New Music

Over the break, I have had some time to record and write a little. One of the things I have challenged myself to do is to make recordings of all of the songs that we (the guys in Serus Victoria) never had the chance to get into the studio and record. So here is the first one...Shades of Color. It's definitely a love song that describes how you can love a person so much that you can't think or see straight.

I have also been able to do some work on my drop.io/portermusic site. Hopefully the changes that I have made will make it a little easier to navigate and get songs. On it you'll find new studio and demos of songs and even some of my favorite old SV songs. I'll also be posting lyrics to all of the songs that are on there (for those of you that like to know all of the words, help me make changes to lyrics, or just want to sing along :). Enjoy!

To get to the site, click here.

OCD! ARG!

A while back (I don't know when this all began...probably when I married Alli :) I began to become very meticulous about keeping things organized. First was all of the DVDs. There are "our" DVDs (all alphabetically ordered and numerically ordered by series), and my DVDs (Anime has a section all of it's own and is alphabetical, and there is a kung-fu area that is organized by actor and by release date). Then there are my comics (alphabetical and numerically ordered). And my games (All nice and neat and in their own box or case, which are usually organized by teams). Lastly, with all of this snow and major rearranging for future baby, Alli asked me, "What are all of those binders for?" They happened to be binders full of cards for a game called VS, which were already organized by set and number). And with the simple words of "Can you clean those up?", Alli created a monster. I know, I know. How can you organize them even more if they are already in binders and sets? Leave it to me to turn something easy into something completely difficult. So I proceeded to take out every card, place them in teams, by points, in alphabetical order and then put them back into the card sleeves, leaving no spaces in between to save as much space as possible. Needless to say, I now have this calm feeling just knowing that everything is now in it's right space (and changed from 8 binders to only 4 - Ha!) Here is what it all ended up looking like. I hope you're happy now, Alli.

Christmas Break Comes Early

People who live in other parts of the world, who know how to function during snow, must be laughing their heads off at us Oregonians right now. Today marks the fifth snow day in a row. In my mind, when the word snow day is said, I picture huge piles of snow. But here, all it takes is a little ice and schools close. That's all good with me. That just means that my Christmas Break officially started today. Yipee!

All I want for Christmas is...

Meat smelling body spray! That's right. Burger King has just released it's holiday scent...FLAME by BK. It's a meat scented body spray that's there for you when you think to yourself, "Hey, you know what? I really want to smell like a flame-broiled Whopper right now." (Feel free to insert your own play on words here.) I guess this is good for those men who are dating carnivores, but what about those who have vegetarian girlfriends will be out of luck. All I know is, if I can look as good as the King does in this picture when I'm his age, I won't need any meat-scented mojo-helping body spray to get my wife's attention.

Snow Days and Mixed Feelings

First of all, it's freaking cold up here. On Sunday morning, it began to dump snow on the greater Portland area and dropped down to the twenties over the last few days. Sunday was beautiful, but it came with some problems. Not only did Alli and I miss church, but we also were not able to go see My Name is Bruce on Sunday night. Bruce was even going to be there to talk about the movie. We even had tickets. ARG! Darn you, snow! But shortly after being disappointed with the missing of the movie, I was soon overjoyed to find out the Monday, and also Tuesday, School was canceled. Early spring break! Sweet. The only real problems is that it's still stinking cold. Brrrrr.

Things Sinking In

It's an odd thing to go into a doctor's office and finally get introduced to your child.  Sure, you get to see them in that initial ultrasound, but at that point in time the baby only looks like a little blob.  But when you actually see a little person in there, you can't help but be amazed.  Then there is that moment of shock where your brain actually snaps back into reality and you realize that the little, squirming baby on the screen will be here soon.  That's what this week has been like for me.  I think this is probably how it is for all men.  Since we can't feel the baby moving in the first half of our wife's pregnancy, it's all very abstract and out there.  Also, when you don't know the sex of the baby, the child is in the strange phase of being an it.  

Now "it" has been changed to "he" and everything is sinking in.  We can begin to settle on a name for him.  We can plan what his room will look like.  And now we don't have to take boy and girl hand-me-downs and wait to see what we're going to have.  It's also cool knowing that the family name will be passed down to yet another generation of Porter men.  Sure, life will change because he'll be in our lives, but at this point in time I really can't think of anything more awesome than what life will be like with him in our lives.  To say I'm excited would be an understatement.

Three words...

IT"S A BOY!!!

To see pics, click here.

Fresno Trip: Part Two

So to keep things fresh and fast, here are some pics with four word captions of what happened in Fresno after my grandfathers memorial service. All in all, it was really tiring, fun, and fast.

Mimi got engaged...

I toasted to them...

Met Jamie's dog, Lucy....

Hung with Jamie's kids...

Held Abi and Ethan...

Saw the Rojeski Family.

12:45 A.M. Scott, tacos, doughnuts...

Saw JT, Ash, & Quinn...

and Edo-ya with friends.

Unmet Expectations

Last night I went over to a friends house to watch the big de la Hoya vs Pacquiao fight.  All week long, all I heard was that the fight was going to be spectacular.  So of course one can't help but have high hopes.  Sadly, it didn't pan out how they predicted.  In eight rounds, de la Hoya was pounded and looking pathetic so they threw in the towel.  The more frustrated we all got, the more I began to think, "When was the last time I saw a good boxing match?"  Sadly, I don't think I could think of one in the last ten years where I was dazzled.  Granted, I don't have the means to watch boxing all that much, but on the other hand I've seen plenty of MMA events that have left me speechless. 

So, with that in mind, do you think that the sport of boxing will ever live up to the hype that they try to create through promotions?  Sadly, I don't think boxing will ever be what it used to be... well known fighters or available for the masses to see (not via pay-per-view).  

Arg!  I hate being let down. :(

Red Devils Keep on Winning

It's always a good thing when your team continues to win.  Manchester United not only won in their last home game against Manchester City, but also moved one step closer to the top of the table due to  Liverpool tying and Chelsea being beat by Arsenal.  This is also great for the fans, since this means that there is only a difference of 9 points between the top five teams (and Man U only 6 points away from the leader with a game in hand).  There is nothing better than having a tight run at the top of the tables.

