest rules it clearly states that there will be a concert.

Well, the only concert we know of is the Fan Club concert in Jon's hometown.

So not only are they making money off the fans (at a rip-off price) they are most likely earning a hefty sum from MasterCard.

It was not like this when Mrs. B ran the fan club...at least you didn't feel ripped off.

Have to post anon as I still am a member but won't be for long.

I think all I can say about this is....wow.

~ Hath

#2 is in the bag!

We just got back to the Hamptons from southern Connecticut. Did you know that the dead weight of a sleeping 8-year old boy is roughly equivalent to that of a 1972 Buick Skylark convertible? No lie.

Also, did you know that if you leave your pet bunny home all day by himself, and he wasn't in his pen, he spends all day plotting his revenge? And that the best he can come up with is to hide under the couch and ambush your shoelaces when you walk past?


But, on to Bon Jovi related news.....



Remember, if you haven't voted already for Jon Bon Jovi to be inducted to the NJ Hall of Fame, you have until January first.

~ Hath

It's Christmas Night....

.... well, Christmas #1 of four is in the bag. We survived 4 hours of unwrapping stocking stuffers, a lovely luncheon, then 6, oh yes, 6, hours of unwrapping presents before sitting down to a full turkey dinner.

We made it to the Hamptons none the worse for wear....I fell love with my 5-month year old nephew again, and I swear my ovaries were twitching the last few days, and damn, I enjoyed being away from my computer for a couple of much needed family-oriented days.

But, as you can see, I missed all of you :)

Seems like the only new news I missed was that The Toxic Avenger will begin performances on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street), it was announced today by the show’s producers Jean Cheever and Tom Polum. Opening Night is set for Monday, April 6th.

Way to go, David! (and Joe, of course, lol)

Also, my Google Alert on Teek finally hit something other than his bio on BJ.com or his RSB stuff.... a poster I hadn't seen before...


GROWL! Sexy stuff!


Well, we're off to southern Connecticut for Christmas #2 at the lovely hour of 6am tomorrow. At least I can sleep in the car!


I know tomorrow's Friday, and ya'll are expecting a new chapter of Rings. Unless Ms. Terri does some serious editing of what I proposed for the next chapter, or has put something together herself, it's just gonna have to wait. Sorry!!

~ Hath

Happy Holidays!

Goddess is off on her Christmas Adventure. I'm not sure if I'll get back before New Year's, but I wish each of you a happy, healthy holiday season, and a fantastic new year!

Love,
Hath

Bon Jovi - Live From Nokia Theatre, Times Square

HD Net is showing this concert on several dates during the first week of 2009:

Thu, Jan 1 - 12:00 AM ET
Thu, Jan 1 - 3:00 AM ET
Sun, Jan 4 - 8:00 PM ET
Mon, Jan 5 - 1:00 AM ET

Bon Jovi was the first band to perform at the Nokia Theatre Times Square when they celebrated the release of Have A Nice Day. Bon Jovi also won a Grammy, for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" for "Who Says You Can't Go Home."


For Comcast Digital Cable Consumers:
According to the website, Comcast does not carry HDNet and HDNet Movies

For DirecTV:
HDNet is available on DirecTV’s CHOICE, CHOICE XTRA, PLUS HD DVR, PREMIER Packages on channel 79 and HDNet Movies is available on DirecTV’s HD Extra Pack Package on channel 78.

For DishNetwork:
HDNet is available on Dish Network’s dishHD and dishHD Essential Packages on channel 9422 and HDNet Movies is available on Dish Network’s dishHD and dishHD Ultimate Packages on channel 9423.


OK, who has Satellite, and LOVES her Goddess?

Anyone?

~ Hath

Benefit at Count Basie Last Night

Another magical night at the Jersey Shore.

I guess you could call this Bruce Springsteen's 2008 Christmas show as he played with Jon Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny, Gary U.S. Bonds and Nicole Atkins at the Hope Show at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank on Monday night.

Bruce as in a great mood, in great shape and really playing like he was in the middle of a tour: jumping around the stage, leaping with the guitar, working all sides of the stage and smiling throughout.

There was very little buzz around the Jersey Shore about Bruce playing this show this year.

He did play it in 2006, did not play it last year, and most people I talked to didn't even bring it up that we would see him this year. Of course it was a possibility, but when a friend called me at 5 p.m. today and said "Bruce is playing tonight" I was genuinely surprised.

It was 10:20 p.m. when Bruce first came on stage. Bon Jovi, wearing a red T-Shirt that said "Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes" on the front and "Stone Pony 1976" on the back said to the crowd, "Do I hear that sound?" And people starting Brooocing. "It's not Santa," said Bon Jovi "It's a lot better than Santa" and out from the right -side stage came Bruce.

He was wearing a black shirt and jeans and is in great shape. Bruce came out with the electric guitar, Bon Jovi was playing an acoustic and they broke into....

1. Run, Run Rudolph
2. Merry Christmas Baby
3. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
4. 634-5789
5. 10th Avenue Freeze-out
6. Having A Party


The show began exactly at 8 p.m. with Tim McLoone and the Shirleys doing a few Christmas songs. Tim is a Jersey Shore institution, especially at Christmas time, and they did about five songs.

There was then some speeches about how the show raised $250,000 for the Parker Family
Health Center in Red Bank.

They also announced the winner of a raffle for an autographed guitar.

Brian Fallon played next and did a couple of songs. Nice set.

Bobby Bandiera came out and talked to the crowd.

He said "It's going to be a fun show. The cats are hanging and waiting in the wings."
Bobby introduced Nicole Atkins who sang "Be My Baby" and "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree."

I would have liked to have seen Nicole do a couple more songs.

The backing band all night included Bandiera, Bob Burger, Joe Bellia, Ray Andersen, Kevin Kavanaugh, Tony Tino, Mike Mancini, Mike Mahoney and others. On backup vocals were Lisa Bouchelle, Maureen McCrink and Layonne Holmes.

There was then some 1960s songs sung including "Monday, Monday," The Doors' "Touch Me," "White Rabbit" (sung nicely by Lisa Bouchelle) and "Someone to Love."

At 9:20 p.m, Southside Johnny came out to join Bobby Bandiera on "Come On Caroline."

Ten minutes later, Gary U.S. Bonds came out and began with "Action In the Streets." Yes, the Bruce song from the 1970s. Great job by the horn section on this. Gary also did a couple other songs including "This Little Girl." Would have been nice if Bruce came out on that song.

Southside Johnny and the entire Jukes took the stage at 9:55 p.m. and started with "You Don't Know, Like I Know."

He then played a song from his new Tom Waits album, "Down, Down Down" (great with all the horns) and then did "I Don't Want to Go Home."

Bon Jovi then came out to sing "This Time It's For Real" with Southside.

Next up was Bon Jovi who had a violin player with him. Jeff Kazee and Kevin Kavnaugh were on the keyboards.

Jon looked great also and started with "Lost Highway." He later said, "I hope you've all been good in these crazy times. But we're in for some exciting times ahead so lets say goodbye to 2008. And it's good to be home in New Jersey." Jon then performed "Blue Christmas" and followed that up with "Who Says You Can't Go Home."

It was now 10:20 p.m. and Jon then introduced Bruce.

~ Hath

source

Here's another article on the concert.

Here are a bunch of other pictures...

An Evening With David Bryan

Finally! A Google Alert about OUR David Bryan!

An Evening With David Bryan
Thursday, Jan 8 (2009) 7:00p at Seattle Center: Experience Music Project, Seattle, WA

The Oral History Live! series at EMP|SFM features intimate interviews before a live audience.

Don't miss this very special interview with founding member of Bon Jovi, David Bryan! While with Bon Jovi Mr. Bryan sold 130 million albums, played to millions of people and circled the globe for 25 years.

Recently Mr. Bryan has applied his talents as a composer and lyricist to the world of musical theater. The 5th Avenue Theatre is opening his newest musical, Memphis, January 27 - February 15, 2009. Memphis is a rafter-rattling musical that immortalizes the DJs who gave rock its original roll!

