Brett Farrey

I watched Cadillac Records the other night and I absolutely love it. It was great to see them do a movie about that Chicago blues scene. It was truly a magical time.

In this tale of sex, violence, race, and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, “Cadillac Records” follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America’s musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.

It was a great movie except one little thing. Beyonce. I think she did a decent job at acting, but her singing was awful compared to Etta James. When Beyonce started singing “At Last”, I just couldn’t stand it. Once she entered the movie, I had a hard time concentrating because I was so irritated with her awful singing. Beyonce may have a decent voice for pop/r&b songs for the MTV crowd, but people who actually love music realize she is no Etta James.

Etta James

Beyonce

Beyonce didn’t sing out of key or anything horribly bad, but her voice has no soul. She’s an average R&B singer trying to mimic the great Etta James. It doesn’t surprise me Etta doesn’t like Beyonce.

Related Links:
Cadillac Records Trailer
Etta James to Beyonce: I’ll Whoop Your Ass!

I saw a forum thread on Harmony Central about undeserving pop stars, and it got me thinking. A deserving pop star is first and foremost a talented singer. If they can’t sing, they are worthless. End of story. I don’t care if they write their own crappy pop songs, which are probably co-written or molded by their producer, who’s probably also a songwriter.

Anyway, here it goes…..

5. Ke$ha

I wouldn’t consider this girl to be popular yet, but wow does she suck. If she gains any popularity at all, she’ll probably move up a few spots.

If that isn’t proof enough, she does the EXACT same moves for every performance.

I’m pretty sure her 15 minutes are just about up. Hey Ke$ha, I suggest you save your money and go to community college. Otherwise, I see the word “stripper” in your future.

4. Taylor Swift

Taylor is HUGE right now. I’ve listened to her music, and it’s catchy pop songs for little kids. My niece loves her. But, is she deserving? She supposedly writes her own songs, which I have to give her some credit, but pop stars aren’t created because of good songwriting. Taylor is an extremely cute girl with a unique look to her. The young boys love her! Unfortunately, the world that isn’t tone deaf and doesn’t want to sleep with her, simply can’t stand her.

Here’s a few more examples:

Performance at Grammy Live concert 2008
there are no words for how much taylor swift CAN’T sing

There are a thousands of singers of more talented singers out there, yet Taylor is the one making millions and winning awards. If it wasn’t for great marketing, she’d be nothing but an average karoake singer aspiring to someday perform in a cover band.

3. Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee’s career should have never started. If it wasn’t for her sister, Jessica, she’d be a nobody. On top of being a horrible singer, she completely sold out by trading in her rocker look for the blonde barbie girl look, which included plastic surgery. Yay….she now looks like everyone else. It’s not surprising to see she’s doing a lot of lip syncing these days.

2. Rihanna

Rihanna is probably one of the absolute worst singers in pop music today. To begin with, she has a very limited range to her voice, but she also can’t sing in tune. I’m sure the producers even had a hard time getting the recording software to fix her voice….

I’m guessing we’ll never see Rihanna sing live ever again.

1. Britney Spears

Britney Spears is the #1 most undeserving pop star. Britney is an entertainer, not a singer, but she still performs live, or at least pretends to perform live. She occasionally attempts to sing live, only if she’s not dancing and if the part is easy enough for her tone deaf vocal chords. You’d think after all of these years of lip syncing, she’d eventually get good at that, but I guess not. Aside from being a mediocre dancer, what is she good at?

This might not be fair to post, since she’s singing along with the pre-recorded vocals, and it wasn’t meant to be heard by the public, but it gives you a sense how tone deaf she really is…..

Britney is nothing but a softcore porn star lip syncing her way through her choreographed dance numbers, but if it sells, her record label could care less. The only thing more pathetic is the millions of fans who aren’t smart enough to realize she’s a fraud.

I’ve been asked multiple times lately why I don’t like Brett Favre. To me, it seems pretty obvious, but maybe I need to spell it out for everyone.

