Five Great Albums For September (Or Any Month)

Old. New. Yeah, it's just a list.


1. Seabird -- Rocks Into Rivers
You come for a radio hit like "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" and you stay for songs like "Finally Done Right" "This Road" and "The Good King."


2. The Beach Boys -- Pet Sounds
I'm not a musician so I can't fully grasp the genius of this record. But as someone who grew up with the Beach Boys (my dad owns everything they ever put out), I just took for granted how good they were. In the past year or so, I feel like I've come to appreciate this album even more.


3. Switchfoot -- Hello Hurricane
Song after song, this album is solid. And not just radio hit solid, really AWESOME! "Red Eyes" and "Sing It Out" are personal faves.


4. Dynamic Twins -- No Room 2 Breathe
If you liked early 90s Christian Rap/Hip-Hop like me, this would be THE album, an album you take on the deserted island. It could be because I listened to this ALL the time while driving around in my 1986 Nissan Stanza while in high school, but every song is AWESOME! D2 was the closest (with the exception of Idol King and Freedom of Soul) to their mainstream counterparts.


5. Jars Of Clay -- The Shelter
At first glance, an album with so many collaborators might be iffy. However, this one my favorite albums to relax to. Great lyrics and vibe.

Sloppy Writing or Sloppy Editing?

I've seen this a lot lately. A last name is referenced early in an article. Later in the article, the person's full name is listed. You can find an example in this article
(Look for the McHale reference).
Did an editor move a paragraph up or down or is it on the writer?
The Oklahoman late sports editor Bob Colon used to tell me, "Joel, it's the little things that will kill you."
Now, let me spell-check this blog post. :-)

Genius Playlist Unleashed

So, I decided to play some tunes off my iPod Touch (my old iPhone - hence the "No Service" on the screen).

I decided to do a genius playlist based off of CCR's Proud Mary. You would think I would get mainly classic rock and oldies songs in that playlist. I did end up with some of that, but there were a lot of weird choices, too.

(Almost) Dog-Bitten DVD

Streaming/hard drive-based movies and TV shows will eventually replace Blu-Ray and DVD.

But, half of the fun in our house is watching our dog, Asta (named for a movie character*), try and bite the DVD drawer as we open and close it over and over. (Sometimes, it outshines the movie).

Then again, if he ever succeeds and bites off the drawer -- we might be streaming movies faster than we expected.

* Asta was the dog in The Thin Man movies back in the 1930s.

The Media Failed Us In The Qur'an Burning Story

A fringe church of about 50 people has driven the nation into a frenzy about Qur'an-burning, filling the airwaves and web and soliciting a comment from the sitting president.
Think about that for a second.
50 people.
They don't even have a website anymore because of 'contractual issues with the hosting company.' (read: didn't pay their bill)
Seriously?

NOW, BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER.
These people are crazy. This is NOT a Christian thing to do. They are wrong! Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

They WIN because we talk, talk, talk about them.
Just like the Westboro Baptist Church crazies to my west in Topeka, Kansas (who say they've already done the burning before.) These people would shrink into the background without exposure. They may not completely go away, but there's also a church dedicated to worshipping Jedis.

But, instead of actual reporting on the many issues of the day, everyone is riled up with soundbites from people who talk without having anything to say.

50 people.

(NOTE: I work for a media outlet that avoided the story until this week, when the firestorm grew ludicrous, when we made mention of the story and sane Christian leaders' reactions to it. MY VIEWS ARE MY OWN).

TWOG (too long for a tweet; too short for a blog) Grocery Weirdness

1. I had to leap up and get some rice from the back of the top shelf. That's not very easy for a short, fat guy like me. On the second try, I snagged the Uncle Ben's box. I joked that I pulled a muscle. Or was I joking?
2. Some guy was pushing a grocery cart with the race car in front (you know the kind that kids ride in). Only weird thing, there wasn't a kid present. Maybe he lost a bet??
Carry on.

February Mailbag: Blink or You'll Miss It

Are you that bored that you want to ask me a question? Ask it at http://formspring.me/joelontheradio or e-mail me at joel-AT-joelontheradio.com (replace AT with @)

Do you play any instruments?

I have played instruments in the past. Pretty mediocre at best. I played piano and trombone growing up.

How's "sunny" California treating you this week? Encounter any mudslides?

We saw the sun briefly a couple of times (including once while I flew away). No mudslides, just a lot of rain. They tell me this is the rainy season for Northern California.

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