#1248: Another Spin Around The Sun

It feels so good to breathe the air,
Another spin around the sun,
On this speck of light in the universe,
The gift of love is there for everyone.  
– Edwin Ghazal, “Alive” from Another Spin Around the Sun

Birthdays used to be so exciting, they’d keep me up all night and I couldn’t sleep.  I guess it is normal for old age to take the shine off birthdays.  I’ve had over 50 of them, and some…tend to just blur together.   That’s normal, though I wish birthdays still carried that childhood manic excitement.  Waiting for guests to arrive…mom popping a pizza in the oven…unwrapping loads of gifts…playing games.  Nowadays it’s more like, “Let me find a comfy chair.”

Last year, I wasn’t in a good place though I didn’t really realize it.  There was a lot of work anxiety, but that’s not unusual.  What was unusual was that I didn’t want to celebrate or acknowledge my birthday last year.  I didn’t get that, which is good in hindsight, but I was adamant about it.  No celebration, no acknowledgement.  I think one of the big reasons I was in that hole last year was because my grandma just had her 101st birthday and it wasn’t good.  We saw her on her birthday and she asked for her sister Marie, who has been gone for over 10 years.  I knew she didn’t have long to go.  When people at that stage of life start seeing people that are gone, it’s because they’re slowly going too.   I didn’t want to celebrate my own birthday and I think that’s why.  I didn’t want to celebrate with that hanging over us…and I didn’t want to celebrate my own advancement.

I miss my grandma but it really does feel like she’s been gone a long time already.  When she finally did go at the end of July 2025, she was ready.  The funeral was a place of healing, laughing and remembering only the good things.  I think we all began to bounce back a little bit after the funeral.  Even though this is my first birthday without her, I know she’d be thinking of me and calling me if she were here.  She’d probably write me a cheque and a card saying “Use this to buy one of your CD records, love Grammie.”

So here I am after yet another spin around the sun, and in a better place than last year.  This year, I’ll celebrate with family and enjoy some nostalgia.  I’ve already watched The Last Starfighter, which I have associated with my birthday since its 1984 release.  (I didn’t see it for my birthday, but I saw it 10 days later with Bob Schipper for his birthday.)  Some Transformers have come in the mail, and they always remind me of my birthday in 1984 (and ’85 and ’86).  The toyline and Marvel comic debuted in 1984, and I was collecting the limited series at around the same time that Bob was collecting The Last Starfighter comic series.  So what did I do?  I ordered myself a reprint of The Last Starfighter comic to enjoy on my birthday this year.  Tonight will be family dinner, and I can order in whatever I want.  I think I’m also going to McDonalds to grab a couple sundaes.

Music is always important on my birthday.  So many new albums came my way over birthdays past that I could never remember them all.   My beloved Uncle Paul was always concerned with making sure I liked my new albums.  I would rip open my gifts, and then grab a Walkman so I could listen to a new tape while the adults had wine and beer.   My Uncle would sit next to me.  “Do you like it?  Is it good?”  Every once in a while I would find a song I thought he would like.  Back then, my music collection was small but growing.  There were always albums people could buy me.  My sister would look through my tape collection and take note of which albums I was missing.  Usually though, I would get new releases on my birthday.  There were always lots of new releases in the summer.

While the old birthdays are the most memorable (I can remember sitting on my Uncle’s cottage porch in 1984 with my new toys and tapes), the recent ones have been pretty special too.  2024 especially.  That was the year Jex threw me a surprise.

Jex Russell is a newer friend compared to Bob Schipper, but what he did in 2024 is probably the most memorable birthday present I’m ever likely to receive.  Somehow, some way, he gathered birthday greeting videos from my family, friends, and even rock stars and authors I love.  Martin Popoff called me a “Canadian treasure” and my jaw hit the floor.  Tom Brislin from Kansas said happy birthday.  It took a hell of a lot of effort, but what resulted was the best, most personal, most memorable birthday gift I’ve ever received.

Even though aging is an adventure of its own, and despite the fact that the world gets a little shittier year after year, it feels so good to breathe the air.  Another spin around the sun, on this speck of light in the universe.  The gift of love is there for everyone.  I love you, my friends.  Though a long nap is in my future today, rest assured I’ll rock a little, roll a little, and eat a lot.  Thank you, all of you.  Sincerely.

 

1984

  • Michael Jackson – Thriller
  • Culture Club – Colour By Numbers
  • Transformers – Skywarp and Windcharger – my very very first two!
  • MOVIE:  Saw The Last Starfighter for Bob’s birthday.

