Halloween 2009

Halloween 2009 was a tremendous success. My kids loved their costumes this year - click for a slideshow. And man, what a haul of candy! So different than when I was a kid. My brothers and I used go out trick-or-treating for hours, and we'd come back with maybe half a bag full of candy. My kids, on the other hand, go out for half an hour, don’t even leave our street, and come back with more candy than they can carry. Good candy, too: Dove bars, Heath bars, Snickers, it's unbelievable! Our neighbors are awesome.

Today, I can't stop thinking about last night's Mad Men. They say Matt Weiner tends to pack more into the the season's penultimate episodes than the actual finales, and this year was no exception. From the Kennedy assassination and how it affected the country, to the secrets finally revealed in last week's episode, there was a lot to take in. Each week, I rely on two resources that always help me to make sense of all the subtle detail. As much as I think I get all the nuance, reading Silkstone's synopsis every week always proves me wrong:

http://www.open.salon.com/blog/silkstone

And it's always a good idea to hear what the show's creator has to say each week - here is the Inside Look Video from AMC.com:

--Brian

Halloween, Bills, Mad Men

It's that time of year again, and we had a heck of a time finding costumes to fit my son and daughter over the weekend. Connor is in one of those in-between sizes, where everything is either too long or too short; and Darcy is skinny, but very tall, so the pants were all too loose. BUT, I think we found two solutions. Halloween pictures forthcoming.

No offense to Trent Edwards, who my wife says is "dreamy," but I would like to take another look at Ryan Fitzpatrick next week. I saw sparks of hope in last night's ugly win.

And if you missed last night's Mad Men, check out a nice "inside" look at the episode here.



--Brian

Balloon Boy

I talked about the Balloon Boy today on Star 102.5. In case you missed it, an experimental balloon in the shape of a flying saucer was untethered from a house in Colorado, and floated nearly 40 miles with the wind, supposedly with 6 year old Falcon Heene inside. All the news networks were covering the balloon's flight live, until it landed nearly 3 hours later - with no 6 year old boy inside.

Where was he? Had he fallen? No, rescuers had traced the path of the balloon and found nothing.

Had he set the balloon free by accident? Could he be hiding out of fear of reprisal? That was my theory this afternoon on the air, and it appears I was right. CNN reports Falcon has been found, alive and well, hiding in the attic.

UPDATE: Charges will be brought against Falcon Heene's parents, Richard and Myumi. Police were tipped off initially when the Heenes were interviewed on CNN following the incident. Falcon was asked why he did what he did, and he replied by saying, "You guys said we did this for the show."

On Saturday, officials with the Larimer County Sheriff's Office announced that, yes, the whole thing was a fake, and that they expect criminal charges to be filed against Falcon's parents. According to a department spokesman, "Needless to say, they put on a good show for us and we bought it."

Richard and Mayumi could both be charged with conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities, and attempting to influence a public servant. If that's the case, they could each be looking at several years in prison, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

Did You Know....

Teachers say they can identify the naughtiest kids, as well as the brightest and most popular kids, on the first day of school just by looking at their names? Bounty.com found in a study of 3,000 school teachers that more than one in three expect children with certain names to be more of a handful than others.

Bounty says keep an eye out for children with names like Callum, Chelsea, Connor and Jack. The study also revealed girls called Aliesha, Casey and Crystal put teachers on edge as do boys named Kyle, Liam, Jake and Brooklyn.

Interestingly, 57% of teachers said the naughtiest children at school are also the most popular, and often make friends easier than well behaved children. More than a third also claimed that the naughtiest children are often the brightest – and the most sensitive.

(note to self: should I be worried about my son, Connor?)

What is it about Beatles and car rides with my children?

I was driving home with my daughter, listening to the Beatles the other night.

I said "The Beatles are my favorite."

Darcy said, "You're my favorite, Daddy."

And just like that, another unforgettable memory was created.

--Brian

Mad Men/couch potato weekend

Because of all the murky weather, I spent most of the weekend playing Guitar Hero, and watching TV. Since talking about the Bills, or the Lions is too depressing, let's instead discuss my favorite TV show, Mad Men.