Brett Favre has been one of my all-time heroes in regards to the game of football, and sports in general. I’ve watched or listened to just about everyone of his games as a Packer. The problem started when he started talking about retirement. At the end of each season, Favre would announce that he was going to take some time to ponder his future. That was fine to a certain extent, but the time to ponder kept getting longer with each year. The Packers gave him way too much time to ponder his decision, since the team wanted to do everything they could to coax him into coming back. To make matters worse, the media swarmed to this ongoing story like rabid dogs.

Favre had a breakout season in 2007, and for whatever reason, decided to call it quits. I remember I was at work when I heard the news, and I just couldn’t believe it. He was arguably the most loved player in Green Bay Packers history, and Packer fans were in shock that they’d no longer be able to watch that gunslinger from Mississippi.

Favre wants to come back out of retirement. The team had already made changes to the offense to accommodate Aaron Rodger’s skill set, and were ready to move on. I had heard rumors the coaches didn’t think Favre could no longer win cold weather games, but that’s just hearsay. At the time, I thought the Packers should have let him come back, but I think Favre knew they didn’t want him, and I believe he ultimately wanted to play for the Vikings, which had his previous QB coach, Darrel Bevell, running the offense he had so much success.

Of course, we all know what happens next….

The Packers weren’t going to just let him go to the Vikings, so they traded him to the Jets. I didn’t like the move, since I didn’t want to see Favre playing for anyone but the Packers, but Aaron Rodgers had a great first season as a starter, and I still enjoyed watching Favre play the game. He ended up getting hurt, didn’t want to break his starting streak, and basically screwed over the New York Jets. Again, he retires, and asks to be released. He asked to be released? Of course he did, he wanted to go play for the Vikings to A) get back at the organization that let him go, and B) rejoin with Bevell and make another run at the Super Bowl. To a certain extent, I can’t blame him, but he also fucked over every Packer fan that loved/loves him. I could handle watching him play for another team from a different division, but the Minnesota Vikings??? Are you kidding me? The Vikings are the most hated rival, and he wants to play for them???

Favre has had a great season with the Vikings, but he’ll go down in history as the arrogant crybaby that let down the fans that bleed green and gold on his behalf.

Favre let his own arrogance get the better of him, and the fans that supported him for 16 years suffered for it. Brett Favre hurt both the Packer and Jets organizations, and most importantly the Packer and Jets fans.

This is why I no longer like Brett Favre.

I got a text from my wife last Friday, and it said, ” Smart Studios is closing.” I was immediately overwhelmed with emotions. Smart Studios was founded by Butch Vig and Steve Marker, both members of Garbage. I’ve recorded at Smart a couple of times with Smokin’ with Superman, and the experience alone was worth it. When you walk into the studio, you quickly see reminders of who’s recorded in that building. It was knowing that bands like Garbage and Nirvana recorded there that made that place so special. There used to be a wall of CDs upstairs, that gave you list of just some of the acts, and it was overwhelming. Smart Studios has been an icon in Madison, something all the locals could use to legitimize the quality of their music scene. It’s sad to see it go.

Related:
Madison’s Smart Studios closing, engineer confirms
Smart Studios closing March 1
Madison’s Historic Smart Studios to Close
Smart Studios is Closing
Recording Studios Face Uncertain Future

Here are some interesting stats….

Brett Favre has thrown fewer interceptions(7) this season than any previous season.
Aaron Rodgers has only throw seven interceptions this season.

The second fewest interceptions Favre has thrown in a season is 13. He did this in 92, 95, and 96.
The second fewest interceptions Aaron Rodgers has thrown is 13. He did this in his first season as a starter.

Most yards Favre has thrown in a season is 4413 in 1995.
Most yards Rodgers has thrown in a season is 4434.
Lynn Dickey holds the record for most yards thrown in a Packer uniform with 4458.

