Wednesday, February 28, 2007
OFFICIAL MAILBOX "LOST" GRIPES #17-19
It's been a while since the Mailbox has had a gripe worthy of airing. First off, the Mailbox has to admit it was wrong. It originally said, "There was no freaking way" that there is a second island. Funny story: There is a second island.This week's episode featured Hurley. The Mailbox loves these episodes, since Hurley's string of bad luck is so bad it's comical. This week in Hurley's flashbacks, a meteor destroys the Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack he buys with his lottery winnings, and his dad shows up after 17 years. His dad tries to break the curse by rigging a psychic reading. The psychic had some cool looking tarot cards.
Meanwhile in reality, Hurley discovers a Dharma V-Dub Bus. complete with beers in the back. Who knows how long the beers have been there, but Sawyer eventually starts sucking them down.
The Mailbox's gripe: Who knows how long those cans of beer have been in a van, in the heat of a tropical island. And they drink them anyway?! The Mailbox has seen what happens to beer kept over a long period of time. Gets filled with nasty floaties.
Another gripe: Why does Hurley's father show up after 17 years? Should be 15 or 16, shouldn't it? For a show that has worked so hard to use 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 and any combination or computation those numbers can make, it doesn't make any sense to NOT use those numbers everywhere.
Yet another gripe: Hurley's bad luck provided a great opportunity to kill off Nikki and Paolo in a hugely hilarious and awesome way. Yet they still live. WHY?!
Monday, February 26, 2007
I AM NOT MIKE PORTNOY
Yep. Learnt that myself. Real quick.
I've been listening to Dream Theater religiously for close to five years now, but for some reason, I never got the idea to play along with the god of thunder himself. So, I cranked up the iPod, duct taped the earphones in and rocked out on my six-piece Yamaha with double-bass pedals to "Honor Thy Father" and "Blind Faith."
My leg hurts. That's all I have to say.
Dream Theater is releasing a new CD in June, by the way. Track listing is up on their Web site. Too bad their forum is no more...probably because so many whined and complained that Octavarium and Score wasn't anything like Awake. Makes it tough to talk to Dream Theater fans. There were some good people on that forum, and I don't know where they went. Also, there were some jerks on that forum, and I hope they didn't pay their electric bills.
Still, the band probably canned the forum because there was too much complaining. Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. Does Dream Theater have such a thin skin that they can't handle criticism? Probably, but Dream Theater fans are irritatingly picky about music. An entire CD can be ruined because of one chord to some fans. But, the band just started a MySpace page. What the hell do band members think they are going to see there?
What's this, you say? Never heard Mike Portnoy or Dream Theater? Enjoy:
Labels: MUSIC, MYSPACE, TIME-WASTERS
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
NEW STORY: 'THE PIANO'
The Mailbox has been pretty self-absorbed lately, doing this, this and this.
And this: A new story called "The Piano." Finally, I know why she wants to burn the frickin' thing. I dreamed about this girl once... she and her piano were stuck, frozen in time, and I got to look at them up close. Weird.
Anyway, hope you enjoy. Sorry the Mailbox has been a stranger lately. OH! Remind me to tell y'all later about the incredibly awesome Valentine's Day present that TLP got for us. Kansas City, here we come... :)
And this: A new story called "The Piano." Finally, I know why she wants to burn the frickin' thing. I dreamed about this girl once... she and her piano were stuck, frozen in time, and I got to look at them up close. Weird.
Anyway, hope you enjoy. Sorry the Mailbox has been a stranger lately. OH! Remind me to tell y'all later about the incredibly awesome Valentine's Day present that TLP got for us. Kansas City, here we come... :)
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
NEW STORY: 'RIDER WAITES'
This is not a new story, but it's new to you guys. In a few weeks, I'll be submitting this for a pig-stickin' by a published author at a sci-fi convention, but I thought I'd give you guys a crack at it. Warning: It's kinda dark.
Download a pdf of "Rider Waites" here.
