I wonder what tomorrow's storm will do to her...

Milwaukee sailboat grounded on lake michigan - update 11-30-2007 - pic by Mike Fisk

Due to the ice and a board, I was able to get very closer to the Falcon today.

Here's the rest of the posts on the Falcon:

• 11-23-2007


• 11-25-2007 (New pics)


• 11-26-2007


• 11-26-2007 (Additional New Pics)


• 11-27-2007


• 11-30-2007


• 12-3-2007


• 12-3-2007 (Night Shots)


• 12-6-2007


• 12-9-2007


• 12-10-2007


• 12-13-2007

Arizona Dancing Cactus in the Desert Sunrise - Saguaro Dancing in Fountain Hills AZ!

Saguaro cactus dancing in Fountain Hills, AZ - photograph by Mike Fisk

Dancing Catcus. I think he's dancing to:

Zingo Bango Bomp


Happy Friday everybody!!

Check out some very cool pottery photos:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/07/amazing-pottery-best-pottery-ive-seen.html

Check out the Arizona Desert Sunrise pics at:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/12/milwaukee-jam-band-soul-amp-live-at-hog.html.

Check out this song about driving through the desert:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/03/horizons-they-are-gonna-meet-you.html

Find the above picture in this photo collage of flowers:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2008/07/flower-photo-collage-psychedelic-photo.html

House of Guinness Live Music - Contrails in the Sky over Milwaukee....

Contrails criss crossing over Milwaukee

Here's the next tune from the HOG gig. This is the first tune from the first set we played. Yep, I'm no longer doing them in reverse order of how we played them. I took the above pic yesterday of the criss crossing jet contrails and it seems to fit the tune.

Criss Cross (Zapbam Jam)

And here's a bonus pic (from last night)...

Sunset in Milwaukee - 11-27-2007

Enjoy and have an excellent Wednesday!

Heads or Tails? - Photo of a quarter stuck in the wheel of an office chair during a coin toss

Here's a coin toss that went awry.....

Is it heads or is it tails?

So what are the official coin toss rules when this occurs? We went ahead and reflipped to very good results!

Well anyhow... good luck to all of you's.... =)

And have a listen:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html

Seeing if the waves are currently moving the stranded Lake Michigan Sailboat...

Yep, crazy me. Took some more pics of the sailboat stranded on the shores of Lake Michigan this morning. Got to experience a beautiful sunrise. I will go through all the pics later and post the very best of the sailboat pics, but for now here's 2 pics that show that I was wrong and it's not moving much at all right now.... between 11-23-2007 and 11-25-2007 I thought that it has moved closer to shore. These pics seem to prove that it has not... at least not much. Use the rocks it's next to determine it's position in the two shots. It definitely has moved much closer to shore since it was originally grounded. Man, notice how much the water level changes though.... not really due to tides though I don't think... mostly likely just the wind slushing the water back and forth between Milwaukee and Michigan.

Stranded sailboat above Bradford Beach, in Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, WI - 11-23-2007

Stranded sailboat above Bradford Beach, in Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, WI - 11-25-2007

And another thing that interests me is that it appears as the sailboat has been pushed into shore its keel may have cut a channel. Check out where the ducks and seagulls are gathered in front of the boat...that's deeper water:

Here's some videos about the rescue when the Falcon got stranded:

Interview With Alex Guerrero, a Boater and Surfer Who Helped Rescue Victims

Milwaukee sailboat grounded on shores of Lake Michigan


And since my pics were taken in the morning, you might want to listen to our tune "The Morning Song" which was made up on the spot during the HOG gig in October.

Morning Song

Here's the rest of the posts on the Falcon:

• 11-23-2007


• 11-25-2007 (New pics)


• 11-26-2007


• 11-26-2007 (Additional New Pics)


• 11-27-2007


• 11-30-2007


• 12-3-2007


• 12-3-2007 (Night Shots)


• 12-6-2007


• 12-9-2007


• 12-10-2007


• 12-13-2007

Stranded Sailboat above Bradford Beach in Milwaukee...more pics...