1985

  • Transformers – Slag (Dinobot)
  • GI Joe Dragonfly, Cobra A.S.P.

1987

  • All four KISS solo albums
  • Ace Frehley – Frehley’s Comet
  • Ozzy Osbourne – Tribute
  • AC/DC – Who Made Who
  • MOVIE:  Saw Spaceballs for my birthday.

1988

  • Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden
  • Ace Frehley – Second Sighting
  • Judas Priest – Ram It Down
  • Scorpions – Savage Amusement

1989

  • The Cult – Sonic Temple
  • Kim Mitchell – Rockland

1990

  • MOVIE:  Saw Total Recall for my birthday.

1991

  • Extreme – Pornograffitti
  • Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (two copies!)

1992

  • Queensryche – “Anybody Listening?” CD single
  • The Cult – Live at the Lyceum cassette
  • Faith No More – Angel Dust

1993

  • Spock shirt
  • Ozzy Osbourne – Live & Loud (grille cover)

1994

  • Alice Cooper – The Last Temptation
  • Alice Cooper – Nobody Likes Me

1999

  • The entire Max Webster studio album discography

2001

  • The complete Stanley Kubrick DVD collection
  • Dude, Where’s My Car? DVD

2024

  • Jex’s video – with birthday greetings from:
    • Jex Russell
    • John Clauser, performing an acoustic version of “Grab A Stack of Rock”
    • Rob Daniels from Visions in Sound, with some kind words that hit me in the heart
    • Aaron Stewart of the KMA
    • Harrison Kopp with Lego art
    • Uncle Meat with some comments that left me head over heels…
    • Martin Popoff with some more kind words that left my jaw on the floor
    • Dr. Kathryn Ladano (with Molli, Daisi, Winston and Bruce)
    • Grant Arthur from the Rock Warehaus with good advice
    • Metal Roger with metal vocals
    • Todd Evans of the Contrarians to grab a stack of cake
    • Tom Brislin, keyboard player from Kansas
    • Jen Ladano right from the bowling alley
    • D’Arcy Briggs from darcyska on YouTube!
    • Marco D’Auria with a funny name mix-up and more kind words that I don’t think I deserve
    • Brent “the Doctor” Doerner of Helix to grab a stack of beer
    • Steve Deluxe and some wise words about B-sides
    • Tim Durling, who helped connect some of these people with Jex
    • Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation with a pretty excellent vocal performance
    • Chris Preston of MyRockandRollHeaven on Twitter
    • My Aunt Lynda and cousin Geoff with embarrassing stories
    • Matt Phillips of GoNorth Design, with a custom Lego Stratocaster
    • My mom and dad

2026

  • John Clease tickets + meet & greet

#1247: Vindication

No words needed.  I have been vindicated by Alex Van Halen himself!

See below from “Sammy Hagar” after our LeBrain Train episode on the 5150 album.  In a case of over-preparing for the episode, I played 5150 numerous times that week, along with 1984, OU812, and Eat ‘Em and Smile for context.  I felt that each era had its merits, but Dave had better lyrics than Hagar.  I still feel that way,

I was teased for calling David Lee Roth a “poet” while critiquing the lyrics on 5150.

In 2026, Alex Van Halen said:  “He was a poet.  We did our best work with Dave.”

I’d call this vindication!

Full LeBrain Train episode is below (April 30, 2021).

Hold onto your seats, folks, because T-Bone will blow you away with his 5150 knowledge and insight. In fact, all six panel members tonight brought it!

  • Mike
  • Tee Bone
  • Derek Williamson
  • Aaron (KeepsMeAlive)
  • Uncle Meat
  • Kevin

While it wasn’t fun being the lone dissenting voice when you’re up against heavyweights like Kevin and Meat, this was one of the best discussions on 5150 that you are likely to hear. And you need a dissenting voice, right?  I was happy to play the role of punching bag too!

The Van Halen talk begins at exactly 0:48:00 and runs through to the end.  Enjoy!

VIDEO: Transformers Revisited – The Director’s Cut (2026)

This is my birthday weekend, so I’ve decided to take a break from doing shows.  Instead, today we’ll premiere something very much related to my birthday:  the Transformers!  For my birthday in 1984, I received my first two ever:  Skywarp (Decepticon plane) and Windcharger (Autobot minicar).  For many birthdays since, I have received Transformers toys and memorabilia.

In 2012, I started doing animation.  You’ve seen some of it already:  Transformers 2 – Revenge of the Schnauzers.  However, as the title implies, that was just one of the many animated films I made.   In 2026 I edited the whole series together into one film, with new segments shot more recently.  The new supercut with everything thrown in is called Transformers Revisited.  It consists of elements shot in 2012, 2022 and 2026.  In a weird case of unintended synchronicity, one of the 2026 segments worked perfectly with the 2012 stories as a new opening sequence.

