It's the Little Things

Just a few random thoughts during this holiday. With Christmas just a few days away I am always mindful this time of year that it is the little things that count in life. It’s not about gifts and decorations, it’s about the moments that you share with others. A laugh, a smile, an encouraging or complimentary word.

It’s been a long year for a lot of people. The economy still sucks. In my region the main economic driver is the energy sector and thousands of families are out of work during this holiday season. Recently the school shooting in Newtown, CT reminded us that there is evil in this world and that life is precious and sometimes cut way too short.

I got a package in the mail yesterday that emphasizes this point. I opened the box with a kid-like excitement and smiled and laughed at every trinket in the box, things for ages 3 and up. Oh, and some really great hot chocolate powder that I refuse to share with anyone! But I was reminded again that it is the little things that count. There could have been a $500 gift inside of that box. But nothing compared to the fact that someone thought about me and gave me some gifts to keep me chuckling. Just being thought about was priceless. I called to say thanks for the gifts and probably spent over a half hour laughing over the phone. A great conversation is a gift that lasts forever because it is in your memories going forward. Something as goofy as a socket monkey night light brought a lot of joy.

So remember this holiday how it’s the little things that matter. My older sister is going through chemotherapy for breast cancer right now. Spending some time with her goofing off is priceless. Sharing some laughs and some funny gifts with someone special is priceless. Remember those things that money can’t buy and that’s where you’ll find the best gifts of all.

Top 10 One Hit Wonders of the 80's

When I think back on growing up in the 80's I remember mostly how dynamic and fun the culture was. It was a time of excess on all levels. "Excess" is a word I use a lot in my book The Ultimate 80's (available for all eBook formats at online retailers). Excess in fashion, excess in movies and television, and mostly in music. The 80's kicked off with the new wave phenomenon and the rise of MTV and its impact on the culture at large, and on the politics of the day.

I cover a lot of fun topics in my eBook, including a ton of personal top ten lists in the world of fashion, music, television, and movies. You'll find a lot of interesting trivia in the book. But one topic I didn't cover in much detail was the one hit wonders of the 80's. There were a lot of them! So I thought I'd toss in my personal top 10 one hit wonders of the 80's. Got a few of your own favorites, feel free to share them.

10. Eddie Grant - "Electric Avenue"
9.  Nena - "99 Luft Balloons"
8.  John Parr - "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)"
7.  T'Pau - "Heart and Soul"
6.  The Outfield - "Your Love"
5.  Rockwell - "Somebody's Watching Me"
4.  Gary Numan - "Cars"
3.  Modern English - "I Melt With You"
2.  Big Country - "In A Big Country"
1.  Flock of Seagulls - "I Ran"

NOOK and Kindle!

Since I am in the process of writing a new novel, I thought I'd take a moment to share with you the link for my author page on Barnes & Noble's website. (At the bottom of this blog).

So far I have 7 books available online for eReaders. Four are in a horror series (Legends and Landmarks), two are short story compilations. Those short stories are kind of like horror meets the Twilight Zone. The other book I have is a humorous nostalgia book about the 80's.

Also, I have a short story available for free that is titled Game, Set, Match. I wanted to make something free for readers so those who haven't read my work can get a fun sample before spending your hard earned money. Everything is under $10, no need to charge high prices for something that has no overhead or uses physical materials like paper and ink.

My books are available in all eReader formats. Thanks to those who have bought my work. If you haven't, take some time to at least get the free download and see if you like it. eBooks make a great Christmas gift! I appreciate all of my readers, and thanks again.

Cheers!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/schweingrouber?keyword=schweingrouber&store=allproducts&iehack=%E2%98%A0

Hooray Beer!

According to a Yahoo news article, the consumption of beer can help fight off the common cold. It seems like a chemical compound found in the hops provides the human body with the ability to fight the virus behind the common cold. The study was conducted by a Japanese beer company, but I’ll still consider this bit of news the gospel until told otherwise.

Did you know that studies have also shown that beer consumption can also help with bone density and reducing the risks of heart disease and Alzheimer’s? It’s true. So next time you decide that having a few beers with your pals is a good idea and your wife wants to complain about it, just tell her that you’re drinking for your health so you two will have many more years together.

Who was it that said beer is proof that god loves us? Well, whoever said it was a wise man. Enjoy some famous quotes about beer and drink up! For your health!

"I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety."
-Shakespeare, ‘King Henry V.’

"Who cares how time advances? I am drinking ale today."
- Edgar Allan Poe

"Always remember that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me"
- Winston Churchill

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer."
-Abraham Lincoln

"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence?"
–Stephen Wright

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver."
-by Jack Handy

"Beer, the cause of, and solution to all of life’s problems."
- Homer Simpson

"You can’t be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline – it helps if you have some kind of football team, or some nuclear weapons but at the very least you need a beer."
- Frank Zappa

Top 10 Power Ballads of the 80's

The power ballad was a staple among 80’s hard rock and hair metal bands. Once Motley Crue released Home Sweet Home from their Theatre of Pain album, it was pretty much expected from then on that every hard rock and hair metal band had to include at least one song and video of their own power ballad. It’s a good thing those became popular because it was those songs that brought out most of the girls to the concerts. Personally speaking, it was nice to have some eye candy at every hard rock show I went to during those years.

