I recently came across a mysterious website called Red Chair Confessions. The site doesn’t contain a whole lot of information at this time but its got the blogosphere a buzz with theories. Currently the site features a youtube video titled “Forgive Me Father” and not much else. I have to say that the video clip is very well done with some pretty decent production values which seems to indicate that there’s more to all of this than just a simple promo for a website. So what’s this all about? and what’s with all the secrecy? I suppose it’s a way to garner attention and from the look of things, it’s definitely working. The storyline in the video doesn’t really give us much in terms of clues. Obviously there’s another part to the story which will probably appear in the next week or so. I’m intrigued on what drove the lead character in the story to seek out the confessional at church. Could it be something sinister like some sort of noir-ish murder mystery? or maybe they’re planning on a comedic punchline involving watermelon and a sledgehammer. Maybe she’ll fess up to an addiction to watching the Wendy Williams show. oh the horror! but who can blame her, Wendy Williams is such a trainwreck. anyway, I can’t wait for the next installment of Red Chair Confessions. stay tuned.
Feel free to share the video with your friends as well as post your own theory about this whole thing!
The second season of truTV’s Black Gold kicked off last night with a lot of changes. The first season featured three competing rigs vying to be the first among the group to hit oil. But this time around, the show focuses solely on the crew of Rig 28 with a huge dilemma. They need to find oil in 50 days or end up losing the lease on their plot of land. Basically, if they don’t hit crude, the crew will lose their jobs and cost the company millions of dollars. The pressure is definitely on and viewers will be riveted in watching to see if the hardworking roughnecks will make the deadline. I like the fact that the new season will be focusing on one rig this time around since it’ll allow us to get to know the crew members and dig a little deeper into what makes these men tick. I mean, really, can you imagine CHOOSING to be out in the 110 degree heat, working on a 15-story rig and getting all muddy like that?
The new season’s opener which premiered August 19th, introduced a newbie to the rig named Cheston. Cheston is a great addition to the show since viewers can see through his eyes how hard it is to learn this job. The veterans really don’t want to be bothered with a new trainee or “worm” as they call ‘em and so we get to see Cheston having a real tough time figuring out what he’s supposed to be doing. Check out this video clip of his on the job training.
To make matters worse, daytime driller Pee-Wee doesn’t want the newbie around and is actually gunning for him to get fired. Hopefully Cheston will be able to survive this trial by fire especially since viewers will be drawn to this underdog. I, for one, can identify with Cheston because we’ve all been there at some point in our lives. Whether we’re a new kid at school or working our way up the corporate latter, we know how it feels to be the lowly peon. So Cheston should hang in there and not take all the abuse personally. I don’t think it matters who it is, every worm on the rig would have to go through this “rite of passage”. They’ve obviously got to earn their right to be on the rig. Not everyone is cut out for this type of work. It’s labor intensive, physically draining, hot, dirty and I’m pretty sure it’s smelly too. I can’t imagine going through what Cheston’s going through on the job but I could see myself getting the same expletive-filled “employee review” that he got in the following video clip.
But beyond all the in-fighting and name calling, the show should be an eye-opener for the nation. As a country filled with gas-guzzling SUVs and minivans, most folks don’t think twice about the fuel that they pump at their local gas station. The show gives us all a rare glimpse beyond the gas pump and into the lives of these roughnecks that are simply trying to provide for their families while helping supply our nation with some crude.
Oh, and one other neat little tidbit I’d like to point out is concerning the pipe supplier on the show. His name is Michael Patrick McConaughey who happens to be Matthew McConaughey brother. The two even appeared together in a movie titled “The Newton Boys” back in 1998.
Anyway, Black Gold is definitely a “must see” in my book. And when a show like this is run by the geniuses behind “Deadliest Catch” and “Ice Road Truckers”, you just know there’ll be some heart-pounding drama on hand. To get a taste of what the show is about, be sure to check out the truTV’s Black Gold trailer up on youtube.
Watch for new episodes of Black Gold every wednesday night at 10pm on TruTV.
