Monday Night Raw

Neon Grave by Dayseeker on 2026-05-10 in West Des Moines, IA

Alex went to the Dayseeker sold out show last night without me. He sent me this video. Can I just say that Mother's Day is not a good choice for concerts, just like Christmas and Easter?

Warning: the vocalist in this video uses naughty words to hype the audience!

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https://youtu.be/ 2rsRrzjRwX0 - Title Goes Here

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Predictions for 2027

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I hope my life isn't always how it is. In some areas, I am very happy -

• this list is NOT in order
1. I play drums in Bad Rumor. Bad Rumor has the following dates on our schedule:
1. Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Danny's on Donald in Waterloo, IA
2. Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Higbee, MO -- I am not playing this gig
3. Friday, June 26, 2026, at The Jobsite in Iowa City, IA
4. Sunday, June 28, 2026, at The House Divided in Ely, IA
5. Friday, July 17, 2026, at The Shack in Cedar Rapids, IA
6. Friday, August 21, 2026, at The Shack in Cedar Rapids, IA
2. I am the IT Manager - Disaster Recovery at work. I had a meeting on Friday, April 2, 2026, and know more than I will say "now" about my job.
3. I am married to Karen and 8-7-2027 is our 34th wedding anniversary.
4. I have two kids:
• Megan, my daughter, turns 30 on 8-14-2026
• Alex, my son, turns 28 on 10-22-2026
• Alex is married to Hannah
• Alex and Hannah have Wilson, the Austrailian Shepherd
5. My father lives in the Solon Senior Living Center and turns 89 on 4-25-2026.
6. I'm looking forward to a lot of things in life.

While other areas, I am very sad.

1. There are unresolved conflicts in my family and I feel powerless to effect change.
2. My father is unhappy that I am working on selling the house in CR and thinks he should be able to live there alone - he cannot do so.
3. Various little things not worth mentioning in public...

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RIP Lord of Darkness

Ozzy Osbourne passed away on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
Alex and I had to decide if we wanted to see Slayer or Ozzy at Chicago Open Air 2017 - wow! That was 8 years ago! We chose Ozzy.
I'll continue to say that his autobiography is one of the best books. It tore away the hype that followed him and told me about the existence of John Michael Osbourne. I wrote a book review of it.
In the clips that have been floating around from The Osbournes, I'd forgotten the one where Sharon wanted to have bubbles shoot up from the stage... He liked to use inappropriate words that start with F...

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https://youtu.be/ scwyXedIVEg - Ozzy vs Bubbles | The Osbournes TV

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Rapid Reaction: Iowa collapses in 2nd half in Music City Bowl

Sigh. 

I was really REALLY hoping that Nashville and the Music City Bowl would be an exclamation point for the 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes. Given the chance to end the season with 10 wins was a great opportunity and they fell short. 

I'm not one of those Facebook "fans" who wants Kirk Ferentz fired or for him to be kicked out the door, never to coach in Kinnick Stadium again. Am I "satisfied" with the loss? Of course not! However, I have to say there's a reality to football games, which is "two teams can't win." 

It's that simple. 

Someone has to win and someone has to lose. Unfortunately, Iowa was the team that lost in Nashville, TN, on 12-30-2024. 

Was it a game that Iowa could have won if one or two plays not played out the way that they did? 

Absolutely! 

Iowa committed a terrible penalty (supposedly) which allowed Missouri to go from a 3rd and 24 to a 1st and 10. Had Iowa not done that? Well, Missouri was on the ropes at that point in the game. If Iowa had gone for a 1st down on a 4th and 2 instead of punting and successfully went 2 yards, the game outcome might not have been the same. As it turned out, Missouri went 3 and out and kicked it back to Iowa. Iowa started marching down the field until it got to be 4th and 1, and, with time running out, Sullivan's QB sneak was stuffed prior to gaining the necessary yardage to get a 1st down and that was how the game ended, with the football returning to Missouri with a 27-24 lead and Iowa not having the football to score. Missouri did two snaps of the football in what is called the "Victory" formation and that ate up the last minute of the clock.

