Lotto Fever!

The current jackpot amount for the Mega Millions lottery is $640-million.

$640 million. The biggest in world history. Is there anyone out there in America who doesn't have at least one lottery ticket for tonight's drawing?

I have eight tickets, but I didn't pay for them. Actually, I'm ahead by $4. How is this possible? Well, it's kind of a weird story.

I was in the HEB grocery store yesterday, and I had planned to buy three tickets. The first set of numbers I was going to use were the numbers I saw listed on "Good Morning America" the other day. Apparently, this set of numbers hasn't been chosen in the last 25 drawings. The next set of numbers were numbers that I picked, based on kids ages, etc. The final set of numbers were numbers I let Sara pick.

At HEB, you don't pay a cashier to buy lottery tickets. Everything is done on a machine, similar to a soda or candy machine. So I stick my paper into the machine, and I then expect to put $3 in afterwards. But no, my lottery ticket prints out with my three sets of numbers. I also notice that I have $7 left in credit on the machine. It seemed that some absent-minded individual had left $10 in credit on the lottery machine after they used it. I didn't see anyone before I approached the machine, so I had no idea how long ago this person put their money in. Did they do it on purpose? Who knows. Anyway, I had seven dollars left.

"Okay, " I tell myself "I guess I'll get 5 more."

I press the $5 button on the machine, and out pops 5 "Quick Picks." I also pick up a $2 "scratch off" ticket. The scratch off ticket wins me an instant $4. Wow, I'm lucky today!

So, I intended to buy 3 tickets, but ended up getting 8 for free, as well as $4 in cash. Win or lose, I'm still ahead. :)

I'm not one of those people who play the lottery religiously. A few years back I wrote about how my father-in-law was always going around saying "When I win the lottery...(blah blah blah)"

That's not me. I don't say that. I have a friend who is looking for a second job just to keep up with her mortgage payments, yet she always finds money to play the lottery. When people say that the lottery is a "tax on the stupid," they ain't kidding. But, when the lottery is this insane, you just have to play, right?

You don't really buy tickets expecting to actually win. It's more about having fun talking about what you would do if you did win. I decided to pick the annual payment option, rather than the lump sum cash option. Having that much cash all at once would be too crazy for me to deal with. At least with 26 annual payments, I wouldn't end up losing it all in a year or two.

So what would I buy? I'm not some idiot that would go out and spend two million on a gold bathtub or some crap like that. No, most likely I would just buy a nice, modest house (with swimming pool!) and a second car. Then I'd put a big chunk of it into the kids savings, so they could go to any college they want when they grow up. Then I'd go to all the countries I've ever wanted to visit. After that, who knows. I would expect every relative and friend I've ever known to come out of the woodwork, asking for money. Some I'd be generous with...others, not so much. I know Christy would want me to give a ton away to charity. She'd also want to move her entire family out here too, I'm sure. Well, you know what they say...sometimes lottery dreams can turn into lottery nightmares.

Happy 7th Birthday, Sara!

Sara celebrates her 7th birthday today. Yep, she's not a baby anymore. She's growing up fast. Next thing you know, she's going to be asking me for my car keys.

We didn't throw a big party this year. I told her that maybe we will do one next year for her 8th birthday. Instead we just took her to Chuck E. Cheese, which she loved anyway (although personally I don't think Chuck E. Cheese pizza is very good.) But you don't really go there for the pizza anyway, you go there for the 80's video games and winning tickets, which you can then redeem for a tiny plastic toy, or a piece of candy.

Sara's favorite gifts this year were her new dress (see pic above) and her "Pillow Pet."

Video - Radiohead - "Everything in its Right Place"

Here is one final video from the Radiohead concert on 3/7/12.

Video - Radiohead - Frank Erwin Center, Austin TX

Here's a video I shot of Radiohead performing "Paranoid Android" at the Erwin Center, Austin TX. March 7, 2012. (see previous blog for complete review)

Radiohead in Austin!

Radiohead is one of my "bucket list" bands. A band that I've always wanted to see live, but for some reason or another, I've never been able to. They were one of my favorite bands during the late 90's and early 2000's. They had their first big single, "Creep", in 1993, but I didn't start to really like them until the release of "OK Computer" in 1997. "OK Computer" is a classic. One of the greatest albums ever. After that I bought "The Bends", which is another classic, almost at the same level of "OK Computer." With these two albums, I was hooked.

After "OK Computer", Radiohead had a lot of great songs, but, in my opinion, no great albums. Starting with "Kid A", they became much more experimental, focusing more on electronic music than creating solid rock songs with melody. Although I still continued to buy their albums, my interest in them began to gradually decline. ("Kid A" is probably my favorite from their post 90's material, "Hail to the Thief" my least favorite).