My niece’s birthday is coming up and I’ve been scrambling to find something unique for her. I recently learned through my son that she has been re-discovering old school hip-hop music which I thought was pretty amusing. This is the stuff that I grew up with in junior high with artists like Run-DMC, De La Soul and LL Cool J. They all bring back memories of my younger days with me lugging around that old Panasonic Boombox with the five-band equalizer and dolby cassette deck. man, those were the days! Anyway, I found a cool online retailer called Hip Hop Bling that offers some great jewelry that my niece would absolutely love especially now with her new found obsession. They’ve got a wide range of styles and designs from the tasteful and restrained to the all out bold and eye-catching “Bling Bling” including some outrageous diamond encrusted Grillz. I just can’t wait to see her face when she opens up her gift that I got for her this coming weekend!
As our nation scrambles to find alternative fuel sources, we still have to continue to depend on our existing natural resources to meet current needs. So it’s fascinating to watch truTV’s Black Gold as the crew of roughnecks try to find the ever elusive Texas Tea. With the electric car industry still in its infancy, we are still a nation full of gas guzzlers. When are we going to turn the tide and curb our dependency on oil, I don’t know. But until then, we need to root for all those Texas roughnecks in hopes that they’ll end up finding an ample supply of the sweet crude.
Can you even imagine being one of those roughnecks working those long hours on the oil rig? From what I’ve seen, on-the-job-training is basically plopping a newbie on the rig and letting him loose. It’s a bit scary to see that since there seems to be a lot of hazards involved with the heavy machinery. But all the dangerous situations make for some riveting TV, that’s for sure. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like out on the rig. I’d probably be the bumbling idiot that’s constantly being yelled at by the crew chief. Since I’m no where near the blue-collar type, my employee review would probably be filled with expletives just like in this youtube clip.
Not only is this reality show addictive to watch but it also opens people’s eyes to what it really takes to drill for oil. People tend to take for granted the enormous amount of resources it takes to get the fuel to the gas pump. Hopefully Black Gold will enlighten viewers in that regard.
Plus, the creators of “Deadliest Catch” are the ones behind this show so you know you are in for a hell of a ride. The new season of Black Gold premieres August 19th at 10pm on TruTV. and then catch new episodes every wednesday after that. In the meantime check out truTV’s Black Gold trailer on youtube to get a glimpse of what the series is all about.
Have you ever wondered what your laptop is thinking as you use it day-in and day-out? Our laptops are silent warriors continually performing complex tasks for our benefit on a daily basis. We depend on these little hi-tech wonders and would be terribly lost if we had to face the day without them. Indulge me for a minute as I try to listen in on what my little HP Pavilion HDX 16t is saying about me.
My laptop:Boy, does this music blogger really run me through my paces. He’s got my hard drive filled with music and videos and is continually burning or ripping CDs, viewing videos on youtube and not to mention, blabbing away here on his blog. I’ve been with this guy for over a year now and he seems to always have something to do either on the ‘net or working on some other multimedia project. He has also amassed a huge collection of family photos on my hard drive and so he’s always fiddling with photoshop or creating pan and scan slideshows to share with family and friends. As you may know, editing photos or creating slideshows use a good portion of my memory but since I’ve got 4GB of DDR2 memory, I don’t choke or freeze up like some of my lesser rivals. I’m so glad he didn’t order me as a smaller netbook. I would have had a tougher time keeping up with all the multimedia work he does. The only thing I wish my music loving owner did back when he ordered me was to have specified the larger 18.4″ screen which is the HDX 18t model. Watching DVDs on the larger HD widescreen is always a plus in my book. But even so, I still look good in my titanium liquid metallic design.