For the next 242 days (7 months, 4 weeks, 2 days), which is when Iowa will take the field at Kinnick Stadium against Ualbany (per https://hawkeyesports.com/sports/football/schedule/season/2025-26) for the first time in the 2025 season, there will be a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth as fans complain about Coach Kirk Ferentz and the direction of the program. A lot of armchair quarterbacks will proclaim that they could have coached the team better than Coach KF did last night - I actually read that comment on Facebook after the game. Coach Kirk Ferentz has been the coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes for as long as my son Alex has been alive as Coach Kirk Ferentz took over the program in 1998 and that's the year Alex was born which means that the 2026 season will be the 26th season for Coach Kirk Ferentz. 

As far as whether Coach Kirk Ferentz should retire - he is 70 years old as I write this - I am going to say, "Yes, he should retire" but not because of yesterday's loss or anything to do with his coaching record.

I think Coach Kirk Ferentz should retire because life doesn't have a known expiration date and I want Coach Kirk Ferentz to be able to sit down on a Saturday afternoon in his home and watch a NCAA football game on TV, perhaps with a cold beer or some other beverage in his hand. I think Coach Kirk Ferentz should enjoy life before he is pushed up against his mortality.

And I'm typically the person that openly says I want to work until I turn 66 in December of 2035 and still work until Friday, March 28, 2036, just so I can reach 20 years in my current role as a Senior Technical Writer. I say that because I'm not the person that typically thinks about the calm after a career that I am encouraging Coach Kirk Ferentz to enjoy.

I wrote all of this post without watching any of the video embedded below.

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https://youtu.be/ X3RwTLCavJQ - Rapid Reaction: Iowa collapses in 2nd half in Music City Bowl

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9497 Days Ago

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9497 days ago, my life was enhanced by the birth of my son. I love my son unconditionally. It feels strange that I won't actually see him today as he lives in Des Moines and I don't.

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Girl Dad vs Boy Dad

I sincerely agree with this video. I definitely remember doing things like this with Megan and Alex when I could pick them up.

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https://cldflus1.ifunny.co/videos/c04c044192726f126cb1c338867ffe3a07adf7a307c39470a125af6c83d18f27_1.mp4 - Girl Dad vs Boy Dad

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FALLING IN REVERSE LIVE IN NYC AT MSG ON 6-23-2023

Now that the Iowa Casino Tour 2023 is over, I can shift my attention to the following concert happening on Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Cedar Rapids that I am attending with Alex & Hannah:

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This is the schedule: 

General Doors: 5:30 p.m.
Showtime: 6:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m. - Catch Your Breath
7:15 p.m. - Underoath
8:05 p.m. - Ice Nine Kills
9:25 p.m. - Falling in Reverse

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https://youtu.be/ lxGh4BZ81yY - FALLING IN REVERSE LIVE IN NYC AT MSG ON 6.23.23

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Prepping for Falling in Reverse 2023-07-08

Falling in Reverse is headlining the concert I will be attending with Alex and Hannah on Saturday, July 8, 2023, a short 19 days (2 weeks, 5 days) away. I admit that I am not overly excited about this concert. I am hoping that Ice 9 Kills, who will be opening for Five Finger Death Punch, who will be opening for Metallica on Sunday, November 5, 2023 - a short 139 days (4 months, 2 weeks, 3 days) away - play a good show.

I know I've heard Underoath in the past. This is their latest tune:

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https://youtu.be/ h5AeyR-2YL8 - Underoath - Let Go

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I didn't know a single tidbit of info about Catch Your Breath so I turned to the Internet:

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Description
Welcome to our YouTube Channel! We post our music here, reaction videos and more!

visit our website https://catchyourbreathband.com/ for more

"Outta Austin, TX, Catch Your Breath has the vibe of a hardcore version of Bring Me the Horizon. With “Criminal” the band showcases why they might be the next to shoot up the festival admat and explode across genres with synth vibes, hardcore vocals topped with ear worm clean choruses to make the audience swoon, and finely designed riffs climaxing at the right times making this a can’t miss track, and band." - KNOTFEST.COM

Their debut single "Frontline" touches on a very personal issue - domestic violence and abuse. They want their music to have a real impact, so they are donating all of the proceeds from the song to the Joyful Heart Foundation.

