Sunday, August 22, 2010

Why I am a Kiss fan

When I was a kid; and lets say "kid" means anywhere from the age of 10 to 18.  The band KISS was still at their height of popularity.  My first experience with kiss was seeing the promotional posters for the album "Hotter than Hell" hanging in the local record store.  Remember: this was well before the age of CD's.  You had to buy a record and play it on a stereo or recordplayer of some sort.  Cassette tapes were not out quite yet...and 8 track tapes would come and go before CD's came to light.
    










Like I said: I had seen pictures of KISS's promotional photos for "Hotter than Hell" Hanging from the ceiling of the local Record store like some colorful Halloween mobile. There was this vampire guy with his tongue hanging out towering over this spaced out alien type guy. They were flanked by two other "guys", one bare chested with a star on his face and the other decked out like a cat! I couldn't stop staring at it...What is that? I thought; But, it did its job; it stuck in my head. That was 1974. A few years later the song "BETH" made it on the radio and it was everywhere! The album "Destroyer", hurled KISS into ROCK Supernatural stratosphere status. I distinctly remember turning the channel on T.V. after- (don't laugh) The Donnie and Marie show had ended. I stopped flipping channels when I came upon The Paul Lyned Halloween special! Remember: I'm a kid. I was 9. Paul Lyned was just asking these four giant armor clad monsters in his uniquely weasel type voice: "Who....or should I say what are you fellas? heh, heh, heh."  The "Star guy", Paul Stanley says in a exaggerated low voice: "We're KISS!"



Again- that image stuck with me for a very long time!  These guys were like real live, larger than life super heros!  It was music and art and magic all rolled into one awesome package!  Rock and roll Super heros!  I was hooked!  I listened to the music, I drew their faces--on everything and everywhere!  I joined the KISS ARMY at 12!





As a kid with a disability, although I had friends- I still felt a little out of step-(no pun intended!) Close, but always just outside of normal.  Kiss gave me a sense of belonging to something big that transcended all barriers...That feeling has never left me!  I guess that's why at 42 I am still a fan!  Because: if you think about it...who doesn't want to Rock and Roll all Nite and Party Every Day!?



I took my wife and children to KISS  8-21-10





WE HAD A BLAST!!! and GREAT Seats! I will post more pictures later!
My daughter Eva took this shot!

Me and my Kids After the show! Now my wife and kids REALLY know why Dad is Nuts!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

A "non mugging" shot

Ok- Here is a shot of me as I am today.  "Non Mugging" for the camera.  Being a Dad.  I am usually the one Behind the camera taking pictures of my kids and my family... I am not usually the subject.

These are my Kids! and yes--Dad Is a KISS fan!  (Those are MY shirts!)  We are gearing up to go to a KISS concert August 21st!  It will be the first REAL ROCK CONCERT for my kids! (i am soo excited!) This will also be the first KISS show for my wife!  (I am not sure if she is excited or apprehensive!)  I think...After the initial shock she will have a BLAST!  My wife, Bonnie is a classically trained saxophonist and professional musician.  She is not totally uninitiated...She saw and met The Grateful Dead when she was 12! However, she has NEVER been to a KISS show! hehehehehehehehe...I cant wait!!!!!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Scandinavian Euro-crime ( Norwegian,Swedish, Danish ,Icelandic and Finnish)

Henrik Ibsen
Bjornson
Norwegian Euro-crime!  I LOVE IT!  I discovered this genre of liturature several years ago because of my own Norwegian family heritage.  I thought I had read just about every bit of Norwegian lit out there.  I decided one day to google Norwegian authors.  I thought: "There must be some modern day Norwegian liturature out there!  Some writers besides IBSEN and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.  What a found was: Karin Fossum!  She is still my favorite!  She is dubbed the Norwegian Queen of Crime.  I devoured all her available books:
Her series of crime novels starring: Inspector Konrad Sejer are great!
Karin Fossum

The Sejer Series
1. Don't Look Back- her American debute
2. Those who Fear the Wolf
3. When the Devil Holds a Candle
4. The Indian Bride
5.BlackSeconds
6. The Waters Edge
and her newest!!
7.  Bad Intentions
A signed copy  of Varsleren- The Caller
The "last" Sejer Novel (?)
Is not yet released in the US
I'm still translating it from the Norwegian
Thank you Karin Fossum!
Another great Norwegian writer is: Jo Nesbo- Creator of Inspector Harry Hole (pronounced: Hooluh!)

