Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

by Rick Riordan

This is the final chapter in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Percy is older, more powerful, yet still somewhat nerdy.


This was my least favorite of the series. Although the story grew and became more complex, Percy did not. He seemed to be the same mix up demigod from the first book.

The final battle comes in waves, new challenge after new challenge. It was fun but somewhat lacking the thrill of the previous books.

Mike like it.

In honor of you, I will finish Ulysses today!

I am currently on page 667.

I thought it an easier read than some sections I have attempted. 

Bloom and Stephen are wrapping up the night.  Stephen is still very drunk and Bloom seems to be caring for him like a father. 

I like the sections where a sailor describes his exploits.

Charlie said: Being this is the fourth review I have done in a week I have an excuse for the blandness of this review. Sorry.

I like this album. The first three songs are great. “I And Love And You”, “January Wedding”, and “Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise” are a mixture of folk, country, and bluegrass. They rely, like most of the songs on this album, on powerful piano and lyrics.

After some research I found out that this is not the Avett Brothers first album, by my count, at least their seventh. This is the first album from a major label but from my ears they seem to remain true to their country/bluegrass roots adding elements of pop and hillbilly rock. The song “Ten Thousand Words” has a definite southern flavor.

My only complaint is there is not much rocking going on. The emphasis is on the mellow with very few high energy songs. On the Tina/Charlie promote it, lend it, deny it scale I give “I And Love And You” a warm southern promote it.

Tina said: I tend towards gravitate to music that has strong vocals and strong instrumentation. I agree with Charlie when he says that the Avett Brothers does this. Not only do they do it, but also they do it well. There are a variety of instruments used. I am no expert, but I hear banjos, violins, acoustic guitars, and the piano. These instruments provide the listener with a variety and support the lyrics in the songs.

I do however think that they do provide a good mixture of “high energy” songs, with mellow slower songs. After listening to the album multiple times I have decided that the album is a story of a relationship, and the ups and down that a relationship can have. As demonstrated in the mellower songs such as “I and Love and You”, “January Wedding”, “The Perfect Space”. I found myself rocking to their high-energy song such as “Kick Drum Heart”, “Slight Figure of Speech” and “It Goes on and On”. I think that this album is very well put together, it leaves me feeling happy, and I find myself not getting bored or bothered by it. On the Tina/Charlie Promote it, lend it, Deny it scale, I use my heart kick a kick drum and promote it!

Charlie said: If I could have only one eating utensil it would have to be a spoon. It is the most basic. You can eat soup, steak, or even eggs with it. You can use it to spread butter, dig a whole, or clean your ears (maybe not clean your ears). When I listen to the band Spoon, they represent similar basic fundamentals. Good guitar, strong drums, and maybe some piano; basic, fundamentally sound, and good.

"Transference" hits similar themes. "Before Destruction", "Got Nuffin", and "Before Destruction" are simple yet complex. "The Mystery Zone" also is a good tune. Spoon loses me a little with "Who Makes Your Money", "Goodnight Laura", and "Out Goes The Lights". Almost as if they are using a drum machine.

This album did not grab me like "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga". I like it but on the Tina/Charlie promote it, lend it, deny it scale I have to give it a lend it.

Tina said:  I prefer sporks to spoons.

However, I do enjoy Spoon the band. I recently went to great lengths to get tickets the sold out all ages Spoon concert. This involved countless hours searching Craig’s List for that one person who was willing to sell their tickets for face value. I found him. Lets call him Bob.

My first contact with Bob was rather interesting, it was around 8:00pm when I finally contacted him, and it sounded as though he was sleeping or stoned. I wondered what sort of shady Craig’s List transaction I was getting myself into. I felt like I was entering “The Mystery Zone”. Each phone call, Bob seemed to have a difficult time remembering that we were planning on meeting, he seemed clueless. I was beginning to wonder if I was set up. In the back of my mind I could hear my mom saying, “I told you Tina, I told you not to purchase things off Craig’s List”. After countless phone calls finally, we agreed on a time, date and location. 12:30pm on February 19th at Border’s Bookstore.

I arrived, and nervously waited near the café section, and pretended to read the latest literature on traveling to South America. I waited, watching each person who came up the escalator, wondering if it was “Bob”. Could it be the 60-year-old man? Could it be the “possible gang member”? Could it be the guy wearing a bike helmet? I was beginning to rethink my Craig’s List Transaction, where the Spoon tickets really worth it? What would my mom say if she found out I was purchasing something from a stranger, I found on the internet?! Then rising up on the escalator armed with tickets in hand, was a 16-year-old boy and his girlfriend.

As he handed me the tickets, his voice cracked as he said, “This wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be”. For it was he who was the Craig’s List rookie. I on the other hand had drove through snow and sleet the previous day to Mark’s house to purchase a beater bike, under a Swedish alias. I was the one who had traveled through rain and flood like conditions to Baldwin Wisconsin to meet a guy named Lloyd Flandis who informed me that he had googled me and was aware of my race performances. As I confirmed the price with Bob, he informed me that the tickets actually were five dollars more than the price posted on Craig’s List. Being that he had brought his girlfriend along, I could not resist giving him the extra money. In my mind I had visions of them enjoying a tasty five-dollar foot long at the local subway.