Support the band, grab limited edition Merch: https://shop.catchyourbreathband.com/
Biography
A fresh, burgeoning alt-rock band based out of Austin, Texas. Comprised of vocalist Josh, guitarist Teddy, bassist Cianan, and drummer Onell, Catch Your Breath injects a unique mix of synth soundscaping elements, imaginative production, and refined songwriting for an intense amount of emotion. The secret ingredient of their music is their relatable core. Says Teddy of the sound, "We want to mix it up with a new gen of alt-rock and metal... there's almost never just our instruments playing by themselves". With their latest single “Dial Tone” debuting on Sirius XM Octane radio, exponential Pandora growth,  and coverage by Knotfest.com, audiences will instantly connect with the music no matter where they come from.

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So here's the aforementioned tune "Dial Tone" to check out.

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https://youtu.be/ 4ATJkdBQL6k - Catch Your Breath - Dial Tone

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https://youtu.be/ m6dyjs6fKAY - Falling In Reverse Live - COMPLETE SHOW - Columbus, OH, USA (May 27th, 2023) SONIC TEMPLE

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Flashback to 2012-05-17

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The Mandalorian 3rd Season Continues

This was initially a simple post, with only the video below embedded in it. This is a screenshot of Version 1.0 of this post: ------------------->

You can consider there to now be a Version 2.0 of this post.

Why? Why would I take a simple post and turn it into a post with a lot more words?

Blame math. 

I can hear your groan. Math helped me to figure out that this post represents the 130th post in the month of March, which is the sum of my posts in January (64) & February (66). I doubt that the sum of my posts on April 30, 2023, will be the sum of my posts in January (64), February (66), and March (130), which would be 260 as that would mean an average of 13 posts a day! For that calculation, I used the four full weeks of April to equal 20 days.

At this moment in time, I don't post to this blog on the weekend, which is something fairly recent. When I was trying to free up room on my cell phone at the beginning of March, I uninstalled the Blogger app from my cell phone. Side note, it was the Dropbox app that was taking up most of my storage room on my cell phone. I haven't reinstalled the Blogger app and don't plan to do so at this time. I'm open to doing so, especially when I might want to post while at a concert. 

I think my next concert may not be until Saturday, April 29 in Des Moines with Alex. While we don't have tickets yet, I want to go see Every Avenue / Makeout / Unwell at Lefty's with him. I had such a good time at their show at Gabes in Iowa City at the beginning of March. It would be the first time when I could say that the last two concerts I saw were of the same bands on the same tour in different cities.

I am a geek when it comes to Star Wars. I credit videos like the one below for training my eyes to watch the screen actively and to be looking for Easter eggs and references to other aspects of the franchise. Some of the ideas in the video below were ones that I actually saw during my initial viewing of the episode while other ideas were new. For example, in the New Republic bar, there's a character who is making his live action debut after being included in one of the animated series that I don't watch. I might have seen a picture of the character before but I didn't know his name - it's the alien in the video preview below, on the right side, and no, I didn't plan that. I just want to make the point that videos like the one below enhance my own Star Wars experience. I dabble in a lot of subject matter areas (SMAs) - pro wrestling, Metallica, drums, technical writing, politics - and rely on videos like the one below to enhance my knowledge. I don't consider myself to be a subject matter expert (SME) in any of those areas. 

I just realized I didn't mention the phone call on Monday night. I was home while Karen was at a hair appointment and our landline phone rang. On the other end was a woman in FL taking a poll about voters in Iowa. As we spoke, it became clear that she was basically calling on behalf of supporting Ron DeSantis, who may be a good candidate for president, but he hasn't declared he is running as of today. I secretly hope that Trump doesn't run because I believe the Dems / Libs are more scared of DeSantis than they are of Trump, but I digress. I want to report that I spoke to this woman for nearly 30 minutes. While I didn't agree with some of her statements, at the end of the conversation, she told me that I had done a really good job. Was she blowing smoke up my butt? Sure, that's certainly possible. For the record, I do like to speak politics - which is why I subscribe to The Daily Wire as well as why I have the "Get Your Political Opinions Here" pages on this blog. I have to be very conscious about who I am speaking politics with as I have seen politics divide families into two camps as well as friends divide into two camps. I love my family and I love my friends, I don't love politics more than my family and my friends, if that makes sense. 

