HAPPY HOLIDAY'S TO ALL

Happy Holiday's from SAXOMAN! Now I know it's politically incorrect (a future blog topic) to wish people a Merry Christmas so Happy Holiday's, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and whatever faith I may have missed. Now SAXOMAN is currently blogging from the road so here's the latest. Yesterday as I was getting close to Flagstaff, AZ, I noticed this stuff on the ground like someone had spilled a giant vanilla Slurpee. Looking closer I realized this was snow! What? WOW! A White Christmas and snow everywhere! I had never experienced a White Christmas so this was very cool. So this morning I left Flagstaff and it was 9 degrees outside! Yikes! SAXOMAN is a tropical man and doesn't do well in this type of weather. No way.....I then had 350 miles to drive and only four and a half hours to do it. What was the rush? Well, only the NBA game of the year! Lakers versus Cavs or Kobe versus LeBron. So risking life and limb I make it to Albuquerque, NM in record time (HAHA) and rush to my hotel room. I turn on the TV and start furiously flipping through all the channels to find the game. I finally find ABC and what? It's only halftime of the Boston/Orlando game! What? Oh well, at least I am early. Now the wife starts bugging me to go out and eat but I'm sorry, I'm watching basketball now! DO NOT DISTURB!

AVATAR - WORTH THE HYPE? OH YEAH...

Well yesterday the wife and I went to see the new James Cameron film, Avatar. We tried to go in the early afternoon and found that it was sold out until 7:00PM. We decided to buy our tickets then and come back for the 7:00PM showing. The girl at the ticket counter said "Come early because there's probably gonna be a line". Man, she wasn't kidding! We got there at 5:45PM and there was already a long line. We waited in line for one hour for a movie we had already bought tickets for. Incredible! Anyway, we were finally let in the theater and we all rushed to get the best seats possible. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we went to see this at the IMAX Theater and in 3D! Oh yeah! The only way to go! Anyway, all I can say is this was one great movie! A dazzling display of colors and special effects that transported you to another world. A movie that truly has to been seen! Now I know you can see this movie in a regular theater without 3D but my advice is spend the extra money and see it in all its glory, IMAX - 3D. Now unless you've been living under a rock or something I'm assuming you've seen the trailer for this film? If not, check it out! Me? Why, I'm gonna go see it again. Yeah!

SO BACK WHEN I WAS PIMPIN'..........WHAT???

OK, now let me first clarify that I wasn't actually pimpin' but I did have the fur coat. What??? Anyway, here's how it all went down. I was a kid in high school and needed to get a jacket so my Mom took me to the store to buy a jacket. I think she might have taken me to Montgomery Wards or some other similar store. My Mom was steering me towards the square conservative jackets while one beauty caught my eye right away. There before me was a black, double breasted, three quarter length, fake fur coat. Man, I thought that was the coolest coat ever. I would be just like Iceberg Slim (a well know pimp and author in the 70's) and I'd also be the coolest kid on campus. So after trying on several jackets, I kept going back to the fur coat and posing' in the mirror. My Mom must have thought I was crazy and finally relented (what was she thinking?) and off we went. Now when I got home I can tell you when my Dad saw this coat, he showed no mercy whatsoever. He didn't think of this coat as being cool or as something that a pimp would wear but he felt it was only something that a woman or a homosexual would wear. His remarks about this coat were brutal. Obviously he didn't know what cool was! I remember trying this coat on at home with my slacks and my black patent leather shoes (or Pilgrim shoes as my younger brother liked to call them) and looking in the mirror. Everything looked cool except, well the person that was wearing this stuff. It just didn't go with me or my ethnicity if you know what I mean. Anyway, I never had the nerve to wear this coat out in public fearing ridicule and public humiliation. I think I kept the coat for about two weeks and my Mom finally took it back. I seem to remember her not having the receipt or something like that. I dunno.......Anyway, that's the story of the fur coat. I finally did get a jacket but it was an old one someone had left behind at my Mom's work. Oh well.......

SEXIEST MAN ALIVE - WHO ELSE?

The votes are in and the polls are closed. Yep, once again SAXOMAN has been voted Sexiest Man Alive! Similar to the People Magazine honor, the Internet conducts similar polls and once again, SAXOMAN comes out on top! This marks the 10th consecutive year that my many (2? 3?) readers have bestowed this prestigious honor on me. I am overcome with emotion and at a loss for words. HAHA!

THE SNUGGIE - GUYS, YOU BETTER NOT BE WEARING THIS

OK so what's the deal with the Snuggie craze? I see the Snuggie commercials everywhere and even see they have Snuggies for pets as well. What? All I can tell you is that SAXOMAN does not endorse these ridiculous looking things and wouldn't be caught dead wearing one! Any man that wears one of these silly looking things should have his man card pulled as well as his subscription to the SAXOMAN blog revoked! Guys, you better not be wearing these things!

