Where the Hell Have I Been?

OK, if you've read my blog before, and came back at another time, you've probably been wondering why I haven't posted in almost a month. It would be great if I could say that I've been super-busy doing all kinds of exciting things. But not true...

Actually, I've been going through a personal funk of sorts. I would post about it, but I don't want people to fall asleep! In other words, there's nothing all that interesting about it. But the good news is, I'm in the process of pulling out of said funk. Maybe the nice weather is helping, I don't know. But whatever is causing it, I'm glad for it.

Have a great holiday weekend, everybody!

"Walla"? There's NO SUCH FREAKIN' word as "Walla"!!!

Just so you know, I am NOT typically stupidity-intolerant. I don't expect everyone to be a spelling wiz like me. But... hear me loud and clear on this one... THERE IS NO SUCH WORD AS "WALLA"!!!

Do people NOT read any more? And, if they do read, do they NOT retain any shred of what they read?

The word is "voilà". As I mentioned earlier, I don't expect everyone to necessarily spell it perfectly. I could accept "vola", "viola" (even though that would be a stringed musical instrument), "vila" (as in Bob?), or just about anything that suggested the writer has even the teeniest clue of the actual spelling of the word.

But "walla"? No. Not even close. Not even in the ballpark, Bubba. If that's the best you can do, you are NOT allowed to use the word. And if you do, the Word Police will show up at your door, they'll say "Voilà!", and then they'll hit you with the Bad Spelling Stick.

So don't come cryin' to me. You've been warned.

Queen + Paul Rodgers = Crap

One thing I can say without much hesitation is that my musical tastes and those of my brother probably don't coincide very often. But one area in which we are in total agreement is that the rock group Queen was an awesome band. The rock landscape of the 70's and 80's would not have been the same without Freddie Mercury's voice, which could alternatively soar and growl with the best of 'em. Sadly, that voice came to an untimely end when Mercury died in 1991.

My question is, why can't people leave well enough alone?

Apparently (this is just a guess), the surviving members of Queen (not counting bassist John Deacon) forgot to set aside money for their retirement, and so had to think of something, quick. I wish they would've kept thinking.

They enlisted the help of former Bad Company lead singer Paul Rodgers and hit the concert trail, rechristening themselves "Queen + Paul Rodgers". But that's what I call bad math. Don't get me wrong, I like Paul Rodgers' Bad Co. work. Hell, I even liked him in The Firm (the short-lived band he had with Led Zep's Jimmy Page). But, here, Rodgers is the wrong guy for these songs. I'm embarrassed for him that he couldn't realize that himself.

Paul Rodgers has a great rock & roll voice, even today. It's just the wrong voice for singing Freddie Mercury's songs.

Queen + Paul Rodgers? Sorry, it just doesn't add up.