The Kids Just Love "Enter Sandman"

So I'm doing laundry at a nearby laundromat and, thumbing through the latest L.A. Weekly, I come across an ad for what has to be the oddest CDs ever made:





That's right! Lullaby versions of some of your favorite metal and prog bands. They also have ones for Coldplay and The Beach Boys. I could understand a lullaby version of The Beach Boys working, but... Tool?

Can't wait the lullaby versions from Nirvana ("Smells Like Infant Spirit" ??) and The Sex Pistols.

Your Final Meal

Deep-fried Coca-Cola

Kiss them arteries goodbye!

Aloha Tower Records

Wow. Tower Records is kaput.

Link (via L.A. Times)

The winning bidder was a liquidation company that's going to spend the next six weeks attempting to eliminate the chain's inventory. Sure, it could be a few weeks of super cheap music, but still it's kind of sad.

While I tend to frequent Amoeba a lot more since it moved in, I always had a soft spot for Tower, which seemed a cut above the other records stores in Los Angeles (like Wherehouse, Sam Goody's, Musicland, Licorice Pizza...). The Sunset Strip store is an L.A. landmark.



The Strip is going to be a little bit emptier now...

Lost! Lost! LOST!!

Lost is back! Lost is back! Lost is back!



The season premier was hella good.

Finally, a reason to continue owning a television!!

Iggy Pop's Rider

I know this has already started spreading like wildfire through the blogosphere but I'm going to link to it also.

This is a concert rider for Iggy Pop and the Stooges penned by one of his roadies, Jos Grain. It's hysterical.



If all legal documents were written like this, we'd be a much happier planet.

Link (via The Smoking Gun)

Sticky Situation

You know when you buy a CD or a DVD and they come with the little sticky security strips at the top (or in the case of DVDs, on the top, the side, and the bottom)?

Is there any way to remove them without leaving huge strips of really, really, REALLY sticky stuff that stays on for weeks? I just bought a new DVD today and after removing all the security strips, the box is now slathered in super sticky glue.

I think they use the same glue that's used on bumper stickers.

What's worse is I have four cats. Cats that shed. Shed fur that tends to float around. Float around near the DVDs and CDs. The ones with sticky glue residue. Nothing like grabbing a CD off the shelf to find the top of the jewel box covered in fur.

Irony

From ABC News.com:


Congressman Mark Foley, Republican from Florida, resigned today just hours after ABC news questioned him about a series of sexually explicit instant messages involving current and former underage male Congressional pages. Foley used the login name Maf54.

Maf54: Do I make you a little horny ?
Teen: A little. Maf54: Cool.

Foley was the chairman of the house caucus on missing and exploited children and has long crusaded for tough laws against those who use the Internet for sexual exploitation of children.


Sad.

Tequila!

Danny Flores, the guy who played sax and shouted "Tequila!" on the song of the same name has died.

Pee-Wee Herman fans worldwide mourn the loss.



Story

Amazing Race!!!

You can take your Big Brother *. You can keep your Survivor **.

The Amazing Race is back on. This is the king of reality shows. A race around the world. The fun of watching twelve teams of hapless Americans bickering, whining, and flaunting "American cultural superiority" in the face of "lesser" cultures.

Watching people raised on Wonder Bread and Miracle Whip grimmacing as they gulp down fish eyeballs to continue. Watching out-of-shape city folk attempt to climb a portion of the Great Wall of China, chanting the mantra "I can't do this!!!" over and over again. Watching a couple who said their relationship is solid turn into bickering kids over which direction the next Pit Stop is. Watching the English-speaking-only racers think the way to communicate to someone who doesn't speak the language is to TALK. LOUDER. AND. SLOWER..

This is brilliant television.

* I dunno about Big Brother. Once the two most deserving people, Will and Janelle, were kicked out, I could have cared less who won. Boogie only made it to the end on Will's coattails and Erika didn't deserve to win because she's just scary to look at and whiny to boot.