It's So Easy - From YouTube to iPOD

Well being the curious guy that I am, I decided to look into something I had blogged about recently. I was wondering how to take a YouTube video (or audio) and put it into iTunes and then my iPod. I had some classic slow jams I had posted on my blog from YouTube and wanted to put them into my iPod. Well a quick search on the Internet and I found a website called Zamzar which does the trick! Now you don't have to sign up or anything so all you do is copy and place the URL you want to copy, select the format you want (MP3) put in your e-mail address and BANG! It's done! You get the converted file e-mailed to you right away. I then open up the file and it goes right into iTunes and then my iPod. Very cool indeed...I recommend you check it out!

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK - INFERNAL AFFAIRS

The other night I was flipping through the channels and started watching Martin Scorsese's movie The Departed with Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. Now this movie won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and of course I own the DVD of this movie. Watching this movie reminded me of the original movie it was based on, the Hong Kong classic Infernal Affairs. Now maybe I am biased because I saw the original first but I think that Infernal Affairs is far superior to the remake. You can rent this at your local video store or buy it at Best Buy. This movie spawned two additional sequels but the first one is still the best in my opinion. I see where this was recently released on Blu Ray as well as a collectible six DVD box set which I don't own (What?). Here is the trailer for Infernal Affairs. Check it out and see what you've been missing!

LONG LOST FUNK JAM - OH YEAH...SCORPIO

Here is one of the great funk tunes from the 70's titled Scorpio. Now this was a million seller back in the early 70's and even went to number 6 on the Billboard charts. The artist? Motown studio session guitarist and super funky white man, Dennis Coffee. Check it out! Oh yeah!

FINDING MONEY (PART 2) AND BEING BLACKMAILED...WHAT?

Blackmailed? What? Yes, you heard right! SAXOMAN was blackmailed. Anyway, here's how it all went down. My brother and I were walking home from the local pool at PCC (the local college) one day and stopped at the gas station to use the bathroom. In the bathroom stall I found a wallet lying on the floor. I opened up the wallet and there was twenty bucks inside! WOW! Twenty bucks! I felt like a rich man! WHOOHOO! I quickly grabbed the money, stuffed it in my pocket and left the wallet on the floor. The things a kid could do with twenty bucks back then. My mind started racing. So what happens next? My brother tells me I have to share the money with him 50/50 our he's gonna tell my parents about the money. "What? Are you kidding me? You're blackmailing me?" Yep! That's exactly what he was doing! "Aw man, don't be a jerk" I said "Have a heart". "Nope, no deal" he says. So with no other options I was forced to split this money with him. I think we went to the local toy store and bought some toys and then went to the local market to buy some candy. I believe the money lasted for more than one weekend too. Twenty bucks went a long way back then. Anyway, it was nice to find some money (again) but it would have been better if I was able to enjoy it all to myself. Oh well.....the love of siblings.

FINDING MONEY (PART 1) AND AWAY IT GOES....

I remember standing in front of Canterbury Records as a kid watching a parade with my Dad. Now I'm not sure if this was the Rose Parade or what, but there is one incident about this day that happens to stick out in my mind. Being a curious kid I was always observing things that go on around me. I noticed some money lying in the street and went to pick it up. It was a twenty dollar bill! WOW! I felt like I had struck gold! like I had found a fortune! WOW! Twenty bucks! My Dad asked a few people if they dropped it and they all said no. So what happened next? My Dad scoops the twenty from my hand and goes into the record store and buys a Robert Goulet album. I think he then walked next door to Sees Candy's and bought a small box of candy. We then go somewhere else and he buys a pair of green fake jade earrings. Twenty bucks went a long way in those days. We get home and he gives all this stuff to my Mom! Hey! What about me? I found this money! Where's my cut?. Anyway, my Dad looked like a hero and I felt like a zero. Jeez......

ONE MORE LONG LOST SLOW JAM - SPOONBREAD

OK, here is one last forgotten love song from the 70's. This is from a really obscure kid group called Spoonbread. The title of this song is How Can You Mend A Broken Heart. Now I don't know very much about this group at all and this may have been their only release. Anyway, check it out! I'm sure you've heard the song before but not this version. Another rare gem from SAXOMAN. Enjoy, and yes of course I own the original 45 of this rare classic. HAHA!

AND YET ANOTHER CLASSIC SLOW JAM - THE WHATNAUTS

Here's yet another classic pair of slow jams for you from another little known group called The Whatnauts. Now I also own one of the original 45's from this group. The single I own is a two sided gem with I'll Erase Your Pain and I Just Can't Lose Your Love. Now the great thing about these two songs is that they ARE available on cd! The cd to buy is the one pictured. This is the import (UK) compilation and is a double cd which includes all three of the groups albums including: Introducing The Whatnauts (1970), Whatnauts On The Rocks (1972), & Reaching For The Stars (1971), along with some added tracks with The Moments. A really great cd and a must have for lovers of old school slow jams. Check out the two sided single which is also on the cd!

