The Best Show You Haven't Heard

Just got in from recording our podcast, The Deucecast, Episode X: On Stranger Podcasts.   Have you heard our show?  Then let me tell you about it, so you'll know...

So not too long ago, maybe March or something like that, Mikey sends me a text that simply says, "I think we should do a podcast.  Call it the deucecast.  what do u think?"

Immediately, I smiled... a podcast?  A real, true life, on iTunes podcast?  I was down with it, completely.  Mikey is one of those guys that, when he is all in, he's all in.  He's totally in.  He's behind it a billion percent.  And this idea had been perculating around his mind for a little while, to the point where he started prepping for it before he even asked me about it.  Probably because... well, he' knew I'd be in.

After doing this website for just shy of six years now, I had been thinking of the next step, the next progression.  Heck, I had decided a year or so ago that a podcast would be a great idea, one of my own where I could talk about what I want, having guests of all calibers to discuss and debate--don't know if it would have been interesting, but at least I would have enjoyed it.

Problem was, I knew nothing of a podcast.  Nor did I have the equipment to even start with it.  But Mikey... he had the equipment, or at least some of it.  He needed me to kind of put a frame work on the show, maybe segments, games and so on.  What we would talk about, do a "rundown" of sorts. 

But how to get the show running, the techie stuff?  Enter Tommy Mac and Shawn Sharp, who both have a great idea of how this stuff works.

Though Mikey was ready to do an hour plus show the first week, I knew we'd have to build.  We met on a Wednesday night about a week or so after our initial conversation, and figured we'd put down some audio, talk about whatever, and that would be that... and after 90 minutes of playing with earphones, wires, sound levels, microphones, filters and so on, Mikey and I finally began to talk with Tommy and Shawn producing.

And it was dreadful.  Part of the show is unintelligible due to a bad buzzing noise, the other part was just that we had no idea what exactly we were doing.  I don't remember exactly what we talked about (I've never made it entirely through that particular episode on playback), but I do remember thinking that, "Well, that sucked... but it didn't suck as bad as it could have."

The next week rolled around, and this time, I actually brought "show notes", and a written "rundown".  The rundown was just the flexible schedule we were going to go by, the show notes were typed out notes for my own use to get my own thoughts out a little easier. 

Mikey's brother-in-law, and hubby to Mikey's sister Snipp, Matty, began listening from the beginning.  Living in Chattanooga, he would email and text us both some thoughts and suggestions on making the show better... so it didn't take long before he became a "guest contributor", and then into a full fledged co-host.

So the three of us, Matty, Mikey and myselfy have hosted The Deucecast now for what was our 10th episode last night... well, thats 10, but we also did 4 "negative" episodes... meaning we took 4 weeks and did shows as a rehearsal of sorts. 

You know how a big attraction at a theme park, or even a big store location has a grand opening, but before that, they do "soft openings" to work out the kinks?  This was us.  We took four weeks to work out the audio problems, to get our style down, to figure out segments that did and didn't work, games that needed redefining... and by Episode -1, we got it down.  In fact, that is one of my personal favorite episodes!

We even called in some "guest contributors" like Hurricane Rhett and The Good Dr. Earl to come in every few weeks and add something different to the show.  Perhaps Rhett's Rhants is one of our more popular segments, I'd say.  We had best selling author Justin Fisher in-studio to discuss his book as well (and if you haven't read it, shame on you.... its great... book review coming soon enough) for our first in-studio interview.

So, you are asking, what's The Deucecast about?  I'll admit, we aren't for everyone.  Not that its bad language or anything, but some people (re: chicks) might find us dorky and boring... we talk about movies and music and celebrities and pop culture stuff for an hour every week.  Mikey does a music segment where he brings up new music from sometimes obscure bands, and Matty and I make fun of him.  Matt does a "smorgasbord" where he discusses whatever, though alot of times it revolves video gaming.



Seagal is all things to all people.  And by "all
people", I mean Matt Rector.



I do a bit called "Buried Treasure" and discuss movies that you may have forgotten, movies like "Boomerang" with Eddie Murphy, and wrestling film "Body Slam", and sometimes music, like Hootie's "Fairweather Johnson" CD.

There several in-studio games we rotate through from week to week, like "Name That Crap", where everyone has to name the song being played, usually something along the caliber of early Michael Bolton or Lisa Lisa & the Cult Jam... we do a game called "Faux or Show", where we discuss horrible television shows from the past... and a great little movie game that keeps us laughing and bewilders us about how much random crap we know.