I have been hearing from a lot of people today who didn’t like last night’s episode, because "nothing happened." Last week, lots of action, a guy loses a foot in a drunken lawnmower accident, among other things; but if you’ve been watching the show from the beginning, you realize that “action” episodes are not the norm with Mad Men. It’s always a slow burn. I usually leave an episode wondering what is going on behind the scenes, what someone is really thinking, what we might not know about these characters, or even what an expression on someone's face really signifies. In particular, Betty Draper's face.

This is a masterfully written show, because nothing is a throw away. Things that happen may seem inconsequential at first, but they always seem to come back later. Something you may not even be paying attention to at the time – a news story on a TV in the background, for example – somehow relates to the theme of the show. I really wish it could be 2 hours every week. One always leaves me wanting more.

I had a few questions about deeper meanings in last night's Episode 8, Souvenir, which is explained in the video recap below by the show's brilliant creator, Matt Weiner.

Until next weekend,

--Brian

Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band

My wife and I really want to get Beatles Rock Band, but we didn’t know if we wanted to pay all that money if we didn’t like the game – so we rented Guitar Hero: World Tour over the weekend. We played for hours between football games and had a blast. My fingers are actually a little sore!

I play a little acoustic guitar in real life, but Guitar Hero and Rock Band are quite a bit different. If you’ve ever played either game, you know that you’re looking down the neck of a guitar, with colored lights coming at you telling you which buttons to press, and when – it’s really mesmerizing. So much so that after the songs were over, it kind of looked like the room was spinning.

We realized early on that the Beginner level was way too easy, Medium got a little too intense for newbies like us, so we kept it at Easy, and had so much fun! I’m happy to say, the Demay Family Band can now play a mean Band On The Run, Demolition Man, and Eye Of The Tiger.

Can't wait to see how we do this Christmas!

--Brian

Glee = Idol = Karaoke

As I watched Glee this week, it occurred to me yet again how powerful music can be. It moves us today just as it did thousands of years ago, as our ancestors gathered around a campfire singing songs of the hunt. Music has always evoked powerful feelings in us, and despite years of scientific study, researchers have yet to find a "music center" in the brain. They literally don't know why music can give us goosebumps, or make us cry, it just does.

And hearing the kids in Glee sing Journey's Don't Stop Believin' or Rihanna's Take A Bow does give me goosebumps. Ultimately it's not the story or the acting that makes the show so interesting, it's the music.

Music is what brings people together in a bar to hear each other sing karaoke. There is a limit, of course, to how much bad karaoke one can tolerate, but more often than not my mind pays less attention to the semi-drunk person singing, and remembers instead the first time I heard that great song being sung. American Idol is like karaoke, with choreography. We clap when a performer is able to mimic the original version of a song we like; when they are able to bring something new, something of themselves to a song, we go out and buy their CD. But it's the music that moves us.

It's the reason I got into radio. When someone calls and asks me the name of a great song I just played, I know that in some small way, I become associated with that song. That's a powerful thing.

And so, as William Shakespeare said, 'If music be the food of love, play on.'

--Brian

Brian's Beatles Hit List

Although I wasn't alive during the actual Beatles era, I grew up listening to them, since both my parents were fans. My first Beatles record was my dad's old Parlophone 45 with 4 early tracks, including "Twist and Shout," that I literally wore out. Too bad, because it would be worth at least $300 today, according to eBay!

Sorry about that, Dad.

So from an early age I have been listening to and enjoying the four lads from Liverpool, and never really outgrew their music. In 1987 when the Beatles catalog was released on CD, I liked it, but as with many early CDs back in those days the sound was a little iffy. Compared to cassette and scratchy vinyl it was quite good, everything on CD seemed like an improvement back then, but audiophile friends of mine have often commented about how something great was lost during the digital mastering process.

It was with great excitement that I heard the completely remastered Beatles catalog this week. It's not for sale yet (not until 9/9/09 - true fans get the significance of that) but being in radio has its privileges. Let me just say that the music brought me to my knees.

I had never heard such clarity. As I listened, each album got successively better, and fuller, with a more clearly defined stereo space. By the time I listened to Abbey Road, I couldn't distinguish the sound quality as less than anything done today. It was state of the art in 1969, and now, with today's technology, it sounded as if I was listening to a live performance right there in the Abbey Road studios.

