Metal, Metal Everywhere (just as it should be)!

My friend M.D. recently had a post on his blog (here) about one of his favorite metal albums of all time, Metallica's Ride the Lightning. I've also been listening to a lot of metal lately. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it provides me with some sort of necessary mental escape from the stress of the dissertation. Perhaps I wish to relive my younger days. Or perhaps much of what else is out there passing for music just sucks and I want to listen to something good.

Well, whatever the reason, M.D.'s post encouraged me to make a list of my favorite metal albums of all time. This proved much more difficult than originally anticipated, but below is what I came up with. I avoided "best of" and live albums, because those are sort of cop-outs to me. Although, I did include two entries for AC/DC and Ozzy, which I guess is also a cop-out.

But, without further ado:

Thmarn's 15ish Essential Metal Albums of All-Time (in no particular order)!

Metallica-Master of Puppets (Sorry M.D., chalk it up to the fact that I'm a few years younger and thus, this is the first one I heard.)
Slayer-Seasons in the Abyss
Guns and Roses-Appetite for Destruction
Def Leppard-Hysteria
Motley Crue-Shout at the Devil
AC/DC-High Voltage (Bon Scott)/Back in Black (Brian Johnson)
Judas Priest-Sad Wings of Destiny (This is even one of Halford's faves)
Iron Maiden-Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (This may have been the toughest decision on the list.)
Anthrax-State of Euphoria
Black Sabbath-Paranoid/Ozzy Osbourne (solo)-Blizzard of Ozz
Dio-Holy Diver
Megadeth-Rust in Peace
Pantera-Vulgar Display of Power
Queensryche-Operation Mindcrime (The best concept album ever!)
Motorhead-Ace of Spades

As I said, this was tougher than I thought. So, I also compiled a short list of runners-up. (These also give nods to several sub-genres of metal.) They are as follows: Whitesnake-Whitesnake, Bon Jovi-New Jersey, Skid Row-Slave to the Grind, Lamb of God-Sacrament, Korn-Korn, Prong-Beg to Differ, Nine Inch Nails-Broken, Testament-Practice What You Preach, Suicidal Tendencies-Lights, Camera, Revolution, and Sepultura-Chaos A.D.

Now I'm sure some of you take issue with my list or have some additions. So, bring 'em on! I'm sure I've made at least one major omission. Rock On!

A Bat, A Clown, and ...A Cat?

I just read an update on the new Batman flick, Dark Knight, in Entertainment Weekly. I am super-psyched for this movie because the first one (Batman Begins) was not only the best Batman film ever, but also one of my favorite super hero movies ever. Finally! Someone got Batman/Bruce Wayne's character right!

Anyway, the article was mostly a discussion of the unfortunate loss of Heath Ledger and how the director (Chris Nolan) now feels a responsibility to the actor to present his role as he would've wanted. Apparently, Ledger was very proud of his performance; it should be awesome.

But, that still isn't my point...the article also mentioned that Christian Bale (who plays Batman) and Nolan are interested in doing a trilogy.

And my response? : WOO Frickin' HOO!!!

And my advice? : Catwoman! (of course!).

My partner and I thought about this today and tried to figure out who we would cast as Catwoman this time around. I argued that since the acting has been so awesome in these movies thus far, that it needs to be someone who has chops and isn't all star power. A couple names that came up were: Kate Beckinsdale, Drew Barrymore (I'm convinced there's more than romantic comedies in there), and Ellen Page (it could really expand her possibilities). But finally, I decided on my top choice. Drum roll please...

Drea de Matteo!



She has the right combination of acting abilities, slightly dangerous/psychotic, sex appeal, and intrigue. Not to mention, she sort of already has a bit of a feline nature. She also happens to be in one of my all time favorite films, Prey for Rock and Roll (check out the trailer below).



Anyway, I'm sure Nolan and the Hollywood Big Wigs won't listen to little ole' me, but well...they should - 'Cuz I'm the S-M-R-T, when it comes to Catwoman! Any other great actors you'd like to nominate for the role? I'd love to hear 'em!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Of course, this holiday gives me an opportunity to put a picture of my favorite thing about Ireland on my blog - me boys in U2! (Not to mention, the sexiest - I mean, just look at that man! Damn!)

So, drink up with your whiskeys and Guinness to leprechauns, clovers, snakes, and pots of gold! Stay safe and may your hangover be kind!

Cheers!

Hee Hee Hee...Sports are Funny!

Growing up in the middle of Packer-land when you hate football is not easy! I hated having Brett Favre shoved in my face everywhere I went and NO! I absolutely am NOT and NEVER was a f*%$kin' cheesehead!! Those people make Wisconsinites look like morons! Anyway as a result of this traumatic upbringing, I found this story to be pretty hilarious.

