I was at home this weekend, and I went out to spend some time with my grandma, aunt, and cousins. As we sat around the kitchen table playing cards, we began to look at a scrapbook my cousin, Angie, was making for a graduation gift. I looked at the pictures and the memories began to come back to me. One picture was of family gathering in the kitchen of my grandma’s house, around the very table we were now seated at. I commented on all the memories that we have made here. It was then that my grandma went to the wall and pulled down something I had never seen before. She had written up a brief biography of the kitchen table. I nearly cried.

This simple kitchen table, which has been in the same spot every day of my life, has an incredible story. This table is over 45 years old. It was specially ordered to meet the needs of the 11 members of the family. It came with two additional sleeves (or sections), one of which has NEVER been out of the table.

I could hardly wrap my mind around the family history that the table had been a part of. When the oldest daughter got married, the wedding reception was at Grandma’s house. There were countless holiday meals and conversations around that table. Numerous birthday parties were celebrated. Endless eggs have been dyed for Easter. Piles of church packets were assembled, homework completed, and projects worked on around this table. Every single grandchild, all 19 of us, has lain on that table as a baby. Mobiles and toys would hang from the fan for our amusement.

This old table has seen some amazing company. At one point, an entire college marching band sat and ate at this table. Several doctors, including a heart specialist from the Twin Cities, have sat around it. Lawyers, politicians and clergy, all have been guests.

I often hear the phrase “If these walls could talk.” Sure, walls may have a good story or two, but nothing like this amazing kitchen table. Basically, this was just an eye-opener for me. How we take things for granted. I love that table, the memories I’ve had around it, the ones I will make in the future. What I’m trying to say is don’t neglect the little things. It is the simple time spent with family and friends who create the memories that will last a lifetime.

So next time you are sitting around at home, think back and appreciate all the time you have spent around that table. The furniture may not last forever, but the memories will.

The UK metal band Def Leppard hit the music scene March 14, 1980, with their debut album “On Through The Night.” While the album was a success, reaching the Top 15 in Britain, many fans were upset that the band was trying to focus on being a hit in the US. Touring the States and songs like “Hello America” only fueled the fire, and it would be awhile before Def Leppard could tame the home crowd.

The first big hit for the band came with the song “Photograph.” The song, combined with a music video, helped Def Leppard become the most requested video on MTV. “Photograph” stayed on the US rock charts for six weeks.

However, their biggest hits came off their fourth album “Hysteria.” This album sold over 12 million copies in the US and stayed on the charts for three years. It included their only number one single “Love Bites” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me.” The video for “Pour Some Sugar On Me” was number one on the MTV show “Dial-MTV” for 68 days, a record for the show.

Besides their influence on the music scene and albums sold, there is one other aspect that makes the band so interesting. Their drummer, Rick Allen, has only one arm. After losing his left arm in a car crash, Allen was determined to stay with the band. Allen learned to use his legs to make up for the loss of his arm.

It wasn’t until the ’80′s that Whitesnake finally broke into the United States. After spending the late ’70′s in Japan and Europe, the band was ready to cross the pond and make their mark in America.

In 1984, the band released their album “Slide it In,” which went gold. It was their next album “Whitesnake” that really made the band a household name. Their number one hit “Here I Go Again” was only a part of the successful album. The ballad “Is This Love” helped bring the band to a bigger fan base.

Once again, MTV and music videos helped to make good record sales great. The videos for the band featured Tawny Kitaen, wife of lead vocalist and group founder David Coverdale.

Despite the success of the last album, Coverdale fired all members of Whitesnake, except for one studio musician. Featuring a new line-up, the group released “Slip of the Tongue,” their final album of the 80′s. Despite help from Grammy-award-winner Steve Vai, album sales were low.

After a couple of albums in the ’90′s, the group called it quits. That is, until the 25-year celebration tour, which kicked off in 2003. The latest project from the group was a DVD released in February 2006. Whitesnake is also doing another tour, back to their early success in Europe and Japan.

Poison, led by vocalist Bret Michaels, was a huge hit in the clubs in Los Angeles before gaining national recognition in the mid 80′s. It was the independent debut album “Look What The Cat Dragged In,” which went multi-platinum that pushed them into the spotlight.

The follow-up platinum album “Open Up And Say?Ahh!” was fueled by the first single “Nothin’ But A Good Time,” a major success on the charts and on MTV. The band quickly went from an opening act to tour headliners. The huge success of the single “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” helped the album to sell over eight million copies.

Drug and alcohol abuse were a big problem for guitarist C.C. DeVille, prompting Michaels and Poison to kick him out of the group. The sides have since reconciled, and are touring and performing together once again. Poison is putting out a greatest-hits album in honor of the group’s 20-year anniversary, along with a summer tour.

Information for this article was collected from: ?www.inthe80s.com/timeline.shtm ?www.chiff.com/pop-culture/1980s.htm ?www.crazyfads.com/80s.htm ?www.80music.about.com/library/1980s

‘Crash,’ this year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture, is a stunning ride through the urban landscape of Los Angeles that focuses on the social and racial divisions that still seem to affect so many in our country.