We also do an homage every week to actor/lawman/activist/humanitarian/musician/jack of all trades/master of all trades Steven Seagal, mostly catering to Matt's possibly unhealthy obsession to the guy. 

And in our "Roundtable", we just talk about whatever.  Star Wars is a popular topic, as is Charlie Sheen and I like to discuss Amy Adams (whom I'm in love with), but we cover everything from topical headlines to books to anything else.  Just a random free for all, almost like we are sitting in the living room just tossing stuff out there... cause thats actually what it is.

Overall, its a fun show.  I think its funny, but again, its not for everyone.  However, if you haven't listened to it at all, take a listen. 

You can find the website at http://www.thedeucecast.com/ and listen there, or go to iTunes and search for "The Deucecast".

So, before you write us off, give it a listen.  When you find out we are actually unfunny hacks who just laugh at our own inanity for an hour a week, then you can write us off.  But you have to listen to a show first.  Heck, even Amarylis by Morning (up from san antone) thinks we are hacks--but thanks anyway to Painted By U for being a sponsor. 

Okay, well, they arent really a sponsor, and legally, our show and her business have nothing to do with each other, and anything we say and do are not representative of the views and opinions of her or her business in any way (and vice versa), but if we DID have a pottery paintin' sponsor, Painted By U would totally be it, and if Painted By U wanted to sponsor a podcast, then... The Deucecast is it!
(summer of blogging, day 10)

Gil Grissom Will Never Be Furious Styles (and other random thoughts for your weekend)

Here are some random thoughts that have crossed my mind in the past few days... something to read for your weekend..

I walked out of Hallmark today, and towards a Mercury Sable that was parked there. I was almost to the car before I realized “Wait… not only is this not my Sable, I don’t own a Sable… and I’m parked over there…” Old habits die hard.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Why did it take TLC so long to just say, “Okay, okay, Kate and Jon and their 8 kids have given us enough money. Let’s call it.”?

Speaking of, when was the last time The Learning Channel actually gave you something worth learning? Not that I don't enjoy those repo shows, but I don't really learn how to get a car at 2am from a deadbeat buyer...

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I laid in bed one night recently, and heard a beep. While I couldn’t figure out what it was, The Lovely Steph Leann informed me it’s a fire alarm. I mentioned that we didn’t have any batteries, and that I would have to go get some, and she informed me that it wasn’t our fire alarm, it must be one of the empty houses across the street.

So, from the empty house, through the closed doors, across the small street, through our walls and into my room comes the beep of a dying fire alarm. Apparently, the neighborhood group had them changed, cause I haven’t heard it lately. However, as The Lovely Steph Leann and I were returning home from dinner and getting out of the car tonight, I heard the beep. My eyes instantly locked onto a hammer sitting atop the toolbox in the corner.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Funniest video clip of the year. First saw it when Tyler, Trey, Lenning, Jon and myself were getting readyfor a day at the Happiest Place on Earth, when it came on, in its full form, as an actual commercial...

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

It freaks me out when I feel my leg twitch because I think my phone is vibrating, and when I check my pockets, I realize my phone is sitting across the room on the kitchen table.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

"Paranormal Activity" looks like a fanastic movie. I, however, will not be seeing it, as I'm already scared of the dark as it is, and want to sleep at some point.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Someone got my memo. I went into Wal-Mart tonight to pick up some milk (and ended up with milk, a pack of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, a Banquet Salisbury Steak TV dinner and Colbie Caillat’s new CD, “Breakthrough”… ah, the joys of Wal-Mart late at night). Anyway, the point is, when I go to Wal-Mart, typically its two registers open and about 12 people lined up at each one, and it’s a guarantee that one of the register lights is blinking due to a price check, or a customer issue or you name it. Tonight, though? About six registers were open, no more than two or three at each. I’m guessing some member of the Walton family reads Clouds in My Coffee.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

By the way, Colbie Caillat's new CD is excellent. She's got this great, peaceful sound, like a cute chick sitting on a stool, playing a guitar. Its what I'd expect from my friend Laura DeG or Stephanie Nipp.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

