Top 10 Albums from the 1980's

The 1980's may not have been the best for movies, but there was a lot of great music released in this highly innovative and transitional decade. Metal got ridiculously fast, the electric organ and the synthesizer got more then their fair share of airtime and an extremely wide array of diverse styles entered the scene.

So, here are my Top 10 Best Albums from the 1980's

1. Graceland - Paul Simon
   
   Probably the single most important album to me, ever. I had this on a cassette tape when I was probably around 8 years old and it has stayed with me ever since. Graceland moves me in a way that no other album ever has.
2. Ride the Lightning - Metallica
   
   My favorite Metallica album by a hair. This album is so amazing that you could probably take out three of the best songs and it would STILL be one of the greatest albums ever made.
3. Master of Puppets - Metallica
   
   This is the only album that comes close to touching Ride the Lightning. Master of Puppets features some unbelievable songs and is one that I challenge anyone to choose a favorite from. They are ALL amazing.
4. Blizzard of Oz - Ozzy Osbourne
   
   I have always thought Ozzy Osbourne amazing in the way that he has defied the odds for his entire career. I don't know how he does it but he just seems to be immune to all the common rock star tragedies. Blizzard of Ozz strikes me as the first and most profound example of this. He breaks away from a hugely successful band to start a solo career. I'll be conservative here by saying that rarely ends well. But from the VERY BEGINNING of this legendary album all doubt is swept away. Every bit of it is incredible from start to finish. I can't help asking myself how this crazy, drugged up buffoon (sorry Ozzy) pulled this off. What's more, he kept it up. The following album, Diary of a Madman BARELY missed out on this list.
5. Joshua Tree - U2
   
   This is another band I cannot choose a favorite song from. If I had to I think I might go with "Where the Streets Have No Name" but there are just so many and some of the very best came from Joshua Tree.
6. Kill 'Em All - Metallica
   
   The first Metallica album took metal music to new heights. To this day I do not think the speed and energy of this have ever been surpassed. Probably never will.
7. Appetite for Destruction - Guns & Roses
   
   G&R made an incredible, lasting mark on rock music history with Appetite for Destruction. Solid gold hits from start to finish. And not just hits for that year. They are ALL still hits TODAY.
8. Rum, Sodomy and the Lash - The Pogues
   
   If you haven't listened to The Pogues I highly recommend you give them a try. Shane McGowan was such an interesting character. The contrast of this homely, drunken Irishman and other stars of the time like Axl Rose and Prince demonstrates just how diverse the eighties really were.
9. ...And Justice for All - Metallica
   
   Yes, another Metallica album. Seriously, though, it is really good. Especially for guitar people. It marks an end of an era for Metallica as the '90s came along shortly after with shorter (and slower) songs. ...And Justice For All was like that last bite of a sweet dessert on Fat Tuesday.  
10. Labour of Love - UB40
    
    My mom always loved this album so we grew up hearing it a lot. I guess it kind of grew on me. Not surprising since it was actually very good.

Fun Metrics

The Numbers I Live By
Not sure if this makes any sense to anyone, but I am just reflecting on all the metrics I encounter in my daily life that excite me. I'm sure if we all reflect a little we may be able to think of some. Let me know what numbers you watch. Stock prices? Church attendance? Sales reports? Commissions? Comments?

For me, there are lots of numbers I enjoy watching:

1. Google Analytics - Analyzing the traffic to all the sites I manage passes a lot of time fast. Not a day goes by that I don't scrutinize these numbers.
2. AdSense - I have a few monetized sites that are making some change here and there. Not big numbers yet, but I find it fun to watch.
3. Twitter Followers - I manage a lot of Twitter accounts and watching the numbers grow there is pretty cool. Learning what makes them grow faster is stimulating.
4. Political polls - These can be pretty ridiculous and also incredibly meaningless, but nonetheless, I am very interested in this Republican race going on now and any numbers relating to it interest me.
5. Video views - I also manage a large number of online video accounts and it is fun to watch them get attention. New subscribers and new comments are thrilling, but take a lot of effort and some great content to obtain.
6. Backlinks - A backlink is a link from someone else's website to yours and is extremely valuable for improving your website's search engine rankings. You never know when something on your site may be picked up by others and it is thrilling when it happens.
7. Social sharing - Checking how many Likes, Tweets, Plus 1's and so on your content is getting can really get exciting when things begin to take off.
8. Calls / Texts - Not something I really watch numbers on actually, but I enjoy hearing from my family and friends and I often gauge a day roughly on how many notifications my phone is getting.
9. Meals - The higher this number, the better the day. Some days I miss breakfast, some days lunch, some days even dinner. A good day includes three good meals. I am always working harder to improve my eating habits and can see the benefit of doing so very plainly in my daily life.
10. Sleep - I know how much sleep I need to make it through the day. I am often gauging how much later I can stay awake based upon how sleep deprived I am. More sleep is better and towards the end of the day, I am always looking at the time and thinking how much sleep I will be getting and how much I need for the next day.