After listening to the CDs from beginning to end one night this week, I have compiled my Top 10 favorite Beatles tracks, in no particular order. This is a purely subjective list, based almost on which songs I haven't over-listened to through the years, but which made the biggest impression on me after listening to the remasters.

1) A Day In The Life, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. So many things going on in this tune! I love Ringo's drum fills, Paul's middle eight, and the jarring orchestral crescendo leading up to that final note, held out for so long that a studio musician creaked his chair, causing the other musicians to "shoosh" him. Yes, now you can hear it on this track.

2) Here Comes The Sun, Abbey Road. I always loved this song on the radio, but I never noticed how full the synthesized backing track sounds, or the crisp hand claps, or the high frequency synth that kicks in near the end. This is much more than just a simple acoustic guitar and vocal.

3) Words Of Love, Beatles For Sale. Just a nice, tight, pop song with typical early 60s guitar work by George, and trademark polished Beatles harmonies. 2 minutes and 4 seconds!

4) I Am The Walrus, Magical Mystery Tour. Man, what a strange, trippy song. Now you can clearly hear John's lyrics, which were hard to decipher before, and all the bizarre sound clips interwoven into the mix. Check it out in headphones for the full effect.

5) Come Together, Abbey Road. One of the best, well-crafted rock songs ever. John's vocals are biting, Ringo's drums are heavy and thumping, some gritty guitar work from John and George, there's even a Billy Preston keyboard solo, but Paul's prominent bass is what makes this song so cool, especially in the remix. He anticipates each note from John, and hits it just a half beat before, making the song slink from measure to measure. Aerosmith covered this tune, but couldn't match its pure rock musicianship.

6) Mother Nature's Son, The White Album. All of a sudden you can hear Paul tapping on a notepad, the brass section fading in from nothing, and subdued background vocals that were missing before.

7) Two Of Us, Let It Be. This song is on my list for purely sentimental reasons. When my son Connor was a toddler he and I would drive back from daycare every night, and often he'd want to hear this song, because Paul and John were singing "we're going home" over and over. "We're going home too, Daddy," Connor would say. (Again, this is a purely Brian-centric list.)

8) Rain, Past Masters Disc 2. Ringo's drumming on this track is so interesting. It's more of a lead-drum, rather than the fills he normally played; front and center in this song with Paul's bass, with John's vocal in right channel, and harmony vocals on the left. A treat for the ears.

9) For You Blue, Let It Be. I love John Lennon's slide guitar, in which he used a shotgun shell, interestingly enough. Again the stereo space is enhanced dramatically in the remaster.

10) You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Help! You can hear Bob Dylan's influence on John's writing at this point in his career, but it's more his vocal that stands out to me. At times wistful, then growling and confident; it's something Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder couldn't duplicate in their recent cover of this song.

So there is my Top 10, a list which is subject to change at any moment. Whatever your list may be, I urge you to buy your favorite Beatles album on the 9th, and listen to it as it was meant to be heard. Just phenomenal.

--Brian

Fleeting Summer

Kevin O'Connell's forecast this afternoon said "get ready for a touch of Autumn this week."

Autumn? Didn't we just start getting summer weather? It's still August, no leaves changing around here yet, but it exemplifies just how fleeting summer in WNY can be. Just as fleeting as childhood.

My Dad used to call 8 years old the perfect age for a child; still wide-eyed and innocent, but intelligent enough with which to have meaningful conversations. My son Connor is 8, and we have had many serious talks, but he still likes to hold my hand when we walk, he still believes in magic, and the sweetness of a little boy remains. I know this won't last for much longer, the evil teen years lurk, so when he comes home from Summer Camp with a construction-paper hat, all smiles and pride in workmanship, I savor it.

Just like I savored our last big summer concert of the year.

In the dead of winter when planning began as to who we wanted for our big outdoor concert series, late August seemed like it would never get here. Now that the shows are over, I can't quite believe it. So many amazing performances: Matt Nathanson, Safetysuit, Vertical Horizon, Parachute, Mat Kearney, Matt Wertz, Ingrid Michaelson, Sugar Ray. It's been an incredible summer of music, and if you listen to Star 102.5, chances are you have been front and center for at least one great concert this year.