The eye-opening feature from director Paul Haggis deals with the issue of race relations head on, presenting a very insightful view into the stereotypes that, unfortunately, still seem to be prevalent in today’s society.. “Crash” does an excellent job of displaying an issue while avoiding the preaching that other movies of its kind often do.

The somewhat-complex plot follows a 36-hour period in the lives of a district attorney and his wife, a Korean couple, police, detectives, car jackers, a Mexican locksmith and an African-American TV director and his wife. While all the characters are living their own lives, their paths weave together to provide a patchwork that brings this amazing story together.

For many movies, an all-star cast can help make a mediocre script into a good movie. The talent seems to make up for some serious flaws in the writing. However, “Crash” is not one of these movies, as it was also the Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay.

Of course, a movie starring Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Terrance Howard and several other excellent performers merely adds to the quality of this picture. Matt Dillon earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a veteran police officer dealing with the role race plays in both his personal and professional life. Chris “Ludacris” Bridges gives a passionate and strong performance as a young African-American man trying to deal with the views of a biased society,, yet possesses a similar view of the same world.

The beautiful part of this movie is the message that the movie sends. Everyone has a pre-determined notion of other races. They may be positive, they may be negative, but the idea is there. It is the interaction we, as people, have with each other that changes and shapes our view of others. In some way, our actions will effect someone else. At some point, lives come crashing together. Matt Dillon’s character, Officer Ryan, says it best when he said, “You think you know who you are? You have no idea.”

International arms dealer Yuri Orlov has a problem: “There are over 550 million firearms in worldwide circulation. That’s one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is: How do we arm the other 11?”

Yuri Orlov is the main character played by Nicolas Cage in the hit movie “Lord of War,” a thrilling international adventure showcasing the complex world of arms dealing in the post-Cold War era.

The action-packed and humorous film is told by Orlov, a man who turned to arms dealing as a way to escape his sub-par life in Little Odessa. The plot follows an interesting path of his experiences and the lessons of a successful dealer trying to outrun an Interpol agent as well as his conscience.

Cage’s performance is wonderful, making a potentially vile character into someone the audience can connect with. To him, arms dealing is strictly a job that he is good at, no different than selling cars. He is a family man just trying to provide his dream girl and son with the lifestyle to which they have grown accustomed.

However, his job is a little more dangerous than a typical nine-to- five. The globe-trotting Orlov must deal with stiff competition from other dealers, dangerous warlords and constant pressure from Interpol agent Jack Valentine, played by Ethan Hawke (“Training Day,” “Taking Lives”).

Despite the humor, there is an underlying seriousness to this movie. While legal arms dealing is available, the black and gray areas still exist. Is this a necessary evil in the world? Can ethics survive in such a harsh business environment?

A good portion of this movie takes place in Africa, the site of constant social and political upheaval. How can you choose sides when both are clamoring for your product?

Part of what makes this movie so interesting is its relation to the world we live in today. The news is full of people being shot, both here and abroad. Wars occur in the streets of New York just as they do between countries. And like these wars, it is not just individual arms dealers moving weapons; it is also the most powerful nations in the world.

“You know who’s going to inherit the world?” asks Orlov. “Arms dealers. Because everyone else is too busy killing each other.”

BB and the Bullfrogs performed Friday night at the Prairie Lanes Bowling Alley to a good crowd, despite the bitterly cold winter night.

“We’ve been wanting to get a 50s and 60s band for a while” said Les Nelson, one of the owners of Prairie Lanes.

“Even with the weather, it was a good turnout ? Now that people have heard them, they’ll spread the word. They are a really good band,” he said.

The members of the band, originally from Spirit Lake, Iowa, are all students at SDSU. Brent Brekke, lead guitar and vocalist, is a junior agronomy major. Tyler Pedersen, bassist and lead vocalist, is a sophomore music education major. Drummer Mike Woizeschke is a sophomore engineering major.

This talented trio has a great stage presence and chemistry. Their free-flowing stage banter helps with a smooth transition between songs. It is easy to tell that the band has been performing together for many years, as the crowd can feel the energy that helps keep the excitement growing all night long.

The musical talent, range and diversity of the members is quite spectacular. The dynamic duo of Brekke and Pedersen provides a great blend of voices, which they credit to the long relationship between the singers. Brekke’s mellow baritone meshes well with Pedersen’s vast vocal abilities, ranging from high falsetto to lower tones similar to that of an R&B swooner. The range of the vocalists allows for a wide variety of songs. One of the most notable is the group’s rendition of “House of the Rising Sun,” featuring a staggering vocal display that uses notes sung both lower and higher than the original recording.

The band to audience interaction is also something to behold. While it is easy for a DJ to take requests, it is much more difficult for a live band to do so, especially when they have never performed the song.!

“While the quality of impromptu songs may not be up to our normal standards, we’re not the type to turn down a challenge,” said Brekke.

“But there certainly are limitations to our impromptu abilities. There are certain songs that just can’t be given justice by a three-piece group.”