Anyone in the Seattle area?

~ Hath

source

Richie Sambora Interview on MusicRadar!

An exclusive MusicRadar podcast interview


And, you can right-click and download the MP3s! I have them, in case you have issues.....



~ Hath

EDIT: I just listened to the interview. Twice. Man he sounds great. Sexy voice, laughed a bit... didn't answer my question, but hey, it wasn't a music question, so I'm not really surprised.

Some things I pulled out from the interview...

On the guy suing Jovi for $400 billion: "He's out of his mind, obviously."

On the "new record": The guys are heading into the studio in January to lay tracks. When asked if he has his own studio at home like Jon does, Richie said no. His home is his sanctuary. When he has to work, he likes to "go to work."

On his new solo effort: He's got some songs done, but is concentrating on the Jovi tracks now. He said he's got all kinds of time for solo stuff. So, I guess we have to wait on that.....

Give it a listen -- he's great!

~ Hath (again)

Benefit Tomorrow...

Bon Jovi - Southside Johnny
Tix STILL Available!

Monday 12/22 at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.

Box Office is open today Sunday 12/21 and will be open Monday the day of the show. You can also buy tickets online at:http://countbasietheatre.org/

~ Hath

To the Devotees who're going, and you know who you are... I'm hoping for pictures.

Richie Sambora Interview on Monday!

This Monday, 22 December, MusicRadar is pleased to bring you a very special holiday podcast interview with Richie Sambora.

The response from MusicRadar readers was overwhelming, and yesterday Richie held forth and answered as many of your questions as we could cram into half an hour.

From his history with Bon Jovi to how he writes songs to his guitars to you name it - Richie gave us the scoop in a candid, funny, insightful and relaxed conversation.

So check in on Monday for The MusicRadar podcast interview with Richie Sambora.


~ Hath

source

Oops! Color me blushing....

I use FireFox, and the site is formatted fine there. When I used IE this morning by mistake (lol) I noticed the formatting is a bit off.

I'm working on fixing that.

The site'll look a little peculiar until I get that all sorted out, but I'm working on it!

~ Hath

Story Update

T and I posted a new chapter of Rings.... Hope you enjoy it!

~ Hath

I Live Under A Rock

OK, somebody please tell me....

Is the Bon Jovi racing team still around? I found several articles about a cycling team sponsored by Jon Bon Jovi. Apparently he took the team over in 2004 (it was called Team West Virginia at that point).

What gives? Anyone have more information?

*shallow comment alert*

More importantly, anyone have a shot of JBJ in his riding spandex?

~ Hath

Finding David...

I try to be a good Goddess.

You know that David is my #2, second only to Richie.

So I try to find out what he's doing by subscribing to Google Alerts.

Instead, I find out a whole host of other things about other "David Bryan" or "Rashbaum" people. (Watch, this will get picked up by the bot later today or tomorrow lol)...

The most prominent name that comes up for me is William K. Rashbaum.

This particular Rashbaum works for the NY Times. He has covered the New York Police Department and crime in New York, writing about a range of state and federal agencies since 1999, serving until recently as the newspaper's police bureau chief. Now he's a director over there. Before that, he covered crime and criminal justice issues for the New York Daily News, where he wrote longer, investigative stories, New York Newsday, where he also served as police bureau chief, Reuters, UPI, and the Hearst Newspapers.

There's also a blogger out there going by the name "David Bryan". His profile reads: "Husband, father, pianist..." and he had me going until I read the rest of it: "tennis player, sports fan, pastor of New Community Church in Roswell, Georgia " Yeah, not our David. If you're interested, his blog is "Living The 127 Mystery"



Once in a while, our David's bio page at BonJovi.com comes up, or some stray reference on a blogger's site to an old concert review, but that's it.

So, David, honey, I'm trying.

I promise.

Still love me?

~ Hath

A Lil Bit of Holiday Cheer

Just a teaser:

'Twas an hour past midnight, and all through the place
Naked creatures were resting, a smile on each face.

Our clothes were all flung in a pile without care,
And I had to remember to find mine in there.

... you can find the rest on my Biscuits page. It's called, "A Christmas Poem".

~ Hath

Las Vegas Churches Accept Gambling Chips

This may come as a surprise to those of you not in Las Vegas, but last time I was out there, I noticed that for all the casinos that were out there, the number of Catholic churches outnumbered them.

Not surprisingly, that means that some worshipers will toss casino chips in the offering basket rather than cash.

Since the churches get chips from all sorts of different casinos, they've devised a method of collecting the money for the plastic offerings that have been left.

The churches send all their collected chips to a centralized location for sorting. There is a Franciscan monastery where they take this task very seriously. The chips are sorted and tallied, and taken to the casinos of origin to be cashed in.

This is done by the chip monks.

I'll bet I had you going, didn't I?

~ Hath

FAQ For Soul Season Ticket Holders

Full List of FAQ


The one most of you (and I ) wanted to really know about

Will there still be a free concert and ring ceremony?
No. All Soul events have been postponed. When all Soul events are rescheduled, all information will become available on www.philadelphiasoul.com.

Willow, FM, Steph, and Tara, I'm still trying like hell to come down to Willow East for the first annual FanFictionista Extravaganza. I'm making t-shirts and everything :)

Though mine, I'll probably have to hide once I get home...

~ Hath

The Bon Jovi Fan Fiction Directory

Don't know if you noticed (or cared) but the sorting of the tables in the directory wasn't working on FireFox. Now, if you know me, you know that shit like that just serves to piss me off. SO, I spent the morning NOT working like I'm supposed to, but trying to fix the issue. Guess what?

Persistence pays off :)

I got it working, so now, any of the tables on that site that you click on, the columns will sort. For now.

~ Hath

PS: Any of you newbies who don't know what the hell I'm talking about.... I took the three-plus pages of bookmarked sites I had, and converted it to a blogsite. Take a gander... the link is up in the tab above, in white, under my big-ass banner. There's something for everybody from a wide variety of authors.

April...

~ You're the Easter Bunny when you smile....

Ah, their smiles. Is there anything more beautiful than a heart-felt smile? Especially when it's attached to one of these guys. Take this photo for example....

Look at David. His "Hell yeah!" expression makes me feel like anything is possible. I can imagine him pumping his fist in the air, shouting out along with the fans who are screaming for more.

Then there's Richie. His smile is sort of the caught-unawares kind, but the dimples are flashing, and if you look closely, you can see his eyes are happy and bright. Plus there's the fact that he's wearing my favorite vest and showing off all that GORgeous, yummy chest. What I wouldn't give to be those beads, nestled against his warm, sweaty flesh...

But I digress.

Jon's smirk is the totally self-satisfied grin of a man who knows he accomplished exactly what he wanted to. He came, he saw, he kicked ass, and in the process, made at least half the woman in the place wet with just his voice. He takes the accolades as his due, as he should... and that little flash of hip there under the t-shirt? Well, let's just say it took me a moment to find his smile.

Finally, there's Teek. Now that's a little boy's "Oh shit, I'm in trouble" look if I ever saw one. Wonder what he did?

~ Hath

This is the next in the scans of the 2009 calendar I received from a friend. If you want to buy the calendar or anything else for yourself a friend, or the Goddess, please go to the Bon Jovi Online Store

Soul Will Issue Refunds to Season Ticketholders

By KERITH GABRIEL
Philadelphia Daily News

The cancellation was pending an agreement from the players union. Players union representatives held a conference call last night.

"We haven't supported that move; then again, I don't think they need our approval," said Soul receiver Chris Jackson, a key member of the players association. "They are the owners and if they say we don't play, we don't play."

Jackson said the union was seeking assurances that the league would return in 2010.

"Every owner is committed to coming back in 2010," Renacci said.

The Soul, part of the league since 2004, is coming off a championship season that attracted a large following - average attendance of 16,477, according to the team - as well as sizable season-ticket sales for 2009.

