Building A Better Dave

I walked into my basement to shoot some pool in 1978 and the sounds of Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo and where you hear some guy say, "Anybody wants to get mellow you can turn around and get the F*ck out of Here."  About the time I recovered from that he said, "This is a love song. I'd like to dedicate it to all that Nashville P*ssy."  Besides the potty mouth, there is some AMAZING guitar work on this album. The song Wang Dang Sweet Poontang has a great solo where Ted has the rhythm guitar come in and out of the solo and it builds up.  I also learned that Ted didn't do ANY drugs (and hence neither would I) and yet he was CRAZY. Over the years I've learned every Ted Nugent Lick.    Ted Nugent Double Live Gonzo on Spotify Ted Nugent Wang Dang Sweet poontang Double Live Gonzo on YouTube Double Live Gonzo on Apple

While all the other songs on the radio were soft and fluffy, I found an album that had some of the heaviest music I had heard, and they were unapologetic. Yes, we play heavy music - it's no Fragile - Straight at you.  The Band was Bachman Turner Overdrive and the album was Not Fragile.  I think the album made a special impact on me as it wasn't second had music. It wasn't my brother or sister's music. It was mine.  Not Fragile on Spotify Not Fragile Album on YouTube Not Fragile on Apple

While Queen's a Night at the Opera has hits like "Your My Best Friend" and "Bohemian Rhapsody " but the AMAZING song is The Prophet song and it somewhat gets overlooked because of Rhapsody, and it's a musical masterpiece in my opinion.  Here is a YouTube video of the prophet song.  A Night at the Opera on Spotify A Night at the Opera on Apple Here is a video about the making of the Prophet Song The fun part is I have no idea what the song is about besides a prophet who has a vision.  I dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair Spreading his hands on the multitude there A man who cried for a love gone stale And ice cold hearts of charity bare I watched as fear took the old men's gaze Hopes of the young in troubled graves I see no day, I heard him say So grey is the face of every mortal Um Sure...  You HAVE to listen to this song with Headphones

It's weird as a person in his fifties who loves technology. I find it cool, and it scares me to death.  Today I share a story about picking up a package the day after I delivered it at the Amazon pick-up center.

I have found when you start doing math to see if you can eat or afford something. When this happens you may be very close to doing something that you regret.  I saw the peloton bike and then read about the NordicTrack S22i which is "cheaper" but still an arm and a leg. However, if I cut out so many of the monthly payments I make to different sites and figured  I can now "afford" it.  The good news is I'm down 2.3 lbs. My legs are on fire cause I went a too far and now I'm using Soak Fitness Spray (which it turns out went out of business). This makes me legs feel liek they are on fire so I forget that they are sore. 

This is the album that introduced me to Randy Rhoads. Randy WAS MY DUDE. I LOVED the mixture of classic and heavy metal, and I learned every note on every record. It took me hours, but I did it.  When Randy died in 1982 it wrecked me. My hero was dead. I wore a black armband to school to show I was in mourning.  I found a clip on YouTube with Randy explaining how to play Revelation mother Earth, and that was the song that I was like WHAT? as well as Mr. Crowley.    Randy Rhoads clinic on YouTube Randy Rhoads isolated guitar Mr. Crowley Blizzard of oz on Apple

I'm 11 years old in Mrs. Lewis' class who was the coolest teacher ever. Everyone had gone out to recess but me and my best friend grabbed the little record player and cranked it up to 10, and through the distorted speaker I head these things on the guitar called "Artificial Harmonics" come out of Ace Frehleys guitar.  We just kept playing the song "She" over, and over, and over.   Kiss Alive I on YouTube Kiss Alive I on Spotify

My first concert was the World Series of Rock July 28, 1979[24] Aerosmith Ted Nugent Journey Thin Lizzy AC/DC Scorpions But I saw Angus Young and was like WHAT? and that lead me to buying a Gibson SG. I bought everything they did, and LET THERE BE ROCK where every song is great, and I just played the grooves off this album.  Let there be rock on YouTube Let there be Rock on Spotify

I saw a band open for Ozzy I had never heard of, and MAN WERE THEY HEAVY. I immediately went out to buy their album.  There was only one problem. My ears could not comprehend what I was hearing. At times it sounded like someone making fun of heavy metal.  It was so fast and the guitar solos sounded like a fax machine in heat. Metallica's Ride the Lightning was like nothing I had ever heard before.