Other Soccer News:

• Even though he brought the Black Cats up to the Premier League over the past few years, "The Skipper," Roy Keane, exits as coach to Sunderland.  The Black Cats have already begun a search for a replacement.  No news as of yet on who they will try to put in his place.  We'll miss you Roy.
• Argentina's golden boy, Carlos Tevez, must be tired of riding the pine.  In his last game he was put in as a starter for the first time in a while and scored 4 goals.  My guess is that he wants to make it a point that he should be a starter for Man U.  On another note, Argentina will definitely have a good squad this upcoming World Cup.
• Arsenal lose in the Carling Cup.  They must not think it's that important to win considering they only put in their scrubs to start.  Oh well.  Man U on the other hand, won and advance to the semifinals.

Pics of the Fresno Trip, Part 1

Grandpa's Memorial Service

All of the cousins were able to finally get together.

Three generations of Porter men.

Mom, Dad, Jamie and the kids and I were all at the service.

Jamie and I.

Later, at Grandma's, I got to try on Grandpa's old uniform. Pretty awesome!

We also dressed up in some of Grandpa's hats and had some fun with Grandma.

All in all, it all adds up to great memories.

Happy Turkey Day!

Hope all of you had as much fun as I did. Happy Thanksgiving!

Back in the Saddle

What a month.  First of all, thanks to everyone who was praying for our family.  To catch up on past blogging, I thought that the best way to do this would be to post on everything at once so that I can completely catch up.  So here we go...

1. Family - Family is doing well.  Jamie's family is growing.  All three of the kids look so grown up.  And the new addition of Lucy (their dog) is quite a character.  Mom and Dad are doing well in Kansas and dad is really enjoying working at his new church.  It was great to see them all since Alli and I won't be able to see them this Christmas season.  I also was surprised to come home (to my old apartment which is now Chris' apartment) the first night I was there to find that Chris had proposed to Amelia (Alli's sister) and she said yes.  One step closer to having a new bro in the family.  I'm totally excited!  We even got to celebrate Amelia's birthday/engagement with Paul and Julia over lunch.  
2. Friends - Ah, the boys.  It was great to see them all.  Scott and I accomplished the trifecta...a couple of drinks at Starline, 7 tacos at Tacos De Tijuana, and then on to Foster's Donuts for our usual maple bars and blueberry sprinkles.  Needless to say, my stomach was doing back flips after that one.  The next day was great as well.  I got to see the latest addition to the Serus Victoria Baby Clan.  Quinn (JT's new baby boy) was beautiful.  JT and Ashley were very attentive and awesome parents.  We also got the entire gang together and had a blast at Edo-Ya, my favorite sushi place in Fresno.  It was fun, but I also began to realize how much I missed the guys and the band.
3. Church - Playing on Sunday and preparing for tonight's Worship Night has led to a very busy week.  I'll be sure to post pictures from the worship night.
4. Alli and Baby - Two weeks till we can find out the sex of the baby.  She's doing well and has yet to get sick.  We've been very lucky with the whole "no sickness" thing.  Hopefully that is a clue to a future easy birth.  I think it's a boy, but Alli thinks it's a girl.  I guess we'll see in a few weeks.
5. Music - Trudging along trying to write some new material.  Also trying to rewrite some lyrics for old songs.  It seems some of my old band mates think that the past few songs I have written have had some "cheesy" lyrics.  I'll see what I can do.  Currently I'm working on writing my first folk-ish song called "Senses of You."  I'll release it as soon as it's finished.
6. Soccer - Top four teams in the league are Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and (surprise surprise) Aston Villa.  Arsenal presently find themselves in fifth due to lack of consistent playing.  This weeks big games are the battle for Manchester (Man U vs Man City) and Chelsea vs Arsenal.  Should be a fun weekend.  Go Man U!
7. Stuff - This week marks the Oregon Civil War - Oregon State vs Oregon.  As silly as this sounds, people all around town are sporting their teams colors (Orange and Black or Green and Yellow).  Crazy Oregonians!
8. Lastly, Happy Thanksgiving!

For those interested...

Last week, I was in Visalia for my grandfather's memorial service.  It was actually a wonderful service.  The music was upbeat and fun.  It was a true celebration of life.  My mom, her two sisters, and my father even got to talk to us all and share some funny stories about grandpa.  It was a wonderful reminder of how awesome he was and of how much he loved God.  Here is the link to my Grandfather's obituary.  It says it all... including a nod to our 1/2 of a great grand child.

Grandpa Bud's Obituary  

New Music - Something

Finally I was able to finish the demo of my latest track entitled "Something". Although it has nothing to do with my life now, it has everything to do with the fact when people are single, they are looking for someone with that special something. And it's usually not something that is typical that catches your eye initially. It's the obscure and odd things that usually stand out. Without giving too much away and allowing you all to interpret it the way you want to in your own head, you can listen to it at Porter Music. Just click on "Something" to hear or even download it. Feel free to pass it on, or not, and tell me what you think about it. Go ahead and critique it as much as you want since it is a demo. The more ideas on the table, the better. Enjoy. Here are the lyrics as well.