"We, the owners of the Arena Football League, realize we have the most fan-friendly, affordable and accessible sport anywhere," said Soul co-owner Jon Bon Jovi in the statement. "These are trying economic times. The revamping will ensure that the AFL continues to provide value to its fans and not only survives but thrives in the years to come."

The Soul intends to issue refunds, going as far as to contact each season ticket holder to apologize as well as posting a "frequently asked questions" page regarding the cancellation on its Web site.

A team source said layoffs are "imminent" as the plummeting economy and a lack of real work with the league "on pause" will affect front-office personnel.

"We have a very talented group of associates, and we are sorry to see them go, but we look forward to the opportunity to work with many of them again next season," acting general manger Paul Korzilius said.

Jackson said this is a tough time for players who will forego a paycheck since there is no supplemental income while the league breaks down and restructures.

Commitment-wise, the Soul still has plans to continue work in the community though its Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation, which helps impoverished families and the homeless. But the 131,817 fans the Soul drew last season, who were promised a free concert by Bon Jovi after the Soul defeated the San Jose SaberCats in ArenaBowl XXII, may have to wait.

"As far as that [concert] is concerned, I couldn't even tell you because I don't think we know," said a Soul representative. "But we do promise that when we know, so will our fans."

~ Hath

Harley Davidson's Bikers Bash

I can't believe this came and went, and I didn't see a story on it until now. On the 11th, the 10th Annual Harley Davidson's Bikers Bash was held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Richie Sambora was a guest of honor but called in sick.

Let's hope it was because things were cookin' in the studio, and not for some other reason. Of course, this means I'm sad there are no [new] pics of Richie astride a bike to drool over. HEY, a call out to the devoted -- if you have such a pic, I would LOVE to see it :)

Happy Tuesday!

~ Hath

'Believe' has been updated

Sorry for the delay. I was up since at 4am yesterday for hockey, and conked out in front of the Giants/Cowboys game.

THANK YOU TONY ROMO! lol

~ Hath

Arena League suspends operations for 2009

As reported by Dennis Manaloff on Cleveland.com

The Arena Football League has canceled the 2009 season but plans to return in 2010, a league source said.

An official announcement is expected Monday.

The source requested anonymity, saying a six-figure fine looms for talking.

The AFL's board of directors voted via conference call late Sunday to shut down in 2009, the source said. The AFL has 16 teams, including the Gladiators, after New Orleans folded earlier this off-season.

The source said the league voted to shut down in 2009 because too many big-name owners or teams in big-name cities said they would not return in 2009. The source said the list of definite outs included the Dallas Desperados, defending ArenaBowl champion Philadelphia Soul, Colorado Crush, Georgia Force, Chicago Rush and Cleveland.

That's just too damned bad. I'll wait for official word, of course, but just wanted to pass along what I heard...

~ Hath

Holy Saturday, Batman -- STORY UPDATES!

I've been a busy beagle.

Goddess needed new tires. SO, she went to the "tire store" and spent the better part of the day waiting. And waiting. I got there at 11:30, and got OUT of there a little after 3. Sucked to be me today.

But, for you, dear reader, I've managed to update:

Online

Joker

Photographer


And JBJ Bounce, honey, I'm working on Believe. It's nearly done, I just have to proofread it ;) and add a little more flavor. That should be up later tonight or tomorrow.

As always, thanks for reading!

~ Hath

Sambora's NBC Chime-In Spot

I saw it tonight on TV. And by TV, I mean the 128" HD projector picture on my wall. Ladies, he's life-sized... And when they zoom in on his face? Sheer towering perfection.

And RICHIE! That's the hat I'm asking about, baby....

~ Hath

IT'S HERE!!!!!

WWW.BONJOVIONLINE.COM

Damn, now I have to drop my iPod under the train!

~ Hath

Meet Butch Walker

Bon Jovi Fans Looking For An Alternative, I'd Like To Introduce You To Butch Walker

Anthony Kuzminski has a new artist to check out.

He starts his article with:

To say my inbox is exploding is like saying the Governor of Illinois has a "few" issues. I'll address all of the emails and comments to my Bon Jovi article at a later date, but many people are asking me if there are any other bands or musicians I could recommend to them in lieu of their dissatisfaction and mistreatment from other acts.

God, I could recommend thousands; the brave southern rock stylings of Will Hoge, then there's the spiritual reggae-pop-rock of Michael Franti...but if I had to pick one artist that I think Bon Jovi fans would fall head over heels for, it would be Butch Walker.

Let's just say, I'm intrigued, and will be hitting iTunes (or Amazon, depending on what iTunes has to [not] offer...) when I get home.

I am NOT however abandoning the Jovi Machine. I mean, just because some of the fan club's practices suck doesn't mean the music does. I am totally in love with all the Jovi sounds (including TLFR, which I adore while most of my friends abhor), and am not looking to give that up. I am, however, always on the listen for something fun and new, and though Butch isn't a new artist, he's new to me.

Thanks, Anthony, I'll go check him out.

~ Hath

Rock Daily talks to Richie... (and Slash and Billy Gibbons)

When Rock Daily caught up with Slash, Richie Sambora and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s tribute to Les Paul last November, the trio of guitarists chatted about the influence the legendary guitarist had on their work.

Here's Richie's answers to their questions....

On his first Les Paul:

“I had a Univox Les Paul because I couldn’t afford a real one. My first Les Paul, I worked as a janitor at a hospital. I worked there for six weeks, and I finally made enough money — like 500 bucks — to buy my first Les Paul. And I went down to a place called Lou Rose Music in Edison, New Jersey, and got him to sell me my first Les Paul. And I had it from the time I was 17 all the way until I was 23. I was in Bon Jovi. And we were rehearsing, and we didn’t have a lot of money. And we were rehearsing in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and it got stolen. It was my first professional guitar.”

Why did he want a Les Paul?

“All my heroes were playing them — God, everybody. I just thought it was the most powerful guitar. It was sexy. It’s got the most output. You plug it into a good amplifier, you’re gong to get more out of it. That’s my staple when I go to a session, my ‘59 custom. I’m lucky enough to have two of them.”

As a blues guy, what does he get from a Les Paul?

“When you put that rhythm pickup in and clean it up — there’s so much dexterity in the Les Paul. It has so many different sounds. You listen to guys like Jimmy Page, the textures they use, the tapestry that was created with a Les Paul was just singing.”

Check out the full article at Rolling Stone's site.

Hey, if you go check it out, let me know... Is that a SMILE that's almost on Slash's face? Say it ain't so! Probably smirking over the lukewarm reviews of the "GNR" branded album that Axl put out :)

~ Hath

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down...

So, here I am, enjoying the start of the second 24-hour block of rain scheduled for the Boston area. I was on the 6:04 AM train, that just got in now (at 9:00), where I had to stand the whole time, and got stepped on at least four times by the hulk next to me. At least he was pretty to look at, and when he said "sorry, ma'am," I wanted to melt in a little puddle, but was afraid I'd mix in with the inch of rain water on the floor and never be quite the same again.

He made the trip not so un-enjoyable. That and we had lights and heat. There were two trains hitched together. The first was dark and cold, and when I peeked in the windows, there were no smiles – not even fake ones. We walked about ½ mile down the platform to the next train, where there was heat and there were lights, but only a couple smiles. We shoe-horned ourselves in, and set off on a 12MPH journey that took about four times longer than it needed to. Sigh. I haven’t even had my caffeine of the day yet. Woe to the people who have to face me in my first meeting, which is in about 9 minutes.

Aside from Mr. Beautiful on the train, just about the only other good thing about the trip was I was able to read about 200 pages of my copy of Twilight (the first book) that I picked up on my way home last night.

Now, I have to share something with you, and I only do it because you’ve followed me down some pretty windy roads already. And I already know you're gonna think I'm crazy. In fact, for those of you who already know me personally, well, you're gonna think I'm crazier, if that's even possible.

