Shelter Dog of the Week - Cole

I am huge supporter of the Maxfund Animal Shelter in Denver. They are an amazing shelter. Every Friday I will post an animal that is looking for a new home. I do this because I care and I need to buy myself some time to write content. Enjoy

Name: Cole
Gender: Male
Color: Black
Fur Length: Short
Needs: Fenced Yard
Status: Ready for Adoption

To learn more about Cole or other great animals at The Maxfund Animal Shelter please click here.

Picture of the Week

HomeGrown

I have an obsessive personality. When I was a child it was sports. In fourth grade, I memorized every single major league baseball player's batting average. In 7th grade I switched to music. It was way cooler to be able to spout off about the next up and coming band than it was to recite Bip Roberts batting average. Also, it is much easier to work music into the conversation than obscure Cincinnati Reds players.

My new obsession is gardening. This is my second growing season with a garden plot and I cannot get enough. Last season all I grew were tomatoes. My wife made a valid point last season that having 10 tomato plants on a balcony that is a little larger than a coat closet was not a good use of space. Growing veggies on a rented plot from the city is fantastic. Above is our second batch of leaf lettuce and zucchinis. We have also planted corn, tomatoes, green/red peppers, carrots and broccoli.

I realize I sound like a food snob but the taste of home grown veggies is unbeatable. I really do not notice much of a difference except with tomatoes. Store bought ones simply do not taste like anything. This is another topic for another day though. I once lectured a complete stranger at the airport about the taste differences because she was curious as to why I was hauling tomato plants around the airport terminal. Her eyes glazed over right as I launched into discussing the importance of crawling around on all fours to examine every tomato leaf. Gardening is not for everyone.

As I wrote this post I was trying to think of how to tie this into music. Here is the best I came up with. Eating homegrown veggies is like finding new local music, it is easier to just listen to the radio or go to the store and buy what they have but there is nothing like listening to a great local act that you really had to dig to find. The stuff at the store will satisfy your needs' but there is nothing like the stuff that is in your backyard.

100 and Counting

Well, made it to 100 page views. Thank you to everyone who reads this blog. I will continue to provide you with quality material.

Songs for a Night Owl

There is nothing like listening to solemn, pensive music late at night. It is the best part of the day. You can relax and the world just seems to slowdown. There is an indescribable stillness about the late night hours that makes everything feel a bit more peaceful. Here are 5 songs, in no particular order, that are great for the end of the day.

-Elliott Smith - Twilight

-Feist - The Park

-Jets to Brazil - Further North

-Colin Hay - I Just Don't Think I Will Ever Get Over You

-Sufjan Stevens - Casmir Pulaski Day

Picture of the Week

Times they are a Changing

Why are bad albums from our favorite artists so disappointing? Sustaining a close connection with an artist over an extended period of time is no small feat. Some would say that there is not a connection at all or that your connection is all one sided, with the band doing all the work. This could not be further from the truth. Think about how many midnight album sales you have attended or the hours or even days you have waited in line for a primo floor spot for an artist's show. Fans are just as dedicated as the artists themselves.

Like any other relationship it is one that must grow and evolve. When I look through my Cd's I often wonder whatever happened to that band. It surprises me even more when I look up the band in question and discover that they have 3-4 albums out that I never realized existed. My first instinct used to be to run out and buy the band's latest album. Within the first five minutes of listening to my new purchase I would realize why I had stopped listening to the band. For one reason or another we had grown apart. A lot of people categorize this phenomenon as selling out. It is far easier to label the band a sellout and to move on than to accept that you and the performer's musical interests have changed. It seems like a more pleasant way to part than reduce ourselves to name calling. I understand it though. It is tough when you grow apart from your favorite performers. You have developed a bond. You feel betrayed but why not just enjoy the fond memories you have of listening to that performer. Like clockwork you will buy the next album of the performer with the hope that they have mended their ways and you can begin where you left off. Most of the time this is impossible because like everything else things change.