Something
Written by B. Porter
Copyright 2008

Verse 1
Say Something…You know that everything will turn out just fine
Wait a moment…You know you’ve got to get the timing just right

Pre-Chorus 1
I’ve thought for hours, even long days and nights
It’s just a new beginning but it’s welling up inside

Chorus 1
There’s something about you girl that makes you attractive
I don’t know what it is, but I think that I like it

Verse 2
Walk on over…you know you have to make your dream become real
Don’t panic…you know you have to let her know how you feel

Pre-Chorus 2
I really need to warn you so I’m gonna let you know
You make me feel like a ticking bomb and I’m ready to explode
So it’s off, away I go

Chorus 2
There’s something about you girl that makes you attractive
I don’t know what it is, but I think that I like it
There’s something about you girl that makes you exotic
I don’t know what it is, but I know that I like it… like it… like it

Bridge
Something sweet, something mean
Something that’s bold and scary, something extraordinary
Something real, something free
Something that’s young and spiteful, something that’s clearly delightful,

Verse 3
Say Something…You hope that everything will turn out just fine
Don’t wait a moment…Before she leaves and it’s your final goodbye

Kickin' It

This last Friday, McKinley teachers were kicking it old school with a little game of kickball. For once, we were the ones playing, instead of officiating the game. The best part of the game was how we played it. Since we Oregonians are now heading into the rainy season, there is no chance that we would be able to play outside. Don't get me wrong, I love a good play in the mud, but being muddy at the end of a long Friday isn't many people's idea of a good time. The game was played in the gym, which meant new rules. All balls are fair. You can catch anything and it's out, no matter what it hits, as long as it hasn't yet touched the ground. Lastly, home runs happen if you can kick it out the double doors that lead to the hallway. The game was tight. Honestly, I don't even remember who won, but we all had a good time. Check it out.

Pitching it for the ladies.

Sean in mid swing.

Megan goes for the well placed kick.

Gretchen in flight before the boot.

Even Mama Twigg came out and kicked a few.

Fixing the Gates

As a young boy, I always loved going over to my Grandpa Bud's house. He and Grandma Girl (we called her that because we couldn't pronounce the name Verle) lived out in the country and had a barn and walnut orchards that we used to play in. But the one thing that I always loved was that Grandpa was always tinkering with some sort of gadget that wasn't working. He would be all dressed up in his grubby work clothes, hands covered in grease, thinking about how to fix the problem at hand. To this day, I still can't think of a time when he wasn't able to fix something. He was unstoppable. No broken part or engine would stand in his way from having a well running, working machine. And he would take any moment he could to explain what he was doing and how "with a little elbow grease" things would get done and taken care of.

Last night, my Grandpa Bud passed away. I know that this is a sad moment for all of us in the family, but I have chosen to take this time to reflect on how awesome he was. He was a strong willed man. He served his country well and in the process met and married the woman he loved till the day that he died. He knew how to work hard and be productive and we all loved him for it. He was a teacher to any listening ear (especially when it came to anything on the farm), and was always encouraging in his own gruff manner. Best of all, he was a man of God who shared the good news of Jesus all around the world. Even though I really miss him and always will, I can't help but think of what my dad said to me as he shared the news of grandpa's death. "He's fixing the gates and getting them ready for us in the future." I can picture him now, swinging the gates to see if they are level, listening intently to make sure they don't squeak. Personally, I just can't wait to see him when we get there.

Below is my favorite picture of the two of us together. Me sitting on the old white fence, almost a young man with an ear-to-ear smile on my face. The orange tree with the oranges that made the best fresh squeezed orange juice in the background. And him, looking at me with that grin, probably thinking to himself what a crazy grandson I was. But most important, both of us totally happy to be spending time together.

Grandpa and Me - 1993

My Costume

Having lived in California for the majority of my life, I've ran into my fair share of different sports fans. Since California has so many stinking teams to choose from, one can get lost amongst the hoards of fans. But there is one thing that you learn about all of these fans...no fans are crazier than Raider's fans. So, since I actually own a Raiders jersey (I know, I know...But it says Porter on the back), I thought it would be fitting to go as one of those crazed Raiders fans. And all it took was a little bit of shaving to really bring the costume together. Have a look for yourself.

Life at Sunset

There is always something awesome going on at Sunset (Alli's and my church home). Luckily, I have been able to be involved in many of the areas of the service that happen in front of the entire church. Just so that all of you can see some of the excellence that goes on here, I want to share a couple of videos with you. The first is a video of many of our church's individuals saying the Apostles Creed. I love that it shows all of us (young and old) saying the same thing.



The second is a performance from this last Sunday where some of the leaders at our church got up in front of the congregation and shared their life verses. This was great and went well with the theme of running the marathon of life. To help split up the verses, Jay chose to have the song "Word of God Speak" sang in between the sections. I was lucky enough to be asked to sing it in both services. I know it's a bit long, but it really gives you a feel for the great things that are going on at our church. Enjoy!

Oops!

This week has been chalked full of funny things. Having parent conferences and long hours always leads to funny stories. Here are a few of them.

While asking one of my students "What is one thing that you're proud of that you have done in the classroom?", her brother (about a second later) farted loudly on the chair next to her (on accident, of course). We all just sat there looking at each other silently waiting to see who would crack first. As soon as her dad started laughing, we all lost it...for about two minutes. The only thing I could say to her was, "At least you can be proud of the fact that you,ve never farted in my class." All we could do was laugh our way through the end of the conference.

Looking back on my life, there are many times in the past when I wish that I had just kept my mouth shut instead of saying something that I shouldn't have said. Today was one of them. Our PE teacher had some students turn in two softballs that they found on the field. They happened to be promotional softballs for Hungry Howie's Pizza. All you had to do was call in an order and you got a free large pizza for each softball that you had. So I called and asked if the promotion was still on and if we could get a single large pizza. After talking to the manager and found out that the deal was good, he transferred me back to the female receptionist. But in my excitement of getting a free pizza, I stopped and though that it would be easier to get two free pizzas instead of one. So instead of asking for a second pizza, I uttered, "Actually, I have two balls." All I heard was silence on the other end of the line. Everyone in the staff room started cracking up. All of the sudden it donned on me what I had actually said. I then tried to spit out the fact that I had two "softballs" (which made me and my teacher friends laugh even harder) and wanted two free pizzas. You can only imagine where the conversations went from there. Although this was quite embarrassing (the receptionist started laughing when I arrived at the pizza place with my two balls), at least we ate for free today.

Holy Mid-Week Games Batman!

