10 Years Later...

On a cold wintery Chicago evening, more than 20 American college students boarded a British Airways flight bound for a life changing experience in Aberdeen, Scotland. I was one of those students in the GLCA Study Abroad program as a representative of Wabash College. I'm here to testify, it indeed impacted my life greatly in so many positive ways. It is worthy of a 10 year anniversary post on my blog.

It was January 25th when Team Wabash gathered at the airport bar watching all of the other Aberdeen-bound students showed up. We drank in honor of Brian Samuels' 21st birthday. We sized everyone up and probably looked like a real menacing group as we were the only ones drinking and judging everyone else.

Many first impressions were made in that airport. "Fanny Pack Boy" and "Doo Rag Guy" cemented their place as official tools and I made the silent decision NOT to be seen or associated with these dudes -- ever. There was the lone Depauw girl. She was not only a sub-standard individual for having attended Depauw, but let it be noted she was also a bitch. There were also delegations from Hope, Albion, Wooster, Guelph (Toronto), Alma and others.

We landed in Aberdeen, Scotland by way of London on the morning of January 26, 1996...exactly ten years ago today. And thus, it began....

The first day in Aberdeen was overwhelming to say the least. We had our orientation with Graham Tengrove, the GLCA liaison in Aberdeen, and got to mingle amongst all of the other American students in our program for the first time. We mingled amongst representatives from the various student activities at University of Aberdeen. Sailing club, basketball, football (that's soccer, you American dolts), rugby...this place had everything. Brian Samuels, Parker Lyons, Craig Miller, Brent Eaton and I all signed up for lacrosse. It was a co-ed club league and we got to learn the ins and outs of lacrosse basics and even play in games. I ended my lacrosse career with 1 goal (Samuels got the assist), 1 assist and innumerable penalties.

After the student mixer there were two American students on the year-long program that took us on a pub crawl. One of the crawl guides was Ron from Earlham. Ron was the gayest man I'd ever met and more than willing to let you know it too, not there's anything wrong with that either. We learned about 5 weeks later that Ron had effectively flunked out of Aberdeen and was forced to return to Earlham.

Let's just say the pub crawl was a little hazy. But I distinctly recall having a conversation with a girl from Alma College about half-way through the evening. Easter Break was still 3 months away (during which we had three and a half weeks to do anything we wanted) and everyone was already talking about what they were going to do and where they were going to go. The Alma girl and I talked about traveling together. Purely platonic, just geeked American students. It never came to fruition anyway, but it was comforting to get to know someone enough that you'd be willing to travel for almost a month with them. As it ended up I traveled Europe with Craig Miller. We had a blast and that trip is best left to another post of its own one day.

Long story short, I ended up crashing at the Alma girl's flat that night after the pub crawl. Seriously, nothing happened. Just sleepy time. We had an early orientation session the next morning. It was already not going to be pretty with the wicked impending hangover, but walking in after the first night there with one of the girls in our group...that's just begging for grief from your comrades. Well, we made it there and late to boot.

It was a memorable and great introduction to University of Aberdeen. From there things played out like a dream I want to relive over and over still to this day. I met so many new people, some with whom I still keep in contact, from Scotland and elsewhere. I even got to know fellow Wabash students I had never even seen, let alone met before. Some of these guys will be life-long friends of mine and for that I am grateful.

And most importantly, I met the woman who would ultimately become my wife. Yeah, that girl from Alma College (how'd you guess?). We got married in 1998 in the Wabash College chapel and have a 2 year old daughter now. I'd go do it all again and I wouldn't change a thing.

DrG Radio Is On the Air

So, I was playing around this weekend on the computer and decided to undertake a new challenge. How could I take my extensive MP3 collection and make available as a streaming radio station online?

I came across a website that would allow me to do just that and it was a snap, surprisingly. SHOUTcast offers a free download of its SHOUTcast Server software (it's freeware to be specific) to get you started. It's a quick download and install process. It's the configuration that could be tricky, though, depending on your PC and home network configuration. Any questions, just add a comment to this post and I’ll do my best to answer.

I installed SHOUTcast at home on my Windows XP machine with only a 900mHz CPU and 256MB RAM. A trusty old machine I built almost 8 years ago now, and it keeps on humming with every add-on I install. I'm attached to a 100Mbps cable modem behind a firewall. The firewall is an absolute must for anyone attempting to do anything on the web. NEVER open your "doors" to the world without at least a well-configured firewall and anti-virus software in place.