In looking at 10 albums that changed my life, starting at number 10 is British Steel by Judas Priest. It was like nothing I had never heard of. It was HEAVY and it wasn't by accident.  The singer was amazing, and I loved the song Steeler that had about 90 seconds of the band playing one note at the end of the song. I loved that (in listening to it tonight, it's VERY hard not to play air guitar).  Tomorrow, a band I heard open for Ozzy who had music that was different I couldn't comprehend what I was listening. 

Fear is a reaction - courage is a decision a fluke of getting up early is my catalyst. Planting your flag can make it easier to move I'm playing with Healhtywage Start your own wager Join my team challenge for $20

Attention: There has been a shaving accident.  You gotta me kidding me.... Oh Geez... Hmmm.... Here we go.....

I had a second family in my early twenties. Post Mom, they were my cheerleaders, my support group, and all-around second family.  Over the years different insecure girlfriends steered me away, and we lost touch. With divorce number two under my belt, I had nothing stopping me from reconnecting. I had thought about it. I'll do it next time I'm in the neighborhood. I should call first. Why do we feel so awkward when we lose touch with people. Then we reconnect and you pick right up where you left off. I know if I had done this, and reached out we would've picked right up.  I can't do that now. It's not an option. A blown opportunity that put a mirror in my face and I can see how I was a really sh*tty friend in the name of love, I left people who truly did love me.  I feel ashamed, and not to happy with myself. 

Thinking of the rubber bowl, and remembering some interesting times there.  It was a huge (for Akron) stadium

When I was a kid big acts like The Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Three Dog Night, Tom Petty, Aretha Franklin, and Ringo Starr came to a 35,000 seat stadium called the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio.   One band was the Osmonds and they left a memory that has me thinking of my Mother, and how Mom always knows what to do in any circumstance.

I watched the "Its the great pumpkin charlie brown" special as I do every year, and I was surprised at how scattered, and in general, "Not good" this special was. 

I'm going to try to put together 30 days straight for National Podcast Post Month http://napodpomo.org/

It's weird how we remember things that hurt us in living color. These vivid memories never seem to fade away like old polaroid pictures.  I've shared some stories in the past that sound like pity parties, but today (realizing this) I wanted to share a really good time.    

Christians are known for being: Judgemental Disliking Homosexuality Asking for Money So when I see a church that pushes the stereotype it drives me nuts as none of the above is biblical.  Sure homosexuality is mentioned seven times in the bible, but poverty is mentioned 300 times, and lying is mentioned 155 times source https://www.answers.com/Q/How_many_times_is_the_word_lie_used_in_the_Bible https://matteroffactsblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/11/the-bible-mentions-homosexuality-7-times-but-poverty-300-times/   when I see a need in the community that the church offers to help if you PAY THEM I ask, I didn't remember Jesus asking to get paid to do the right thing. God Hates Fags video Romans 8:31-39 New Living Translation (NLT) Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God h

So my ex-wife calls me and wants me to be an escort to a meetup party at a normally off-limits room at the House of Blues in Cleveland. This is one of those parties like "40 and Fabulous" or for me "Fat, Fifty, and Frisky" - you get the idea. I have no game. When I was young, I had no game. I played the guitar and that might get me some attention, but that's another podcast for another day. Now with me being a middle-aged white guy when I walk into a room of strangers, I wonder if people think: He's racist cause he's white He's a pig cause he's a male Consequently, I don't feel comfortable saying ANYTHING. In the end, the evening didn't go half-bad, and I might start attending more of these a little closer to home (as the more you do something the better you get at it. I'm just in no hurry to get back on the relationship train.