Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #5 top 5 most interesting people of 2009

Rounding out my Top5 top 5's of 2009, with apologies to Barbara Walters for stealing her category, here are my top five most interesting people of 2009.

5) Adam Lambert: I started out not liking him on American Idol. I found him dark and strange. His song choices seemed sometimes very odd to me. What turned me around was his version of Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. He has a very good voice. I still find some of his song choices odd (on his debut CD), and his at times outrageous stage behavior can be disturbing. But he is being true to himself. I'm sure this Idol will be around for a while.

4) Sandra Bullock: A year ago I was asking myself, "what happened to Sandra Bullock, haven't seen her in a while?" I guess that was because she was busy making movies, With three releases this year she is suddenly every where this year, Two hits (The Proposal and The Blind Side) and one flop (All About Steve) have brought Sandra back into the public eye. She has two Golden Globe nominations (For The Proposal and Blind Side) and talk of an Oscar nod. I'm Glad she's back!

3) Lacey Schwimmer: This Dancing With The Stars pro is really interesting to me. I follow her on Twitter and she seems so down to earth and fun, Recently she has gone public with her struggles with anorexia. A very brave step for this rising star. Also she is working on recording a CD, following in the footsteps of Dancing with The Stars pros Julianne Hough, & Derek Hough and Mark Ballas (Ballas Hough Band). Best of luck Lacey!!

2) Taylor Swift: The country music Mega-star has been having a winning year including nabbing the CMA entertainer of the year award, American Music Awards Artist of the year and recently the AP Entertainer of the Year. Not bad for someone who just turned 20 this month.

1) Orianthi: I know I keep talking about her in top 5 list. But if you haven't heard her play, you wouldn't understand. This young woman is absolutely amazing on guitar. She is exploding onto the music scene, and you will be hearing this name for years to come. She has a ton of videos on YouTube, go check them out. Buy her CD Believe today. Buy This Is It on DVD when it comes out next month. You won't be sorry.

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #3 Top 5 Movies of 2009

Merry Christmas to You All!! Hope you are having a great day. Today I'm going to share my top 5 movies of the year. We have a true life story, a music concert/documentary, a Sci Fi blockbuster, a romantic comedy, and a humorous look at a fringe sport. Check out my choices, and let me know yours.

5) Star Trek: Take all your favorite characters from the original 1960's TV series. Replace Shatner and the crew with a bunch of young Hollywood rising stars. Throw in the directive twist of JJ Abrams (Alias, Lost) and you have a summer hit. And a guest appearance by Leonard Nimoy is just icing on the cake. Action from start to finish, just what the tired Star Trek franchise needed.

4) Whip It!: The directorial debut of Drew Barrymore is a quirky look at life inside the Texas roller derby circuit. Juno's Ellen Page shines as a young beauty pagent contest who longs for more. Daniel Stern is priceless as her dad. And we gotta love Drew Barrymore as the almost star of the Roller Derby team.

3) This Is It: The documentary about the preparations for Michael Jackson's tour of England. A tour that unfortunately never happened. I mainly went to see this in order to see Orianthi, the amazingly talented guitarist Jackson had hired for the tour. But I was impressed and amazed at the Jackson I saw. Expecting a sickly tired man, on the verge of collapse, if you were to take the word of his father just after his death; I found rather a professional performer ready to take the stage and restart a sagging career. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to catch the DVD releasing in late January.

2) (500) Days of Summer: A quirky, wonderfully made romantic comedy about a boy who falls madly in love with a girl, and the girl who likes the boy. From my experience I can tell you, not always a good combination. Told in a series of flashbacks and flash forwards, this is one of the cutest and most enjoyable movies I've seen. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt sparkle!! Just out on DVD this week, I promise you its worth the money to rent or purchase.

1) The Blind Side: The true story of a young man plucked from poverty by a caring woman and made to be part of the family, part of a team, and finally to become an NFL star. Already up for some Golden Globes, and sure to get a few nods at Oscar time. You'll laugh, You'll cry, You'll laugh again.

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #2 Top Five Songs of 2009

Happy Christmas Eve!!

Tonight Top 5 is for the best songs of 2009. There is some over lap from last nights Top 5 CDs, but also a couple tracks from other places. these are songs that have impressed me, or touched my heart in some way. Again, feel free to give me your responses.

5) Adam Lambert-- Whaddya Want From Me: The American Idol runner up has been every where the last few months. His debut album is pretty good, and I like this song in particular. To me it is kind of Lambert's cry out to the world. Everyone has been looking to see how wild or strange his next performance will be, and this song just asks everyone, "Whaddya Want from Me"..Okay, maybe I'm reading too much into it. Who knows.

