Music Ho Time!

The latest, the greatest.

Prince - "3121"



Sounds like "Musicology" wasn't a fluke. This one's even better. Some of the songs sound like old-school Prince. Definitely one of his strongest albums in a long time. If he keeps this trend going, his next album will rank alongside Purple Rain and 1999 as an all-out classic.

David Gilmour - "On An Island"



Stately, slow, awesome. This is the best Pink Floyd album in a long time (even it wasn't recorded by Pink Floyd). Easily trumps the last two Pink Floyd albums. Gilmour sounds energized (even if the songs are very spacey and slow), the songwriting is the best he's done in a long time, and it's grown on me very quickly.

Hard-Fi - "Stars of CCTV"



Great album. One of the biggest influences you hear in many of the younger bands is the Clash. This one comes closest to capturing the Clash sound, yet enhancing it with their own beat. Imaging fusing Franz Ferdinand with the Clash and you'll get an idea what this band sounds like. Instantly likeable.

Ray Davies - "Other People's Lives"



Davies' first solo album. Gets back to the grand old days of the Kinks (like "Something Else" and "Face to Face"). I'll have to listen to this one some more before weighing in, but what I've heard was great.

T. Rex - "Electric Warrior"



The Rosetta Stone of Glam Rock. All glam rock roads lead to here. C'mon - "Bang A Gong". 'Nuff said.

I'm Savin' Daylight!!

Well, tomorrow morning at 2 AM, I get hop into my time machine and surge forward to 3 AM. Why? It's time for Daylight Savings!!

That's right. Forget saving money. Forget saving for a rainy day. Let's save daylight!! It sounds so wonderful and mystical like we're living in a land of unicorns and fairies and bright, shiny things. We're saving daylight for that day when the big, old, bad King of Dark shows up and tries to take our daylight away. Not so fast, buster. I got some daylight saved up!

Oy.

Why the hell are we still following this arcane tradition? From what I've read, daylight savings was established back in the day of Benjamin Franklin to help businessmen and farmers having an extra hour of daylight to be extra productive during the warmer summer months.

With the advent of the Internet and the fact that we all conduct business at the speed of light these days and that business is no longer predicated on the amount of sunlight, this silly nonsense of "spring ahead, fall back" is pointless and irritating. It's almost like creating your own jet lag -- it actually takes a few days to adjust to the shift. Don't believe me? Check how extra cranky and out of sorts all your co-workers are on Monday.

Hey, Arizona and Hawaii don't observe daylight savings. They haven't fallen off the earth. They've not suddenly gone into a timewarp where they're an hour behind everyone else.

It's time for a change. No more daylight savings!! Now if you'll excuse me I have to move my clock forward an hour...

VH1 I Love Toys (Continued)

Okay, I watched all five episodes of "I Love Toys" on VH1. Hysterical.

And the #1 Toy of all time???

The Hula Hoop



I am always amazed how things that are so, so, soooo simple turn out to be huge successes. Think about it - post it notes (paper squares with glue), hula hoops (a plastic ring), paper clips (a twisted length of wire); Countless more.

Sometimes I think we all think way too hard. It's the simple stuff that lasts.

Why This World Is Coming To An End

Some "artist" decided to make a statue of a naked Britney Spears giving birth to her son.

Why?

Again. Why?

Link (at your own risk. You've been warned.)

Also, some guy tried to live a week at a Wal-Mart. He only lasted 41 hours. Hahahaha. I know some people that could easily live a week at Wal-Mart.

You Wanna Screw Up Your Vision?

Paint a Panda Bear on a human hair.

Link (via BoingBoing)

It's A Gas, Gas, Gas

Gas prices here are predicted to go over $3 a gallon for regular unleaded.

No matter how look at it, that's just sick.

The Library - My Favorite Video Store

I've found a great resource for getting movies to watch -- the local library.

Sure, they may not have all the latest, greatest titles, but one of the libraries down the street has a pretty generous selection of movies all for the low, low price of nothing. I get to keep each movie at two days, which is more than enough time.

Right now, I've been on a Criterion Collection kick -- catching up on some foreign films that have been around for a while. To date I've borrowed Ikiru (a wonderful Kurosawa film about a dying man who had been a company slave most of his life trying to make make a difference in his neighborhood at the end), Eyes Without A Face (a French horror film about a scientist trying to give his disfigured daughter a new face. Surprisingly gruesome for a film from the late 50s), and Knife in the Water (Roman Polanski's first movie about a couple who go boating with a hitchhiker they pick up -- a good psychological thriller).