Series:  The Redbreast
             Nemisis
             The Devil's Star
              The Redeemer
               The Snowman
These are the titles as they are released in the US.  The actual first two stories: The Bat Man and : The Cockroach are not yet available in the U.S.  I am not sure why.  I like to call Harry Hole the Norwegian Dirty Harry!  Any one of these stories would make a GREAT action movie/thriller!!! I believe the next story coming is called: The Leopard- I had heard there is of movie of The Leopard in production in Europe...I am not 100% sure of this. You can check for updates at: http://www.jonesbo.com/ .  The site is great! There are some really cool  video interviews with Jo (in English!)   The latest book I read of his was: The Snowman!  Very creepy!  Extremely well written... I think it would make a GREAT Film!
Jo Nesbo

I cannot leave out the Author: Anne Holt


 

Anne Holt

Mrs. Holt's detective team of Joanne Vik and Adam Stubo have now been in 3 books:
  1. What is Mine(U.S.) Punishment(U.K.)--same book*
  2. What Never Happen(U.S) The Final Murder (U.K.)*
  3. Death in Oslo(U.K.) and the next one coming this winter is:
  4. 1222 (U.K.)
I liked them all!



Gunnar Staalesen

Gunnar's Detective Varg Veum has starred in
Books, T.V. and Film
  1. The Books available are: At Night All Wolves are Grey
  2. Yours untill Death
  3. The Writing on the Wall
  4. Consorts of Death

Why standing in spite of myself?

Well, because I am! Ha!
 No, really  at 42 I am "still standing" because despite having been born with Cerebral Palsy I have still   managed to do just about everything I ever wanted to do and more!  Growing up I was surrounded by doubt.  In 1968 when I was brought into this world I was a month early and only 4 pounds.  The doctors told my young parents I had a 50/50 chance of survival!  Three years later when I still could not sit up my mother was informed over the phone that I had Cerebral Palsy and: "What are you going to do about it?"
My poor parents heard the worst from doctors: "He'll be a vegetable, He'll never walk, He'll never be able to function in school or society...."  Nice picture huh?  Despite this plethora of pessimism I prospered!  It was never easy.  I had surgeries, I had braces, crutches, and crash helments!  By the grace of God and a few good doctors-(including my Grandfather: Dr. Arnold R. Tolley D.C.) I did walk! and by the age of eight I did it without crutches or braces, or a crash helmet!  By third grade I was one of the first disabled children to attend a regular Montgomery County  Public School Program.  From then on I experienced pretty much everything your average grade school kid does.  I struggled horriblly with Math. My grades were not the best, I suffered set backs and disapointments: spurnned crushes and pre teen embarrassments...but! I survived! and somehow, I managed to do it with a smile on my face!
I 've had my share of struggles and low points but, life is not a race.  I may have moved slowly at times,but every move was a move forward!
What helped me most I think were the people and friends around me.  My mother never said: "You can't"  My friends just smiled and said: "C'mon!"  Despite those grim early predictions, I graduated from Montgomery College and also Towson State University.  
At an early age weightlifting and bodybuilding did a lot for me.  It gave me focus and with each success came confidence no one can give you.  No one could have guessed that I would go on to rank nationally at the N.P.C. National Wheelchair Bodybuilding Championships in 1997 as the Lt. Heavyweight Champion.  Later, in 1998  I recieved a gold medal at the Paraolympic Powerlifting Team trials in Chicago.
  Shortly after that I married my wife Bonnie who despite being wheelchair bound by M.S. is a successful saxophonist and music teacher with her own business: Bonnieslatersmusic.com.  With Bonnie I have a home in Germantown MD.  We have two daughters, two dogs, two cats, and a fishtank full of fish!
I work for MCPS as a paraeducator in special education. I've done this for the last 12 years.  I feel like I'm giving something back!  I'm not really lifting anymore, but I did my thing and proved that I could do it well.  What do I want to do now?  Now I want to write! So thats my new personal goal...write something and publish it for real!
So, Hows that for someone who "they" said might not make it?  Not too bad