I’m a big fan of Top 10 lists, so here is my own personal Top 10 of power ballads during the 80’s. This list is only for hard rock and hair metal bands. I don’t care how good Survivor was during the 80’s, they don’t make the list because they weren’t hard rock or hair metal. So here’s the list (always subject to change depending on my mood).

10. Dokken---Alone Again

9. White Lion---When the Children Cry
8. Tesla---Love Song
7. Kix---Don’t Close Your Eyes
6. KISS---Reason To Live
5. L.A. Guns---The Ballad of Jayne
4. Faster Pussycat---House of Pain
3. Aerosmith---Angel
2. Cinderella---Nobody’s Fool
1. Motley Crue---Home Sweet Home

Way too many honorable mentions for this list, but Lita Ford’s “Close My Eyes Forever” would be on there. So would Queen’s “Who Wants To Live Forever.” I think the only band that never did a power ballad was AC/DC. Could “Whole Lot of Rosie” be considered a love song? Hehe, don’t think so. “The Price” by Twisted Sister suddenly comes to mind. That was a great song. W.A.S.P.'s "Forever Free" was another great song that was very underrated.

Of course, no one could ever forget Poison’s “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn,” or the ballads by Guns N Roses, Warrant and Whitesnake. What a fun decade.

All of these bands and more are highlighted in my eBook, The Ultimate 80’s. You can find it for your Kindle, NOOK, and all other eReader devices. Hope you take some time to check it out. And tell your friends to check it out, too.

The Ultimate 80’s by John Schweingrouber

Ahhhh, Autumn!

This is my favorite time of year. There's nothing lip a cool nip in the air to make someone feel more alive as the seasons change once again. It's especially nice for me because of the change of colors throughout nature. I'm colorblind, so for about three weeks in the Fall all the colors seem to come alive for me for the first time all year.

It's kind of hard to explain to people what my colorblindness means in the scope of everyday life. I probably see things much the same way, just a shade or two different. But when it comes to nature, the green (which I don't see as everyone else does) seems just as bland to me as a dry winter day in many regards.

So on this great Autumn day I had the chance to spend some time with friends and my sister, and spent some time talking to others that mean a lot to me. The only thing that would make it better would be to spend some time at the lake enjoying the beauty of nature with someone special. I hope you enjoy the season as much as I do.

Caruso-Cabrera vs. Energy Independence

So I’m sitting around on this overcast Friday pondering topics to blog about and a few ideas come to mind. I thought about going a bit in the gutter by comparing the babes of CNBC vs. those of Fox Business. Or maybe a top ten list of the hottest ladies on all news channels combined. Can anyone say Michelle Caruso Cabrera? Wowzer!

But I settled on a topic that is a bit closer to home when it comes to our wallets. I’m watching CNBC and listening to an oil analyst at Oppenheimer discuss the risks in the Middle East that could impact the cost of oil. There is a possibility that the unrest in other parts of the region could spill over into Saudi Arabia, although slim. However, let’s consider the result if it did happen. Currently the U.S. gets just under 20% of its oil from Saudi Arabia, according to various web sources. If that country came to a standstill it would certainly throw a shock to the system.

If Saudi oil production stopped then most analysts seem to agree that oil prices would double very quickly. If that happened then how would you, Joe Citizen, feel about another war in the Middle East involving American troops while those of us at home are paying $7 a gallon for gas? Let’s assume the perfect storm happened over there and Iran develops nuke’s and halts oil shipments out of the Strait of Hormuz. Israel and Iran would be on the brink of war, and that would also lead to American military action. How about $250-$300 per barrel of oil and $10-$12 per gallon of gas? This isn’t outside the realm of possibility.

The thing that bothers me most about our energy situation is that we have so much energy here in America that we don’t need to spend a dime in that part of the world. It sucks that when we fill up our tanks some of that money goes back to that region and falls into the hands of governments that hate us. Some of that money falls in the hands of terrorist groups that are hell bent on killing you and me.

It sickens me that since I was a kid every politician for high office has promised American energy independence. Every single one of them has lied to America. Their reward for lying and pushing our country to the verge of economic collapse…they continue to get paid for life even long after being booted from office. Isn’t it ironic how someone gets elected to congress as a middle class attorney, getting a salary for elected office of around $130,000 a year but miraculously are worth untold millions when they are defeated for re-election or retire? Corrupt bastards.

With all the oil, coal, and natural gas we have we have no excuse to not achieve energy independence within two years. But, no political will. Hell, no one can even get a permit to drill for oil back in the Gulf regardless of their safety record and the current administration has shut down over 100 coal fired plants since coming into office. No wonder heating our homes in the winter is breaking the bank of the middle and lower income families.

Oh, sure there are a handful of the newer elected congressmen that want the same thing. I thought my previous congressman who served nearly 30 years gave a crap about the issue, but turned his back on his district that is comprised of families relying on home grown energy. His votes during his last term put families out of work, put our country at risk, and then he moved back to D.C. after losing to take a job with a lobbying firm…or so I have read.

Does anyone really think the current administration or the one that will come in in January do anything to actually make us energy independent? I certainly don’t.

Maybe I should have blogged about Cabrera and the other CNBC babes. At least I would be in a better mood now.