Results of the 5th District Poll

Well, there goes another poll marked down in Otter Limits history.

There were a total of 29 votes this week. A far cry from the 200+ from last week's poll. I am a little disappointed in the response but I guess not many people care about their Congressmen.

Anyway, on the bright side, Rick Flanigan blew everyone away, winning 55% of the vote.

Rick got 16 votes. Mike Thompson and Johnny Roy tied for 2nd with 4 votes a piece. James Lankford got 3 votes and Kevin Calvey and Other each got 1 vote (although I don't know who the "other" vote was for).

Not really sure what this week's poll will be. I will probably come up with something.

Sunday Night Shuffle

1. Chump - Green Day (from the album Dookie)
2. Creeping Death - Metallica (from the album Ride the Lightning)
3. Dear Love - Social Distortion (from the album White Light, White Heat, White Trash)
4. Los Angeles - Frank Black (from the album Frank Black)
5. Hotplace - All (from Percolator)
6. All I Want - The Offspring (from Ixnay on the Hombre)
7. Friends Like Mine - The Donnas (from Gold Medal)
8. Shut Up - Same Day Service (from If You're Lucky)
9. All on Black - Alkaline Trio (from Good Mourning)
10. Captain Kelly's Kitchen - Dropkick Murphys (from Live on Landsdowne)
11. Eyes Open - Trenches (from The Tide Will Swallow Us Whole)
12. Love - Day of Fire (Cut and Move)
13. Waitress - Live (from Throwing Copper)
14. The City is Different - Fall City Shakedown (from demos)
15. eBay - Weird Al Yankovic (from Poodle Hat)

Restrict Independent Grassroots Political Committees? What the heck does that mean?

According to On The Issues there are organizations that raise money independently of any candidate's campaign committee to either support or oppose a particular candidate. Or to either support or oppose a particular issue.

These organizations are called '527 organizations.'

An example of a 527 is MoveOn.org.

If a candidate supports restrictions on these committees their funding would be restricted and would have to be funded by candidate committees and party committees.

To me, this sounds like the two-party system trying to consolidate more power for themselves.

Personally, I do NOT support restricting any independent organization, even if I do not agree with that organization's politics. That is the WHOLE purpose of free speech!

For instance, I don't agree with the politics of MoveOn.org but I am certainly not in support of the government coming down and trying to tell them that they are only allowed to raise x amount of dollars. That is complete bull shit!

Those in support of restrictions state that the primary purpose of a 527 is to influence the election or the defeat of a federal candidate. Well, no shit!!!!

I would not necessarily say that this particular issue is a "litmus test" issue for me to sway me on a candidate one way or another but it is damn close.

To me, a politician that says he supports restrictions on funding of independent organizations is a politician that is telling me that he does not support any independent political organization.

Even though I am conservative by nature and consider myself a Republican, I still do not completely trust the two party system and I certainly do not trust one of the two parties trying to consolidate more power for themselves by restricting independent organizations to do what they do best: get the word out to the common people about what is going on in the country.

Tom Cole On the Issues

Tom Cole represents Oklahoma's 4th Congressional District, which is comprised of south Central Oklahoma County (Midwest City, Moore, Norman, Lawton, Ardmore, etc.). This is currently my district.

Abortion

Pro-life

Civil Rights

Opposed to same-sex marraige.
Supports Constitutioinal Amendment to ban flag desecration.

Corporations

Opposed to letting shareholders vote on executive compensation.

Energy and Oil

Opposed to tax credits for renewable energy.
Supports building new oil refineries.

The Economy

Like Frank Lucas, voted NO on the Sept 2008 stimulus package but voted YES on the July 2009 stimulus package.
Opposed to the auto industry bailout.
Opposed to the July 2009 Cash for Clunkers program.

Foreign Policy

Supports restricting U.S. funding of the United Nations.

Government Reform

Supports Congressional pay raises.
Supports requiring photo ID for federal elections.
Supports restrictions on grassroots political committees.

Gun Control

Pro-gun rights.

Frank Lucas On the Issues

Frank Lucas is Oklahoma's Congressman from the 3rd District, which is the largest congressional district in our state. It covers nearly all of western Oklahoma and quite a bit of northern Oklahoma as well.

Abortion

Pro-life

The Economy

Opposed the original stimulus package from Sept 2008 but for some reason supported and voted for the additional stimulus spending of July 2009.
Opposed to the auto industry bailouts.

Civil Rights

Opposes same-sex marriage.
Supports Constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration.

Corporations

Opposes letting shareholders vote on executive compensation.

Education

Supports vouchers for private and parochial schools.

Energy and Oil

Opposes tax credits for renewable energy.
Supports construction of new oil refineries.

Foreign Policy

Supports restricting U.S. funding of the United Nations.

Government Reform

Opposed to Congressional pay raises.
Supports requiring photo ID for federal elections.

Gun Control

Pro-gun rights.

Immigration

Supports making English the official language of the United States.

Tax Reform

Supports the elimination of the death tax.

15 issues. I disagree with 5 of them.

Friday Night Shuffle

1. Do You Want to Know a Secret? - The Beatles (from the album The Early Beatles)
2. The Last Goodbye - Haste the Day (from the album Burning Bridges)
3. To Hell With the Devil - Stryper (from the album To Hell With the Devil)
4. Bail - All (from Breaking Things)
5. Fiction Kingdom - Demon Hunter (from Storm the Gates of Hell)
6. Million Days - Dag Nasty (from Four on the Floor)
7. Driving Nowhere - Helmet (from Aftertaste)
8. Come Back Down - Lifehouse (from Lifehouse)
9. Reach for the Sky - Living Sacrifice (from Conceived in Fire)

Dan Boren on the Issues

Dan is the Oklahoma Congressman from the 2nd Congressional District, which is essentially all of Eastern Oklahoma.

Economy

Supported the auto industry bailout.
Supported the stimulus bill of 2009.

Civil Rights

Opposes same-sex marriage.

Corporations

Opposes allowing shareholders to vote on executive compensation.

Energy and Oil

Supports tax credits for renewable energy sources.

Foreign Policy

Opposes restricting U.S. funding to the United Nations.

Government Reform

Supported Congressional pay raise in June 2009.
Opposes requiring photo ID for federal elections.
Supports restrictions on grassroots political committees.

Gun Control

Pro-gun rights.

Health Care

Voted AGAINST the Obama-Care bill.

Social Security

Opposes privatizing social security plan.


Of these 12 items, I AGREE with him on 5 of them.

John Sullivan On the Issues

John Sullivan is Oklahoma's Congressman from the 1st District (generally the Broken Arrow area).

Abortion

Pro-life.

Economy

Opposed the auto industry bailout.
Opposed the stimulus bill of 2009.

Civil Rights

Opposes same-sex marriage.
Support Constitutional ban on flag desecration.

Corporations

Opposes allowing shareholders to vote on executive compensation.

Education

Appears (to me) to not be a big fan of public education.

Energy and Oil

Opposes tax credits for renewable energy sources.
Supports building new oil refineries.

Government Reform

Supports requiring photo ID for federal elections.
Supports restrictions on grassroots political committees.

Gun Control

Pro-gun rights.

Immigration

Supports making English the official language of the United States.


Of these 13 items, I disagree with him on 5 of them.

Currently Reading: Countries of the World: Ireland

TITLE: Countries of the World: Ireland

AUTHORS: Anna and Colm McQuinn

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2008

PUBLISHER: Natioinal Geographic

Not a very long book of course. It was only 64 pages long but I think that is because it was originally written for middle school students.

Decent enough read though. Interesting little book of facts and what not.

I went to the library with my kids today and I had originally planned on trying to find a book about Daniel O'Connell (the Liberator of Ireland) but come to find out the Irish history section at the Midwest City branch of the Metropolitan library is kind of....well....pitiful. In fact, in the European history section of the library there were 4 books related to Irish history. Four!! This one. Another really short, similar book (which I also borrowed) titled Ireland: A Portrait of the Country Through Its Festivals and Traditions, another short book related specifically to the Irish Potato Famine, and a larger, more thorough general history of Ireland which I think I have already read before.