When I am driving around and spending the day with Lorelei Addison and/or Campbell Isaiah, I'm sure that I'll see something, or hear something or come across something mentioning He Who Must Not Be Re-Elected, and I'll going to casually mention that that particular something "sucks". And I'm terrified that they will look up at me and say "Sucks what, daddy?". I'm not sure I even know the answer to that question.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I'm now old enough to be classified as "my mid-30s". Even now, when I'm differentiating left and right, I still hold up both hands, index fingers, thumbs pointed in. There's the L! That must be left!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The Lovely Steph Leann and I split up the chores, though to be fair, she does most of it. Part if it is that she wants to make sure its done to her specifications and satisfaction, so she just figures she’d do it… and part of it is admittedly being a lazy bum. Laundry is my deal, though . Has been since we first started shacking up together five years ago. And I don’t have a problem doing laundry, I usually stumble when its time to fold it.

Usually I’ve got neat stacks of shirts to be folded, pants to be hung up, socks to be matched and put away, but as the actual laundry day gets farther away, until suddenly its laundry day again, there’s a tipping point of my pile of laundry where I finally say, “Yeah, I already have a bunch of dirty light clothes, and my pile of clean light clothes is kinda slim now… so I’ll just wash lights and fold them all together.” Maybe its just me.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Second funniest video clip I've seen this year... its an actual commercial, and Robert Lee is a guy I want to meet.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

When I leave The Happiest Place in the Mall, often, especially in colder weather, I will have on a different shirt or sweatshirt as I’m walking through the stage. That means that unless you are a regular guest, you won’t know I work there. Which makes it all the more strange when I unconsciously say “Hi”, “How are you?” and “Welcome to Disney!” to people as I’m walking through.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I'm watching "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" with The Lovely Steph Leann. I am not sure we've seen an episode together in the entire run of the show, we've always watched it on DVD, via Netflix.

My favorite has been Warrick Brown, played by Gary Dourdan... he's just awesome--and, he's dead. Sara Sidle, played by Jorja Fox, has left the show. Never was a huge fan of Sara, but she was a part of the team. And now, William Petersen's Gil Grissom, one of the finest characters in all of TV history, has left.

Laurence Fishburne is a fine actor. He's made many a fine movie, including playing Furious Styles in "Boyz in the Hood" and of course, Morpheus in the Matrix trilogy (which, in a short sidebar, I can honestly say I've never met anyone who has told me how much they liked the 2nd and 3rd movie over the 1st... for all the people I've talked to, its how revolutionary and amazing the first one was, and how visually impressive, yet utterly terrible story-wise "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" are). Heck, he was even Cowboy Curtis on the fun-when-you-were-little-but-it-seems-a-little-creepy-now Pee Wee's Playhouse!

Where was I?

Ah yes, CSI. Anyway, Fishburne is Ray Langston, who joins the team after Gil left. And I like Langston. But he's just not Gil. Don't know if anyone is, or can be. Its almost as if the show is a different show now... the cases are the same, Nick (George Eads), Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) and Catherine (the getting-better-with-age Marg Helgenberger) are still there, but the show just has a different feel to it. Not better, not worse, just different.

The Lovely Steph Leann and I are already invested in the show, so we'll see it to the very end, season by season on DVD, no matter what happens... though I would love to see Gil make a reappearance.



But William Petersen could never be Furious Styles.

The Encouragement Beginning

Way back in the day, I used to write stuff called "Dave's Random Emails of Encouragement". From 1999 to 2002, I wrote well over 100 essays, stories and short pieces about... well, things that happened in my life that gave me encouragement, and I wanted to pass those things along to other people. In its heyday, I had 125+ people on my email list, and over the course of those years, I would get tons of responses from people telling me they understood, or they felt the same way, or they needed to hear it, and yes, the occasional "dude... shut up."

I even semi-published... well, not really published, but printed out, gave small intros to each one, and put them in a 3 volume set that I gave copies to to a few people (I think McQ got a set, but beyond that, I have no clue).

Here's what I wrote at the beginning of Volume One:

There was Allyson Guy, Amy Alexander, Amy Valdmanis and Amy Worthy. There was Beth Sentell, Daina Richards, Hillary Kelly and Rebecca Glassco. There was Lara Smith, Mary Ann Crittenden, Misty Estes, Nathan Tutor, Shelby Logan, Stephanie Nipp, Sybil Johnson and Tad Roose. There was Tom Johnson, Ty Coffey, Wendy Brobst, Sharon Dobbins, Julie Haynes, Meredith Brazzell and Melanie Jackson. Kay Nichols. Jeff Herring. Chris Fulaytar. Alyssa Guy. Season Chappell. Amy Wible. They were there in the beginning.

