Rufus

I was introduced to Rufus Wainwright by National Public Radio (NPR) a couple years ago. I purchased one of his CD's, "Want One," just days later and I've been hooked ever since. It has become one of my most played CD's.

I think I have downloaded almost every song Rufus has produced on my iPod and I listen to them all, frequently. I just love his sound and style.

All that said, he isn't for everyone. Just ask anyone in my family. They hate him. I guess it's his voice. It's a little smokey. Or as they describe it, "It's like he has a mouth full of spinach."

But I like it. He has a complete security of intonation, even over a dense accompaniment. See what you think.

"Surrender" to Mike Rizzo

Laura Pausini is an Grammy Award and Latin Grammy Award-winning Italian pop singer, especially popular in Italy, Spain and Latin America, famed for her soulful voice, her romantic Adult Contemporary ballads and love songs. In 2002 Laura released her first English Album. Her single "Surrender" saw success peaking Billboard #1 in the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

Enter Mike Rizzo. Rizzo is a progressive, remix producer from NYC and has an extensive list of number 1 Billboard dance club remixes. He has created this amazing underground sound that to me, quiet frankly, is incredibly inspirational. Ihave this song on my iPod and it's my favorite treadmill warm up song. Enjoy!

Wear Sunscreen

I am going to try and find this single on CD and start giving it as a graduation gift. I just heard it the other day and LOVED it. I'm sure every one of you will agree that the advice is profoundly true and poignant! Baz Luhrmann presented and produced the song that hit the charts in 1999. The lyrics were written by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich, and the vocals were performed by Lee Perry. Enjoy!

Music for the Masses

I discovered a site, hipcast.com, that will allow me to share music on my blog. I'm just trying this out to see how it works--we'll see how it goes. I'll probably be my typical obsessive-compulsive self for a few days, downloading a lot, so... just bear with me... I'm sure this, too, will pass. Enjoy the tunes.

New Horizons

This is a terrific remix of a great old song. It's right up there with Break My Stride. I can still see Betsy skipping around the lodge... Maybe I need to break this song out at the next Chill!

Six Hours Later...

Six hours later is just about the difference in my schedule compared to the average day person. You see, I'm an evening Operations Manager at Thousand Hills Golf Resort and Conference Center in Branson, MO.

I am regularly asked, "Do you like working the night shift?" Or people will frequently say, "I could never work those hours!" Personally, I love the evening shift because, you see, I'm a night person.

This evening I joked with a salesperson over the phone that I had spoke to earlier in the day. At the end of our conversation, she wanted to know when a good time to call me back would be. I said, "call me anytime--24 hours a day... I'm a vampire!" Ha! Sometimes that is what I feel like.

I rarely see more than an hour or two of daylight during the week. And it's not much more on the weekends during the winter. I'm pale as a ghost.

But that's okay... because I like the night. I always have. I feel like I'm more productive once 8 o'clock rolls around. Why, I don't know? Maybe it's just my imagination but I'll tell you this, I have never wanted to go to bed before midnight. Ever.

Sometimes I blame my mom. When I was a young boy, she hung poster in my bedroom of Charlie Brown and the caption read, "I hate to go to bed at night, And I hate to get up in the morning!" Sometimes I think staring at that poster all of those years drilled the idea in my head that "night is better" and in time it became self-fulfilling.

But "blame" is probably not the right word. I should probably "Thank" Mom. Who knows what kind of a boring schmuck I would have turned out to be had the poster read otherwise.

I'm thinking of making a new, revised Charlie Brown poster for my desk at work that reads, "Early to bed, Early to rise, Makes Charlie a boring Schmuck!" Charlie would be sporting a high collared cape and fangs! Ha!

Maybe not!

Well I better get to bed. It's almost midnight (6 AM). But it is Saturday and I'm off. I plan to sleep in so don't call me before 10 (4 PM).

"Good Grief!"

Good 'Nite!