These Are the Days

Here are some more Photoshop IndyCars I drew up...(If you click on the pics the pic gets bigger & you can see more detail.)

Posted by D. Schwa at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

I have wanted to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop for a while so I am taking the down time to work on soem projects. The other day I was on IndyCar.com trolling around & I found a car design contest. Being competitive, I decided to design a couple & enter them. It has been a lot of fun. Below are two car I have desgned so far...

Posted by D. Schwa at 2:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

I was previewing some country music this afternoon when I found a song that completely blew me off my feet. We all have those songs we identify with, those songs that speak to us. Tim McGraw by Taylor Swift could have been written by me. It speaks directly to a time in my life & I simply found it to be amazing. She is a new artist signed by Toby Keith’s new label, I think this song is going to be huge, bigger even than Like We Never Loved At All. Look for the link below or catch it on the radio, you will love it.

Tim McGraw

You said the way my blue eyes shined
Put those Georgia stars to shame that night
I said, that's a lie
Just a boy in a Chevy truck
That had a tendency of getting stuck
On back roads at night
& I was right there beside him all summer long
& then the time we woke up to find that summer'd gone

But when you think, Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long
The moon like a spotlight on the lake
When you think happiness
I hope you think, that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
& my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me

September saw a month of tears
& thanking God that you weren't here
To see me like that
But in a box beneath my bed
Is a letter that you never read
From three summers back
It's hard not to find it all a little bitter sweet
& looking back on all of that
It's nice to believe

When you think, Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long
The moon like a spotlight on the lake
When you think happiness
I hope you think, that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
An' my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me

& I'm back for the first time since then
I'm standing on your street
& there's a letter left on your doorstep
& the first thing that you'll read

Is, when you think, Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
Some day you'll turn your radio on
I hope it takes you back to that place
When you think happiness
I hope you think, that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me
Oh, think of me
Mmmm

You said the way my blue eyes shined
Put those Georgia stars to shame that night
I said, that's a lie

Posted by D. Schwa at 2:13 AM | Permalink | Comments

Vitals

Book: Band of Brothers : E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
Author: Stephen Ambrose
Publisher: Touchstone: Reprint 2001
Chapters/Pages: 19/313
My Rating: 15/10

Band of Brothers is easily the best book I have ever read. I have owned it for a over a year, but have just not made the time to read it. The TV mini series is my favorite DVD of all time, so I opened up the book with considerable expectations. It didn’t disappoint.

After reading the book, it is amazing how well the producers recreated it in the miniseries. Between BoB & Citizen Soldiers, everything is in the series. The problem is that the movie changed some pretty noticable things. The book is much better than the movie, if that is possible. BoB centers around Dick Winters, like movie, however far less emphasis is put on Lewis Nixon. One of the episodes, Last Patrol, is narrated by Webster. He plays a far greater role in the book. His literature & memoirs add a ton of vitality to the book. Although he plays a big role in the series, Ronald Speirs is huge in the book. You end of loving the man even more.

With every turn of the page you feel like you are freezing your rear off in a foxhole or fixing your bayonette for a charge into battle. The experience is amazing. I mentioned some things that were changed in the movie earlier, producers also left a lot of the lighter moments of the book that were simply hilarious. For example, after taking Hitler’s retreat, Easy had some fun with Hitler’s cars. Regiment wanted them to turn over Hitler's high end cars to the higher ups in the military, they instead decided to do some research first…

“Before Talbert turned over his Mercedes, he too did some experimenting. He was able to report to Winters that the windows were bulletproof, but that if you used armor-piercing ammo, it would get the job done. Winters thanked him for his research, agreeing that one never knew when this ,kind of information would come in handy….They decided that before turning it in they would see if it could survive a 30-meter crash, so they pushed it over a cliff.”

I could write for hours & hours on Band of Brothers, just know it’s an amazing book, easily the best read of my life. I loved every minute of it. I’ll close with a quote from the the book…

“They thought the Army was boring, unfeeling, & chicken, & hated it. They found combat to be ugliness, destruction, & death, & hated it. Anything was better than the blood & the carnage, the grime & filth, the impossible demands made on the body-anything that is, except letting down their buddies. They also found that in war, men who loved life would give their lives for them…In thinking back on the days of Easy Company, I’m treasuring my remark to a grandson who asked ‘Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?’ ‘No,’ I answered, ‘but I served in a company of heroes.’”

It is one of those books you remember for the rest of your life. I definitely recommend it, but don’t take my word for it…

Currently Playing…
Every Man for Himself
By Hoobastank
“Inside of You"

Posted by D. Schwa at 12:31 AM | Permalink | Comments

I know no one really digs my NASCAR blogs, however I dig them. After Jr. ran a sweet black Bud Scheme at Talladega, the powers that be gave him another sweet ride for Father’s Day. Below is an old school crème colored ride. The ride resembles rides from the 50’s & has the old school Bud logo on the hood & quarters. He’s going to win with this ride.

Currently Playing…
Phobia
By Breaking Benjamin
“Diary of Jane”

Posted by D. Schwa at 9:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

Vitals

Book: The Amnityville Horror
Author: Jay Anson
Publisher: Pocket Star: Reprint 2005
Chapters/Pages: 14/256
My Rating: 6/10

My next book is on the supposedly true haunting of a house on New York, The Amnityville Horror. I had seen the movie & Rory presented me the opportunity to read a copy of his book. It was a quick read (Barely a ay & a half.) & the reading was easy. The real question then comes into play. Do you believe any of this?