In any case, this book is a decent 10-15 minute read if you want a sort of Irish history in 15 minutes or less style lesson.

I guess my search for a book about O'Connell will have to continue elsewhere.

A Pro-Life Holiday?

Wow. You learn something new every day.

Apparently, today, March 25, is a holiday, although it is not celebrated in our country.

It is the Day of the Unborn Child. Who would have thought? A Pro-Life holiday. Cool!

According to Wiki, it is celebrated in Argentina, Austria, Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Slovakia, Uruguay, Peru, Spain, and the Dominican Republic.

The holiday, according to an article at LifeSiteNews, originated in El Salvador to gain attention for the right of human life. It also originally was intended to coincide with the Christian observance of the Annunciation, which is the day traditionally associated with the announcement to Mary that she would bear the Son of God.

NBA Standings (March 25)

Hardly any changes at all from the last update but I'll do them anyway.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic
Boston
Toronto
New York
Philadelphia
New Jersey

Central
Cleveland
Milwaukee
Chicago
Indiana
Detroit

Southeast
Orlando
Atlanta
Charlotte
Miami
Washinton

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest
Denver
Utah
Oklahoma City
Portland
Minnesota

Pacific
LA Lakers
Phoenix
LA Clippers
Sacramento
Golden State

Southwest
Dallas
San Antonio
Memphis
Houston
New Orleans

STATS LEADERS

Points Per Game

LeBron James (Cavaliers) - 29.8
Kevin Durant (Thunder) - 29.7
Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets) - 29.0

Assists Per Game
Steve Nash (Suns) - 11.1
Chris Paul (Hornets) - 10.9
Deron Williams (Jazz) - 10.4

Rebounds Per Game
Dwight Howard (Magic) - 13.3
David Lee (Knicks) - 11.9
Zach Randolph (Memphis) - 11.8


ESPN.com Power Rankings
Orlando Magic
Cleveland Cavaliers
Utah Jazz
LA Lakers
San Antonio Spurs
Phoenix Suns
Denver Nuggets
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Portland Trailblazers
Oklahoma City Thunder

Thursday Night Shuffle

1. Take It or Leave It - Dropkick Murphys (from the album Singles Collection)
2. Screams - The Staggers (from The Sights, The Sounds, The Fear and the Pain)
3. Catholic Knees - Taking Back Sunday (from New Again)
4. Porcelain - Haste the Day (from Dreamer)
5. Peace of Mind - Stryper (from Murder By Pride)
6. Prison Bound - Social Distortion (from Prison Bound)
7. Paddy's Lament - Flogging Molly (from Live at the Greek Theater)
8. Minority - Green Day (from Warning)
9. In a Win, Win Situation - Emery (from The Question)
10. Thorns - Demon Hunter (from Storm the Gates of Hell)
11. Talking - Descendents (from Cool To Be You)
12. Bloodstains - Agent Orange (from Living in Darkness)
13. I'm Happy Just to Dance With You - The Beatles (from Something New)
14. Check One - All (from Allroy's Revenge)

Speaking of Emery.....

According to Emery's label, Tooth and Nail, the band will release a triple pack titled 'Are You Listening?' on April 6.

It will contain the albums 'The Weak's End,' 'The Question,' and 'I'm Only a Man.'

You can pre-order the album now at Amazon for only $19!

If you do not own any of this band's material, I highly suggest you purchase this triple pack and get familiar with them.

2 Days Left in Poll

Dang!

With only 2 days left in this week's poll, Rick Flanigan is beating the pants off of everyone else.

So far, 23 people have voted and he has received 16 of those votes. Thompson has 3, Lankford 2, Calvey 1, and Other 1. Johnny Roy has gotten 0 votes.

Get in here and vote folks! Only 2 days left!!

Quote of the Day

"There is a friendship between science and faith, and men of science can follow, through their vocation of the study of nature, a fascinating journey of holiness......Everything that is rational, is compatible with scripture."

- - Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Apologizes for Sexual Misconduct

Saturday a letter, written by Pope Benedict XVI, was sent to Irish Catholics apologizing for the sexual misconduct of the Catholic clergy that occurred in their country.

However, it seems not all Catholics in Ireland are satisfied with the letter.

While some of them are calling it the first step toward closure in the matter, others are saying that it did not go far enough. One of the victims actually even went so far as to ask for the Pope to resign.

Personally, I think it is a good thing that the Pope did recognize and apologize for these atrocities committed by the Church's priests and bishops. However, I think that since these members of the clergy did commit criminal acts, they should not be allowed to escape prosecution by civil authorities. And I certainly do not think that the Pope should resign.

On the matter of the priests themselves, even though I think they should be prosecuted for what they did, we need to keep in mind that Catholic or not, people of the clergy are not God. They are not Jesus. They are men. They make mistakes. They sin just like the rest of us do. Just because they have chosen to spend the rest of their lives in the service of Christ, does not mean they are perfect. This by no means, of course, means I am condoning their actions. I guess what I am just trying to say is that nobody, even the Pope, is perfect.

Mid-Week Shuffle

1. One Life to Live - Haste the Day (from the album Burning Bridges)
2. Cadence to Arms - Dropkick Murphys (from Do or Die)
3. Side Stage Syndrome - Stavesacre (from Against the Silence)
4. You Got the Look - Prince (from Sign O the Times)
5. Stupid Girl - Garbage (from Garbage)
6. Crab - Weezer (from Weezer)
7. From Crib to Coffin - Emery (from I'm Only a Man)
8. The Last Remaining Light - Audioslave (from Audioslave)
9. Hey Jennifer - Otisburg (from Born Yesterday)
10. Bobby No Morals - Same Day Service (from Endless Adolesence)
11. I'm the One - All (from Sucks Demos)

Health Care Reform Re-Revisited

Since health care has been such a hot topic the past couple of days, I thought I would invite my newer readers (and my older readers if you wish) to look back into some articles that I have posted on the topic in the past.

Enjoy!

Health Care Part One: The Single-Payer System

Is the System Really Broken?

More Thoughts on Health Care Reform

The Uninsured

Yet Even More Thoughts on Health Care Reform

Kill the Health Care Reform Bill

We Interrupt This Broadcast

I Have the Solution!

What the Heck is the Patients Choice Act?

The Dreaded Health Care Reform Bill

Health Care Bias?

5th District Poll Update: Tuesday Evening

Not as big a response on this one so far. I guess the 5th Congressional District is not as exciting or high-profile as the race for governor.

As of the publishing of this post, 11 people have voted for this poll.

Rick Flanigan has 4 votes and is the leader of the pack by 1 vote. Mike Thompson has 3. James Lankford has 2. Kevin Calvey has 1.

Also receiving 1 vote is Other, however, because the person that voted Other did not bother to leave a comment on the original post, I have no idea who that Other might be.

Just to remind you folks voting on these polls, if you choose "Other" as a choice, PLEASE leave a comment on the ORIGINAL post stating who your choice for Other is. You can leave the comment anonymously if you choose. Just let me know who you are voting for.

Thanks and keep those votes coming!

Tuesday Afternoon Shuffle

Okay, I guess it's not really the afternoon. It's more like 530 in the evening. But it sure feels like the afternoon for some reason.

1. Waiting - Green Day (from the album Warning)
2. I Will Follow - U2 (from the album October Deluxe Edition)
3. To Weep At the Dying of a Thing Never Born - Fall City Shakedown (from Birds + Leaves)
4. This Means War! - Petra (from This Means War!)
5. Saturday Night - Eve 6 (from Eve 6)
6. Walk On - U2 (from All That You Can't Leave Behind)
7. One of My Lies - Green Day (from Kerplunk!)
8. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival (from Willy and the Poor Boys)
9. Fortunate Son - Dropkick Murphys (from Live on St. Patricks Day) very strange that these 2 songs came up randomly on my iPod shuffle right next to each other.