Tomorrow, it's off to the library again -- I think more Kurosawa is on tap.

Music Ho Time

Okay, 'nuff with rude people.

Some of the latest stuff to expand the Music Ho's musical horizon:

Janis Joplin - "Pearl" (Legacy Edition)



A classic. Joplin was one of those singers that was possessed by the music. She didn't just sing. She owned the song. The closest I've ever come to seeing that in real life was watching Melissa Etheridge on the 2005 Grammy's covering a... Janis Joplin tune! The second disc is full of tracks from her performances on the Festival Express which choogled through Canada in the early 70s.

Santana - "III" (Legacy Edition)



Another classic. The final album in a triad of classic latin-funk-rock gems from Santana (the other two being "Santana" and "Abraxas"). Again, the latin rhythm rock fusion is near-flawless. Santana's playing is incredible. I wish Santana would attempt to go back to an album like this instead of continuing with his Santana plus Special Guests style albums which have become his norm. He really needs to form a new band of trusted musicians really tear up some of the classic sound he's known for.

Arctic Monkeys - "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not"



The single most hyped band going at the moment. Not really deserving of the almost rabid praise they've been getting, but the album's pretty darned good. Best comparison for U.S. ears is that they sound a lot like Franz Ferdinand, but must punkier. Whereas Franz F. veers more towards a disco-esque sound, the A. Monkeys go all angular and jagged, but still manage to still pull off some cool grooves and rhythms.

Boy Least Likely To - "The Best Party Ever"



Fun. Period. Very innocent, almost childlike songs full of bouncy rhythms, xylophones, etc. The opening track is a joy. Only available as an import from the U.K. but worth seeking out. Between them and The Go Team, there's some awfully fun music coming out of the U.K. the past year.

Donald Fagen - "Morph The Cat"



More incredible jazz-rock-funk from 1/2 of Steely Dan. Much more upbeat and jazzy/playful than his first two solo discs. Sounds a lot more like a logical continuation of Steely Dan's two most recent albums. If you liked those, you'll like this one. I liked those (I personally think "Everything Must Go" is one of Steely Dan's best albums), and I like this one.

Rudeness: A Warning To Parents

Okay, let's get serious for a second.

Sorry, kiddies, but there's no excuse for being rude. Mommy and Daddy, there's no excuse for your kids being rude either. And there's no excuse for DEFENDING your child's rudeness.

So, we're in the grocery store and these two prepubescent girls are staring at my wife and my brother-in-law. So, we call them out for staring (tell me... at what point in time did staring become acceptable?). We move on to another aisle. Yet another couple of young girls. One of them silently makes a motion about my brother-in-law's weight. We almost let that one slide until one of the adult women with the group comments that my brother-in-law was crazy and justified the girl's motion.

Well, that was enough of that -- first my wife and then I tore in the adult telling her that what the girl did was rude. And yet the adult attempted to defend the girl's actions.

How the hell can you defend rudeness? I can understand a young girl making a rude remark if they've not been taught the difference between right and wrong. But defending it? That's unforgiveable. The adult should have told the young girl that what she did was wrong. She didn't need to scold the girl or hit her or enforce right and wrong though a negative method. But she DID need to let the girl know that what she did was not nice. But instead she defended the girl and even went so far as to reinforce the girl's rudeness by being rude also.

If you as a "responsible" adult cannot take the time to help a child learn the difference between right and wrong, then you should not have children yourself and you should not be allowed to be around children. In my opinion, that's child abuse. You're setting that child up to believe that what they did was right and that's going to set the child up for a huge fall later in life when that action explodes in their face.

People, it's time to get back to the basics of what's right and what's wrong. I don't care HOW busy your life is or HOW stressed your life is or HOW bad your life is -- there's no excuse for being rude. Living by what's right and what's wrong should be ingrained in your very soul. It's not something you think about. And if you're the one of the receiving end of rudeness, don't be afraid to stand up for what's right and what's wrong and the let the person know that what they did was unacceptable. The only exception is if the person being rude is obvious unbalanced or potentially violent.

TV Remakes That Make You Go "HUH?"

