This short, which pays homage to Star Wars creator George Lucas in the style of Shakespeare In Love, is a funny, creative little film that any old-school Star Wars fan will enjoy. A fictional account of how Lucas came up with his epic saga simply by taking inspiration from life around him, it is loaded with references both subtle and obvious. Much better than “spoof movies” today, George Lucas In Love, in a mere 9 minutes, is loaded with more laughs than the entire Scary Movie franchise. The Flanneled One himself is a fan.
It is 1967, and young George Lucas has writer’s block. He just can’t seem to finish his movie about space farming. Instead he decides to “write what he knows”, and we all know what happened after that. Stay tuned for the not-so-surprise ending.
The DVD is padded out with some other unfunny shorts, Evil Hill, ll, Film Club, and Swing Blade. Don’t waste your time. There is also an audio commentary and some behind-the-scenes features.
Keeping the run time in mind, pick this up at a reasonable price if you can — which may be hard as it is out of print.
O, By the light of the silvery moon I want to spoon, to my honey I’ll croon love’s tune Honeymoon keep a-shining in June Your silv’ry beams will bring love dreams We’ll be cuddling soon By the silvery moon
(Edwards/Madden 1909)
Oh, the moon! That might explain things. You see, the moon affects the brain.
(Amman – Clash of the Titans 1982)
RECORD STORE TALES #1204: By The Light of the Silvery Moon
I’m not a nocturnal person, though I used to pull a few allnighters with Jen when we were first dating. I do have insomnia, so I often wake in the middle of the night. At home, this usually means checking my email and having a drink before heading back to the sheets. At the cottage, I enjoy stepping out into the cool summer air and having a look around.
I don’t bring a flashlight. I let my eyes adjust to the darkness and wander.
You see things at night. When visible, the moon lends a silvery sheen over the entire landscape. Not quite enough to read by, but certainly enough to see the ripples of waves on the water. Under the cover of trees, silver slits of light pierce the darkness, creating spotlights on the earth. If there is a breeze, the movement of the trees can really make you feel as if you’re not alone.
You hear things at night. Once or twice I heard a coyote, crying like a human child and echoing through the valley. Another deep dark night, I heard a growling that I could not see. We do get bears here. Sometimes the swaying trees can create a growling sound as they move in the night, but this growl scared me and I made a quick retreat back to the house.
I enjoy the total solitude at 3 AM. I feel more connected to nature by the silence (other than wind, waves and nocturnal beasts). I don’t wear shoes on these walks. I can feel the grass or cool sand beneath my feet. Sometimes I stub my toe on a tree root, but that’s a small annoyance in the grand calculus of the pitch black night.
I try not to make a sound. Just observe with my senses. Feel the cool air on my back. It’s mental health maintenance. While I love living in Kitchener (for many great reasons), I feel truly free and alive in the wilderness.
A special moonlight treat is when the silvery satellite turns blood orange. A moonset is a very special sight that not many get to know, or even know about. I’ve seen a few of them. When a crescent moon hits the horizon, people describe as the image of a blazing sailing ship on the edge of the lake. This year, wildfire smoke has prevented us from seeing the moon kiss the horizon, but its orange glory remains as a fiery ember in the sky. When the moon is full, you can imagine it is a burning Balrog, climbing out of a gaping maw in the dark mines of Moria.
Truly the world looks alien at night in the light of the moon. Perhaps that is why I love it so much. I have always yearned to see other worlds, but the beauty of the Earth is enough to last many lifetimes, if you go out at night under the light of the silvery moon.
Of all the versions of “By the Light of the Silvery Moon”, Little Richard’s is one of the highest charting, going to #17 in the UK, 50 years after the song was written. Other renditions were performed by Gene Vincent, Doris Day, Fats Waller, Etta Jams, Burl Ives, Ray Charles, Julie Andrews, and even Bugs Bunny (Mel Blanc) among countless versions.
At the Beat Goes On, we had a lot of teachers as customers. Teachers were interesting customers. They were like sheep, all looking for the same thing. It was so bizarre the first time I was swamped by teachers all coming in looking for the same CD. A CD that was out of print, incidentally. That CD was TSN’s Jock Jams disc.
In the late 90s, teachers were told at a teaching convention that kids learn better to certain kinds of upbeat music. 1995’s Jock Jams was given as an example of the kind of music to play in class. Teachers were told to get a copy, play it in class while kids worked, and note the improvement in their performance. Jock Jams! That is what they were told to buy. They couldn’t get it at the mall, since it was out of print. So, they came to us, a used CD outlet. We were swamped, at every location, by teachers.