BUT, I’m going to tell you anyway.

I have NOT seen the Twilight movie yet. No, that’s not the crazy part. If you haven’t either, and are reading or have read the book......having no preconceptions about what Edward looks like.... well don’t you picture JBJ as the lead?

Call it Terri's influence (I re-read DLS this week), call it the fact I woke up with Jon's crooked smile and honeyed voice on my mind, call it the result of two weeks without sex, but there it is.

I mean look at the descriptions. Edward is gorgeous. His face is so beautiful that it distracts Bella from the powerful, sculpted perfection of his chest. He has eyes that change colors depending on his mood, and just a word, a look, can dazzle you. His voice mesmerizes.... look, I'm working myself up here, but you get the point.

I may never see the movie just so I can continue to picture Edward as Jon.

I also may never see the sun again.

Sigh.

~ Hath

About the JBJ letter...

... so I was told gently by a friend this morning that the letter I posted earlier today was for Fanclub members and one of the few things they get for their $50 membership (that's my snarky take on her remark, she was very nice about it), and that's why it's not posted anywhere outside the FC board.

Well, I'm not a FC member. I don't feel the need to pay Matt $50 when I can worship and enjoy for free. I am, however, a Google Alert hog, and the letter was posted on another blog that Google picked up, which makes it public information and fair game in my book...

So, before I get any more flack for posting it, just wanted to let you know where it came from.

~ Hath

A Message From JBJ

GODDESS EDITED: JON BON JOVI has issued the following message TO FC MEMBERS:

Happy Ho-Ho-Ho. Merry Holidays. It's that time again, the kids are so easily manipulated by threats of the dreaded call to Santa. I have never seen more vegetables disappearing from plates as I have in the last couple of weeks, beds are getting made, teeth are getting brushed, they are going to bed all alone without an hour long scene that has Oscar potential, etc. You know the drill, it is second only to the first day of school which is the other glorious silent holiday for parental figures.

These days have been trying for many of us with the effects of the economy trickling down to anyone and everyone. President Elect Obama better be a Superman or at least surround himself with all the king's horses and all the king's men. The country is in bad shape. We wanted change and we will all be called upon to help implement it. I for one am ready.

On the home front since the tour ended, the Soul won the Arena Bowl in New Orleans. It was sweet. We're waiting on the rings. They too are sweet. I spent August getting fat and lazy, not wanting to even think about work. It lasted until September when that knock came to my door and to my head. It said 'write you fool. Richie is bored and you are not the stay at home kind of Dad as all of the neighbors are.' So, I went off to Los Angeles and we started. As of now we're 12 songs into it. I'm very pleased.

In case you're wondering, it's a rock record.

A big loud one.

John Shanks (Lost Highway) is set to produce again and we'll begin the demo process right after I ship the reindeer and sleigh back to the attic, I mean North Pole. In all honesty, I just wanted to drop you a note to wish you and yours a happy healthy holiday. I hope you really do find what you're looking for underneath the tree. It doesn't have to cost a thing. It's free. It is a smile. Thanks for bringing me one.

See you in 09. JBJ

Jon, right back atcha, darlin'. Hope you and yours have a great holiday season, and give Richie a hug for me. I know, I know, it'll be one of those back-slapping man-hugs, but a Goddess will take what she will get. And ask him about the hat question on MusicRadar. I'm still waitin' on an answer...

~ Hath

Timothy McSweeney Eats Bacon From A Can

If you haven't ever checked out this site, there are some hysterical and thought-provoking essays on various topics here. One of my favorites is the completely funny take on Bon Jovi's Wanted. One of the regulars, Dan Kennedy, wrote a funny essay called I WONDER WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IN BON JOVI'S PRECONCERT PRAYER CIRCLE Made me laugh out loud.

Give it a read.

I'll bet you like it, too.

My favorite part:

We appreciate you taking the time to do that back in 1983, when you had so much stuff on your desk. I remember that the musical Annie was closing on Broadway that year; it was in basically every single newspaper in the city every day, it seemed like. And I remember thinking that maybe the only prayers about arts and entertainment that you would be listening to would be that cast's prayer circles before they went on each night, but you tuned them out and instead focused on steering this man named Richie Sambora toward me here on Earth because you knew it was more important that I get a rippin' guitar player early on so I could form this band and we could start making our way to the top. The U.S. Embassy in Beirut was bombed that year, too, so I know you had tons of stuff going on and were really busy, so I'm just sayin' I appreciate your making kick-ass lead guitar a priority in '83.

I say, AMEN lol

~ Hath

AFL Moving Forward....so far

Teams in the Arena Football League have not had problems putting points on the scoreboard or fans in the seats. In the most recent season, they set a record for attendance, and the league trumpeted that fact over the summer in a news release with the headline “2008: It Was A Very Good Year.”

But the outlook for 2009 does not seem so promising.

Amid growing concerns surrounding the league’s financial stability, A.F.L. owners and executives on Wednesday were weighing whether to cancel the 2009 season. A year off, they said, would give the league time to streamline its economic model during the current financial crisis.

The league’s board of directors met via conference call Wednesday evening and decided not to suspend the 2009 season, but the issue could be revisited, James L. Ferraro, the owner and chief executive of the Cleveland Gladiators, said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

In a statement Wednesday before the conference call, the league said: “Despite rumors and reports to the contrary, all A.F.L. teams are continuing to work towards ArenaBowl XXIII. As it has previously stated, the A.F.L. continues to work on long-term structural improvement options. Some of the options may impact the 2009 season.”



Keeping my fingers firmly crossed....

~ Hath

Full Article

DVR Alert: Biography Channel

An oldie but a goodie...

Biography: Jon Bon Jovi.
Interviews with Calista Flockhart, Elton John, and Al Gore highlight this portrait of the musician and actor who set his sights on being a rock star at age 13 and never looked back. Follow Jon's early career, which included the smash hit Slippery When Wet, and see how Jon reinvented his music after years of touring burned out his band in the late 1980s.

Thursday, December 11 11:00am EST
Thursday, December 11 5:00pm EST

~ Hath

Bon Jovi Scores 2008's Top-Grossing Tour

As reported by Billboard

Bon Jovi's Lost Highway tour tops the list of the biggest tours for 2008, based on data reported to Billboard Boxscore from Nov. 14, 2007, through Nov. 11, 2008. The trek, promoted in North America and Europe by AEG Live, grossed $210.6 million and drew 2,157,675 fans.

So.... I think $210 million is a good year's haul. Anyone else?

~ Hath

Santa Claus: An Engineers Perspective

If you know me IRL, you know I'm somewhat of a geek. I say that proudly, and even have earrings from my 5-year old niece helping me proclaim that fact. Hell, I did lots of my Christmas shopping on ThinkGeek. With that being said, I have this bookmarked, and revisit it every year, and every year it makes me chuckle.

Now, if you're not a geek like me, you may not find it humerous in the least. However, if you ARE a geek like me, you've taken out your calculator and slide rule and done the math yourself to confirm the findings :)

Geeks and non-geeks alike, enjoy!

~ Hath


I. There are approximately two billion children (persons under 18) in the world. However, since Santa does not visit children of Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or Buddhist religions, this reduces the workload for Christmas night to 15% of the total, or 378 million (according to the Population Reference Bureau).
At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per house hold, that comes to 108 million homes, presuming that there is at least one good child in each.

II. Santa has about 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 967.7 visits per second. This is to say that for each Christian household with a good child, Santa has around 1/1000th of a second to park the sleigh, hop out, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left for him, get back up the chimney, jump into the sleigh and get on to the next house.

Assuming that each of these 108 million stops is evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false, but will accept for the purposes of our calculations), we are now talking about 0.78 miles per household; a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting bathroom stops or breaks. This means Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second --- 3,000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second, and a conventional reindeer can run (at best) 15 miles per hour.