ONE MORE LITTLE KNOWN SLOW JAM - THE PONDEROSA TWINS + ONE

After my last post I got to thinking of some other long lost slow jams that aren't very well known. It's really a shame that some of these classics are not better known and issued on cd or played on old school radio stations. Oh well, here's another gem from 1971 titled You Send Me (yes, the one sung by Sam Cooke) but done by a young teenage group called The Ponderosa Twins + One. This group hailed from Cleveland, Ohio and consisted of two sets of identical twins plus one other member. A short lived teenage group that wasn't around for very long. I own the original 45 of this song still and am hoping one day for a cd release. In the meantime, enjoy!

LONG LOST SLOW JAM - J. KELLY AND THE PREMIERS

Now I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable guy on the subject of 70's slow jams (love songs). I still have several 45's in my closet that I am hoping someday will be released on cd. One of the gems I happen to own is this little known song by J. Kelly and The Premiers titled She Calls Me Baby. Now, SAXOMAN did not post this record on YouTube but thanks to whoever did. Another undiscovered gem. Now if anyone knows how I can take this video and put the audio into my iTunes, lemme know! Anyway, check out this classic, relatively unknown 70's slow jam. Oh yeah!

THE SYLVERS - WHERE IS THE LOVE?

One of the great under appreciated soul groups of the 70's is the musical family, The Sylvers. Now I'm not sure why, but I think that the Sylvers reputation as a serious musical act may have been tarnished by the fact that they hit it big with a couple of bubblegum type tunes (Boogie Fever, Cotton Candy, Hot Line). If you look beyond these "hits" and check out their first three albums titled "The Sylvers," "The Sylvers 2," and "The Sylvers 3", I think you will find some really great music. Songs such as Fools Paradise, How Love Hurts, I Wish That I Could Talk To You and Can You Remember The Rain to name just a few. What's really impressive is that most of their songs were written by one of the brothers (Leon Sylvers) when he was a teenager! A truly impressive musical family that you definitely need to check out! What? You say, you're not hip to the Sylvers? Well here you go.....Here are The Sylvers on Soul Train in 1972 performing their hit I Wish That I Could Talk To You. Check it out!

SOUL TRAIN

In the early 70's I would spend every Saturday afternoon like clockwork watching the tv show Soul Train. Now occasionally my Dad would come into the room and make some racist comment and switch the channel on me, but for the most part he let me be. Now I can tell you that Soul Train was the show to watch because it had the hippest musical acts, the latest fashions, the latest dances and the finest ladies. Now one of the great parts of the show was the Soul Train dance line. Here's a sample of the Soul Train dance line from 1973 dancing to the O'Jays song Love Train and even features Fred "Re-Run" Berry before he hit it big with the tv show What's Happening. Anyway, check it out!

LOVE JONES -THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF DARKNESS

Way back on 7/1/09 I blogged about having a Basketball Jones and the original inspiration for that song. Well here it is. The original Love Jones! Here's a clip of The Brighter Side of Darkness performing their hit Love Jones on Soul Train. Ya' gotta love the choreography as well as the mini capes they are wearing. The fashions from the crowd and Don Cornelius are too hip! A genuine classic and I happen to still own the original 45 of this song. Check it out and get hip!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

Happy Thanksgiving to my many (2? 3?) readers out there! Today we should all stop and give thanks for all of the good things in our lives (our health, the health of friends and family, our jobs, etc....) Don't take things for granted as life is too short!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE!!!

EMPTYING THE COKE MACHINE

On my last blog entry I talked about emptying the Coke machine at work. Now why should this deserve a special blog entry? Well lemme tell ya'......On occasion my boss would ask me to empty the change from the Coke machine. This was one of the truly special perks of the jobs, well maybe the only perk of the job. My eyes would get really big as she handed me the keys to the machine and a coffee can to put the change in. I would then open up the machine and there before me was more change than I had ever seen in my entire life! WOW! I immediately started alternating between filling the coffee can and stuffing change in my two front pockets. For a guy making $3 an hour (if that) this opportunity was too good to pass up. Anyway, after the machine was emptied of every last cent I would return the coffee can and keys to my boss. She would usually make some sarcastic comment like "hmmm, not too much change this week", striking fear into my heart! When returning the keys and change I would always try to walk really slow so my boss would not hear the jingling of all the change stuffed in my pockets. The fact that I was wearing an apron really helped to cover my bulging pockets. I was always afraid my boss was going to call me over and tap on my two bulging front pockets one day but she never did Whew! Anyway, I always thought I was going to get caught at this because I am definitely not a good liar or a good thief but I never did. I look back on it now as payback for all the verbal abuse I had to take from her. HAHA! So there you have the story of the Coke machine.

MY THIRD JOB - BUSTIN' SUDS AGAIN...WHAT?