The fun thing is this will be an ongoing story.  At the conclusion of this movie, I already have two brand new shorts ready to roll out to continue the series.  Those will be coming later this summer, and are all filmed in 2026.

Please enjoy Transformers Revisited, with a full soundtrack by Max the Axe.  I plan to attend the premiere!

Friday July 17 at 7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube.

1 hour 17 minutes

 

REVIEW: Ruko F11PRO 2 Plus drone

Get yours on Amazon today.

RUKO F11PRO 2 Plus drone

Are you ready to level up your drone videos?  If you have been wanting to fly higher, further, faster and capture amazing videos while doing it, then the Ruko F11PRO 2 Plus might be the perfect fit for you.  All you need to get started is a micro SD card (to record video) and a phone.  This drone is 360 grams, so you will also need to register it, which can be done in minutes.  Check your local regulations.

The drone comes with two batteries which give you a flight time of 35 minutes each, depending on conditions.  This is longer than the average drone, usually good for 20 to 30 minutes.  You will also receive all the cables for any phone connection, spare propellers, and replacement tools.  Not to be underrated, the drone also comes with a paper manual instead of a PDF file.  The included controller is sleek, with a small digital screen feeding you information about battery life, GPS connection strength, distance and altitude.  It is easy to learn how to fly, and once calibrated, the drone is extremely stable.  If you take it straight up, you can bring it straight down with minimal drift.  The running lights make it easier to spot in the sky.  In hand, it feels strong, sturdy and robust.

If you’re already familiar with drones and their features, you probably want to know all about the camera.  The videos in this review (at bottom) are their own testimony.

Video and photo quality are unparalleled.  With photos at 8k UHD, and video footage at 4k and 30 fps, you will capture smoother, sleeker, clearer images than ever before.  The camera offers a 5X digital zoom as well.  When you take these videos and play them on a high definition display, it will feel as if you are flying.  The three-axis brushless gimbal is key to the smooth feel of these videos.  Whether you are maneuvering your drone, adjusting the camera angle, or doing both at once, the videos are completely smooth and always level.  Even in windy conditions, you won’t notice any shake on video.   The drone will remain steady as you capture the images with all your creativity unleashed.  The special sauce might actually be the Sony lens, for top colour reproduction and light capturing.  The videos demonstrate this incredible life-like colour reproduction.

The drone has many features you can access through the phone app.  Taking off and landing in one touch?  Got it.  The controls include a high powered “sport mode” with extra responsive controls, to handle higher wind situations.  If it loses signal or a battery runs too long, it will automatically “return to home” (a point you can set) and land.  Range?  10,000 feet!

Features aside, one thing you can’t appreciate about this drone by reading specs and manuals is just how fun it is to fly.  There is so much satisfaction in pulling the sticks back and starting the motors.  Then pushing the stick forward and watching the drone rise.  Feeling the controls and seeing the response from the drone, as it responds precisely to every movement.  Then letting it loose, and watching it speed confidently away, but always under complete control.  Release the stick, and the drone hovers still, awaiting your next command.

Equally as fun is working with the flawless videos you will capture.  No more editing around shaky moments.  Every detail becomes clear.  In particular, I enjoy discovering details that I didn’t notice while flying.  Whether it’s an accompanying seagull or the vivid deep blue of water, every flight seems to reveal new details about the world around us.

We could talk about the night mode, where you can capture better images in the dark.  We could discuss the Optical Flow Positioning feature, which allows the drone to navigate by its own built-in cameras when the GPS goes out.  There’s even an infrared sensor to measure distances for low-altitude flight.  There’s a GPS follow feature, programmable routes, and more.  Still, there is no topping the sheer satisfaction you get from performing a perfect, flawless manual landing.

After a thorough series of flights, there is only one feature that I wish this drone had.  I love the 5x zoom feature, but I wish there was an external control for it.  You have to tap a button, select “zoom”, and adjust it via the phone screen.  A zoom dial on the side would have been perfect!

If you are ready to take your drone flights to another level (literally) and come back with brilliant 4K footage, then the Ruko F11PRO 2 Plus is what you need.  When you fly it yourself and see the results, you’ll understand.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Ruko U11MINI 4K(RC3) drone

Get yours on Amazon today.