III. The payload of the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium sized Lego set (two pounds), the sleigh is carrying over 500 thousand tons, not counting Santa himself. On land, a conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting that the "flying" reindeer could pull ten times the normal amount, the job can't be done with eight or even nine of them--- Santa would need 360,000 of them. This increases the payload, not counting the weight of the sleigh, another 54,000 tons, or roughly seven times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth (the ship, not the monarch).

IV. 600,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance --- this would heat up the reindeer in the same fashion as a spacecraft re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer would absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second each. In short, they would burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them and creating deafening sonic booms in their wake.

The entire reindeer team would be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second, or right about the time Santa reached the fifth house on his trip.

Not that it matters, however, since Santa, as a result of accellerating from a dead stop to 650 m.p.s. in .001 seconds, would be subjected to centrifugal forces of 17,500 g's. A 250 pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force, instantly crushing his bones and organs and reducing him to a quivering blob of pink goo.

Therefore, if Santa did exist, he's dead now.

Source: http://www.engineeringedu.com/Santa.html

Rock of Ages

From Variety

By MICHAEL FLEMING

New Line has won an auction for screen rights to "Rock of Ages," a stage musical that does with '80s rock anthems what "Mamma Mia!" did with Abba tunes.

Chris D'Arienzo, who wrote the book for the Off Broadway tuner, will write the screenplay and direct the film.

The storyline takes place at a Sunset Strip rock club called Rock of Ages, where a man and woman fall in love but get torn apart by the rock lifestyle.

The show is propelled by signature '80s rock anthems popularized by Journey, Twisted Sister, Joan Jett, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Bon Jovi and REO Speedwagon.

Link to the full article.

~ Hath

I Heart Anthony Kuzminski

He is always insightful, and his articles are consistently objective and very well written. Today's is no exception. He takes a swing at the latest Fan Club offering....

I gotta say, the man makes good points, and I for one am glad I didn't shell out the $50 for the membership.

My favorite excerpt from the article, titled "Bon Jovi Fan Club Proves Itself To Be Morally Bankrupt". I hope Mr. Kuzminski doesn't mind...

I find it morally incomprehensible in light of the recent economic turmoil that anyone would have the gall to charge this much for a concert, even if it is only for fan club members. However, the events that led up to and after this announcement is flat out jarring, so let’s break them down:

1. A Fan Club only concert is semi-announced in October in an effort to increase membership.

2. Tactic number-one fails and Matt B extends board memberships one month (which costs him nothing).

3. A concert is announced for February 23rd, but few other details are given.

4. Tickets are priced at $275, plus the $50 membership fee (Total cost to fan club member=$325).

5. Due to constant complaining on the boards the price is lowered to $250 and with a tag line of “some of the proceeds” going to Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Foundation. Total cost to the fan is still $300.

6. Another modification is added that each member can buy two tickets, instead of one per member (much to the chagrin of certain members who bought two memberships in the weeks leading up to this announcement).

7. How much money is going to charity? $1 or $100, no specifics have been provided to fans leaving many wondering is Matt will still pocket the majority of the proceeds.

8. On Friday December 5th, it is announced that Bon Jovi, the band, will NOT be appearing at the event.

9. Tickets go on sale on Saturday December 6th to little fanfare and there is still no venue announcement. All that has been provided to members is that it will take place somewhere in “Central New Jersey”

10. Emails go out to old members informing them that tickets are still available as of Tuesday December 9th with still no mention of the venue.

A year ago these tickets would have been long gone even in a depressed economy. So what the hell happened?

What the hell, indeed....

Read the full article here.

~ Hath

Arena Football League on Shaky Ground

I saw this in my Google Alerts this morning.

The Denver Post reported Monday that two sources say the league will fold if it can't find financial help by Dec. 19. "The business model for the league is broken," Colorado Crush executive vice president Michael Young told the Post. Similar reports surfaced over the weekend in Columbus and Cleveland, two other cities with teams in the 16-team league.

The SaberCats are going forward with plans for their season opener, regardless of the financial troubles. I believe the Soul are as well, as I haven't heard anything to the contrary, and in fact know someone who bought a season ticket as recently as last month.

The league released a statement saying, "The AFL is working on long-term structural improvements which have unfortunately delayed some events, such as the release of the 2009 schedule, the dispersal draft, and the beginning (of) free agency. We ask our fans to be patient a little longer while we finalize our long-term improvements."

The New Orleans VooDoo hasn't waited, however, and the owner of that team has already dissolved the team. It will be a real shame if the AFL folds. It is inexpensive good family entertainment, and a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the league can pull it off.

Here is the link to the full article.

~ Hath

Harley Biker's Bash For Charity

It's coming up fast!!

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Bruce Rossmeyer's Fort Lauderdale Harley-Davidson are hosting the 10th Annual 2008 Bikers Bash from December 11-14. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs (BAGC) of Broward County, Florida

Among the guests of honor will be Aerosmith singer/songwriter Richie Supa, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, racing legend Kyle Petty, supermodel Nikki Taylor and country star Big Kenny of Big and Rich. This will also be the final stop of the 2008 Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse Tour, a national touring attraction that recognizes custom motorcycle builders from around the country.

Planned events include a police-escorted oceanside ride throughout Southeast Florida. In addition, there will be sign-ups for the BAGC's Adopt a Child program. The also will be a live and silent auction where guests have the opportunity to win a 2009 Sportster 1200 Nightster. Again, proceeds will benefit the BAGC.

We'll have to keep an eye on the website for pictures!

~ Hath

Baby Richie

Ok, so I'm totally in love with this little pout.



Anyone else?

~ Hath

PS: Someone asked -- it's from 1985. A screen snap from an interview Baby Jovi did.

Ask Richie....

In between dodging disgruntled Red Sox fans waving around $400 billion lawsuits (gives us Beantowners a bad name) while attempting to take over Hollywood one film score at a time, Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora is stopping by to talk to MusicRadar next week. And, as ever, we're giving you the chance to ask the questions…

This is what I asked him:

Hi Richie.... I have a trivial, rather silly question. I inTENded to ask about the solo record, because I read the articles too, and am chomping at the bit to hear new material (and completely LOVE 'Blood on the Ground'... fantastic song), but that one's already been asked a couple of times.

So, here goes: I always wanted to know about The Stetson (yes, I think of it with the capital letters). The one you wear with the hammered silver band... is that the original? Made 'famous' in the Wanted video? If it isn't, do you still have it? Wanna sell it to me? Kidding. But not really....

Take care, and Happy Holidays!

~ Hath

If he sells me his hat, I'll let you know :)

~ Hath

Happy Birthday, TrishSambora!

So, I jumped the gun this weekend and said an early Happy Birthday to Trish. Sorry about that, Trish! But, I'm sure you won't mind, if I offer up a little dark meat to make up for my error.....

Hope your day is a good one!

~ Hath

March...

...I wanna march you down the aisle...



Yeah, so no, you got me there; I don't really wanna do that.

BUT, in keeping with the stupid theme I started, and being that like the rock god in the photo, I am type-A, I'm sticking with it. If you know the song, the tags will start to get really goofy come June, but I'll worry about that later.

So, this shot.

Where do I start?

With the way he's biting his bottom lip?

Or the flex of his arm muscle as he reaches out to point to someone or touch her hand?

The way the spotlight behind him seems to be God Himself giving approval of the man?

Or the slice of chest that shows a lot, but far too little?

Hmmm, where the hell was I going with this.....

~ Hath

Happy Birthday!

It's Shelly's and TrishSambora's birthday today.

Happy birthday, girls!

If I recall correctly, Shelly is all about PuppyJon



And Trish? Well, if you can't tell from her name.... lol






Anyway, Happy Birthday, girls!

Love,
Hath

What NOT to get me for Christmas...

Take a look at this video.

One of our SVPs here had a dozen people in his office laughing hysterically at this. It has absolutely nothing to do with Bon Jovi, music or anything else....it's just a hell of a funny promo.

Although, this COULD be what "Misunderstood" was written about lmao...