From RollingStone.com:

"Veteran rapper turned actor ICE CUBE is set to star in and produce a big-screen adaptation of the classic Seventies TV series, "Welcome Back, Cotter." Cube will play Mr. Cotter, a teacher who returns to his inner-city neighborhood to face a group of underprivileged troublemakers reminiscent of his younger self. Final negotiations are underway with TOM BRADY ("The Hot Chick") to direct and pen the script. Production is expected to begin this fall."

I can't wait to see who gets cast as the Sweathogs.

Google Mars!

Forget earth.

Now you can use the Google Maps interface to have a nice look-see at Mars.

At this time, you can't do driving directions on Mars, but I'm sure they're working on it.

Google Mars

VH1 I Love The...

Quick post as I should be sleeping.

I'm a friggin' addict for those VH1 I Love the [] shows. This week, they've been airing a new series - I Love Toys. Absolutely hilarious. If you're part of the 35 - 45 year old bracket, watch this show as you'll remember all those toys.

Save "Starting Over"

I'm tacking on a petition link and an article to save the show "Starting Over", which may be facing cancellation. "Starting Over" is a show where six women facing various difficulties in their lives live together and, with the help of three life coaches, come to face their painful pasts and start building their lives into ones of happiness and hope.

On the surface, you may think "Why would I want to watch a show about women crying and bitching about their pasts?". However the show is very positive and not only do you see these women truly turn their lives around, but the show is structured in a way that you, the viewer, also come away with very positive life lessons and tools to regain your own happiness. I've found it's very easy to identify with some of these women's stories... and I'm a guy!!

Because this show is such a positive force for good and happiness, it's truly deserving of the same "excempt cancellation" priviledges that a show like "America's Most Wanted" has.

Here's the article and link:


Ardent Fans Petition to Keep Show on Air

Orlando, FL 2/6/06-- Sometimes TV is for entertainment. Sometimes it feels like it's saving your life.

That's how the many fans of NBC's daytime reality drama, Starting Over, view the show which chronicles the daily lives of the women in the Starting Over house. Each of the house guests has a life issue--varying from addictions to depression to childhood traumas-- and works with nationally renowned Life Coaches Rhonda Britten (Founder of the Fearless Living Institute) and Iyanla Vanzant (author of "Yesterday I Cried" and "Acts of Faith") to not only resolve their issues but to reaffirm and re-establish new lives. Dr Stan Katz, consulting psychologist, brings a male perspective to the mix.

The show, called one of "6 TV Shows Not to Overlook" by the November 7, 2005 issue of Time magazine, has an amazing effect on its loyal fan base. A dynamic internet community of fans of the show have created various websites and online message boards in support of not only the reality series, but in support of each other in achieving goals and garnering support from other women.

Womencomfortwomen.com, an interactive website with message boards, daily chats and a
rapidly growing membership, is one of the more popular websites for the fans of the show.

Upon reading that NBC and Bunim/Murray, producers, are considering cancelling the show, WomenComforWomen site owner Debbie Cochran began an online petition to save the show. "Starting Over gives many of our members insight into empowering their lives and strengthening their families," says Cochran, herself mother of her first child. "Our members discuss the show on the message boards and in the chat room, and find that they have much in common with the women on the show. In many ways, this show provides a healthy new outlook on the problems in their lives."

"We're hoping to gain more signatures for the petition to present to NBC and Bunim/Murray," Cochran continues, "Women consumers are big fans of the show, and if the emotional appeal doesn't work, then our next stop is the advertisers."

"This show is a part of our lives and we want to keep it on the air."

To sign the petition, go to: http://new.PetitionOnline.com/DC0531/petition.html

Cochran's website: http://www.womencomfortwomen.com

Kind Of A Cool Hollywood Thought

This Sunday is the Oscars. This show will be watched by millions of people around the world.

This Sunday I need to take my brother-in-law to work at an Oscar party.

I have to make sure I don't go my usual way because I will drive smack into the traffic caused by the Oscars at the Kodak Theatre.

I just it's kinda cool that I have to worry about traffic being caused by something that will be watched by millions of people around the world.

Okay. Back to thinking useful thoughts.

Ode To French Fries

It's one of the age-old arguments: Who serves the best French Fries? (Yes. FRENCH Fries. I'll smack the russets out of anyone saying Freedom Fries).