“Do you have Jock Jams?” asked the first one. I didn’t have one in stock, but I called one of our other stores who did have it.
“Can you get them to hold it for me? I’ll be right there,” said the teacher. That teacher would be the only one to score Jock Jams on that day. Shortly thereafter, a second customer came in asked for the exact same CD. That always raised my eyebrows when it happened. When multiple people came in asking for the same album on the same day, over and over again, it meant something had happened. Sometimes it meant an artist won an award. Other times it meant the artist had died. This time, much to my surprise, it because of a teacher’s convention, where they were told to buy an out-of-print and out of date CD.
“Do you have Jock Jams?” asked a second customer.
“No,” I answered in surprise. “We just sold our only copy. Literally just now, a guy came in and got our only copy.”
“When can you get another? I need it for my class. I’m a teacher.”
“Well, we are a used CD store, so we’ll get another copy when it is traded in. I can put you on a wait list,” I answered.
“How long will that take? I need it for September.”
“Impossible to guess,” I replied. “The CD is out of print. Someone has to have a copy, and trade it in first. I can put you on a waiting list. Or I could get you Jock Jams 2?” I offered.
“No no,” answered the teacher. “We were told to get Jock Jams 1.”
“Jock Jams 2 will have similar music, just newer songs that your students will know better than Jock Jams 1,” I mentioned.
“They said to get Jock Jams 1,” replied the teacher with zero initiative. And so, the customer left their name and number and I put them on a wait list.
Then the next customer came in.
“Do you have Jock Jams?” they asked.
“No, we sold our only copy this morning. Are you a teacher?” I asked.
“Yes, how did you know?”
Because of that teacher convention, we had 20 customers come in that day for Jock Jams, and added seven names to the waiting list. It took years to clear that waiting list. Notably, a few went for the more recent Jock Jams 2, but most were steadfast. “We were told to use Jock Jams 1,” they would answer.
“Well I can tell you that you’re not going to get Jock Jams 1 in this town, this semester,” I regrettably informed them. “Your students won’t even know the songs on Jock Jams 1.”
“We’re supposed to use Jock Jams 1,” they would reply. OK…lots of luck!
We ended up cranking our prices up on Jock Jams 1 any time they came in stock. They used to be $8.99. Now we would ask $19.99. Supply and demand, and there was very little supply and much demand. Teachers didn’t want alternatives to Jock Jams. “We were told to get Jock Jams,” they would bleat like sheep. This went on a couple years, every August.
Every time I see a Jock Jams CD, I think of that damn teacher convention that brainwashed these people into thinking that Jock Jams, and only Jock Jams, would improve their students’ learning. Only towards the end of the rush would teachers finally break down and buy something else that was similar in style, like a MuchDance album.
I lost a lot of faith in the teachers of the late 1990s during the week of that convention, and the rush on Jock Jams. No imagination, no flexibility, no originality. What was the world coming to?
HELLO! MY NAME IS BLOTTO – THE MOVIE!(2025 – 1 hour 44 minutes)
Directed by Rob Lichter
I am a firm believer in documenting music history. There are many groups throughout rock history that have had hits, fans, and stories to tell, but with scarce documentation. One such band was Blotto – until now.
In 2025, director Rob Lichter (also known as Bert Blotto) finally released the long-gestating Blotto documentary film, Hello! My Name Is Blotto – The Movie! This film has been a labour of love, and that love comes across in every frame. Meticulous attention to detail, comprehensive live and TV clips, and extensive interview footage with all the band members make up the bulk of this loving look at Albany’s greatest…comedy rock band? Rock comedy ensemble? What are Blotto anyway? This is a question that comes up during the movie several times. Why didn’t the record labels get what Blotto were selling?
“We were not musical enough to be a musical band, and not funny enough to be a comedy act!” sums up guitarist and singer Broadway Blotto. “We wanted fame with a living wage.”
“We weren’t rich and famous; we were solvent and well known,” responds guitarist and singer Bowtie Blotto.
Starting out in the early 1970s as the Star Spangled Washboard Band, three of the founding members of Blotto first began playing comedic bluegrass music. They used costumes and aliases: “Broadway Harris” for example (no relation to Bill & Emily). The roots of Blotto were forming, though in a genre far removed from rock. You’ll see early TV appearances, featuring Bowtie’s much bigger hair, and some music that was later rocked up into Blotto songs, such as “High School Honey”. The Star Spangled Washboard Band earned great reviews and plenty of laughs. Their knack for quick comedy was evident, as the chemistry between Sarge, Broadway and Bowtie blossomed. It’s possible that I saw the Star Spangled Washboard Band on television back when I was a child, as they appeared on programs like the Mike Douglas Show, which was a TV staple in our house.
