Robot Snow Plow

The robot snow plow!  I want one for next year!  Just make it with a control like a remote control car (easy), or else automated better than that Roomba vacuum.  Where do I sign up?


via B&P

Packers Watch

Yes, following the Green Bay Packers is a year round obsession for us diehards.  This space is not about sports but a couple developments made me want to share.  First, it was announced yesterday that Robert De Niro will play Vince Lombardi in an NFL film due to be released the week before the Superbowl, 2012.  I can't say I disagree with the pick of actors.  Actually, I hadn't ever thought about it.  But De Niro, I think he will do a better job than anyone else that comes to mind.  All this said, I don't really watch alot of movies let alone venture out*, but I am looking forward to this now! 
ESPN has more here.

*'Alice in Wonderland' looks very interesting, however.

Secondly, the Packers will wear an alternate color scheme now and again for the next few years.  Yes, it's another throwback jersey thing.  It will be similar to the 1929 look (left), with modern mandated upgrades.  It's kinda neat when football gets real ugly!

Colorized pic is from the Green Bay Press-Gazette.  They have the whole story here.





That's all I have.  It is a very active time right now with free agency having just begun.  You can find all that stuff elsewhere.  Here's to a great offseason!



BTW, I did do that 'Teenage Audio Test" on Monday night when my ears had mostly settled down.  I still passed.  I didn't even need to turn up the speakers.  I'm dumbfounded.  Not really.  I know my hearing is less than 100%.  I have to have a phone up to my right ear, my left doesn't work as well.  Besides, you just know if your own hearing has diminished.

Sunday Night Reviewed

Sunday night's show went as well as I expected.  There were three opening bands, with W.A.S.P. hitting the stage about 10:20 and playing until 11:40.  I got home about quarter past midnight and was in bed 20 minutes later but didn't fall asleep until well past 1:00 am.  My alarm went off at 5:00 am and I got up grudgingly and somehow stayed awake at work all day.

It was a shame to see them on that small stage. I don't think the club wasn't planned out very well.  Not for seeing live bands.  TV's (turned off) on the right were almost in the way and an odd corner jutting out on the left that the bass player had to watch out for.  After the first couple songs, Blackie stopped to apologize for half the show being out in the truck.  He told the Madison media that it was going to be the whole show setup but then found out someone lied to him about the stage size and ceiling height.  It didn't matter much to me, though.  They were there, they played well, and I enjoyed every minute.

I sat back at the bar (sipping my water) until right before W.A.S.P. started.  I had no intention of clawing my way all the way up front -I'm too old to do that anymore- but I found a nice space directly in front about 20 or so feet back from the stage.  It got crowded when they started playing but I had my spot. 

I was very surprised that I didn't see many familiar faces at all.  Only one, actually, and I knew he would be there because he was in one of the bands.  Mostly I was one of the older ones in the room, top 15 or 20%, I'd say.  I'm ashamed of my former metalhead brethren.  They all probably have their hair cut short and have 2 or 3 screaming kids and a nagging wife who they didn't even bother asking if they could go because they didn't want to listen to her bitch.  That's what I'm picturing in my mind anyway.  Losers.

No videos on Youtube from this particular show yet, but I did see many people recording.  For now, and since I'm just in the mood, here's a recent one that I will replace maybe if something is posted from Sunday night soon.  Oh, and the T-shirt I bought looks just like the one Blackie is wearing, #25.  It's my new favorite shirt!
W.A.S.P.  "The Idol"  March 5, 2010  Columbus, OH

W.A.S.P. Show Tonight

I have always hated it when shows were on a school night, but as the bands I love come around less and less I'll take what I can get.  W.A.S.P. will be across town at Scatz tonight.  What could be a reliving of my youth seems more like a lesson in how old I actually am.  I have been down with a cold again (second this year so far), my back is pretty touchy today, and I have to get up at 5:00 am to get to work.  Still, I wouldn't miss this show for the world.

The first and only time I saw W.A.S.P. was in December 1984, if I recall correctly.  They were opening for Kiss on the Animalize Tour at the Dane County Memorial Coliseum (now called the Alliant Energy Center).  I was very close to the stage and a little to the left.  I still have pictures from that show somewhere.  I snuck in my little Kodak 110 camera.  Only a few pics turned out, and none of the W.A.S.P. pics.  I think I was 17, so it has been over 25 years. 

I will be going alone, although I expect to see many familiar faces from the old days at the (long gone) Black Bear Lounge.  The heavy metal bar in Madison in the late 80's and early 90's.  At the most I may have a drink or two upon arriving, otherwise it will be a sober evening.  I will be flying out of there as soon as the show is over to get home, unwind, and hopefully get enough rest.