OK, now way back on 5/6/09 I told you about my first job (delivering newspapers) and on 5/27/09 I told you about my second job (bustin' suds), now I want to tell you about my third job, bustin' suds again! What? Yes, it's true. Here's the story: Armed with a high school diploma and thankful to be done with school, I was ready to tackle the world! The only problem is that I had no real experience at anything other than bustin' suds (washing dishes) and I was kind of a knucklehead as well. I remember looking in the classifieds for a job and also going to the Unemployment Office as well and not having any luck. I just couldn't understand why no one would want to hire an unskilled, uneducated knucklehead like me. One day after leaving the Unemployment Office I noticed an Employment Agency close by and went to check it out. I told them of my vast experience (bustin' suds) and they said they had just the job for me. What? Really? The only problem is you have to pay us 75% of your first months wages! What? Are you serious? Is this legal? Well......with little options on the horizon I took them up on their offer and soon found myself bustin' suds at a Respiratory Hospital in Altadena and lemme tell you, this was one miserable job. The hours were horrible in that they consisted of split shifts meaning I started at 6:30AM and worked to about 1:00PM and then had to leave and come back and work from 4:30PM to 6:30PM. A really bad job and I can tell you that I looked just like the guy in this picture. Some of the many things I had to do were: load the trays with the correct food, deliver the food on a large cart to the proper areas, wash a ton of dishes after each meal, put away the food in the stockroom, make the salads, fill the Coke machine (an upcoming blog topic), make the coffee, clean the kitchen, and do any number of other things that my nutty boss decided she needed done. This job was no fun at all and I think I may have done this for at least a year if not longer. Oh yeah, I think I made about $3 an hour, if that. Jeez.....I sure can't imagine any kids working like this today.

OK, SO I'M A LITTLE SQUEAMISH

OK, now I have to admit that I'm a little bit squeamish. I don't know what it is but there are certain things that make me really squeamish and cause me to turn away. Just giving blood is a major ordeal for me so you won't ever see me being a blood donor (sorry). I have to turn away and close my eyes as they stick me with a needle and I definitely have to turn away as they fill up the vial with my blood. I made the mistake of looking at this once and almost passed out. Even watching a movie or tv and they show a needle being injected, or a surgery, or childbirth (gross) or any countless number of things and I can't bear to watch. It makes me just want to pass out. Sometimes just innocently flipping through the channels you may stumble upon an eye surgery or an open heart surgery. I can't turn the channel fast enough as that image I just saw is being embedded into my brain. Maybe this explains why I'm not a big horror movie fan. I dunno........all I know is if it's any of the things I mentioned above, count me out!

YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY

I have to tell you that I have a real problem with a lot of young people in service industries. I'm talking about kids in their early 20's that wait on you in restaurants or in department stores. Now I don't know if most of these kids are mentally challenged or what, but a lot of them sure seem to be complete idiots to me. Another thing that I have a problem with is that most of these kids talk so damn fast you can't understand what the hell they're saying (mainly the girls). I'm constantly having to ask them "can you repeat that a little but slower?" Now maybe it's just me or maybe I'm just getting cranky as I get older. All I know is, why do businesses hire these brainless kids and where did good service go in this country? Just my two cents.

FUNK CD PICK OF THE WEEK - BROOKLYN FUNK ESSENTALS

This weeks Funk CD Pick of the Week is the Brooklyn Funk Essentials with their cd titled In The Buzzbag. Now I have to tell you that this is one funky cd. For those of you that aren't hip to the Brooklyn Funk Essentials all I can say is get hip! They have several cd's out and they are all worth checking out. Mixing Funk, Hip-Hip, Ska, Reggae and in this case World music, this is another must have for your funk collection. This cd mixes James Brown style funk with musicians from Istanbul, Turkey and it works! A super funky cd that you need to check out, hear me? Here's a video of the Brooklyn Funk Essentials playing the Pharoah Sanders classic The Creator Has A Master Plan. Check it!

HIGH SCHOOL PROM

Nowadays kids (I mean parents) spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on their child's High School Prom? It's as if their child's life will not be complete unless they take part in this rite of passage into adulthood. Me? Well I must admit that SAXOMAN did not partake in these festivities. Yep! You heard right! SAXOMAN skipped the prom! You see, there were some very valid reasons for me not going to this event so let me explain. Now back in High School I lacked several of the key ingredients necessary to go to the prom and these were as follows:

• I didn't have a car (or a driver's license!)
• I didn't have a girlfriend
• And I didn't have any fancy clothes to wear to a prom like a tux or suit or whatever it is you wear to these things.

Now I consider these as real essential things needed to go to the prom. I know several of my friends were in the same boat as me so in hindsight maybe we should have all gone together and just had fun as a bunch of knuckleheads but we didn't. Oh well.......I'm sure many people have either good memories or bad memories of this event. Me? No memories at all.....

PUT A PLATE IN MY LIP AND.........WHAT?

A while back I had sold on old Eddie Kendricks album on Ebay. I had recently picked up the Eddie Motown Collection (Vol. 1) on cd which contained this album so decided to sell my old vinyl lp. The album went for approximately $25 (as expected) but the funny part of the story is this: As you can tell from the back cover of the album that it is an African themed photo. Because of this (I guess) the person that bought this from me on Ebay left the following feedback, "Put a plate in my lip and a bone through my nose". What? Yep, I kid you not. HAHA! Now I'm not sure but I guess this is supposed to be positive feedback for this transaction...........I guess.

