Plethora

Stoppage Time ...

2009-11-15T05:56:00.000-08:00

Just some random thoughts from a random guy ...

* I remember being a kindergartner and seeing the 5th graders, and thinking to myself, "There is no way I'm ever going to be able to grow that big in 5 years." Then, when I was a 5th grader and looked at the kindergartners, I thought to myself, "Man, kids are getting smaller and smaller."

* So, why do they call it a SMART Car? The gas mileage isn't very good, AND, if you get in a car accident, chances are you probably won't make it. What's smart about that? They probably work pretty good as city cars, but why wouldn't you just get a Mini Cooper? They look a lot cooler, and are probably a ton safer.

* Chevy Chase sure has made a comeback, hasn't he? He's in a bunch of T-Mobile commercials, and he's been REALLY funny in Community (sitcom on NBC). No, he doesn't do anything too dynamic - your classic Chevy Chase stuff - some good slapstick, funny facial reactions, and impeccable timing. I think we forgot how good of an actor he was over the years ... probably because he's been such a jerk.

Wacky News Stories

2009-11-13T05:07:00.000-08:00

I'm surprised they haven't done a reality show about raking leaves yet ... I won't hold my breath.

1. On an alleged burglar sending a newspaper a picture of himself because he didn't like the mug shot it published.
"Have things really gotten this bad for Lindsay Lohan?"
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/11/06/Burglar-sends-paper-homemade-mug-shot/UPI-54421257553615/

2. On a couple who fled to save their unborn baby from social workers after the girl was told she is not smart enough to look after her child.
"Unfortunately, they got stuck on the escalator."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1225878/Couple-flee-save-baby-social-workers-girl-17-told-clever-look-child.html

3. On a newlywed groom on his honeymoon plunging to his death from a Brooklyn hotel in an apparent suicide -- as his bride slept, unaware of the tragedy.
"Ummmm ... I guess nobody told him about annulments?"
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/groom_death_plunge_BdMlFI3bOCBQ44OgaD82QN#ixzz0WBA1UvUb

4. On a former Mayor being suspended after he got drunk at an official ball and made lewd sexual comments to two female colleagues.
"Can a seat at the United Nations be far behind?"
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2717501/Mayor-faces-axe-over-sex-chat.html#ixzz0WBAUvNLu

5. On a man reportedly calling 911 to say that his marijuana was missing, and apparently making the dispatcher hold while he stops his car a few times to vomit (drunk).
"Apparently, David Hasselhoff fell off the wagon again ..."
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20091106/NEWS/911060336/1001

Weekly Homework Assignment

2009-11-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment. This week, I chose the following prompt: Describe the best/most creative punishment you have ever given your children or received yourself.

It would be hard to pick any of the punishments my mom or dad "demonstrated" on me - whether it was a firm slap to the face, a humiliating ass-spanking, being forced to sit on the steps (I guess an early form of timeout), or the traditional grounding. A total lack of imagination if you ask me ... but still, quite effective. Here's a top 5 list of punishments I would've given myself if I were my parents (does that even make sense?):

5. For the time I called my brother a little pig for not sharing the potato chips ... Mom should've forced me to eat an entire ham ... as many of you know, I fear ham ... this would've been the worst punishment imaginable.

4. For the time I lied about the definition of a whore (I was in 5th grade - I didn't really know what a whore was ... I told my mom, it was a type of horse) ... mom should've forced me to watch Lawrence Welk and HeeHaw for 10 straight hours.

3. For the time I accidentally broke a house window whilst playing sports in the back yard ... Mom or dad should've forced me to wear goofy clothes and shoes to school (oh, wait ... this was already being done ... nevermind).

2. For the time I was caught "replacing" the liquor in my parents' liquor cabinet with water ... Mom and dad should've replaced the liquor with food coloring and urine ... that would've been something the next time I tried to "replace" the liquor.

1. For the time I crashed my parents' car ... they should've told me that they were going to get me a car when I graduated from college, but now could no longer afford to ... oh wait, they did that too ... nevermind!