Wish me luck!

The Teenager Audio Test

Created by Oatmeal
 
 Unbelieveable. I can hear it despite all that loud heavy metal music I've listened to throughout the years. My wife and her younger ears can't. Can you hear it?

Pic Dump 12: The Big Bacon Bonanza

I have been saving bacon pics for a bit to post all at once. I saw this video recently and thought now would be a good time to post them, so here is the Big Bacon Post!  Don't drool on your keyboard, Jerome!

A bacon rocket? Yeah, this is gonna go well....

X

Fun bacon pics after the break.  Click on the pic to see original size.

Edit: The video that was unviewable above is now viewable after the break. I don't know why but it seems I can't have a video before a pagebreak...

Box Cats

You must see these, sooo cute..  Thank you Joanne, I have noticed you following.  I'm flattered.

Boat not Noah

I had a recent exchange with a podcaster that I listen to about every week or so.  Part of it was, I asked him to give my little blog here a look and I would welcome any advice he had to give me. He mentioned having a title that people could spell and pronounce.  I hadn't thought of it like that, I guess.  Then again, I'm not really sure what I'm doing here anyway, really.  I'm not looking for any commercial success or widespread whatever. (I know I did add some ads lately.  That was just me playing with this blog.  It kinda looks like a real blog now, huh?)  When it comes right down to it, this blog is 90% for myself.  Most of the rest is because it is an easy way for my family and some friends to know I'm well and what I'm doing.  I have never been referred to as a great communicator, I still don't have, need, or want a cell phone.

The word 'scoakat' is something I came up with when we got our very first computer and had to come up with names for these pesky username thingies.  What it is, is simply my and my wife's names combined: (not yelling) SCOTT AND KATE, SCO A KAT.  I have always pronounced the OA like boat or goat, not like Noah or boa.  It always rhymed with 'go cat' in my head.  My word, my grammar rules.

Oh, I can see how it seems difficult to pronounce or remember for other people.  People have had trouble pronouncing my last name for as long as I can remember.  1 in 100 gets it right and 95 of the other 99 say it as this podcaster did on the last show.  (Yes, he read my email on the show and I was horrified for about 3 seconds, then realized nobody I know listens.  Just as well, they probably wouldn't care if they did.)

So, Podcaster, thank you for having a look.  That makes me feel good.  I probably would have a link to your podcast here but, you must admit, the podcast was updated pretty inconsistently for a while there last year.  It has been like clockwork lately though.  I'm not going to link right now,  that would be too obvious.  I'm afraid my family may look you up instantly.  Anyway thank you for the advice,  it did open my eyes to something I hadn't considered.  If I want to get bigger I will think about changing the name.  For now, I think I'll just keep posting for me and the few visitors I do have and go from there.  Maybe just fade in to oblivion or suddenly just sto

6 Days Until W.A.S.P.!!!!

Well, I made a random wish here Saturday night and an even better wish came true today!  I do like Faster Pussycat alot, but W.A.S.P. is easily in my top 5.  Here's what happened:

Despite everything else going on with our respective days, my wife and I decided to go to The Malt House after work, knowing that our friends Bridget and Zubin usually go there on Mondays.  They have tried to talk us into it in the past, yet Monday is not really our best day.  So we thought we would surprise them if we saw them.  We were on our last drink (my third, Mrs. S' second), when they arrived.  It's alway nice to see them and now it should happen more the warmer it gets.  After a while all three of them stepped out for a smoke, obviously (if you have been reading my blog) I stayed behind.  I started to thumb through this free music rag and there was the ad.  Wasp was going to be nearby in less than a week, next Sunday!   We left almost immediately after they came back in, although we would have left shortly anyway since we were done with drinks.  10 minutes later I was getting my ticket. 

This happened kind of like when I found out about Ace Frehley coming last year.  I don't know what I'm missing but I got to get in on the ground floor on this stuff instead of finding out this much later.  I think this was originally 'announced' in mid February.  I need to know this stuff as it happens.  It could mean missing out on something I would enjoy immensely.

Here is W.A.S.P. performing the new single "Crazy" less than 48 hours ago, Saturday night!

Sunday Stuff, Cat Pics

I'm stuffed.  We went to Wilson's for lunch with my father in law.  Soon the USA takes on Canada in the men's hockey gold medal game.  And I found a few pics of our cat, Puddy, on the camera from a couple weeks ago.  She needs brushing, but she always needs brushing since she makes it such an ordeal when we do do it.  I hope your having a relaxing Sunday!