FUNK CD PICK OF THE WEEK - PARLIAMENT

A while back I had picked a Parliament cd as my infamous Pick of the Week so I figured why not follow it up with their biggest selling and most popular cd. With that being said, this weeks Funk CD Pick of the Week goes to Parliament with the funk masterpiece, Mothership Connection. Oh yeah! Featuring such all-time classics as P. Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up), Mothership Connection (Star Child), and Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker). Now back when this came out I can honestly say just about everyone I knew had this lp and would throw it on to get the party started. A classic cd that is a must have for your funk collection! The one to buy? Why the new, remastered version with eight tracks including an alternate version of Mothership Connection! Here's a video of Parliament playing Mothership Connection. Check it out and get hip!

BUYING JEANS - WHEN DID IT EVER BECOME SO COMPLICATED?

OK, now when did buying jeans become so difficult? It used to be you would go to the store and find some Levis and then just find your waist and length and you were done! Out the door in a matter of minutes without even having to try anything on. But now? Oh no! I can tell you that I just went through this nightmare this past weekend and it's nothing like it used to be. No way! First of all you have the multitude of different styles to choose from. These include: Skinny or Super Skinny (which look like tights to me and are what you typically see kids on skateboards wearing). I honestly don't know how I could even fit my big feet in these things. You then have Slim Fit, and then Regular Fit (whatever that means), then Relaxed Fit, and then Baggy. There may be more but these are the ones that I remember. Not only do you have these many choices, but now some of these jeans don't even sit at waist level (like men's jeans should be in my opinion). Now they have men's jeans that ride lower on your hips! What? These are like wearing ladies hip-huggers and if I wore these I'm sure people would be starin' at my butt crack every time I would bend over (kind of like what I do when I see women bend over HAHA!) On top of all this you have the various looks such as faded, distressed, torn, etc....Anyway, I'm sure women have been dealing with this issue for years but I can tell you this is all new to me and it's a real chore to buy jeans now. Jeez......when did things ever get so complicated?

DECAPITATING MYSELF - WHAT?

The other day I was going through my closet and I found a old raincoat of mine that I hadn't worn in some time. I noticed that the belt was missing from this raincoat and then it all came back to me as to what had happened. I was driving down the street one day and wearing this raincoat when I heard a noise coming from my rear tire. I rolled down my window so I could listen to it a little better but didn't hear anything so got out of the car to check my tire. Again, nothing. I got back in my car and started to drive away when suddenly the belt of the raincoat was wrapping around my waist at a rapid speed and then flying up by my neck. What the??? It appears that the belt had been hanging out of the car door and may have got caught in the tire or road or something. All I know is the belt whizzed around my neck and hit me in my head before disappearing out of the car. So basically I was almost decapitated by my own belt. I guess I could have of stopped and picked up the belt in the street but was too much in shock at the time. I could only imagine the crime scene investigators trying to determine how I had hung myself with the belt of my raincoat. So there you have it. The story of how SAXOMAN almost decapitated himself. HAHA! Be careful out there!

JAZZ FUNK CD PICK OF THE WEEK - LIQUID SOUL

This weeks Jazz Funk CD Pick of the Week is Make Some Noise by the group Liquid Soul. Hailing from Chicago, Liquid Soul has five cd's and yes I have them all. This cd titled Make Some Noise is one super funky cd and a must have! Yes, a must have. Check out the Amazon link for some audio samples from this cd. My favorite cut from this cd is without a doubt Threadin' The Needle. Check this one out for sure and you can say, oh yeah, SAXOMAN has hipped me once again. http://www.amazon.com/Make-Some-Noise-Liquid-Soul/dp/B0000061TM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1257307414&sr=8-1

I couldn't find that many real good videos on YouTube of Liquid Soul but here is one. Don't get the impression that all of their songs have rapping in them cuz they don't. Anyway, check it out y'all!

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK - BULLET IN THE HEAD

Well I figured that since my last DVD pick was a John Woo action film, I thought I would follow it up with another John Woo classic titled Bullet In The Head. This is a great story about three friends and how their lives are changed by a series of events and greed. A great action movie as well that you definitely need to check out! Here's the trailer for this fine piece of Asian cinema from John Woo. The one to buy? Why the 2 Disc Collectors Edition from Fortune Star!

OK, I ALSO GET A KICK OUT OF THESE TOO

OK, now maybe I'm just easily amused but another thing that I also get a kick out of the large display balloons you will typically see advertising some type of sale. Now I don't mean any old balloon with a sale sign. No, I mean a balloon that is usually in the shape of a monster, or gorilla, or Godzilla. Typically these are at car dealerships and accompanied with a sign that says Monster Sale! When I'm driving on the feeway and spot these I always point these out to my wife. I dunno......she doesn't share the same enthusiasm as me when we see them. All I know is I sure get a kick out of them. HAHA!