Some say McDonalds. Some say In-and-Out (order 'em "Well Done").

However, the best are at Leeward Drive Inn in Waipahu, O'ahu, Hawaii.


(Sorry... it's the best picture I could find)

These fries taste like they've been sitting in oil for at least two weeks. They can barely keep their starchy integrity and, with just a little mushing, could easily turn into mashed potatoes. In other words, they're perfect. No other fry comes close to matching Leeward's for texture, taste, and enjoyment.

You Want Cute?

It's been a busy, crazy, butt-busting week.

So why not look at something cute?



Meet Su Lin. She is a six month old baby Panda who was the third Panda born at the San Diego Zoo. And what did she do all day we were there? Climb up into a tree and go to sleep. Sometimes she would shift to another branch and sleep. But slept she did. By the end of the day, we decided to take the Skyfari air tram and, while crossing over the Panda exhibit, could still see her sleeping in the tree!

What's The Music Ho Been Up To?

Been awhile since I posted some music. So here we go...

Sergio Mendes - Timeless



Brazilian rhythm king meets America's top hip hop and R & B artists. And you know what? It works. Both styles of music have quite a few similarities - similar beats and very upbeat. This is good, percussive, enjoyable music.

Stephen Stills



First solo album from the CSN and Buffalo Springfield alumnus. Features one of the greatest songs of all time - "Love the One You're With". I've always thought his songs were the strongest and best written in both the CSN and Buffalo canons and his first solo album continues that with some very strong, enjoyable songs. If you're a CSN fan, this is a must have.

Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die



Like the Fiery Furnaces, but with a better rhythm section. If you're asking "Fiery who?", then never mind. The album jumps all over the musical map, but keeps a solid thread of musicality and rhythm to tie it all together. If you're open to your album jumping around all over the map, you might enjoy this one.

Jack Johnson - Curious George Soundtrack



If you like Jack Johnson, you'll like this one. Most of the songs are definitley aimed towards children (I could image Jack spearheading a very successful Schoolhouse Rock revival), but it's the tried-and-true (and that's not bad) Jack Johnson sound: Gentle, creative, comforting.

Prokofiev - Alexander Nevsky/Lieutentant Kije



Yes, it's classical. But, you know what? There's nothing wrong with classical. It's the red wine that washes down the meaty meal listed above. And both compositions are from film soundtracks (albeit OLD film soundtracks), so there's a contemporary feel to the music that even the casaul listener might connect with.

Morningwood



21st Century glam rock. Doesn't break any ground, but a solid, enjoyable effort.

The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man



The classic debut album from the Byrds. IN MONO! Gasp! Who listens to Monaural recordings anymore? Well, kiddies, back in the mid-60s, albums were still mixed primarily to mono, then later split up into a fake-kind of stereo. The mono version of this album was most likely how it was intended to be heard. Yes, it's a bit of an aural shock at first to ears accustomed to stereo, but it's worth the patience.

Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor



One for the wife. The title pretty much says it all - it's a dance floor album.

Fun With Words

As we all know, Dick Cheney accidentally shot one of his hunting companions a few days ago.

Despite having a mild heart attack from the buckshot, the guy's doing okay and is going to be released from the Hospital.

However, Yahoo News didn't exactly phrase that info quite right...



Kinda makes it sound like Cheney waited outside the hospital to finish the job...

Something Cute For A Monday

Monday's usually stink.

So why not have something adorable to brighten it up a little...

Monorail For Puppies

Divorce. It's What's For Dinner

Okay, so what's going on?

I can understand marriages like Tory Spelling and Britney Spears fizzling out in a few days (or hours) since you really couldn't call those marriages.

But now we're seeing a trend of long-time marriages and supposedly stable relationships suddenly falling apart. David Hasselhoff and his wife, Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear, and now Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow.

What's going on?

I'm sorry, but all this divorce mania is starting to sound like it's trendy instead of something serious. Somehow, now that Brad and Jennifer are divorced, it gave all the other celebrity couples out there carte blanche to throw their marriages into the fire. If you've been with somebody 11 years, you oughta be able to reconcile unreconcilable differences. Don't just call it a day because supposed Uber-couple Brad and Jennifer fell apart.

Now THAT's A Jellyfish

Just surfing the web -- checking out Yahoo's Buzz List, a compilation of the most searched-for items on the web.