** Is it me or did the whole "race card" twist this season fall flat on its face right from the start? I had a feeling the producers were hoping the island would erupt into a race war with opposing teams trying to terrorize each other with drive by fish spearings and Molotov coconuts. Instead, everyone acknowledged that they were divided by race, then proceeded to get along just fine and act like every, single other Survivor competetor in the past. I get it -- we could end racial conflict by dumping everyone on an island and offer a cash prize of a million dollars and fifteen minutes of fame!

Star Wars Episode III - The Backstroke of the West

Check out these screengrabs of "Star Wars Episode III - The Revenge of the Sith" from a bootleg Chinese DVD.

The subtitles are hilarious.

Link

9/11 - Five Years Later

It's been five years since this awful event and the governments of the world still make life miserable for everyone, waging wars, perpetuating poverty, doing everything they can to destroy hope, and existing in insular, greedly little cliques whose only motivation is their own petty needs.

It's also a testament to the goodness and tenacity of humanity that, in spite of our governments, we still survive and manage to remain happy and hopeful.

We should live every day like it's September 12th, when everyone came together with a shared purpose of helping those who had suffered so much. We should never forget that we are capable of such a gracious and caring spirit.

In spite of our governments, that is.

Nominee: Album Title of the Year

The new one from Yo La Tengo:

"I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass"

Brilliant.

Nominee For Politically Incorrect Blog

My wife found this and passed it along.

Tard Blog

This is the musings and rantings of a special ed teacher. On the surface this reads like a very politically incorrect treatise on the mentally disabled. However, I got the feeling that she enjoyed what she did but needed this blog as a way to blow off steam.

Then again, the blog hasn't been updated since July 2005, so she could be happily working a complete different job.

Pluto Is Not A Planet

Pluto is a dog.



Apparently scientists have re-written the laws of the Universe and now Pluto no longer qualifies as a planet.

Link (via Yahoo)

If I were Pluto, I'd hire some lawyers quick and sue for slander and/or libel.

Um...

From Yahoo:

Police crack down on striptease funerals...

Animator vs. Animation

A Flash developer put together a Flash of a stick figure waging war against the animator himself.

Hysterical.

Link (via BoingBoing)

Death By Chocolate

If I had to get injured in a work-related accident, this is what I would choose:

US man survives chocolate ordeal

Leonid The Magnificent

(from America's Got Talent)

Sometimes a picture is worth a 1,000 words.



In this case, each of those words is pure gibberish.

Why L.A. Is Loopy - One In A Series

Occasional observations on why Los Angeles is sometimes the lunatic capital of the world.

We have a local radio station, STAR 98.7, that, for the past few months, has been having the traffic guy SING the traffic report. At first the poor thing had to do it EVERY time. Now it's only by request. The thing is, the requests come often. I feel bad for the guy -- he can't sing, yet he gamely tries. The songs are well known songs but sound like they're being played on one of those old-school Casio keyboards. It always reminds me of some poor kid who just wants to play quietly in his room but gets paraded out every time the relatives come over to perform his rendition of "Greensleeves" on his recorder.

The morning DJs also played a little game of "Cute or Creepy" where callers would offer some tidbit about their lives and the DJs would determine if that tidbit was cute or creepy. The only one I heard was about a boyfriend who liked to videotape cute TV weathergirls and watch them over and over as well as taking detailed notes about them.

Um. That's not creepy. That's sociopathic. That's the kind of person who, if you visited their childhood home, you'd find polished dog and cat skulls buried in the backyard.

The Bounty Huntaaaaah

I'm watching a Dog, The Bounty Hunter marathon. I've been to Hawaii numerous times (my wife is from Hawaii) so it's been fun playing "Hey, I've been there before" with the different locations.

Janelle: Big Brother

Okay...



I'm now officially convinced that she has sold her soul to the Devil. How else can you explain the extraordinary luck she has. In a series of flukes with bad buzzers, etc, she's now the Head of Household AFTER winning a critical Power of Veto last week to prevent her more than obvious eviction.

Nobody is that naturally lucky...

Iron Chef: America vs. Japan

Just finished watching Iron Chef America.

Tonight's special ingredient? Puff Pastry.