There, I turned it into something Joviesque...

I'm still chuckling at ol' DualBag.

You'll see....

~ Hath

Story Updates

Terri and I put up another chapter of "Rings".

I also posted the next bit of "Online".

Yep, a two-fer :)

~ Hath

The Bon Jovi Kid

I saw this in my Google Alerts, and had to share it. I loved it.

The Bon Jovi Kid

In the final minutes of last night's Rutgers blowout over Louisville this kid took to the Jumbotron at the stadium and blew the crowd away with his Guitar Hero-esque performance of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name".

The crowd went absolutely nuts during his performance and he probably got the biggest cheer of the night. All we know that his name is Nicholas and that his father posted the video on YouTube.

Highlights of his performance were clearly his finger gun during the words "You're a loaded gun" (:32 and 1:34), chest pound (:45), and then the mind-blowing guitar solo (2:04). Everyone in the press box was completely riveted when he was on the big screen last night.

I don't know if he's practiced those moves or he winged it on the fly (which would make his performance that much more awesome), but he was great.


One reporter commented: Look, I'll be the first one to admit that this isn't even close to news, but as long as we're talking about A-Rod's undies, I'm obliged to share this with those not present at Thursday night's Louisville-Rutgers game.

Way to go, Nicholas!

~ Hath

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISTRESS!

That's right the Fiction Mistress is celebrating a birthday today. Happy Birthday, Samantha! I'm so happy that Bon Jovi brought us together as friends!

Queenie and I wrote a little story in honor of the Mistress' birthday. We hope she enjoys it, and I hope you do too.

Samantha, happy birthday, my friend!

I love ya!

~ Hath

I Love Jay Leno

Heather was on Jay Leno the other night. May have been last night. The last few days have all been a horrible blur....

In any event, they talked about how her 2008 basically sucked, and she's really looking forward to 2009. Can't say as how I blame her, really.

Then she told Leno about her Thanksgiving dinner with Richie, their daughter and her current boyfriend Jack Wagner. (who, btw I thought was a fiance now, but I guess I had that wrong, but how great is it to see them together again? Loved them on MP...)

Locklear said that both guys were "well behaved" whatever that means.

Leno made me laugh: he was disappointed there were no fights. Leave it to Jay...

Could you imagine that though? Of course the image in my head is a fist fight, (and if I'm completely honest, it most likely involves a kiddie pool full of chocolate pudding) but the barbs that would fly..... I'm glad for Ava's sake that they were all civil.

And STILL no word on Jen -- whether she was with Richie on T-day. I know, I know, it's none of my damned business. Fine. Then if you know, and you don't wanna tell me, don't. There, you've done your part. Now click the little 'x' and go away :P

Anybody out there know if they're still together? I'm sure it would have been news if they weren't (I mean they can barely change their socks without it making a Google alert...) but I haven't seen her name for a while. Could just be they're finally managing to avoid the press, but I'm a curious Goddess.... I must've been a cat in one of my former lives. I still purr......

~ Hath

Happy Birthday, Ozzy!

No, you're not in the wrong place. Don't be afraid. He won't REALLY get you. But I couldn't let today pass without saying happy birthday to rock and roll's prince of darkness. Shocked that this girl loves her Ozzy? You shouldn't be. I am a DarkSider after all --- you don't get much darker than The Great And Powerful Oz.

Ozzy turned 60 today.

The father of heavy metal and former Black Sabbath frontman never anticipated such longevity, figuring he'd succumb to his rock and roll excesses long before he was eligible for social security: "Let me tell you, when I was 20 I was going, I'd go, 'I'm gonna die by 40.' And that was all right until I was 39 and a half."

Although he's threatened to retire before and is now entering his seventh decade, Osbourne told us not long ago that he has no intention of calling it quits these days: "I don't wanna stop, you know. It's been the biggest love affair of my life. When you reach a certain age in rock 'n' roll, people think, 'Well, this has got to be his last tour,' or 'This has got to be his last tour,' or 'You've got to come next Tuesday 'cause he ain't gonna do it after that.' You'll know when I've come off the road permanently. I mean, you'll know!"

John Michael Osbourne was born in the Aston district of the gritty industrial town of Birmingham, England, one of Jack and Lillian Osbourne's six kids.

John dropped out of school at the age of 15, working as a laborer, plumber, toolmaker and slaughterhouse worker. He also spent a few weeks in prison after being arrested for burglary.

He later formed a band with classmate and guitarist Tony Iommi. The pair decided to play a darker, blues-influenced style of music instead of the psychedelic rock that was all the rage at the time. That group, originally called Earth, became Black Sabbath. Completed by drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler, Sabbath became hugely successful with albums like Paranoid, Master of Reality and Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath.

The group arguably created the template for heavy metal and inspired generations of bands over the past 38 years. Sabbath was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

Ozzy left Sabbath in 1979 and embarked on an even more successful solo career with albums like Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman and last year's Black Rain. He reunited with Sabbath in 1997 and the band has toured sporadically since then.

Happy birthday, Ozzy!

~ Hath

Nominees announced for 20th annual Pollstar Awards

Pollstar, a leading touring music trade publication, is returning to Club Nokia at the LA Live complex in Los Angeles, CA, for its 2008 industry award ceremony on January 30, 2009. The annual Pollstar Awards, now entering their 20th year, include 32 categories that honor touring acts, promoters, agents, managers, venues and production companies, who are voted on by their peers.

Nominees are selected from the votes of 100 industry members who cannot submit or vote for their own clients, and the winners are voted for by Pollstar subscribers. This year, all voting will be done online. The Billboard Awards, on the other hand, are mostly decided objectively by the yearly box office results.

AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Coldplay, Kenny Chesney and Madonna were deemed the best tours of 2008. Additionally, various industry constituents and companies associated with those tours also received nominations.

Interestingly, New York's Beacon Theatre, a multiple-year Pollstar Award-winner and nominee for 2008 Theatre of the Year, was only open for six months this year, January 17 through July 19, before closing for renovations.

The 2008 nominees for select categories are listed here.


Hell yeah they were :) But guys, you already knew that, didn't you?

~ Hath

Art Effects Magazine

The Art Institute of Colorado’s Art Effects student magazine will be publishing several images in winter of 2009... one of them is guess who? lmao




~ Hath

Here is the link to the site where I found this...

Hope Concert IV

Bon Jovi, Southside among cast for Hope Concert IV
by Jay Lustig/The Star-Ledger

Jon Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny will be among the performers at the Hope Concert IV, the latest in a series of benefits at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. Other performers will include Gary U.S. Bonds, Bobby Bandiera and his Jersey Shore Rock-N-Soul Revue, Nicole Atkins, Brian Fallon (of the Gaslight Anthem), and Tim McLoone and the Shirleys.

The show takes place at 8 p.m. Dec. 22, and tickets, priced at $100-$500, go on sale Dec. 3 at 9:30 a.m. Proceeds will go to the Parker Family Health Center in Red Bank.

Tickets will be available only by phone, at (973) 842-9000, and through the theater's box office, at 99 Monmouth St. There will be no Internet sales.

Previous Hope Concerts, with different beneficiaries, took place in 2003, 2006 and 2007. Bruce Springsteen appeared at the first two, and Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny, Bonds and Bandiera have performed at all three. Springsteen's participation is possible, even though he's not on the official list of performers (he often isn't at benefits like these, but shows up anyway).

Fill a bowl, feed America

Richie is taking part of the charity campaign "Fill a bowl, feed America" organized by "Clothes Off Our Back" to raise funds for the "Feeding America" organization, which is dedicated to fighting hunger in America.

Richie and other artists signed bowls that will be auctioned online. Here is Richie's auction...

Bidding right now (at the moment of this post) was $50. TOTALLY affordable.... Only 9 days left...

~ Hath

Restaurants to Avoid...

The Italian place I went to this evening in Providence RI.