Below is a video recap of our last show in Niagara Falls with the Hard Rock Cafe. If you missed it, here is a link to the interview I did before the show with Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon, talking about his career, and where it's headed. He particularly blew me away Saturday. With just his voice and an acoustic guitar, he owned the stage, and the crowd was with him from note one. The video below is of his biggest hit "Everything You Want," which hit #1 here and in the UK, and hasn't left the radio since.

Click Pic For Video

Matt Wertz flew in on the redeye from Vancouver to play his first show in Niagara Falls. There were a lot of happy young ladies in attendance, especially when he played his latest hit "Everything's Right." We saw him at the Casino afterward, waiting to play roulette. I hope you hit it big, Matt.

Click Pic For Video

And Pittsburgh's own Rusted Root closed the show with their big hit "Send Me On My Way."

Click Pic For Video

As much as I like video, it doesn't do these songs justice. You truly had to be there. If you weren't, make sure to join us for our next concert!

And hold your kids hand while you still can. Autumn's chill comes before you know it.

--Brian

Historical perspective

Some of the protests at town hall meetings across the country have been a riot. Literally. Thankfully we have avoided serious injuries thus far, despite a NH protester who was packing heat during President Obama's recent town hall (left).

Seeing stuff like this makes me wonder why there can't be civil disagreements, and sane discussions about health care, without name calling, demonization, or worse - violence.

But looking back on our history, American politics has never really been civil. Although close friends late in life, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had fierce policy disagreements, and attacked each other ferociously behind the scenes, as well as in the press. It took many years for them to put aside their differences and reconcile.

Abraham Lincoln's decisions were questioned and attacked mercilessly in the press, often by members of his own cabinet, who either wanted the presidency for themselves, or strongly disagreed about his Civil War policy at the time.

And ignorant protesters? They too are nothing new.

Jefferson's quote referenced in the sign above is "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants." The rest of that quote basically says rising up, even if you don't have all the facts, is better than sitting back and doing nothing. Jefferson's point was that it's good and proper to take an interest and a stake in one's government.

But he also understood that the blood watering that tree of liberty was just as much that of the uninformed masses, who perhaps didn't have all the facts at their disposal, but took up arms anyway, versus the occasional tyrant:

"What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon & pacify them...What signify a few lives lost in a century or two?"

In other words, don't condemn the uninformed; get the information out there, but deal with the recalcitrant if violence continues in the face of the truth. Fresh from the Revolution, Jefferson expected a few deaths here and there to make a point, lest anarchy rule.

But we are not in the 18th century anymore. Given the ease with which we can find all the information necessary to make sound decisions, bringing guns into presidential town halls and carrying signs talking about "watering the tree of liberty" to me, at least, seems hopelessly and ridiculously outdated.

--Brian

Me on my soap box

In the old days, people wanting attention would bring a soap box into town, and they'd stand on it to make a speech. Seems kind of silly in these days of YouTube, not to mention microphones and amplifiers, but everyone still knows what it means. And so, up on my proverbial soap box I go for a little speechifyin'.

I put together a harmless little video slide show featuring pictures of our summer so far, and legally purchased a song that seemed appropriate for it, adding it as the video soundtrack in my little amateur production. While attempting to upload my video on a popular social networking site which shall remain nameless, I received a "copyright infringement" notice. My video was removed, and I was threatened with legal action if I tried to upload the video again.

I thought that was kind of harsh.

Apparently the song that I purchased legally from iTunes can't be used as a video soundtrack since I don't own the rights to it. A record label does. Even when videos are set to "private" meant to be seen by only friends, they are either taken down after the fact, or prevented from being uploaded completely.

I am all for artists getting their fair share, my business is promoting music after all, but this seems a bit crazy to me. Who, exactly, is benefiting from hearing a cool song used as background music to my slide show? The artist. Someone caring enough to watch the video may be inspired to buy the CD or download the track themselves if they like it. I paid for the song, I'm not offering the MP3 as a free download for anyone to steal, I'm certainly not making any money by using the song, so what is the harm? Wouldn't that constitute Fair Use of the song?

Nope.

It amazes me that something as simple and innocuous as this can be construed as illegal activity, but lawyers and litigators rule the roost these days.

As I step down from my soap box, I wonder if these types of things were even debated in the days of soap box speeches.

