Kiss' Paul Stanley Brings People Out Of The Woodwork From Bowling Green and Southcentral Kentucky At His Book Signing

When I first heard the news from D93 Rock DJ Tommy Starr on Facebook that Kiss' front-man Paul Stanley was coming to Bowling Green for a book signing of his new autobiography, "Paul Stanley: Face The Music, A Life Exposed," I was a little skeptical at first.  I don't think I quite believed it.  "The Paul Stanley from Kiss is coming to good ole little Bowling Green? No way!" I thought.  So I put it on the back burner on my mind because the book signing date was still several weeks away.

However, when the day came this past Thursday, I realized it was a reality.  I started seeing postings about it on Facebook again. I posted on Facebook a couple of negative comments concerning that I hated large crowds, long lines and I didn't like standing out in the cold rain waiting. I could feel my middle age seeping in on my positive attitude towards rock legends of the days of my youth.  Then, I thought, "Hey, wait a minute, this is my chance to meet Paul Stanley in person and get his autograph. Hell yes, I'm going!"  Even my childhood friend, Ricky Williams from Memphis also posted on Facebook, "You've got to go, man. It's Paul Stanley!"

I'm glad I went.  Yes, it was crowded. There were probably about a 1,000 people from everywhere there at the Warren County Public Library-Bob Kirby Branch on Scottsville Road just off Exit 22 next to the Ramada Inn.  Lots of people had even traveled from out of town such as Evansville, Ind., and Ohio.  So people had been waiting all day too. My number was No. 267.  You had to buy the $30 book at 4 p.m. and if you lived in town like I did, you could go home for dinner and come back at 6:30 p.m. in get your place in line.  I asked the organizer of the event, Jayne Pelaski, "How did you all managed to land Paul Stanley here?"  She said, "It was a lot of hard work and it took a lot of finagling."  Of course, Paul showed up on time and you could hear the applause, hooting and hollering for him when he arrived.  How it worked is that he did not sign any

memorabilia. Only his books.  Once you got in line in this big room, the staff brought a cart around with pre-signed copies of his new books and they exchanged them for the unsigned books that you had purchased earlier in the day.  Then when you got up there to meet Paul, the staff would take you picture with him with your camera.  When it was my turned,  I approached him and introduced myself to him and tried to shake his hand.  He gave me the fist bump instead.  He was nice about it though.  He posed for picture with me and I told him that I was going to the Kiss concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on July 16th.  He said, "We'll see you there!" and smiled. Then, I walked out the backdoor and starting posting my pic with him on Facebook immediately. 

Warren County Public Library to Host KISS Frontman Paul Stanley

The Warren County Public Library will host Paul Stanley for a book signing on Thursday, May 15. Stanley will sign copies of his memoir Face the Music:  A Life Exposed.

In Face the Music, Paul Stanley—the co-founder and famous “Starchild” of KISS—reveals for the first time the incredible highs and equally incredible lows in his life both inside and outside the band. Face the Music is the shocking, funny, smart, inspirational story of one of rock’s most enduring icons and the group he helped create, define, and immortalize.

The event will be held at the Bob Kirby Branch on Thursday, May 15^th at 7:00 p.m.  Doors open at 4:00, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early to reserve their space in line. Book signing only – no memorabilia will be signed. Books will be available for purchase on site starting at 4:00. For more information, call 270-782-0252 or email Jayne Pelaski at jaynep@warrenpl.org.

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Sinkhole at The National Corvette Museum In Bowling Green, Ky., That Causes Floor To Collapse Becomes A Global News Phenomenal

     I am amazed how the story of a floor collapse underneath the Big Yellow Dome at Bowling Green's National Corvette Museum that swallowed eight Corvettes in Bowling Green early this morning has become world-wide news phenomenal.

