The JackB

"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'." Groucho Marx

Archives for August 2007

Greatest Hits Albums Are Just For Cash

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At last I have found an article that says essentially what I have been saying for years now. Most of the greatest hits albums are nothing more than a cheap attempt to make a buck. I don’t think that it was always this way.

Let me clarify that. I think that there was always a desire to make money off of the greatest hits, but it used to be that a band was around for a while. They had to stand the test of time before they could put out an album of so called greatest hits. That is not really the case anymore.

I thought that the following excerpt from the article was worth sharing as it sums much of this up.

Some greatest-hits records take on a life of their own — like the Eagles’ “Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975),” which is the best-selling album ever in the U.S. Similarly, Bob Marley’s “Legend” was (and still is) a sensation. At one point, it spent 106 straight weeks atop the Nielsen SoundScan catalog chart.

Other bands like U2 and Aerosmith have been criticized for their seemingly unceasing parade of greatest-hits albums. U2 followed 1998’s “The Best of 1980-1990” and 2002’s “The Best of 1990-2000” with 2006’s “U218 Singles.” Last year’s “Devil’s Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith” was the band’s eighth compilation over the course of their 27-year career.

Back To School Time Makes Me Sad

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Some people love this time of year. They enjoy all of the hustle and bustle surrounding back to school. If you ask them they’ll give you all sorts of reasons why they do. They like the feeling of a new year, the appreciate the excitement of new challenges in school etc.

Not me.

I love summer. It has been my favorite time of year for as long as I can remember. The long summer days and cool summer nights always feel like they have so much potential. I love going to the beach and walking barefoot in the sand. I love the feel of the sun on my back. It makes me feel alive.

Back to school marks the beginning of the end of this time. The carefree attitude of summer is replaced by a more serious demeanor that I find ill fitting. Give me a choice between a suit and tie versus shorts and tank top and I’ll go casual every time.

Sometimes I think that my life was meant to be spent living on a boat and just sailing around the world. But then reality hits me square in the nose and I know otherwise.

I’ll hold onto my summer for as long as I can.

Vick admits dog killing, conspiracy

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Michael Vick’s saga is slowly coming to an end, at least the first part of it is. He is getting off relatively easy. By striking a deal he will avoid more serious charges. I am not convinced that he feels any remorse or understands why what he did was wrong.

(CNN) — NFL star Michael Vick has admitted that he and his co-defendants killed dogs that did not fight well in papers filed on Friday with a federal court in Virginia.

In a plea agreement, Vick said he would plead guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture.”

The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Federal prosecutors agreed to ask for the low end of the sentencing guidelines.

In an additional statement of facts, signed by Vick and filed with the agreement, Vick admitted buying the property that was used for dogfighting but said he did not bet on the fights or receive any of the money won.

“Most of the ‘Bad Newz Kennels” operations and gambling monies were provided by Vick,” the official summary of facts stated. Gambling wins were generally split between co-conspirators Tony Taylor, Quanis Phillips and sometimes Purnell Peace, it continued.

“Vick did not gamble by placing side bets on any of the fights. Vick did not receive any of the proceeds from the purses that were won by ‘Bad Newz Kennels.'”

Vick also agreed that “collective efforts” by him and two others caused the deaths of at least six dogs.

In about April of this year, Vick, Peace and Phillips tested some dogs in fighting sessions at Vick’s property in Virginia, the statement said. “Peace, Phillips and Vick agreed to the killing of approximately 6-8 dogs that did not perform well in ‘testing’ sessions at 1915 Moonlight Road and all of those dogs were killed by various methods, including hanging and drowning.

“Vick agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips and Vick,” the summary said.

Vocabulary Time Part II

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It is Vocabulary Time Part II. The First edition can be found here.

de·fal·cate (dÄ­-făl‘kāt‘, -fôl‘-, dÄ•f‘É™l-)
intr.v., -cat·ed, -cat·ing, -cates.

To misuse funds; embezzle.

Dac·tyl·on·o·my
n.[Gr. da`ktylos finger + no`mos law, distribution.]
The art of numbering or counting by the fingers.

re·cru·desce (rÄ“‘krÅ«-dÄ•s‘)
intr.v., -desced, -desc·ing, -desc·es.

To break out anew or come into renewed activity, as after a period of quiescence.

vi·del·i·cet (vÄ­-dÄ•l’Ä­-sÄ•t’, vÄ«-, wÄ­-dā’lÄ­-kÄ•t’) pronunciation
adv. (Abbr. viz.)

That is; namely. Used to introduce examples, lists, or items.

Keywords- How You found Me

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It is time for another roundup of keywords that led folks to the blog. Here is a partial list.

random thoughts
christian domestic discipline
birthday attack’
I wish I was a rabbi
song lyrics you’re the prize in my cracker jack box
christian discipline
boys peeing standing up
most important Jewish holiday
if i am not for myself
funny actors in the 80’s
how to teach a boy to pee standing
afraid my grandparent dying
is it ok to have sex with old lady
darren date china grill
shluchim
why is cleveland laughed
explaining death to children
elul; break sexual urge
do guys have emotions