NOW I REALLY GET A KICK OUT OF......

Now I don't know what it is but I really get a kick out of certain things. One thing that never fails to entertain me is when I see people on the street dressed up in various costumes advertising food or something for sale. Today on the way home I saw a guy in a chicken suit so I can only assume he was trying to solicit customers for a chicken place.
Now I always make a point to honk and wave at these people although my wife feels I'm making fun of them. My wife also says I was very close to doing that job myself. What? Anyway, when I honk and wave at them I'm really just acknowledging them and letting them know I appreciate what they do. So next time you see one of these characters, give them a honk and a wave for SAXOMAN! HAHA!

HITTING THE MOTHERLOAD.....WELL NOT EXACTLY

The other day I went to the car wash to wash my dirty car. I put a dollar in the change machine and instead of hearing the clunk-clunk sound of four quarters dropping down I hear a "swoosh". To my surprise the change machine had let fly a whole bunch of quarters! My eyes got big and I immediately stuffed all of this change in my pocket. Now I figured if this could happen once it could happen twice right? So I slipped another dollar in the machine and heard the clunk-clunk sound of four quarters dropping down. Oh well.......no such luck twice in a row.
Now I can honestly say that I didn't feel bad about this whole event because there have been many times when I have put my money in the machines at this car wash and they didn't work so I consider this payback. Now I guess I could have done something nice and give this money to the lady who looked like she was living in her car in the car wash stall next to me. Oh well, maybe next time. When I got home I counted my treasure and it was a little over 10 bucks. Oh yeah!

TEARS OF JOY......ONCE AGAIN

Well last night it was tears of joy once again. My beloved Lakers received their Championship rings and displayed the new Championship banner on the Staples Center wall. In addition to this the Lakers even won the game as well which is something they don't usually do on ring night. Anyway, another emotion filled evening for me as the tears of joy flowed freely. I have to say that this is one thing that never gets old!

JAZZ CD PICK OF THE WEEK - JOHN COLTRANE

This weeks Jazz CD Pick of the Week is the classic recording by John Coltrane titled A Love Supreme. Now way back when I was first getting hip to jazz there were always three recordings that I constantly heard about. These were: Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew by Miles Davis and this recording by John Coltrane. Now I sadly have to admit that when I first bought this recording on vinyl and put it on I was definitely not ready for it. This was way too advanced for me and I couldn't get into it all. I moved the needle forward and forward to see if it changed much but it didn't. I put it away wondering what this recording was all about. Well I can say that over time as my ears developed and I began to be more open to jazz that was a little more free, I really began to enjoy this recording. Now it is one of my favorites. I have attached the first part of this recording but be cautioned that this is not for the casual jazz fan. Listen and enjoy! Which cd to buy? Why the Deluxe Edition with outtakes and the only known live recording of A Love Supreme! Check it out!

LATIN FUNK CD PICK OF THE WEEK - LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES

This weeks Latin Funk CD Pick of the Week is from the super funky band from Venezuela, Los Amigos Invisibles with the cd titled Commercial. Although not quite as strong overall as some of their other releases this cd still contains several funky cuts and is worth checking out. Here's one of my favorite tracks from the cd, Mentiras. Check it out and hip yourself up!

HALLOWEEN, NOT MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY

Now I know there are many people that really get into Halloween but I can honestly say that it's not my favorite holiday. I don't know if it's because I used to start crying when I saw the guy change into the Wolfman or what but all I know is I prefer more happier type holidays. Now as a kid Halloween was a lot of fun because you would go out trick or treatin' and get a pillowcase full of candy and eat till you were sick. Back then it was all about pumpkins and ghosts and harmless stuff like that. Somewhere Halloween took a turn for the worse and it became much more gory. Now Halloween is all about blood, severed limbs or intestines hanging out. You know, really really gross stuff (to me). Now I have to admit that I am a pretty squeamish guy (an upcoming blog topic) and that probably explains why I'm not much of a horror movie fan. Anyway, all I can tell you is Halloween just ain't' my thang.

BLACK DYNAMITE - OH YEAH

Well I somehow was able to convince the wife to go with me and see Black Dynamite. HAHA! As usual we were running late and had to rush to the theater to get there in time. I wanted to get there early as I was expecting the place to be sold out. When I got to the box office to get the tickets the kid behind the window gave me a puzzled look and said, "What movie?" I looked at him like he was an idiot and said, "BLACK DYNAMITE, and hurry up cuz it's getting ready to start!" Imagine my surprise when I walked inside and there were only 3 people there! What the??? Where are all the blaxploitation fans? Well eventually more people showed up bringing the grand total to about 11 people. Anyway, the movie was hilarious as it was a total spoof of all of those great blaxploitation films of the 70's. Now when was the last time you saw a movie where somebody was called a jive turkey, a honky or a poop-butt? Huh? Anyway, a must see in my humble opinion. Check it out while you can. Up next for me? Why Ninja Assassin of course which is coming soon (see trailer)

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK - HARD BOILED

This weeks DVD Pick of the Week is the classic action film from John Woo titled Hard Boiled. Starring Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung this is a bonafide classic action movie! The body count in this film is incredible! HAHA! John Woo is one of the great directors of action films and this film speaks for itself. A must see! John Woo has also directed some notable American films as well such as Broken Arrow, Face/Off, Mission Impossible 2, and Red Cliff (oops! sorry, Red Cliff has yet to be released in this country but is coming soon. I've already seen it and it is a must see!) Anyway, check out the trailer for Hard Boiled and pick it up for your film library or rent it. Me? Why I own the 2 Disc Ultimate Edition of course.