With parent teacher conferences starting this week, I totally forgot to check when the following games for the week were and found out that all of the games are either today or tomorrow.  So I'm gonna make this one quick.  Hopefully I'll be able to do a little better on my predictions than 40% like last week.  For more information from this past week in the Premier League, click here.

Porter's Picks for Week 9:

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

1. Newcastle vs WBA - With both teams on a loosing streak, I'm gonna have to say that having home advantage will probably help Newcastle take home the win...even though they are 19th place in the league.

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

1. Aston Villa vs Blackburn:  Villa won big last week.  Villa has made it a point to push their way to the top over the last few years.  Look for them to win over Blackburn.
2. Fulham vs Wigan:  Both teams aren't doing so well as of late.  Even with the unbelievable goals of Zaki, Wigan still finds themselves near the bottom.  Fulham has been improving over the last few weeks with a couple of draws.  I think with the home advantage, Fulham can pull this one off just as long as they can shut down Zaki.
3. Hull City vs Chelsea:  Here's the game of the week.  Hull City has beat Arsenal and Chelsea is coming off of a loss against Liverpool (the first loss at home in a long time - they had a 68 game no losses at home streak going on) they'll either be shaken up or looking for someone to take their aggression out on.  But Hull City is like the new mountain that continues to stand tall. And their at home.  Hull City all of the way.
4. Stoke City vs Sunderland:  Even though they'll be away from home, Sunderland can win this one over Stoke City.
5. Arsenal vs Tottenham:  Even though the Hot Spurs just took home their first win of the season under new manager Harry Redknapp, Arsenal at home will be too strong for them to beat.
6. Bolton vs Everton:  After the last two weeks, Everton has been impressive.  They scored first against Arsenal and help Man U to a tie last week.  I'm calling Everton to win this one.
7. Liverpool vs Portsmouth:  Who can stop the unstoppable team of Liverpool?  Defenitely not Portsmouth.
8. Manchester United vs West Ham United: After last weeks terrible effort against Everton, Man U needs this one bad. With West Ham on a three game loosing streak, Man U should win at home.  Let's just pray they don't play as bad as they did last week.
9. Middlesbrough vs Manchester City:  Rhobinho got his first hat trick for Man City last week and Middlesbrough is having a tough time taking home wins.  This will be a good time for Man City to take home an away win.

Agree?  Dissagree?  Don't care? (Even though you should!)

Teachers Like to Have Fun Too!

Many of us at the school were thinking of ways in which we could have a little fun. First, we started by posting pictures of people on staff in the break room. Sounds harmless, right? The only thing is that we had taken their faces and put them into the Yearbook Yourself program so that everyone looks completely ridiculous. But the more we thought about it, funny pictures weren't going to let us blow off steam at the end of the week. Sure, they were good for a laugh, but we needed something a little more active. So last Friday, a bunch of us gathered for the first time to have our very own Fun Friday. The game was Chair Curling. Teachers push their teammate, who is sitting on one of the new rolling chairs from the break room, and see if they can get they close to a target that is located down the hall. Here are some pics and a video so that you could see all the fun that we had. Congrats to the Crazy-K-Cats for taking home the win. And next week, DODGE BALL!

The whole gang in action.

Clint and I were called Nancy Boys (Thanks Sean) before the start of the game,
so we embraced the name. Go Nancy Boys!

McKinley Staff in Action!

Weekend Double Feature, Part 2

For the past couple of years, my wife and I have started a new tradition...watching cheesy horror movies on Halloween with a bunch of friends. So the other day we went to our local Blockbuster to pick up some classics. Since Alli really doesn't like being scared, we go for the not-so-scary movies. But as we were going through the isle, I couldn't help but pick up one of my old time favorites, the 1985 horror classic Silver Bullet. I can't tell you how many times I would turn on the Saturday Matinee and see this movie. Here's the gist.

The people of Tarker's Mills have a problem. This problem happens to come with the full moon. One by one, people wind up missing and the townspeople get a little on edge. But the only one who believes that this menace is a werewolf is a 13 year old boy in a wheelchair. Enter Corey Haim. Yes. Only a teen heartthrob could take on a ghastly beast of the night. He, his sister, and Uncle Red (who is none other than the mentally unstable Gary Busey) decide that it's hunting time. But here is the catch. As soon as they getting closer to finding out who the werewolf is, he starts to hunt them. (I guess the flesh of a kid stuck in a wheelchair tastes like veal to a werewolf.) The best part comes when young Mr. Haim is about to get chomped on. So what does he do? He shoots a bottle rocket in the werewolfs eye. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't bottle rockets the hardest thing on the face of the planet to aim? Anyways, the next day they see the preacher...yes, I said the preacher...with an eye patch! Thus begins the inner conflict of the preacher. How can a man of the God be a creature of the night? Beats me. But now that the secret is out, Corey Haim and company now have a target. But the preacher knows they know.

(Spoiler Alert!) Now we all know you kill werewolfs with silver bullets, so they go to the metal worker to get one crafted. But that's the problem. When I said one, I meant one. They only have enough silver to make one bullet. (Least they could have done was sell something to buy some more silver. Sheesh!) Putting said bullet in a gun, they go home and wait for the monster to attack. One of the best scenes comes when the beast breaks in to attack. The gun gets hit out of Gary Busey's hands and the bullet falls out...and down into the heating vent! Luckily they have the craziest man on earth there to fist fight...yep...I said fist fight...the werewolf. And just as Busey gets flung to the floor and the monster is going to kill poor Corey Haim and his sister, Corey retrieves the bullet from the vent, loads it and shoots the beast...In The Other Eye! I mean, what are the chances of that? For a kid who has never shot a gun before in his life, you would think that he would at least aim for the biggest part of the body. But no. He feels the need to be a true marksman and shoots him in the eye. I guess those people who wrote the "Idiots Guide to Killing Werewolfs" forgot to put in the pages that werewolfs have weak and ultra vulnerable eyes as well. Here's the trailer for you to enjoy.



With Halloween coming up, do you have any scary old movies you love to watch?