From the bass-playing hotspot of Ballston Spa, New York, came Cheese Blotto, a gifted musician who had a knack for groove. The Washboard Band never launched into super-stardom though, as misfortune derailed a big New York City gig. The band broke up in 1978, but of course, they couldn’t stay apart forever. Working as a bartender, Cheese was eager to be on stage instead of serving drinks, so he called his old buddies for a jam. They didn’t even have a name, but washboard was out and rock was in.
The band acquired singer Blanche Blotto, who started as a fan (a “Blottette”), and became a key member, singing lead on “Stop (In The Name of Love)”. Finally, they found drummer Lee Harvey Blotto, who fit in like a glove from day one. “You’ll know the songs better than they do,” he was assured.
Blotto wisely decided to record some demos. “I Wanna Be A Lifeguard” became a hit, earning radio play in New York City, and crucial airtime on the fledgling MTV. “Lifeguard” was in fact the 36th song ever played on MTV, on day one. Did you know the video was filmed on a freezing cold April day?
Shortly after “Lifeguard”, Blotto secured a recording with legendary producer Bob Clearmountain, which yielded two songs in one overnight session. Unsurprisingly, they sounded great. Sadly, it never led to a major label deal as they hoped. “I think Atlantic Records is going in a different direction than Blotto,” went one heartbreaking rejection.
The film is divided into six sections, each one covering an era of the band. It is augmented by interviews with the people who were there at the time, including MTV VJ Martha Quinn to talk about “Lifeguard” burning up TV screens nationwide. Buck Dharma, who shared their sense of humour, appears to discuss the hit “Metal Head”. We even get to see outtakes from the innovative music video. This movie is packed full of facts, fans, and perspectives from Albany New York, where they became local heroes. Sadly, the talented Cheese Blotto passed away in 1999, and only TV footage remains of him. Though we lost Sarge in 2019, plenty of interviews with him remain. Past members Chevrolet, Hammerhead and Clyde Blotto also appear, fleshing out the documentation of the different lineup changes.
“Chevrolet Blotto, our newest Blotto, was auditioned mainly on the strength of his last name,” jokes Broadway in a vintage interview clip.
There are clips of unreleased songs such as “I Love You Calvin Klein”. There are so many stories; hilarious stories. Detailed stories about the creation of the songs and the album covers. There are tragic stories of loss, and bizarre tales of Blotto haters. Who could hate Blotto?
This is the only unanswered question that the film leaves open. Who could hate Blotto? Though the labels had no idea what to do with them, the fans kept coming back through theme nights, Blottoweens, reunion gigs and new members. The band never really packed it in. They moved on; got other work. Lee Harvey even did double duty as a lawyer and a lifeguard. But they never really stopped being Blotto. As Blanche says, it’s always a part of them.
Though I laughed throughout the film, there are tears to be shed as well. Both Cheese and Sarge went too soon, and it is clear that they are missed. Each member of the band brought something to the table. Sarge was not just a singer, but also an artist. Cheese’s disco grooves were magically delicious, and his decision to go bald brought a new visual dimension to the band. Their quick wits are on sharp display in the vintage footage.
I have always felt like the world needed more Blotto. Their small treasure chest of tunes is easy to devour in a sitting or two. Now, we finally have more Blotto, and a serious addition to the catalogue it is. Hello! My Name is Blotto – The Movie! is a constantly entertaining deep dive on a band that we needed more of. A band that the world needs to hear. Anyone who likes music would enjoy this film, and maybe become a new fan, just a few decades late.
My old friend and collaborator Tommy Morais passed away in 2024, but miraculously, I found this 2015 email from him. It contained a complete review of Twisted Sister’s Love Is For Suckers album that we never published, and a memorial for Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero, who had recently died. I am please to finally publish this final review that Tommy sent me to post. Rest in peace Tommy.
TWISTED SISTER – Love Is For Suckers (1987 Atlantic)
by Tommy Morais – written March 28, 2015
“The ‘Soft & Filler’ album…” Bought in 2012 in France for something like 17 euros!
