Retro A to Z Challenge: P – Porcupine Tree 2007 (and Special Thanks)

Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet – 2007

This band has undergone many changes over the years. Their earlier work is surreal and trippy, but they continued to progress and are now an outstanding prog rock band. The title is a play on another album, and there are six amazing tracks. The longest - Anesthetize at almost eighteen minutes – is by far the best, and like a blend of three songs. They are a mellow prog band, with great melody, and an easy introduction to someone venturing into the world of progressive rock.

2007 fun facts –
*Cost of gas - $3.38
*The Tesla Roadster, the world’s most efficient electric car, debuted at car shows
*On June 29, the iPhone was released
*The last book in the series was released, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Movies released –
Transformers
The 300
Ocean’s Thirteen
Ratatouille
No Country For Old Men
3:10 to Yuma
The Bourne Ultimatum

Music released –
Rush – Snakes and Arrows
Chevelle – Vena Sera
Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace

Games released –
Mass Effect
Bioshock

And why is 2007 special?
It’s the year Misha Gericke was a freshman at University, and the first time she truly got to spread her wings in a world was filled with possibility!

Misha is an author with goals to make it a career. She crafted a detailed plan and schedule to make it happen in five years and is well on her way. She shares all nitty-gritty, from the good to the bad. Misha is genuine, honest, and an inspiration. She blogs at The Five Year Project.

Ninja News!

CD Coffelt has a prequel for The Wilder Mage available now, Out of Magic. And Saturday and Sunday, it is free! Get it on Amazon HERE

River Fairchild revealed the awesome cover for her next book, A Dragon's Lament, Jewels of Chandra, Book 2. It’s due out next month.

And the Ninja’s lair has been spotted! Father Dragon’s dwarves snapped this shot while out scouting the neighborhood. However, they are no match for my security system and will be teleported off the premises immediately!

Special Thanks!

I would like to take this moment to thank two very special groups of ladies.

First, I would like to thank the awesome admins over at the Insecure Writer’s Support Group : Joy, Michelle, Joylene, Susan, Diane, and Lynda.
All of you have done an amazing job with Challenge posts at the site. Before April even began, you had the schedule filled and ready to rock. Thank you for your dedication to the IWSG!

Second, I would like to thank my A to Z Challenge Minions: Joy. Michelle, SL. Susan, Rhonda, Madeline, LG, Cathy. Diane, and Melanie
You have done an awesome job keeping up with our section of the list. As the keeper of the Linky List (I’m the one who spends at least an hour a day fixing and deleting links) I could NOT do this without your help. Thanks for all of your efforts to stay on top of things!

You’ll notice several of these ladies are on both lists. Many are pulling double and even triple duty, as some are also posting for the Challenge. They are uber-awesome! If you are looking for dedicated friends, you’d do well to follow them.

And notice that all of my helpers and admins are women? I am one lucky dude!

Familiar with Porcupine Tree? Following the awesome Misha? Excited about the new releases? Think you know where the Ninja lair resides? Do you have an support team that just rocks? And what do you remember best about 2007…?

Important A to Z Challenge Guidelines, My A to Z Theme, and Sad Songs Blogfest!

The A to Z Challenge starts Sunday!

For those of you participating, here are the basic guidelines:

Post on a topic or word that matches the corresponding letter of the alphabet, starting with “A” on Sunday, April 1, then every day except Sundays after that.

Visit fellow Challenge participants starting with the blog immediately following yours on the sign up list. Aim to visit five blogs a day; more if you have time.

Keep posts SHORT!

Turn off word verification. Make it easy for others to leave comments.

Make it easy for others to follow you.

Use the official A to Z button. Link back to the A to Z BLOG.

Have fun and make new friends!

My theme for the Challenge? I’ll get to that in a minute…

First, it’s the Sad Songs Blogfest, hosted by Spunk on a Stick’s Tips

Disappear by Dream Theater from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Song tells the unbelievably sad tale of a man sitting by his wife’s bed as she passes away. Song almost guaranteed to make me cry every time. (And I never want to be in that position. My wife is in big trouble if she dies first.)

After Me by Marillion from Season’s End

Song takes you to the depths of heartache before the uplifting ending. Saddest line – “There’s a stray dog she feeds that she found in the street and he loves her to hold him but he won’t let her keep him. And he claws at the door to be let out at night and she makes do without him and she worries about him.”

Collapse the Light into Earth by Porcupine Tree from In Absentia

It’s a song about someone who’s gone through a very traumatic event. It’s a metaphor for a breakup. The poor man sings about how the light has collapsed in the spot where his lover should be.

Losing it by Rush from Signals

The saddest song about aging you will ever hear. “The writer stares with glassy eyes, defies the empty page, his beard is white, his face is lined, and streaked with tears of rage. Thirty years ago, how the words would flow, with passion and precision, but now his mind is dark and dull, by sickness and indecision, and he stares out the kitchen door, where the sun will rise no more.”

Now, my theme for the Challenge!

Last year, my theme was featuring blogger buddies whose blog title corresponded with the letter of the alphabet. Everyone really seemed to enjoy it so I decided to put a little twist on it this year.

My theme – I have selected a word for each day and will present to you blogger buddies who fit that description, along with movies, music, etc. My theme is to give back, highlight some awesome bloggers, and have fun in the process.

The only downside is that I have a lot of blogger buddies. (Note sidebar which is still missing some blogs.) I won’t be able to mention everyone, but I will try to highlight some cool people.

I’ll also be posting short bits of Ninja News, so if you have anything exciting happen, new book release, anything – leave a comment and I’ll mention it the next day.

So, you never know who I will be highlighting on a given day!

Oh yeah, and I’ll be announcing my next solo Blogfest during the Challenge (first one since Worst Movies Ever – whoa!) and it’s really going to surprise you.

Any questions about the A to Z Challenge? Any sad songs on your list? Want to guess what my next blogfest will be? Do you like my theme for the Challenge? Care to share your theme? I’ve been hearing about some good ones…