Here's A Video With Music Worth Watching LOUD

In less than a week NASA and JPL will land the big robust Curiosity Rover on Mars. But to do so the landing ship will have to perform cosmic gymnastics the likes of which have never been seen before. (not even in the London Olympics) To illustrate what is going to happen up there in the thin air above Mars at around 12:15 am next Monday morning August 6, NASA and JPL have put together this video called "Seven Minutes Of Terror". (I thought it was worth re-posting it.) It demonstrates wonderfully, no awesomely, what we as humans dare to attempt. Play it. Turn the volume up to 11 like a Ramones song. These guys and their plan absolutely rock balls out. Go JPL! Go NASA!! Go Curiosity!!! Go USA!!!! But mostly, MOSTLY.... GO HUMAN SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE!!!!! As the video says: Dare Mighty Things.

They do mention the Curiosity Rover, so there is actually a smidgen of news in here somewhere....

Some of you laughed outloud, some of you stared in bewilderment and some of you just missed the boat completely. (You each know which group you fall in, so don't try to hide or point fingers.) I decided to re-post Yaahls and Kaahls guest hosting show from few weeks ago mainly because many of you actually missed it the first time around. Apparently there was a Friday the 13th virus that shut down much of the internet the same day I launched the blogcast of the boys grand debut. Since they did actually mention a little bit of real news about Curiosity landing on Mars I think it's still appropriate. So without anymore fanfare. Here they are taking a curtain call. Give it up for the half-brothers who are NOT from Sweden....

Curious Curioso Curiosity

This seventh month in the year of our lord twenty-twelve has been one of the most fruitful in the Milkshake's brief three plus blog history. As we come near a close let me say that Spirit the wonder dog made yet another appearance the other day. This time I saw him just briefly as I passed by a corner on Sheridan Road and he was standing proudly at attention (no collar, no leash, no master but his own self--as usual) and he was right next to an elderly gentleman leaning into a walker, sporting a nice suit and awaiting the streetlight to change. Spirit waited with him. Neither man nor noble dog looked at each other. That was the vignette as I motored past on my merry way northward. I saw nothing more. Did he cross the old man? Did he stay put? Did he 360 and head off on his own? Your guess....

In other news....with Clint Eastwood announcing a new movie, this time about baseball, I decided to post a few images of his Dirt Harry series. Maybe you noticed they were all on in a row the other night. That was sweet. Dirt Harry rolled out in 1971 followed by '73's Magnum Force, '76's The Enforcer, '83's Sudden Impact and ending with the Dead Pool in '88. I kinda wish he'd resurrect the character a couple more times but I don't think he'll do it. Factillium: according to IMDB.com both Paul Newman and Steve McQueen turned down the Harry Callahan role before Clint took it to the bank.....In more news....some of you missed the Dare Bold Things clip about the Curiosity Rover from NASA played on here a few weeks ago and some missed the Kaahls and Yaahls Show (they mention it too) also shown on here a couple weeks ago so we are going to replay both. Check back Monday and Tuesday. It's only about a week until the Curiosity Rover will be landing on Mars, an event that will push the limits of human achievement. As Dirty Harry would say: "Go-Hed, Make my Day." ....It will!

COUNTDOWN CLOCK SET ON 18 WEEKS FROM RIGHT NOW.....AND TICKING....LONG LIVE ROCK!!!

Sales to the general public for The Who begin Friday July 27. That's in a few hours! Call ticketmaster and battle for your seats. Good luck! And if you need help getting tickets there are probably some promotions running over at my good friends at WLS 94.7 in Chicago. Check out the Wild-Itralian Dick Biondi at 11 pm-2 am or stay up all nite and catch the morning show with Dave Fogel and Marti Jones at 5:30 am. Them's good people. Of course being an influential music industry and show biz type and heavy in the blogosphere gets you VIP treatment and an early shot at tickets so I had mine in hand many days ago. 'Who Are You' you're asking? Nobody special. Just a guy with a few connections but that's all I can say. Did I pay much? Well since I've been waiting my whole life to see The Who money is no object and "I Call That A Bargain....The Best I Ever Had!' Don't ask me more because, 'I Can't Explain.' But I have seats on the main floor (tho back in the shadows, but that's perfectly ok with me as I have good eyesight and can see for 'Miles and Miles and Miles and Miles and.......Miles......Oh ....Yeah!') I picked a vid that reminds me of listening to groups like The Who and CSNY and The KINKS that my older brother would play on his 8-track around '67-'68. This vid takes me back there. Also I kinda dig not only the kids hanging out but the boaters checking out the scene. "Hey, it's The Who. Let's paddle over and give a listen." That is the essence of groovy. I still remember the sadness when Keith passed in '79. And their 'last concert' in '83. And big John passing. But.....Long Live Rock. Long Live The Who. I am geeked to see The Who. I have waited more than 40 years to see them. This is a dream come true for me. GEEKED TO THE MAX is the only way to describe it! G-E-E-K-E-D! (Did someone say geeked?) Because I am. geeked. PS. The Who is coming. I have tickets. Just wanted to mention that.........................geeked.