Twisted Sister’s fifth and final studio album Love Is For Suckers (unless you count the band’s 2004 Still Hungry, a collection of re-recordings of Stay Hungry) is one that tends to divide people. Some hardcore fans dismiss it as too pop and lacking much substance, while others have a soft spot for it and thought it was an enjoyable release at the time. There’s some claims to be made about both opinions. The main problem with with Love Is For Suckers is that it really isn’t a Twisted Sister album. “Wake Up The Sleeping Giant” is deceiving in that it almost sounds like classic TS. Yet only Dee Snider as an original member remains, and then there’s Joey “Seven” Franco who was in the current lineup on drums. It really should have been a Dee Snider solo album which is what it was intended as and truly was, but instead the record company pressured this to be released as a Twisted Sister album.
Then it is plagued by a few big issues, besides the absence of the classic lineup. Did you ever see Reb Beach and Kip Winger receiving credits on a Twisted Sister album? Well, they played on this. Probably not a happy thought for most Twisted Sister fans, as it ended up taking an ultimately softer and a more pop direction. Then you have to consider that it may have been competitive and cutting edge in 1987, but Love ls For Suckers has not held up well with time. Also for an album title that claims love “sucks”, it’s ironic that most of these songs are well… love songs.
What’s with the drum sound?! The songs are wimpy but with a thunderous, big drum sound which leads to question that maybe Joey was a good drummer who ended up playing on the wrong album. The production by Beau Hill is about what you’d expect, very “1987” and time has not been too kind to its sound.
Opener “Wake Up The Sleeping Giant” is misleading. 1) It sounds like Twisted Sister and 2) It’s the best song on the album, and it leads you to think (and hope) the rest may be up to this standard. “Hot Love” was and is a great candy rock piece tailored for 1987; cheesy but fun and a good overall choice of single. It’s one of the most memorable songs (remember the video that went along?). The title track is actually not a bad rocker at all, it’s consistent as Snider does a good vocal performance and it’s somewhat catchy. This is where the album takes a slide in the quality department with “l’m So Hot For You” and “Me And The Boys” (this one especially is embarrassing) being generic filler tracks that halt any momentum the album had going for it. Sandwiched in between those songs is the slightly better rocker “Tonight” which showcases some aggression; not a bad tune at all. “One Bad Habit” is more filler material. “I Want This Night To Last Forever” has a Van Hagar feel to it, especially during the chorus but is nothing to write home about either. “You’re All That l Need” tried to be a big power ballad but it failed during the chorus, even though it had a nice build up. The keyboards prevent it from being a strong ballad like “The Price”, and as a result it sounds a little too soft and thin. The closing “Yeah Right” ends thing on a more positive note. It’s a solid upbeat rocker and one of the heaviest songs on an album that could’ve used more songs of this calibre.
I own the remastered version with four extra songs. “Statuary Date” is the worst of the bunch. “Feel Appeal” is better than some of the songs that made it onto the actual album, it’s more straight up rock and a little catchier. “I Will Win” is rocking but the chorus doesn’t get it right; close but no cigar. “If That’s What You Want” became “Me And The Boys” although it’s earlier incarnation was stronger and had better lyrics. If you ask me this version should’ve made the album instead!
There you have it. Any way you slice it, Love Is For Suckers is definitely, without a doubt, the worst Twisted Sister album. It suffers from the production, is full of fillers and it doesn’t feature Jay Jay French, Eddie Ojeda, Mark Mendoza, A.J Pero (who left before this was released), even though the liner notes say they were a part of it (minus Pero, replaced by Joey Franco). The first two songs, and the album cover, are the only things that are truly memorable about LIFS. The rest is really unfocused and sub-par. Twisted Sister’s decline had already begun with their previous effort, 1985’s Come Out And Play which would show cracks of the band’s implosion, but this one was a commercial disappointment failing to reach gold status or chart successfully. Simply put, Twisted Sister was no longer a band at this point and the album did nothing to stop them from breaking up and was quite frankly just not very good.
It was grade six. I was 11 years old, and it was the Friday before a holiday, which meant the whole class got to do nothing but chill and watch a movie. For the rest of the day our teachers let us hang out and do nothing. We each brought pop, chips or both to share. One of my friends Maxime brought one of his dad’s CDs. That CD? Twisted Sister’s greatest hits. He asked the teacher if he could play it for us, and the rest is history. I was introduced to my first taste of Hard Rock and Metal. I distinctively remember telling one of my friends “this is not bad huh?”, to which he agreed. I glanced at the album cover. It said “Twisted Sister Big Hits & Nasty Cuts“. Then l proceeded to tell Maxime that this (ugly) “girl band” was pretty good. I wasn’t familiar with Glam/Hair/80’s metal at that point and even less so with the look. Truth is l had been exposed to some AC/DC, Loverboy and Metallica prior to that but this was the first time it really clicked. Maybe it was just just the right age, the right time. There you have it, Twisted Sister was the first band I recall really taking a liking to. From then on l discovered my dad and his brother’s LPs and played them on the turntable (I remember digging the first Van Halen a lot). I definitely have a soft spot for Twisted Sister.
