breakin’ the law
I have to say I was genuinely excited as I drove down the hill into downtown Fredonia, especially when I saw the familiar sign for Mary’s Deli. Now back in my day, there was a raging debate about who had the better pizza and wings. I was in Camp Mary’s, but lots of people were on the Gina’s Pizza, Wings, and Things bandwagon.
the battle of the pauls
This isn’t some contrived Ric Flair versus Hulk Hogan thing where depending on the organization, you know which one will win. There’s no babyface versus heel thing here. Both Pauls seems to be genuinely good guys. Both have histories littered with awards, accolades, admiration, and adoration. Both played lead roles on their teams and have successful solo careers. But in this writer’s humble opinion, one is clearly superior. I’m speaking, of course, of the Pauls, McCartney and Simon.
from under a rock: episode ii
Sometimes it takes a while for things to sink in. So, I decided to wait 18 months before writing a second piece about the music I’ve missed while my extensive CD collection and I were resting comfortably under a rock.
what’s on your playlist?
I’ve done a fair bit of travel for work, fun, and family over the last few years. Admittedly, much of my travel was in my car or a Penske rental truck, which is why you get to hear about my musical stylings, as well those of the folks kind enough to give me a ride in exchange for money. Also because I love music and I often find myself writing about it. All good reasons, yes?
from under a rock: episode one
I’ve always loved music. That’s not exactly a grand reveal, is it? I’ve blogged about everything from Canadian hard rock of the 80s to Barry Manilow. And now I’m doing it again.
Over the years, I’ve evolved from the teenager locked in his bedroom blaring Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Grim Reaper at top volume into someone who truly appreciates people who are good at their craft. It may be the Nashville effect. You can’t swing a dead cat in this town without hitting a super-talented musician.
everybody loves barry, so raymond can suck it
Barry Manilow and I are pen pals. Well, not exactly. I mean who uses pens anymore or even writes actual letters? Be honest. Other than signing a birthday card, when’s the last time you used a writing utensil to send a message to someone? Post It notes don’t count.
memories and inspirations
… inspirations can be everywhere—sometimes much closer to home than you notice. Much like Rik, my cousin Mike Gagliardi was an inspiration to me. He is probably the most talented person I know. He’s easily the best hockey player Lockport, New York has ever produced. And that’s as much a fact as green olives being the best pizza topping and blue cheese over ranch on wings. So please don’t even try to argue. It makes you look silly.
(canadian) music holds the secret
My love of Canadian music has been well-documented—by zombies. Well, not really. But I read a blogpost a few months ago with a tip for identifying passive voice. If you can add “by zombies” to the end of your sentence, it’s passive. So sorry for the passive opening. I love Canadian music. There. That’s more direct. Moving on…
oh canada
Even as an adult, Canada continued to play a special part in my life, most notably our many trips to The Beer Store. Yes, The Beer Store. An entire store filled with beer. It basically works like this: you walk in and tell a very nice person what you want. That very nice person punches some keys into a machine. You give that very nice person some of your money. And then your beer magically appears on a conveyor belt. What’s not to love about that?