the wave is on its way to be

Stan plays 'Wave' on Sax and there is nothing in this world better than that heavenly sound. But I found this clip of Frank singing the words and it was quite fantastic. Antonio Carlos Jobim is the master who created 'Wave' and wrote the words and lyrics and plays the guitar here. Sit back and be at peace and slowly scroll down over all the various ways a wave can take place. Let the wave wash over you. It can't be stopped once it starts. It's eternal. The photo above is my own. It's moments before dawn just off Lauderdale-by-the-sea. Click on it for a larger view if you like. If you are interested, my work is available on the professional creative house Alamy.com (where publishers can buy photos for their publications.) The rest of the images below are taken from yahoo free images. Enjoy....and let the wave wash over you now. The wave is on its way to be....you can't stop the wave....

The Chronicles Of Spirit (bow wow wow yippee-yo-yippee-yay)

So it's been awhile but I spied him again. Spirit the wonder dog. (The hound with no collar, no leash, no master and no seemingly worries!) In our first episode more than a month ago I told you how he pushed open the door to the apartment building. Showing a mix of devil-may-care and independence. This time? I found him hanging out in the shade on the east side of Sheridan near a tall green wrought-iron fence bordering a yellow brick four story apartment building with two other doggie buddies leashed to their masters. These four-legged pals were laying down, tethered to their humans, who were chatting, while holding coffees in their hands. And our cool customer Spirit was just hanging there with them, standing back a bit, no owner, no leash, no collar, no tags, no problem. I still love this guy. Of course I had to move along with traffic. But tonight I stumbled upon the perfect groovin tune Atomic Dog from funkadelic cosmic pilot George Clinton. At about 35 seconds into the video there are three animated dogs dancing together and the one on the right kinda looks sorta like Spirit. Atomic Dog lives again right here on the Milkshake. Put the dog in ya! Is the dog in ya? Is the dog in me? Yeah the dog's in me! Okay!...Whatever! BTW--did anyone catch Futurama's Butterfly Effect episode last night? I thought it was the funniest one of the season. The jokes were terrific. I loved when Fry says "you think you get no attention, I can't even get Leela to verbally abuse me." Ahahahahah. Or as Kaahls would say: Very good indeed! Very very good yes yes. Very spiffy!

Pour the sugar

So I'm getting heavy doses of text and email bounce-backs. Dunka and merci beacoup from me n the guys. (Looks like you're da bomb boys.) I'll cough up some of the cherry comments from the blogosphere when I can catch up. I email blasted many packets of 20 or 30 at a time all over the place. Hope you guys didn't mind being grouped like that. But along with friends and family, and guests, some NASA and JPL guys as well as some multi-media friends really dug the bros. ....Now to switch tracks, this new segment comes off a chat with one of you about "Throwback TV" that's taken over the ME-TV universe. (Which I'm loving BTW.) I've trailed a string of spin-offs that started from the 1960s cop hit Dragnet. The first spin was the popular Adam-12. officer Malloy and his partner appeared in a Dragnet 'sode then went on to their own show in the early 70s. This was followed closely by two firemen appearing in an Adam-12 'sode and then soon after launching their firetruck toward "rampart" in the hip 1972 hi-octane show Emergency! As an add-on bonus, I found some EMT crossover with the Emergency crew appearing now and then in the Cali Highway patrol show CHIPS which ran into the 80s. Can you run a string of your own? Blog about it right here in the comments below. Start spinning....

Now We Welcome The Milkshake's First Ever Guest Bloggers Kaahls And Yaahls

Icee Icee Age Baby....Meanwhile The Kaahls and Yaahls BlogCast Premiere Ticks Closer

Are you going to get an Icee when you go watch Ice Age 3 this weekend? You know I AM. That will be one sure way to chill. But that will be after the experience of witnessing the Kaahls and Yaahls Comedy duo's first ever blogcast right here on the Milkshake at 1300 hours today (1 pm CST). Only a few hours away from their world premiere. Thanks to the good folks at XtraNormal and also Ice Age 3 and Icee. ONE PM KAAHLS AND YAAHLS ARE IN THE MILSHAKE BLOG LIVE JUST FOR YOU!!! Next Time We're Back With With You It'll Be Their Cyber Faces and Smart-Alec Voices Coming At You. Have Fun! (Note: Simultaneously 'Kaahls and Yaahls Guest Host the Milkshake Blog' will go public on Youtube at about 1 pm CST).

