Music

Here's some more songs that were covered by other artists that some feel are better than the originals while others feel are worse! Let me know what you think! After the Goldrush by Neil Young redone by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross redone by Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey These Days by Jackson Browne redone by Miley Cyrun Harvest Moon by Neil Young redone by Cassandra Wilson Friday I'm in Love by the Cure redone

As I watch the 25th anniversary remembrance of the events of 9-11-2001, I realize I am not a good enough writer to adequately put into words how tragic that day was. Like many of us, I remember where I was on that day - how my brother called me to tell me to turn on the television when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower and then less than 20 minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the second tower. As the South tower was hit, we all realized that

Meet 3D Benchy - The "Hello, World" of 3D Printing You've gotten your geek on and bought a 3D printer - now that you've got it home and set up, the next question is what to do with it. For the beginner, the little tugboat above seems to be the first thing most 3D printers want you to make. It's small, complex enough to show off a printer's abilities and details and is the standard purpose-built test model of the 3D printer world. I have always thought of 3D printers as just a

Tomorrow is Labor Day. Since I started this blog site last October, I didn't get a chance to research and post on this important holiday until this year. The Labor Day of today looks like a long weekend with cookouts, lake trips, parades, and one last scoop of summer. But its roots are much grittier. The first Labor Day grew from workers demanding fair hours, safer conditions, and a voice in an economy that often treated them as replaceable. That mix is what makes Labor Day s

Put down that phone and look up at the sky! My wife and I spend a lot of time sitting out back on our deck with our dog, Deliliah, listening to music and enjoying nature. If you've ever been to our place, we have what friends call the million-dollar view - lots of open fields and a sky that's offers breathtaking panoramas that feature God's artwork. We have a friend named Rob that also loves the skies, and we often share text messages back and forth with him when we find some

Let's play a game - which are the real faces, and which are AI generated? I am taking a very interesting class at Penn State Lehigh Valley campus this semester. It's about AI and we played a game last night in class from a website called Which Face is Real where you're given two images - one is a real photograph and the other is an AI generated image. Your job is to examine both faces and decide which is the real McCoy and which one is a fake. All the images in this post a

Image from Muscle Booster Program One of my goals after retiring was to drop a few pounds and gain some flexibility. We have a home gym with some basic equipment - slant board, free weights, Marcy multifunction machine, a treadmill and a boxing machine. My buddy, Jude and I joined the LVHN gym, and he had told me that they offered low impact, chair and relaxing yoga classes. We attended one of the yoga classes and while it seemed to be somewhat straightforward at the time,

Who Dat? I read an article recently by Curt Melzer on the website Medium that gave some amazing statistics about an average human's life. Condensing and sharing some of these with you. For some of the hard to believe ones, I've researched the stats and found them to be true. Let me know what you think: Keep in mind, all these statistics are for the AVERAGE person. Your mileage may vary... You will grow 600 miles of hair in your lifetime. The skin on your body will replace

Welcome to Chicago It's been a few months since our son Rob, our daughter-in-law, Ali, and their Samoyed, Renly, moved to Chicago's West Loop. Ali started her six-year plastic surgery residency at the University of Illinois Hospital Chicago and Rob has continued his work with Merck remotely. Despite a somewhat rocky move, they have settled nicely into their new home and have been enjoying the sights and sounds of everything the city has to offer. Chicago is known for its cul

You asked for more trivia and true facts so happy to continue this series. Thank you for the comments and suggestions. Without further ado: Capital Subway system The U.S. Capital has its own private underground subway. It was built in 1909 and originally had lemon-yellow Studebakers that held eight senators and took 45 seconds to cover a 760-foot tunnel. It's still in use today but the public can't get on without a congressional escort. A new automated line began operation