4) Susan Boyle-- Wild Horses: Yesterday I mentioned that Susan Boyle performed a Rolling Stones Cover on her CD. this is it, Wild Horses. I first heard Susan sing this on the season finale of America's Got Talent, and it was just amazing. You have got to hear it.

3) Taylor Swift-- You Belong With Me: Country teen queen Taylor had quite a year this year, and this adorable love song was a big part of it. The story of a girl in love with a friend, trying to convince him that she is better for him than his cheerleader girlfriend. So infectiously contagious once you hear it, you'll be singing it for weeks.

2) Orianthi-- Highly Strung: I can't tell you how much I love this young guitarist from Australia. This is an instrumental cut from her Believe CD. It is a duet featuring guitar god Steve Vai. You have to hear it to believe it.


1) U2-- Magnificent: The second single off of No Line On The Horizon is an absolute masterpice that will have you singing along as the bass causes your car windows to tremble. This verse says it all,
"I was born, I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice from the womb
My first cry, it was a joyful noise, oh, oh" I love this band and this album and this song SO much. Go buy it!!

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #1 Top 5 Albums of 2009

Today's Top 5 list is the top 5 CDs released in 2009. Their style varies, as I have a broad range of musical tastes. Let me say there has been a lot of good music released this year, but these albums stand out to me for a variety of reasons. Please feel free to comment back with your own choices.

5)Susan Boyle--I Dreamed a Dream: Yes this is the woman who broke into the spotlight on Britain's Got Talent. A frumpy woman from Wales with a voice that won't quit. Millions saw her perform on YouTube and she delivers with the same amazing voice on this CD. A blend of Hymns, show tunes, standards, and even a Rolling Stones cover. She may have come in second on the show, but she provs she has what it takes to be #1.

4) Carrie Underwood-- Play On: The third album from American Idol winner Underwood is a touch edgier in places, but is still filled with the signature ballads as well. Her voice is beautiful and strong in most places, although on a few of the up tempo numbers it does tend to just be loud. The debut single, Cowboy Casanova is not my favorite, but I'm sure there will be many more number one singles from this one.

3) Orianthi-- Believe: The United States debut album by this amazing guitar sensation from Australia will blow you away if you are a fan of guitar music. I've heard her voacls compared to Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne, and I guess I can sort of see that. But the voice, rocky but still pleasant to listen to, is not the reason to listen. Orianthi has been playing the guitar since she was a child, and her skill is amazing. If you haven't heard of her or can't place her, she played with Carrie Underwood on the 2009 Grammy Awards and was set to tour with Michael Jackson before his sudden death this summer. Do yourself a favor and check out this CD.

2) Jars of Clay-- Long Fall Back to Earth: Jars of Clay has been one of my favorite bands since their debut single flood hit the airwaves back in my KLoRD days (1995 to be exact). One of the things I love about them is that they reinvent themselves with each album. On this, their 10th studio album (according to wikipedia), their sound is almost a throwback to late 70's or early 80's in several spots. It is much more up beat than 2006's Good Monsters. With most of Jars' CDs I latch on to one or two songs immediately, and the rest have to kind of grow on me. With this disc I loved the whole thing almost immediately. If you have not yet become a Jars of Clay fan, this disc is a great place to start.

1) U2-- No Line On the Horizon: For over 25 years now the Boys from Dublin have been delivering top notch Rock with a social conscience and a strong spiritual undertone. I have been waiting since 1987 for them to match the power and feel of Joshua Tree, and for me this is that album. I played it nearly non-stop for the first two weeks I had it. If you haven't heard it yet, go get it, I can't tell you how good it is, you have to hear it for yourself

Bucket List (courtesy of 2012)

Never before have I really thought about making a bucket list. You know, like in the movie, a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket. I kind of thought it was morbid, and possibly just egging on fate to end your life before you can finish the list. But as I listen right now to Adam Lambert singing the theme to 2012 and I realize that the world will be ending in three short years, it seems an appropriate time to make a list of things I'd like to accomplish in tghe next three years, before the earth turms itself upside down and swallows us whole. So I will post my top ten items, and then keep you all updated as I accomplih them. A lot of these involve celebrities, but I'm sure, once they realize that the world is ending, they'll be willing to help me out....although if any of you have contact with any of them, you might ask them to check out this blog. These are in no particular order.

