The first is the debut release ‘Sigh No More’ from Mumford & Sons, an English folk band who draw from Shakespeare and Steinbeck for some of their lyrics. On the first listen, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. But after I listened to the album a second and third time, I was hooked! The lyrics and the music are stellar and they have a certain energy that comes through in the recording that only a good live band can produce.

Here is the video for ‘Winter Winds’ from this album:

The second album is from Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs. This release, titled ‘God Willin’ and the Creak Don’t Rise’ is full of great songs that offer a mix of LaMontagne’s trademark  voice and acoustic guitar along more diverse and complex sound due to his addition of a backing band.

Listen to ‘Beg Steal Borrow; here:

1) Twitter:

There are many apps to use for Twitter, but I prefer the clean and simple interface of this official version. I especially enjoy the ‘Read Later’ feature which allows me to save any http:// link used in a tweet to view late. Also, they recently added push notifications which was a great improvement.

2) Instapaper:

My second app is related to the first. On any given day there are several tweets that contain links to news stories and other web pages that I either don’t have time to read at that moment or are not easily viewable on a mobile phone. Instapaper allows you to store those links to view at home on your computer or via this app. The app breaks down the link to contain only the text so it’s more suitable for an iPhone screen and loads much faster.

3) Pandora Radio:

If you don’t use Pandora Radio, you should. I use it at home pretty often and recently starting using the iPhone app too. Once you log in it will sync with your radio stations you have already created or you can start from scratch. The idea is to use artists you like and then rate songs as they play. This will allow Pandora to customize the music stream to fit your preferences.

4) ESPN Scorecenter:

This one should be pretty straight forward. You can choose which sports and which teams to follow and view the scores from the big games of the day. If you select a game that is in progress or completed, you get scores, stats and other game info. When you select a game that occurs in the future, you get the game details and occasionally a game preview and the line for the game.

5) Instagram:

My wife introduced me to this app used for taking, sharing and altering pictures with the iPhone. Once you take a picture within the app or chose one from your library, you can select from several filters to adjust the image. Once you are satisfied with you results you can save it and then share it via Twitter, Facebook and other options.

I would like to think that I have a lot of friends, but with that said, I only have a few truly great friends that I can really trust 110%, through thick and thin. And that’s OK with me. When I need to talk, I don’t want to sort through my contacts wondering who to call – I just pick up the phone and dial.

When I left work today I felt good, really good. Not because I had a great day at work (I didn’t), not because it’s Thursday, not because the weather is great, but because I felt relieved. I have always relied on my close friends to share my thoughts and feelings with and when stress levels peak and change confronts you head-on, I go to someone I trust to talk things through. There’s nothing better than that feeling of relief once you get something off your chest. Even if it’s something you’ve had bottled up for weeks, once you say it aloud, it becomes real.

And the great thing is when you are talking with a friend, you have someone to share that burden with you and that truly is a special thing. It happened to me today and that’s why I felt so good leaving work. I didn’t reach any sort of resolution of find a solution, but I shared my concerns with someone who understood my feelings and made me realize I’m not alone – that I have friends who will stick by me regardless of what happens.

So while I was driving home, I thought of something my dad said to me recently. He told me this weekend that I am very fortunate to have such good friends. This was after spending time around one of my closest friends and meeting his wife for the first time. Then the next day I was able to have lunch with a group of friends in Raleigh and I realized how right he was. I have a special group of friends who have for the most part been in my life for a while and they are the people I turn to when I am confused, upset or just looking for someone to listen.

And that’s what motivated me to write today.

1. The salted caramel brownie at Amelie’s Bakery. Well worth the drive down to NoDa to grab one or two.
2. Rubicon on AMC. As a lead in to Mad Men (one of the best shows on TV), Rubicon is proving to be a great show in it’s own right. The pacing and suspense are perfect.
3. The start of football season. I’m more of a college fan than NFL and I don’t do fantasy football, but I love the sport and look forward to seeing how Virginia Tech will fare and how bad the Panther’s will be this year.
4. Arrested Development on Netflix. How did I miss this show when it first aired??? It’s hilarious and addictive. Plus being able to stream the episodes through Netflix to my TV, computer and iPhone makes it easy to catch an episode whenever I have time.
5. Boudreaux’s Louisiana Kitchen. Two locations, Blacksburg & Charlotte. I worked across the street from the Blacksburg location and ate there often. Going to the one in Charlotte reminded me how good the food is!
6. Fall – easily my favorite season. You get football, playoff baseball, changing leaves, cool nights and warm days and finally a break from the humidity.
7. The new Apple TV. At $99 it’s a great deal. You can stream content from your computer (music, tv, movies) as well as rent movies and TV shows as well as Netflix instant videos.
8. Weekend road trips. Meredith and I went down to Lake Waccamaw for Labor day and it was great to get away for a few nights. I like the lake atmosphere so much more than the beach and it helped that we got to spend some quality time with friends.
9. Crossword puzzles. I recently downloaded the NY Times crossword puzzle app for the iPhone and while they are challenging, I’ve really enjoyed working on them, although having someone to partner with is always helpful.
10. The Best of What’s Around. One of my favorite DMB songs and recently it’s been stuck in my head a lot. It’s on my gym mix so I hear it often and love the lyrics.

See, you and me
Have a better time than most can dream
Have it better than the best
And so can pull on through
Whatever tears at us
Whatever holds us down
And if nothing can be done
We'll make the Best of What's Around

Spoiler Alert: Do not read any further if you don’t want to know plot details!