Here's some more songs that were covered by other artists that some feel are better than the originals while others feel are worse! Let me know what you think! The Scientist by Coldplay redone by Bea California Dreamin' by the Mamas & the Papas redone by Kate Hudson In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry redone by Vanessa Mai Zombie by the Cranberries redone by Leroy Sanchez Titanium by David Guetta/Sia redone by Julien Cohen Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol redone by Sofi Tukker Mad Wo

Oscar Before we get into this post, just a quick note hoping everyone is having a good summer. I took a bit of time off to finish a class I was taking at LCCC over the past five weeks but now that it's over, I hope to get back into posting new stuff and always open to new ideas or thoughts for future stories you'd like to see on Robert's Reader. We're going to do a little trash talking...Not the "Your momma's so fat" sort of story, but more along the line of something literal

Pedometer Aerosmith may have written it in 1975, but for generations, walking is an outstanding form of exercise. Physically, the benefits include: Improved blood flow, strengthening the heart muscle, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels Regular walking can help maintain a healthy weight, prevent weight gain, boost metabolism A 30-minute walk after meals can help regular blood sugar, which is especially beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes. Walking improves bone

Yes, Ma'am...I'd like to apply for the position. I only had a few job changes throughout my career but now that I'm retired, I thought of how fun it would have been to go to a job interview and not care if you got the job or not and you could just say whatever's on your mind? Here's a little interview humor for you. The lady in the picture is the HR hiring manager and the gentleman has brought in his resume for her review. We'll call the lady Anne (29) and the guy Charles

Here's some more songs that were covered by other artists that some feel are better than the originals while others feel are worse! Let me know what you think! It's been a while since we started this series and for those that haven't been following since the beginning, a little explanation. Years ago, we would get together with fellow music lovers for Cover Song parties. Each person would bring song examples that they heard from artists other than the original release, and

and other confessions from the Music Never Stops Yes, I'll admit it...I once decked a guy during a Grateful Dead concert at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. In my defense, I was young and probably not very smart because he was bigger and drunk or something and hanging all over the back of my floor seat. I told him a few times to give me space, but he was doing his version of the Dead Dance and oblivious to everyone around him. When he landed on top of me, I turned around and g

Here's some more songs that were covered by other artists that some feel are better than the original (or worse) - Let me know what you think: Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers redone by Octavius Womack Into the Mystic by Van Morrison redone by Tommy Miller You Really Got Me by the Kinks redone by Van Halen Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder redone by Red Hot Chili Peppers Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochran redone by the Who Whiskey in the Jar by Thin Lizzy redone by Metallica Tur

You asked for more trivia and true facts so happy to continue this series. Thank you for the comments and suggestions. Without further ado: Christopher Walken Christopher Walken worked as a lion tamer when he was 16 years old before entering acting. His favorite lion was a female named Sheba, who he described as very sweet. Harrison Ford landed the role of Han Solo by sheer dumb luck. He was working as a carpenter, installing a door for Francis Ford Coppola when George Lucas

Proud of the Old Girl! America 250 marks the 250th anniversary of our nation's independence, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. This date marked the birth of the United States as a free nation. We were smaller back then - only about 2.5 million of us living in the United States in 1776. We must have done something right because we've grown to approximately 343 million people in 2026. It's a great place to live! Every month on ave

To Sleep, perchance to dream... I have a bit of a confession. I'm a lousy sleeper and have been doing some research on getting a better night's sleep. It turns out I'm doing it all wrong... :). I'm one of those people whose head hits the pillow and I'm out within a minute or two, but then I wake up a few hours later and can't fall back asleep. I average about 5-6 hours of sleep a night. Sleep websites recommend 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, but it's easier said than done

The Morning Call newspaper has published the dates and times for firework displays and events in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas for the upcoming Independence Day celebration: FIREWORKS Allentown: 9:15 p.m. July 4, J. Birney Crum Stadium. Bethlehem: Concert by the Bethlehem Municipal Band, 7:30 p.m. July 4, Payrow Plaza, City Hall, 12 E. Church St., followed by fireworks 9 p.m. from Sand Island. Berks County: 9:30 p.m. July 4. Part of Berks County Star-Spangled Specta