It is with sadness that I learned of longtime drummer and classic lineup member A.J. Pero’s unfortunate passing. Pero was a crucial part of the band and its sound, and a great drummer too. I approached Mike about maybe doing something Twisted Sister related on his blog to which he was very enthusiastic. I wanted to review something AJ played on, like Come Out And Play as l plan to review all of TS’s material in the upcoming days, but with time restraints l had to settle for my (still brand new) Love ls For Suckers. The band has said that were to make some big announcement next week. One can only assume that it is regarding Twisted Sister’s future as a band. Jay Jay said on social media that they were already thinking about hanging it up prior to Pero’s passing. Then Dee Snider said it would be profitable to the Pero family if the band kept playing and that they were thinking about winding down in 2016 for the band’s 40th anniversary. I’m not against them continuing performing live and going out on a final tour to honour AJ and the anniversary of the band just as l am not opposed to the band calling it quits. I have a feeling they’ll at least play a few more shows and maybe do one last concert CD/DVD (that would be cool). Rest in peace A.J., the rock world lost a great drummer.
RECORD STORE TALES #1196: When the Lightning Strikes
Friday night, and we were off to the races. I live for the weekend, and so Friday June 27 was set to be another one for the history books. Fridays are a shorter day at work. We get to go home at 4:00 PM instead of 4:30 which can make a significant difference when it comes to traffic. Jen had bought a couple decent steaks at a cheap price, so that was the planned dinner. Steak is always something to look forward to, even when cooked at home in a cast iron frying pan. (The grill at the cottage is always preferred.) On top of this, I had the night “off” from doing shows. The evening’s episode of Grab A Stack of Rock was a fun re-run featuring my good pal Aaron along with Harrison Kopp and Jex Russell. All I had to do was watch and comment along. A low pressure evening.
In more ways than one…
A minor seizure derailed Jen, but only for an hour and a half. She recovered after a quick nap. We’d have to do dinner after the show, instead of before. No big deal. The electricity in her synapses doesn’t always play nice, but she’s definitely doing much better than she was doing only two or three years ago. New medications have made a difference.
The skies were darker than usual for a summer night in June. According to the radar, a storm was rolling in. It had already hit the shores of Lake Huron a couple hours earlier, as my dad told me.
“The power went out a couple times,” he told me. “The neighbours came over for a visit and they had to stay and wait out the storm, they couldn’t go home.”
Me personally, I never let a little rain get in the way of me leaving a social engagement early, but that’s just me.
“It’ll be coming your way soon,” warned my dad. I love a good rainstorm. The harder the better. A low pressure zone was churning up some thunder and lightning. It should be a good one. The rumble of distant thunder could be heard.
Jen made a couple pretty good steaks with enough left over for breakfast the next day. We settled in for an evening. I was watching classic Doctor Who on Tubi. I chose the high-strung Second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, because I like his Scottish sidekick Jamie. I usually watch Doctor Who on my laptop with my headphones, while Jen watches sports on TV. The lights flickered as a power surge hit, followed by a roar of thunder outside.
“Here it comes,” I enthused. The power went out twice total, knocking out the cable, but not Doctor Who. The episode was ending and I removed my headphones.
“Wow is that the rain?” I asked, as I heard the pounding on the windows. “Good storm!”
But there was another sound. I thought I heard loud dripping, inside. I went to check around the front windows, which were soaking wet and dripping all over.
“Holy shit, there’s water coming in through the windows!” I yelled. I could see it dripping in through the top of the window sill. This is actually not as big a deal as it sounds, as the windows are all being replaced in a few weeks. The building itself it currently stripped of its outer siding, as it is being re-finished with a new exterior this summer. It’s no surprise that a storm of that power could drive water right through the walls with no siding. Any leaks will be gone along with the old windows soon. So I was not concerned. I just wanted to stop the water from coming in and dripping all over my stuff.
“Do you want a couple towels?” asked Jen.
“Yeah! Great idea!” I said as I moved stuff away from the wall, out of the drip. There was a lot of water on the window sill, but a couple towels would stop the drip.