#1 was the recently deceased Blues legend Wilson Pickett.

However, #2 was about something called "Nomura's Jellyfish". Curious, I decided to click through to a few articles to see what would be so interesting about a jellyfish.

Now I understand. These whoppers of invertibrate mush and lots n' lots of stinging tentacles can grow upwards of 6 feet and weigh almost 440 pounds. GOOD LORD!!

Wanna see one? London Times link

Lessons Learned

Now you know why your mama told you never to put severed body parts in the food and blame someone else for it.

Link

Good Things About L.A. (an on-going series)

Ya know, L.A. sometimes gets a bad rap - fires, riots, gang violence, smog, shallow people, blah, blah, blah and, yes, it's true at times.

But if you look between the cracks (and the crackheads), you can find some wonderful things about L.A.

So here's an on-going list of things I like about this sprawling metropolis:

1. You need a special mixture for #1: Add a few days of rain, followed by at least one good day of strong winds and you get a rare, but incredible treat - a very sunny city with visibility for miles. When L.A. isn't hiding behind its veil of dirty air, the view is stunning. Especially during the Winter, when the local mountains are touched with a crest of snow.

2. Jonesy's Jukebox on Indie 103.1 - one of the last reasons to own a radio in L.A. Former Sex Pistol's guitar god Steve Jones hosts two hours of pretty much whatever he wants. Today for example, a majority of the show was him singing and playing along to 70s and 80s R & B and Rap. Genius.

3. Amoeba Music in Hollywood - I just made my most recent trek on Sunday for a hit of the best damn record store on Planet Earth. Period. Yes, there's a couple of 'em in the Bay Area but from what I've heard, ours is the biggest.

A Trick On The Eye

If you use MySpace (and by this point, who doesn't?), they've modified their landing page to include promos for some new band. You can click through and hear snippets, get concert dates, etc.

Well, right now there's a band on there called "Test Icicles".

Read that name carefully. Two words. Test and Icicles.

Now read the same name over at a normal reading speed. What word do you see? Is your brain merging the two words into one like mine? Or is it just me?

The First Duh Moment of 2006

Bjork Voted World's Most Eccentric Celebrity.

Link

Shockers!! I thought showing up to the Oscars in a goose gown was normal. I guess I need to return mine and get a refund...

Music Ho's Top 10 CDs for 2005

NOW that 2005 is officially over, I can come up with a Top 10 list.
(in no particular order)

	Artist	Title
	New Pornographers	Twin Cinema
	Spoon	Gimme Fiction
	Beck	Guero
	Paul McCartney	Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
	Rolling Stones	A Bigger Bang
	Kanye West	Late Registration
	Sufjan Stevens	Illinois
	Super Furry Animals	Love Kraft
	Franz Ferdinand	You Could Have It So Much Better
	Wolf Parade	Apologies to the Queen Mary

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Here's to 2006 being a year full of nothing but happiness, joy, and celebrations.

2005 was a tough, challenging, enlightening, and necessary year -- we needed to go through a lot of hard stuff in order to make 2006 something incredible!

'Tis The Season

To listen to some Xmas music.

C'mon, it's not cheesy or corny. You only listen to it one month out of twelve (preferably December, unless you're odd).

My faves?

Chicago 25



Brian Wilson - "What I Really Want For Christmas"



I just got this one, but it's already one of my fave Xmas discs.

A Very Special Christmas



Plus, Starbucks always comes up with some great, eclectic Xmas mix CDs every year. Too numerous to list here, but definitely up on my list.

Fun Links

A couple of fun links added to the sidebar.

I already mentioned one of them -- Stuff On My Cat. People send in pictures of their kitties covered in stuff. Hysterical.

The other one is good for curing up a bad day. Just loads and loads of really cute pictures. Even the hardest of hearts should soften with some of these pictures. Cute Overload

Music Ho's Thanksgiving Day Turkey!

Ah... Black Friday.

You're dog tired from OD'ing on Tryptophan. You've spent the day cooking. You were up all night with friends and family. So, as you crawl to bed at 2 AM, what better way to recover than to wake up at 5 AM and GO SHOPPING!!

Why? Because, as the Music Ho discovers every year, CDs that you'd normally shell out $12.99 for are now $3.99 for a few magical hours.

