Dreamgirl

American Idol sucks bad this year. I hated all but two performances. I thought I wouldn't even watch and then caved in. I think I'm done though, its just not my bag anymore. I quite like pop music, but I prefer it sung well.

On the subject of singing well, Neko Case is my new obsession. Her voice exceptional. She has an old fashioned one mic hollar type style that you just cannot find in current styles. Its something you have to hear maybe to understand, but trust in your author, its powerful.

Her songwriting is bleak and sorrowful, which I like. Happy songs are good too, but come on who really can stand excessive joy. Case writes as if she's been in love and had her lover murdered on their honeymoon. Her style can range from etherial to down right twangy, always strong.

I guess I haven't commented on the Oscars either...They Sucked. The broadcast sucked I guess. I didn't have any problems with the way the awards went. I pretty much predicted everything, although I think the conspiracy theorist in me came out a little while I worried about Stephen Frears winning Best Director. If you really think about it Clint Eastwood deserved Best Director by a mile. Scorsese did what he always does...Clint dumped out two neo-epics virtually at the same time. I could write for hours on the genius that is Clint Eastwood...I swear I never appreciated him until recently. The guy is really special. If he was just a director he would be a Hollywood legend, but the guy changed cinema as an actor. He has had three full careers in 50 years. I love him and continue to research his work.

Anyway enough of all this. I'm sure something big will pop up this week to inspire some commentary...right now its lamesville though....

Sugar, Sugar....The Archies
Rubber Ball...Cyrcle
I don't know anymore songs that are so cheery...

Oscars 2007

Allllllrighty then.

Here's the rundown for the Academy Awards:

Things I'll be watching for:

After watching the Independent Spirit Awards last night, I'll be looking for the same folks. Last night they were understated and the women were gorgeous, mostly because there was tons of light and as mentioned less affected looks.

I'll be looking for some excitement. The Golden Globes memorable moments were Warren Beatty rambling, no Borat, and worse no Jack Nicholson antics. I'm expecting a great moment from Forest Whitaker, and Al Gore. It could totally suck, but lets at least hope against it.

Now to the meat of what is to be done here. I'll give you that lame who will win, who should win and unlike the rest, I'll give you a who I will pull against.

Original Screenplay:
Will Win: Little Miss Sunshine
Should Win: Pan's Labyrinth
Pulling Against: Little Miss Sunshine, I didn't like this movie. You'll find that I'm typically difficult to please. This movie irritated me from about the middle of act one. As David Spade might say I liked it the first time when it was called National Lampoon's Vacation.

Adapted Screenplay:
Will Win: The Departed
Should Win: Maybe Little Children, haven't seen it, but Todd Field is pretty sharp. Still The Departed was really well crafted.
Pulling Against: Borat. what script? Adapted from what, his own show's writers? Forgive me, I didn't love Borat either.

Director:
Will Win:Stephen Frears. Yeah I just threw you an upset....
Should Win:probably Stephen Frears, but lets hook Martin Scorsese up with a statue for a film deserving. It always happens that the past due get awards for crappy movies. The best three or four films he has made will go unrewarded, and then hell get a lifetime achievement award, for a pedestrian effort.
Pulling Against: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. No reason.

Supporting Actress:
Will Win: Jennifer Hudson, although watch very carefully for an upset here...you never know
Should Win: Emily Blunt from The Devil Wears Prada. I only lasted an hour, but she was memorable, and here not nominated, I'm pulling for Abigail Breslin the only redeeming quality of Little Miss Sunshine.
Pulling Against: If you read this on the regular, you know I'm pulling against Jennifer Hudson. Tired of all the stuff about her. We all know she won't be in another good movie in her life. Unless you think Little Man 3 is good.

Supporting Actor:
Will Win: Eddie Murphy
Should Win: This is tough. This is my favorite category of the night. All five should win. Its amazing...Alan Arkin was good in a bad movie, Murphy is fantastic in all that I've seen, Djimon Hounsou must have been good and powerful...and his story is better than any Jennifer Hudson story. But I want Mark Wahlberg and Jackie Earle Haley to tie. These guys were for all intents and purposes troubled child stars turned good. It would be a boon for a guy like Haley to win an Oscar, and you talk about special...imagine Mark Wahlberg winning. From jail to hit single, to model, to actor, to damn solid actor...
Pulling Against: Hounsou, only because I like him fifth.