Brogdon's Opt-Out Bill passes State Senate

By a vote of 36-11, the Senate passed a measure to amend the state Constitution that, if passed by the voters, would prohibit any law that would REQUIRE a person to obtain health care insurance.

Actually, the law, if passed, would do much more than that but I feel this is the most important stipulation in my opinion.

Brogdon, who is running for governor of Oklahoma has stated that the ObamaCare bill is unconstitutional and vows to

"do everything I can to stand between the people and a tyrannical federal government."

End Term Limits? What. What. What?!?!?

Here is something interesting:

According to the U.S. Term Limits website, Oklahoma State Senator Mary Easley wants to end term limits in Oklahoma.

She has introduced legislation that proposes the repeal of term limits set for Oklahoma State Representatives.

Senator Easley represents District 18 the counties of Mayes, Tulsa and Wagoner.

On the bright side however, Senator Easley is about to be term limited herself.

Thank God for term limits!

Dan Votes No!

I would like to take this time to applaud Representative Dan Boren for having some common sense and the guts to stand up to the Democratic leadership by voting NO on the health care legislation.

I have new found respect for the man and (at this point in time) can truly say I am proud to have him as a Representative of our state.

In an interview with newscaster Terry Hood he stated that "...overwhelmingly there are some real problems with the legislation. My constituents [that would be us, the citizens of Oklahoma] were very opposed to it.....only 17% of my constituents supported the bill....also the cost. We are in the middle of a recession right now. We simply can't afford a brand new entitlement program."

Yes, you read that correctly. Mr. Boren actually REPRESENTED the PEOPLE of Oklahoma in yesterday's vote.

Not only that but here, an elected official, actually stated that we are indeed STILL in a recession and that the economy has not completely recovered (as some state it has). And to say we can't afford another entitlement program is very bold and brave.

Bravo Dan. Again I applaud you.

Monday Night Shuffle

1. Alive - Pearl Jam (from the album Ten)
2. Korobeiniki - Ozma (from the album Doubble Donkey Disc)
3. 4th of July - U2 (from the album The Unforgettable Fire)
4. When I Move - Dag Nasty (from Wig Out at Denkos)
5. Scream - The Misfits (from Famous Monsters)
6. Crackerman - Stone Temple Pilots (from Core)
7. Eyes of a Stranger - Queensryche (from Operation Mindcrime)
8. Every Dog Has Its Day - Flogging Molly (from Live at the Greek Theater)
9. Your Name is Tattooed on My Heart - Screeching Weasel (from Bark Like a Dog)

The Shame of the Nation

Last night Congress showed us once again that they have no common sense in trying to overhaul the health care system by putting a tourniquet on a bug bite.

They did nothing to address the cost issues in our nation's health care system. They did nothing to address tort reform. They did nothing to foster true competition among health insurance carriers.

All it really did is raise taxes on the American people and limits their freedom by placing unnecessary requirements on us all.

But I think we can still fix it.

First, the state legislature could adopt nullification legislation to make the citizens of Oklahoma unaffected by the recently passed legislation.

But secondly, and I think more importantly, we can fire all of the Senators and Congressmen (and women) that voted for that piece of trash bill and elect people that still care that this country was built on the Constitution and will not allow its elected officials to trample on it.

Mark my words today. The American people are going to do some house cleaning come November. Mark my words.

Washington Attorney General Challenges Health Care Bill

According to the Seattle Post Intelligencer, Washington state Attorney General, Rob McKenna is going to challenge the constitutionality of the newly-passed health care bill.

McKenna was quoted as saying that the bill:

"...unconstitutionally imposes new requirements on our state and on its citizens."

I am sure that the requirements he is mentioning is referring to the part of the bill that REQUIRES every American citizen to obtain health care insurance.

According to McKenna the requirement for us to buy health insurance violates the commerce clause and the 10th Amendment to the Constitution that deals with the sovereignty of the states.

Where in the hell does the federal government get off telling US that we HAVE to buy health insurance?

Apparently, also according to the article, Washington state governor Christine Gregoire is not particularly happy with the state's Attorney General and plans to oppose his efforts. It sure is a good thing that Gregoire has absolute no power to oppose what the attorney general does. Governor Gregoire basically can do two things. Jack and shit.

Attorney generals in other states have announced that they will file lawsuits on behalf of their citizens as well. These state include: Alabama, Florida, South Carolina (big surprise there), Nebraska, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.

Okay folks, why isn't Oklahoma on this list? Two words. Drew Edmondson.

Here is a link to the newspaper article.

Congressional Interviews Coming Soon

Just to let you know that I have requested interviews with all of the candidates for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District (well, all of the ones that I know about anyway) and will be posting them once they are complete.

I will also, post the names of any candidates that refused to do one.

So far, I have not had any responses to my requests but I just sent out the requests last night so that does not really surprise me much.

Stay tuned!

Sunday Night Shuffle

1. War With Myself - Acappella (from the album Heaven and Earth)
2. Fun Tonight - The Riverdales (from the album The Riverdales)
3. Life on the Road - All (from Mass Nerder)
4. Peace Sells - Megadeth (from Peace Sells But Who's Buying)
5. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson (from All I Ever Wanted)...Shut up!!!
6. Lineoleum - NOFX (from Punk in Drublic)
7. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight - U2 (from No Line on the Horizon)
8. Country Death Song - Violent Femmes (from Hallowed Ground)
9. One More Day - Descendents (from Cool To Be You)
10. 3rd Man In - Dropkick Murphys (from Do or Die)
11. Death Machine - Living Sacrifice (from Death Machine)

March For Babies

On May 8, I will be participating in a walk to support the March of Dimes.

If you aren't 100% sure what that is, the March of Dimes supports research and training for children born with birth defects, or children born premature.

The goal of March of Dimes is to "improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature births, and infant mortality."

In any case, the reason I am posting this here is because I have a web site set up so that people can donate to the cause.

Here is the link to my donation page. I have set a personal goal of $100 so if you have the means please donate.

I'm going to figure out how to put a widget in my sidebar to link to that site as well.

My Vote for Governor

Who do I support for governor of Oklahoma?

I have not said much about this on my blog. In fact, I don't think I have mentioned any one's name on my blog in the positive or negative up until now (I could be wrong but I don't think I have). I take that back. I might have said something in regards to the fact that I did not like Jari Askins as a choice.

In fact, on last week's poll regarding this exact question, I did not even vote at all.

In any case, I have thought about this over the past few days, looked at all of the options and have come to a decision on who I will support for Governor of Oklahoma in 2010.

My support goes to...................................

If you don't know much about him you can view his website here.

It's not that I don't like Mary Fallin. In fact, if she does get the Republican nomination I will probably end up voting for her. However, for now, I am going to support Randy in his bid for the Republican nomination.

Go Randy!

BNN Rankings

Here is a list of the Oklahoma BNN rankings for the week of March 21, 2010. Well, the Top 6 anyway.

1. The Otter Limits
2. The McCarville Report
3. Peace Arena
4. zTruth
5. Irritated Tulsan
6. Oklahoma Lefty

New Poll: 5th District Congressman

This week's question is:

Who should be the next Congressman from Oklahoma's 5th District?

Mike Thompson

Kevin Calvey

Johnny Roy

James Lankford

Rick Flanigan

and the obligatory Other

Again, not who do you think is going to win, just who would you like to see win?

Have fun voting and may the best man win!

Saturday Night Shuffle

1. Take Back - Green Day (from the album Nimrod)
2. Whoa - Paramore (from the album All We Know Is Falling)
3. The Warriors Code - Dropkick Murphys (from the album The Warriors Code)
4. All Because of You - U2 (from the album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
5. Alexithymia - Anberlin (from the album Cities)
6. Amazing Grace - Dropkick Murphys (from the album Live on St. Patricks Day)
7. Acknowledge - Screeching Weasel (from the album Emo)
8. Oblivion - The Staggers (from the album The Sights, the Sounds, the Fear and the Pain)
9. Broadcast Emotion - Helmet (from the album Aftertaste)
10. Selling the Drama - Live (from the album Throwing Copper)
11. Pure Imagination - Smoking Popes (from the album Destination Failure

Results of the Governor Poll

This one got quite a response. 245 votes total.