This show is excellent in demonstrating the schism between American and Japanese pallets. Some of the items in America? Puff Pastry, Hamburger, Spinach, etc.

Japan? Dried Cuttlefish, Giant Eel, Konnyaku (Fermented Japanese Root Paste). Mmmm.

I like the Japanese version better, actually. It's for one reason - the overly literal translations. The peeps translating Japanese to English aren't so much translating as they're ACTING! Even down to the mmmmms and ahhhhhs as they taste the food. Hysterical. Keeps you from gagging as they attempt to produce five dishes with the special ingredient of rat testicles.

Hey, I did get to meet Hiroyuki Sakai while he was visiting Waikiki promoting his signature brand of coffee (good coffee, btw).

MTV - The Cure For The Common Marriage

I already mentioned the end of two MTV marriages - Jessica n' Nick, and more recently, Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler - in the previous post.

Now MTV has claimed a third victim - Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra.

Link (via Yahoo News)

I can hear future angry couples screaming "I want my MTV!!".

MTV Is The New Irreconcilable Difference

First the Simpsons, now...

TRAVIS BARKER FILES FOR DIVORCE

BLINK-182/TRANSPLANTS drummer TRAVIS BARKER has filed for divorce from his wife (and "Meet the Barkers" co-star) SHANNA MOAKLER. MTV cameras captured the couple's marriage and home life -- beginning with their Halloween-eve wedding ceremony -- for two seasons, beginning last spring. Last month, the couple quietly placed their 12,000-square-foot Tuscan villa in Bel Air, California, on the market for $8.5 million. "My only concern right now is for the welfare and best interests of my children," Moakler told "People" through her publicist. Barker and Moakler are the latest in a string of celebrity couples who've split since having their marriages documented on MTV, joining the company of Dave Navarro and Carmen Electra, and Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.

From RollingStone.com

The Mind At 12:35 AM

I'm surfing other Blogger sites, cliking the "Next Blog" button to see what randomly comes up.

One site showed an infant sitting in what is called a Jolly Jumper. It's pretty much a bouncy harness suspended from a doorway. You stick junior in the harness/seat and they happily bounce about.

Don't you wish sometimes that they made an adult sized version? Some days, when life gets too crazy, there'd be nothing more relaxing than spending an hour bouncing in a doorway.

Check out the Talking Heads' video for "Stay Up Late" -- the band spends have the video in Jolly Jumpers.

If I didn't have to run a process for work right now, I'd be sleeping.

Thank you for your support.

Lance Bass Is Gay

Link (Yahoo News)

In other shocking events:

- The sun is bright.
- Food tastes good.
- Summer is hot.
- The sky is blue.
- Cats meow.

In other words: Duh

Summer Bummer

There's a long-running joke in L.A. about Summer. Whereas other cities usually spend Summer suffering in heat mixed with massive lung-clogging, sweat-preventing humidity, L.A. Summers are dry.

On a hot day, you'll usually hear the comment: "Yes, it's hot. But it's a dry heat".

Well, today's "dry heat" felt hot enough to make small children spontaneously burst into flame, turn swimming pools into boiling pots of water, and successfully burn away any will to live beyond the comfort of air conditioning.

Today, Burbank was 110 degrees. One hundred TEN degrees. A record. Burbank usually doesn't get any hotter than 99 degrees during a normal summer. And 110 degrees was on the coolish side. Woodland Hills, smack at the west end of the San Fernando Valley (or as I'm calling it, Death Valley Part Deux), hit 119 (119!!!!) degrees.

This stuff's gotta end and it's gotta end SOON. This ain't dry heat. This is die heat.

Human Space Invaders

D'oh! - The video was removed at the owner's request. Pity. It was a cool video

From the world of viral videos.

This is WAY too awesome.



Link (YouTube.com)

According to BoingBoing.Net, this took four hours to film.

Finally! The Internet Explained!

Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska finally explains the Internet for all us clueless humans.



(Think "a series of tubes").

Link (from BoingBoing)

4th of July Irony

One of the many 4th of July specials on TV tonight was something called "An American Celebration at Ford's Theatre".