Actress:
Will Win: Helen Mirren. It's a coronation, literally.
Should Win: Kate Winslet, because I love her. She gets hotter and hotter.
Pulling Against: It won't matter, this might be the most solid prediction, but I don't want Judi Dench to win. We get it allready, you're a good old lady actress. Yee Haw.

Actor:
Will Win: Forrest Whitaker
Should Win: Go get a beverage this could take a while. I don't know who should but I've got a couple of things to say. First Peter O' Toole didn't win for Lawrence of Arabia, he lost to Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird. Okay. I just watched Lawrence of Arabia, we owe Peter O'Toole an Oscar. Not that Peck isn't good, O'Toole was definitive. Will Smith continues to do really good work and has his award, but it looks to me like he is maturing into a really really powerhouse. I don't know what he might have coming up, but I have every expectation that he will win again. Leonardo DiCapprio is my should win though, but for The Departed. I cannot for the life of me understand why it didn't work out that he get pushed in the lead category for this movie. He didn't dominate the screen time...but he dominated the screen. That guy matured measures in the last ten years. We might look back at this movie and this particular role as the Raging Bull or the TE Lawrence of this year...Leo should win and really for The Departed over Blood Diamond.
Pulling Against: Will Smith...he's a goober, I really don't have a reason

Best Picture:
Will Win: The Departed, I'm thinking it splits Babel and Little Miss Sunshine and stretches ahead. Allthough I'm still concerned The Queen is going to do really well.
Should Win: The Departed...it is that good, and this is the stuff the Academy seems to do every so often. This win, for a lesser film, will put the final seal of approval on Scorsese. GoodFellas and Raging Bull should have won. Taxi Driver maybe...you get where I'm going. It's goofy. They did Speilberg this way...it happens.
Pulling Against: Little Miss Sunshine. Why is everybody drinking the Kool Aid on this thing? This movie sucked hard. We act like they are disfunctional and cute. They are not. There is disfunction, but its relatively normal. A teenager that hates his life, a dad struggling with work, a degenerate grandpa, a little girl with wide eyes, and the suicidal Proust scholar...lets not forget wonder mom trying to keep them all together. Almost each of these are archetypes for dysfunction, boring.
Also, this thing stopped dead for me when the grandfather died...the way it was handled by the family was appalling. You get involved with movies that portray realism and conveniently it gets abandoned. No way I believe a family is that hell bent on any goal, especially when its merely a beauty pagent. Stupid stupid crap movie. Hated it.
I'm upset now. I need to go for a walk.

Oscar Countdown

Not much to write about today.

Audioslave is breaking up, Britney Spears is in rehab again, well as of right now. The Oscars are tomorrow night...

I guess this is as good an opportunity as any to speak on behalf of the awards that nobody bets on but to me are the four most important awards of the night. If you ever want to figure out which are the best films look for any that fall into or win multiples of these categories. Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Cinematography.

The acting, directing and costuming awards are very important. Sound and effects are vital as well, but largely if your film is well written, well photographed, and then edited constructively you are a success. Your director and actors will look like geniuses. Trust me Forrest Whitikar needed more than one take for most of The Last King of Scotland. The editor took the best takes and placed them with other footage to create meaning. This may actually be a poor example, because The Last King of Scotland did not warrant an editing award, nor an award for direction...maybe Whittiker (how do you spell his name?) did do it on his own.

More to the point. A well made film is one with a good script, good visuals and good cuts...the acting will benefit from story and cutting...that's why I'm pretty certain the best film of the year was either Pan's Labyrinth or The Departed. Pan's Labyrinth should have been nominated for editing...any movie that is that scary and dramatic has got to be building tension through constructive editing...I personally thought that this was a trmendous snub.

I haven't seen each film in the best picture category, but recall it is only an opinion and my vote along with the 850 or so others would be lost.

The Departed was nominated for editing, and screenplay, a good combo.
Pan's Labyrinth was nominated for cinematography, and screenplay.