Special Edition of Trivia True Facts We're going to do a special edition of Trivia True Facts taken from various sources including but not limited to The Book of Useless Information, That's a Fact, Jack, True Facts that Sound Like Bulls#*t, Incredible Pointless Trivia and Wait, Really?! 1001 Bizarre Facts That Sound Completely Made Up. We're going to call this one, "You thought your Uncle Arnold Was Weird, eh? Wait Until you read these facts about famous people who were prof

Since I didn't hit the lottery last year with my Lotto rap song, I've been thinking about money a bit. The idea of saving/wasting money came up a few times in this last week: A good friend of mine just paid off his home - he and his wife are young, and they made double payments on their mortgage and was able to go mortgage free before they turned 40! So very proud of their achievement. My wife and I were eating at a restaurant and when it came time to pay the bill, the serv

Here's some more songs that were covered by other artists that some feel are better than the original (or worse) - Let me know what you think: Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones redone by Dani Faye Free Fallin' by Tom Petty redone by Willow Bay Hey Jealousy by the Gin Blossoms redone by The Ergs! Losing My Religion by R.E.M. redone by Dia Frampton Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden redone by Copeland Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd redone by the Deftones Hey Jude by the Beatles redone

This one's for you, Luke Our son Luke is pretty techie. He asked me to do a post on Quantum Computing - I said, "The people who read my blog may not like a techie post." But we love our son and he thinks you'll like it, so we're going to give it a shot. LUKE I didn't know ANYTHING about Quantum Computing before today - I did my research. It's actually pretty cool. But I had to understand it like I was 10 years old, so that's where I started this. We're gonna talk Quantum c

“Excuse me while I kiss this guy.” We all love music. And with the exception of that Billy Joel song with all those words, we can pretty much sing along with the artists - I AM working on We Didn't Start the Fire but have a better chance of performing brain surgery than remembering the whole thing: Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnny Ray South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, Television North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Mo

There's one thing about Americans - we love our vehicles. From a very young age, the idea of turning 16 and having the freedom to go out for a drive was one of the greatest experiences of a teenager's life. It didn't matter if it was alone or with friends, music blasting, rolling down the highway became a rite of passage for us. There's a song called Radar Love by Golden Earring that just epitomizes driving: I've been drivin' all night, my hands wet on the wheel There's a v

You asked for more trivia and true facts so happy to continue this series. Thank you for the comments and suggestions. Without further ado: Mars isn’t actually round. Unlike any other rocky planet in the Solar System, Mars is actually shaped like a rugby ball, but with different sizes along all three axes. The raw ingredients of a human body would cost over $154,732.00. But if you’re prepared to do the refining yourself, a body could cost a lot less – under $133.00 in fact. W

Here's some more songs that were covered by other artists and some feel are better than the original (or worse) - Let me know what you think: Santeria by Sublime redone by Microwave Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks redone by Alex Melton (Pop Punk Cover) Wide Open Spaces by Dixie Chicks redone by Soccer Mommy Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance redone by Elder Brother Brain Stew/Jaded by Green Day redone by Four Year Strong You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch by

What do you want before you die? Those of us in the Lehigh Valley have seen vast improvements in the City of Allentown over the past several years. There has been a surge of urban revitalization efforts to clean up streets, renovate existing buildings, new construction of office buildings, apartments and restaurants. When Billy Joel released the song Allentown in 1982, he lamented about the area closing factories, and a restlessness that made it hard to stay in the area. W

You asked for more trivia and true facts so happy to continue this series. Thank you for the comments and suggestions. Without further ado: Hey fathead! The brain is the fattiest organ in the body, hovering in at around 60% fat. Anti-climb paint was developed as a non-drying, greasy security coating. It never fully hardens and lasts over three years. It's used to make any surface it's applied to nearly impossible to climb and to deter access. (Hmmm...where could this be used