Um... didn't President Lincoln get assassinated at Ford's Theatre?

Is this a venue that you would want to celebrate an American holiday at? You SURE this is a venue you'd want the President to attend?

What's the special going to be next year? "An American Celebration at Baghdad, Iraq"??

Pants Off Dance Off !!!

Saw this on "The Best Week Ever", then there was a mention of it on EW.com.

Ordinary schlubs strip to music videos for YOUR vote!

This pretty much seals the argument that TV is bad for you.

Link (at your own risk)

And Now A PSA...

...to stop car bombings in Iraq.

Yes, Hollywood is putting together a PSA (apparently at the cost of a cool million) to encourage terrorists from exploding car bombs.

Here's the link at BoingBoing.net

Using a PSA to stop car bombings will be as effective as telling hard-core drug addicts to "Just Say No". I'm consistently amazed at how clueless people are when it comes to tackling a serious problem. Instead of asking "What is driving these people to explode bombs in cars and kill lots of people", they just come up with some easy way to combat it. It's like telling a person who's bleeding to death to just think happy and healthy thoughts instead of getting them bandages and applying pressure to the wound.

Crazy.

13 Unpopular TV Characters

From The Onion AV Club:

Link

I don't agree with all of them and think the order of the rankings could be a little different, but they're definitely dead-on with a lot of them.

6/6/06

So, 6/6/06 is almost done and nobody burst into flames, I didn't see demons n' devils parading down the street, the sky didn't turn plaid, cats didn't start shooting lasers out of their eyes (thankfully), people didn't sprout extra apendages, the music I listened to didn't have satanic messages in it either forwards or backwards.

In other words, pretty normal day.

I'm disappointed.

I would have liked to have seen at least ONE cat shoot laserbeams out of its eyes (just not mine).

Save Starting Over - Part III

No word yet on the fate of the show, but the phone call and online petition campaigns are getting significant notice.

Daytime Reality TV Fans Try to Save Show

Keep it going!!

Lost

Alright, kiddies. Lost just completed its second season and now I get to weigh in
with what I think is going on:

This is what we've learned:

• The button WAS important. Apparently, it helps vent built up magnetic energy due to an crack in the Swan station.
• Desmond's neglect brought 815 down.
• Henry Gale (or NotHenry, as he's being referred to on many boards) is an important Other.
• There's a way to get to freedom (presumably... Mr. Gale's not known for telling the truth).
• The outside world still exists and can pick up massive electromagnetic pulses.

So, given that, here's my latest theory:

• The island is cloaked. Most likely by the magnetic field, which I think existed long before the Dharma project got there. In fact, I think its the islands "unique" energy that attracted the Dharma Initiative in the first place. That would explain why very old boats (in other words, The Black Rock) were there.
• Locke, Eko, and Desmond aren't dead. That bright light wasn't really an explosion. I think the "fail safe" was a way to fully discharge or blow away the magnetic field. Hence, the busted hatch door was repelled by the polarity reversal.
• Widmore is bankrolling the whole thing.
• The mysterious food drop a few episodes earlier -- given the cloaking properties of the magnetic field prevented the plane from being seen or heard. Yet, they had the ability to pierce the field to make the drop -- just like how Henry told Michael the proper location to get free, there may be other weak spots in the shield.

What's totally throwing me is: what's up with the four-toed statue foot?

Save Starting Over - Part II

From www.startingovertalk.com:

NBC has created a special viewer line for Starting Over --- 818-777-0244. If viewers wish to call to voice their opinion regarding Starting Over this is THE BEST number to call. All calls will be logged and counted. Callers MUST call 818-777-0244 for their voice to be heard.

Looks like NBC is willing to leave it up to the viewing public if Season 4 is a reality (no pun intended).

Tommy Hilfiger: PUNK!!

Tommy Hilfiger repeatedly smacks Axl Rose (Yes... THE Axl Rose of Guns n' Roses) repeatedly at a party for moving a drink.

You can't THINK stuff like this up.

Read the article

Guy Goma

This is just too funny.