But did you know that The Children of Men was nominated for screenplay, editing and cinematography? In my formula I guess this must have been a great movie, and maybe it was I cannot comment. I can only speak to those I've seen.

Tomorrow watch for the glitz and glamour, as I will, but pay attention to the winners of these awards...the essences of storytelling and moviemaking are at stake. Oh and by the way I'm wearing Old Navy.

F Effie

Light your torches, raise your pitchforks and run me clear out of town. I DO NOT WANT JENNIFER HUDSON TO WIN THE OSCAR! I'm so sick of seeing all of the fawning over her performance. I haven't seen the movie didn't intend to, but now I won't. Straw has broken this camel's back. Forgive me and my ignorance. I go with my gut and I don't like the praise. I reckon its a great story, I see how it can be a rags to riches style thing...but as Ben Franklin said too much sugar gluts the stomach...

Oscar and movie talk tomorrow and Sunday.

The Departed

I just watched The Departed on DVD. Really good, not my favorite Martin Scorsese movie, but now my favorite Leo Dicaprio movie. I loved, like most, everything but the ending. The end was a little too bloody and probably not the best way to finish the story. If you haven't seen it and want to ignore the rest of this paragraph...How much better would things have been if Leo's character took Matt Damon in and got Marky Mark to corroborate the story. A cleaner more plausable ending. This would not have compromised any part of the film. Also the psychologist could have turned all of her information over to assist in ending this in anything but a dirty cop turned dirty, good cop surprise is dirty, and then a hit from an angry cop on a bad cop with an opening for a sequel. Really....140 minutes are great...last ten didn't have to go the way they did.


Okay welcome back to those who haven't seen or just skim this blog anyway. This is to be about American Idol. It sucks hard this year. I'm an American Idol appologist, but this year has been irritating. There may be a "winner" amongst the 24 but I'm not sure this cast has anyone capable of last years final 5. I'm so sick of the soft sweet songs. It's as if we are auditioning for the Mouseketeers. This year has been horrible because so far there are no stage personas. Although I quite liked (excuse me while I look up their names) Stephanie Edwards, Haley Scarnato, and Melinda Doolittle. None have a huge persona. Edwards has potential, and Scarnato is luckily the only hot chick...which tends to get you near the finals. Of course Doolittle has the best voice and the least going for her. Ugh. Like American Idol, I'm sure that's a horrid succession of sentences, but I'm tired kinda hurting as some scar tissue develops...etc.

Finally...This whole Anna Nicole thing is probably one of the all time great media circuses. I would love to explore the night life with these journalists. South Florida is an absolute playground, with this crush of extra production folks it just got a whole lot more fun. I love hanging out with the behind the scenes folks, and one of my true fetishes will hopefully always be newswomen. I'd have a blast. I'm slowly writing a script in my mind of a flourishing love triangle between rivals at a media circus type event like this. That's good watchin'.

Ball and Biscuit..White Stripes
Werewolves of London..Warren Zevon

I Think I've Got Cabin Fever

Okay, ten days later I'm back. I have recently completed a minor hernia surgery and have a nice amount of things to discuss. First and foremost it is without saying that the last week has been particularly boring and without. Luckily I had some pain pills, and some books. I don't want to jump into writing a bunch of stuff about this or that just yet, I'll save that for my regular desk, as for now my parents computer setup doesn't lend to the creative side of me.

I'll leave with a couple of things to ponder and that I may expound on later.

Based on last night's American Idol, this season is horrible. I watched a good bit of the shows prior to this and then last night, I'm disappointed. This might be the year they lose me.

Johnny Rivers is underrated.

Heather Graham is underrated and doesn't get enough work. Luckily her new movie looks really funny. It can only be attributed to her, as her co-stars are dreadful.

The Oscars are Sunday, my preview is coming very soon, but I'm not looking forward to it.

The Grammys on the other hand I wasn't looking forward to, but enjoyed. I'd like to see Justin Timberlake and Mary J. Blige perform one more time.

Boat Drinks, Jimmy Buffett

Hiring a Qualified Editor

I figure Parade Magazine would like to have this Sunday's issue back. Inside there's a question about Barbaro's condition. Unfortunately Parade is on auto pilot. The responded the question by saying that since an operation Jan 13 the horse's health has been improving. I guess they didn't know he died. They know that Madeline Kahn likes chocolate chip cookies, but do not care to edit their magazine with more up to date information. I can't wait for the March 4th issue when they let the country know that since the birth of her baby girl everything in Anna Nicole Smith's life is going great.