Now I know there might be a few Packer fans that read this thing, so just to show you that I'm a good sport I thought I'd post this one, as well. If you find other parody stories about my favorite teams - bring 'em on! I could use a good laugh.

The Flu Sucks - My Swee' Rocks!

I have spent the last 24 hours out of commission, either on my couch or in bed, only taking a break for the occasional sprint to the bathroom. Yes, the stomach flu! It came on suddenly Monday night/Tuesday morning and still hasn't left completely. I feel worlds better than I did, but I'm still a bit woozy and generally apprehensive about most things edible. I suppose I was due, though. I haven't had the flu for ten years. In fact, it may be almost exactly a decade. I remember it was spring of 1998 when it last hit me...strange the things you remember. I can't remember to buy toilet paper when I go to the grocery store, but the last time I spent two days with my head in a toilet - 'oh yeah, March of 98!'

Anyway, I digress. What I really wanted this post to be about is how awesome my girl is. She took extra-special care of me yesterday. Not only did she cancel her office hours and stay home with me, but she also ran to the store, made me food (what little I could stomach), and did the other household stuff (tending to the kitties, doing the laundry, dishes, etc.). I am a lucky, lucky person.

She keeps saying that it's no big deal and doesn't know why I'm being so appreciative. But, I don't know how I would've made it through yesterday without her. Not to mention, I'm one of those people that just needs to be pampered big time when I'm sick. So anyway, she is 'da bomb and if you see or talk to her, you should tell her so! I hope you all have or find someone as awesome as her to clean your puke bucket! Cuz' that's love, dude!!

Dissertaion Update #6,785 (or at least I'm sure it feels that way for those of you who read this thing!)

Near the end of when my partner was writing her diss a couple years ago, she had a particularly bad day. It was a day where she was so sick and tired of writing the damn thing that she could hardly get out of bed and when she did, she could hardly get off the couch. During those last few days of her major writing, it was visibly harder and harder for her to just get motivated to kill it off.

I remember this time pretty vividly. I remember wishing she could find the strength to power-through, because I knew she'd feel so much better once it was done. But, I also remember knowing that I couldn't make that happen and I just didn't know how best to take care of and help her through those days. Finally, I remember thinking that I was pretty sure I understood what she must have been feeling.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha - oh silly me who was not writing and had not yet written a dissertation.

I am now to that point in my work. If I could just push through like 20 more pages - I'll be done! Yes, 20, 2-0, TWENTY! I used to write that in an evening when I was taking classes! But now it feels like when you were in high school and you were assigned your first 10 page paper, that was the entire semester's project, and felt like the scariest thing in the world. After all, who can actually write 10 pages about the same thing!

I have now written somewhere around 180 pages on the same topic. I do recognize that yes, I would feel better if I could just get it done. I also recognize that my partner is now doing her best to take care of and motivate me (especially when I got to suffer through my first panic attack the other day - woo hoo!). But, I am also finding it hard to locate that motivation. Everything...and I do mean EVERYTHING seems so much more interesting and fun than writing about the damn L Word, Internet, fandom, or whatever the frick else I'm inanely talking about.

So, I now also recall fondly how my good friend MG described this feeling to my girl during her cirisis time, in hopes of consoling and commiserating with her. She said that it's like you've been in this tunnel for months, it's a super long and dark tunnel, and you can finally- finally-see the light at the end. You're so close, but also so so tired. So, rather than run to the end, you'd rather lie on the florr of it and shout "C'mon! Dammit, Tunnel - Just f*%!kin' end already!!!" Hoping you might just be able to will it into happening.

I know it won't. ...Sadly...So, I guess I just best get back to writing.

So, to all my friends also currently writing - I'm right there with you and we CAN do it!

To all my friends who will take on this mess soon - good luck, you CAN do it!

And, to all my friends who have already completed this process - thanks for the advice, but you suck! (hee hee hee).

Love ya' all!

Here They Come...Woo Hoo!!!

Today I get to watch my first Red Sox game of the new season and I'm just about splitting at the (baseball) seams! I know, I know...it's only spring training, but I'll take what I can get! I only get a handful of Red Sox games period all year, so I'll watch whatever I can. Being blacked-out of games really sucks. I'm not even able to watch Brewers games and I'm like an hour and a half from the Wisconsin boarder! It's all Twins-all the time up here. Of course, I just love the game, so I'll watch practically any team. It's kinda fun sometimes to not have any investment in who wins or loses and be able to just enjoy the sport for what it is.

But anyway, here's to a beautiful new season of baseball and a clean slate for every team! May the best one win it all, but more importantly...let's have fun doing it! Wheeeee!

Oh yeah, and by the way, this picture is especially for my girl, who digs the Tek!