      The story has spread like wild fire thanks to social media and other news media outlets like cable television news and radio.  I have even posted and retweeted things about it on Facebook and Twitter just about all day myself.  There were news reports from USA Today, CNN, Fox, NBC, CBS, NPR, BBC, New York Times

and LA Times just to name a few.  I posted a Tweet today that said, "Who broke the story? WBKO news? (Our local television station.  That's where I first saw it on Facebook.)  However, one of my friends stated that she figured Joe Imel, the digital media director at the Bowling Green Daily News, most likely broke the story.  I agreed with her.  Joe Imel or joeimel@joeimel on Twitter has 16,400 followers.  He constantly listens to the police scanner and is usually the first to break all types of police and disaster news in the Bowling Green and Southcentral Kentucky communities.  He is a very dedicated photographer and journalist. Looking back on Joe's Twitter account today, it looks like he received an early morning Tweet from Bowling Green fireman, Matt Helms@fireman2915 "Floor collaspe at the big yellow dome at the national Corvette museum @joeimel."  Then Joe, retweeted, "BGFD staged at NCM for sink hole that swallowed up 6#Corvette on display in dome area More at bgdailynews.com on this breaking story."  Apparently, Matt and Joe broke the story which has now become a global news story. Great job guys!

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Sun Club Will Shine Its Light On Rocky's Bar In Downtown Bowling Green, Ky., Thursday Night, Nov. 14th.

   Since the Bowling Green Music Scene has gained national and international attention these last couple of years thanks to alternative rock bands with major record deals and touring schedules such as Cage The Elephant and Sleeper Agent, Bowling Green has become a destination point for other lesser known groups to play shows.
   One of those such bands is "Sun Club" from Baltimore, MD. and they will perform at Rocky's Bar located on Main Street in downtown Bowling Green, Thursday night, Nov. 14th. According to band member, Shane Justice McCord, said they have been playing for a while.
   "We formed out of the ashes of another band in 2012. Last year we toured down to SXSW, passing through Bowling Green and lots of other cities on the way. We've been constantly touring since and are releasing our debut EP in early January," McCord said.
   On their Bandcamp web-site they describe themselves as "Sun Club is a group of buddies playing happy music." You can also hear two songs of theirs called, "Beauty Meat" and "Language Juice, " on the site. To find out more about Sun Club, go to their Bandcamp or Facebook pages at www.sunclubband.com and www.facebook.com/sunclubband
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Miley Cyrus' Free "Peep Show" Exposed To Millions

Since everybody has been on the bandwagon and beating a dead horse since Monday on Facebook, Twitter and on the national and local news about Miley Cyrus' sexed crazed song and dance (twerk, I mean) routine on MTV's Sunday night video awards, I thought that I would beat the dead horse a little more on this blog and then hopefully I can put it to rest. I even complained on Facebook last night about it. "Ok, ok, enough about Miley. I'm burnt out already." But here's my last two cents worth on the free Miley "Peep Show" from some of my Facebook comments on one of my friend's post this morning.

" I thought it was embarrassing for her and her family. There's a place for these type of performances such as venues for mature audiences like paid admittance to theaters or shows and for paid cable channels like HBO. But not for non-premium channels like MTV. Think of the message that she sent to preteen girls. If I was the father of a preteen girl right now and she saw that, I think I would be a little concern. I think American has to try to maintain some of its values and dignity with our preteens."

"Sex sells and always has. But shock value seems the name of the game now in the cable channel wars. Like PT Barnum said, "There is a sucker born every minute." And I'm a sucker."


"It's all about the ratings these days with the cable channels which means survival and dollars in their bank accounts and for their stock holders. Anything goes now and they will stoop to new lows in the freak show business. The Mileys, Katys and Lady Gagas will all come and go just like the Madonnas did of our day in the eighties and nineties. No telling what the future holds. I heard on the radio this morning that there is a group or society of women who are petitioning that they should have the right to go topless just like men whenever they feel like it. I suppose I could live with that if they feel so free to do so."

"I agree. Just saying Madonna was a trail blazer for using her talent and sexiness to sell her millions of records and sold out concerts as a young pop star back then as and even as an older one these days. She tapped into that market-sex sells and shock value. (Like A Virgin, Papa Don't Preach and etc.)