"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." --William Shakespeare, Henry VI, written 1590.

Guess so...

--Brian

Quite a summer so far

It took a while, but temps are finally settling reliably into the 80s this week. After a fun picnic on Saturday, I realized how many cool things we've already done this summer, with a whole month and a half yet to go.

Here's a little slide show of the Demay Family Summer of '09 so far, as Matt Wertz sings, "Everything's Right."

--Brian

Thanks, Casey

I got a few requests to re-post this note from the Star website.

--Brian

This weekend, as we celebrate our country's independence with fireworks and backyard barbecues, Star 102.5 will be airing the final countdown from one of my childhood heroes, Casey Kasem. It airs 39 years almost to the day of his debut of the original American Top 40 on July 4th, 1970. The word from Casey and Premiere Radio Networks is that the decision to discontinue American Top 20 was mutual. Casey is 77, after all.

In a statement he said "This decision will free up time I need to focus on myriad other projects."

I'm saddened by this decision mainly because my radio career actually began by running Casey's American Top 40 countdowns. I have happy memories of every week getting a stack of records that I would have to cue up on the turntables in-studio, and pause between segments to do weather, news, and commercials. Listening to this radio legend "tease" a song coming up was an art form that I poorly imitate every afternoon on Star 102.5.

So although a weekend without Casey won't seem quite right, we don't begrudge him his retirement. All of us at Star 102.5 wish him well. In the meantime, we'll be keeping our feet on the ground, and we'll keep reaching for the stars.

Starry Night 2009

I have been posting pictures and video from Starry Night in the Garden on my station websites for over a week now, but I figured those that don't check mystar1025.com regularly might like to hear how the whole event went.

All I can say is, Holy Smokes, what a GREAT show! It's going to be hard to top next year, that is for sure.

The weather on the 24th was absolutely perfect - not a cloud in the sky. All the artists arrived safely and on time, their hotel rooms were satisfactory, and best of all, the show was a sellout days before.

I love when that happens.

But most of all, the performances were top knotch. I heard every act, from Safetysuit's first notes, to Matt Nathanson's encore of Journey's Don't Stop Believing, and Mat Kearney in-between.

I say this every year, but one of the great things about my job is being exposed to new music, and then putting together fantastic live versions of my iPod playlists for an audience. It's very cool for me to be able to share a vision for a great live show, and have people like it.

If you missed any part of it, there is a great photo recap and video content here:
http://mystar1025.com/Starry-Night-In-The-Garden-2009/4674381

Before and during the show, we managed to talk to all the artists. Safetysuit discussed with me making a hollywood style video, the VH1 Top 20 countdown, and who actually writes their songs.

I also talked with Mat Kearney about how he got his start, the Nashville scene, and breaking and entering to play piano here.

And John Anthony snagged an interview with our headliner, Matt Nathanson, just before he hit the stage.

All in all, it was a great night, and one of the best Starry Nights ever.

The primary reason we do this show every year is to raise awareness and help in the restoration of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, an architectural treasure, and one of only a handful of Victorian tri-dome botanical gardens in the world. If you have never seen the gardens, make a point to visit this Summer. And definitely come to next year's 10th Anniversary Starry Night in the Garden show!

--Brian

Being a Dad

8 years in now, it's difficult to even imagine me not being a father. It's not an easy job, especially as I watch my son and daughter leaving childhood behind far too quickly. To hear Darcy's little girl voice slowly going away is so hard. To watch Connor fielding calls from girls after school amuses me, mostly, but it also speaks loudly and clearly to me they're not going to be little kids much longer.

(Hopefully there won't be boys calling Darcy at home for many many years...)

So I try to savor it, and enjoy these fleeting moments while they're here. Fathers Day morning was one of those moments. The kids woke me up with very sweet cards and projects, like these.

Connor made me a new mousepad (pictured) as well as a book of things he would give me, if he could. (Sample: "If I could give my Dad something, it would be a transporter, so he wouldn't be late.") My boy knows me a little too well.

And Darcy put together a book of "Why My Dad Is Special." On page 3 (pictured), My Dad Cooks With Me. At first I thought she was referring to the excellent grilled cheese sandwiches that I occasionally make on the weekends, but looking at the drawing I realize we are on the back patio, I am at the grill, and Darcy is at the picnic table.