I carefully placed the towels along the entire length of the window sill. They thirstily soaked up water, very quickly, indicating the amount of liquid that we were dealing with. My fingers were wet as I pushed the towels into the corners of the window sill.
BANG!
Just like that – like a loud fireworks exploding in my face – lightning struck just outside.
Shocked, I jumped and yelled “WOAH! WHAT WAS THAT?” It was a completely different kind of sound from lightning that I’m used it. More a loud pop; like an explosion. Less a bright flash of light, but more a dark flash of black! And my fingers were deep in the water when it hit. They tingled afterwards for hours; almost a day. My head burst with a headache right at the pointy top of my skull. I have no doubt that I received a mild electrical shock.
I’m going to tell people that I was hit by lightning. Why not? That’s where the electricity came from. It conducted through the water in the ground into my fingers. We live in a basement apartment and the window is at ground level. That’s how I got shocked. It was mild, yes – but I’m going to use it as a boast anyway.
I felt really crappy all night. I didn’t sleep well. I did, however, test something myself.
Lying in bed, I stretched my arms up towards the ceiling fan. Stretching out my fingers, and using only the power of my mind, I made an effort to move the fan with my new electricity-based superpowers. Failing that, I tried to make the lightbulbs explode. That didn’t work either, so in a last ditch effort, I attempted to levitate myself out of bed.
Nothing.
I sighed and slumped back into a restless night, dreaming of flying over the landscape using my new superpowers, and zapping people I don’t like with lightning. But no superpowers manifested. I was ripped off!
The rain pattered on and off through the night, but no more water leaked in. Soon there will be new windows through which no water shall leak. Lightning seldom strikes the same place twice, and very few people are hit more than once, so I hope my dance with Lady Electric is over. One of my fingers still tingles a bit. My chance at being a superhero has passed me by, but I’m still here to write the tale.
Are you ready to level up in your photography or drone flying game? The brand new Ruko U11MINI 4K is the drone for you. Best of all, it weighs under 249 grams, which means you don’t need a license to fly it. Just open the package, read the manual, charge the batteries and launch.
Opening the box, I was delighted to find not one, but two paper manuals! The full User Manual, and a Quick Guide. This is a huge step up from having to read a pdf file on your screen. The inclusion of a paper manual will make all the difference to some users. Also included are two batteries (roughly 32 minutes flight time each) and all the USB cables needed to charge and fly, no matter what kind of phone you use. The controller is sleek and features two comfortable and detachable control sticks. It comes in a handsome and sturdy carrying case for storage and transport. It also has a plastic camera cover to protect the 4K camera (EIS with gimbal, like a 3-axis brushless gimbal with EIS). You will be able to capture 8K pictures and 4K@30fps video. All you need to provide yourself is a smartphone and a micro SD card to record all that lovely video you’re going to get. And don’t forget to download the appropriate app to your device!
An important step is to make sure your phone is set for USB file transfer mode. Google the steps for your phone to do this. Your phone mounts sturdily to the controller, and connects via the included USB-C cable. You can transfer photos and videos straight to your phone. When powering on and pairing, be sure to calibrate the GPS and gyroscope. Give it time for the GPS to lock on.
With this powerful camera at hand, you can record hi-definition video or photos at the touch of a button. Thanks to the camera’s clever gimbal, it will always take level photos no matter the wind conditions. No need to straighten and crop videos or photos with this drone. It can even record audio!
For what I have been used to, this drone is far more powerful, and I am not talking about the camera. The motors are faster and can go way further: 394 feet altitude, which is double what I’ve flown before. Without obstructions, it can transmit a signal up to 20,000 feet distance. I will be able to fly further, and see clearer, than ever before! There is even a 5x digital zoom available. It is far faster than my old drone, so be careful with your velocity!
With the app on your phone, you will unlock a multitude of features for this drone. GPS follow, and path planning are two such features. Auto return and setting your own custom maximum altitude and distance will help keep your drone safe as you learn. You can also have it return to a safe home point when the battery is low. You can even program a path with up to 16 checkpoints. Feeling uncertain about landings? This drone has an AI takeoff and landing system (using GPS, barometric altitude hold, optical flow, and TOF positioning) for smooth takeoffs and landings. Like all drones, one must be careful in heavy wind. Due to unseasonable bad weather here in Canada, I have not had many great days to fly safely in the spring of 2025. As I fly the drone and experiment with its abilities, I will add more videos to this space. Bookmark it and check back for more videos.