Weekend Double Feature, Part 1

Since I didn't post last weekend on a cheesy movie of the week, I'll post a double feature.

You ever have a film that has a song that just sticks in your mind. One that has stuck with me is an odd movie from 1968 called "The Green Slime". Sadly, the only thing that I could remember about the film was the cheesy and very funky song and that it involved some green ooze that changed into monsters. But I didn't have to look far to find a copy of the movie on youtube. Here's the skinny. Giant asteroid is going to crash into earth. Space troopers are sent to go investigate it and blow it to kingdom come. Only problem is that they go to the asteroid and there is this green slime. They think it's harmless. They're wrong. It turns into aliens. They fight the aliens. Lots of people and aliens die. In the end, they have to abandon the space station and nuke it to save the planet. Sounds pretty simple, right? Wrong. All the while, there is a love triangle swirling through the film between the space hottie and two men, the general and the grunt commando. And the best thing about the movie, they play that wonderful song again to close out the final scene. Here's the trailer for a taste of cheesy sci-fi that will stick with you for years to come.



And for those who haven't seen enough, here is the music video that was released with the film.

Porter's Picks Week 8

Finally, for the first time this year, I was able to watch a little Premier action over at a friends house and let me tell you that there is nothing better than watching a good match with a fellow football fan (The REAL football!).  Although I was only predicting correctly for 50% of the games last week, the results were satisfactory.  With another win under their belts, Manchester United is continuing to climb the table. Here's to hoping Chelsea and Liverpool loose or draw a game in the future so that we can get to the top.  Here are my picks for this week.

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

1. Everton vs Manchester United:  With Man U coming off two massive wins, you can bet that they will continue their winning streak by beating Everton.
2. Sunderland vs Newcastle:  With Newcastle getting a draw against a strong Manchester City team (2-2) this last week, I think this is the week Newcastle will pull out a win (even though I would much rather see Roy Keane's Black Cats take home the win).
3. WBA vs Hull City:  After eight weeks, Hull City's sitting strong at the top in third place.  Last week WBA lost 4-0 against Man U.  Two words for the win...HULL CITY!
4. Blackburn vs Middlesbrough:  With both teams having some troubles taking home the wins, I think Blackburn will pull out a small victory over Middlesbrough.

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

1. Chelsea vs Liverpool:  This one is a scorcher!  Both teams at the top.  This is the 1 and 2 battle.  Chelsea is coming off a 5-0 victory over Middlesbrough and Liverpool had a hard fought 3-2 comeback win over Wigan.  This one is going to come down to heart, and after seeing the Pool fight for their win last week I have to say Liverpool will break the undefeated streak that Chelsea has had at home for the past 3 years.  (But honestly, I'd love to see a draw so Man U can get a little closer to the two of them on the table.)
2. Manchester City vs Stoke City:  Man City without a doubt will win this one.
3. Tottenham vs Bolton:  Tottenham is having their worst start in years.  I'm just surprised Juande Ramos hasn't gotten the boot yet.  With two starters out with red cards, Bolton will take home the win.
4. Wigan vs Aston Villa:  This will also be a great game.  Look for the goal scoring maniac Zaki to put some more goals under his belt and help push Wigan to a home win.
5. West Ham United vs Arsenal:  Arsenal looked a little rocky at the beginning of their game against Everton last Saturday, but once they got out the early game jitters, they looked unstoppable.  Arsenal will take home an away win over West Ham.
6. Portsmouth vs Fulham:  Portsmouth looks too strong for Fulham.  And being at home, they'll more than likely win this one. 

My Wife's Super!

There are some days where I'm really glad I have someone who understands my crazy mind. The other day a friend invited us to a costume party for her husband (Happy B-day, Tyler!) and we came up with the idea of going as Lois Lane and Clark Kent. We talked about how we would dress and ended it at that. But the next day she comes home and says she has a surprise. What was the surprise? She reached in her purse and produced two fake press passes for the Daily Planet with the names Kent and Lane on them. Does she rock or does she rock? Here's a picture of us at the party with the super cool badges. (I know, I know. Superman doesn't have a beard...but he would if he lived in Oregon.)

The Jar-Jar Binks Disease

Some classics should never be touched. They were great when they were first out and live strong in our hearts and minds...until someone comes along and screws things up! It's like my dad always said when he spoke to camp kids about going back to dig up/resurrect old habits. He would always say, "It's like going and digging up your old dead dog. Sure, he was a great dog back in the day, but do you really need to go dig him up and roll around and play with him again?" That's how I feel about old movies. Sometimes (and rarely) movies need to be redone because the effects back in the day couldn't portray the director's true vision. But most often, they should be left as they are.

Take for example the new Indiana Jones movie. Not a bad idea. Great visual moments. All in all, it was good fun, but... (Feel free to fill in the rest of the sentence yourself with whatever scene of the movie you thought was ridiculous.) For those of us who have read all of the novels, the idea of aliens wasn't so far fetched. But let's be honest. Some parts flat out stunk. After watching it for a second time, I think it all boils down to one problem. Lucas. Only the man who thought Jar Jar Binks was a good idea could kill something as good as Indiana Jones. After making the first new SW movie he must have contracted the Jar-Jar Binks disease and carried over into Indiana Jones. Sadly, it seems it even got to his good friend Steven because he didn't put the ax down on scenes that shouldn't have even been in the movie. If only there were some vaccine that could cure this giant disease we all call "suck", things possibly could have been better.

All it really comes down to is what they taught us all in grade school. When it comes to Star Wars 7-9 and Indiana Jones 5...JUST SAY NO! Here's a picture of what should have happened in the new Star Wars movies.

(See, I knew Elvis wasn't dead! He just time traveled to the future to become a Storm Trooper.)

Why Blog?

Blogging is still a relatively new thing to me. I love the idea that I can put things on the web for all to see and enjoy. It actually really makes me miss having a band website to work on (sniff sniff). But since the majority of you that read this are bloggers, I wanted to toss out a question. I guess talking about lurkers got me thinking more about the art of blogging. The question is, what do you use your blog for?