The winner of this one was Randy Brogdon.

Brogdon received 60% of the vote, destroying Mary Fallin, who only received 27% of the vote.

Jari Askins received only 10% of the vote and Drew Edmondson received 1%.

The next poll will be similar in nature. That is, it will be politically-based. Stay tuned and thanks for all that voted!

Friday Night Shuffle

1. When I Get Old - Descendents (from the album Everything Sucks)
2. Running to Stand Still - U2 (from the album The Joshua Tree)
3. Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd (from the album Wish You Were Here)
4. Caveman Jam - Project 86 (from the album Rival Factions)
5. Charles in Charge - Relient K (from the album Relient K)
6. Iris - Live (from the album Throwing Copper)
7. Can't Stop the Killer - Emery (from the album I'm Only A Man)
8. Telling Them - Social Distortion (from the album Mommys Little Monster)
9. Texarkana - R.E.M. (from the album Out of Time)
10. Like a Stone - Audioslave (from the album Audioslave)
11. Hammerhead - The Offspring (from the album Rise and Fall Rage and Grace)

Weekly Poll Update

Just a reminder, there is only 1 day left in the 'Who is Your Choice for Governor' poll here on Otter Limits.

The response to this poll has been phenomenal. So far it still looks like Randy Brogdon is leading the pack by quite a large margin.

This blog has even been linked from Mary Fallin's Facebook page because of this poll.

So if you have not had a chance to vote in this poll yet, get on it! I will be posting the results sometime this weekend.

iTunes Essentials: Dropkick Murphys

If any of you frequent iTunes the way I do, you might come across something ever so often when searching for albums by a specific band.

It is called iTunes Essentials. Bascially what iTunes does (I am assuming here of course) is they pick the songs that are the most popular (as determined by the most downloaded songs or something to that effect) and put them together on their own little "album" so to speak.

Here is the iTunes Essentials for Dropkick Murphys:

1. Cadence to Arms (from the album Do or Die)
2. I'm Shipping Up to Boston (from The Warriors Code)
3. Tessie (from the Tessie EP)
4. The State of Massachusetts (from The Meanest of Times)
5. Sunshine Highway (from The Warriors Code)
6. Walk Away (from Blackout)
7. Time to Go (from Blackout)
8. Amazing Grace (from The Gangs All Here)
9. The Spicy McHaggis Jig (from Sing Loud Sing Proud)
10. Barroom Hero (from Do or Die)
11. Dirty Water (from Live on St Patricks Day)
12. Dirty Glass (from Blackout)
13. The Gauntlet (from Sing Loud Sing Proud)
14. The Warriors Code (from The Warriors Code)
15. Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced (from Blackout)

Tuesday Night Shuffle

1. Lineoleum - NOFX (from the album Punk in Drublic)
2. Michelle - The Beatles (from the album Rubber Soul)
3. Pull Me Closer, Violent Dancer - Project 86 (from the album Rival Factions)
4. I Am Fred Astaire - Taking Back Sunday (from the album Where You Want To Be)
5. Rotting Out - Descendents (from the album Everything Sucks)
6. Wishing Well - All (from the album Allroy for Prez)
7. Boys on the Docks - Dropkick Murphys (from the album Live on St Patricks Day)
8. Mykel and Carli - Weezer (from the album Weezer Deluxe Edition)
9. 4 Leaf Clover - Stryper (from the album Murder By Pride)
10. What's the Frequency Kennth? - R.E.M. (from the album Monster)
11. Story of My Life - Social Distortion (from the album Social Distortion)

Erin Go Blah!

I was thinking of starting off this post with a disclaimer. Something along the lines of if you are offended easily, don't read this post. But once I started putting it together, I thought, to hell with that! If you are the type that gets offended by these type of things easily, STOP READING!!! Get over yourself!

Ok, enough of that.

In general, I like St. Patricks Day. I like celebrating St. Patricks Day. I like it because of what it represents. It is a celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, who brought Christianity to Ireland.

Although it started out as a Christian holiday, it eventually turned into a secular celebration of Irish culture. Again, I like that too. I don't care that it is no longer a Christian holiday. I am all about celebrating Irish culture. I mean I am Irish. I'm all about getting a chance to celebrate my own culture.

However (dot dot dot)

You want to know what I dislike about St. Patricks Day? If not, too bad. LoL!

I might be alone in this...or perhaps I'm not.....

The thing that pisses me off about St. Patricks Day is the extreme commercialization of it. Things like, going to Wal Mart and seeing racks of tee shirts that say 'Irish For the Day' on them. What the hell? That kind of crap almost offends ME!

And things like bars that have nothing to do with Irish culture coming across as Irish pubs but only on that one night of the year.

Things like green beer. Green beer. Sheesh. And the thing with the green anyway. Well that is a tradition I follow myself so the green thing in general doesn't bother me.

Interesting historical fact though, originally, the color associated with St. Patrick was blue. The reason that people started wearing green (which started in the early 17th century) was because, in case you don't know the story, St. Patrick used a shamrock to explain to the Irish pagans the idea of the Holy Trinity so it started with wearing a green shamrock. In the late 18th century, Irish soldiers started wearing green uniforms and that is how the wearing of green originated.

In short, the whole pretending to be Irish because it's cool to do one day of the year just kind of irritates me.

There, I've said my peace. Anybody with me? Or against me?

Rick for Congress

Just letting it be known that my support for Congress in the 5th District is going to the gentlemen whose name appears on the banner to the left here, Rick Flanigan.

Rick is a small business owner that represents the non-establishment Republicans here in Oklahoma. That is, those Republicans that still believe very firmly in term limits and believe that representing the people of our state is not a life-long career.

I firmly support him because of this. I think he would make a great man to represent Oklahoma in Washington D.C.

Here is a link to his website so you can find out more about him.

He also has a Facebook site that you can look at here.

Sadly, I will not be able to vote for him because I do not live in the 5th District but I will definitely support him and urge those of you that DO live in the 5th District here in Oklahoma to vote for him in July when the primary comes to Oklahoma.

Brogdon on the Issues

Here is a breakdown of the few of the issues and how Gubernatorial candidate Randy Brogdon feels about them:

Education

Believes that federal and state mandates should be eliminated and focus the responsibilty of eduation on the parents and teachers.

Health Care

Wants to propose an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that would prohibit any law to force someone to participate in any health care system.

Immigration

Believes that "Since Congress has shirked the responsibility to protect us from invasion, both foreign and domestic, it is the responsibility of State leaders to do so."

Abortion

Brogdon is 100% pro-life. He authored a bill that requires a doctor to give an ultra-sound prior to performing an abortion.

Gun Rights

Believes in the right of the people to keep and bear arms in order to protect themselves.

Transportation

Believes that taxes that are earmarked for transportation should stay in the transportation department instead of being diverted to the general revenue fund and be used to build and maintain roads and bridges.


If you are interested you can read more about Randy at his official website here.

Personally, I like his stance on the issues but I'm not sure if I am really ready to jump on board the Brogdon bandwagon yet. To be honest, I don't think he stands much of a chance against Mary Fallin...not saying that I fully support her yet either though.