I believe in spirits & haunting, however this seems to be a little over the top. If you liked the movie, the book is better. Had the creators of the movie followed the book more closely, they would have had a gem. Ryan Reynolds carried that movie. Instead of a little kid like in the movie, the true story features a demonic pig, a marching band, & some other goofy haunting things. The author leads you to believe this is all plausible, however the family seems to be simply nuts.

I would recommend the book, however take it with a grain of salt. It’s a good read & you should enjoy it. But don’t take my word for it…

Currently Playing…
Curtain Call: The Hits
By Eminem featuring Nate Dogg
“Shake That”

Posted by D. Schwa at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

Vitals

Book: Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army From the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
Author: Stephen Ambrose
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1997
Chapters/Pages: 9/528
My Rating: 10/10

My second book review is of the Stephen Ambrose book Citizen Soldiers. I was recommended the book by a guy in one of my history classes so I ordered it. It is by the author of Band of Brothers. I didn’t know until after reading it that it is actually the sequel to Ambrose’s D-Day book which I haven’t read yet.

The book is awesome. It is right up my alley. As the title suggests, its covers the average man in the army the day after D-Day in Normandy, France through the Russos taking Berlin. I have never read such a thorough book. Ambrose is careful to include accurate soldier accounts. I was further draw to the book when members of E-Company (The men featured in Band of Brothers.) were continuously mentioned.

Citizen Soldiers looks at the war from the soldier on up through the ranks rather than featuring the leaders such as Eisenhower, Bradley, & Patton. The book is obviously written from an American perspective, however is careful to include perspectives from both GI’s & Krauts. Additionally, it is very interesting to hear criticisms of the Allied Brass (Surprisingly Patten & even Eisenhower, no so surprisingly Monty.).

This book is incredibly rich with accounts & descriptions & easily one of the top 5 books I have ever read. I found myself rereading sections just to fully take in the experience. Much of the book & details were obviously used in the making of Band of Brothers, often giving you great insight & further explanation of the movie. You aren’t going to find a much better book than this. But don't take my word for it...

Currently Playing…
Break the Cycle
By Staind
“Far Away"

Posted by D. Schwa at 12:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

Vitals

Book: Lover Poverty, & War: Journeys & Essays
Author: Christopher Hitchens
Publisher: Nation Books, 2004
Chapters/Pages: 3/475
My Rating: 8/10

The 1^st book for my book review is entitled Love, Poverty, & War: Journeys & Essays by Christopher Hitchens. I bought it probably 2 years ago after seeing an interview of Hitchens on the Daily show. he is super sarcastic & hilarious, yet very intelligent & well thought out. I was immediately drawn to his work.

Love, Poverty, & War is a collection of essays Hitchens has written for a variety of media outlets. He has some feel good essays, however is true gift is sarcastic annihilation of just about every target. His pen is truly a WMD. All of Hitchen’s opinions & positions are extremely well thought out, yet his appeal centers around his willingness to get in the trenches & name call.

The book is a solid 475 pages. Some of the essays were way over my head & some were simply boring. The beauty in the book is that it is broken into essays, if you get bored you can quickly skip ahead & not a miss a thing. Highlights include I Fought the Law in Bloomberg’s New York & Why Americans Are Not Taught History. Although there are some dull areas, I would highly recommend the book; it is an excellent read for those interested in some cynical political commentary. But don't take my word for it...

Currently Playing…
Volume 1
By Hurt
"Rapture"

Posted by D. Schwa at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

The primary class I have been teaching @ Washington is a reading class. Outwardly this would seem to be a bit weird for me to be teaching it, seeing I am a history major. However, I have always been big into reading. In elementary school we had a program where you read books from a list, took computer tests on them, & accumulated points. 2^nd through 5^th grade I was the top point scorer in the entire school (1 year I think I had something like 170 points to my next competitor’s 45.). Yea, I am a huge nerd.

My love of reading continues today. I have a ginormous bookshelf in my room packed with books. I like to order off of Amazon. You can find any used book at really good prices. The condition is generally pretty good to excellent (I write a ton of notes in my books so I don’t really care all that much short of it looking like has been through a wood chipper.) & the deliver is usually really quick. I like to stock up n 5-10, read them, & then stock up again.

I haven’t written much lately because I have been reading a ton. My kids have really inspired me to begin reading again (As well as having time now that college classes are done.) & I feel an obligation to set an example. Instead of me writing about getting drunk every other night, this summer I am going to drop some book reviews on a few of the books I read. This is probably the activist teacher in me trying to promote literacy, however I hope a few that read this might find some useful recommendations.

This kind of feels like reading rainbow. Who didn’t love that show? Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high… Levar Burton simply rocks….Or how about Storylords? You know that dude on the motorcycle (Norbert I think.) fighting evil doer Thorzull through reading. I forgot exactly how that one went. Or that dude reading the story while the old lady drew chalk scenes from the book.

Anyway, enjoy the books but don’t take my word for it….

Currently Playing…
Real Fine Place
By Sara Evans
“Coal Mine”

Posted by D. Schwa at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments