Fidelacchius, Esperacchius, Amoracchius.

Archive for April, 2008

Kaylene and some of her friends have been doing a fun little get to know you trade. They drew names and were told to send each other your favorite chocolate (YUMMY) and your favorite music as an Audio CD. When Kaylene started playing the music she received, I started Rocking out. I guess this gal graduated in “96” so a lot of the music she listened to I was really familiar with.

It got me in the mood to look at my most listened to music and mess around till I pulled out the top 20 songs that are my favorite of my current library. ALSO, I had a really REALLY hard time with this since I had to whittle my choices down to only one song per artist (Just to be fair to all the other artists that I listen to.) While I have them ordered in the less to more played music, there are days where I’d rather listen to some than others.

Each one has a place and a memory or memories attach as well, so I’ll post a thought with each song. Nothing real fancy, just a little comment or memory.

!!! KEVIN’S TOP 20 !!!

#20: Pacific – 808 State
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Pacific.mp3]
As silly as it may seem, my first realized intro into Techno/Rave/Dance music was this song. I was in Midvale and working at STSN. We were moving from Midvale to American Fork and Ken Hartley, one of my co-workers, offered to help me move using his special truck. I admire Ken and we got along great. Ken and his wife were in there 30’s and still active in the underground dance scene. I drove down to AF with him and on the drive he popped in a cd, and this song came out. It was a fascinating blend of nature, rhythem, and electronic beat. I now have a small collection of 808 State’s music. Thanks Ken.

#19: Full of Grace – Sarah McLachlan
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Full-of-Grace.mp3]
I deal with depression and this song has some deep personal tie to me that I can’t really explain. The imagery is very familiar and in a way this song is comforting to me.

#18: Scar Tissue – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Scar-Tissue.mp3]
This is me growing up in South Carolina. If I had the music, I’d add Champagne Supernova, and Machine Head. These are songs that bring back memories of South Aiken High School days, spending time with my friend Andy and a lot about growing up.

#17: Sons of Our Fathers – Phil Collins
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Sons-of-Our-Fathers.mp3]
Any one who knows me knows that my dad is one of my idols. It is always a compliment for me to hear someone tell me they remind me of my dad. Phil Collins is an old time favorite of mine because we listened to him in Saudi Arabia. I like this song, and while I know my dad loves me, I always try to remind my self to be more like him. 🙂

#16: Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You – Franki Valli
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Cant-Take-My-Eyes-Off-You.mp3]
10 Things I hate about you. Kaylene understands. This is one of my belt it out, strip off the fear and anxiety, yell it on top of the world songs for me.

#15: Heart to Heart – Toby Keith
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Heart2Heart.mp3]
I Love this song because it reminds me of Kaylene and how deftly she handle’s our 3 boys. Those boy raise so much hell, but they love their Mama. I love you Kaylene.

Also – from Toby Keith: American Soldier, 8 Seconds to Ride, How Do You Like Me Now, and I Love This Bar (No I don’t drink, it just has such a Texas Roadhouse/Willy Nelson feel).

#14: Sympathy for the Devil
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Sympathy-for-the-Devil.mp3]
It’s hard to say why I like this song, it’s religiously beligerrant, Great fast beat, and introduced to me in a book called Dreamcatcher. When I read the book I hadn’t heard the song before, it wasn’t until I heard the song that I could picture the scene of military helicopters taking off, filled with soldiers going into battle.

#13: The Siege of Madrigal – Bungie Studios
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Siege-of-Madrigal.mp3]
Thanks to my mom, I love the sound of Piano Music. I can even hammer out a few good tunes. This Song is a very simple piano number. But to me it is filled with longing, mourning, earth, and water. I feel this song. It is from the Soundtrack to a video game by Bungies Studios called Myth: The Fallen Lords.

#12: In Between Blue – Aalok Mehta
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/In-Between-Blue.mp3]
This song is by a mostly unknown Indian American Musician/Actor named Aalok Mehta. I heard the song when I watched a movie called American Chai. This song and the use of so many non standard instruments really hits me. I like the use of the Sitar as well. He is a gifted Musician and I would recommend his CD to anyone. Here is a link to the scene where he performs this Song. – American Chai

Also – from Aalok Mehta: Dream, Anima, Lights, and Island

#11: Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe – Barry White
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Cant-Get-Enough-Of-Your-Love-Babe.mp3]
Again, thanks Dad. He got sick one time and his voice changed. Before his voice completely disappeared, he recorded himself on his cell phone sounding exactly like Barry White. It was hilarious and I think of him each time I hear this song.

#10: Smoke Rings in the Dark – Gary Allen
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Smoke-Rings-In-The-Dark.mp3]
This is a favorite moody country song. It has a great tone, and for me has subtle reminders of Alley ways in Old Aiken.

#9: The Drunken Piper – Natalie MacMaster
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/The-Drunken-Piper.mp3]
Gaelic Musical celebration. I love this song because it’s fun to try to sing along with. Aiden would dance to this song every time it came on when he was in mommy’s tummy.

#8: The Cowboy Song – Garth Brooks
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/The-Cowboy-Song.mp3]
This is my Texas Cowboy song. I really do love the appearance of the roughshod cowboy.

#7: Mo Ghile Mear – The Chieftains
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Mo-Ghile-Mear.mp3]
A real moving celtic song. Done quite well and just a personal favorite that reminds me of misty glens, High Caerns, and the land of Arhurian Tales.

#6: I Feel the Blues Moving In – Slaid Cleaves
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/I-Feel-the-Blues-Moving In.mp3]
Slaid Cleaves is new to me, but they have a great mix of Country, Blues, Jazz, and Ballad. This song is one of my more expressive songs that pull on a certain heart string. Gotta Feel for this guy, parted by distance and now by an unspoken “Dear John”.

#5: Here I Am (Come and Take Me) – Al Green
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Here-I-Am.mp3]
This is my Jazz and Blues kicking in. Love this song, get the funk and beat in. Groove to the beat and sing it smooth, if ya can.

#4: Eternal Spring – Kitaro
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Eternal-Spring.mp3]
Wyoming. My Mom knows. We have a home video from when I was a kid an my dad was filming a lake in Wyoming and this song is playing on the tape player in the car. I love Kitaro and recommend you find more. He’s done tons of music.

#3: Sweet Baby James – James Taylor
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Sweet-Baby-James.mp3]
James Taylor is an inherited taste. I love his music and the songs hit home for me. This song is the most special since it has always been my boys bed time Lullaby.

The Boys also recommend: Fire and Rain, Something in the Way She Moves, and Carolina.

#2: Graceland – Paul Simon
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Graceland.mp3]
Again Inherited sense of music. love the dips and bops and follow the bouncing ball of the story and just let the song flow. The imagery is also something that hits it home for me.

#1: From Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, for Violin Solo, BWV 1003: Aria – Johann Sebastian Bach
[audio:https://kevin.steelelife.com/misuc/Sonata-No.-2-in-A-Minor.mp3]
Maybe it’s surprising that a piano song is my number one song, but listen to it. feel the melody, the passion, the gentleness. Tell me what you think. I’m not a fan of Bach, but of all classical music, this is my favorite. This song brings me peace, clears my thoughts, and is unobtrusive enough that you can play it over and over without ever getting sick of it. Now to find the actual Piano Music.

Funny Side Note:While the original song was made for a Violin Solo, I’ve never heard the song played on a violin. Also, as a test, I ran this song quietly at my work desk in a continual loop for close to 3 and a half days before someone asked me about it. They weren’t annoyed, but it had tapped into their consciousness enough to ask.

Technologically geeky enough for me.  And it’s got Nintendo on it. Ha Ha.

Wii Remote hacks demonstrated.

Enjoy.

Hmmm, Sara knows and so does my dad, so they can’t guess.

What do these things have to do with my website???

• Three types of swords
• 3 prominently displayed words 
• 1st Corinthians Chapter 13
• Author Tria
• Mythology incorporated into Fantasy…

OK, with those tips, lets see who can get it.  When someone guesses, I’ll post on that.

Have fun.  😀

Just a quick jot down of authors and reading I like

• Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Anything-SERIOUSLY)
• Steven King – On Writing
• Jim Butcher – The Dresden Files (Series)–hint hint
• Larry Niven – Fallen Angels
• Euripides – Moves me in ways I haven’t found in any other greek literature
• Tolkien – (Hobbit is the first bedtime story I told michael.)
• C.S. Lewis – Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength)
• Dante Alighieri – The Divine Comedy- The first non-biblical/Book of Mormon literature that gave me a personal glimpse into the character of Heaven through Hell.
• others, I’ll add new posts when I get there.

Please Comment with favorite books and authors PLEASE!!!

 Thanks – Kevin

I saw this a few days ago and absolutely loved it.  It was an eye opener about even some of my own presuppositions about the rest of the world.  I love the way Hans Rosling talks about his discoveries.  This may help us track how to help, where to help, and what kind of help is needed where.  It also gave me some optimism that we are heading in the right direction in pulling people out of the mud.  Hope you don’t mind his Swedish Accent.  Enjoy.

Debunking the misnomer term “Third World”.

Kevin Steele

You may have noticed in earlier posts that I reference talks given by different people at a conference called TED.  TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design.  This yearly conference is filled with many people talking about their ideas.  These talks include pictures of penguins from an Antarctic trip, Learning about variations on a theme by a teenage piano player, funny pundits, Google, heart surgeons, Al Gore, and more.  The theme of TED.com and the videos there is “Ideas Worth Spreading”.  I have always loved great ideas.  To quote a part of  TED.com.

“Consider:

• An idea can be created out of nothing except an inspired imagination.
• An idea weighs nothing.
• It can be transferred across the world at the speed of light for virtually zero cost.
• And yet an idea, when received by a prepared mind, can have extraordinary impact.
• It can reshape that mind’s view of the world.
• It can dramatically alter the behavior of the mind’s owner.
• It can cause the mind to pass on the idea to others. “

So, please understand that sometimes, I’m just trying to share and idea, pass it along.  I don’t expect you to agree or disagree, I just want to share ideas that affected my perspective.  If you have or find great ideas, please, please, please share.

Kevin Steele