Monday Night Shuffle

1. Don't Wait Up For Me - The Donnas (from the album Bitchin')
2. Is That All? - U2 (from the October Deluxe Edition)
3. Rebel Yell - All (from the album Before You Were Punk)
4. Milquetoast - Helmet (from the album Betty)
5. Servant Ties - Haste the Day (from the album Pressure the Hinges)
6. I Play Dead - Demon Hunter (from the album Summer of Darkness)
7. Amanda - Boston (from the album Third Stage)
8. Spin - LifeHouse (from the album Stanley Climbfall)
9. Inside - Idol Factory (from the single The Kind of Heartache)
10. Don't Forget Me - MxPx (from the album Let's Rock)
11. Fashion Victim - Green Day (from the album Warning)

NBA Standings (March 15)

There were a few changes from last week.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic
Boston
Toronto
New York
Philadelphia
New Jersey

Central
Cleveland
Milwaukee
Chicago
Detroit
Indiana

Southeast
Orlando
Atlanta
Charlotte
Miami
Washinton

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest
Denver
Utah
Oklahoma City
Portland
Minnesota

Pacific
LA Lakers
Phoenix
LA Clippers
Sacramento
Golden State

Southwest
Dallas
San Antonio
Houston
Memphis
New Orleans


STATS LEADERS

Points Per Game
LeBron James (Cavaliers) - 29.9
Kevin Durant (Thunder) - 29.8
Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets) - 28.5

Assists Per Game
Chris Paul (Hornets) - 11.2
Steve Nash (Suns) - 11.2
Deron Williams (Jazz) - 10.3

Rebounds Per Game
Dwight Howard (Magic) - 13.2
Zach Randolph (Memphis) - 11.8
David Lee (Knicks) - 11.7

ESPN.com Power Rankings
Orlando Magic
Cleveland Cavaliers
Utah Jazz
Denver Nuggets
San Antonio Spurs
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Atlanta Hawks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Portland Trailblazers
Boston Celtics

Sunday Afternoon Shuffle

1. Rock N Rule - Emery (from the album I'm Only a Man)
2. 23 - Project 86 (from the album Drawing Black Lines)
3. Let's Hear It For Love - Smoking Popes (from the album Destination Failure)
4. I Fall Down - U2 (from the album October Deluxe Edition)
5. Downtime - Dag Nasty (from the album Four on the Floor)
6. Silly Me - All (from the album Mass Nerder)
7. Bleeding Heart - Acceptance (from the album Black Lines to Battlefields)
8. Invoke Reform - Haste the Day (from the album Dreamer)
9. Miami - Taking Back Sunday (from the album Louder Now)
10. Coffin Builder - Demon Hunter (from the album Summer of Darkness)
11. Coming Clean - Green Day (from the album Dookie)

Back at #1!

BNN Oklahoma has ranked the blog of yours truly #1 in their Weekly Influence rankings this week.

After spending nearly a year at the bottom of the ladder, The Otter Limits has climbed its way back to the top of the rankings again.

Consequently, this blog is actually tied for 1st with Dave's blog. Congrats Lefty!!!

New Poll: Governor in 2010!

This week's poll is political in nature.

The question is: Who is your choice to be our state's next governor?

Is it:

Mary Fallin

Randy Brogdon

Jari Askins

or

Drew Edmondson

or Other

Keep in mind the question is who is your CHOICE, not who do you think will actually win.

Be honest folks. And remember, if you choose Other please leave a comment here.

Happy voting!

Results of Movie Poll

Well folks, it looks like Goodfellas won the poll for what you thought was Martin Scorse's movie.

I am a bit surprised that The Departed only got one vote (which happened to be mine). Then again, the numbers are not a good representation because only 5 people voted.

Goodfellas won with only 2 votes.

The movies tied for 2nd with 1 vote a piece were The Departed, Taxi Driver and Gangs of New York.

Raging Bull and Cape Fear each received 0 votes.

Next poll will be coming very shortly. Thanks for voting those of you that did.

Dropkick Murphys: The Videos

Tuesday Night Shuffle

1. Starting Line - Number One Gun (from the album Celebrate Mistakes)
2. Nothing to Say - Soundgarden (from the album Screaming Life)
3. Ball and Chain - Social Distortion (from the album Social Distortion)
4. Fin - Anberlin (from the album Cities)
5. Making You Cry - Screeching Weasel (from the album My Brain Hurts)
6. Hotplate - All (from the album Percolater)
7. My Throat is an Open Grave - Demon Hunter (from the album Demon Hunter)
8. She's a Woman - The Beatles (from the album Beatles '65)
9. Graze - Live (from the album Secret Samadhi)

My Favorite Sports Teams

This is a list of my Top 3 favorite sports team broken down by sport. (I only list the sports that I actually watch or care about here). This are not necessarily in order of preference.

Football (NFL)
New England Patriots
Seattle Seahawks
New Orleans Saints

Football (NCAA)
Notre Dame
Washington Huskies
Ohio State

Baseball
Boston Red Sox
Seattle Mariners
Chicago White Sox (or any teams that is playing against the Yankees, lol!)

Hockey
Vancouver Canucks
Chicago Blackhawks
Ottawa Senators

Basketball
Oklahoma City Thunder
Boston Celtics
Chicago Bulls

NBA Standings (March 9)

Not really many changes from last week's but I'll post them here anyway.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic
Boston
Toronto
Philadelphia
New York
New Jersey

Central
Cleveland
Milwaukee
Chicago
Detroit
Indiana

Southeast
Orlando
Atlanta
Miami
Charlotte
Washinton

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest
Denver
Utah
Oklahoma City
Portland
Minnesota

Pacific
LA Lakers
Phoenix
LA Clippers
Sacramento
Golden State

Southwest
Dallas
San Antonio
Memphis
New Orleans
Houston

STATS LEADERS

Points Per Game
LeBron James (Cavaliers) - 30
Kevin Durant (Thunder) - 29.7
Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets) - 28.7

Assists Per Game
Steve Nash (Suns) - 11.2
Chris Paul (Hornets) - 11.2
Deron Williams (Jazz) - 10.1

Rebounds Per Game
Dwight Howard (Magic) - 13.2
Zach Randolph (Memphis) - 11.8
David Lee (Knicks) - 11.6

ESPN.com Power Rankings
Orlando Magic
Cleveland Cavaliers
Utah Jazz
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Denver Nuggets
San Antonio Spurs
Atlanta Hawks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Boston Celtics

Currently Listening: Do Or Die

It appears from Dave's most recent post that we are both on a Dropkick Murphys kick lately.

I realized a few days ago that I actually do not own the album The Meanest of Times so I went to a local CD shop to see if I could find it. Well, I did not find that particular CD but I did find a copy of the album Do or Die, which, strangely enough, I also do not have a copy of.

Here is some information about that album for your reading pleasure:

Released in January 1997 by Hellcat Records.

Produced by Lars Frederikson (some of you might know Lars as the guitar player for Rancid).

Band lineup:

Mike McColgan - vocals (this was the last recording for the band that Mike appeared on before Al Barr took over on vocals).

Ken Casey - bass, vocals.

Rick Barton - guitar

Matt Kelly - drums

Tracks:

16

"Cadence to Arms" - DkM version of an old Irish bagpipe song.

"Do or Die" - written by Mike and Rick

"Get Up" - written by Ken, Mike and Rick

"Never Alone" - written by Ken and Rick

"Caught in a Jar" - written by Mike and Rick

"Memories Remain" - written by Ken and Matt

"Road of the Righteous" - written by Mike and Rick

"Far Away Coast" - written by Ken, Mike and Rick

"Fightstarter Karaoke" - written by Ken and Rick

"Barroom Hero" - written by Ken

"3rd Man In" - written by Ken and Rick

"Tenant Enemy #1" - written by the Dropkick Murphys

"Finnegans Wake" -

"Noble" - written by the Dropkick Murphys

"Boys on the Docks" - written by Ken and Rick (this is an acoustic version)

"Skinhead on the MBTA" - written by Bess Lomax Hawes, Dropkick Murphys and Jacqueline Steiner

You can find the lyrics to these songs at their official website.

Return of the Poll!!

Remember when I used to do these?

For those that don't remember (and for those readers that are new readers), every so often I would put a poll up on my sidebar for my readers to vote on.

The last one I did was clear back in August 2009.

This week's poll is going to be a poll of what film you think is Martin Scorsese's best.

Now I am only going to list 6 films even though he has done more. I will also include the obligatory "Other" so those that think a film not listed in my list is the best. And PLEASE remember that if you do choose OTHER, to leave a comment on THIS post with your selection.