RUKO U11MINI 4K(RC3) drone

Interested in flying a drone, but don’t know where to start?  What you need is something easy and intuitive, that doesn’t require registration, and comes with everything you need to get going, in one package.  I present to you the new Ruko U11MINI 4K(RC3) drone.  In one handy case, you can get flying in minutes without having to use your phone.  Because this drone is under 250 grams, you don’t need to register it.

Let’s unpack the convenient carrying case.  Inside you’ll find a paper user manual (always superior to PDF files), your drone, some spare propellers, charging cables, batteries, and the secret weapon:  the RC3 controller with built in 5.5″ screen.  With no need to connect and pair with a phone, the controller connects to the drone automatically on startup.  The antennae fold away neatly, and the controller offers programmable buttons along with the standard controls.  No more worrying about your phone battery, or the phone overheating.

Once you have everything charged to full, you’re ready to get flying.  The drone has a range of up to 6 km, and is able to capture 8K photo resolution and 4K video recording.  Speaking of video, you get a crisp 3-axis brushless gimbal for stable, smooth, and high-quality footage.  You can see a sample video below.

The U11MINI 4K features a cruise control function for easy flying.  It works just like your car – just hit it, and the drone will continue along that flight path and speed.  There is an advanced positioning system, with GPS, a barometric altitude hold, optical flow positioning and TOF positioning for times when the GPS signal is weak.  You’ll achieve more stable low-altitude flight, and smoother landings, as I did on my first flight.  The drone has three speeds:  low, medium and high (“sport mode”).  The sport mode can be used in windier conditions, to give the drone more responsive power.  There is an automatic return to home feature, if the drone loses signal or the battery runs low.

There are several intelligent flight modes.  GPS follow is a common one, allowing the drone to automatically follow your position on the ground.  There are also programmable routes, and an image follow feature.  You can have the drone follow an object that you select on the touch screen.  You can also have it circle around a point of interest.

You can choose to store your video footage on a micro SD card (not included), but you don’t have to.  Videos can be stored on the controller, which can be connected to a Wi-fi network.  From there you can upload your footage to a Google drive account, without having to worry about cards.  This makes the drone extremely attractive for beginners who don’t have extra micro CD cards sitting around.

One of the most underrated features of this drone is the camera zoom feature.  With a simple dial on the side, you can quickly zoom in and out, as demonstrated in the video below.  The simplicity of this control makes you wonder why every drone doesn’t have one.

For beginners, this drone is the ideal, logical launching point.  Grab one on Amazon today, and you’ll be in the air in no time.

5/5 stars

Album Battle! Angine de Poitrine – bicyclelegs talks music

I always enjoy talking music with people who are more musically scholarly than I am. Me? I can tell you what I enjoy about a song or a band. I can recite lyrics and I can mimic solos and riffs that I enjoy. bicyclelegs, on the other hand, helps us dive a little deeper.

Join us for the premiere today of Album Battle: Angine de Poitrine!

You’ve seen and heard all about this bizarre microtonal duo from Quebec (actually, from space). They have gone viral and have recently re-pressed their albums Vol.1 and Vol.II (yes, we talk about that annoying difference!), and we have both acquired our copies.  After numerous listens, we report back with our findings.  Spoiler:  the albums are very different though still unmistakably Angine de Poitrine.

Check out the show!

Saturday July 11 at 8:00 AM EST

Revisiting the Priest: Top Eleven Judas Priest Albums Ranked

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man

Special from the Train Archive

“Nigel Tufnel Top Ten” JUDAS PRIEST Albums – First Appearance of Harrison!

On May 30, 2020, history was made:  Harrison Kopp and Mike Ladano met face to face for the first time, and did their very first show together.  The show was on Facebook Live (we didn’t even have a name yet), and we decided to rank our Top Eleven Judas Priest albums.  Since this was pre-Invincible Shield, the lists only cover up to Firepower.  A subject near and dear to our hearts, we later did a larger Priest ranking episode with John Snow and Geoff Stephen on graphs.  That said, there’s nothing like the first time!

For your enjoyment, this is the very first episode ever starring the duo that would become known as Grab A Stack of Rock, edited for pace and length.  We rip through the lists in rapid fire, with a third list provided by the site regular known as Holen.

This episode was a lot of fun to edit and revisit.  Not only was it the beginning of the Mike and Harrison partnership, but it was also the very first cottage show from Grab A Stack Summer HQ, ever!  Below is the text we wrote when the episode was first posted.

Please welcome Harrison to the Saturday live stream! With only minor technical glitches, the Mad Metal Man himself joined me from the other side of the world today.

Today’s subject: A solid “Nigel Tufnel Top Ten” list on the might Judas Priest. Harrison was armed with an additional list by Holen!