Some tips:
1. Keep the drone in sight when flying to avoid getting lost.
2. Don’t fly too close to the surface, to water, or to trees.
3. Use a large open area to fly in, with good GPS reception.
People are loving my drone footage from the Ruko U11MINI 4K! From Owen:
“You’ve really got me considering purchasing this drone, Mike. I love your footage in both videos, it’s under 249g. Beautiful shots, Mr. Ladano.”
Take it from me, you’re going to love the Ruko U11MINI 4K drone.
GEDDY LEE – My Favourite Headache (2000 Atlantic, 2024 Anthem reissue)
As a Rush fan, Geddy Lee’s solo album My Favourite Headache never quite clicked. The lyrics seemed inferior and the music immemorable. In 2024, Geddy reissued the album with two bonus demo tracks. This is a perfect time to revisit the album and see if time has been kinder than I was in my original review. It has been a number of years since last listen; perhaps even a decade.
The phrase “my favourite headache” means making music to Geddy Lee. The art of crafting songs is a headache, but he would not trade it for the world. That is what the title means. For historical context, this album was made when Rush were on a serious hiatus. Neil Peart was dealing with tragic loss and nobody knew if the band would ever reunite, including Neil. From that soil grew My Favourite Headache, which Geddy recorded with drummers Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and Jeremy Taggart of Our Lady Peace (on one song). Geddy plays the lion’s share of instruments with Ben Mink and other guests also contributing.
As it should, “My Favourite Headache” opens with some heavy bass, Geddy’s fingers flying. Then, it degenerates into a dissonant and hard guitar riff with throws the listener for a loop: it’s not at all like Rush. It might be the bass player and singer from Rush, but this does not sound like Rush. Which is good; which is the point. It takes a moment to adjust. “My Favourite Headache” slows to a lush section with piano, violins and violas by Mink. The lyrics are fascinating. “I watch TV, what do you want from me?” There is a lot to unpack here now that Geddy is able to express himself verbally in his music.
More Rush-like is “The Present Tense”, a song about living in the now. It bounces from heavy choruses to softer acoustic verses, which is perhaps a different approach from a Rush one. Perhaps by doing something more streamlined, Geddy wrote a catchier song here. His bass sings full, but not over-dominant. Cameron is an apt companion on drums; while not attempting to play like Peart, he is more than capable of navigating the tricky changes and fills.
“Window to the World” has a more exotic feel in its light chords, and Geddy uses his bass to deliver some delightful trills and hooks. It has some of those jarring dissonant guitars from the title track, but not as prominent. This song is melodic, largely easy to digest, and it delightfully careens from soft to hard, with interesting keyboard textures.
Heavier is “Working on Perfekt”. This might be the most enticing of all Geddy’s songs. Tense verses are broken by a sparser chorus. Electronic sounds aside, this is a very Rush-like song. You can almost image what Alex and Neil would do with it, but as Geddy’s song, it is rich in tones and deep, tense hooks.
“Runaway Train” is one of the brightest, most upbeat songs. Mink’s keys and violins add a light, airy feel above Geddy’s hammering bass. His playing is always eloquent and entertaining, if you choose to focus on the bass. Between the electronics and Mink’s rich contributions, there is a lot you can listen to. Or just enjoy the song. It’s a good one. Perhaps I misjudged this album before.
The first mistep might be “The Angels’ Share”, which some may love, but fails to launch for me. It’s a lighter song, but Geddy’s bass ensures it’s like lead. Ben Mink provides some really interesting soloing and backing, but the song itself never quite takes off. In hindsight it sounds like Clockwork Angels-era Rush. While we are in this perceived rut, Geddy throws his worst lyric out in the next song: “Say goodbye to suburbia, you don’t have to cut the lawn.” That’s from “Moving to Bohemia”, which is actually a pretty catchy song. It’s pretty upbeat for this album, and Geddy’s bass playing is at its most thumping.
Geddy turns up the funk on the magnificently weird “Home on the Strange” (with Taggart on drums). What the hell is this? It’s crazy, it’s like Geddy pulled out all funkiest records in his collection and combined them. The lyrics here are also quite fun: “He’s a Canadian icon, he sleeps with his clothes on.” Is it autobiographical? “And he don’t like change, you may think he’s deranged, but he’d rather be home, home on the strange.” Once you get used to its groove, this song won’t let go.
Back to the light, with “Slipping”, which relies on acoustics and piano for a gliding kind of feeling. This is followed by “Still”, which is unusually sparse and simple. An acoustic ballad, with an upbeat tempo, it’s a beautiful song. It certainly sounds autobiographical. “Still halfway up that hill, my fingers may bleed but I’ve got to get there still.” This song strikes me as the best, musically and lyrically, on the album. Strange that it never jumped out at me before.