ADULT ENTERTAINMENT - WHAT?

Now maybe I'm just a little bit odd but for some reason I really get a kick out of browsing the adult entertainment (pay per view) channels. No, No......it's not what you think, really! I'm not watching the movies. What I mean is that I get a kick out of browsing the titles of these adult entertainment movies. On Direct TV it's the 690 series channels. There you will find some of the most filthy and hilarious (to me) adult entertainment titles. Now there is no way I could ever explain to the Mrs. if one of these filthy titles were to appear on our cable bill. No way, whatsoever. HAHA! Anyway, take a look at these channels and see what I'm talking about!

LATIN FUNK CD PICK OF THE WEEK - OAKTOWN IRAWO

This weeks long overdue Latin Funk cd Pick of the Week is by Oaktown Irawo with the cd titled Funky Cubonics. Mixing funk and latin jazz together, this is one funky cd! I couldn't find any audio or video clips of this cd and don't know if the group may have been short lived or not but this is definitely worth checking out! One interesting thing I like about this cd is one of the musicians is playing latin funk on the bassoon! What? I kid you not. Anyway, check it out because I wouldn't recommend it if it wasn't funky! Right?

BLAXPLOITATION FILMS ARE BACK - WHAT? BLACK DYNAMITE STARTS THIS FRIDAY

For those faithful followers of my blog, you all know that I am a big fan of the 70's blaxploitation films (see blog post of 6/1/09). Well I am proud to announce that blaxploitation films are back! What? Yes, it's true. This Friday begins the sure-fire smash hit Black Dynamite. The film description says it all: When "the man" murders his brother, pumps heroin into local orphanages, and floods the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor, Black Dynamite is the one hero willing to fight all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House. WOW! Who could ask for more! HAHA! Although it's only one movie, I'm sure there will be many more to follow with this sure bet of a breakout hit. Check out the trailer for Black Dynamite and go see it this Friday! Why me? SAXOMAN will be there on opening night of course!

DOING DUMB THINGS

Now I'm sure that all of us have done a lot of dumb things in our life. It seems that when we were young we constantly did dumb things but at the time we really didn't know any better (at least that's my excuse). Some dumb things you get caught at and pay the price and some things you don't get caught at but still realize it was a pretty dumb thing to do. Hopefully as we all get older we get a little wiser and think of the consequences and ramifications of our actions. So take it from SAXOMAN and don't do any dumb things you dig?

A MAJOR MILESTONE - 200 BLOG ENTRIES

WHOOHOO! Yes, that's right! Today marks a major milestone. My 200th blog entry! Who would have thought that when I started this blog way back in February of 2009 that I would have so much to say on such a wide variety of topics. Hopefully you are all enjoying my mindless rambling as I can assure you there is plenty more to come! The creative well has yet to run dry as I have an endless supply (I hope) of stories as well as music and dvd picks. Keep reading as you know there is never a dull moment in the life of SAXOMAN!

BASKETBALL.........AT LAST

Well after what seemed like an eternity (to me) basketball is back! That's right! After my beloved Purple and Gold (Lakers) won the championship last June I have gone without any basketball since then and no, I'm not watching the WNBA out of desperation. Anyway, the Lakers open the pre-season tonight on KCAL Channel 9. Oh yeah! I look forward to sitting on my butt and watching basketball and being totally unproductive for the next nine months. Come to think of it, I have been pretty unproductive for the last nine months as well. HAHA!

Oh well........

FUNK CD PICK OF THE WEEK - PARLIAMENT

This weeks Funk CD Pick of the Week is The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein by Parliament (what a title huh?) I had been aware of this cd for some time but had never picked it up until yesterday. I can say that not all of Parliament or Funkadelic cd's are must haves, at least to me so I had passed on this cd in the past. I did a little cd shopping yesterday at my monthly PCC Flea Market and picked this cd up for $5 along with several other hip titles. To my surprise this cd was much funkier than I had anticipated. The horns on this cd are really, really funky. I only wish these older cd's had a little more bass when they were recorded cuz you can't have the funk without the bass right? Anyway, for those of you that aren't hip to this (yes, you!) give it a listen with the link provided and I'm sure you will say that SAXOMAN has hipped me once again!