So there you have it. These are the numbers I pay attention to. What numbers do you watch?

Top Ten WWII Movies

My ten favorite WWII films

1. Life is Beautiful
   Probably the most touching movie I have ever seen and also the most likely to make you cry. This is an all around fantastic film that everyone should love. It is a foreign film and is subtitled throughout but you barely notice. This movie inspires me.
   
   
   
2. Schindler's List
   Perhaps the definitive WWII movie. An artistic masterpiece from Steven Spielberg.
   
   
   
3. Saving Private Ryan
   Another amazing film from Steven Spielberg. A great story full of action and lots of appearances from big stars.
   
   
   
4. The Scarlet and the Black
   Solid performance from Gregory Peck in a thrilling story about the Vatican during the second world war.
   
   
   
5. I Am David
   Brilliant story that is adventurous while at the same time deeply touching. About a boy traversing Europe alone in search of his mother.
   
   
   
6. The Best Years of Our Lives
   Well written film detailing the trials and challenges endured by WWII soldiers as they return home from the war. Recommended by the WWII veterans and experts I know as you can read about on Larry Martin's blog.
   
   
   
7. Saints and Soldiers
   Lesser know film about some WWII soldiers lost in enemy territory. Great story with really good characters.
   
   
   
8. The Bridge on the River Kwai
   Excellent work from Alec Guinness, as usual on this great tale of british soldiers taken prisoner by the Japanese.
   
   
   
9. Inglorious Basterds
   Quentin Tarantino plays with history in a comical romp about a troupe of Nazi killers who assassinate Hitler. B.J. Novak even has a small role.
   
   
   
10. The Fighting Seabees
    This is actually a really good movie starring John Wayne that I may never have seen if my dad had not been a Seabee for almost 20 years.
    
    

I hope you all enjoyed this list. Please feel free to share your own favorite WWII films below.

Top 10 Modern Rock Bands

My criteria for this list is that the band peaked in popularity post 2000 at least and are still going. But these are the bands I like the most who have rocked this most recent decade.

10. Fuel

Ever since I got their Natural Selection album I was a huge Fuel fan. They have so many great songs and some cool videos too. I still love "I Won't Back Down" and "Hemorrhage".
Favorite song: Quarter

9. Stone Sour

Some of the guys from Slipknot came together to make an almost equally awesome rock band with a more mainstream sound. Plenty of heavy jams, but also some lighter songs like "Through Glass" and "Bother". Check Stone Sour out for sure.
Favorite song: Through Glass

8. Breaking Benjamin

Consistently awesome. Of all the bands on this list, these guys are the most popular with the girls I know. They have something for everyone.
Favorite song: Breathe

7. Slipknot

These guys on the other hand don't really have something for everyone. But they do kick out some pretty amazing rock tunes. Subliminal Verses Vol. 2 was one of the most legendary rock albums I have ever heard.
Favorite song: Duality


6. System of a Down

Got into these guys a long time ago and they introduced me things I had never heard before. Profoundly influential on me, System of a Down has been one band that has not made enough records. Everything they make is so awesome and I deeply wish they would make more.
Favorite song: Lonely Day


5. Audioslave

Two awesome bands from the '90s (Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine) came together to form this killer rock group. They have something for all of my moods.
Favorite song: Cochise


4. Seether

This band REALLY knows how to rock and roll. They are incapable of making stuff that isn't amazing. Gosh, I wish I could see them live.....
Favorite song: Fine Again


3. Avenged Sevenfold

Waking the Fallen was a life-changing album for me. That CD is an absolute masterpiece which I would compare sooner to the works of Bach then Black Sabbath. It is intense, beautiful, melodic, talent-driven art from start to finish. I guess their other albums are alright too. Not quite the same level though. I prefer everything before City of Evil, personally.
Favorite song: Unholy Confessions

2. The White Stripes

Holy living animal crackers, has there ever been a more amazing duo in the history of music? Jack White is singlehandedly changing the world of music and is one of my biggest influences. Elephant is one of the greatest albums ever made, without question. It is the complete package.
Favorite song: Ball and Biscuit

1. Chevelle

These.....guys.....ROCK!! Every single song is absolutely incredible and I can listen to every album straight through repeatedly. No one sounds like them either. Chevelle is totally unique.
Favorite song: The Clincher

Each of these bands is worth checking out. They continue to prove that not all great music is behind us and it is still possible to ROCK! I would also love if you would share in the comments some of the bands I am sure I missed or that you think deserve to be on this list.

Top 10 Breakfast Meals

Breakfast is an extremely important meal and makes a big difference in your day. These are my top 10 favorite breakfast meals.

1. Breakfast Enchiladas
   
2. Eggs Benedict
   
3. Biscuits and Gravy
   
4. Blueberry Pancakes
   
5. Strawberry French Toast
   
6. Breakfast Burritos
   
7. Scramble
   
8. Egg Sandwiches
   
9. Omelette
   
10. Bacon, Eggs & Toast
    

What are your favorite breakfast meals???