September 1999, I wrote up an email called “Stephen”, because I had heard a guy by the name of EJ Smith speak at this Bible Study I had been attending for about two months at this lady named Sybil Johnson’s house. I thought EJ’s lesson was cool, and I wanted to share it with some of my friends. I got lots of response to it, and a few weeks later, I wrote another essay and mailed it out, adding a few more names to the email list upon request. So, from then, every time I went to a Bible Study, retreat, conference, Church service, or if God just taught me something cool, I began to share it over email. The first several emails were adapted from other essays, I just transferred the message from the original author to you, but as God began to mature me in Him, suddenly I found my own words... well, words inspired from God, not from other authors. I used other works to base my essays on, particularly songs, but I love to do my own personal take on the meaning of those songs.

Where is all this going? Well, I figure if I've got a blogsite, and its my words and writing, what a great way to share--actually, in September of 2005, when I was still unsure of what I was even doing (and sometimes I still don't know... ha!) I posted the first Email of Encouragement I'd ever written, as mentioned above.

Now, after all this time, I think its time to post them again, to let you, the Coffee Drinkers, read them, or re-read them, and maybe get a little encouragement of your own.

Feelin' Good... December's Christmas Playlist

NEW to the Blog? Click Here

Looking for The Day After Thanksgiving? Scroll down or click here

Thought since December had already started, I'd finally list the music on this months musical playlist... normally, I try to keep the list around 15, but its Christmas! That means a jumbo list of songs, all suited to keep you in the holiday spirit while you read The Clouds in My Coffee (and become a Coffee Drinker... it doesnt sign you up for anything, it only lets the world know that yes, you enjoy this blog!)

"Sleigh Ride" by Ella Fitzgerald. Is there a better way to start off a Christmas playlist that Ela Fitzgerald? This is one of my favorite Christmas tunes, and until I heard this one, Harry Connick Jr's version was the best... and then I discovered this Ella tune.

"All I Want for Christmas" by Vince Vance & the Valiants. This is truly my favorite Christmas song. Seriously. I don't know who Vince Vance is, I'm not sure who that actually is singing, and I've never heard of the Valiants--in fact, the rest of the album that I've heard is actually pretty terrible... but this countryfied, love-sick Christmas carol is just great.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland. The Lovely Steph Leann turned me on to "Meet Me In St. Louis", the musical starring the beautiful Ms. Garland. Its on my short list of movies that I really liked and just have to see again... I have a feeling a few viewings, and its probably going on The Dave100 2.0 in 2012.

Random trivia... Judy Garland refused to sing the original line, "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last", as she regarded it as depressing and grim, and she was singing to Margaret O'Brien, then a child. She changed it, and the version she sings here is the one that everyone knows.

"Linus & Lucy" by Vince Guaraldi. You know this tune. You love this tune. This tune makes you happy, don't pretend that it doesn't.

"All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey. Perhaps one of the most overplayed songs this time of year... and you know what? I stop the radio every single time it comes on. I love this song. It makes me happy. This is Pre-Skank Mariah in her best form.


Even with the 1990s hair, I'd take pre-skank Mariah over skank Mariah any day of the week. She just sang better... "Vision of Love", "Fantasy", "Dream Lover", "Can't Let Go", "Emotions"... nothing in the last few years that she's released has come close to her early brilliance--and for whatever reason, every song has to have a "feat. (fill in rap/hip hop artist here)" tag attached to it. Is this necessary? Factor 7 never had a "Dusinane feat. RZA" or a "It Is Well feat. Missy Elliot with The Lox and Ray-J". When your "feat" tag is twice as long as your song title, its bad news. Where was I?

"Please Come Home For Christmas" by The Eagles. This is a fun song to sing. The piano keys echo to begin, then Don Henley's rasp comes... "bells will be ringin'.... the sad, sad news..."

"The Christmas Song" by The Carpenters. This is one of two for The Lovely Steph Leann. My favorite version of this is from Hootie & the Blowfish, but I couldn't find their take on this classic on the playlist site I use. So, I went with The Carpenters.

"Grown Up Christmas List" by Amy Grant. Aw, this song makes me all warm and fuzzy and weepy. Well, not weepy, but warm and fuzzy. Amy Grant is awesome.

