This week's Tune of the Week is the solo debut of Chris Daughtry simply titled Daughtry. American Idol fans will recognize him from this past season's American Idol competition. He came in fourth place, and I still think he should have won the competition.
This CD just completely and totally rocks from track one through track twelve. I was a fan of Chris' voice on American Idol, and he was just singing covers of Fuel and Bon Jovi. Hearing his own music is completely different. He has a similar style to that of Nickelback if you want an idea of what you're in for if you take a listen.
If you like rock though, this CD is going on my must have list. There are so many songs I love on this CD, but some favorites are Used To, It's Not Over, All These Lives and What about now?. You can check them out on iTunes or if that isn't your deal you can check out the CD on Amazon for Daughtry
447. Tunes Monday
446. Keeping boredom at bay
Well I hope all of you are having a wonderful turkey day out there. My bird is in the oven, the potatoes are boiling, and I'm about to get started on the stuffing here in a moment. The stuffing is my responsibility each and every year. I do a pretty good job on it, if I do say so myself and I do!
Other than the usual dinner festivities, things are pretty quiet, and I'm looking for things to do. My friend and I play a lot of online games together, and this is a gaming site I just stumbled upon on not too long ago. You can play some of you favorite free games online. This site focuses mostly on the old games you could play on your Nintendo Entertainment Systems.
I had one of those myself back in the day, and I loved it. I haven't jumped onto the bandwagon with X-box or Playstation because I don't play as many games as I used to. Give me a good board game or some classic play like this, and I am good to go. I just played a round of Ms. Pac Man, and I had fun. Better than sitting around being bored! 
444. Confessions
I just finished watching the Madonna Confessions concert on NBC, and it was amazing. It really made me wish I had gone to the show in person over the summer.
I've been a fan of Madonna's since her first album came out back in 1984, and I still love her just as much today. She's a woman that constantly reinvents herself, and she knows how to put on a good show.
I was glad to see some of my favorites performed including Live to Tell and La Isla Bonita. The concert also introduced me to some of the songs on her new CD, which I have, but hadn't heard much of. Hearing a song performed live, even if it is via television, just gives you a completely different feeling to the music. Some of my new favorites are Let It Will Be and Like It Or Not. I hadn't planned to watch tonight, but I'm really glad I did.
In other news, I have a whole new Blog of the Week today, just in time for the holiday tomorrow. This week we have Doctor Mom from You've Got 2 B Kidding. A great funny blog that is definitely worth checking out!
443. Tunes Monday!
Back with Tunes Monday! This week's tune of the week that has me dancing around my house is the latest release from country act, Sugarland. Enjoy the Ride is their sophomore release that came out on November 7th. I first learned of this group when they performed on CMT's Crossroads series with Bon Jovi last September. Sugarland's lead singer, Jennifer Nettles, even performed on a release of Bon Jovi's, Who Says You Can't Go Home, that has done quite well on the country charts.
For this second CD for the group, some changes have been made. One of the singers and songwriters has left the group. Such a major change might actually hurt a group, especially one that is only a couple of years old such as this one, but this CD shows no signs of that change. It is definitely a country feeling album, but it is close enough pop wise for those fans to enjoy it as well. The first single off the CD is Want To, and I enjoyed the song immediately upon first hearing it. The video for it works well too.
There are really so many great songs on the CD though. I've had it in my CD player almost non-stop since I picked it up on the 7th. It is great music that just makes you want to get up, dance and sing right along. Jennifer Nettles has a strong voice that is just amazing to listen to. Sugarland is quickly becoming one of my favorites, and I definitely thank Bon Jovi, who we all know from reading this blog, is one of my favorite groups to listen to. Some other song recommendations from the album include: These Are The Days and Everyday America.
442. Daybreak Thoughts
Last night, I began to watch the newest ABC series, Daybreak. I didn't finish the two hour episode last night, and that might give you an idea of what I think of the new show. For some reason, it just didn't hold my complete interest. It had its moments, but they didn't make for an enjoyable experience over all. For those that missed the series, it is the story of Brett Hopper as he lives the same day over and over again. Some events are the same, but once he realizes what is happening to him, he begins to try and change those events from ever happening. The day begins with him being framed for the murder of an Assistant District Attorney. His girlfriend is also killed, and preventing this becomes a focus for Hopper. All this while he tries to live on to the next day. The premise of the series is different and it had promise for me. I'm just not sure this series will be able to keep things exciting over the long haul, which is eleven weeks. ABC has made it clear this series will only last thirteen episodes. The premiere was two episodes, so we have eleven left to go. Once this series is done, Lost makes its return. Now that is something I will be waiting for! All in all, I'll watch Daybreak again next week, but we'll have to see what happens passed that.
440. Getting noticed
In the past I've discussed a lot about getting your website or blog seen. That is what we all want when we create a website or blog. There are many ways to get your site noticed once it is out there. The important thing is to get it seen. The more traffic that comes to your blog or site, the more likely it will be seen. Google plays a large part in getting your site too. Link popularity and page rank are important, but their importance is changing these days too. An established blog will get higher ranked than one that is newer. With more and more blogs and websites out there, the chances of getting your site seen only increase. This is something I wonder about sometimes because when I started this blog, I wanted to share my thoughts with others. I never thought it would lost, but I am passed the four hundred entry mark with no sign of stopping. That really amazes me. I know I may sometimes go days at a time without writing in here, but those times don't happen as much. Sometimes I just don't know what to say, but I know when I do have something to say this blog is here waiting.