Song of the Week

2009-11-11T04:56:00.000-08:00

There was a time in the 1980's when Lionel Richie was cool ... I mean WAY COOL. When Michael Jackson signed on with Pepsi, the Coke people turned to Lionel ... that's how big he was. His mustache seemed to have its own ecosystem ... but people dug it. His hair was flowing with Jerry Curl. He could do no wrong at the time.

Richie's rise coincided with me discovering pop-music on the radio ... prior to that, it was strictly Sesame Street records and German polka for me. It opened a whole world to me ... music with accordions and puppets ?!?!?! Was that even legal?

When I heard Richie's hit song, All Night Long, I felt the rest of my life probably wouldn't be worth living, because I had just heard the greatest song ever created ... it was as if God worked with Richie in the recording studio.

My hips began gyrating ... and I couldn't stop them! (I thought about putting some stupid joke here like, "Lionel had me at Hello," but I figured I'd get too many groans from that one). I WANTED to be dancing ALL NIGHT LONG ... as was depicted by Richie's masterful oratory work.

And, I thought I was cutting edge ... I mean, Richie's song was my first introduction to "reggae" music ... after all, there were steel drums in this song, and Lionel did use some indistinguishable phrase mid-way through the song, just as the party was heating up ... I think it was something like, "Zombo-litte-zetti-mon-ya ... yay ... jumbo-jumbo." I had no idea what it meant, but I wanted to shout it from the roof-tops.

Thankfully, I grew out of this ... and discovered there was better music out there ... but I still can't turn this song off the radio when I hear it.

Dope or Nope

2009-11-10T04:52:00.000-08:00

A local radio station, B-101, started playing Christmas music the day after Halloween. Now, I'm a big fan of Christmas, and I love getting into the Christmas spirit. But, I'm not sure if I like the idea of Christmas music playing on the radio before Thanksgiving.

I guess I feel like Thanksgiving gets ignored or forgotten because of this. And, I'm a big, big fan of Thanksgiving ... turkey, football, family, days off of work ... what's not to love?

So, why do we have to get this Christmas "spirit" pushed on us so soon? (Actually, some department stores started putting up Christmas decorations after Labor Day). I'm a big nope with this - what about you?

Fast Food Corner

2009-11-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

An Ode to Arby's Curly Fries:

Your curls are addicting
Your spices ... uplifting.

Perfectly fried
I eat you wide-eyed.

Separate you from each other
Because I want to eat another.

Should I dip you in ketchup or horsey sauce?
It doesn't matter, because I'm your boss.

You make sweet music partnered with a roast beef sandwich.
Yes sir, I'd say you finally did find your niche.

Some Things You Probably Didn't Know ...

2009-11-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

Just some odds and ends about me that you probably didn't know (or didn't need to know).

* My mom used to cut my hair ... that's not so crazy ... but, she used to cut my hair with me sitting in a high chair ... again, not that crazy ... but, I was sitting in my brother's high chair, and I was about 12-years old.

* I love watching sports ... not crazy ... I love watching sports news ... still not crazy ... but, when my team loses, I can't watch the sports news ... and I end up not knowing what to do with myself.

* You could probably consider me a meat-and potatoes kind of guy ... except, I'm not a big fan of potatoes (with the exception of french fries and potato chips) ... I prefer elbow macaronis ... so, you should probably consider me a meat and noodles kind of guy.

* I LOVE the Outer Banks ... so much so, that I check out www.avalonpier.com just about every day. I check the pier-cam ... which always seems to remind me that I'd rather be there than at work.

* For a "meat and noodles" kind of guy, I, for some reason, watch far too many romantic comedies.

* My parents were a little behind the times ... we didn't have a microwave oven until I was in 10th grade ... I can't remember what I was forced to eat before the microwave.

* My mom always cooked hot dogs for me on Saturdays when I was growing up. She would boil them, and serve them with a side of toast. For some reason, we never seemed to have hot dog rolls. Sometimes she even served the hot dogs with rye bread. Weird.