I'm sure every parent has stories and drawings just like these. As much as people watch and talk about shows like Jon & Kate + 8 and all the rest, it's not the excesses that make life wonderful, it's the small moments, like Fathers Day morning, that I know I'll remember forever.

And now, 10 Things Your Father Was Right About.

1) You are the prettiest girl in the world.
2) Sinatra.
3) You should always keep jumper cables in your car... just in case.
4) Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.
5) That guy really wasn't good enough for you.
6) You do not need a pony.
7) The cardinal rule of grilling: Pressing down on the burger will only dry it out.
8) Yes, honey, all your male "friends" do secretly want more.
9) Paying $200 for a haircut is crazy.
10) It's not worth trying to repair the toaster yourself.

See you at Starry Night tonight! Pictures and video to come.

--Brian

Up

We took the kids to see Pixar's latest masterpiece Up on Saturday night, after being thwarted the last two weekends, due to weather and other obligations. Even three weeks into its run, the crowds seeing Up were undiminished at the Transit Drive-In, and for us it was well worth the wait.

My review of this movie is best summarized by what my son Connor said as we were driving home that night: "I was crying a little, because I was sad and happy at the same time."

That juxtaposition of joy and melancholy can be applied to all the great Pixar films, and it illustrates once again that story, not special effects, is what draws people to these movies in the first place, and keeps them watching on DVD long after they've left theaters.

Where Finding Nemo (and, to a lesser extent, The Incredibles), so effectively portrayed the fierce love a parent has for a child, at the heart of Up is the aching sadness and longing that Carl Frederickson feels for his wife Ellie, when she dies too soon.

For those who haven't seen it yet, that sounds like such a downer, doesn't it? But this film is also a rollicking hilarious adventure that will have you, and your children, laughing out loud so often, you won't be sad for long.

The funny: so many dogs, with so many clearly defined personalities, and all of them talk. Not to mention a bizarre undiscovered species of bird that communicates just fine without words.

The adventure: thousands of helium balloons turn a house into an airship, dogs piloting fighter planes, a dirigible, what more could you ask for?

Up is a movie to watch, then watch again, and then own. It's better than Wall-E, it's much better than Cars and Ratatouille, it's at least equal to Finding Nemo.

The Demays give it 4 thumbs up.

--Brian

TATS, Yard Sales, Health Tips

One of the great traditions in Buffalo is Thursday at the Square. I love hearing great live music downtown and pigging out on all the food and drink, but what is it about Thursdays and the weather lately? Every week, Wednesdays are great, Fridays are great, Thursday it rains. Once when we were setting up, the wind kicked up off the lake and it took 3 of us hanging on to the tent to keep it from taking flight.

I guess that's another reason why our Starry Night in the Garden show is always on a Wednesday.

I got some requests for this info, so here are some of the things I talked about on the show this week.

Yard Sale Tips - according to YardSaleQueen.com:

• The best time to hold a yard sale is on a weekend. Pick a weekend when a large number of other garage sales are scheduled in your neighborhood. The more traffic in your area, the better.
• Start your sale 30 minutes earlier than the other sales. That way people begin their garage sale day with you, when they have the most money to spend.
• Find store ads offering the same products you’re selling, and attach them to your items so shoppers can see the deals they're getting.
• Don’t forget the batteries. People like to be able to turn something on to make sure it works – just buy cheap generic batteries.
• Place your items on tables, even if this means borrowing folding tables from neighbors. Goods are less appealing when placed on the ground, and a lot of shoppers won’t bend down to pick up the merchandise.
• Don’t bother selling furniture - people want things that’ll easily fit into their car. Sell furniture on Craigslist, as with anything over $20 in value.

Home Remedies That Really Work - here are three with scientifically proven results:

• Dish Detergent prevents poison ivy. If you’re exposed to poison ivy outside, wash as soon as possible with regular dish detergent. A recent study of 350 adults found 50% who did this got no itchiness or rash whatsoever, the rest got greatly reduced poison ivy symptoms.
• Witch Hazel gets rid of cold sores. Several times a day, dip a fresh cotton swap in witch hazel, and dab it on your cold sore, and it will heal faster than if you do nothing.
• Baby Shampoo relieves itchy red eyelids. If allergies are causing your eyelids to get crusty or inflamed, twice a day, rub a few drops of baby shampoo in your wet hands, scrub your closed eyelids, and rinse. It’s safe, tear-free, and will remove pollutants, bacteria, eye makeup, lens solution, and whatever else may be causing your lids to itch.

