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
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
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
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:
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
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:
Why did he want a Les Paul?
As a blues guy, what does he get from a Les Paul?
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
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
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
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
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
Thursday, December 11, 2008
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
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
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
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
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
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
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
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
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...
What the hell, indeed....
Read the full article here.
~ Hath
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
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
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
Monday, December 08, 2008
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.
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