Anyway, I’m glad to learn that my laptop doesn’t think of me as some sort of idiot and I hope he knows how much I appreciate him. I’ve owned several HP computers over the years and I’ve had nothing but great experiences with the brand. If you’re in the market for a new computer check out HP.com for some great deals. As a matter of fact – Get $500 off instantly when you purchase an HP HDX 16t with $300 coupon code NBN3248 + $200 Instant Rebate. Valid through 8/23 or while supplies last. Restrictions and exclusions apply.
webhosting service is a bit like insurance, in my mind. We tend not to think about them until there’s a problem. But just like insurance, it’s always good to regularly review your options and make sure you’re getting the best service possible. Reliable webhosting is the cornerstone of a good website. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the world’s best content when no one can get to it because your site is always down. The best web hosting is a good balance of reliability, helpful customer service and cost. But it’s tough comparing services when you don’t know where to look. Thankfully there are sites like Web Hosting Geeks that offer reviews and head-to-head comparisons of a good cross-section of popular hosts. The site also features “Best of” awards which helps in identifying the top hosts in different categories. I’m a regular reader of their blog which helps webmasters keep abreast of the latest happenings and trends in the industry. They also post helpful tips and advice on the blog like this recent post about the 7 basic ingredients of Unix hosting. It’s essential reading for those interested in the Unix platform which, as a matter of fact, is the platform I’m currently using to host Retroblog.
I just got back from our usual saturday morning shopping excursion and I have to say that there were some great Kmart Bluelight specials today. It’s always a treat to encounter some unexpected money saving deals while out shopping but Kmart seems to be making a habit of marking things at hard-to-resist prices. Just in time for school, we were able to get my kids some new backpacks which were regularly priced at $20 for just $8 each!! They also had a buy 2 get 1 free deal on 70-count spiral notebooks by Mead. Most parents that have kids enrolled in school know that you can never have enough notebook paper! And I was pleasantly surprised to find that all patio furniture in the store was on sale at 70% off. And if you’re there during the bluelight special, you can take an additional 20% off the sale price. that’s simply awesome.
There definitely are some great deals to be had. In fact they have over 40 Bluelight Specials scheduled throughout the day today. But in order to take advantage of the deals, you have to get to your local Kmart store since the special sale prices are for today only (8/15).
Whether you’re looking for patio furniture, grills or jewelry, you have to admit that Kmart’s got it all. And to keep up with the latest deals and specials, simply follow Kmart on Twitter.
I think the best kind of TV is the kind that elicits a strong reaction from the viewer. Watching TV doesn’t necessarily have to a passive experience. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be lulled into a zombie-like state by some dull TV show. I can easily zone out just by viewing my fish aquarium or sit outside and watch grass grow. No, a true sign of a good show is when you react to it in some way. It could be laughter, sobbing or even anger. When you react to a show, whether it’s emotional or a physical reaction, the show has obviously connected with you. My wife, for example, is a “wacker”. When watching a close basketball game, she would get pretty worked-up and start involuntarily wacking the person next to her (which usually is me). I’m not sure how that helps her while watching the game but I DO know that it doesn’t help me any!! Another example is my youngest son who’s a “hider”. Whenever his older brothers are watching something a bit “scary” on the TV, my youngest gets up out of his seat and hides behind the couch. Now that’s what I call “interactive” television.
You know, a cable network that never fails to get a reaction out of me is truTV. I’m not alone in feeling this way about the network and it’s actually known as the truTV effect. The network even tries to caution their viewers by explaining that when the stories are real, the effect is actual. I absolutely love watching the truTV series “Most Shocking” especially when they feature police car chases. When you see the high speed chases endangering innocent bystanders with the criminals swerving recklessly in and out of traffic, your adrenaline starts pumping and your heart starts racing as you watch the near misses and the idiotic decisions made my the fleeing fugitives. I’m what you’d call a “grabber” that grabs at the person nearby when a shocking collision or surprising twist happens during the chase. It’s sort of a variation on my wife’s “wacking” technique but not as physically harmful, in my opinion. The network has recently featured another classification of viewer in a truTV video called the “Yeller”. Take a look.