Steve's Bucket List:

1} Finish writing my novel and get it published. This is a long-time goal, and now the end of the world is just giving me motivation to work faster.

2}Take a guitar lesson from Orianthi. She is the amazing guitarist from the Michael Jackson THIS IS IT movie, and to just spend an hour learning from her would be amazing.

3} Spend a month traveling in England and Ireland. I figure it would take at least a month to find all the historical, but not touristy spots.

4} Star in, or direct a movie with Zooey Deshanel. Maybe my friend Beau could produce it. She is one of my favorite actresses, and I'd love to work with her.

5} Spend a day at the park with just my kids and my parents. Sounds easy enough, but if you understood my family situation, you'd know this is probably the wildest thing on my list.

6} Write a song with Taylor Swift. I'd let her sing it, since my voice would make people pray for the end of the world. plus with her singing it would be a sure hit.

7} Get together and hang out for at least part of a day catching up with as many of my Facebook friends as I can. Since my Toyota friends I can see any time, I won't count those, sorry. So far my total is 1, and another coming next month.

8} Have lunch or dinner with Ashley Greene (from Twilight). Her character is so sweet, and from what I hear, she is too.

9} Spend a month on tour with U2. Maybe get invited up onstage by Bono.

10} Take a dance lesson from one of my favorite Dancing with the Stars pros, either Lacey Schwimmer, Chelsie Hightower, or Julianne Hough.

OOPS I have a #11 too} To see a sunrise and sunset on every continent. Well, could probably skip Antarctica. I'm all set on North America. Lets work on the rest.

So there's the list. Keep watching this sight for updates.

Not Easily impresed, and bulding customer Loyalty

Today I give you two posts in one, because somehow they run together, and my brain is producing blog post faster than I can post. I want to start by saying that in general, I'm not easily impressed anymore. Blame it on a cynical nature that I have gained as I age.

Now last Sunday the U2 show impressed me, but I expected to be impressed. The band paid big bucks to build a huge stage designed to impress, and it did its job. And the music impressed me, but I have always loved their music, so no surprise there. That is why I'm not going to talk about the U2 show anymore in this post (read my last two posts if you want more on the U2 show.

Instead I'm going to start by talking about 6 things that impressed me this past Friday. Six things is a lot to be impressed by, but here goes. 1) I went and saw THIS IS IT on Friday. If you are not in tune to media outlets at all, let me tell you what THIS IS IT is-- it is a film that documents the rehearsal process for what was supposed to be Michael Jackson's England tour. I was very impressed by Michal in this film. I have never been a huge MJ fan, but this film really brought me around...sadly a bit late. He was such a professional and such an amazing performer. Even in rehearsals he gave 110%. 2) The second thing that impressed my on Friday was also in the movie. It was the young woman MJ chose as his lead guitar player for the tour, her name is Orianthi (yes that's her in the picture). All I can say is AMAZING!!

Moving on from the movie, (sort of) traveling briefly back in time to last Wednesday evening at around 9:30. I went to Amazon.com and ordered Orianthi's CD. I am an amazon prime customer, so I got two day shipping. They told me it would arrive Monday (today). Back now to last Friday, I got a call a little after noon from the Postal Connection where I have a box for getting packages. They said I had a package from UPS. This of course had to be the Orianthi CD. 3) I was very impressed by how quickly Amazon had gotten my order out. 4) I was impressed that UPS had delivered in less than the 2 day time frame and 5) I was impressed that Postal connection took the time to notify that I had a package...this is an example of building customer loyalty, which will be discussed in the last part of this post.

Before I move on to customer loyalty let me tell you the last thing that impressed me. 6) Orianthi again. The same guitarist who rocked the Michael Jackson movie delivered again on her CD BELIEVE. Edgy rock music, not super heavy on profound lyrics, but fun music and great guitar work that comes to a head with the instrumental number Highly Strung, a duet with Steve Vai. a truly great album..get it.

Now on to customer loyalty. Besides my great experience with postal connection, today I wen into a vacuum shop in San Bernardino where my father-in-law had called in a payment on some vacuum bags that I was to pick up. I picked them up, but realized they were for our old vacuum, not our new one. I went back in and the right bags were three dollars more than the ones that had been paid for. I offered to pay the owner the difference, he told not to worry about it, just take the bags I needed. That builds customer loyalty. That is also how I try to work at Domino's when I answer the phone. I will give customers deals even if they don't have coupons. This drive my manager nuts, but I don't care because I know a happy customer is more likely to a) tip and b) become a return customer. Tell me I'm wrong, I dare you.