Stranded sailboat above Bradford Beach, in Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, WI - 11-25-2007

I took more pics yesterday morning (11-25-2007) of the 34 foot sailboat, The Falcon, that is stranded about 30 yards out from the beach in Lake Michigan just North of Bradford Beatch in Milwaukee. See the previous post for more information. It has moved into shore about another 10 to 20 yards due to the waves. I have even more pics of it (very cool sunrise pics) which I will be posting in the next couple of days. I believe the owner has until November 30th to recover it and then the coast guard will start charging him or they will chop it up with chain saws. I'll try and check on it in the next couple of days. Have a great Monday!

Stranded sailboat above Bradford Beach, in Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, WI - 11-25-2007

Here's the rest of the posts on the Falcon:

• 11-23-2007


• 11-25-2007 (New pics)


• 11-26-2007


• 11-26-2007 (Additional New Pics)


• 11-27-2007


• 11-30-2007


• 12-3-2007


• 12-3-2007 (Night Shots)


• 12-6-2007


• 12-9-2007


• 12-10-2007


• 12-13-2007

The Falcon -- Milwaukee, WI sailboat stranded on the shores of Lake Michigan

Sailboat in Milwaukee, WI stranded on the shallows of Lake Michigan moves closer to shore 11-23-2007

I took this pic this morning. I'll post more soon (I may go out and take some more pics of it tomorrow, since my batteries ran out this morning and I had been neglectful about charging). It was cold this morning; about 17 degrees Farenheit. You can see some of the ice on it. If the ice forms out from the shore later this year, we'll be able to walk out to it and then it'll get destroyed by ice and vandals.

This is a sail boat that got stranded on the shallows just North of Bradford Beach on October 30th, 2007. Brad saw it just after it got stuck and the individuals were still onboard. He contacted the coast guard. Click here for his account of the story. There's also a story about the boat on JSOnline here. Turns out this guy named Pavel Bernek was restoring the Falcon, a 1950s era boat, and was planning on sailing it across the atlantic. It appears the boat has moved considerably closer to shore now since the 11-15-2007 JsOnline story (perhaps due to the windy days we had last week). In the story it was pointed toward shore as quoated here "She is ironically being cradled by the very demons that ended her life. The wind and waves have now turned her bow toward shore, as if to say I want to go home, won't somebody please rescue me from this fate."... Now it's point lake-side and appears to want to sail away. I hope they find away to at least salvage some it.....

Here's more pics:

The Falcon Sail Boat stranded in shallows of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee

Milwaukee sailboat stranded in shallows of Lake Michigan turns around, but moves closer.

The Falcon Sail Boat stranded on Lake Michigan with a wave crashing on some rocks

And a sailing song:

New Day

Here's the rest of the posts on the Falcon:

• 11-23-2007


• 11-25-2007 (New pics)


• 11-26-2007


• 11-26-2007 (Additional New Pics)


• 11-27-2007


• 11-30-2007


• 12-3-2007


• 12-3-2007 (Night Shots)


• 12-6-2007


• 12-9-2007


• 12-10-2007


• 12-13-2007

Bonfire Pics in Williams Bay - Audio Recording of Drum circle with that Voodoo drum vibe...and people getting nutted =)

Here's the final Samson Zoom H4 recording of the drum circle that M2 organized at his Octoberfest party in Lake Geneva...