This poor guy goes to the BBC to interview for a tech job and ends up live on the air being asked questions about the Apple Computer vs. Apple Records judgement.

His reaction on air is priceless. PRICELESS.



Here's the article

A Very Good SNL

Last night's SNL (Saturday, May 14th, 2006 -- I guess by Monday, "Last night" really won't work anymore) was one of the best in awhile.

The show has always been hit-or-miss. A good skit here. A bad skit there. But on a rare occasion, the entire episode can be good. Last night's was one of those episodes. The host was Julia Louie-Dreyfus and the musical guest was Paul Simon (who's looking oooooold) *.

There were two skits in particular that stood out. One was the opening with Al Gore as the President talking about how great everything's going (too much oil, huge budget surplus, friendly with all the countries in the Middle East). It was a funny skit, yet... made me kind of think "what if...". What if the 2000 election had ended up the way it SHOULD have ended up.

The other skit of note was about a class for using MySpace.com. It was funny because, with the exception of one mother who wanted to help her daughter set up an account, the rest of the class was filled with stalkers and pervs. Hysterical (yet, unfortunately, true).

* -- About Mr. Simon. I listened to his album a few times now and I think it's one of the best albums he's done in a long time. Brian Eno's production tricks definitely went a long way towards raising the bar on an already strong set of songs.

Music Ho Finally

Been a long time. Some new stuff:

Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Stadium Arcadium"



Good album. The Chili Peppers, for being a band full of white guys, can lay down some serious funk grooves. Maybe two discs a little bit overkill, but great overall.

Paul Simon - "Surprise"



I gotta listen to this some more before weighing judgement. One listen while at work didn't really help. But from what I heard, it's a great album. Definitely sounds like a traditional Paul Simon album decorated with the sonic ticks and tweaks from Brian Eno. Manages to pull a standard Simon album into new territory, like Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. (When I picked this CD up, my wife thought Paul had recorded an album full of nursery rhymes because of the baby on the cover).

Pearl Jam



A great return for this band. I managed to keep up with them through "Yield", but lost interest as the band starting getting more interested in their own sonic noodlings than in writing good songs. This album amps the rock and volume back up and has some good, solid songs. Not as good as Ten, or Vs., or Vitology, but the best one in a long time.

John Lennon - "Live Peace In Toronto"



This is one half good album and one half challenging album. The live tracks from Lennon (with a backup band that included Eric Clapton) are loose, raw, and fun. The live tracks from Yoko Ono are challenging. It definitely supports the argument that she was a trailblazer for the avant garde, but what in the hell made her think to caterwaul and shriek through a ten minute song??

Gerry Mulligan - "Gerry Mulligan Meets Scott Hamilton: Soft Lights & Sweet Music"



Good jazz. Nothing special. Nothing remarkable. But not bad either. Very straightforward, enjoyable session. Great addition for Mulligan fans.

American Idol: Why Chris Leaving Was A Good Thing

Shock! Horror! Gasp!

America voted Chris off! Has everyone lost their minds? He was supposed to be the next American Idol!!!



(Wait... wait... okay.)

America didn't vote Chris off. America saved Chris. Had Chris been voted American Idol, his first CD would have been one of those slick, pop-oriented, written-by-committee deals that every winner has been saddled with. In other words, something completely counter to Chris' strengths. Chris will have a great career in music. Heck, the band Fuel wants him as their lead singer. But Chris' first album needs to be something full-on rock n' roll. Not ballads. Not pop. Rock. Creed. Fuel. Guns n' Roses. ROCK.

Now that he's not bound by the laws of American Idol, he'll get that freedom to do the music he was born to do.

So, thank you America -- you saved a talented one.

Choxie!

What do you think of when I say "Target" (as in the store?)

Obviously, those of you who don't have a Target in your area are thinking "Huh?". But those of you who do are thinking it's a lot like Wal-Mart, only smaller and a bit more upscale. However, you really wouldn't pin the word "gourmet" to it, would you?

Well, I've tried their new upscale candy line, Choxie, for the second time and I'm quite impressed.