Here's what I think.

1. Blogs are for sharing. Being a teacher we always jokingly say, "Sharing is caring," but honestly...I think it is. It's nice to share ideas and family pictures to others who may not see you on a regular basis.
   
2. Blogs are your own personal podium. Many people love to give opinions on particular things like movies, music, or sports. Since it's your own blog and you have total control, you can give your opinion and not have to ask any one's permission to post things to the Internet. Although I do miss the times I had to check with the old band to post things on our website, it's nice to have complete freedom to do whatever I want to do.
3. Last, blogs are a good way to make connections. You can connect to friends and family through posts and comments. You can also connect people to other blogs or websites by dropping links or pictures.
   

Now that you know my reasons, why do you blog and what do you use your blog for?

Attack of the Lurkers

I love talking about how people use different modes of communication. For example, my generation loves to phone people to talk to, whereas the younger generations are content with instant messaging their friends to their hearts content. These thoughts lead me to thinking about blogging. Some use it to rant and rave. Others to show off pictures of their family and vacations. And people like me use it to talk about random things that they enjoy. But the one thing that I think I tend to forget is that blogs are a means of communicating and connecting to others. It wasn't until I started blogging on a regular basis that I began to wonder, "Is anyone else enjoying this besides me?"

Then I learned about the blog no no of lurking. (Thanks Tyler!) Lurking is the act of reading and perusing other people's blogs but never leaving comments. Be honest with yourself, your probably lurking as you read this blog right now. I do it all the time. Lurking is especially easy to do when you don't know who the blogger is. I love to press the next blog button at the top of the screen just to see what other around the world are blogging about. But the more I think about it, the more I am intrigued to think of what would happen if I posted comments to all the blogs posts I read. Would people feel more connected? Would it raise the bloggers self esteem knowing that others are reading? Would new friendships be made over the Internet by commenting on a blog written by someone you don't know? All that I know is that I'm interested to find out. So for the next month I have challenged myself to comment and not lurk. I'd also love to challenge those other bloggers out there to do the same. I can't wait to see what will happen.

What are your thoughts on "lurkers" and commenting? Interested to take the challenge?

I Thought You'd Be Bigger

Ever heard someone say something like this? It's like that restaurant that all of your friends say is the "best place on the face of the planet!" The only problem is, you've never seen the place. And then you get there only to find a run down, tiny little hole in the wall and you say to yourself, "I thought it would look nicer." This is how it is for the main character of our 1989 Sunday Matinee, "Road House."

But before I get ahead of myself, I have to discuss one thing. Like all of the old matinees of the past, movies sometimes need a little tweaking and editing in order to show them on TV. Since this movie is full of cursing and inappropriate content, some elements will be changed in order to keep it at a PG rating. But for the fun of it, I'll take the first letters of those words and use them to create new sayings. Enjoy!


Patrick Swayze plays Dalton, a short yet super tough guy who is know all around for being the best cooler in the business. He takes places where they "sweep up the eyeballs after closing" and helps turn them into classy joints. And what place is he trying to clean up? The Double Deuce. First on the list of things to do is clean up the staff. Some might think that this is a good thing, but boy are they wrong. Swayze fires the nephew of Brad Wesley, the town's one true thug who has control over almost everything and everyone in the area. Uh oh! He then proceeds to train the ones who stay to help make the Double Deuce a respectable place to party. And all he says is, "I want you to be nice." One fellow replies, "What if they call you a Cuddly Sasquatch?" Swayze's response to that is, "Well are you?" A couple of bar brawls later, the place is getting better. Business is up. People are flocking to the joint. Swayze gets cut by a knife and has to go to the doctor. But this doctor is not just a doctor, she's a hot lady, who eventually falls for Dalton's tough guy antics. She even asks if he wants anything for the pain before she staples him up. He gives her the best three words he can say to keep up his tough guy persona. "Pain don't hurt." They begin to date. He finds out she used to date Brad Wesley, who isn't over her yet. This just adds fuel to the fire. But this is where the movie really gets good. Wesley brings in the muscle...a mullet wearing dude who like to say things like, "I used to Flabbergast guys like you in prison!" So Swayze calls up his mentor Wade Garrett, who is none other than the long haired, limping, motorbike riding Sam Elliot. They all fight. A bunch of times. Enter the drama. Wade Garrett knows Swayze's one secret. He killed a man. Gasp! He even tries to perk up Swayze by telling him, "You can do two things when a man points a gun in your face. Lay down and die, or kill the Mellow Fellow!" Things get worse. Brad Wesley begins torturing people in the town. He even kills Wade Garrett! Swayze then fights Wesley's kung-fu boy, tears out his larynx, and then pushes him into the river yelling, "Hey Wesley! Fluffy Yaks!" In the end, it all comes down to a showdown between Swayze and the bad guy.

Honestly, what more can you ask for in an action movie? You've got fighting, great one-liners, girls, 80's blues music, and my wife's favorite...Patrick Swayze's Butt! This movie so good that people have even written songs about it. So attached below, for your viewing pleasure, is the Mystery Science 3000 song, "Let's have a Patrick Swayze Christmas."

Becoming a True Oregonian

Although some people still refer to me as the guy from California, I think that having been here for over a year has made me grow a little bit more into the Oregonian that I am today. People were shocked the other day when I said I was actually happy that it was raining. With all of the fall colors starting to show (as you can tell from the picture taken from out patio), this place is unbelievably beautiful. I also love wearing sweaters and layering clothes, which you get to do for practically the entire year. And scarfs! Awesome! Lastly, I now fit in a little more because I have a beard. I mean, you gotta keep your face warm when it gets nippy out, right?

Porter's Picks: Week 7

Even though I came in at a 50% prediction rate, I still think the games should have panned out as I thought they should have. WBA actually won. Middlesbrough upset Wigan. And Villa did not upset Chelsea. Oh well, that's why there is another week, right?