They're Coming!!! The Countdown Clock Is Well Under 18 Hours And Ticking Down....

until Your Guest Cyber Bloggers Kaahls and Yaahls Appear Right Here On The Milkshake Blog Friday The 13th at 1300 Hours (That's 1 pm CST). Tune In And Watch The World Premiere Of These Half-Brothers. You May Be Bewildered By Them. You May Weep. You May Stare In Disbelief Or Laugh Til You Cry, Then Sob, Then Probably Bleed Out Your Blowhole. Some From The Set Crew Watching The Final Cut Yesterday Did All The Above-And They Knew What Was Coming. Kaahls And Yaahls. Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick...Yes, They Are Coming!

WORLD EXCLUSIVE (we don't throw that around much here) GUEST BLOGGERS KAAHLS AND YAAHLS COMEDY TEAM COMING FRIDAY THE 13TH AT 1 PM CST, DON'T MISS THE BLOGCAST! FIRST TIME EVER! RIGHT HERE ON THE MILKSHAKE!

So we are proud to announce the comedy team of Kaahls and Yaahls to guest host the Milkshake Blog This Friday July 13. They are a wonderful comedy duo, two brothers who hail from the northern midwest, probably the border country. We are giving them their big break in show business. We can tell you we were thrilled to get them inked to a deal and get them in on set only a few days ago. They had the crew splitting their guts with laughter. They prepared some cue cards but never used them. After a few warm-up takes and a few nerves, they settled down and rolled like silk and we shot everything in one take. Kaahls, the blond-haired brother was a little more business oriented and Yaahls, the dark-haired, older brother, was a little more baked, but together they mixed just right, we think. Their cyber-schtick will have you entertained like no others you've seen. And they even worked a little blog news in too! We plan to roll out the Kaahls and Yaahls World Premiere Guest Host Milkshake Blogcast around 1300 hours (1 pm cst) on Friday the 13th. How's that for lucky 13s. We will also simultaneously release it to youtube under "Kaahls and Yaahls Milkshake Blog" in case you go looking for it there. We have invited some media to come check it out as well so we hope the boys get their big break and make it on to the bright lights. Give them all your support. After all they're coming to make you laugh and crack-up. Tell your friends and please join us this Friday. It will be an event you will never forget. You will cry with laughter and maybe just cry too. We did.

Beating up the wrong guy

A young guy wearing mascara. He asks a simple question. Is there Life on Mars? The answer....yes. Our two red rovers have been there for seven years. If our technology is there then our humanity is there. We are there. Soon another rover is going to land. A big one. In a big dangerous landing. (See the clip on this blog. Scroll for the post.)

So here's some music with Mars in the title to tie this thing together. The great tune Life on Mars got new legs in the Wes Anderson flick Life Aquatica you will remember, covered by Seu Jorge in this first clip. The second clip needs no explainer. Do it proud and dial it to 11. There are balls and then there is Bowie. Let's remind ourselves kids, he did this 39 years ago. That took guts.

Special News! Special! Very, Very Special! I'm Not Kidding!

When you wake up tomorrow to greet the day; begin your two-thousand rep workout of calisthetics; check-out your portfolio and find it dwindling by 1 and 1/75th percentile (like it probably did yesterday); gulp down your pop tart-and 5-hour energy breakfast; and then bolt from your cold sweat to.... (in the words of 70s rock-poets Backman-Turner Overdrive) "start your slaving job to get your pay", don't forget to soothe the beast within with a cold (tho diminutive) slurpee between 11am and 7pm in celebration of July 11 (7-11). It's Seven-11's Birthday so tiny slurpee's are free. Enjoy. That's what you can do. Have tiny enjoyment. Random weirdness of truth: #1. Someone texted me in Klingon yesterday. This is the Klingon from Star Trek. I found there is an entire vocabulary. #2. I once was asked by the secret service what my code name was. #3. A president of a european country once stared at me waiting for me to speak to him. #4. On a deserted island, an islander tried to sell me a large quantity of drugs for a small amount of dollars. #5. A CIA agent once told me in strict confidence: don't ever take a lie detector test. He used to administer them and they can all be rigged for whatever results the test-givers wants. #6. All of the above things really happened. Proof: I've put my hand in the mouth of truth and it came out just fine. Now the final thing. The milkshake has a world premiere coming. Announcing this Friday, the 13th (good date huh?) We will have our first guest bloggers host in a real live blogcast. They were hard to get but we got em. The talent has been inked and brought in the studio and the tape rolled and it was very exciting. We're in "post-production" right now. All is well. Make sure to come back Friday for the world premiere. But come back sooner too. You won't want to miss this. More details to come, probably tomorrow. Our guest bloggers are coming to the Milkshake in less than 72 hours. And they are awesome. That's all I can say right now. More tomorrow. See ya.