I tried to see Radiohead live once before when they were on tour to promote "Kid A" (around the year 2000 or 2001). I was living in California at the time, and the show was at the Hollywood Bowl. I waited outside Tower Records in Long Beach to try to get tickets. The show sold out in minutes. No tickets for me. I waited around, assuming they would add another show, but they didn't. Then I tried Ebay, but people were asking insane prices for tickets. I figured I would just try to catch them another time.

So...12 years later, I finally saw Radiohead live. Honestly, though, I wish I had seen them 12 years ago. The excitement had died down a little for me. The show at the Frank Erwin Center was good, but for me was also a bit disappointing. The band primarily focused on songs from their newest albums, ignoring their classic, late 90's work (with the exception of the last song, "Paranoid Android.")

I admire Radiohead for not just going out and playing their "greatest hits" to please the masses. Sure, I would have been happy, but I can understand that bands need to grow and keep creating new music, or else they will just be a nostalgia act like The Rolling Stones, The Who, and...yes, even Roger Waters.

Although they barely touched upon my favorite songs, there were some highlights for me. The four songs they played from "Kid A" sounded great live (Kid A, The National Anthem, Idioteque, and Everything in its Right Place). From the newer albums, "Nude" and "Give Up the Ghost" also have a new appreciation from me. And then, finally, at the very end, they gave us a classic from "OK Computer." I just wish there had been more.

(Pictures: 1. The Frank Erwin Center. 2-5. Radiohead. Yeah, I know the pictures are blurry and kind of suck, but those were the best. Obviously I need a new camera.)

Deeper Into "The Wall" - Pink Floyd Immersion Box Set

The death of the CD will be upon us soon. Just like 8 track. Just like cassette. Just like vinyl. Most people (including myself) now listen to their music in the digital format. It's cheaper, it's easier, and it's much more convenient. I like having immediate access to thousands of songs right at the click of a mouse. If I want to hear five different songs from five different bands, I no longer need to dig out the albums, take them out of their sleeves, and stick them on a turntable. Or (if I have a cassette), fast forward to the song I want to hear. In this regard, digital has the clear advantage. Purists, and grumpy old people, will complain about "the death of music", but these people just need to get with the times.

The music industry realizes that sales of physical CD's are soon going to be non-existent, so now, in a last ditch effort to make some money, they are putting out some pretty cool box-sets from major artists. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and my personal favorite, Pink Floyd have recently put out new remasters of old albums, with tons of rare, unreleased material.

Pink Floyd put out what they call "Immersion" box sets of their best three albums: "Dark Side of the Moon," "Wish You Were Here," and "The Wall." Each box includes the original, remastered album, and several additional discs with live tracks and demos. They both include DVD's and Blu ray discs of videos and concert footage.

The price is a bit steep. Over $100 for each box. Although now you can get "Dark Side of the Moon" for 50% off at Amazon. Since "The Wall" is my favorite Floyd album, that is the only box set I have purchased so far (I will likely get the other two when the price comes down).

"The Wall" includes 7 discs. 2 discs for the remastered album. 2 discs of the remastered "Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81" 2 discs of "demo recordings" and a DVD of videos, concert footage, documentaries and interviews.

You also get a lot of "swag", much of it totally unnecessary. It has two booklets filled with pictures only. No essays or any written material whatsoever. You also get reproductions of concert tickets and backstage passes, a poster, a Gerald Scarfe print, 3 marbles (!), a scarf, and coasters for your drinks. I would have gladly passed on the marbles, scarf, and coasters for a reduction in price for this set. Totally freakin' unnecessary. Take out most of the "swag" and you've got about a $50 box set here.

As for the music....not much more can be said for how great the album is. It's a masterpiece. I can't really tell much different from this new remaster compared to the 1994 remaster, but that's just me. The demos are the real treasure here. There are 64 in total, starting with Roger Waters home demos, David Gilmour home demos, and then full band demos. Many of the songs are radically different. Some of the demos ended up on future albums. Here, you get the Pink Floyd version of "Sexual Revolution", which would end up on the Roger Waters solo album "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking." And "Teacher Teacher" would become "The Hero's Return" on the next Floyd album "The Final Cut." For me, this is the best part of the box set.

The DVD is a major letdown. Apparently, Pink Floyd filmed several performances of "The Wall" in concert at Earl's Court in London in 1981. On the DVD, you get a mere one song from that performance (The Happiest Days of Our Lives). The 50 minute documentary, "Behind the Wall", shows numerous clips from that concert as well. The quality looks pretty good, so why not just include the entire show? What they have here amounts to a tease.

So there you have it. Is it worth $100? No, not at all. I think by Christmas of this year, you will see this one at half-off as well. So unless you are really into marbles and coasters and scarves, just wait a while.