Anyways, here is the video about the Mandalorian:

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https://youtu.be/ dSWa75v9VQ4 - MANDALORIAN 3x05 BREAKDOWN! Every Star Wars Easter Egg You Missed

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BR in ID

Alex and I watched the episode of "Bar Rescue" that was mentioned in this article: Hideaway Bar & Grill of Meridian, ID, is on “Bar Rescue” | Idaho Statesman. Basically, that article is crap. All it does is complain about the show and the premise of the show. Instead, why not actually reach out to the people in the episode and get a follow-up story. That would be an interesting story. Complaining about a series on TV is not worthy of the bytes required.

I Went Golfing on 10-30 with Jason and Zach and Alex

We stopped playing after hole #12, which was a terrible par 5 - I teed off twice and twice, I lost a ball. It was awful. Alex wanted to get back home to Des Moines so we made that be our last hole. I gave myself par+2 for holes 13 - 18.

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Blokus

Alex, Hannah, Karen, and I played a game called Blokus. I need to review what other players use as a strategy to play this gane as I didn't play well. I found this link: Strategy for Blokus

Five Years Out from COA

July 14

Alex and I watched Falling in Reverse, Anthrax, Megadeth, Rob Zombie, and Kiss.

July 15

Alex and I watched Cane Hill, Metal Church, Avatar, Dragonforce, Steel Panther, Seether, Godsmack, and Korn.

July 16

Alex and I watched Ded, Demon Hunter, HellYeah, Amon Amarth, Lamb of God, Stone Sour, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Speaking at the Wedding

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https://youtu.be/7QK1WxYTNU8

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Ditching the Cell Phone

I'm not going to have my cell phone with me when Alex and Hannah get married on June 25, 2022, which is a short 10 days! To wit, I am including the content of this article: 13 small ways to ditch your phone and live more in the moment

1. I removed the apps for Facebook and Instagram from my phone and enabled two-step authentication on my Facebook account. Now I have to access those sites via a web browser, and it's a nuisance. This helps me because before it was too easy to get to the content. Now I think twice if I want to go through the pain of verifying my credentials. — Rob Wittman
2. I unfollowed nearly all non-family Facebook friends. Now I still see family photos and keep in touch with long-distance friends, but spend a small fraction of the time I used to on Facebook. — Mary Biddle
3. When I make a plan for [true] human face-time, my phone isn't invited to join. It stays on silent in my purse. We eat, we walk, we go to the movies — we don't need a third wheel. — Talora Michal
4. I noticed a pattern of friends and family posting things online, and then us not having much to talk about when we would visit each other in person. You'd already seen all their vacation photos, where they were, who they were with, what they ate, right? So I went cold turkey and got rid of all social media platforms entirely. I experienced some serious FOMO at first, but now I don't even notice the difference. It's an opportunity to reach out more personally to family and friends to see what's new in their life, and for them to reach out to me more, too. — Taylor Seale
5. For years I used to wake up in the middle of the night to look at or answer a text or email. I realized my quality of sleep and quality of life were being affected, so now I keep the phone in a completely different room when I go to bed. — Stuart Sutton
6. I'm starting to keep a list of random things that come to mind throughout the day that make me want to run to the computer to find the answers. So rather than running to the computer throughout the day, I save it for one session. — Charlene Gaubis
7. If I want to be untethered, I leave my phone and a note that says where I'm going by the front door. That way, my family is aware I don't have my phone and has an idea where to look if needed. — Linda
8. As I teach my teenage daughters how to drive, I test them on landmarks and street names in our neighborhood. Rather than dangerously reaching for a phone to search for directions, hopefully, they will instinctively know how to get around phone-free. If they take a wrong turn on the way to the mall, it may add 10 minutes to their drive, but they will learn not to take that route the next time. — Greta Bailey
9. I keep envelopes addressed to my favorite friends ready to go. That way I can send some letters to brighten mailboxes for no reason whatsoever. — Stafford Wood
10. I keep a small stack of 3-by-5-inch notecards on my desk with a pen, pencil and a little wooden carrying tray. Any thought, no matter how wild or rational, is written down. Any emotion, whether good or bad, is written down. It helps keep me focused and engaged with the writing medium, and if I need to draw something or sketch, it's right there! This helps me keep tabs on my feelings without being fully distracted from whatever I was doing. — Nathan Venturini
11. My husband and I are trying to decrease phone and internet use. One strategy we're using is to wear watches. (He wears his grandfather's and I wear my mother's). We were always tapping our phones to check the time, and then it was insanely common to find ourselves on an unintended trip down a rabbit hole. — Charlene Gaubis
12. Build activities you enjoy with analog technology. I have hundreds of vinyl records I still play in the background. I love cooking every day while listening to NPR's All Things Considered on my old analog radio. Jokingly, I tell my wife, "I need to start cooking with Michel Martin or Maria Hinojosa." — Sergio E. Serrano
13. Find a service plan that only offers talk and text. When I'm out running errands or spending time with friends, I have no other option than to stay engaged with my surroundings. Don't get me wrong, I got the plan without internet service because it's WAY lower cost (another side benefit), but I really do feel a modicum of relief when I'm out somewhere that I'm not able to connect to Wi-Fi because it allows me to focus on what I'm doing and giving the people I'm with my full attention. — Taylor Parnell