The first thing I tried was some Chocolate Truffles. For such low-priced candy, it was very good. Almost on par with some of the bigger candy chains (still not as good as the ultra-gourmet stuff [Leonidas, anyone?], but good nonetheless).

Tonight, I bought a Peppermint Marbled Crunch Thin (the description -- commence drooling: "the smoothest, richest dark chocolate with a peppermint crunch and white chocolate marble swirl". Okay, wipe your chin). It tastes like a chocolate covered candy cane. Very, very tasty.

Next time you're thinking of having some candy and want something fancier with out the associated price tag, check out Choxie. You may be quite surprised.

Long Time. No Post

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted something.

Been too busy switching positions at work to think of something witty or profound to say or to notice any sites that are of interested to post up on here.

Hey, Summer is coming so that'll be fun!

It's time for a big Music Ho post methinks.

Nintendo Wii

Nintendo Whhat?

Nintendo is renaming their latest console from Revolution, which is a great name for a game console, to Wii. The Net is abuzz with questions about how to pronounce it -- most think it will be pronounced "We" (or "Wheeeeeeee"). But you know you're gonna have some hapless customer going to Circuit City asking for the new Nintendo "Wih-ih".

At least they didn't name it the "Wii-Wii".

"Mommy, can I go play with my wii-wii??"

Laughter ensues.

More Television "HUH"?

Mick Jagger - Sitcom Star.

Yes, the Rolling Stone is filming scenes for a potential ABC comedy pilot.



I just don't get it.

News Story (via Yahoo Music)

Nine Years Of Marriage

Wow. It's now 12:23 AM on April 26th. It's my 9th wedding anniversary.

You know, a lotta people thumb their noses at marriage and the divorce rate is almost something like 50% percent. But, if you truly believe you have a soulmate out there (and I think each of us does... may not be in your hometown... might be halfway across the world), have faith you'll find them. Because when you marry your soulmate, each yeaer of marriage only gets better than the previous.

First, though, make sure you love yourself. Once you can say that you love yourself (in a positive way, not a narsicistic way), then, and ONLY then, will you be in rhythm with the universe to cross paths with your soulmate.

It's a great day!!

Cilantro - Herb Of Evil?

I like Cilantro. I like its smell and its taste and it's one of the best herbs to spruce up a dish.

My brother-in-law hates it. We think he's nuts. How could you not like Cilantro?

Well, surprise, surprise. Apparently, there's a whole community of cilantro haters.



Link

Brilliant, Absolutely Brilliant

From FoxNews.com

Parents Fake Own Son's Death

(just to get some time off from work!)

Best Actor In A Guest Starring Role

There's an Emmy category for Best Actor in a GUEST Starring Role.

I already have my nominee: Michael Emerson.

Who?

He plays Henry Gale on Lost. One of the coolest, sleaziest, slimiest villians to ever grace the screen. He's definitely help take the show to a new level. Hopefully some Dharma Initiative people are members of the TV Academy so they can vote...

Again, TV Makes You Go HUH?

American Idol.

April 5th, 2005.

Who gets voted off, despite some really weak performances from pretty-boy Ace and country-boy Bucky* ?

MANDISA.

HUH?

Yes, this may not have been her best performance, but she's one of the most consistently good singers overall. And who joined her at the bottom three? Elliott and Paris.

HUH??

Just proves this show is less a talent contest and more a popularity contest.

URGH!

* Bucky, Bucky, Bucky - shame on you. I like you, man. You are one of the most open, friendly, unassuming people. You're from North Carolina, one of my favorite states. You come across as smart, unlike your fellow Southerner Kellie. But why, oh why, oh why, did you choose a slow song on Country night? This was supposed to be YOUR night, dude. You should have picked the rip-roarin'est, gut-bustin', hootin' and a-hollerin' song you could get your hands on. You would have OWNED the night, man. Shame, shame, shame.

Dead Brain

Ever had one of those days where you don't encounter a single, useful thought?

Today is one of those days.

And that's all I can blog about.

Hey, at least Lost AND Amazing Race are on tonight!

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.