Barclays Premier League News:

1. Fernando Torres thinks his goal scoring drought is over. After scoring two goals in his match last week, he thinks his hot streak has begun. But will it be like this years last Euro Cup? Hot one second, ice cold the next.
2. Newcastle ends it's loosing streak by playing a 2-to-2 draw against Everton. Could they now be on the up and up?
3. Lots of Manchester United news this week. Rumors say that Ryan Giggs will be tapped for a coaching job once he retires from play. It wouldn't be a surprise considering he's been with the club for 18 years. It would only be natural for him to join the coaching staff, along side his past teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Rooney admitted that his game hasn't been up to par and says he'll do better (and did by scoring in last weeks match). And lastly, there is a chance that Rio Ferdinand will captain the English squad if John Terry can't make the match. All in all, a good week for Man U with a 2-0 win.
4. Finally, Chelsea stays on top despite infuries to their front line. Could this be a year for the blue? We'll see.

Weekly Predictions for Week 7:

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

• Middlesbrough vs Chelsea: I'm calling a huge upset. Middlesbrough is at home and upset Wigan in an away game last week at the JJB. I say they'll pull this one off. This will be a true test for Chelsea.
• Arsenal vs Everton: Arsenal at home...no doubt!
• Aston Villa vs Portsmouth: This is the game of the day. Villa loves winning at home and Portsmouth, despite their great beginning, are having problems winning away games so far this year. I call Villa to win.
• Bolton vs Backburn: It's just a matter of time until Roque Santa Cruz starts banging in goals. I predict it will start happening this week. Blackburn will win, but this may turn out to be a draw if both teams strikers can't find the back of the net.
• Liverpool vs Wigan: Wigan was upset by Middlesbrough last week. Now they have to play against Liverpool at home. Steve Bruce better give a major pep talk to his team because if he doesn't, this one may get ugly. Torres looks to be starting a hot streak so look for The Pool to show the fans at home how to get the big W.
• Manchester United vs WBA: Man U is just getting warmed up. And since I bleed red, I'll never say Man U will loose. WBA is going down!

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

• Hull City vs West Ham United: After week 6, Hull City is in 3rd place! Can you believe it? They weren't even in the Premier league last year. This is a spectacular run and I can only see it continuing. If they can beat Arsenal, they can beat anyone...except for Manchester United, of course.
• Stoke City vs Tottenham: This is the battle for the bottom. Both teams are looking terrible. But Gareth Bale says he is sure his team can do better. And who better to believe than a fellow Whelshman? I say Tottenham starts to make their way up with a win over Stoke City.

Monday, October 13th, 2008

• Newcastle vs Manchester City: I really want to root for Newcastle to make it's way out of the bottom and make it's way back to being a heavy hitter in the Premier league, but I just don't see them beating Manchester City. Man City will be looking to get back into top form after loosing to Liverpool last week. And having shown us all that they can score goals (like their 6-0 win three weeks ago), they'll pull this one out even though they'll be in Newcastle.

Agree? Dissagree? Feel free to comment on what you think.

Little Eyes Version 1.0

As a music snob, I hate hearing something when it's only half done. But when you work with talented people and go into the studio and come out with a version of a song that is pretty darn close to being finished, you just have to share it with everyone you know. Last Friday, I recorded a quality version of "Little Eyes"at Travis's house. Not only is he very talented at sound engineering, he also plays a mean keyboard. I showed him the demo of the song and he automatically told me that he wanted to lay down some tracks. Two hours later, we had this. It still has some final cleaning up to be done but I think it sounds great. To hear the almost finished cut of the song, just go to drop.io/portermusic and give it a listen.

What do you think?

Money Crisis and Oregon Beer

Since I now live in one of the largest microbrew areas in the US, I thought this was very fitting to post. Oregonians know how to make beer and know how to drink it. So I thought this way of thinking was quite an interesting way to look at finances and the state that our economy is in. (Thanks to Julia for sending this to me.)

If you had purchased $1,000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock one year ago you would have $49.00 left. With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1,000.00. With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left.

But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all of the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling, the REFUND you would have gotten would have been $214.00 cash. Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink beer and recycle. It's called the 401-Keg

A recent study found the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found Americans drink, on the average, 22 gallons of beer a year. That means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon.

Makes You Proud To Be An American!

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday

For me, Saturday is the major day of relaxation. Since things can get a little busy on Sundays (especially when I'm on worship team at church), this is the only day I can keep free from over scheduling in my week. Even when I was younger, it was the day that I liked to relax and subject myself to meaningless media and film. I can distinctly remember going over to my grandma Porter's house and watching cheese ball movies on Fox on her black and white, 10 inch TV in the back room. Although the picture wasn't the best, it introduced me to Kung Fu theater, Monster Movie of the Week, and many other rediculously over-acted and action-packed movies.

So why blog about this? I thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane and post every Saturday about the best of the best (or the worst of the worst depending on who you talk to) of the action movies. And what better way to do that than by posting about my favorite scenes/movies in the genre. Now there is really no way to widdle them all down to a best of list or rank them. Each of these cinematic gems is special in it's own right and ALL of these are my favorites! So in keeping with the theme of the best, today's special showcase is the 1989 classic, "Best of the Best."


Here's the gist. The US and Korea have agreed to bring thier best karate champs together to duke it out in a tournament. Each country brings five guys. They fight in the end of the film. Sound good? Just wait. It gets better. The coach is none other than James Earl Jones, who spouts words of wisdom through the entire film, like "A team is not a team if you don't give a damn about eachother!" And the team consists of two no name actors, karate expert Phillip Rhee, Chris Penn (who plays a total red-neck cowboy karate dude), and...wait for it...Eric Roberts, who (in the movie) hails from none other than Portland, Oregon! I mean, how much better can this get? Then comes the conflict. One of the characters has to face the man who killed his brother in a tournament just like this. Oh, the tradjedy! Finally, after a ball busting bar brawl (say that five times fast) and an excellent 80's training montage, the two teams square off. Who wins? I can't tell you, but I can say that if you're not standing in front of your TV, chearing U S A at the top of your lungs, there may be something wrong with you.