Once installed, I went through some minor personal preferences in the configuration (mainly, limit the number of users connected to my music stream to 5) and start the SHOUTcast Server up with a simple double-click. I went with the GUI install, instead of the Console Version. Not sure why. I just figured if I was doing this for the first time, I'd rather have a visual than fiddle around with a command line or something. It's just a personal learning curve thing.

Now that you have the server, you need a stream of music to broadcast. For this setup, you use Winamp v2.05 or greater to play the files that are broadcast. Just download the SHOUTcast DSP Plug-In for Winamp, available here with more helpful instructions. Install the plug-in and configure it properly.

You're now all set to begin broadcasting. The question now is, what to broadcast? I simply chose to browse through my library of tunes and pick several groups I like and threw them into a new play list. I shuffled the play list files and put the entire thing on "repeat all" mode. In all, I have almost 550 songs in a constant rotation from System of a Down to Coldplay. All over the place.

To see details on a station, simply open an internet browser and go to http://your_address:port# and it will show you such detail as the last 15 songs played on the station (a configurable number, by the way), and other general info on the broadcast stream. You can log in to the admin console and see the other users connected, you can ban them, kill their connection, and other cool administrative powers.

There are a ton of features I haven't even toyed with yet, but so far, I'm happy. Commercial-free tunes from groups I like. What's not to love?

To listen to "DrG Radio" open your preferred music player on your PC and open a URL connection [add a comment to this post to get the address]. Rock on, kids.

And Now uh...word

I thought I'd take a quick break from my usual meaningless drivel and deliver something meaningful. Ahem, yeah...meaningful.

Busted Tees has got to be one of the finest collections of t-shirts I've ever seen. They have hopped right on the wave of simple, humourous tees and taken it to another level. How about the shirt pictured here in this post. What Nintendo generation kid wouldn't want one of these?

Other classics:

You Have Died of Dysentery - A tribute to the classic game "Oregon Trail".
Prose Before Hos - Yeah, bitch. Ole Will Shakeyshake knows what's up.
Without Me It's Just Aweso - Do the math, Corky. You'll figure it out.

and just what everyone was thinking last year...

Pedro Lacks Political Experience - I thought so.

And if the shirts themselves aren't humorous enough, the models (if you dare call them that) wearing the shirts can cause a chuckle or two themselves. Try the Greece tee to see what I mean. What the fuck is up with that guy. Anyway.

I'm getting no money or anything from these guys whatsoever. This is strictly out of total respect for the shirts these guys put out. Peace.

The Ping - Aperitif for Destruction

OK, what's music without some sense of humor, right? This is coming from quite possibly one of the biggest "Weird Al" Yankovic fans growing up. He blew the parody genre out of the water and single-handedly turned it into a multi-million dollar business. Who can forget albums like Weird Al in 3D, Polka Party, and Dare to Be Stupid. Classics. In that same vein, I now bring you the following...

Ladies and Gentlemen, brace yourselves for the leisure suit-laden guy so cheesy, they named it after him...Richard Cheese. In case you've ever wondered what 2 Live Crew, Guns N Roses or Alice In Chains would sound like as a lounge act, now you can find out. Richard Cheese can take any popular rap, rock, metal or hip-hop tune and turn it into pure lounge crap -- very entertaining and funny lounge crap, that is. I give you Aperitif for Destruction, kids.

Richard opens the album up and goes right for the throat...so to speak...with "Me So Horny". Now you know what they were actually saying when 2 Live Crew released it. I know I was amazed. He somehow makes it sound so smooth as asks the rhetorical question on all guys' minds: "What's wrong, Baby Doll, with a quick nut?" Thanks for keeping it real, Richard.

Musically, the album is excellent. They can really play a mean "Welcome to the Jungle", no joke. It comes complete with piano intro mimicking Slash's scorching guitar.

Like most good artists these days, Richard collaborates with a friend to bring you a remake of "The Girl Is Mine" (McCartney/Jackson). It's quite a surprise guest, really. I had no idea Stephen Hawking could sing, let alone play a ladies man and proclaim "she told me I'm her forever lover." Considering the last man to state that fact was Michael Jackson, I'd be willing to believe Stephen Hawking is more suited for the role of ladies man than Jacko. A funny remake of this song, I must admit.

Now when I got to "Do Me" I wasn't sure whether there much to do with this song to make it interesting. Richard proved me wrong. He also shows how much of a diva he can be. When he thinks the song is "Dome", the studio engineer has to correct him that it is two words "do" and "me". Well, the temper tantrum that ensues rivals Casey Kasem chewing the head off his assistant for being late with his latte he ordered.