Closer “Grace to Grace” remains an exceptional song, and one that really ends the album on familiar territory. A burning guitar and driving bass are the focus, as if to say “Hey guys, I’m always going to rock. Thanks for joining me on this trip. Here’s a song I think you’ll like.”
Of course, on this new reissue, Geddy treats us to two previously unreleased demo versions. If you haven’t bought the album before, you may as well go for this edition. True, I usually criticize albums for being a bit on the long side, and My Favourite Headache is a bit long, but demo bonus tracks are added value that you don’t have to include if you just want to listen to the “album” for the experience. There doesn’t seem to be any recording information about these two demos, “My Favourite Headache” and “Home on the Strange”. These are full realized arrangements, though without all the vocals. “My Favourite Headache” might surpass the album track for its live sounding rawness. Maybe it should have been an instrumental with only a chorus? The demo is great. Same with “Home on the Strange”. These tracks are worth the listen, and the re-buy.
Ultimately, My Favourite Headache requires the listener to set aside any thoughts of Rush, no matter how much Geddy and his bass will always sound like Rush. It’s a challenge, but once you get there, it is easier to appreciate the songs and the experiment. It takes time to absorb, as it is actually a very dense production, even for Geddy. Ben Mink’s contributions are priceless textures that help transport yourself away from a Rush mindset. Listen to those; focus on Mink and appreciation will come.
3.5/5 stars
Check out my autographed copy of My Favourite Headache by clicking the thumbnail.
Check out Grant Arthur and Davey Cretin as they get this album all wrong on the Warehaus tonight. 8 PM EST June 23 2025
BUBBLES and the SHITROCKERS – Longhauler – The Best of Bubbles and the Shitrockers (2024 Swearnet)
It’s right there in the lyrics to “Home Is Where Your Shed Is” – kitties, liquor and dope. That about sums up the major singing interests of the Bubbles character from Trailer Park Boys. The album Longhauler – The Best of Bubbles and the Shitrockers accompanies the new movie, Standing on the Shoulder of Kitties. As implied by the the title, many of these songs are familiar from the TV show or online episodes.
The question is, can you sustain the jokes for an entire album? A TV series or a movie is an altogether different comedic vehicle.
Fortunately, Mike Smith (Bubbles) is a worldclass musician from the Halifax band sandbox. This album will probably land in more ears than his conceptual indi rock band ever did, and for that reason, it is produced and engineered by none other than Eddie Kramer. It also features Billy Bob Thornton and Ronnie Wood in the credits on backing vocals, not that you’ll notice.
The direction is, with the exception of two tracks, country & western. Musically, this album is legit. Mike Smith plays most instruments, including guitar, mandolin, piano, mellotron and more. His backing band provides pedal steel, dobro, hammond, stand-up bass and all the trimmings. Smith is a seasoned musician and songwriter, and he knows his stuff. There’s nothing jokey about the music; just the lyrics.
Perhaps the part that wears out soonest is the Bubbles character himself. Singing like that, and the limited subject matter of the lyrics, over the course of a full album is a challenge to take in.
Songs you’ll recognize:
“Who’s Got Yer Belly?” featuring Mike’s pal Alex Lifeson from Rush
“Kitties Are So Nice”
“Liquor and Whores”
It is also great to have a copy of Bubbles’ pirate shanty, “The Kittyman”. This is one of the songs that doesn’t fit the country direction, and is a highlight for that reason. Plus it’s also just great fun.
Even songs that seem “clean” and safe to share with your cat-loving friends, such as “Kitties Are So Nice”, may not be safe to share after all. “Every kitty I ever met likes to fuck with string,” sings Bubbles in an earnest voice.
The album closes with the movie theme, “Standing on the Shoulder of Kitties”. Immediately with the mellotron, and the backing vocals later on, it’s more Beatles than country. It might be overreaching. The lyrics about how awesome kitties are will keep most people from caring. If you want to hear somebody do music like this, there are probably Oasis songs you haven’t heard yet. That’s the impression anyway. It’s more Oasis than Beatles, and more Beatles than country. “A kitty’s love is all it takes, la la la la la.” Not hiding the influences at all, Bubbles even sings that “all you need is love.”
This is a novelty album. However, if you have a cat lover in your circle, who doesn’t mind a little beer and liquor, then consider Longhauler as a thoughtful gift.
GEORGE LUCAS IN LOVE (1999 MediaTrip)
mikeladano.com 