Here for your viewing pleasure is the trailer, complete with action, drama, 80's music, and Eric Robert's crying. Enjoy.

Porter's Picks

Last week, for the first time, my buddy Sean and I were discussing the upcoming weekend games of the Premier League and told each other our predictions for the upcoming games.  Not only was it a ton of fun, but we also got to vent about teams, players and outcomes of the past weekends games.  So I thought to myself, "Why not do this every week?"  So I'm doing it.  For those of you that appreciate the game for what it is... The Best and Most Popular Sport in the World, this is for you.  And for those of you that don't care, deal with it.

Barclays Premier League News

1. Roy "The Skipper" Keane's coaching contract is up soon.  Will Sunderland put on offer on the table?  I think so.  He's worked wonders for the team and has helped the Black Cats stay in top shape.
2. Can Chelsea continue to win with so many players on the roster at injured status?  Joe Cole, Deco, Carvalho are out for a while.  Drogba's health is questionable.  And Kalou, who was injured, is finally returning to play.  Who's next? Anelka?  If so many injuries continue, Chelsea could find themselves sliding down the table quickly. Good thing they have a solid bench.
3.  Mark Hughes' move from Blackburn to Manchester City was a positive thing.  Even though they lost to Wigan last week, with a young squad and Robinho in the front they have already started shaking things up in the top half of the table.
4. Hull City, after moving up to the big leagues, has shown other teams that they can hang with the big boys.  After a huge win over Arsenal last week, they look to be making a name for themselves.  Question is, how long can they keep this up?
5. Champions League Round Up - Man U defeated Aalborg 3-1, Arsenal rocked Porto 4-0, Liverpool beat PSV Eindhoven 3-1, and Chelsea was held to a draw against CFR Cluj 0-0>

Weekly Predictions for Week 6:

Saturday, October 4th, 2008

• Sunderland vs Arsenal: Arsenal should win this one.  But if they have tired legs from playing in the Champions league this week, Sunderland may be able to pull off a win.
• WBA vs Fulham: WBA to win. Fulham haven't been looking that impressive lately.
• Wigan vs Middlesbrough: With Zaki keeping up his hot streak of scoring five goals in the past five games, I predict Wigan to squeak out a win. 
• Blackburn vs Man U: This is the must-see game of the day.  Although Manchester will be dealing with Paul Scholes being out injured (10 weeks for a knee injury), they should be able to win.  Berbatov looked great and scored two in the Champions league game, so look to him to put the ball in the back of the net.

Sunday, October 5th, 2008

• Westham vs Bolton: Westham to win.  They have been playing top notch ball lately.
• Chelsea Vs Aston Villa:  This is one of two exciting games to watch on Sunday.  Villa can pull this one off for the win.  With so many injuries, Chelsea's bench is going to be stretched.  I predict Villa to win by one.
• Man City vs Liverpool: This one's gonna be great.  This is the other game to watch.  Liverpool has shown that they can be beat.  Needless to say, this ones going to be close. Although they lost last week to Wigan, I think Man City will come back this week with a fire and win.
• Portsmouth vs Stoke City: Stoke City hasn't looked that great yet.  Portsmouth will definitely take this one.
• Tottenham vs Hull City: Can anyone stop Hull City?  That's what everyone wants to know.  I don't see Tottenham winning this one.  Hull City will continue their hot streak.
• Everton vs Newcastle: With so many issues in the coaching department, it's no wonder that Newcastle looks terrible.  Everton will bring home the W for this one.  

Have any thoughts or disagreements?  Feel free to comment and sound off about your predictions for week 6.

SV Baby #2 Joins the Band

We always joked around that all of us in the band would have children and that those children would get together and make a band. Art was the first one to fill his shoes as the first SV father, but now he has someone to keep him company. JT and Ashley Hughes just delivered SV baby number 2. Today at 1:17 PM, Ashley gave birth to Quinn Ramsay Hughes, a 9lb. 13 oz. and 22 inch baby boy. Congrats! We are all so happy that the delivery was smooth and that Ramsey and mom are doing well! The only question I have is whether or not JT has put drum sticks in the kids hands yet? :)

4th Grade Writing of the Day

I just finished correcting all of the first writing prompts of the year and I thought to myself that it wouldn't be fair to just share 4th grade sayings of the day. Sometimes you come across a typo or mistake that is so funny you just have to share with someone. Enjoy!

While writing about a cat, one student writes..."Don’t let her jump on you or else she will bitch you on the cheek." I think I know what a bite would look like, but I'm dying to see a bitch to someone's cheek.

Another student is writing about her hamster. She writes, "Hamsters can sometimes be gross because when you put them in a ball that rolls, they will start pooping where they want and when they want." I never knew hamsters had the sheer willpower to control their bowel movements. I thought they just went. Oh well. You learn something new every day, right?

The Best Parenting Guide Ever!

My friend Phil sent me a gift today that answers any questions I will have about taking care of future baby Porter. It's called Safe Baby Handling Tips by David and Kelly Sopp. It's a picture book that gives you advice with simple pictures of the do's and don'ts of child care. It even comes with a the handy dandy WHEEL OF RESPONSIBILITY. The wheel not only "keeps parents fair, honest and undivorced," but also makes it so arents can simply spin the wheel to see who's duty it is to clean the doodies. So that you can enjoy this book as much as I have today, here are a few pictures of my favorite do's and don'ts.

Old Yearbook Photos

I always love looking at old yearbook photos and laughing at how ridiculous we all looked, especially other people. My shining moment of glory goes back to 7th grade when I was sporting the Will Wheaton Star Trek NG comb over. There was nothing like it. If you combed it just right, you could get this cool wave in the front. It was rad. It's also very easy to think and hypothesize about what we would have looked like back in the day of our parents. Well ponder no more because you can do just that with Yearbook Yourself...and that's exactly what I did. I hope you laugh as much as I did. Cheers!