"Uno, Dos Tres, Quatorze!...Domingo Sangre Domingo!" Yes, it's U2 with a Latino flair, kids. Well done, Richard. Muy bien! More good music on this cover of “Sunday Bloody Sunday”. The horns know their stuff (as a long time trumpet player and band geek, I'm allowed to say that without getting beat up…right?).

Other tunes include Green Day's "American Idiot", Violent Femmes' "Add It Up", Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box" and The Killers' "Somebody Told Me". Overall I'd give this a 2 out of 5 stars on my highly official rating scale. It would be a 3 to 3.5, but the replay factor is very low since they kind of lose their comedic value after 1 or 2 listens. Don't let the 2 stars deceive you. This is still a required listen for everyone out there.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Good night.

The Ping - Franz Ferdinand, Archdukes of Glasgow

I sat down and watched the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony in its entirety -- my first in many, many years. I was waiting to catch a performance by a great upcoming band called Robert Randolph & the Family Band. Fantastic music, kids. Check 'em out. Unfortunately, not the focus of this ping, though.

I'd started to hear buzz about this group named after an Austro-Hungarian Archduke. They hailed from Scotland, Glasgow to be precise. And their music was poised to take America by storm with a giant explosion of Brit-Punk sporting an 80s flair. Ladies and Gentlemen...Franz Ferdinand.

My introduction to these guys had occurred while playing an EA Sports game -- either MVP or Madden, don't remember which. The song was "Take Me Out". It later gained worldwide airplay and became the official song of the PlayStation Portable device commercials.

After they performed on the Grammys I had to hear more. They were raw excitement on stage. I walked on into my PC, hopped onto iTunes and bought their self-titles debut album, Franz Ferdinand. Keep in the mind, the band had not finished playing their Grammy set more than 5 minutes at this point.

The album is a 100% piece of platinum. There's not a single riff on this album that isn't catchy. Nothing complex or too ornate, just the classic 2 guitar, 1 bass and 1 drum kit configuration. it is clear when listening to their music, these guys have a fun wit and charm about them.

Franz Ferdinand contains odes to women ("Jacqueline"), subtle sexual references ("Darts of Pleasure"), and even some sort of homoerotic or cross-dressing tune ("Michael"). But it's more than just sex. "Tell Her Tonight" is a head-bobbing throwback of a song. But for me, I'm still a fan of "Take me Out". Its guitar and tough licks in the opening to the way it resolves into the main tune. Man, these guys rock.

They recently released their much-anticipated second effort You Could Have It So Much Better. In truth I think it was met with mixed reviews. Most of what I read praised them for a strong sophomore album, but it was much the same sound as the first album. To me, more is better with Franz Ferdinand. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I say. Why should they change their sound or mess with a winning formula?

You Could Have It So Much Better is loaded with good stuff. You could say there are fewer intentionally subtle sexual references, but perfection nonetheless. Their first single release from the album, "Do You Want To", is apparently a series of dialogues as overheard at a party. A great song, indeed. There just isn't a bad track on this album.

If there's one thing I hear more of on this album over the first, it is the presence of offbeat drumming and high hat cymbal. On a personal note, I always find myself playing the drum kit on my steering wheel while driving. I can usually get the drums to an entire album down in about a week or so. I'm still trying to figure out drummer Paul Thomson's technique. I don't play air guitar and belt out tunes in the car...I play the drums and belt out tunes. And this album is a real challenge on that front.

I consider both Franz Ferdinand and their follow-up You Could Have It So Much Better 4 out of 5 stars on my unofficial, highly technical rating system. Get 'em now!

The Ping - Lullabies to Paralyze

This is my first time ever really listening to Queens of the Stone Age. I was first introduced to them, oddly enough, through an appearance on Saturday Night Live this past season. Will Ferrell hosted as an alumnus of the show. During their second performance on the show, QOTSA took the stage and played the cowbell-laden "Little Sister" (from Lullabies to Paralyze). Throughout the entire song a cowbell drives the beat and if I had my wits about me at 12:45AM on a Sunday morning, I would have been watching for what happened next. Gene Frenkle (Ferrell), the fictitious 5th member of Blue Oyster Cult, took the stage mid-song with the cowbell and the rest was history. (I really wish I could find a reliable site that hosts the video of the performance. It was epic.)

The album itself starts with a subtle lullaby-style song but after that, takes you on a rock (if you'll pardon the term) tour de force. Lullabies to Paralyze is one of the most legitimate and solid rock albums I've heard in a very long time. Nearly the entire album consists of freestanding tunes with tightly played guitar riffs and well-mixed vocals.

