Top Ten Things To Do ...........for the rest of the week...........

Even though it is Wednesday, we thought we'd go ahead and share ten things we need to do for the rest of the week. Assuredly, there are other things that will come to mind as we type this list up!

1. Work-out at the gym

2. Take the trash down and recycle

3. Buy groceries (image #1, ironically, we don't have a Trader Joe's here in this zip code)

4. Look into day trip to Winston-Salem, NC

5. Oil change and wash car

6. Get over the summer time blues (image #2, the late John Lee Hooker)

7. Continue writing 750 words a day

8. Send card to Dutch Ambassador Rudolf Bekink for his country's third place finish at the World Cup

9. DVR "Scarface," the 1983 Al Pacino version directed by Brian De Palma (it airs at 2:00 a.m. Thursday night/Sunday morning eastern time on TCM)

10. Go to a minor league baseball game (#image 3, the mascots for the Akron Rubber Ducks, a AA team for the Cleveland Indians in Akron, Ohio, that was previously known as the Akron Aeros)

Colleges Nicknames- Is that Really Tulsa's Nickname?

We conclude our project of showing the nicknames of 96 different NCAA schools (in men's college basketball). We wish we could share them all them all, but there are 334 schools! If it's any consilation, I left out the Radford University Highlanders, my own alma mater.

Today, we look at some of the most distinctive and in some cases outright strange college nicknames.

One that always stands out from the pack is the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. For those of you residing in Sri Lanka who are perhaps unfamiliar with American geography, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is far, far away from both coasts. Though Oklahoma is quite vulnerable to tornadoes. Nevertheless, it is an absolute impossibility that Oklahoma could ever get hit by a hurricane.

The three schools we have pictured here are the Akron Zips, the Sacramento State Hornets and the Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos.

Of the schools listed here, it is a virtual certainty that both Florida and Georgetown will into the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Florida A & M has a chance if they beat Norfolk State today in the MEAC semi-finals and then win the conference tourney. Akron is also in their conference tournament semi-finals today as they face Kent State.

We believe that we got all 33 or 33 of the conferences, but we did inadvertently snub some states, including West Virginia, Minnesota, New Mexico and New Hampshire. While we did have a huge number of schools of these eight lists from North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and California.


Here are the teams, yes we are not making some of these crazy nicknames up:

1. Akron Zips, Mid-America, Akron, Ohio.

2. Denver Pioneers, Sun Belt, Denver, Colo.

3. East Tennessee State Buccaneers, Atlantic Sun, Johnson City, Tenn.

4. Evansville Purple Aces, Missouri Valley, Evansville, Ind.

5. Florida Gators, SEC, Gainesville, Fla.

6. Florida A & M Rattlers, MEAC, Tallahassee, Fla.

7. Georgetown Hoyas, Big East, Washington, DC.

8. Maine Black Bears, Northeast, Orono, Maine.

9. Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos, Summit, Kansas City, Mo.

10. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, Big Sky, Flagstaff, Ariz.

11. Sacramento State Hornets, Big Sky, Sacramento, Calif.

12. Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, C-USA, Tulsa, Okl.

From the Record Collection (7 of 8) Devo "Freedom of Choice"

Today, we feature the third studio album from the Akron, Ohio-based punk band Devo, which is "Freedom of Choice."

The record features the band's signature song "Whip It," which features a video with the band wearing hats that look like flower pots. Amazingly enough, Devo, a band known for covering songs of other bands ("I Can't Get No Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones; "Gotta Serve Somebody" by Bob Dylan), were covered by Pearl Jam when they performed "Whip It" on stage complete with the flower pot hats and the yellow raincoats, that Devo is known for.

They Might Be Giants also covered the song "Through Being Cool," which is not on "Freedom of Choice."

The members of Devo are two sets of brothers, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, and Gerald and Bob Casale. It may seem startling today, but the industrial city of Akron, Ohio, was a thriving place for New Wave punk bands, including Devo, in the 1980s.

One of the other famous bands from the area during this era was The Waitresses, which is best-known for the holiday punk classic "Christmas Wrapping."

Chrissie Hynde, the lead singer of The Pretenders, is also from Akron and has even lived there in recent years though her band actually formed in London where Hynde was living abroad in the late '70s.

The name Devo comes from the term 'de-evolution,' which states that man is regressing back to the caveman years rather than moving forward.

Among the catchy tunes on "Freedom of Choice" are "Girl U Want," which is about how difficult it is to really be with the girl you want and the title track which is about the contradiction between rigid American conformity and the possibilities one should have in a free society. The song is made more ironic because it came out the same year that Ronald Reagan, arguably the poster boy for modern political conservatism in America, was elected president.

The album was recorded at Record Plant in Los Angeles, and produced by Robert Margouleff, who had produced many Stevie Wonder records.

In 2009, Devo re-released both "The Freedom of Choice" and their debut record "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo" and toured performing both albums in their respective entirety.