http://www.amazon.com/Clones-Dr-Funkenstein-Parliament/dp/B000001FUB/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1254796238&sr=8-7

GETTIN' FUNKY AT THE L.A. COUNTY FAIR (ONE MORE TIME)

After a long first week of working and commuting (ugh!) it was time to cut loose and enjoy some funk on Friday night at the Fair. Up first were The Brothers Johnson who threw it down with all of their hits. A really funky show. Now the Brothers Johnson are typically guitarist George and his brother Louis on bass. Standing in for Louis was a young cat who could really play the bass. I wondered what happened to Louis because when I saw him perform 2 years ago he was wearing one of those things on his wrist like when you have carpel tunnel syndrome. I can only guess that age and too much slappin' and poppin' of the bass with his thumb has taken its toll.
Up next were The Gap Band. Decked out in all white suits and matching white brims (cool) they preceded to rock the house. Playing all of their hits they put on a great show. I had never seen The Gap Band live and they really put on a funky show. I did have a few minor complaints though. I thought the set was a little too heavy on ballads and should have been more upbeat. You need to rock the crowd and not have people huggin' and smoochin' in the aisles (gross!) HAHA! The Gap Band also had four female dancers. This seems to be a growing trend with some of these bands and although the dancers are nice to look at and the choreography is cool, I just don't get the concept. To me it makes it feel like more of a Las Vegas type act when they do this. I think it cheapens and dilutes the show. I feel the music should speak for itself. I dunno......just my two cents. On a side note, if you look at the Gap Band photo (below) you notice they are all wearing cowboy hats. Now I have never understood brothers that wear cowboy hats. I would never wear one and I seriously doubt any brothers in the L.A. area would wear one either. It must be a southern thang.....I guess.

THE VOTES ARE IN AND THE POLLS ARE CLOSED

Well as you know I recently ran a poll to gather data as to what people like most about my blog. I must say that I was sadly disappointed by the low turnout of my many (2? 3?) readers. The results of the poll are as follows: 5 people like my music picks, 11 people like my real life stories, and 11 people like everything abut my blog. Hey, where are the Asian cinema lovers out there? Anyway, so there you have it, a dead even tie! In other words, the blog stays as is.

Now in late August I added a counter at the bottom of my blog to get an idea as to how many people where viewing my blog. In just over one month I have received over 900 hits! With that many viewers I would expected more voting unless that was me looking at my blog so often. Hmmmm.........

BACK TO WORK - THE FIRST DAY

The first day of a new job is a lot like the first day of school. You pick out what you're going to wear the night before, you worry about if the new people will be nice and you typically spend a restless night of sleep. I hit the road at 6:00AM figuring I'd beat the traffic. I quickly moved over to the fast lane thinking I would go faster (yeah, right!) Within a matter of minutes I was at a dead stop! What the hell? I quickly saw that a van had stalled out in the fast lane. AAUUGGHH! After getting around this van I tried to get back into the commuting mind set (be aggressive, don't let anyone in, not too much space between you and the car in front of you, etc...) There were a few slow spots but then? Clear sailing! I made it to the job in 45 minutes. Not bad for a 34 mile commute however the only problem was I still had an hour and 15 minutes to kill before my orientation! I pulled into a nearby Home Depot where the day laborers thought I was soliciting work. I waved them away and tried to take a short nap but was afraid I'd oversleep. I finally made it into work only to find that the HR lady who was going to do my orientation called in sick. Oh well.......

TEXTING - I JUST DON'T GET IT

OK now I can honestly say I don't get this whole texting thing. I see people texting everywhere I go. I see people texting while they're driving (What? Yes, I know some of you do it!), while their sitting courtside at a Laker game (what? that's just wrong!) and every other place you can imagine. People who do it tell me it's addictive. I dunno.....isn't it easier and faster to just call someone? Is it because you don't want to talk to someone and it's like an e-mail? Maybe because I am currently without a cell phone (what?) that I don't partake in this activity. I dunno......even when I had a phone I don't think I texted more than a couple of times. I'm sorry but maybe I'm just old school but I just don't get this whole texting thing!

CANTERBURY RECORDS IN PASADENA (YES, IT'S STILL THERE)

On Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, CA sits Canterbury Records. This store has survived the times and is still going strong! Now according to the web site, Canterbury has been in business since 1956 but I'm not sure exactly how long the store has been at it's current location. I know that I have been going to the same location for as long as I can remember and I used to go there way back in the 60's (yes, a long, long time ago). I remember back then they had listening booths where you could listen to a record before you bought it. I remember my friends using the listening booths as a place to stuff 45's down their pants and steal them! What? I dunno.....I may have been guilty of doing this once myself. I blame it on peer pressure. Now I'm not sure if they actually sell records anymore but I can tell you they have a very well stocked selection of jazz cd's and the prices in most cases are very reasonable (typically $11.99 for classic Blue Note stuff). Of all the stores I have been shopping for jazz cd's I rank Canterbury right behind Amoeba in Hollywood.
If you're in the area I definitely recommend you check it out!