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" by Sixpence None the Richer. There are several versions of this song out there, including the immortal Boris Karloff classic from the actual cartoon... but I liked the Sixpence. Leigh Nash's voice is just amazing.

"Feelin' Good" by Nina Simone. Technically this isn't a Christmas song, but every year, Starbucks comes out with a Holiday CD with a mixture of old, classic and new artists--Ella, Etta, Frank, Tony, along with Sarah McLachlan, Aimee Mann, Jack Johnson and the like. Well, one one entitled "Sleigh Full of Songs", I found this gem buried between Bing Crosby's "Little Drummer Boy" and The Great Satchmo's "Cool Yule" (that's Louis Armstrong, fyi). And from there, I discovered the joy that is Nina Simone. She's freakin' awesome.

"My Favorite Things" by Lorrie Morgan. Another song that has been done a thousand times... and aside from the original from The Sound of Music, this is my favorite take on this one. Lorrie Morgan is a country star with very little success nowadays, but back in the early 90s, when I assume this was recorded, she wasn't too bad.

"Christmas In Hollis" by Run DMC. Ah, anyone who has seen DieHard will recognize this. Its the song that Argyle the Limo Driver puts in when driving John McClane to the Nakatomi Building. "Don't you have any Christmas music?" asked McClane. "This IS Christmas music!" Argyle responds. Right he is.

"O Holy Night" by Rebecca St. James. While working at WTBF in Troy during Christmas of 1997, Word Records sent me this demo sampler CD from Rebecca St. James forthcoming Christmas album. It had a few different carols and hymns, but this is what stood out. Arguably, the definitive "O Holy Night" is Mahalia Jackson, and I won't argue there, but this is good too... its different.

"The River" by Sarah McLachlan. This one isn't too old, I don't think. Its from Sarah's Christmas CD "Wintersong", one of the 100 Coolest Things of 2007. Sweet. Sad. Lovely.

"Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg. The other song I threw on here just for The Lovely Steph Leann. The late Fogelberg reminded me of REO Speedwagon, STYX and Toto... great artist, especially at melancholy, sad ballads, but shouldn't every try to rock out. Fogelberg never really did, saving himself the laugh that is "Renegade" from STYX. Don't get me wrong, its a fun song, but "Renegade" is a silly song, not a rockin' song. Anyway, enjoy The Dan.

"Christmas Eve-Sarajevo" by The Tran-Siberian Orchestra. Another one I came across in 1997. I was blown away by it. I immediately played it for Doc Kirby, our program director, and he loved it too. We started tossing it into rotation. I played it for the WKMX program director then, and he didnt think it was all that great. "Not sure that will be very popular."

"Christmas in Dixie" by Alabama. For me, Alabama is the quinessential Alabama group. And as much as I hate "Sweet Home Alabama" by Skynyrd, I love "Christmas in Dixie". Perhaps its because I grew up on old school country (I vaguely remember when this song was brand spankin' new).

"Santa Baby" by Kylie Minogue. I cannot hear this song without thinking of Stephanie Rector. Deuce Christmas, 2000, I believe. Maybe 2001. Stephanie, in a purple sweater and red Santa hat, takes the microphone and begins to sing "Santa Baby". Mikey, her brother, looked on in horror as his younger sister reduced every other guy in the room to a puddle of mush at her feet. She swore she'd never do it again. Now married, that might be a good thing.

"Last Christmas" by Wham! Featuring George Michael. How can you have a Clouds in My Coffee Christmas without this tune? Most people aren't even sure when this song was done, who did it and where it came from--well, it was released as the B-side of the record "Everything She Wants" in 1984.

Back in the day, when singles were released for purchase and to radio (back before the words "digital" and "download" were used commonplace), the actual song that was to be released was on the A-Side. Now, because it was an actual record, with two sides, they had to put something on the other side, and usually it was a "throwaway" song, one that really had no hope of being popular... on the 84 record, "Last Christmas" was the B-Side.

And for you, My Clouds In My Coffee Drinkers... I give you the video, in all its horrendous glory, to Wham! feat. George Michael's song that will undoubtably last forever... "Last Christmas"



"Santa & His Old Lady" by Cheech & Chong. After the video, I'm not sure anything could top that. Well, maybe this hilarious little bit by Cheech & Chong, discussing Santa Claus and his magical night over Christmas. Don't worry, its a clean comedy bit.