Most touchdowns thrown in a season by Favre is 39 in 1996.
Most touchdowns thrown in a season by Rodgers is 30 in 2009.

Highest QB rating by Favre is 107.2 in 2009. Favre’s second highest is 99.5 in 1995.
Highest QB rating by Rodgers is 106 in 2008. Rodger’s second highest is 103.2.

I’m not saying one is better than the other….both are playing at a high level right now. Favre has a legacy, but it appears Rodgers is in the process of building one.

Here’s a some tips on how to setup your bass guitar…

The Ultimate Guide To Perfect Bass Setup by Jerzy Drozd
Kindness – Basic Setup
Kindness – Fret Leveling/Crowning

It was disappointing loss the Steelers, but it was an exciting game. The end of the game made me scream a few four letter words, but at least they were in it at the end against the Super Bowl Champs.

Jarrett Bush
I’m afraid the Steelers have been exposed one of the Packer’s weaknesses, and that’s their secondary. Charles Woodson is playing like a defensive MVP, and Tramon Williams is playing pretty solid in place of Al Harris. The problem is Jarrett Bush and Josh Bell. Rothlisberger was going after them all day, and he racked up a team record 503 yards of passing. Jarrett Bush was a hot commodity in the offseason and TT ended up giving him roughly $1 million a year….mainly to be a special teams player, and hopefully a decent backup CB. He’s exceptional on special teams, but he’s an awful corner. Bell only joined the team a month ago, and allowed the winning touchdown.

Mason Crosby
I would be shocked if the Packers weren’t looking for a new kicker. Crosby might be salvageable, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen this season. His confidence is gone, and he looks about as good as a high school kicker. It’s time for the Packers to find someone else.

Receivers
There have been waaaay too many drops. The last few games Driver and Jennings have appeared unhappy with the number of balls thrown their way, but as of right, they need to shut their mouths and catch the damn ball. Jermichael Finley is currently the best receiver on the team.

Trades
I really think TT missed out when he didn’t trade Aaron Kampman, and possibly AJ Hawk. Hawk seems to be playing a lot better, but they’re pretty deep at the MLB positions. They stand to get nothing for Kampman without putting the franchise tag on him. Big mistake!

Overall
The Packers have improved a lot this season, and they’re playing some tough football. If the offensive line can hold it together, they should only get better. I’m afraid if they get into the playoffs, they’ll probably be one and done, but at least they made the playoffs this year, and they can hopefully build off that in the offseason.

Related
Green Bay Packers lose to Pittsburgh Steelers 37-36
Packers fail in playoff environment
Secondary develops case of airsickness
McCarthy: ‘Zero interest’ in bringing in a new kicker

I’ve been using the same Motorola RAZR for over three years now. I keep holding out for right phone, and nothing has really grabbed me. I’m not the best at text messaging, so I’d really like something with a QWERTY keyboard. I like some of the features of the new smart phones, but I also don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for my data plan.

I’ve been using US Cellular for quite a few years now, and I get superb service in the Madison area, but their selection of phones is awful. My wife is on Sprint, and we could save some money if we put our plans together. Sprint’s phone selection is better than US Cellulars, but it’s not as good as say Verizon.

iPhone
I’d ultimately like to have an iPhone. It’s a great phone, has a great operating system, and a ton of applications. Our two computers at home are both Macs, so it makes sense. Unfortunately, there’s one big issue….the monthly bill! I don’t want my phone bill to be over $100 per month.

Droid
I’ve been reading a lot of great things about Droid, but it’s only available with Verizon. My wife and I could both switch to Verizon, but that seems like a lot of hassle to just get certain type of phone. If this phone was offered by Sprint, this would be an easy decision.

HTC Touch Pro2
A friend of mine just got the HTC Touch Pro2, and it looks amazing. It has a nice QWERTY keyboard, conference calling, tilt screen, and ton of features. Unfortunately, I don’t want anything to do with a Microsoft operating system and the price is outrageous.