Maui Fever is like eating a bowl full of Skittles. I like two kinds of reality tv. Individual contests, and docu drama. While I'm on Maui Fever. The girl Anna, the leggy Norwegian is nearly my ideal. She like any other young trollop needs to ditch the gum. I cannot stand gum chewing, especially that Britney Spears mouth breathing style.

Finally, I made a Grammy post and forgot to mention how excited I am to see the Police. I just don't want to hear Roxanne. Give me King of Pain! I want to see the Chili Peppers and Gnarls Barkley for their stage antics, and I want to see if John Mayer really is the tits.

Oh I forgot. Sat up and watched Joss Stone on Soundstage cada noche and recalled how awesome that child is. Now 19 and an album coming out this spring, it makes me think we are seeing a musical movement in England. With Lily Allen, Lady Sov. , Natasha Beddingfield, Stone, and Imogean Heap it seems girl pop is taking off across the pond. It's interesting because English music is mostly Beatles, Rolling Stones, Oasis, The Cult, U2(not quite England, Ireland is in the UK though) but white boy pop. I don't know more study is needed.

Unwritten- Natasha Beddingfield
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic- The Police

You Were Mine

So its Grammy weekend. Do you care? Wow you do? Okay, well I guess I better work on making some picks, I really thought you might say no...hmmm. Okay I do know that there is a contest with Justin Timberlake, where you and I get to choose who he performs with. Disappointed though. I thought I get to choose who he sang with, actually they have a list of people from around the world that submitted audition tapes. Really sucks, I had practiced spelling Federline so that we could see a duet of SexyBack with the KFed.

I have next to no clue what is up for an award, but I believe I read that Mary J. Blige and those Red Hot Chili Peppers are stacking up the nominations. If they win I'm cool. Mary is really good, and probably underappreciated by white people. I fell in love with her when she did One with U2 post Katrina. She took me to church, to a church I'd never even heard before. I always saw U2's music as heavily religious, and this performance was the gospel.

So I'll drop my thoughts on the big four, New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Album of the Year.


Record of the Year: Crazy-Gnarls Barkley....I think this was a great record mostly because it sounded unique and was very clean. Boring though. After the fifteenth listen, I was over it.


Album of the Year: I admit, I'd only heard 3 of 5 of the Record of the Year candidates. For Album I've probably heard at least half of 3 of them. I own Stadium Arcadium and would vote for it, but watch for John Mayer a Grammy voter favorite, or the Dixie Chicks so they get some political vindication. Wouldn't it be great though if the Chili Peppers of 1992 could win. It would be a train wreck.



New Artist: I don't know how on earth Imogean Heap got this. I remember listening to her music and not loving it, but this is the Grammy's..its a popularity contest and occasionally they might trip onto an artist of integrity as Imogean Heap would like to be thought of....I hate to say it knowing the curse that follows this award, but Carrie Underwood is far beyond the most deserving. She's a bona fide second tier country star. That's big business. I'm pulling for James Blunt, because of the curse.

Song of the Year:Not Ready to Make Nice- Dixie Chicks. Deserving, but really this is for the broadcast. It's a big deal to me that the country makes a big apology to the Dixie Chicks.

Not to get carried away on a ridiculous rant, but thankfully I can. I love a country where we can speak our minds and destroy our property. If I want to throw all of my Grateful Dead cd's in the trash as a statement against old men in music I can do it. If I don't like Don Henley being a liberal, I can make a statement and trash his records. I can disagree with the Dixie Chicks stance on Iraq and smash their CD's with redneck music stations in Wal Mart parking lots all I want. What I don't like and never can respect is all of those people that came back. The hypocrites that love the Dixie Chicks again. The buttwipes see the war is going badly and wait the Dixie Chicks have a new disc? I gotta have it...I cracked my other ones up....