From the Record Collection (2 of 8)_ The Pretenders II

It may come as a shock to folks who were born "The Smurfs" were no longer on tv that Akron, Ohio, was actually the hotbed of emerging New Wave punk scene in the late
'70s, thanks to band like Devo, The Dead Boys and The Waitresses, a band which is popular this time of the year because their song "Christmas Wrapping" gets played a lot around Christmas time on fm radio stations.

Though technically not a part of the Akron scene, The Pretenders have a definitive link with the northwest Ohio city because it's the hometown of lead singer Chrissie Hynde, who opened up a vegan restaurant called The Vegiterranean, which alas folded in October because of the bad American economy.

Recorded in 1981, an amazing year for rock and pop music with acclaimed records coming out from bands as diverse as Rush and The Go-Gos, "The Pretenders II" would be very last time that the four original members recorded together. Sadly, between the release of the band's second and third record "Learning to Crawl" two members would die, including Peter Farndon (1952-1983) and James Honeymoon Scott (1956-1982).

This just left Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers in the band, which has stayed together since they formed in 1978, with various lineup changes over the years.

"The Pretenders II" was produced by veteran Chris Thomas, who had worked with The Beatles and Pink Floyd. It the follow-up from their highly succesful first record and expectations were very high.

This is perhaps why the second record is not as highly regarded as it should be. Among the noted tracks on "Pretenders II" are two covers of songs by The Kinks in "Stop Your Sobbing" and "I Go to Sleep." Hynde would become romantically involved with Ray Davies, the lead singer of The Kinks in later years.

Sexual themes figure prominently in this record with suggestive tracks like "Baby Gets Spanked" in the mix; the record also features the following stellar songs: "Message of Love," "Talk of the Town" and "Day After Day."

20 years after its initial release, "Pretenders II" was finally certified gold.

Special Quote of the Day- Colin Farrell

Today's quote of the day is our final entry for the March quotes dedicated to famous people from Ireland. It was recently revealed that surprisingly Colin Farrell, 34, was close friends with Elizabeth Taylor who died last week.

The relatively young Irish actor is known for his performances in films like "Miami Vice," "Minority Report," "Phone Booth" and "In Bruges."

Here is his quote which hopefully those of you on your lunch break in Burbank, Calif., will have time to read:

"Being Irish is very much a part of who I am. I take it everywhere with me."

SIDEBAR: Well, the whole world literally came to a stand-still in places like Karachi, Pakistan, and New Delhi, India, as the two countries were watching the semi-final game at the World Cricket Championships between the two rival countries.

The game was played in Mumbai, India, and the home team won. India's Sachin Tendulkar made the game-winning score as Pakistan's wicketkeeper (we really know nothing about cricket!) Kamran Akmal looked on in disgust.

India will now play Sri Lanka, the tournament's co-host, in Mumbai on Saturday.

Apparently, no work was done in either India or Pakistan today so everyone could watch the mid-week game.

And, we thought Goodyear executives were presumably horrified that the opening round NCAA men's basketball game between the Akron Zips and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish would result in lost productivity a few weeks back.

Goodyear Tires are based in Akron, Ohio; Notre Dame won that game.

Silly Photo to Fill Space- Store Mascots...?!

Today, we feature another installment on summer series on summer jobs with a photo of The Noid who was the store mascot for Domino's Pizza up until....(ay karamba, we forgot to wiki this?!)......the point when Vanilla Ice went out of fashion.

I never had the fortune/misfortune to dress like The Noid, but I did promotions (I was a Teenage Human Billboard) and deliveries for Domino's as a 19-year-old kid back in the Roanoke, Va., area in 1989.

Personally, I consider this to be the third worst job I ever had behind being a crime reporter for a small newspaper in North Carolina and later teaching ESL to mostly Hispanic inmates at a state prison.

So, I would encourage anyone in our feature town of the month- Akron, Ohio, to actually seek out employment at Capri Pizza, which according to their web site was voted Best Pizza in west Akron. The establishment also features the $7 Killer Steak Sandwich! Who's counting calories?

SIDEBAR: The Akron Aeros lost their home game to the Bowie BaySox from Maryland by a 10-5 margin last night, but the two teams go at it again this evening.

SIDEBAR TWO: Those of you living in one of our favorite towns Boulder, Colo., may want to check out The Sierra Lone Refugee All Stars. The band from Africa was featured in an award-winning documentary which aired on the PBS series "POV" a few summers ago. The show at The Boulder Theater is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 8 p.m.

Top Ten College Albums of the Week (According to 'Rolling Stone')

We were pleasantly surprised to see one of our favorite '80s New Wave bands Devo is actually listed in the current College Radio Top Ten Albums list in the current "Rolling Stone."

Another band from Akron, Ohio, The Black Keys have the top album of the week.

Devo will be performing in Des Moines, Iowa, tonight before heading for shows in Indianapolis and Atlanta next week (why doesn't anyone come to North Carolina any more?!).

I will admit I haven't heard of many of these acts. Tame Impala?! But, the band Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse has a really, really cool name, don't they?