439. Taking the leap
Well a little over an hour ago I took the leap from just plain blogger to the blogger beta. I'm not sure I like the new template/layout situation, but mine seems to have transferred over. I'm not looking to change it, so I should be okay for now. I'll poke around and see what else there is to this beta. I've been using it over on You Tube Reviews the last couple of weeks, so at least I am familiar with it. I'm just happy the move went well. I've heard the worst horror stories.
438. Bound to happen
I've been so busy this week with writing and work, my brain finally cried out no more! Stop! It happened right around eleven p.m.last night, and my brain is still kind of dead right now. It has been a really great week though. I've been giving my brain a real work out, and I don't think it is worked this hard in a long time. I see it as a good thing. Not that I feel totally brain dead, but the reason for it. It feels good to be busy again. It feels good to be working and writing as much as I am right now. I like being active. I don't just like it. I love it. I've always said writing is my favorite thing in the world to do, and this week I just kept writing it was good. I just need to give my brain a bit of a rest now. I'm ready to pick an all-new Blog of the Week to take up the spot on my sidebar. You know what to do people!
437. Wanting to get out
The weather is just really great right now here in Arizona. It is the type of weather that makes you want to get out and about. During the hot summer months when you have temps above 110 all you want to do is stay in. When it goes back down to around 80, you want to go and do something. Just on a whim I decided to check out if I could find tickets to any events in my area coming up this weekend. The Cardinals play the Cowboys here this weekend. Yes, even though they keep losing, I still support them. Someone smack me! If I want to go and have any chance of really seeing the game on the field, I'd have to spend over $300. Too rich for me right now, but I'm going to poke around and see if I can find something else. Last month, I wanted to go to the Evanescence concert here in town, but by the time I heard about it, the concert was sold out. I'll have to catch them next time they are in town.
435. Life is good!
Have you ever had the feeling that everything in your life just seems to be falling into place? Sure, you might have just got out of a rough patch not too long ago, but you find yourself smiling more than you ever did before. Life just seems to be really good, and you're enjoying life. It was kind of funny because last week I was telling myself I really need some more work to do. Then that night I got the job that I got, and my writing is doing well.
Life just seems to be really good right now. I find myself dancing around my room singing at the top of my lungs along with my favorite songs, even if I know I can't really sing. I don't care. Today was one of the busiest, most hectic days I've had in awhile, and it didn't bother me one bit. I just took things as they came along. I didn't stress myself out. I actually enjoyed it. Now though I'm exhausted, so I'm off to bed! Have a great night out there blogland.
434. Another way to make money online
In the past I've discussed about ways to make money online. I've discussed various ways to do this, but not all of them have worked. Since the summer, my focus has been on paid to blog type sites where advertisers can use bloggers to promote their producters and services. I've found some success using one such site, and there are more such sites that keep popping up since that's site success. The latest site that has popped up is called Blogitive which you can read more about how to make money online with Blogitive by clicking that link. Now I haven't made any money using that site yet. I just joined in the last week or so, and not many of the opportunities they have offered have fit this blog. I won't take an offer just to get the money. The topic or product has to be something I would want to talk about or actually use. Blogitive looks promising though. In the near future, Blogitive is launching even more ways for bloggers to make money using their blog, including a program called Newsnerve. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on this new site and see what I can do with it. I'll have to see if there are any topics that I will be willing to discuss on this blog.
433. Tunes Monday
Last week, I picked up the latest release from Meatloaf. I've been a fan of his for about twelve years now. I got sucked in with I'd anything for love when that song came out. i just knew he was that guy in the Rocky Horror movie before that. I hadn't even heard of Paradise by the Dashboard Light. That was quickly fixed because I fell in love with the Bat out of Hell 2 CD. So when I heard Bat out of Hell 3 came out last Tuesday, I had to pick it up for myself. I was a bit skeptical because I saw Meatloaf perform live on the American Idol finale with Katharine McPhee, and I was just a bit thrown off by the performance. It just wasn't any good at all.
I grabbed the CD anyway, and I am so glad that I did. It is just classic Meatloaf. There is just something about the lyrics with him that always seem to get to me in someway. He's a bit theatrical and dramatic, but he makes it work. It is just how he is. One of my favorite songs on the CD is Blind as a Bat. Perhaps I love it so much because I can so relate to the lyrics to the song. Meatloaf also has a cover of It's all coming back to me now on the CD. This is the song he performed on American Idol, and the CD version is world's away from the live performance. No, Katharine doesn't join him on the track. I loved the song when Celine Dion did it years ago, and this version is nice too.