Our son Rob, Daughter-in-Law Ali, and their Samoyed, Renly, have closed up their home in Elizabethtown and are moving to the West Loop of Chicago today. They will be starting a new and exciting chapter in their lives as Ali begins her six-year plastic surgical residency at the University of Illinois Hospital Chicago and Rob will continue his work with Merck remotely. Rob, Ali and Renly This move is the latest in a grand adventure for this young couple. Rob and the good docto

Nic and Aria Our daughter, Aria has been living in Cape Town, South Africa for the past few years. Her job allows her to work just about anywhere that has internet connection. She's been fortunate to travel to several places within the United States and several countries including Mexico, Colorado, Portugal, Egypt, Morocco, Spain and now South Africa. A few years ago, Aria met a gentleman by the name of Henry when she first landed in Cape Town, SA. Henry's family owns the s

Meet Alexa+, the Sassy little device I can say with some confidence that our family is connected. That's not to say that we have Gambino blood relatives, but more in a technological way. I've been reading a book called The Complete Beginner's Guide to AI: Your Easy Guide to Artificial Intelligence by Gloria Lembo. If you believe everything you read in the book, AI is the greatest thing since, well, sliced bread. I'm reading it on an Amazon Kindle that's connected to the Int

In Honor and Remembrance Howard William Osterkamp from Dent, Ohio, was a Korean War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who is attributed with the phrase: "All gave some, some gave all." "All gave some" acknowledges that every man and woman who serve or have served in the military contributed in some way, whether through time, effort, or personal sacrifice. "Some gave all" honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in service to their country. Memorial D

You asked for more trivia and true facts so happy to continue this series. Thank you for the comments and suggestions. Without further ado: Gate Tower Building in Osaka Japan is a 16-story building with a unique characteristic. It has a highway that runs through the middle of it! Bart Simpson was not named after anyone that Matt Groening knew. It's an anagram of the word "BRAT". Doh! Message in a Bottle. The world's oldest message in a bottle was discovered on the shore of

Penn State College of Medicine held its 56th commencement ceremony this past weekend at Hersey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania. If you follow our posts regularly, you may remember that our daughter-in-law, Ali, was a med student at Penn State College of Medicine. Ali went through the Match Day process back in March and was accepted into the Plastic Surgery residency program at University of Illinois Chicago, her first choice! She will be beginning her surgical residency progr

What do Vera Wang, Eddie Money, Jerry Orbach, Julia Child, Martha Stewart, Samuel L. Jackson, Grandma Moses, J.K. Rowling, Ray Kroc, Stan Lee, Harrison Ford, Michael Bloomberg, Terry Crews, John Glenn, Jeff Bezos, Colonel Sanders, Tom Clancy, Ronald Reagan, Laura Ingallis Wilder and Taikichiro Mori have in common? If you guessed a love for sushi or a handlebar mustache, I'd seriously recommend changing your meds and calling an analyst for therapy. All of the abovementioned i

What's bugging you, snookie? Life was simpler in the old days. Running from dinosaurs, making fires, hunting and gathering - you pretty much knew what was expected to survive. Modern life has made things easier in some ways, but we seem to have a new crop of inconveniences and things to whine, complain and basically grouse about. You would think with all the brain power and smart people in the world today, we'd FIX stuff that seems to universally annoy us. I'm sure each of

In 1968, Director Stanely Kubrick released a film called 2001: A Space Odyssey. The movie outlined the story of a spacecraft called Discovery One and its journey to Jupiter. The spacecraft's operations were controlled by HAL 9000, which was an onboard computer with a human-like personality. At some point, HAL 9000 makes a judgement about a problem it found with the ship and the astronauts aboard disagree with HAL's assessment. The resulting conflict between man and machine