Friday July 10 at 7:00 AM EST, 8:00 AM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube.

Rock Daydream Nation: In Defence of Bryan Adams – Reckless

Peter and I are already taking a little heat for the title of this episode!  “This album needs no defending,” they say, and while they may be right, let us cast our minds back. After all, it was only 1999 when the Canadian Minister of Movies declares that “the Canadian government has apologized for Bryan Adams on several occasions.”*  In regards to the other complaint, “defence” and “defense” are both valid spellings of the word.  “D-FENS” is not, but it is also a cool 90s reference.

Regardless, Bryan Adams has not been cool with everyone all the time, considered by many to be vanilla rock, mom rock, or worse.  In Canada, at his peak fame and success, there was certainly some backlash.  In this episode of Rock Daydream Nation, Peter Kerr and I will evaluate Bryan’s massive Reckless album.  I have never owned a Bryan Adams album before this.  Because I go all-in, I chose the deluxe Japanese 2 CD set.  For this episode, Peter and I focused on the core 10 songs.

Join us for this fantastic dive into Bryan’s best, and perhaps set your assumptions aside.  This is a good one!

* South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut

🅻🅸🆅🅴 Interview with James Neeson – Mental Health for Metalheads

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man

🅻🅸🆅🅴 Episode

Episode 152:  An Interview with James Neeson – Mental Health for Metalheads

As part of our Music and Metal Health series, please welcome author James Neeson to the show.  Readers who have been with us from the very start 14 years ago will remember James.  Back then he was Jimmy Neeson, aka KingCrimsonProg, right here on the WordPress platform.  Now he has joined fellow WordPress blogger Angie Moon as a published author.  Today we’re here to discuss his important new book, Mental Health for Metalheads.  Joining us for this instalment is frequent co-host Johnny Clauser, from My Music Corner.

This new book is not your typical self-help tome that you’ve seen for sale everywhere.  This book is about smashing the stigma, specifically for people in our sub-genre of music.  Metal is considered “tough” and “macho”.  It can be difficult for someone from that background to take the steps to deal with regular, everyday problems like depression and social anxiety.  This book helps metal fans relate to mental health issues and healthy habits by framing them within the lyrics of our favourite music stars.  If someone like Mike Patton of Faith No More can admit to needing help, why can’t we all?  Neeson will help guide you through the steps, while rocking you like a hurricane.

While I have not written about all the personal aspects of this topic, we have discussed them on the show.  In 2012 I began my own mental health journey when I went to the hospital and sought help, for a hopeless feeling that I now know is a combination of depression and panic.  I am not on any medication, but through 14 years of therapy I’ve learned to manage my symptoms much better.  I talk about this openly because I want to smash the stigma.  Doing this takes strength, not weakness!  So we are here to spread the word about James Neeson’s new book, and hopefully help others in the process.

Please join us today, for a special pre-holiday afternoon show!  3:00 PM EST, and join us in the comments with any questions for James.  See you then.

Friday July 3 @ 3:00 PM EST, 4:00 PM Atlantic.  Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.

 

Happy Canada Day

Enjoy your Canada Day holiday with Dr. Stompin’ Tom Connors.

“It’s Canada Day Up Canada Way”

It′s Canada Day, up Canada Way, on the first day of July
And we’re shouting hooray, up Canada Way
When the maple leaf flies high
When the silver jets from east to west go streaming through our skies
We′ll be shouting hooray, up Canada Way, when the great parade goes by

Oh Canada, standing tall together
We’ll raise our hands and hail our flag
The maple leaf forever

It’s Canada Day, up Canada Way, on the coast of Labrador
And we′re shouting hooray, up Canada Way, on the white Pacific shore
People everywhere have a song to share on Canada′s holiday
From Pelee Island in the sunny south to the North Pole, far away

Oh Canada, standing tall together
We’ll raise our hands and hail our flag
The maple leaf forever

It′s Canada Day, up Canada Way, on the long cold winters done
And we’re shouting hooray, up Canada Way
For the great days yet to come
Where maple trees grow, maple leaves when the Northern sun is high
We′re Canadians, and we’re born again on the first day of July

Oh Canada, standing tall together
We′ll raise our hands and hail our flag
The maple leaf forever

It’s Canada Day, up Canada Way, from the lakes to the prairies wide
And we’re shouting hooray, up Canada Way
On the St. Lawrence river side
People everywhere have a song to share on Canada′s holiday
From Pelee Island in the sunny south to the North Pole, far away

Oh Canada, standing tall together
We′ll raise our hands and hail our flag
The maple leaf forever

We’ll raise our hands and hail our flag
The maple leaf forever