Once I finished the book, I was glad to be done with it and not because it was a fantastic read but because it could have ended 40 pages sooner and maybe been a stronger story. It wasn’t a bad book at all. In places it was great but the overall story was hurt by the author’s trying to do too much. The book is presented as a story about a missing person that leads to a discovery of corporate corruption. This is, I think the greatest weakness of the book – I felt like the author had two stories that could benefit from using the same characters but he didn’t have enough material to write two separate novels.

The story of the missing person, the Vanger family and the dark secrets of some of the controlling members of the family and their business make for a good plot. At points, everyone and then no one seems guilty and the question lingers if there even was a crime committed. This could have made a stand alone novel.

This story is ‘bookended’ by the tale of corporate intrigue and financial corruption that was, well dry. I’ve read authors that can make the most boring subject sound intense and exciting (see Clancy, Tom), but in this case the author started our with a bang and ended with a fizzle. The mobster-like character, Wennerstrom is presented as a vengeful corporate goon who is involved in some shady businesses. As soon as this storyline starts to get interesting, the author shifts to the Vanger scenes for the mid-section of the book. Once that mystery is solved he jumps back to the Wennerstrom plot only to quickly and neatly tie up loose ends without providing any depth.

While the main characters, Blomkvist and Salander are well developed and intriguing, the ending felt much more like the set up for a sequel than the end of a novel. Who knows, once I read the second and third books in the trilogy I’ll have a different opinion, but for now I don’t know what all the fuss is about. ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ is a good book, well worth the read, but not at all worth the hype.

I give it a B-.

Go here to see the making of this video: http://bit.ly/9vsz9v

Here’s a clip from the live concert. The song is called Why Must You Always Dress in Black and transitions into a cover of Red House by Jimi Hendrix:

To get more information, check out the official website: http://www.benharper.com/

Since 1998 I have attended 16 full-band shows and one Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds acoustic show. I also caught Dave Matthews perform solo in 2006 as he co-headlined Christmas Jam in Asheville with Gov’t Mule, another of my favorites. While most of these concerts have taken place in North Carolina, I have traveled to New York, Michigan and Nevada for concerts as well. So obviously, I’m a fan.

But I’m not just a fan of DMB – I just love live music. It’s in my veins, literally. My dad and his siblings along with their spouses were in a gospel group long before I was even thought of. My mom plays the piano and organ while my dad sings and writes. So from day one, music was a part of my daily life. It was impossible to ignore and something all of my cousins and I took part in.

The Collie Singers were not big-time by any measure, but the group was big enough to warrant having a tour bus and some of my earliest memories are of weekends on that bus driving to or from one of their performances. They stopped touring heavily once most of the kids where in school but I know that this early exposure to live music is why I love it so much today.

Music in general is something I am very passionate about. I played the drums first and then picked up the guitar in college. I even had a “band” in high school (although we never played a show outside of my parents living room). I have always enjoyed various types of music, but I was drawn to live performances. It takes skill to play an instrument and record an album, but it takes real talent to play music in a live setting where strings break and there isn’t a producer to hide your flaws.

So with that appreciation comes my love for live music. I critique the guy playing acoustic at The Wine Vault and while they are mostly just doing it for fun, the Avett Brothers did get their start there. Each year I try to go to several concerts when time (and money) permits and this year is no different. In the next few days I will see Gov’t Mule and then Dave Matthews Band, followed by Zac Brown Band in August. Combine that with seeing Ben Harper earlier this year, for the first time in a decade, and it’s shaping up to be a great year for live music!

I liked the speed, the passing, the personalities, but most of all I liked the strategy. To pit or not to pit. Four tires, two tires or fuel only. The precision of the pit crews during 15 second pit stops and amongst the drivers at 200 mph. When to make a move and when to lay back and wait.

I quickly learned that NASCAR fans are defined by their favorite driver, to a point where watching a race with fans of another driver can be awkward. Especially when your favorite driver was nicknameed ‘The Intimidator’ and would race every week like it was his last. Dale Earnhardt Sr was always fun to watch because he was rarely out of a race. He had the ability to come from behind and pick drivers off one-by-one and win races in the final laps.

My exposure to NASCAR was limited to what I saw on TV until I went of to college in Charlotte. NASCAR is big business in and around the city of Charlotte. Race teams are based here. Drivers such as Earnhardt grew up in the area. And twice a year, race fans pack the roads around the speedway and contribute millions of dollars to the economy. Needless to say it’s a big deal.

In 2001 when Dale Earnhardt died at Daytona it was a shock to the sport. The accident led to safety changes inside the cars and at the tracks. But it also left fans looking for someone else to root for. Dale Earnhardt Jr was already racing well at NASCAR’s highest level and growing in popularity but with the death of his dad, he instantly became the most popular driver in the sport.

I don’t envy Junior’s circumstances, but at the same time he’s probably been given more opportunities than the average driver in NASCAR. It probably wasn’t fair to assume he would inherit his dad’s greatness. While he has struggled at times and changed teams in recent years, he continues to be a fan favorite. The grandstands seem to come alive anytime he leads a lap and erupt when he wins.

The fans at Daytona on July 2 got to experience something truly special: Dale Earnhardt Jr winning a race at Daytona while driving a blue and yellow #3 Chevrolet. The paint scheme was based on his dad’s car from the 80′s and sponsored by Wrangler. And although the race took place in NASCAR’s second division, it still gave fans hope that maybe Junior has a little more left and will finally live up to expectations.