I have another story in the works, too. For almost a year, I have had a mental picture of a girl who is hellbound and determined to burn a piano. I've seen her standing over it, matches in one hand and gas can in the other, but I haven't known why she wanted to burn it. Until recently.
In a few weeks, you will too.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
KJML GAINS GROUND, ZIMMER DOMINATES
Woot! The Mailbox was worried about alternative station KJML slipping in the ratings, but the latest ratings say otherwise. However, the big winners show that Zimmer is still the big dog in the Joplin market, although the Big Dog KXDG is only No. 3. KSYN pulled a 10.2 for No. 2. As in Springfield, a country station rules the roost: KIXQ pulled a 13.2 for No. 1.
Kissin 92.5 was the biggest gainer, jumping from a 7.7 to its 10.2. The station is led by Steve Kraus (in da House). Springfield radio fans will remember him from Hot 106.7, back when Ray Michaels was a genius, Superfrank was managing radio stations and the station ruled the Springfield market. (Side note: Ray Michaels is still a genius, wherever he is, and Superfrank is the manager of James Brown and, really, no one else.) Kraus is one of the business' nicest guys. The Mailbox is super-mega-proud of the job Kraus is doing at Kissin'.
Also, the DJ-less KMXL (95.1 Mike FM), owned by Ronald L. Peterson gained more than a point to finish with a 6.6. The computers at Mike seem to churn out tunes that Joplin likes.
The ratings don't look so hot for everyone else. The Big Dog only gained a tenth of a point. Zimmer's KKMK Lite Rock 93.9 lost a half-point, pulling a 6.0. KKOW, 96.9 The Kow, lost more than 2 points, finishing with a 2.4.
Community Radio got hit hard, as well. KMOQ (Q 107.1) is on a downward slide, going from a 4.3 to a 1.8 in a year. KBTN 99.7 Classic Country Legends took a sizable step back, sliding from a 6.1 to a 4.2 in a year. KCAR, Cool 104.3, lost almost two points since spring '06, pulling a 3.6. All those stations are owned by Community Radio, which means Rock 105 is the company's only bright spot in this book.
Rock 105 gained .3 points in the fall '06 Arbitron period, finishing at No. 7. Not a huge gain, and not enough to match the 4.3 it pulled a year ago, but a gain nonetheless. And it helps support the Mailbox's spin... er, theory... that alternative rock radio is seeing success.
Kissin 92.5 was the biggest gainer, jumping from a 7.7 to its 10.2. The station is led by Steve Kraus (in da House). Springfield radio fans will remember him from Hot 106.7, back when Ray Michaels was a genius, Superfrank was managing radio stations and the station ruled the Springfield market. (Side note: Ray Michaels is still a genius, wherever he is, and Superfrank is the manager of James Brown and, really, no one else.) Kraus is one of the business' nicest guys. The Mailbox is super-mega-proud of the job Kraus is doing at Kissin'.
Also, the DJ-less KMXL (95.1 Mike FM), owned by Ronald L. Peterson gained more than a point to finish with a 6.6. The computers at Mike seem to churn out tunes that Joplin likes.
The ratings don't look so hot for everyone else. The Big Dog only gained a tenth of a point. Zimmer's KKMK Lite Rock 93.9 lost a half-point, pulling a 6.0. KKOW, 96.9 The Kow, lost more than 2 points, finishing with a 2.4.
Community Radio got hit hard, as well. KMOQ (Q 107.1) is on a downward slide, going from a 4.3 to a 1.8 in a year. KBTN 99.7 Classic Country Legends took a sizable step back, sliding from a 6.1 to a 4.2 in a year. KCAR, Cool 104.3, lost almost two points since spring '06, pulling a 3.6. All those stations are owned by Community Radio, which means Rock 105 is the company's only bright spot in this book.
Rock 105 gained .3 points in the fall '06 Arbitron period, finishing at No. 7. Not a huge gain, and not enough to match the 4.3 it pulled a year ago, but a gain nonetheless. And it helps support the Mailbox's spin... er, theory... that alternative rock radio is seeing success.
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