Here are your options:

1. Taxi Driver
2. Raging Bull
3. Goodfellas
4. Cape Fear
5. Gangs of New York
6. The Departed
7. Other

Happy Voting and may the best movie win!!!

What Happened To It?!?

I demand to know right now what happened to my favorite local radio station!!!

Just a few short days ago I posted here on this blog an article stating that my favorite radio station was JACK FM.

This afternoon as I got into my car after leaving work, I turned the radio on and hit my preset for Jack and a country song was playing. What the hell? What is Jack doing? I know they are diverse and all but country?

Unfortunately, it was not a joke. And even more unfortunate it was NOT JACK FM playing it!

JACK is no longer on 97.3. It has been taken over by yet another country music radio station. Like Oklahoma needs another one of those damn things.

I couldn't find JACK on any other station. I tried going to their website to get some answers and the site wouldn't come up.

Again....I demand to know what happened to JACK FM!!!

This is just not right!!! I'm calling my Congressman!!

Monday Night Shuffle

1. Who'll Stop the Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival (from the album Cosmo's Factory)
2. Coolidge - Descendents (from the album All)
3. Private Ale - Green Day (from the album Kerplunk!)
4. Amazing Grace - Dropkick Murphyse (from the live album Live On St Patricks Day)
5. Original Fire - Audioslave (from the album Audioslave)
6. Madalaine - Winger (from the album Winger)......Shut up!!
7. PunkSong - Same Day Service (from the album If You're Lucky)
8. Vertigo - U2 (from the album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
9. Streets of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen (from the album Greatest Hits)
10. You Won't Live to See Tomorrow - The Staggers (from the album The Sights, the Sounds, the Fear and the Pain)
11. To Whom It May Concern - Emery (from the album The Columbus EEP Thee)

It is Here!

That is right folks. Spring Training has begun. In just a few short weeks, April 4 to be exact (well, that's when the Red Sox 1st game is anyway) the regular baseball season will begin!

And yes, I care. LoL!

The Red Sox will start off their season against the loathsome New York Yankees at home.

Quote of the Day

"People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."

- - Rogers Hornsby

The Best Live Albums Ever

Today I purchased 2 live album on iTunes. I have lately been really getting into live albums. You can always get a really good feel for a band if you can listen to them live I've always thought. Unfortunately, I don't get out to too many shows lately so live albums I guess are the best backup.

Anyway, so Dave did himself a list of favorite live albums a few days ago so here is mine (no particular order, just as I thought of them):

1. Descendents-Liveage
Released in 1987 by SST Records.
It was recorded in the spring and summer of 1987 during their FinALL tour.
Band lineup:
Milo Aukerman - vocals; Karl Alvarez - bass; Stephen Egerton - guitar; Bill Stevenson - drums.
Tracks: 18 on the LP version/20 on the CD version.
Highlights:
"Silly Girl" "Coolidge" "Weinerschnitzel" "I Don't Want to Grow Up" "Wendy" "Get the Time" "Suburban Home" "Hope" "Sour Grapes" and "Clean Sheets"

2. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band-Live 1975-85
Released in November 1986 by Columbia Records.
Produced by Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, and Bruce Springsteen.
It was recorded at various concerts between 1975 and 1985.
Band lineup:
Bruce Springsteen - vocals, guitar; Roy Bittan - piano; Clarence Clemons - saxophone; Danny Federici - organ; Nils Lofgren - guitar; Patti Scialfa - keyboards; Garry Tallen - bass; Steve Van Zandt - guitar; Max Weinberg - drums.
Tracks: 40
Highlights:
"Fire" "Hungry Heart" "Because the Night" "Born in the USA" "The River" "I'm on Fire" "Born to Run" "Thunder Road" and "This Land is Your Land"

3. Social Distortion-Live at the Roxy
Released in June 1998 by Time Bomb Recordings.
Recorded in April 1998.
Band lineup:
Mike Ness - vocals, guitar; Dennis Danell - guitar; John Maurer - bass; Chuck Biscuits - drums.
Tracks: 18
Highlights:
"Bad Luck" "Under My Thumb" "Prison Bound" "The Creeps" "Let It Be Me" "Cold Feelings" "I Was Wrong" "Telling Them" and "Ring of Fire"

4. Dropkick Murphys-Live on St Patricks Day
Released in September 2002 by Hellcat Records.
Produced by Paul Kolderie.
Band lineup:
Al Barr - vocals; Ken Casey - bass; Matt Kelly - drums; James Lynch - guitar; Marc Orrell - guitar, accordion; Ryan Foltz - mandolin, dulcimer; Spicy McHaggis - bagpipes.
Tracks: 26
Highlights:
"For Boston" "Boys on the Docks" "Road of the Righteous" "Rocky Road to Dublin" "Finnegan's Wake" "Gang's All Here" "The Gauntlet" "Fortunate Son" "Amazing Grace" and "Dirty Water"

5. U2-U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle
Released in November 2003 by Island/Interscope.
Recorded in September 2001 at Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland.
Produced by Ned O'Hanlon.
Band lineup (duh):
Bono - vocals; Adam Clayton - bass; The Edge - guitar; Larry Mullen Jr - drums.
Tracks: 20
Highlights:
"Elevation" "Beautiful Day" "New Years Day" "Sunday Bloody Sunday" "Wake Up Dead Man" "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" "Angel of Harlem" "Desire" "Where the Streets Have No Name" "Pride" "Bullet the Blue Sky" "Walk On" and "Mysterious Ways"

Cranberries: The Videos

The Cranberries: DoTM

Anything
Released in January 1990 independently.
Produced by Pearce Gilmore.
Band lineup:
Naill Quinn - vocals, guitar; Noel Hogan - guitar; Mike Hogan - bass; Fergal Lawler - drums.
Tracks: 4
This album was released under the band name The Cranberry Saw Us.

Water Circle
Released in August 1990 by Xeric.
Produced by Pearce Gilmore.
Lineup changes:
Dolores O'Riordan replaced Naill Quinn on vocals.
Tracks: 4
This album was also released under the name The Cranberry Saw Us.

Nothing Left At All
Released in 1990 by Xeric.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 3
This is another released under the name The Cranberry Saw Us.

Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
Released in March 1993 by Island Records.
Produced by Stephen Street.
Band lineup:
Dolores O'Riordan - vocals; Noel Hogan - guitars; Fergal Patrick Lawler - drums; Michael Hogan - bass.
Tracks: 12
Singles:
"Dreams" and "Linger"

No Need to Argue
Released in October 1994 by Island.
Produced by Stephen Street.
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"Zombie" "Ode to My Family" "I Can't Be With You" and "Ridiculous Thoughts"
This album reached #6 on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 7 million copies in the United States alone.

To the Faithful Departed
Released in April 1996 by Island.
Produced by Bruce Fairbairn and The Cranberries.
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"Salvation" "Free to Decide" "When You're Gone" "Hollywood" and "I Just Got John Lennon"

Bury the Hatchet
Released in April 1999 by Island.
Produced by Benedict Fenner.
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"Promises" "Animal Instinct" "Just My Imagination" and "You and Me"

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Released in October 2001 by MCA.
Produced by Stephen Street.
Tracks: 14
Singles:
"Analyse" "Never Grow Old" "Time Ticking Out" and "This is the Day"

Sunday Shuffle

1. The Post War Dream - Pink Floyd (from the album The Final Cut)
2. Dear Death Part 1 - Emery (from the album In Shallow Seas We Sail)
3. Mercy Me - Alkaline Trio (from the album Crimson)
4. Broken - All (from the album Pummel)
5. Not That Kind of Girlfriend - Smoking Popes (from the album Get Fired)
6. Castaway - Green Day (from the album Warning)
7. Let Me Love You - Third Day (from the album Revelation)
8. Now is the Time - Yngwie Malmsteen (from the album Odyssey)
9. Lost Souls - The Staggers (One Heartbeat Away From Hell)
10. Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen (from the album Born in the U.S.A.)