Bonfire at Lake Geneva Ocktoberfest

Good conversation... people throwing peanut shells at us drummers... swooshing cars... all good stuff... For this recording I had moved the Zoom to be in front of the fire rather than behind it. So the drums sound a bit more a immediate (and so does B). Have a listen:

Drum Circle mp3

All the bonfire photos and voodoo drum circle audio recordings at "Octoberfest" in Williams Bay near Lake Geneva can be found here:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/11/more-voodoo-drums.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/11/drum-circle-with-that-voodoo-drum.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/11/voodoo-drum-circle-at-octoberfest-in.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/10/voodoodrums.html

Check out Soul Amp's top ten MP3 tracks here:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html

House of Guinness Live - Tear me apart at the seams

Christmas Cactus Pink Flowers in a pile looking like a fire

Here's the live version of "For You To Bleed (aka Tear Me Apart At the Seams)". This is the last of the second set songs that I've mastered from the HOG gig. I hope to complete all the first set songs by the end of next week and then I have some mastering to do on a couple of practice session and we are practicing again next week (more recording!)!! So a lot more music will be heading your way soon.

This song was originally made up on the spot at a practice session as documented HERE and it is currently the featured song on our main page. This version is very different.

These pics of dead Christmas cactus flowers seemed to fit the song on a couple of levels. The way they are bunched up together makes it look like a fire to me. Enjoy!

For You To Bleed (aka Tear Me Apart At the Seams)

Christmas Cactus Pink Flowers in a pile looking like a fire

Update: We'll be playing the House of Guiness again on Friday May 9th 2008!!!

Better Matt LaPorta pics

Here's some better pics of Matt LaPorta's home run for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League. These were taken by E. I especially the like the one where he's crossing home plate and the ump and catcher are watching his feet. Very nice pic indeed (good job E!)!!

Matt Laporta pops a home run for the Mesa Solar Sox - Arizona Fall League - 11/12/2007

Matt Laporta crossing home plate for the Mesa Solar Sox - Arizona Fall League - 11/12/2007

Conservative weasle phrases....

Climate Change is one of my favorites.... it's "abuse use" by the Bushies was designed by a guy named Frank Luntz. The purpose was to avoid using the phrase global warming because that implied a human cause primarily due to C02 emissions. Of course, that is something an oil industry-centric administration would never want to admit to. See they admit that the climate is changing, but they don't want to it admit that it's all the crap we are all dumping into the air.

BTW, there's a phrase for climate change due to human activity and it's called anthropogenic climate change. But that's a pain to pronounce. So let's weasle back at them. I propose instead of saying "climate change" or global warming, we get specific and say "human activity climate change" or HACC (pronounced "hack"). Just a thought....

The Vooddoo drummer's "State of the Band"....

Please click here to check out what our drummer, Michael Nettesheim (aka M2), has to say about Soul Amp.

Scroll down a ways through the very cool pics to read the post on Soul Amp!

Deep Mecury - Winter's on its way here in Milwaukee, WI...

Snow and red sky and deer in Milwuakee Wisconsin - Feb 2006

Here's the next tune from the HOG Gig (not quite in reverse order this time, but still from the second set). This one just had the feel of winter to me...thus the winter images. Winter here in WI is on the way, but it has been very mild so far. It seems like each year winter is more mild here (and I and most climatologists would agree that the evidence points to manmade climate change as the cause).

Well anyhow, Bradley, said "Deep Mercury" before the tune starts (like the DJ says on the SOMA FM Internet radio station...oops...now Brad has corrected me... it's actually "Low Mercury" on Groovera... so I guess "Deep Mercury" is Brad's invention...very cool)... so that seemed like an appropriate name for the tune. Again, this was recorded with the Samson Zoom H4 on a tripod about 6 feet form the band and mastered using Sonar and Izotope Ozone 3. You might want to listen a couple of times... I think this one takes a bit of time to understand.....Please enjoy...

Deep Mercury

Snow and trees in Greenfield Park, West Allis, Wisconsin - Feb 2006

Jay Pritzker Pavillion - crisscrossing aluminum pipes

Here's a pic of the Jay Pritzker Pavillion in Chicago. We were there in August 2007. I just dig the pic and so wanted to share it with you. It was one of those really great days in my life when I took this.... I hope you all had a most excellent weekend and have a happy monday. I'll be posting a new tune from the HOG gig tomorrow, so please come back soon....