Alex's BP in KC

Remember that Time When

I was hopeful about the 2021-2022 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team a year ago, on Wednesday, June 2, 2021. By now, the season has been over for about 2 months and attention is being directed to the 2022-2023 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team. However, before moving forward, here's a look back at what I thought a year ago: Way Too Early Optimistic Thoughts about the 2021-2022 Iowa Men's Basketball Team.

Also, question for Future Me - did I arrive at HSSB at 5 AM today and walk my up/around³ routine before beginning my Disaster Recovery and/or Knowledge Management work? Provide an answer below, please:
Yes, I did

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1. Was the 2021-2022 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team season a success or frustration? It was a season of highs and lows. The team was riding a wave. First, there was the frustrating loss at IL to end the season (a game that was within their grasp at the end of the game), followed by a series of successes. The team found a way to win 4 games in 4 days on the road to the Big 10 Championship!! Then, the team went into their first round game in the NCAA Tournament against Richmond. Iowa had a chance to win that game but, in they end, they lost and the team that I had picked to win the NCAA Championship was knocked out of the tournament - a true bracket burster! After the game, there was such compelling sadness & disappointment on the faces of Connor McCaffery & Jordan Bohannon at the post-game press conference - truly, their faces are burned in my mind and I don't think it is likely to be an image I will ever forget. Connor declared that it was the worst game they had played that season and barely could get his words out. Because of C-19 and being granted an extra year of eligibility, Connor has the option to return for the 2022-2023 season, despite going through Senior Night festivities on February 28, 2022. Doing so is why JoBo was sitting next to him. However, when he was asked about returning, it didn't sound like he would return.
   
2. Did I attend Carver-Hawkeye Arena games with either Fred (of Fred and Julie) or Brian Rock or Alex? Did I find a way to attend multiple games with all 3 of them? Did I attend any games with Jason Lest? I attended two games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, one with "just" Brunch and one with  Brunch and Wubs.
   
3. Did I begin 6/2/2022 with my up/around³ routine before beginning my Disaster Recovery and/or Knowledge Management work? Yes, I did.
   
4. It is now 23 days (3 weeks, 2 days) until Alex and Hannah's June 25, 2022, wedding - who's ready to PARTY!! I am ready. I want to say, for the record, I believe the day will be totally awesome and exceed every expectation I could conceive in my head about their wedding day.
   

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Ds 4 Sale ... and None are Going into 830 Studios

Here's a reality check. I am not playing drums in my Ideal Band. The latest prospect I had for an Ideal Band is a group that rehearses on Saturdays. With Alex & Hannah's wedding coming up in 80 days (2 months, 2 weeks, 5 days)^*, I am not going to take on playing drums in a band. I don't want to allow myself the opportunity to lose focus. Yet, I continue to torture myself when I look at Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist > Musical Instruments for Sale. It never fails to reveal drums for sale that I will never buy. I need to be actively playing in an Ideal Band, with paying gigs, before I can justify to myself any new-to-me electronic set. That's why when I see electronic sets (the $50 bass drums ad is collateral damage because of how the search results in Facebook Marketplace where sorted), ranging from

1. $499 for the Yamaha
2. $700 for the Roland
3. $750 for the Alesis
4. $1400 for another Roland
5. $2500 for another Roland

I smirk as I know I am not buying any of them.

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What's interesting is that the $2500 price is only $.01 more than what I would pay at Guitar Center.

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^* I say this because I want to be focused on Alex's wedding and fear that any Ideal Band that comes to light in the next 80 days would only serve as a distraction. I realize that is one of my (many) character flaws in that I like shiny objects.