BB and the Bullfrogs are certainly a crowd favorite, with fans in all age demographics. Sitting in the audience, you can feel a certain connection with the band, as they carry on conversations with fans, take requests on the spot and even feature random dance contests with tunes like the Chicken Dance. As young and old gather to compete, the pace quickens with each pass, as Pedersen speeds up until even his band mates cannot keep up, turning the piece into a solo. Laughter breaks out among the crowd as the lightning-quick verse is played, much too quickly for anyone to keep up with.

“Don’t worry,” said Pedersen. “No one ever can keep up.”

The musical influences of this group are deep and family-oriented. Brekke’s grandpa became a co-founder of DJ & the Runaways, who still holds the record for highest record sales for any Iowa band. Their Billboard hit “Peter Rabbit” sold more than 400,000 copies and gave them the opportunity to tour the country. It was his grandpa that helped BB and the Bullfrogs get started.

“He (Grandpa) taught me to play the guitar, and Tyler to play the bass,” Brekke said.

BB and the Bullfrogs currently maintain a busy schedule, taking on not only school, but traveling South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa for gigs nearly every weekend. The band was initially formed between Brekke and Pedersen seven years ago. The drummer, Mike Woizeschke, was later added, as the current group just started their fifth year together. They plan to continue to play together throughout college, and hope to stay together much longer than that, depending on the future. The Bullfrogs hope to continue playing at Prairie Lanes in Brookings. For more information about the band and their schedule, check them out on their Web site at www.bbandthebullfrogs.com.

Eight years removed from his smash hit “Lullaby,” Grammy nominee Shawn Mullins’ is back with an album that will satisfy a broad range of interests. The 38-year-old Mullins’ eighth CD, “9th Ward Pickin’ Parlor,” is filled with as much emotion and soul as the building it is named after. Only a block away from the Industrial Canal in New Orleans, roughly half the album was cut before Hurricane Katrina destroyed the 100-year-old building that housed the studio.

Despite the setback, Mullins finished the CD and released a record filled with a wide variety of musical styles, including country, rock and blues. Delivered in an almost entirely acoustic style, Mullins adds his gravelly tenor vocals to the often emotional tracks. In an age of digital recording, pre-recorded instruments, manipulation of the artist’s voice and constant recording, “Pickin’ Parlor” features a refreshing change from the technical era. The ‘old school’ feeling and live instruments help the listener really connect to the music. Simple plucking of a banjo, guitar and mandolin are combined with basic drums and percussion to give the entire album that brings back memories from a simpler time.

Mullins’ latest creation is filled with fantastic story telling, from self-destructive love songs, to murder ballads, an anti-war piece, and even the remake of a classic thrown into the mix. The first single off the new CD is “Beautiful Wreck,” a song that could describe relationships many can relate to. Johnny Cash would be proud of the work Mullins’ did with “Cold Black Heart,” a song about love, loss, murder and life on the run. The remake of “House of the Rising Sun” has a few minor lyrical changes. While somewhat strange, the vocal performance is still moving. The call for peace and an end to war in “Lay Down Your Swords, Boys” hearkens back to the anti-war songs of the Vietnam Era. Carrying on this sentiment, Mullins helped campaign for Senator John Kerry’s presidential bid in 2004.

For many, the most surprising and interesting fact about Mullins is the military background that is a part of his life. His brother, father, grandfather and step-grandfather all were in various branches of the armed services. Mullins was no different. Attending an Army ROTC program in college, Shawn was a part of an airborne infantry. Afterwards, he hit the road to pursue a music career. He currently plays more than 200 performances a year across the country. Four out of five stars.

For all the comedy fans out there, leave the “redneck” jokes behind, forget “your sign,” set aside the “tater salad,” and make way for one of the funniest new comics since Dane Cook.

Daniel Tosh has become one of the new fresh faces of comedy. During the past few years, Tosh has preformed on the popular late night shows, including “THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO” and “THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN” as well as his own comedy specials airing on Comedy Central. According to Billboard.com, his debut CD, “True Stories I Made Up”, was released in early November, and has been a “hilarious, stunner of a debut.”

One of the things that makes Daniel Tosh so popular, especially with college students, is his comedic style. The quick, sharp tongue of Tosh has drawn many comparisons to Dane Cook. “True Stories I Made Up” touches on a variety of topics, ranging from plastic surgery, to the sports world, politics and every topic in between.

Daniel Tosh was born in Germany, but raised in Florida. The son of a preacher, Tosh had two sisters and a brother. Some of the material used in his act comes from his youth. “Did you ever play this game as a kid, the floor is lava ? you may have called it something else but it meant the same thing: you were poor.”

Tosh currently resides in Los Angeles and tours the country, spending time sharing his humor with college students across the nation.

For those out their looking for some wholesome family comedy, this CD is not for you. Tosh is not afraid to push the comfort boundaries of his listeners, trying to change the way many view the world around us. The biting social commentary hits home as his smooth transitions take the listener on a hysterical ride through American culture.

There are, however, a few dark horses in the new race of comedic genius. Kyle Anderson, junior nursing major said, “for my money, no one beats the comedy of the late, great Mitch Hedberg.”

The rapid-fire jokes and smooth delivery help make Tosh one of the funniest comics out there, providing some strong competition for the current crop of campus comedians.