Why Cars Rock

A musical interlude with stylish images. Please scroll down slowly thru the photos as you give a listen. Kick back. Sip a beverage. Go driving. (Not all at the same time.) .....you're welcome. --mgt.

Care, it's really pretty simple

Got out on my block the other evening and picked up trash. It was very non-scientific. Only to see what we, as 21st century creatures, like to carelessly, lo thoughtlessly, discard into the public domain. I stopped at 100 items. You decide how telling it is (or isn't): 81 cigarette butts; 7 cigarette packages; 4 cigarette cellophane wrappers; 3 plastic drink bottles; 1 utility bill; 1 gum wrapper; 1 prescription; 1 crushed milk cap; and 1 ad circular still in plastic. Only difference from years past that I could see was I never reached the end of my block this time. One footnote: maybe it matters, maybe not: as I was collecting, I noticed two cars roar by and add to the collection, both were cigarette butts they threw, both still burning (in this tinderbox drought too!) and it struck me funny that both vehicles we're speeding and both we're these big suv monsters. Hmmm. Discuss.

Don't Blink--We're 236 Yrs Old, But We're Young At Heart And Our Skyrockets Are Still Flying!

Time flies. Here we are on independence day USA. You made it again. We made it again. Someone special who's been around rocking for a long time keeps rocking every night on the radio here in Chicago. With Dick Clark's passing earlier this year I think it makes him even more special. He's in the rock n roll hall of fame. He introduced the beatles to america. He is the wild Itralian--the dickster--Dick Biondi! Check him out. He's a good guy. The genuine article. I've met him and spoke to him a few times and he's a down to earth guy who is just a great guy to know. Dick Biondi can be heard every weekday night from 11 pm to 2 am CST. He's rockin away on 94.7 WLS and you can get hear him thru the internet too. Speaking of internet when was your first time? You know...when did you do it? Try it? When did you give it up? I recall some vague newspaper article archiving deal in the late 80s but it wasn't until the early 90s that the so-called information superhighway beckoned to me and I answered--and thus entered the slow lane via some crazy thing known as America Online. Ahhhh memories. I received a certificate that stated I was one of the first 50,000 people on the planet to be registered on the internet. (whatever THAT was???) It was dated July 4, 1992! Twenty years ago! Blink. In honor of 4th of July, and Dick Biondi, and my internet plunge, and especially in honor of all you milkshake bloggers who keep coming back to read me, here's a little comparison rock n roll called THEN AND NOW with some patriotic overtones. I'm sort of lifting this idea from Jodi (check out Jodiferous.com) which she used to call 'Then and Now' back in the day when she blogged regularly. First the 'THEN' part....Remember the summer of '76?....the bicentennial? Well here is what was hot that fourth of July and all that month of July back THEN, gifted by the Starland Vocal Band.... And in about 2004--let's call it the NOW portion of the feature--here's what Will Ferrell and the gang did with the tune in Anchorman....

they said it....dare mighty things

July in french is called Julliet, and in spanish is called Julio. Hey, there's a whole big warm month full of blogging questions to be answered here on the milkshake....like: what did we find out in our yearly enviro-survey?--we'll answer that in the scoop later this Julliet. What will you do on 7-11? Maybe get a free slurpee? Want more adventures of our favorite free-spirited dog Spirit? Ever knock-around your town?--How do you roll? By bike? On foot? Scooter? Hitchhike? Wanna be a guest blogger and write the blog topic here on the milkshake during the month of Julio?--we can make it happen for you. Comment and let us know if you're interested (or email me or text me). Wanna tell us what 'throwback' tv' shows your hooked on this summer? Personally, the milkshake can't get enough Adam-12. Love watchin' the fuzz bust heads back in the groovy 70s. Finally, ever play 'seven seconds in heaven?'?--well JPL has a game called SEVEN MINUTES OF TERROR. It's a little teaser to an event coming on August 6th when the Curiosity Rover sets down on Mars. It's one hell of a thrill ride and they did a great job with the video. Check it out below.