80's Corner

2009-11-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

Remember the cassette tape? I know, I know - the cassette was out in the 70's ... but it really gained prominence in the 80's. This is when record and tape clubs became huge. I was part of one - I believe it was BMG. I remember getting the 7 or 8 cassettes all at once ... I was overwhelmed. I didn't know what to do with myself. All that music ... only one cassette player ... how would I ever listen to all of that music? (Of course, now with over 1500 cds to my name, I could easily answer that).

Ah the memories ... recording music off the radio ... recording ourselves making fart sounds, making mix tapes with awful names (like Awesome Rock!), actually having to hold the fast forward button down to get to the next song, sometimes having to respool the cassette if the tape unfurled ... yes sir, these were cutting edge times!

You were but a fleeting star, my friend!

Wacky News Stories

2009-11-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm glad that the lawn-mowing season is over ... but, sadly, it's been replaced by the raking leaves season (which will shortly be replaced by the snow shoveling season).

1. On a teacher being suspended for allegedly trying to force a student to eat pizza. "Wait, Papa John is a teacher?"
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/10/31/worker_charged_with_forcing_student_to_eat_pizza.html

2. On an employee of an Italian businessman allegedly forging what was supposed to be the boss's will on the back of dog collar.
"That guy is just dog-gone ridiculous! I find this crime a'paw'ling!"
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/10/30/Court-tosses-will-written-on-dog-collar/UPI-34971256938998/

3. On a group of students who used a cannon to shoot a pumpkin, which accidentally went through the Stadium scoreboard:
"Um .... The Great Pumpkin did it!"
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pumpkin-students-engineering-2631958-center-science

4. On police arresting for vandalizing 14 school buses overnight, causing the district to cancel school for the day - police linked one of the men to the vandalism after finding his cell phone on the bus lot:
"What did these criminals call themselves, the Wet Bandits?"
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091031/NEWS/910310326/1001/NEWS

5. On security guards armed with torches and chicken wire keeping a 24-hour watch to stop hedgehogs hiding in a bonfire:
"Wasn't this the premise of a Bugs Bunny cartoon?"
http://www.lep.co.uk/weirdnews/Security-guards-to-protect-hedgehogs.5783868.jp

Weekly Homework Assignment

2009-11-04T15:03:00.001-08:00

It's time once again for Mama Kat's weekly homework assignment! This week, I chose the following prompt: Write a love letter to the object of your affection.

Dear 46-inch-LCD-HDTV,

I'm not sure how I survived watching shows and sports without you. That old CRT, she means nothing to me! She could never make me feel the way you do, and that's the honest truth. Every day, you look great, lifelike, full of such crystal clear color. I could never go back to ol' "Standard Def."

The way you show baseball, football, and hockey games, makes my heart melt. It's as if you were showing them just to me! And I appreciate every second of it ... even when my sports team doesn't win!

And those movies in high definition? OH .... MY ... GOD!! I get butterflies just turning you on. My life will never be the same, thanks to you!

**** On a side note, the real object of my affection is my wife! And, we're celebrating 6 years of bliss this weekend (we actually unofficially celebrated our anniversary with the cruise last month, but she's so wonderful, I figure we need to celebrate again!).

Fast Food Corner

2009-11-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

Lots of fast food restaurants try and drum up business by doing special giveaways or contests. Burger King and McDonalds seem to lead the way with these - sponsoring movies like Transformers or Jumanji by pasting the movie titles and characters on soda cups, sandwich wrappers, bags, and the store (and bombarding us with commercials reminding us that McDonalds and Transformers have teamed up). Let's not forget those cheap "prizes" that come with the happy meals. Kids love these "toys" for some reason ... heck, I remember wanting McDonalds happy meals just to get my hands on Ronald's toys ... er, wait, that didn't sound good.