In other news, over the weekend I caught Roseanne's latest comedy show on HBO. I loved the Roseanne show so much, and she was funny here as well. The show was extremely heavy on the political humor, but the end of the show when she strips down to a leotard and started dancing around just made me applaud her. She's really a strong woman. You know she isn't small by any means, and some might say she should have kept the robe on, but she's a big woman that isn't ashamed of it. I'm not small by any means, so it is nice to see someone else saying "I'm me. I'm here. I'm happy. Deal with it."
In other celebrity news, Doogie Howser is gay. Well, Neil Patrick Harris is anyway. This is the second television actor to come out in the last month or so. T.R. Knight, George on Grey's Anatomy, came out in October following the on-set scuffle between Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey when T.R. was five minutes late to the set. I think it is great to see some celebrity faces coming out. I know it doesn't change the way I see them. They are just people like everyone else. Who they choose to love doesn't affect my opinion of them any.
431. Eroticisms Update
Just posted a short little ficlet over on my fiction blog. Fans of the series Supernatural on The CW might be mostly interested, but others might enjoy it as well. Take a look here.
430. Thursday Night Viewing
Thursday night is my favorite night on television. I seem to wait all week for it to happen. Last week, the World Series through a monkey wrench into my favorite night, but the shows were all back last night. I got my weekly fixes of Grey's Anatomy and ER, and this made me happy. I was watching last night, and I had a thought come to me. The medical people on these shows all tend to wear the same boring scrubs. You see the light blue and the dark blue. I think at one point Meredith on Grey's Anatomy wore maroon. You would think on television they would spice up things a bit. Scrubs are so easy to buy. At my local mall just a few miles away, they even have a shop that only sells scrubs. I took a peek one day, and there is such a selection to choose from.
Just now, I did a quick search online, and I found this site that sells medical scrubs. Some of the tops don't even really look like medical scrubs. This top for example. Looks perfect for a day out to the movies or to lunch. I think I could see Grey's Anatomy Izzie wearing something like that actually. What about Abby on ER? I could totally see her wearing a top like this one. I've heard scrubs are so comfortable too. Maybe I'll pick myself up a top at least some time. I'm all about comfort as I lounge about the house.
Back to last night's shows though. Sweeps are underway, so that means the shows are throwing out their best at us. Salma Hayek popped up topless on last night's Ugly Betty, and last night's Supernatural was probably the best all season. Yes, I still love my television. I have no idea what I'm going to do when I lose Lost until February! I'm not liking this new season being broken up so much. Now, I'm waiting for Fox to put next week's OC online. I mentioned I saw that earlier this week. Good stuff. We'll have to see where they take things next.
428. Jumping the Shark
For the past couple of weeks, Guiding Light, the soap opera has been hyping up a superhero storyline set to hit the series this week. One of the series major characters will be struck with lightning, and the result will be her getting super powers. The soaps the last couple of months have had some out there story lines, and they have me shaking my head. This is the latest. I watched the episode today as 'The Guiding Light' took the scene, and I had to admit it was kind of funny, but I still expect so much more from this series.
Over on As The World Turns, they had a slasher killing teens that reminded me of Friday the 13th, and then out of nowhere a freak blizzard comes out of nowhere and causes havoc in the city of Oakdale. In prime time shows, these kinds of story lines would make you think the series was jumping the shark. I'm actually reminded of another story line years ago from Days of Our Lives when Marlena was possessed by the devil. This is the stuff of movies and not for television daytime. If you watch soaps or other shows, what plot lines have you thought came close to jumping the shark?
In other news, I'm waiting to see who goes home tonight on Dancing With The Stars. As much as I would hate to see an all-male competition, the men left in the competition are the best. I think we should see Monique go home tonight. I have a couple of hours to find out.
427. Happy November
It is the start of a new month. November means NaNoWriMo, Thanksgiving, Veteran's Day and ... I think that's it. I just woke up about fifteen minutes ago, so my brain is still kicking into gear at the moment. I'm pondering NaNo, and I did sign up, but no ideas are jumping out at me at the moment. I am considering doing a lite version through Evolution, which would mean a fifteen word story completed this month. It's doable, but I need the right idea first. I'd even take an amazing fan fiction idea if it came to me right me, but nothing is. So I'll keep thinking about it today, and I'll see what happens. The thing is I have the ideas. I just don't know if they would be that length. I'm a short writer. It's what I do. My longest story came in just around 12,000 words a few years ago.
I tried to stay up and watch all of Ghost Hunters Live last night, but the show began airing here at midnight, and I was out by two. They were at the infamous Stanley Hotel. The location that Stephen King used for his novel, The Shining. I did let my DVR tape it, so I can still watch. Tonight Bones returns, but I still haven't seen the last episode of that either. I did catch the premiere of The OC last night online, and I loved it. It was a darker episode, but that was to be expected with Marissa's death. I won't spoil it for anyone that hasn't seen it yet, but it was really good.
In other news, I woke up to a site that I never thought I'd see this morning, and I'm not sure how long until I see again. I'm a heavy battler over at Battle of the Blogs, and when I woke up just now, I saw my blog on top of the top 50 for the month of November. Of course, the month has just begun, but it was still nice to see I guess. I ended up in eighth place for October. Anyway, I need my coffee, a shower, and then I have something to write up real quick and I need to jump onto YouTube for the day. II'll probably be back later.