" Not sure about Madonna being a role model though. Maybe on how to make tons of money."

And here is some of my posts on Monday about it.


"Usually big news events that are smeared in controversy like the O.J. Simpson trial can last for months or even a year or two. But I give the Miley MTV Video awards controversy less than a week."

"Katy Perry - Roar (Live VMA 2013)I have to admit that Katy Perry has a lot more class compared to some of the other pop stars."

"It's amazing how some young pop stars will stoop low for that shock value attention. I understand Miley even made an amateur porn video too a while back in order to keep up with the Joneses."

"Three words. 0h my god."

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Tea Party Baby Boomers Hip To New Social Media Technology During 2010 Mid-Term Election

As I waited for newly elect U.S. Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul to appear with his family, I was standing right under the podium on the floor in front of the stage. I was among some of the most skilled journalists and photographers from some of the greatest publications and media outlets from all over the world-Time Magazine, the New York Times, the Wall-Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, the Bowling Green Daily News and Western Kentucky University's College Heights Herald, just to name a few. Behind me, on another stage, was some of the greatest broadcast media outlets in the world,-ABC News, Fox News, CNN News, NBC News, CBS News and Bowling Green's WBKO News, among many others. I was in the epic center of "All The World's A Stage," for one moment for one day in one month in one year for one moment in history.

Here I was, a former journalist, a former newspaper reporter and a former journalism student, standing there just as confident and comfortable with my surrounding as the others who heaved large cameras on their shoulders while shooting photo after photo with one in their hand. Although, I have journalism skills, however, I had no note pad or pen with me. And I did not have a microphone either. I was not there to do an interview. I was only there to see my friend, Dr. Rand Paul accept his victory over Democrat Jack Conway and I was there to record history with my little Kodak Digital camera, making a couple of short video clips to broadcast on my Youtube channel. (To view the victory speech of Rand Paul, click here.) http://youtube.com/galenasmithsr1 That, I did indeed do. I suppose you could call me an amateur journalist, a Youtuber and a blogger, (this site) while I work a regular full-time job. Too me, it's easy and it's not intrusive. This type of journalistic endeavors does not require an appointment, credentials or even much knowledge about your subject. Of course, there's no pay involved either.

I think the biggest difference in the election of 2010 compared to the election of 2008 of President Obama's victory, is that us "Baby Boomers" were not in tune with the new technology of social media, social networking and other mega-popular sites such as Facebook and Youtube, back then. Most of us were not on Facebook yet and most of us did not have the high tech cell phones, iphones, Blackberries or a G4-phone where you can get your e-mail, texting, streaming video, movies, television or a video phone with "applications (apps-as it's commonly known) on on one unit. Because Baby Boomers and most Americans have low concentration skills this day and age because we are bombarded with television, radio, print publications, cell phones, internet and etc., it's hard to grab our attention. Each form of media is now desperately competing for our attention. However, the most popular social networking site, Facebook (millions and millions of users) among Baby Boomers took off in December of 2008, and we have been going full-swing ever since. And with this election, we were able to post videos, blogs and articles on Facebook and blogs on blogging sites that pertained to a particular candidate that we supported along with comments and messages that we were stating to our friends and readers on these site. Perhaps, some of our friends or readers did not agree with our postings but I found very few hostile rebuttals on the sites. I would say most exchanges of information or ideas were civil among friends and readers in my opinion. I would also say, most who did not agree with me, probably just ignored my postings or blogs.

All I can say after this "Tea Party Tidal Wave,"-the biggest win for Conservative Republicans in our American government (Congress, State Governors, State Legislators and etc.) since the 1930's is that the playing field is now even. No longer does the younger generation and the liberal, left-wing Democrats have the cutting edge on us. Now, Conservative Republicans and Tea Party, Baby Boomers are on the bandwagon with social media, social networking and high tech communication technology.

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