We met my in-laws for dinner at a restaurant that's been in business since my FIL was a student at Bryant College, back when it was on College Hill. The place was very easy to find, and we had a 7pm reservation. We were seated right away, and I swear, that's the last thing that went right.

We waited a full 15 minutes before the waitress came to take our drink order. By then we had not only decided on what we wanted to eat, but we had memorized the entire menu and were quizzing each other on what was in the antipasto.

So, we got our drinks. Well, half of us did. Those of us who ordered drinks from the bar got them right away. Well, by right away, I mean within another 10 minutes. The people who ordered water? I think the staff had to make some, and frankly, I'm afraid of just how they did that. I stuck with my margaritas.

The water was accompanied by perhaps the best Italian bread I'd ever had. Warm and flaky, with a nice, soft garlic-infused butter......mmmmmmm.... We had been lamenting FIL's choice of eatery, but this bread nearly made up for it. What really made up for it was the extra service the restaurant offers -- they wash your pants for you! Of course, it's with icy cold water from a sweating metal pitcher, and it's only one leg, and at that, just from the knee down, but hey -- BONUS!

And what was extra great was that the heat along the outside wall (where we were seated) wasn't working, so we had the benefit of fresh, cool, crisp, nipple-binking air. I'm sure my FIL saw way more than he really needed to, but they had already taken my coat, and I was pretty sure it would take at least a half hour to get it out of hock, so I huddled and hunched and got the girls to behave.

Anyway, 20 minutes later, the appetizer arrives. By now, the 8-year old at the table was drawing on his place mat with butter sucked into his straw and it really was quite remarkable and ingenious; I have it hanging on my fridge.

Another 10 minutes pass, and three of the four of us get our salads, but everyone gets their entrees. At this point, we've already eaten the napkins, and determined that our puny human teeth cannot, in fact, chew through metal, so our knives and forks are still intact. We dig into the most bland, plain, generic Italian food ever. I mean, Ragu makes a tastier sauce (and if you know or are a real Italian like me, you know how bad that is for this restaurant).

We get through the meal quickly, mostly because we have a 45 minute drive to get home, and the 8-year old is mine, and gets cranky when it's out late. No way were we waiting for more water, so we rationed out what we had, and asked at least four times to refill the bread basket, and we're still waiting.

We thought about dessert, and the 8-year old got ice cream as part of the kid's meal, and asked for Vanilla. FIL asked for chocolate. We got three dishes, all chocolate. I mean, it's like they weren't even trying! We took the opportunity to ask for the check at that time, and got it right away. I mean within seconds.

Then I slid my lil Gold card into the slot and waited. And waited. Then was grateful I hit the ATM that morning, and depleted my wallet to pay the damned bill and escape. The in-laws tried to pay, but they only had plastic. I think we'd still be waiting if I didn't have the cash on hand.

I watch this show, called Kitchen Nightmares. In it, a British chef, named Gordon Ramsay, goes into these places that suck ass and turn them around. I kept waiting for him to come out of the kitchen and tell the hostess that her night was a f'ucking nightmare.

It was bad.

Then, to top it off, I needed to break the seal. I think I stumbled into the bathroom that the Fiction Mistress was talking about earlier this month. No lie, there was no heat in the room at all. Guess they want to discourage folks going in with a newspaper. No worries there. There was actual FROST on the mirror, and I swear to God, my ass would have frozen to the seat if the little hover maneuver didn't work.

All set with restaurants for a while.

Think I'll have leftover turkey tomorrow.

~ Hath

Live Earth Cancelled

Joint Official Statement from Live Earth Founder Kevin Wall, The Office of the Honorable Al Gore and Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Chairman IPCC Regarding Live Earth India

Last update: 11:19 p.m. EST Nov. 28, 2008

LOS ANGELES, Nov 28, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Everyone involved with Live Earth India, from our U.S.- and India-based staff, artists and crew to our India-based broadcast, production, non-profit and marketing communications partners, is stunned and saddened by the tragic events of the past few days in our host city Mumbai. We always felt very welcomed and safe as we spent more time on the ground in Mumbai to finalize plans for Live Earth India, scheduled for December 7.

Due to circumstances far beyond our control, we are saddened to announce that Live Earth India has been canceled. We will continue to work for solutions to the climate crisis for the good of the people of India and around the world. But for now, our thoughts and our prayers are with the victims of this terrible attack, with the bereaved, with the people of Mumbai and with everyone in India. For updated information, please visit www.LiveEarth.org.

Biker Bash for Charity...

Queenie posted this on her site:

Biker Bash for Charity...
Ft. Lauderdale Harley-Davidson Biker's Bash for Charity

HOLLYWOOD, FL (Nov. 2008) – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Bruce Rossmeyer’s Fort Lauderdale Harley-Davidson are bringing four non-stop days of police escorted rides, entertainment and fun to South Florida with the 10th Annual 2008 “Bikers Bash” – a weekend of motorcycling fun in the sun from December 11th – 14th. Attending the Friday night Bikers Bash – the premiere VIP motorcycle event of the year – will be Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, and a whole bunch of other people :)

This will also be the final stop of the 2008 Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse Tour, a national touring attraction that recognizes custom motorcycle builders from around the country.

I echo Queenie's plea:

PLEASE, if anyone gets photos to this, please share! Richie on a Harley? Why not just kill me now :)

~ Hath

Story Update: Online

Posted the next chapter...
Happy Saturday!

~ Hath

Get Your Biddin' Finger Ready...

On Dec. 1, Ebay Celebrity Memorabilia Auction Honors World AIDS Day

A massive auction for the World AIDS Day will include CDs autographed by Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Carly Simon, Jennifer Hudson, Bon Jovi, Lindsay Lohan, and Amy Winehouse; signed books by Madonna, Lance Bass, Tori Spelling, Ann Bannon, and Oscar De La Hoya; posters signed by Jake Gyllenhaal, Owen Wilson, Patti LuPone, Debbie Harry, Melissa Etheridge, Liza Minnelli and Matthew McConaughey.

BID 2 BEAT AIDS begins December 1, 2008 to benefit LIFEbeat.

The BID 2 BEAT AIDS 2008 auction will kick off December 1, 2008 (World AIDS Day) at noon EST on eBay. Once the auction begins, log onto the LIFEbeat eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/Bid2BeatAIDS. To receive an email reminder, join their mailing list.

LIFEbeat is dedicated to reaching America's youth with the message of HIV/AIDS prevention. LIFEbeat mobilizes the talents and resources of the music industry to raise awareness and to provide support to the AIDS community.

Story Update: Rings

Terri and I posted another chapter :) We hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a great one!

~ Hath

Story Updates!

I've updated Online with a new chapter.

And, after much procrastinating and prevaricating, and a whole bunch of other -ating words, I've posted another chapter of Believe.

Both stories can be found by clicking the "Stories in Progress" tab above.

Thanks for sticking with me!

~ Hath

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all my US friends a happy and healthy Thanksgiving weekend.

Wishing all my non-US friends a happy and healthy regular-old weekend. :)

To all my friends, I count you among my blessings. Thank you for your friendship.

~ Hath

PS: Thanks Willow for the adorable turkey clipart :)

Dark Streets - Movie Soundtrack (round II)

So, it came out today.

And I listened....

And I LOVE the songs I've listened to.

Admittedly, I've just listened to Richie's song (Blood on the Ground) and the two he is featured on (It Ain't Right and It Don't Make No Never Mind )

Blood on the Ground is a deliciously dark song. Absolutely love it. I listened to it on a loop for about an hour and a half. I'm addicted. That's my new feel-good, feel-dirty song.

For now.

~ Hath

VH1 Classic All Time Top 10: Bon Jovi

DVR ALERT! DVR ALERT! DVR ALERT!