Flogging Molly: DoTM

Alive Behind the Green Door
Live released in 1997 by 26f Records.
Recorded by Molly Malone's in 1997.
Band lineup:
Dave King - vocals, guitar; Bridget Regan - violin; Ted Hutt - guitar; Jeff Peters - bass; George Schwindt - drums; Toby McCallum - mandolin.
Tracks: 10

Swagger
Released in March 2000 by SideOneDummy Records.
Produced by Flogging Molly (mixed by Steve Albini).
Band lineup:
Dave King - vocals, guitar; Bridget Regan - violin; Nathan Maxwell - bass; Robert Schmidt - mandolin, banjo; Matt Hensely - accordian; George Schwindt - drums; John Donovan - drums; Gary Schwindt - trumpet.
Tracks: 13
Singles:
"Salty Dog"

Drunken Lullabies
Released in March 2002 by SideOneDummy.
Produced by Flogging Molly and Ted Hutt.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 12
This album has been certified Gold by the RIAA (has sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States).
Singles:
"Drunken Lullabies"

Within a Mile of Home
Released in September 2004 by SideOneDummy.
Produced by Ted Hutt.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 15
Singles:
"The Seven Deadly Sins"
This album reached #20 on the Billboard 200 in 2004.

Whiskey on a Sunday
Released in July 2006 by SideOneDummy.
Produced by Flogging Molly and Ted Hutt.
No lineup changes.
Tracks: 10
This album consists of 4 studio recordings featuring acoustic versions of previously released songs, 5 live recordings, and 1 newly recorded song.

Complete Control Sessions
Released in March 2007 by SideOneDummy.
Produced by Flogging Molly.
Tracks: 6
Originally available through iTunes only.

Float
Released in March 2008 by SideOneDummy.
Produced by Flogging Molly.
Tracks: 11
Singles:
"Float" "Punch Drunk Grinning Soul" "The Lightning Storm" and "Requiem for a Dying Song"
This album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200, reached #1 on the Billboard Independent chart, and reached #2 on the Billboard Alternative chart.

Live at the Greek Theater
Live album released in March 2010 by SideOneDummy.
Recorded in September 2009 at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA.
Tracks: 22

Dropkick Murphys: DOTM

Tattoos and Scally Caps

Released in February 1997 by GMM Records.

Produced by Dropkick Murphys, Ed Reamer and Don Bush.

Tracks: 4

Fire and Brimstone

Released in February 1997 by Cyclone Records.

Produced by Dropkick Murphys and Ed Reamer.

Tracks: 4

Boys on the Docks
Released in July 1997 by Cyclone Records.
Band lineup:
Mike McColgan - vocals; Rick Barton - guitar; Ken Casey - bass; Jeff Erna - drums.
Tracks: 6

Do or Die
Released in January 1998 by Hellcat Records.
Produced by Lars Frederiksen.
Lineup changes:
Matt Kelly replaced Jeff Erna on drums.
Tracks: 16
Highlights:
"Cadence to Arms"

The Early Years

Compilation album released in 1998 by Sidekicks Records.

Tracks: 19

Curse of Fallen Soul

Released in 1998 by Hellcat Records.

Tracks: 5

Lineup changes:

Al Barr replaced Mike McColgan on vocals.

The Gang's All Here
Released in March 1999 by Hellcat Records.
Produced by Lars Frederiksen.
Tracks: 16

This album reached #184 on the Billboard 200 in 1999.

Mob Mentality
Split album with The Business released in May 2000 by Taang! Records.
Tracks: 12 (5 by Dropkick Murphys)
Highlights:
"The Kids Are Alright"

The Singles Collection Volume 1
Released in May 2000 by Hellcat Records.
Tracks: 24
Consists of songs recorded before Do or Die was released.

Sing Loud, Sing Proud
Released in February 2001 by Hellcat Records.
Produced by Ken Casey.
Lineup changes:
James Lynch replaced Rick Barton on guitar and Marc Orrell was added as a 2nd guitarist.
Tracks: 16
Highlights:
"The Gauntlet"

This album reached #144 on the Billboard 200 in 2001.

Live on St Patricks Days from Boston, MA
Live album released in September 2002 by Hellcat Records.
Produced by Paul Kolderie.
Tracks: 26
Highlights:
"The Gauntlet" "Fortunate Son" and "Amazing Grace"
This album reached #156 on the Billboard 200 in 2002.

Blackout
Released in June 2002 by Hellcat Records.
Produced by Ken Casey.
Tracks: 14
Highlights:
"Walk Away"

This album reached #83 on the Billboard 200 in 2003.

Tessie
Released in August 2004 by Hellcat Records.
Produced by Tom Catlin and John Carter.
Tracks: 5

Singles Collection, Volume 2
Released in March 2005 by Hellcat Records.
Tracks: 23
Highlights:
"Fortunate Song" "It's a Long Way to the Top"

The Warriors Code
Released in June 2005 by Hellcat Records.
Produced by Ken Casey and David Bianco.
Tracks: 15
Highlights:
"The Warriors Code" "I'm Shipping Up to Boston"

This album reached #48 on the Billboard 200 in 48.

The Meanest of Times
Released in September 2007 by Born and Bred Records.
Produced by the Dropkick Murphys.
Tracks: 15

This album reached #20 on the Billboard 200 in 2007.

Quote of the Day

"You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war."

- - Napoleon Bonaparte

NHL Update (March 6)

Strangely enough, I have not been keeping myself updated on hockey the past couple of months but I figured that now is as good a time as any to start paying attention again:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic
Pittsburgh
New Jersey
Philadelphia
NY Rangers
NY Islanders

Northeast
Buffalo
Ottawa
Boston
Montreal
Toronto

Southeast
Washington
Atlanta
Tampa Bay
Florida
Carolina

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central
Chicago
Nashville
Detroit
St. Louis
Columbua

Northwest
Vancouver
Colorado
Calgary
Minnesota
Edmonton

Pacific
San Jose
Phoenix
Los Angeles
Dallas
Anaheim

Points Leaders
Ovechkin (Capitals) - 90
Sedin (Canucks) - 83
Crosby (Penguins) - 80

Goals Leaders
Ovechkin (Capitals) - 42
Crosby (Penguins) - 42
Marleau (Sharks) - 39

Assists Leaders
Thornton (Sharks) - 60
Sedin (Canucks) - 58
St Louis (Lightning) - 53

Wins Leaders
Quick (Kings) - 36
Nobokov (Sharks) - 35
Brodeur (Devils) - 35

Save % Leaders
Millers (Sabres) - .931
Vokoun (Panthers) - .930
Nabokov (Sharks) - .927

Shameless Radio Station Plug

So I have been back in the Oklahoma City area for almost 3 weeks now. I have been listening to various radio stations since I have been back. I've re-programmed my presets, I switch back and forth between them fairly often.

There are a few that I like but I decided to do a post tonight to announce what my favorite radio station is.

First off, I really wanted the Spy to be my favorite because I had heard such great things about it from Dave and he and I (for the most part) have very similar taste in music.

He has done several articles on his blog regarding this station (If I Had a Show on The Spy, Why I Don't Listen to the Spy As Much As I'd Like To, Letter to The Spy, among many others. However, I have just not been impressed listening to it. So alas, it did not make the cut for favorite radio station.

No. Strangely enough, my favorite radio station actually happens to be JACK FM.

To describe what kind of music they play to those who don't know, here is a blurb from the their website:

"We have collected an incredible mix of songs from different music styles and eras and put them all together into one huge music library.....from Pink Floyd to Pink....from U2 to UB40....from the Beatles to the Stray Cats..........JACK is like playing your entire iPod play list on shuffle...."

It really does have quite a diverse song collection. Lately I have found that if my radio is on JACK, I don't tend to change stations much at all....unless it's on a commercial or there is just something I really don't want to hear playing at the time (like Michael Jackson).

Anyway, there is it. My vote for best radio station in Oklahoma City is JACK FM.