So, the Music Ho woke up early. (Well. Not 5 AM. 8 AM.) And here's what was purchased:

The Essential Bob Dylan



I'm not a major Bob Dylan fanatic. I don't need all his CDs. This is a perfect two-disc collection of his greatest hits. Covers all the stuff a basic-level Dylan fan needs.

The Band - Greatest Hits



Again, a good basic collection of another classic band from the 60s and 70s. However, if you do want one of their albums, seek out "Music From Big Pink" -- one of the defining albums of the 1960s. While the Beatles were shifting the music scene into arty, psychedelic sounds of whimsy, The Band created a sound that was rural, country, very, very rustic.

Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain



I don't do too many blind purchases, but I did with this one. I have a few other Miles Davis albums that I like a lot and this one is listed amongst his greatest, so it was a safe blind purchase.

Curtis Mayfield - The Very Best Of...



One of the great Soul/R & B artists of the 70s. Always took R & B to a higher, very educated level.

I'm Down With XCP

(Hey, You Know Me)

There's been a pile and a half of stories about Sony's new "Deluxe Computer Hacker Editions" of their CDs where that new Santana (for example) CD gives you not only the latest latin sounds from Santana and guests, but also gives you one helluva computer hack. Even better, the fix opens even bigger holes in your computer!

So, since there's already been lots of commentary about this (plus an ever-growing list of class-action lawsuits), I have only two ironic comments to make:

1. You're telling me that the fine brains at Sony thought this was a good way to stop all the money they're losing from piracy? From articles I've been reading, places like public libraries are now refusing to purchase any more Sony product until they remove their XCP Rootkit software... which leads to a lot of money lost on potential sales. I'd love to see how much money Sony loses from this versus how much they may have potentially lost on pirated copies of those CDs...


2. Isn't it ironic that the people being punished with this stuff are the people WHO BOUGHT THE CD??? Sony got their $15.99 from these people. Shouldn't Sony be figuring out to target those who DIDN'T pay for the CD?

How Nerdy Are You?

C'mon, you have to have SOME level of nerdity in you to even consider reading blogs (or knowing what a blog is).

Couple of Links

Two links worth checking out:

Stuff On My Cat

Hysterical site where fine cat lovers around the country send in pictures of their cats covered in "stuff".

You have to see it be believe it.

House Blinger

A loving tribute to those fine folks in the United Kingdom who really, really, REALLY get into the Xmas decorating spirit. There's an area of Los Angeles called Candy Cane Lane where the entire neighborhood decorates to the hilt.

Medium

This is a great show. But that's not what I'm writing about.

This show also has one of the best theme songs in a long time. Like something escaped from a Hitchcock film.

Album Art

I was idly tooling around an Album cover site looking at various album covers -- many are works of art unto themselves and I just started wondering about something now that we live in a world of Compact Discs.

For CDs of albums that were issued way back in the vinyl days, the front cover of the album is mostly always faithfully reproduced. How 'come the albums backside is never reproduced? In some cases, there's just as much art on the back as there is on the front? It's not just some blank canvas with track information.

It would be cool to see both sides of the album reproduced, even if it's just on the booklet. The only company that ever did that was the now-defunct DCC Compact Classics with their Gold CD re-issues and now re-born as Audio Fidelity.

(And if you're curious, the site I was looking at was http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/D/D.html)

Who-da Thunk - 1,000 Pairs Of Shoes Edition

Show of hands -- how many saw this one coming?

David Byrne, formerly of the Talking Heads, and Fatboy Slim are putting together a musical about Imelda Marcos!

Read the article here

What's next? "Weird" Al Yankovick and Donald Trump present "Evita"?

Good Things About The Disneyland Resort

Went to the Disneyland Resort this past weekend and wanted to talk about one good thing about each park. Two things that make both parks worth the current price of admission.

Disneyland - "Buzz Lightyear"

This is just a damn fun ride. You and your companion site in a small buggy each armed with a light-emitting pulse gun. You move through the ride, zapping little targets of various shapes (diamonds, squares, circles, etc.) each with a Z in the middle (Z for Zurg). If you hit a target, it and your gun light up and you get points. The harder the target to hit, the more points you get if you hit it. This is "almost" the same ride that's at the Magic Kingdom in Florida.

But there are a few differences. Much, much better differences.