I wrote a local country station about a month ago when I scanned the radio and heard a Dixie Chicks song from their first album. I stopped my fingers and listened. Its one of my favorite songs ever, I had to hear it... When it finished I looked to see what station it was on. Turns out it was on the station, as I remember it, that went on our local news vowing never to play the Chicks music again. I was angry beyond words. I cannot stand people that go back on their stance. Especially publicly, especially when it involves other peoples art or business.

I wouldn't appreciate Jim Cramer screaming about Home Depot stocks dropping because of horrible customer service and several weeks later raving about it with out an apology or an explanation.

So I asked that question of this radio station, along with when was this decision made, and why...My response has not arrived. But I think I know the answer. Fans made enough complaints, big business owns these stations, and they make decisions based on complaints all the time. I'm certain there was enough public support that these stations ate crow and began to spin the records again. But nowhere can you find an explanation, and nowhere can you find an apology.

Wishful Thinking-Wilco
The Long Way Around- Dixie Chicks
State Your Peace- Hootie and the Blowfishes

Prince IS Advanced

I guess I just forgot, but it turns out Prince is Advanced. This was a question all week for me. Did he Advance? No according to Jason Hartley he had Advanced previously, this merely cemented him in Advancement. I'm starting to get the hang of this... By the way loved his medley Sunday night. Showcased his strong guitar work.

Anna Nicole Died....Seriously sad stuff. Terrible for that child, now two idiots get to fight for her, both probably a little driven by motives outside of the child's best interest. On a personal note, this would be a winner for many death pools. I'm telling you this is like a grand slam with Mariano Riveria in the bullpen warming up.

Thursday nights have become my favorite night for TV, again I guess. Personally I think this is the greatest Thursday lineup for my sense of humor. I love My Name is Earl and 30 Rock, and get a kick out of the Office. Scrubs isn't half bad. I love Elliott (frick) and Dr. Jan Itor. Oh and poor Ted the Lawyer.

Anyway, not much happening here. Netflix has some great 80's movies I've never seen. Career Oportunities, Secret to My Success, and Mannequinn. I know exactly what you might be thinking, how can I have never seen these? Well I watched everything else and managed to have an incredible tan. I was an active kid. If Cinemax didn't show it, I probably didn't see it. My mom isn't gonna rent Mannequinn for me. Luckily she put me through film school and didn't even know it. I probably watched 50% of Hitchcock and several other 60's and 70's thrillers of that ilk during my adolescence. Good move, established my tastes at a pretty early age. One of my favorites back then, Wait Until Dark... good good movie...

Tropicalia- Beck

Dark Side of the Moon

This whole NASA Astronaut love triangle got me thinking....

Total Eclipse of the Heart....Bonnie Tyler
Psycho Killer...Talking Heads
A Momentary Lapse of Reason...Pink Floyd...Shine on You Crazy Diamond always works.
Drive Me Crazy...Britney Spears
Drive...The Cars
Thunder Road...Bruce Springsteen
Crazy...Seal
Moon River...Andy Williams
Hit Me with Your Best Shot...Joan Jett
Rocket Queen...Guns 'n Roses
Killer Queen....Queen
Murder Was The Case...Snoop Doggy Dogg
Space Oddity...David Bowie
I Can't Help Falling in Love....Elvis Presley
I Will Follow...U2
Rearviewmirror....Pearl Jam
Running Down a Dream...Tom Petty
Drive On...Johnny Cash
Life is a Highway...Tom Cochrane
People are Strange...The Doors
Shining Star...Earth Wind and Fire
Sunshine of Your Love...Cream

Help me out I'm getting tired....Blinded Me with Science makes me laugh....

Connect Four

This is Emily Deschanel, or Bones to the regular Fox viewer. Her sister below might be a little more well known. As you can see she's easy on the eyes, and has a good natural look. This is not uncommon.
Zooey Deschanel of the acting Deschanel's. This one is from Elf, Almost Famous, and so forth.

Jennifer Morrison
Okay this is Jennifer Morrison. From the skateboarding movie Grind, or as you know her Girl House. Hot.


This is Ginnifer Goodwin or as she's known here, that girl from Walk the Line, Win a Date with Tad Hamiltion, and Ed. She was the geeky one Cheswick wouldn't do.