Note: Dave did a Top 5 list of local radio stations here.

Saturday Evening Shuffle

1. Perfect Situation - Weezer (from the album Make Believe)
2. What Are You So Afraid Of? - The Staggers (from the album The Sights, The Sounds, The Fear and the Pain)
3. Thoughtlife - Emery (from the album While Broken Hearts Prevail)
4. Necktie Remedy - Project 86 (from the album And the Rest Will Follow)
5. Don't Waste Your Time - Kelly Clarkson (from the album My December).........what???
6. Maddie - Descendents (from the album Cool To Be You)
7. City of Blinding Lights - U2 (from the album How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb)
8. Sex Type Thing - Stone Temple Pilots (from the album Core)
9. Free - Stryper (from the album To Hell With the Devil)
10. Selling the Drama - Live (from the album Throwing Copper)
11. Set Phasers to Stun - Taking Back Sunday (from the album Where You Want To Be)

Who is Running for Governor of Oklahoma?

Ok, I'm back in Oklahoma now. I need to start paying a lot more attention to the races going on in 2010. I guess I will start with the gubernatorial election.

Who is running?

On the Democratic side we have:

Jari Askins
Jari is currently the Lt Governor. Personally, I just simply don't like her. Definitely not supporting her.

Drew Edmondson
Drew is currently the Attorney General for Oklahoma. He is kind of shaky on the issues to me so I can't bring myself to support him either.

I have also heard that the Oklahoma State Treasurer Scott Meacham might run. Don't know enough about him to form an opinion one way or the other.

On the Republican side, our choices are:

Mary Fallin
Mary is currently a U.S. Congresswoman from the 5th Congressional District. She is the favorite to win the whole thing. Polls show that she is in the lead by a large majority. She is most likely the candidate that I will be supporting.

Randy Brogdon
He is currently a state senator. I had read somewhere that he is getting a lot of support from the Tea Party movement so even though he is way behind in the polls for the Republican nomination, he still might be a viable candidate if the State GOP is smart enough to warm up to the Tea Party movement.

It has been rumors that Gary Richardson, who ran across Brad Henry and Steve Largent in the 2002 gubernatorial election, might try another run at the office.

There was also a rumor that former Congressman J.C. Watts was going to run but he declined last May. Too bad. I probably would have supported him over Fallin.

Bruce Springsteen: DOTM

Greetings from Ashbury Park
Released in January 1973 by Columbia Records.
Recorded in the summer of 1972 at Sound Studios in Blauvelt, NY.
Produced by Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos.
Tracks: 9
Highlight:
"Blinded by the Light"

The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle
Released in September 1973 by Columbia.
Recorded in the summer of 1973 at Sound Studios.
Produced by Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos.
Tracks: 7

Born to Run
Released in August 1975 by Columbia.
Recorded at the Record Plant in New York and Sound Studio.
Produced by Bruce Springstreen, Mike Appel and Jon Landau.
Tracks: 8
Highlights:
"Thunder Road" "Born to Run" and "She's the One"

This album reached #3 on the Billboard 200 in 1975 AND reached #18 in 2005 on the Billboard 200 when the 30th Anniversary Edition was released.

Darkness on the Edge of Town
Released in June 1978 by Columbia.
Recorded from October 1977 to March 1978 at the Record Plant.
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Steven Van Zandt.
Tracks: 10

Singles:

"Prove It All Night" and "Badlands"

This album reached #5 on the 1978 Billboard 200.

The River
Released in October 1980 by Columbia.
Recorded from April 1979 to August 1980 at the Power Station in New York.
Produced by Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt.
Tracks: 20
Highlights:
"Hungry Heart" "The River" and "Fade Away"

Nebraska
Released in September 1982 by Columbia.
Recorded in January 1982 in Colts Neck, New Jersey.
Produced by Bruce Springsteen.
Tracks: 10
Highlight:
"Atlantic City"

This album reached #3 on the 1982 Billboard 200.

Born in the U.S.A.
Released in June 1984 by Columbia.
Recorded in January and February 1984 at the Power Station and the Hit Factory in New York.
Produced by Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt.
Tracks: 12
Highlights:
"Born in the USA" "I'm on the Fire" "Glory Days" and "Dancing in the Dark"

This album spent 7 weeks at #1 on the 1984 Billboard 200 and has sold over 15 million copies in the United States alone.

Live 1975-1985
Released in November 1986 by Columbia.
Recorded at various locations.
Produced by Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin and Bruce Springsteen.
Tracks: 40
Note: 2 previously unreleased songs appear on this album:

"Fire" which (strangely enough) was originally written by Bruce for Elvis Presley. It has been recorded in the studio by several artist (but never in the studio by Bruce himself).

"Because the Night" co-written by Bruce and Patti Smith and recorded originally by The Patti Smith Group in 1978. It was originally written by Bruce's album Darkness on the Edge of Town but never released on that album.

This album reached #1 on the 1986 Billboard 200.

Tunnel of Love
Released in October 1987 by Columbia.
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Chuck Plotkin.
Tracks: 12

Singles:

"Brilliant Disguise" "Tunnel of Love" "One Step Up" "Tougher Than the Rest" and "Spare Parts"

This album reached #1 on the Billboard 200 in 1987.

Chimes of Freedom
Released in August 1988 by Columbia.
Live album recorded between March and July 1988.
Tracks: 4

Human Touch
Released in March 1992 by Columbia.
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin and Roy Bittan.
Tracks: 14

Singles:

"Human Touch" and "57 Channels"

Lucky Town
Released in March 1992 by Columbia.
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Chuck Plotkin.
Tracks: 10

Singles:

"Better Days" "Leap of Faith" "If I Should Fall Behind" and "Lucky Town"

MTV Unplugged
Live album released in April 1993 by Columbia.
Recorded in September 1992 in Los Angeles.
Tracks: 13

Greatest Hits
Compilation album released in February 1995 by Columbia.
Tracks: 18

This album hit #1 on the Billboard 200 in 1995.

The Ghost of Tom Joad
Released in November 1995 by Columbia.
Produced by Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin.
Tracks: 12

This album reached #11 on the Billboard 200 in 1995.

Blood Brothers
Released in November 1996 by Columbia.
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and Chuck Plotkin.
Tracks: 5

Tracks
Released in November 1998 by Columbia.
Four-disc box set.
Tracks: 66

18 Tracks
Released in April 1999 by Columbia.
Tracks: uhm...duh...18

The Rising
Released in July 2002 by Columbia.
Produced by Brendan O'Brien.
Tracks: 15

Singles:

"The Rising" "Lonesome Day" and "Waitin on a Summer Day"

This album reached #1 on the Billboard 200 in 2002.

The Essential Bruce Springsteen
Released in November 2003 by Columbia.
3-disc box set
Tracks: 42

Devils and Dust
Released in April 2005 by Columbia.
Produced by Brendan O'Brien.
Tracks: 12

This album reached #1 on the Billboard 200 in 2005.

Hammersmith Odeon London 75
Released in February 2005 by Columbia.
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Barbara Carr and Thorn Zimny.
Tracks: 16

We Shall Overcome
Released in April 2006 by Columbia.
Produced b Bruce Springsteen and Jon Landau.
Tracks: 13

Live in Dublin
Live album released in June 2007 by Columbia.
Tracks: 21

This album hit #23 on the Billboard 200 in 2007.

Magic
Released in September 2007 by Columbia.
Produced by Brendan O'Brien.
Tracks: 12

Singles:

"Radio Nowhere" and "Girls in their Summer Clothes"

This album reached #1 on the 2007 Billboard 200 chart.

Magic Tour Highlights

Live album released in July 2008 by Columbia.

Tracks: 4

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Greatest Hits

Compilation album released in January 2009 by Columbia.

Tracks: 12

Working on A Dream

Released in January 2009 by Columbia.

Produced by Brendan O'Brien

Tracks: 13

Singles:

"Working on a Dream" "My Lucky Day" and "The Wrestler"

Album reached #1 on the Billboard 200