In Florida, the guns are mounted to the cart. You can move them around on the pivot and aim, but that's about it. The guns at Disneyland are detachable. They're only connected by a tether. That way you can aim your gun any-which-way to shoot targets all over the place. The other difference is you get your picture taken while on the ride (imagine picture after picture of people staring intensely at something while aiming their guns in every James Bond-esque pose imaginable). Instead of having to shell out $16 for the picture, you get to email your picture to your home email account. Kudos to Disney for that generous offer.

California Adventure - "Tower of Terror"

Again, another ride duplicated from the one in Florida. Again, BETTER than the one in Florida. The California version offers some extra nifty special effects while working your way towards the drops. But the biggest difference is the drops themselves. Whereas Florida gives you a chance to prepare yourself before each drop, the California version keeps taunting you - going up a little, dropping a little, going back up a little, before dropping you way down, the repeating the taunts a little more -- you're never given a chance to prepare.

Awesome. Period.

Music Ho - Vegas Edition

Went to Las Vegas this past weekend. Tons of fun. No, didn't hit it big. No, didn't break the bank. Did go to the local Tower Records and get some new music.

Thus...

Fiona Apple - "Extraordinary Machine"



In one word: quirky. Another word (well, two): Very original. I have not had a chance to hear the original, rejected tapes, but this album is unique. The musical style veers from rock, to ballads, to near Tin Pan Alley. Recommended if you like some eclecticism with your music.

Wolf Parade - "Apologies to the Queen Mary"



Their current claim to fame is having been discovered by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. They sound a lot like Modest Mouse and the lead singer (whom I'm too lazy to look up the name of) sounds a LOT like Modest Mouse. If you like Modest Mouse, you'll like this one.

Super Furry Animals - "Love Kraft"



If Pink Floyd and The Alan Parson Project got together and birthed an album, this is what it would sound like. Smooth, slightly psychedelic, slightly spacey tunes from a very talented Welsh band. If you like your music with a touch of prog, a touch of space, and a lot of smooth, you'll like this one. I do. It's now currently in my Top 5.

B.B. King - "80"



A star-studded duets album by B.B. on his 80th birthday. No ground broken here. Just comfortable, familiar B.B. King with some talented collaborators. Kinda like a comfort food version of B.B. King. And there's nothing wrong with that!

Santana - "All That I Am"



Same 'ol, same 'ol from Santana in the same vein as "Supernatural" and "Shaman". Some good stuff, though it's time for Santana to shake the formula up a little before things start to get stale.

Edgar Winter - "They Only Come Out At Night" Mobile Fidelity reissue



SACD hybrid reissue of Winter's classic album by Mobile Fidelity. The sonics are dramatically improved. This is just a great album under any format. "Free Ride" and "Frankenstein" are undisputed (do you hear me? UNdisputed) classics of 70s rock n' roll.

Okeeeee. That's it!

Who-da Thunk - Van Halen Edition

This was in today's Rolling Stone email post:

DAVID LEE ROTH appeared on HOWARD STERN's radio show this morning to announce that he will replace the shock jock on January 3rd. The former VAN HALEN frontman, now working as a paramedic in New York City, will take over in a number of Stern's twenty-seven markets -- New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas and West Palm Beach, Florida -- while "Loveline" co-host Adam Carolla will take the West coast. "You've done an extraordinary job, and I hope I can honor it," Roth told Stern. "I'll be performing for more people in one morning than the Rolling Stones will in an entire summer." Stern launches his new show for Sirius Satellite Radio in January.

Note the red text. Diamond Dave is a paramedic. From over-the-top frontman of one of rock's greatest bands to a paramedic. That's an admirable job... but I just can't imagine David Lee Roth showing up at the emergency scene -- long, wild hair; multi-colored hot pants; you get the idea...

Toys of the 70s and 80s

This site is hysterical. If you grew up in the 1970s and/or early 1980s then you KNOW you had some of these toys.

It's a British site, so some of the toys were strictly from the U.K., but a lot of them were worldwide.

I totally forgot that I had some of these toys.

Enjoy -- TV Cream's Top 100 Toys

Next Blog >>

Have you noticed that most blogs on Blogger.com have a chrome at the top that includes a "Next Blog >>" link that takes you to a random blog on Blogger.

You oughta click it sometime. It's fun to see what blogs people have come up with around the world (yes... the world. I've seen blogs from the U.S. of A. to Australia to Malaysia).