VH1 Classics is running a Top-10 Bon Jovi Videos show on a few dates this week. It aired last Friday (I missed it) but I will be DVR'ing this bad boy for sure :)

VH1.com reports the show being on the following date/times:


Tue Nov. 25 08:00 PM ET
Wed Nov. 26 11:00 AM ET
Sat Nov. 29 08:30 AM ET

~ Hath

Setting A Great Example

People Magazine (among others) has reported that Richie and Heather are spending Thanksgiving together with their daughter Ava. Jack Wagner, Heather’s boyfriend, and a few good friends will also be having dinner with them. The article made no specific mention of Jen Mallini, so I wonder what's up there? Hope things are alright with them -- Richie has looked so happy this past several months, and part of it has got to be Jen.

Anyway, I (and many others) happen to be glad to see that Richie and Heather continue to be supportive of each other, and put their daughter first. Too often, in "regular" divorced couples as well celebrities, the kids get the short end of the stick. When you hear of divorced couples taking time to both be there for their kids, or getting along, even simply so their kids aren't hurt, well, Goddess thinks that should be the rule, not the exception.

One website reports an unnamed friend of Heather’s as saying:

Heather and Richie are very supportive of each other. They talk all the time, and anytime Ava has something important happening they are there together. It’s going to be a very nice Thanksgiving for everyone.

They may be divorced, but they are raising a little girl they both love very much, and the holidays, when you get right down to it, really are for the children. So kudos to Heather and Richie for doing the right thing.

And Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Hath

AMA Slideshow

I got lots of pictures from people, and nobody said NOT to post them publicly, so...

My only complaint is that he didn't take off his shades :)

And can I say, I love that his daughter was his date? That was too cute. I hope for her sake, that these things never get old.

~ Hath

Richie on the Red Carpet

Quality isn't the best, but Our Richie is at 1:05....





I just love the smile :)

~ Hath

How can you NOT love this smile:

American Music Awards

So, my Google Alerts and network of informants have failed me :(

I totally missed the AMAs tonight, and our Richie was presenting. He presented Alicia Keys with the Pop/Rock Album award. The show was held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

I do, however, have an intimate relationship with Google and Yahoo searches, and found and snagged some pictures...



I hereby send out a call to arms to all my Devotees.... When his spiel hits YouTube, I need the link :)

Check out these gorgeous pictures on GettyImages

*sigh* Some days I wish I was a reporter....stupid watermarks....

~ Hath

Bye! I'm Going Shopping!

Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, left, at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. The duo created a musical version of the cult film "The Toxic Avenger," which received rave reviews.


David Bryan returns to his hometown of Edison just when his career is "Toxic."

Bryan, perhaps best known as the keyboardist for Bon Jovi, will make a celebrity appearance at the "Simon Evening of Giving" from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, at Menlo Park Mall in Edison.

Bryan, who attended the township's J.P. Stevens High School, wrote the score for the hit musical "The Toxic Avenger," which recently played at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick to rave reviews.

OK, how long will it take me to drive to Jersey if I floor the Hemi? And before you bash David for appearing at a mall, it's called "Giving Back". You should try it sometime.

~ Hath

Story Updates

It's Sunday, and I polished and posted another chapter of Online, and wrote and posted another Joker. I'm working on Believe next :)

Yeah, so this is what happens when I have time to myself :)

~ Hath

Story Update: Online

I posted another chapter of this :)

~Hath

Story Update: Rings

Terri and I have published another chapter for you :)

The link is in the "Stories in Progress" tab above.

~ Hath

Story Update: Online

The link can be found by clicking the "Stories in Progress" tab the tab-bar above.

~ Hath

PS: No, I haven't forgotten about Hath and David, or Angel and Richie. Or even the Jen from Photographer. It's just that real life has been taking too much of my attention, and with the holidays looming, it's been easier to polish something that was already written than to try to write something new.

I promise, though, those stories will get attention, just not right now. Thanks for understanding.

I Love my iPod

I have more than 4,000 Jovi songs on my iPod. In fact, I call it my JoviPod. I read something today that made me a happy Goddess:

New company allows iPod individuality
By Tom Marine
The Daily Reflector

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Apple iPods soon maybe used for more than storing music and videos.

They may become a new symbol of individuality with custom-designed laser etchings expressing the creativity — or devotion — of their users.

For local businessman Wiley Corbett, that is the plan of his new business venture — Appeal LLC.

Corbett is launching his business next week, as he says, to provide a new graphical user interface for individual expression. For $25, his company will engrave an iPod with the owner's design of choice.

“We're empowering people to do something that they have never been able to do,” Corbett said. “We've taken things that previously couldn't be customized and done that.”

To help with the launch of his new company, Corbett said, Bon Jovi has agreed to a licensing agreement that will allow fans to put the band's logo on their iPods. He said the band has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, making it a prime candidate to market with his business.

“The reason we approached (Bon Jovi), we wanted a band that exemplified what American music is all about,” he said. “Their music is loved and beloved.”

Corbett said he is starting with musicians because of their direct link to iPods. However, he said, it's not just the music industry that he is trying to add.

Professional sports teams, NASCAR and collegiate teams, including East Carolina University, could soon be available for iPod engravings.


Som not only is Mr. Corbett embarking on a venture that will have millions of fans of bands, NASCAR, and sports teams cheering, he also, by virtue of his comments about Bon Jovi, must be one hell of smart man ;)

I for one can't wait until his company launches, and will keep an eye out for the launch!! I know, I know, there are companies out there that already do this (ETCHSTAR.com comes to mind) but hey, they don't have the Jovi logo licensed, do they?

~ Hath

Here is a link to the full article.

Thank You Queenie!

Dear Queenie,

Thank you SO much for your tag page update today!

This picture made my entire day!

I am having the day from hell, and I have another 8 hours before I can go home. Remember this morning, when I was talking about all the things I'm grateful for? I have something to add to the list.

Girlfriends who know JUST know what to post when I need it, even when they didn't know I needed it :)

Oh and my Margarita machine.

~ Hath

The Holdiays Are Coming...

... whether we want them to or not.

My XM Satellite Radio has its Christmas channel up and running. Don't get me wrong; I love the holidays as much as the next girl. We decorate the house to the nines, complete with holiday carousel and flashing train out front, next to inflatable Santa, snowmen, and twinkle lights. The house is done up with lit boughs of pine roping twined around the loft railing, an 8' tall tree with more decorations on it than a display at Macy's, and Christmas Village scenes set on every available flat surface. We do the whole Christmas dishes thing, and the house is always scented with pine or bayberry candles.

I love Christmas.

But it's November.

I haven't even gotten my turkey yet -- we pick it up from the turkey farm on Tuesday. We have the apple pie and cobbler done and frozen. The rolls are prepped and frozen, ready to be baked. We have the ingredients for our homemade bread stuffing sitting in the fridge ready to be diced, minced and chopped. The turkey-covered tablecloth and autumn-leaf candles are out on the table.

This weekend we're laying in beer and brushing the felt on the pool table. We're making sure our bar is stocked and the cable out in the game room is working. We're getting ready for THANKSGIVNG. That holiday that gets the short end of the stick.

After all the hullaballoo of Halloween, and the shove-down-your-throat of Christmas the day after, it's no wonder people tend to forget that Thanksgiving is more than just a big meal to keep you in turkey leftovers until Christmas.

Thanksgiving is the one day set aside for something we should do each and every day: Give thanks to whatever Gods or Goddesses or Fates you believe in for what you have.

I for one will be giving thanks for my husband, who is a trial sometimes, but reminds me that life isn't supposed to be easy, and things worth having are worth working on.

For my son, who is the light of my life, and whose "Hi Mama!" and running feet moments before he launches himself into my arms is the best salve for whatever crap rained down on me that day.

For my father, who is battling prostate cancer and winning.

For my mom, who continues to be my best friend, my sounding board for what I think are my life's problems.

For my family and friends, both in my real day-to-day life and in my cyber-life, for enriching my life, touching my heart, and warming my soul.

I will openly and warmly embrace Christmas, the festive spirit, the joyful music, the decorations and trappings.

Next weekend.

For now, I will count my blessings.

Lord knows, it'll take me until next Thursday to list them all :)

~ Hath