HTC Hero with Google
This phone seems like the best option available for me, but it’s not the best phone. CNET editor’s rating is 3.5, but Sprint customers gave it a 4.6. I like that it runs Android, has a 5mp camera, and lot of other features. I’ve heard that it can be a little slow, which may, or may not be a big deal.

Ultimately, I’d like to buy an iPhone, and then maybe the Droid. iPhone is locked in with AT&T, which has too expensive of a data plan, and the seem to be having major issues with dropped calls in certain areas. The Droid is locked in with Verizon, so that is probably isn’t the best option for us, unless we wanted to switch our service. There is supposed to be a new Google phone coming out, but it sounds like that will only be for T-Mobile.

It seems like I’ll either need to go with HTC Hero with Google using Sprint, or switch over to Verizon just so I can use the new Droid phone. I need to do some more digging, but it seems like Sprint would be a cheaper monthly plan. What to do?

Copps
This used to be one of my favorite grocery stores in town. They always had a decent prices, a fair selection of food, and was extremely convenient due to their multiple locations. They’ve since been bought out by Roundys, and now they’re one of the worst grocery stores in the area. The selection of food has been inundated with the Roundys brand of food, which is just disgustingly awful food. For example: my wife and I both found out, for whatever reason, Roundys’ brand eggs make us sick to our stomach. We tried them several different times, and have since switched to organic non-Roundys eggs. They’ve also recently reorganized their West side location, and it makes absolutely no sense. If it wasn’t for their salad bar, they would have gotten an “F”.

Grade: D-

Sentry – Hilldale
This is one of my favorite grocery stores in town, aside from the prices. The selection of food is excellent, it’s clean, the layout is terrific, but the prices are high. If you’re stopping in for a few items for an evening’s meal, it’s excellent. If you’re shopping for this week’s groceries, it’s not ideal.

Grade: C

Whole Foods
I’m listing this one right after Sentry, since I see them as being very similar. They both have a large and unique selection of food, but both are expensive. Whole Foods has an excellent deli and salad bar, with very unique items on both. If I’m in the mood for something different, Whole Foods is toward the top of my list, especially if I’m thinking of grabbing something from the deli. Unfortunately, you have to pay the price for good food.

Grade: C+

Woodman’s
I think it’s pretty safe to say that Woodman’s has the best selection of food in town. The store is huge, the layout is decent, but it’s also kind of dirty and always packed full of people. The produce section is just a bunch of boxes opened up for people to pick through, so be careful what you take home with you. The ethnic food sections are tremendous. Woodman’s probably has the best selection of food tied in with great prices, but it’s also packed with a ton of people and is typically dirty.

Grade: B-

HyVee
I just went to the new HyVee on the East side of Madison, and it’s fantastic! The selection of food wasn’t as good as Woodman’s, but it’s probably the second best in town. They sell some of their own HyVee brand of food, and from what I can tell so far, it’s far superior to Roundy’s. The prices were very competitive to other stores in town, but they had some really good deals. The layout of the store was very organized and quite unique. At front of the store, they had small sections for season items, which was arranged with an excellent assortment of products. Copps has a section for season items, but it’s in the back of the store and the arrangement only has the necessities. There were a ton of places to try sample different foods. The deli is one of the best in town. The cheese area made me feel like I was shopping at Brennan’s. They also had a place where they have cooking classes, a pharmacy, and an a extremely large liquor store. They had a ton of prepared food that you can either take home with you, or eat in their little cafe area. I very much look forward to having one on the West side of Madison.

Grade: A

Ultimately, I believe HyVee will be the end of Copps in Madison. Good riddance!

We were saddened when we came home from being out of town for Thanksgiving to find Kanel, our much loved cockatiel, had passed away. Kanel had been with Melissa almost 12 years. She will be very missed.

We ended up having her cremated, and in the process, we found a great company called Memorial Pet Services, Inc. Great people!