The general public may not be aware of this but there’s a growing movement now among music enthusiasts who are going back to their record players and their vinyl LPs. The compact disc was once touted as the best medium for high fidelity music but over the years people were finding that they were missing the sonic warmth that the LPs had. With the mass consumption of iPods and other mp3 players, record companies have been tayloring their CDs for mobile devices by compressing dynamics and increasing overall volumes. So instead of improved fidelity and sonic quality, music on CDs for the last decade have sounded extremely loud and harsh, much to the dismay of audiophiles the world over. Since vinyl LPs have an inherent limitation to how loud music can be mastered onto it, discriminative listeners have found that music from the same album sound better on LP than on CD. This can also apply to CDs that were originally released in the 80’s compared to the “remastered” versions of the same album that were released after that time period. As a general rule, I avoid purchasing “remastered” versions of classic albums and try to find the CD versions that were manufactured in the 80’s. The 80’s counterpart may exhibit lower sound levels relative to the iPod generation, but at least the dynamics haven’t been squashed to oblivion. With the increased interest in finding vinyl LPs and better sounding CD editions of back-catalog albums, A Blog about Collecting Rare Vinyl 7″, 12″ like Sleevenotes is always a helpful reference tool. They feature the latest releases on vinyl as well as other collectables by legacy artists like Paul McCartney, Prince, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones. And if you’re familiar with what I regularly post about here on RetroBlog, then you know that I’m all about finding rare recordings and CD collectables by artists like these. So if you’re into music like me, be sure at add the Sleevenotes blog to your blogroll today!
The following post is sponsored by Sears but even so, all the opinions written here are my own.
I live near a college campus so even though I no longer have to worry about exams, professors or making it to the early morning lectures on time, I’m well aware of when fall semester is about to begin. That’s when 20,000 or so students all converge back into town after a long summer break. I still remember those harried days of my freshman year, trying hard to get accustomed to all the changes and new experiences. I especially remember “dorm life” being a real eye-opener for this sheltered boy. Yup, definitely an “education” on ALL fronts, to say the least.
In any case, the folks at Sears know how hectic it can be to get all set for college and have put together a great new website called CampusReady to help make the transition into college life as smooth as possible. They’ve thoughtfully placed helpful tips and recommended product info all in one easy to find page. The Dorm Room link features all the necessary items that a modern day student will need including coffee makers, bike rack, storage containers and computer monitors. The Interactive Checklist breaks the necessities into categories which can help parents and students list things out for their next shopping trip. If you don’t like “lists”, use the Shop by Need link to bring up items associated with “eating”, “sleeping”, “studying”, “playing” or “cleaning”. I like their money sense page where students will find practical advice on spending wisely and saving money. The last link on the CampusReady site is the fill my closet link which showcases the best apparel for today’s collegiate.
Oh and to make it even easier to connect with students, Sears has opened CampusReady on Facebook as well. The all new facebook app lets students design their ideal dorm room and also features a gift registry so that all their friends and family know exactly what they need.
and for all of us parents worried about covering our children’s tuition, Sears and Upromise are giving away a total of $25,000 in a brand new sweepstakes. Enter for your chance to win at sears.com/campusready.
My laptop: Boy, does this music blogger really run me through my paces. He’s got my hard drive filled with music and videos and is continually burning or ripping CDs, viewing videos on youtube and not to mention, blabbing away here on his blog. I’ve been with this guy for over a year now and he seems to always have something to do either on the ‘net or working on some other multimedia project. He has also amassed a huge collection of family photos on my hard drive and so he’s always fiddling with photoshop or creating pan and scan slideshows to share with family and friends. As you may know, editing photos or creating slideshows use a good portion of my memory but since I’ve got 4GB of DDR2 memory, I don’t choke or freeze up like some of my lesser rivals. I’m so glad he didn’t order me as a smaller netbook. I would have had a tougher time keeping up with all the multimedia work he does. The only thing I wish my music loving owner did back when he ordered me was to have specified the larger 18.4″ screen which is the HDX 18t model. Watching DVDs on the larger HD widescreen is always a plus in my book. But even so, I still look good in my titanium liquid metallic design.