Life's a lot There's a lot going on lately. Among my small circle of friends, I see a lot of suffering. In the last year or two, I've had friends lose a parent, a spouse, a child, a sister or brother that were their best friend and deepest confidant. I've commiserated with friends that lost a pet they loved as much as a member of their immediate family. I've had friends diagnosed with cancer, or struggling to recover from debilitating surgeries or illnesses. I've got frie

To my readers.... I've hit a couple of milestones - it was one year ago on Tuesday that I decided to retire. I wasn't sure if I was ready, but because of changes with the merger at my work as well as completing a communications conversion project, it seemed fitting. There have been fits and starts since that time, but I've managed to find a bit of a groove where I don't feel the need to fill my entire day with activities. I've been able to stay in touch with friends from wor

Nothing like a cool cover song Continuing the series of songs covered by other artists. Some you'll love, some you'll hate, that's what makes the world go around! Crazy by Gnaris Barkey redone by Ray Laontagne Changes by Black Sabbath redone by Charles Bradley Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden redone by Norah Jones Shakedown Street by The Grateful Dead redone by Poolside You Keep Me Hanging On by the Supremes redone by Vanilla Fudge Rocket Man by Elton John redone by Kate Bush

Albert Einstein on his 72nd birthday It's a rainy Hump Day here in PA...! Here's a list of great quotes from some of history's greatest thinkers, celebrities and that guy named "anonymous" compiled, edited, reassembled and polished up from various websites and sources, including Medium, Discover Walks, ThatOneRule and the Awesome Daily. "The old believe everything. The middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything." Oscar Wilde "To succeed in life, you need tw

Bob Joe This is a story about an underground newspaper. It's also about a friendship that has survived over fifty years. For the unacquainted, an underground newspaper is defined as a small-scale, alternative publication that operates outside official approval or mainstream media control, often produced and distributed without government or institutional oversight. Historically, the term has been used in two main contexts: Clandestine or resistance publications Countercultur

Here's some more songs that were covered by other artists and some feel are better than the original - Let me know what you think: Sweet Jane done by the Velvet Underground redone by Cowboy Junkies Cocaine by J.J. Cale redone by Eric Clapton Dancing in the Moonlight by Boffalongo redone by King Harvest Everybody's Talkin by Fred Neil redone by Harry Nilsson Hound Dog by Big Mamma Thorton redone by Elvis Presley Make you Feel My Love by Bob Dylan redone by Adele Some Kind of W

More True Facts and Trivia adapted from various sources including Readers Digest, That's a Fact, Jack! and True Facts that Sound Like Bull$#*t You asked for more trivia and true facts so happy to continue this series. Thank you for the comments and suggestions. Without further ado: A New York City Restaurant sells a $2,700.00 pizza! Industry Kitchens in NYC South Street Seaport holds the Guinness record for the world's most expensive pizza. It must be ordered two days in adv

A humorous weekend in the City of Brotherly Love From the rooftop of the Logan Hotel - Philadelphia My wife and I celebrated our anniversary by staying at a very nice hotel in center city, Philadelphia for an extended weekend. We're both music lovers and came to see a show on Saturday night at South Jazz Club on Broad Street in Philly. She also made arrangements for a couples massage at the hotel where we were staying. Before going, I practiced my best Philly accent, ate s

Nothing like a cool cover song From the feedback I've received so far, this is going to be a popular series! Here's some more songs that were covered by other artists and some feel are better than the original - Let me know what you think: Nothing Compares to 2 U by Prince, redone by Sinead O'Connor. I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton redone by Whitney Houston. Blinded by the Light by Bruce Springsteen redone by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Dazed and Confused by Jake Holmes

In our beloved Pittsburgh! Imagine 32 different billion-dollar companies lining up to pick the best new employees that are graduating college but instead of them looking at resumes, these potential employees bring highlight reels, 40-yard dash times and the ability to bench press a refrigerator. Each spring since 1936, the NFL holds a giant event called the Draft. The Draft allows NFL teams the opportunity to take turns selecting college players to join their teams. The wor