At first glance you might think they are the same person. Well I'm still not sure. I cannot tell these people apart. I used to not be able to tell Gary Busey from Nick Nolte. But this is a different problem. All of these women have burgeoning careers and look all together too much alike. I don't fault the Deschanels for looking alike, they are supposed to. These Jennifers though are unbelieveably similar. Weird to me and damn confusing. I think further research is necessary.

By the Beard of Zeus

I had a different post lined up but have scratched it for a latter date. Right now I've got a little something else on my mind. Rolling Stone is about to anoint three guitar gods of today. Now let me first say that I partially understand the art of selling magazines. You need to have a small amount of controversy and its imperative that you create a discussion around statements like best drummer, or 100 best pop songs. You have to leave people out of guitar god discussions, if you don't then no one is elite.

Their Guitar Gods of Today do not include people who were heroes of the past and nor should it. Eddie Van Halen, Keith Richards, Pete Towshend, Jimmy Page, or any of those great dead guys, Slash, et al. They aren't listed because its about relevance. They are not pushing guitar playing right now. It is very important that people be of today and create sounds that will be the pattern for tomorrow. Well maybe not, but I think you have to be stand out, and will be for years to come to qualify. But that is getting the cart ahead of the horse.

John Frusciante, John Mayer, and Derek Trucks are the chosen few. Now allow me to examine each as I see them.

Frusciante. Genius. No doubt in my mind the best of this bunch. I love his work. I can't tell you how much this sound makes me happy. I listen to Stadium Arcadium several times in a row and still am stunned by that solo in Dani California. Coincidence or not, you decide...Fruciante began with Red Hot Chili Peppers on Mother's Milk after Hillel Slovack (I'm sure I butchered that but I'm trying to go on memory) passed away. Best hire by a band in years. Frusciante happened to be with the band when they broke. He recorded the breakthrough record Blood Sugar Sex Magic record and slipped into an abyss of horrible drug addiction. People I mean horrible when I say horrible. When you get fired from the Red Hot Chili Peppers for drug problems, you've got problems. Frusciante nearly met Hillel's fate, but somehow found a way out.

meanwhile, RHCP recorded with Dave Navarro to little or no effect. Frusciante cleans up and the Peppers drop their best album to date with Californication. If you haven't heard that one, do yourself a favor. That is a GREAT record. From there John and the band have been superior. Having success right along with 90's stalwarts Green Day and U2. Frusciante is the reason. I'm gonna help you make that decision. Listen to the albums. His harmony vocals and lush guitar make that band accessible. I'll give you my list later but I personally think Rolling Stone hit the nail on the head with this one. I've been raving about Frusciante since I knew how to say his name.

Okay Derek Trucks. I don't know enough to make a quality comment. I'm gonna study him tonight and determine whether or not I like or what....so he won't be on my list, but it isn't because he isn't good, like the next guy.

John Mayer, seriously. Mayer gets on this list for two reasons in my mind. One, he records nearly flawless music. It's clean and expertly polished. I'm thinking he should sponsor Pledge. His guitar is good, but not exceptional. I think he has lame lyrics, and his guitar work is pedestrian. Now like Trucks I haven't heard all of it. I don't like the blues so I haven't listened to his Try! album. I will tonight.

Second reason I think he gets on the list, like Trucks he plays the blues sometimes. Boring. Blues guitar does nothing for me, but for some it is what defines a person. I'm certain if the Edge wanted to he could play some 12 bar blues and tear your heart out, but its boring. People (critics and rock people) overly hype blues guitar.

My list would include: The Edge. This guy, like Frusciante, is the most critical component to a bands success, that doesn't get any love. You know when you hear The Edge. Like Eddie Van Halen he has a distinct sound.

Jack White would be there. He plays a lot of bluesy stuff, and really gets credit from people for doing that, but I give him props for playing such heavy riffs, and screaming solos while backed by drums. His sound is distinct and obviously influential. White can play many types of music and absolutely shreds.

Ben Harper is a phenomenal instrumentalist. The man can play a multitude of guitars including this Weisenbohn thing I've never seen another soul touch. His regular electric ability is pretty intoxicating, coupled with that wild Weisenbohn( which I'm sure I'm misspelling also) make him a premier player. It doesn't hurt that he covers Hendrix's Voodoo Chile to perfection.