It's a great way to get a real look at people around the world and see we're all not that different -- same loves, same likes, same concerns about life in general.

Give it a try.

Music Ho Strikes Again

More music!

Madness - "The Rise And Fall" & "Mad Not Mad"





I'm a huge fan of Madness. I've always been surprised why they never caught on in the U.S. (except for "Our House" ... which is on "The Rise and Fall" CD). These two aren't quite as ska-ish as their earlier albums, but both boast some really good songs.

The Magic Numbers



Very folky, soft rock-ish. Two sets of siblings. That's kinda cool. I don't know if it fully lives up to the critical hype that's been heaped upon it, but it comes close. They definitely know how to write a song and have a good, overall sound. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Sheryl Crow - "Wildflower"



After the big, commerical-friendly bounce of "C'mon, C'mon", this is a much quieter, more mature album. If you're looking for the bouncy fun, you'll find it on a few tracks. However, the mature songwriting fits. It seems several artists are scoring big time with much quieter, more grown-up albums (see Paul McCartney). This album takes a little bit of patience to soak in, but once it does, you'll be rewarded with some her most consistently good songs.

Tab

How many of you born a while ago remember the diet soda Tab?

I remember being forced to drink it when I was a kid. This is not the kind of soda you gave to a kid. Kids were raised to drink Coke and Pepsi - carbonated water filled to the brim with sugary goodness. If you put fizz into maple syrup, kids would drink it.

However, I was blessed with a parent who was into dieting. And with dieting came the diet beverage. Sure, Diet-Rite was first, but Tab was king in our house.

And what vile, evil king it was.

Diet soda technology has come a long, long, LOOONG way since the early 70's. Now-a-days, I can tolerate diet sodas. In fact, I find real sodas way too sugary (not to mention calorie bombs in a can). But back then, there was no Splenda. There was no Aspartame. There was Saccarine and there was bland, tastlessness.

Suddenly, my soda had an aftertaste. And it wasn't good.

BUT, apparently I'm in the minority of Tab haters. People have apparently built shrines about the sode.

Hence: ILoveTab.com. Fine. Fine. Off you go.

I Think A Lot Of Us Can Relate...

This came from my Onion calendar. I know these words made me giggle back when I was under 10 years of age...

Top Words Causing Giggles Among Pre-Teens

2%		Parts
1%		Slot
15%		Ball-peen hammer
8%		Mastication
7%		Receptacle
16%		Titular archbishopric
13%		Pu-pu platter
5%		Abreast
11%		Lake Titicaca
12%		Penal system
6%		Opening
4%		Moist

Stop Making Sense

Got the Talking Heads Brick, a set of their entire catalog remastered onto DualDiscs.



The good stuff

The sound quality is awesome. This catalog has been long in need of some serious remastering and it finally got it. I have not delved much into the DVD side of the discs, so I can't really mention anything about the videos that are included. Each disc has a few bonus tracks. Most are alternate versions of existing tracks. Some others are unfinished, unreleased, unrealized songs. In my opinion, the best of the unreleased tracks is on "Remain In Light" -- the band had the Afro-Cuban rhythm down to an art.

The bad stuff

The packaging. The outer, white, plastic cube covered in song titles is kinda cool. However, this is a package that is more an art item than a functional item. The jewel boxes are pure white and that's it. No track listings. No name of the album on the spine. Just clean, pristine white. Which means you have to get the booklet out to see what songs are on the disc.

But... in the grand scheme of this package, that's a minor quibble. Having the Heads in solid, remastered sound is worth everything else.

The Wars In Iraq and Afghanistan

So... God is behind all this mayhem, eh?

BBC Documentary: God told Bush to go to war

I think a certain little President needs to take a nice, long timeout.

Quick Post #2

Got the new Franz Ferdinand - "You Could Have It So Much Better".



If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. Pretty much more of the same. I liked the first one. I like this one.

"Do You Want To" is one of the best singles of 2005. (And, no, I don't need to use IMHO, because it's my blog so my opinion doesn't need to be humble!!!)

Quick Post #1

Guys threatens bank tellers saying he has a bomb in his mouth. Guy ends up having his mouth examined by a bomb-sniffing robot.

Link (via BoingBoing)

Could robotic dentistry be far behind?