Music

Many years ago, Blockbuster tried to get into the music retail business. One of the chains they bought up was Sound Warehouse. I remember walking into one of these stores in Michigan one day only to be surprised it became Blockbuster Music.

I just moved back to the state to go to college, and I was going in to apply for a job. Shortly after the interview, I got a call from the manager telling me I got the job. It's kind of pathetic but it was one of the happiest days of my life. I always wanted to work at a Sound Warehouse store.

Back in my breakdancing days, every weekend, I went to the local Sound Warehouse in New Orleans to check out the latest 12-inch records. I remember buying records solely based on the information of the cover or label. A lot of hit and misses, but mostly misses.

One hit I got, though, was Public Enemy's debut album, Yo! Bum Rush The Show, which was executive produced by Rick Rubin, co-founder of Def Jam Records. Rubin also produced Run-DMC's Raising Hell and Beastie Boys' License To Ill. The guy deserves Hip Hop's Lifetime Achievement Award.

My influence of music came from my family, mostly my brothers who got me hooked on Classic Rock from the '60's and '70's. I took up piano lessons but wasn't really good at it. I was just a little kid, my hand-eye coordination wasn't that good, and I didn't really know about the expression of emotion through music.

But I sure knew about emotion in music in my later years--anger to be exact. I used to listen to a lot of Ice-T and Nine Inch Nails.

But I've grown up, more mellow now. Wiser, I guess. Or maybe I'm just getting old.

With the Internet and an iTunes account, my passion for music now has more avenues of discovery. Lately, I've been enjoying Jazz, particularly Smooth Jazz. I like listening to "Watercolors" (what a name), the Smooth Jazz station on XM Satellite Radio on my DirecTV. Try it. It's very therapeutic.

But every once in a while, I like listening to some "Old Skool" rap or a little Reznor. :)

I must have the strangest taste in music. How many people can say they have Barry Manilow and Nelly in their music collection?

I didn't think so.

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Movie Pic of the Month

"So close, yet so far."

Imagine if John Woo directed E.T. No, I'm not kidding. Throw in a little bit of The Terminator and The Matrix, and you have this Japanese sci-fi action flick, Returner.