Here is the complete list:

1. The Black Keys "Brothers"

2. Wolf Parade "Expo 86"

3. Tokyo Police Club "Champ"

4. Deer Tick "The Black Dirt Sessions"

5. Tame Impala "Innerspeak"

6. Blitzen Trapper "Destroyer of the Void"

7. Devo "Something for Everybody" (pictured)

8. Stars "The Five Ghosts"

9. Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse "Dark Night of the Soul."

10. Sleigh Bells "Treats"

SIDEBAR: Because everything in the world is closed here in King, NC, (not really where I'm at), we will be posting our new 50 Beers from Around the World entry on Monday.

SIDEBAR TWO: WUAG-103.1 FM, the college radio station for UNC-Greensboro has ranked Wolf Parade's "Expo 86," which was number two on the RS list as their top album of the week. The station (wuag.net) also features an all-vinyl show between 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays with host James Wert. You can actually listen to the show in both Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Provo, Utah, because the station is available for streaming around the world.

Silly Photo to Fill Space- Working at the Amusement Park

Today, we are featuring a photo of an employee at Joyland Park in Lubbock, Tex., in our Silly Photo to Fill Space special entry series on summer jobs.

Our feature is actually Akron, Ohio, for the month of July though. And, while there is not an amusement park in Akron, unless you count Laser Quest, there is Cedar Point Park, which has all those roller coasters and tilt-a-whirl rides in Sandusky, Ohio.

Check it out!

Of course, if you want to see a great film about working in such places, then there is last year's "Adventureland," now out on dvd.......Rock Me Amadeus....!

Silly Picture to Fill Space- Wolfman Jack

Today we feature the late dj Wolfman Jack in our summer jobs mini-series here on our regular Tuesday file "Silly Picture to Fill Space."

We will focus on the prospect that one may want to wish to become a summer dj at a local radio station.

In Akron, Ohio, not far from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, there are several radio stations ('course, for 'legal reasons,' we should point out that we have no idea if any of them are hiring), including WONE, 97.5-FM, a rock n roll station in Akron. Other radio stations in the area include WQNX-FM 94.9 Country in Medina and Cruisin' 101. FM (an oldies station) in Shelby.

As for the local minor league baseball team in Akron, our beloved Akron Aeros (well we don't actually live anywhere close to the Buckeye State--that's Ohio for those of you in Tashkent, Uzbekistan) lost to the Erie SeaWolves 4-2 last night. But, the two teams face each other again tonight in Akron. Perhaps, we can get home in time to watch the game....oh, right ESPN doesn't televise Eastern League games!

Silly Photo to Fill Space- Orbit

Ay Karamba!

I have like five minutes to post this entry dedicated to Orbit, the mascot of the Akron Aeros in Akron, Ohio.

Akron is also the hometown of the '80s New Wave band Devo, which is actually performing in Ann Arbor, Mich., tonight before playing concerts in Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Louisville later in the week. I guess they will play "Whip It."

As for the Aeros, they beat the visiting Trenton thunder 9-3 last night in Canal Park. Tonight, they face the same team at 7:00 p.m. with Aeros pitcher Scott Barnes taking the mound.

Gazooks!

We better get moving.........

PSA- Save the Brown Pelican

Yesterday evening, I had a chance to listen to a segment on the NPR interview show "Fresh Air" about the brown pelicans which along with sea turtles have been greatly affected by the huge BP Oil Spill afflicting the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

Anyone who wishes to help with the National Wildlife Federation's efforts to help the birds, which up until very recently, were an endangered species (as are the sea turtles) can go to the organization's web site at nfw.org

In other happier news, The Myrtle Beach Pelicans in Myrtle Beach, SC, have a Fouth of July homestand this weekend. Last night, they beat the Kinston Indians 2-1 thanks to an outstanding effort from their pitcher Paul Clemens.

The Pelicans will host the Salem Red Sox from Salem, Va. (my hometown) starting on July 3rd.

The Akron Aeros from Akron, Ohio, another minor league baseball team, is now taking the field in Bowie, Md., to face the Bowie Baysox. Scott Barnes will take the mound for Akron while Ryohei Tanaka will be the starting pitcher for Bowie. Last night, the Aeros beat the Richmond Flying Squirrels 8-6 in another road game. We take it that someone in that organization takes a liking to "Rocky and Bullwinkle!"

Songs of Our Youth (8 of 12)_ "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses

I actually found the lp which featured this song by the punk band The Waitresses at the Big Flea Market in Greensboro, NC, for a mere two bucks!

The band from Akron, Ohio, is also known for their song "Christmas Wrapping," which is frequently played on radio stations around Christmas time.

Sadly, the Waitresses' lead singer Patty Donahue tried at age 40 from lung cancer in 1996. The band also performed the title song for the cult tv sitcome "Square Pegs," which ran in the early 1980s and featured a very young Sarah Jessica Parker.

As for Uma Thurman, well---yes, I am definitely an admirer of her's!