Jay Pritzker Pavillion, Chicago - Aug 2007

Practice

We got in a short practice on Tuesday. We did a lot of talking about the direction of the band and all that before we played. I was able to record about 1/2 an hour of new stuff. I'll post some soon, but I'm still working through the HOG gig material.

Be sure to take a look at one of Brad's old bands, Frozen Soul. He's posted a bunch of great music from his past at:

http://www.soul-amp.com/freebies/frozensoul/

You really need to listen to it. They rocked!

Again, have a great weekend and be sure to come back for new tunes next week!

Matt Laporta and the Mesa Solar Sox....

Arizona Fall League

On Monday I was in Arizona hanging out with E and some friends and we were able to catch most of an Arizona Fall League game. Very cool to see baseball in mid November. This is a "winter" league for minor league players. There are 8 teams that consist of players from all of the MLB minor league farm teams. The league is invite only and the players get to wear the uniformas of the MLB teams they are affiliated with. The team that includes Brewers players is the Mesa Solar Sox. They play at Hohokam Park in Mesa on the Dwight W Patterson Field which is the winter home of the Chicago Cubs (who suck):

Hohokam Park in Mesa, AZ - Dwight W Patterson Field - winter home of Chicago Cubs

Some of the up and coming minor leaguers we got a look at include:

Dave Johson - pitcher. MlB (in this case my friend's initials, not major league baseball) says that he throws junk.... but I think he pitched all right.

Mitch Stetter - pitcher. He's pitched some for the Brewers in some major league games last season.

Lou Palmisano - catcher. Back of his head.



Here's Lou coming off the field after catching during the pitcher warm up.

Here's Matt LaPorta. He's one of the Brewers' top prospects right now and a lot of people think he'll be replacing Geoff Jenkins next year. We were able to catch him smacking a home run (the only run for the Mesa Solar Sox that day). Click here for better pics of Matt LaPorta.

Matt Laporta getting ready just before he hits a home run.


Here's Matt Laporta hitting a home run on 11/12/2007 in the Arizona League for the Mesa Solar Sox.

Here's MlB pointing out some stupidity on the field:

Have a great weekend!!! I'll post more music early next week... so watch out!

Brad's Past Part II - Frozen Soul

Brian Benedict, Kirk Williams and Brad Odland - Frozen Soul 1992

Frozen Soul was formed in 1990 in Cable Wisconsin by three skiers. Myself, Brad Odland, Kirk Williams and Brian Benedict. Kirk and I were members of the pro ski patrol at Mount telemark resort and Brian was a member of the local high school ski team.

The band came together and started practicing in a unused apartment above my garage. I recruited Kirk after a night of jamming during a Halloween party and Kirk recruited Brian by spring we were writing songs. The first song we wrote was Jamie Sez.

We continued to write songs for the next two years. Playing gigs and partying we put together three sets of original material. that was Frozen Soul I. In 1993 Kirk moved to Florida and Brian moved to Minneapolis. One year later they were back in cable and we started playing again. We finished in 1995 after a series of gigs and with Kirk moving to Mukwanago, Brian to Missouri and me to Madision.

Linked is the only multi-track recording we made in 1991...recorded at the then Town Constables office, Brian's father was the town Constable for Cable and had a empty room where we set up practice. Later we rehearsed at a large building along county "M" just east of cable then later in the walkout basement of a home on a lake with a 100' vertical bluff down to the lake that we skied on rehersal breaks.

Good time for sure. It was a innocent time for all of us and a rather rich musical one too. Little survives music wise but a few rehersal tapes, a live gig video or two and tape of a full set. We did mangae to play a fair number of wild gigs and parties. We went to Minneapolis and played Fernandos in 1995.

Below is the entire recordings form a sesison to 4-Track that became our first and only Cassette release. 15 copies. the songs were digitally remastered and processed to remove a hideous nouse using Audacity and it's noise removal process. I will in the future post a before and after to show how amazing Audacity works to remove noise.