My last guy is Steve Vai. Just Kidding. I think four will do. I have personal favorites, but I think those are the absolute cream...I'll tell you though I'm listening to Derek Trucks right now, I see what all the fuss is about. Whoa. It's like Kenny Wayne Sheppard and Duane Allman all in one. He covers Freddy's Dead really well.

Anyway. I feel better.

Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Until the End of the World- U2
Blue Orchid- White Stipes...Level, The Raconteurs (tell me that isn't Jack White's style)
Faded/Whole Lotta Love- Ben Harper (from his Live from Mars album)

Little Miss Can't Be Wrong

The summer of 1992 was great for so many reasons. LA Riots, I was a rising sophmore in high school and The Spin Doctors(not Fox News). The record A Pocket Full of Kryptonite was released in 1991 but didn't gain a full head of steam until that pivotal summer.

That summer saw The Chronic from Dr. Dre, and Nevermind from Nirvana. I was bumpin' Two Princes by The Spin Doctors, a sugary radio single was all the rage and a great hit. But at one of our first pep rally's Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit introduced our cheeleaders...(thought added for effect) I genuinely don't know if the cheerleaders were danced to Smells Like Teen Spririt. Today, certainly. But the crime of the summer was a half decent pop band like the Spin Doctors were blasted off of the radio and out of our minds by the power of grunge and the heat and freshness of gangsta rap.

So this is the ode to Spin Doctors, Gin Blossoms, Lemonheads, et al.

Two Princes, Jimmy Olson's Blues, Little Miss Can't Be Wrong- Spin Doctors

Until I Fall Away, Hey Jealousy, Allison Road- Gin Blossoms

Big Gay Heart, It's a Shame About Ray, Buddy- Lemonheads

Let's Go Crazy, Let's Get Nuts

Things I've Always Wanted to Do During a Super Bowl Party:

1. Watch the game with normal people. I have seen many a football game, and with several people, but the freaks come out this weekend. Women who don't know who Tarik Glenn is, and why he is vital. People the don't understand the intricacies of the Cover 2 defense. In other words they are normal, I am not. Maybe a rephrase is necessary. Watch the game with annoying people like me that think they know it all.

2. Coordinate a national toilet flush moment. I want to know if anything crazy would happen if we all flushed our toilets right as the ball is kicked to start the second half. It is widely theorized that during halftime there is a mass of toilet flushes so powerful that in a perfect storm kind of way it can destroy the world. Okay maybe we're not off to the best start, but it sounds good. And I wanna try it just to see what might happen. We can make T-Shirts and maybe all buy into porcelain stocks, or piping company futures. It'd be like Y2K all over again.

3. I'd like for once not to hear the phrase, "I love the commercials." Everybody likes the commercials. Mostly because we are told they are great, and secondly because we know they're new. I swear if I see that Dodge commercial with the rock 'em sock 'em robots one more time I'm gonnna peel my skin off and feed it to Hitler's dog. I am so delusional that I expect a play on it during the Super Bowl. And you be damn sure if I worked for a truck maker's ad agency I'd have one in the works. Shot identical, but with our truck screaming down the road smashing into the robot causing its head not only to pop up, but off.

4. What was this about again, I have blood vessels popping in my eyes. That commercial really pisses me off. Any crap. I'd love a Super Bowl party where everyone cared about the game and pulled for the same team. The closest this ever came for me was Atlanta vs. Denver. Most wanted Atlanta to win, because we were in SC and most of us were born and raised in SC. We felt like this was our team to pull for, at least for this Super Bowl. But it was Elway. And there was the speculation that he would hang up that #7 after the game and hit Disneyworld. So there was the rogue element of Bronco supporters. But still. I've never been in a big group pulling for a team in the Super Bowl. I think it would be fun.

Anyway, enjoy your Super Bowl party. I know I will mine. Most years I don't even go to these, but I'm ready for another one. Remember, flush the toilet at the exact moment the ball is kicked into play for the second half. And if the new guy brings some homemade guacamole, stay away.

Let's Go Crazy- Prince
When Doves Cry- Prince
Alphabet St.- Prince
Cream- that's right The Artist Formerly Known as Prince...will his butt be exposed on Sunday?