The band didn't do it all themselves, though. They had some help from some friends in the industry. Shirley Manson lends her vocals to a track "You Got a Killer Scene." Not one of my favorites, but it is still a good song on all fronts. In fact, it sort of has the feel of a Garbage song in parts, to be honest. Billy Gibbons (one of the bearded axe players from ZZ Top) joins in on "Burn the Witch". His eerie background vocals and harsh, bluesy guitar make the tune roll along like an upbeat death march –very cool. Yet other visitors from QOTSA’s past contribute on this record. Since I know little of their history, I won't go into further detail on that. I will only add that this group has had some pretty impressive talent on tap in the past, not the least of all being Dave Grohl.

Since I got it, the tunes have been in a heavy rotation on my iPod. I'd give this album a very solid 4 out of 5 stars. I'd also highly recommend it to anyone who has not listened to the Queens of the Stone Age much. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was. And if you take my advice and borrow it or buy it, give it a few listens before you really judge it. One more thing, here's my challenge to you: While listening, I dare to not bob your head or tap your foot to “Little Sister.” It's damn near impossible.

The Ping of the Musical Radar: Foreword

OK, it's been a few weeks since I've posted anything. In that time I've had time to think and reflect. I've also had time to get food poisoning, during which time I felt like an Olsen twin trying to make weight. For the record, the culprits... 2 Supreme Chalupas and a Soft Taco from the Bell. Anyway, I'm good now.

I've found new life in music these days. For years I followed the jam band scene almost exclusively, listening to Phish, moe., the Grateful Dead, Medeski, Martin & Wood, etc.

And I found an incredible amount of redeeming value in it. It was a time in my life
when you'd not catch me being "very un-dude". I felt more centered and inspired when I listened to some of the fantastic work created by these groups.

To shatter the sterotype and perhaps your mental image right now...I didn't wear dreads. I didn't live and die by the hooka. And I wasn't willing to give you "nugs for your extras". It was all about the music for me. Then came the bomb in late May 2004. Phish frontman, Trey Anastasio, wrote in a press release on the band's website...

"Last Friday night, I got together with Mike, Page and Fish to talk openly about the strong feelings I've been having that Phish has run its course and that we should end it now while it's still on a high note."

I now had to bid a respectful farewell to a band that single-handedly wrote the soundtrack to my formative high school and college years, and beyond. Admirably, they not only recognized they were threatening to become a "has been" act, but they pulled a Seinfeld and went out on top. Very impressive for one of the top grossing live acts of the 90s and early 2000s. Alas, I was left without a soundtrack and it was bumming me out.

So over the next several days I will showcasing a group/album. These are all recent musical discoveries for me. They may be old news to many of you, which I completely expect. My renewed interest in popular music means I'm starting from square one. So excuse me while I catch up and wax pop rock. Stay tuned.

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So, it's been a rather quiet couple of weeks around Nut Punch. I just returned from a sabbatical during which I studied the mythology of Greek, Norse and Egyptian cultures. I also spent time in the Philippines, Guadalcanal, Normandy and on my couch. It was revitalizing, let me tell you.

The mythological studies were first on my agenda. I discovered no matter how much they try, Norse cultures cannot compete against the wrath of Zeus and his meteor showers. Similarly, Egyptians are allergic and crumble at the presence of locusts. As Gregorius, I became supreme ruler of the Ancient World. Of course, this was all while playing Age of Mythology. A rather old game according to most gamers, I'm sure. I find it a fun way to spend an hour or two; building my own civilizations and crushing others. Seriously, that meteor shower thing is damn righteous to drop on a town. It's utterly devastating.

When not crushing civilizations and exercising my god-like powers, I was shooting Japs and Krauts in Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and Rising Sun. Cool games. Again, old by most gamer standards, but oh well. Did you know a Kraut's head explodes when you place a single shot from a Thompson right between his Nazi eyes? You do now. By the way I know "kraut" and "jap" are not the preferred nomenclatures here, but in the games that is what they refer to the enemy as. So get over it.

Why so much gaming? (which is highly out of the ordinary for me, by the way) I was graced with a brand new 19" LCD monitor for Christmas. It rules the school, kids.

As you may have noticed, I really have little to contribute yet after my extended time away from society. The holidays came and went with stress and much whiskey involved. So if you're one of the few people with an RSS feed to this blog, please PLEASE do not unsubscribe based on the content (or lack thereof) in this post. I'm trying to find my muse. Stay tuned for something more interesting like a diatribe on Jesus' Birthday or something cool like that.