So for all the folks in Cable who saw us, and rocked and partied with Kirk, Brian and I...here you go....

Jamie Says

In the Box

Jesus Came To Sunday School

Losin' Again

Metal Meltin' Chain Smoker

Photograph

Runaway

Freedom

Take Her To The Church

Catholic Church bathroom graffiti .....and soul-amp.com vs soulamp.com

Yep, most bathroom stalls have the graffiti we are all familiar with, but not in the bathroom at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in MN (a Catholic church). Here's a pic from inside one of the women's stall doors (don't ask how I got it... no I didn't go into the women's john... especially at a church):

Church graffiti in women's stall at Cathedral of Saint Paul

Comforting, huh? ....especially while you're sitting there doing your business..... =)

....and as a special note, just in case you wandered upon us searching for soul amp Catholic music... we are NOT the Soul Amp that's the Contemporary Catholic Music project.... we are the Rock and Roll Soul Amp... and btw, we support all forms of tolerant musical expression... in case you were wondering... so rock on with whatever amps your soul and respects the amplification of others! So whether you are going to check out soul-amp.com or soulamp.com... enjoy!!

Drum Circle Audio Recordings - Photo of Bonfire in Lake Geneva - More Voodoo drums

Bonfire at Lake Geneva Ocktoberfest

Here's another Zoom H4 recording of the drum circle that M2 organized at his Octoberfest party... very Halloween...includes 2 branches being struck together.....on beautiful autumn night....with a toasty bonfire to warm us (you can here the fire crackling and cars swooshing by)....Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Drum Circle

Also feel free to check out a bunch of our free mp3s to download here (most of them recorded using the Zoom H4):

Free Soul Amp MP3 Downloads

All the bonfire photos and voodoo drum circle audio recordings at "Octoberfest" in Williams Bay near Lake Geneva can be found here:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/11/more-voodoo-drums.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/11/drum-circle-with-that-voodoo-drum.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/11/voodoo-drum-circle-at-octoberfest-in.html

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/2007/10/voodoodrums.html

Check out Soul Amp's top ten MP3 tracks here:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html

Alt-psych-fusion.....another tune from the House of Guinness

House of Guinness Live Music.....

Molten Compass - fire from a pellet stove

Here's the next recording from the HOG gig in October. I'm still going about mastering them in reverse order. This starts heavy with B3 organ using the Korg CX-3 and then ends with the Nords. Enjoy:

Molten Compass (Mellow Melting)

Molten Compass - fire from a pellet stove

Audio Recording of a Scream - Ear Splitting Terrifying Scream - Strange Photo of Open Mouth - Most horrible sound known to Man - completely different

Open Mouth Scream - Photo by Mike Fisk

The Most Horrible Sound Known to Man

(courtesy of M2... yep that's the vocal wonder that is our drummer)

This was recorded before going down to the bratfest in Lake Geneva.

Be sure to check out the top ten very best songs of the Soul Amp variety at:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html

And catch all the Soul Amp craziness here:

http://soul-amp.blogspot.com/

Mulching Photos. Leaf Mulching step by step photos and benefits - How come people don't mulch their leaves? Mulching in Wisconsin

I think it takes a lot less time than it does to rake them and replenishes the soil's nutrients which makes for much healthier lawns and trees and is good for the earth worms which again helps the grass and trees. In addition all that biomass helps aborb water which helps during dry spells and I also think it helps the lawn get through the winter easier. And by mulching you don't need to add fertilizer to your lawn. I just don't get it why people wouldn't mulch. Here's pics of how easy it is and how it looks afterwards:

Leaf mulching photos - before and after pics - it so easy and so good for your lawn.

Leaves before mulching

Leaves after mulching

Leaves before mulching

Leaves after mulching.... you can see by small change in the shadows that it didn't take that long...

I just use a standard craftsman mower....anyhow, I wonder why people rake....

Enjoy your autumn and check out some tunes by Soul Amp:

http://www.soul-amp.com/Top_Ten_Songs.html