Tune in weekday afternoons to hear more tips like these on Star 102.5!

--Brian

The Simple Things

Sure, we have a Wii, dozens of computer games, hundreds of books and cable TV channels; but this is what captivated the kids in our neighborhood all week.

A large cardboard box.

Who needs Mario Kart when you have a box?

It's always the simple things.

--Brian

Working with your hands

There are certain movies that seem to get funnier or more meaningful the more times I see them. I liked Office Space the first time I saw it, but I didn't love it. Now it's one of my favorite movies of all time.

It's extremely quotable, ("yeah, I'm going to have to have you come in on Saturday...") funny in a broad sense, but also reflective of how many of us feel each day, working in an artificially-lit environment, doing menial tasks that don't affect the greater good, and wondering why corporate America makes the decisions it does.

One scene in particular sticks with me. Ron Livingston's character, Peter Gibbons, has left Initech to work on a construction crew, which ironically is cleaning up the debris from Initech, recently burned to the ground. Peter says "this isn't so bad, makin' bucks, gettin' exercise, workin' outside."

Amen!

I joke with my wife about someday selling the house and moving to Florida, where I will run a hot dog stand on the beach; no "overhead" except sunshine, everyone would know me, "the hot dog guy," and at the end of the day I pack up my cart and go home. If I don't feel like working that day, I don't. What a great life!

Last week the office building had a barbecue outside. It was a beautiful spring day, and it just so happened I had a band coming through to do a little performance. I asked them if they minded playing outside, where there was a good sized crowd, and they agreed. Check out their performance here.

Something about that day clicked: people mingling outside, having lunch, listening to music. It's what we've done for centuries! As cavemen we sat around a fire, eating together, sharing stories and songs of the hunt. We were meant to be outside, working with our hands, not in a cubicle staring at a computer screen all day, hermetically sealed from Nature.

It's springtime in Western New York. Let's make time to go to the beach, take a hike, work in the yard, and get back to what makes us human.

And no, Lumbergh, I won't be coming in on Saturday.

--Brian

So Glad I'm A Parent

There are times in every Dad's life, when we're picking socks out of the kitty litter, or wiping orange juice off the ceiling, or scraping melted crayon off the inside of a dryer, that we question why we became parents. We say things like "THIS is why we can't have anything NICE!"

And then, there are times when we find notes like this in our briefcase:

My daughter always makes sure to put pigtails on the smiling girls in her pictures. I love you too, Darcy.

--Brian

A Few Theories About The Lost Finale

If you haven't watched the finale, beware; I have put together a bunch of Lost spoilers. After sitting up last night scouring post-finale message boards and fan pages, this is what I think happened:

• The man in black at the beginning of the episode, we'll call him "Esau," is trapped on the island, can’t leave (like Jacob can), but can take the form of people who have died. He is the “smoke monster,” who has also appeared as Jack’s father Christian, Ben’s daughter Alex, and now Locke II.


• Jacob was never in the cabin Ben visited while leading The Others - it was Esau, the mystery smoke monster man.


• Ilana says Frank, the pilot, could be a “candidate” - for what? I think, to replace Jacob, if Jacob did indeed die. Jack could also be a candidate, if he didn’t end up getting nuked. Where Richard now fits into all of this I have no idea.


• I think the bomb pushed the island into more time-shifting. The question is did Jack, Sawyer, Kate, Miles, Hurley, Sayid, et al shift with it before the bomb exploded? (I think they did.) Did Juliet really die? (I think she really did.) And will Sun and Jin be reunited in the present? (I think they will.)


• Interesting note: Ben Linus says “I’m a Pisces,” when he was actually born in December. Does he ever tell the truth?


• Season 1 started with Jack's eye opening, much like it appears in the Final Season Preview (above). I think it's Jack's eye.


• I can’t believe we have to wait until February 2010 to see what happens next!

--Brian