40 from 40

Forty songs from Forty years...

As promised I have created download files containing the list of songs, albums and artists from 1967 to 2007. Using this list as a guide I intend to write about each song and year. I hope that many of you will follow along, comment about the entries, or add to the stories.

I am using the online storage site Box.net to host the files. It is a free service and certainly worth checking out.

The available files are listed below and require Adobe Acrobat reader for viewing:

Forty from Forty - The full list of selected music from 1967 to 2007

Fifteen from Forty - Fifteen favorites from the list of forty

Fifteen from Forty CD Cover and CD Insert

Enjoy.

Google: Hello Council Bluffs!

From the Googlfied Blog... Welcome to Iowa.

Google recently put up a “Google Council Bluffs Data Center” site to let the Council Bluffs residents know more about the $450 million data center Google is going to build there…

We anticipate opening the Council Bluffs data center in Spring 2009. Eventually, we plan to employ approximately 200 people, ranging from technology assistants to experienced data center managers. We’re confident this $450 million investment will be good for Council Bluffs, Google and our Internet users.

The construction of this data center is in process on the 55 acres of land near the Lake Manawa.

By the way, the Google guy in the video, Paul Froutan, is Google’s Director of Hardware Operations.

[via SeekXL->GoogleWatchBlog]

Google: Hello Council Bluffs!
Haochi
Fri, 06 Jul 2007 19:21:06 GMT

Music and Me

For as long as I can remember music has been part of my life in one way or other. Whether Listening, Learning, Playing or Collecting, music has been something I have had no problem talking about. Even when meeting new people it is not that hard to strike a chord with them when it comes to music.

Growing up, everyone in the house played, or at least had a chance to try, several different instruments through grade school and high school. I settle on the drums. I must add that when I settled on the drums that meant that everyone in the house, and maybe the neighborhood settled on the drums :-) My wife, Deb, is also a musician having studied music in college and still very interested in music today. Now our children are also showing interest in music. I hope that they continue to explore and maybe even learn to read and play music.

As part of my fortieth birthday, and at the suggestion of Deb, I created a list of 40 artists, albums and songs, one from each year (1967 - 2007) to play at my Birthday party. While some of the artists and songs may have been popular in each year, the selections are more in line with what I really like, reminding me of events or people important to me. Also, the selections are pretty much from the rock genre. It was hard enough settling in on one song per year so focusing on one genre reduced the effort quite a bit.

Ultimately the "40 from 40" list that was created was played during a 40th birthday party organized by Deb. At the the party I shared with all who attended, a condensed list of 15 songs which I called "15 from 40". Along with the list, I provided the following explanation...

Fifteen from forty [15 from 40] is a collection of rock music selected from each year comprising the first forty years of my life, 1967 – 2007. Narrowing down the forty was challenging; many songs and artists did not make the cut. Fifteen were even harder. Mixing rock, jazz, blues, classical was too difficult. I will cover jazz, blues and other genre another time. I have settled on rock to start. I did so because it is where I got my start. Even though there was plenty of classical and big band in our house growing up, rock and roll, in particular the rhythm sections of the rock bands are what I really latched onto. Eventually, I went on to play drums and to this day enjoy traversing the kit whenever I can find one.

Music is very important to me, but music is not as important as all the people who have helped me reach this milestone. I am truly thankful to have you as part of my life journey and look forward to the road ahead.

The songs herein remind me of events, places, challenges, victories, ideals, family and friends. Mostly they just help me remember. Sometimes they even help me take a step forward.

In taking some steps forward and trying to improve my communication and sharing, I have been working on writing more. I am out on the vast internet blogging about things I find interesting, thoughts I have, and news about me. I am off to a slow start, but preparing this collection has given me all kinds of ideas and a springboard for covering the past forty years. My hope is that it will also improve the reporting on the next forty. I do not think it will be all music, but music will certainly have its place. Those who have been around the block a few times with me know that food and technology will have its place as well. I think God will also find His way onto the pages as well.

http://tomcoppa.blogspot.com is the place you need to go for the rest of this story, a bit about each of these songs, the full list of forty, and the next entries on our journey.

Tom.

Which brings us to this entry which serves as an introduction to a year by year music discussion with a bit about me thrown in to boot. I am working on a list of forty jazz artists and songs as well as blues. I anticipate having those done soon and expect that like the rock list, all the artists and songs will come from my current music collection.

I'll post the "15 from 40" and "40 from 40" lists with a link for downloading a PDF of the list in case anyone wants to follow along.

Milestones...

40 - The most recent milestone I have reached. I have done so with the love, help, guidance, tutoring, nudging, kicking, screaming, prayers, thoughts, friendship and fellowship of my family and friends. To all of you I simply say "Thank You". I am honored and thankful to have you along with me on my journey.

Recently many of you joined with me in celebrating this milestone. Some attended a party, others send cards and gifts, still more sent emails, while others called or messaged. So many have helped to make this a wonderful event.

I have got lots more to say and share... For now thanks, again.

And please keep coming back.