Was it worth it? We will find out. I will hold off on writing my review to the latest Spoon album until I have a chance to listen to them live. As my lessons are learned by my Craig’s List Transactions, first sounding impressions are not always the impressions to go by.

On the Tina/Charlie lend it, promote it, deny it scale…I agree with Charlie…this album is a lend it.

Tina said: The Norwegians have brought us the Norwegian sweater, lutefisk, leffsa, Luther College, and now Ida Maria. Ida Maria a 20 something rising star out of Norway. She demonstrates her musical maturity as she rocks with her second studio album titled Fortress ‘Round My Heart.

I first purchased this album when I heard that one of the critics on Sound Opinions rated this album as the number one album of 2009. The other critic rated his number one album of the year, as one of my least favorite albums of the year. At this point I was hoping for a 50% success rate.

Well, my buddy was right; Ida Maria’s Fortress ‘Round My Heart is a fantastic album. This album rocks, the heavy guitar riffs, the fast past and the anger/excitement that comes across in her voice. I think that this album was created after a serious relationship break-up. As she expresses her feelings about this in songs such as - Oh, My God, I’m the Queen of the World, and Stella. I like the fast paced movement of many of the songs, and especially found myself enjoying “Oh My God” and “Louie”. I imagine that “I like You So Much Better When You’re Naked” is a hit at college campus’ everywhere. On the Tina/Charlie lend it, promote it, deny it scale, I stand up on top of the bar in Decorah, Iowa as I shout promote it!

Charlie said: This is how it works. One morning meeting Tina brings new music to share; the next morning meeting I bring music to share. Tina brings hip new music; I bring the latest from an old artist like Son Volt or Bob Dylan. This last morning meeting I showed up with an album that Tina already owned. What did this mean?

It could have meant that I was getting more in vogue or it could have mean that Tina was getting less in vogue, but I think I know the real reason. It is Ida Maria. She appeals to the old and the new.  She is so good that an older generation of music listeners can hear her angst and passion and be moved. 

In the first song “Oh My God” she hits it. This simple song connects driving drums, straightforward guitar, and a tormented vocalist perfectly.  In “Stella”, Ida Maria plays a husky-voiced prostitute then brings down the energy level but not enjoyment with “Keep Me Warm”. “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked” is a great song. Hell, this is a great album.

On the Tina/Charlie promote it, lend it, deny it scale I too shout “Oh, My God Promote It”!!!

Tina Says:  When I received this album was looking forward to listening to it. I had heard great things about it in on the Current, and the band was also a guest on Sound Opinions. I think it should go without saying that I was anticipating the Grizzly Bear album to really roar.

On the initial listen I found myself listening, but often times found my concentration on the album drifting off.
What I like about the album is the bands use of instrumentation. I enjoy the use of the violins, pianos, and other instruments. However the lyrics and the melodies do not back up the potential that the instrumentation
has. It seems as though a lot of thought was given to the song set up but the band members forgot to bring their emotion. This gave the album a boring and almost slow turn around, with the anticipation of when the album was going to be over.

However, with that said this band does have potential. I hear the Fleet Foxes, and possibly the Beatles. On the Charlie/Tina promote it , lend it, deny it scale, it’s a lend it.


Charlie said: Having little inside knowledge of the hip music scene, I rely on musical leads from podcasts like Sound Opinions and friends. A friend and fellow teacher, Anne, lent me Grizzly Bear's newest album, Veckatimest, and gave it a strong recommendation.

Upon first listen I saw very little to be excited about. Most songs remind me of bad sixty’s music. Maybe not quite as bad as Tiny Tim’s "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", maybe. I got to be honest; I did not listen to the whole album. Several songs, ok, all the songs except maybe “Two Weeks", "All We Ask" and "Foreground", I skipped. I listened to the first minute and a half and just skipped ahead.

When I think of a Grizzly Bear, I envision of a wild ferocious beast who does not take shit from anybody. What a disappointment. On the Tina/Charlie promote it , lend it, deny it scale, it is a deny it all the way. A deny it then flush it.

I am currently on page 613.

At least I could read most of the words in this section, most of the words.

Circe is written as a play. A play that is mostly a series of hallucinations as the drunken evening of Bloom and Dedalus is coming to a conclusion. Bloom is deified, and then glorified in a bizarre portion where he eventually gives birth to eight children.

Steven is so drunk at one point he grossly overpays a whore eliciting Bloom to take possession of all Steven’s money.

Reading this section I got the feeling of the 1967 television show “The Prisoner” where it was never clear what was real and what was in the mind. As disturbing as it was, it was an easy read and I breezed through the section. The only meaning I pulled out this section was for the first time, Bloom and Dedalus were interacting almost as father (Bloom) and son (Dedalus).