I remember collecting these Transformer Happy Meal toys as a kid - this was back when the cartoon was out (not the blockbuster movies that I can't get into for some reason). McDonalds "transformed" their meals into "Transformers." The thing is, that these transformers really didn't have any weapons ... all they did was change from a chicken McNugget box into a ... well ... um ... a chicken McNugget robot. And, unlike the intricate detail given to the actual Transformers, there was not much detail at all the Mc-Formers. Oh well, I guess you get what you pay for.

Dope or Nope ...

2009-11-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

I drink coffee, but I don't consider myself a coffee drinker. I like basic coffee - you know, Maxwell House or Folgers is fine by me. Once in a while, I'll go to the local Wawa and get a Hazelnut or French Vanilla coffee, but that's it. I could care less about "fancy" coffee like Starbucks or some those other "trendy" coffee places that charge $5 a cup.

In fact, I can't fathom spending that much for a cup of coffee. Plus, I think I'd probably strangle the customer in front of me if he/she ordered this specialty coffee with all of those weird directions (whipped, stirred slightly, with just a spritz of half-and-half).

So, what do you guys and gals think. Is fancy coffee dope or nop?

Song of the Week

2009-11-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Well, since Halloween recently came and went (no kids came to our door this year ... oh well, more chocolate for me!), and since I just did an MJ post yesterday, I might as well do a post on possibly the most popular Halloween song of all-time - Thriller!

I remember this song being played nauseatingly frequently on 98-WCAU-Hot Hits when I was growing up. At the time, I didn't mind - I guess I liked repetition of pop songs at the time for some reason. Obviously, the Thriller album got lots of pub, and was wildly successful. Songs like Beat It, and Billy Jean spent weeks at the top of the charts.

But, the title cut probably was the most successful song on the album. Part of the thanks has to do with when the song was released - right near Halloween ... very fitting. But, the 13-minute video that was directed by John Landis, launched this song into the upper-echelon of pop-hits ever. The video, which was more like a short movie, raised the bar for music videos throughout the 80's and most of the 90's. Sadly, MTV decided music videos were no longer important, and phased them off of their channel (truly sad).

One other classic piece is the voice of Vincent Price in the song - from those who remember, Vincent Price was associated very much with the "horror" genre, and his voice fits in this song like a glove. I used to know his entire "script" by heart (which wasn't hard to do, considering how often it was played on the radio).

Below - the classic video:

80's Corner

2009-11-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

MJ back when he was normal ... sort of!

I probably should've done this post a couple of months ago, considering the "king of pop" died then ... but, oh well. Remember that Michael Jackson craze in the early 1980's? It seemed like a requirement that every US household had at least one copy of the Thriller album, and that all radio stations were required to play at least one MJ song every 1/2 hour. Yes, the world was his at one time ...

The big thing about Jackson was his red-zippered jacket. Every kid wanted this ... including me. Of course, my mom would never shell out the required funds for me to purchase this symbol of Americana ... come to think of it, I should thank her for this.

In fact, really, the only zippered stuff I had at the time were jackets, jeans, and my Kangaroos sneakers (maybe an 80's Corner post for another time). I don't remember if any of my friends had the zippered-jacket, and I'm wondering how expensive they were (plus, how much one could fetch for the jacket nowadays) ... oh, and I'm wondering if the zippers actually worked.

Wacky News Stories

2009-10-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Great weather followed by bad weather followed by great weather ... can't understand why so many people are sick.

1. On Utah's four-day workweek saving taxpayers millions.
"Finally, a reason to live in Utah!"
http://fe19.story.media.ac4.yahoo.com/news/story/maple/en-US/ap/20091022/ap_on_bi_ge/ut_four_day_workweek

2. On a survey that reveals that old people don't think young people don't know right from wrong.
"In other news, most people think there will be a tomorrow."
http://fe6.story.media.ac4.yahoo.com/news/story/maple/en-US/pew/20091021/ts_pew/79doubtyoungpeopleknowrightfromwrong

3. On a store owner who is wiring up an electric current on the pavement outside his music shop in order to prevent people from urinating in front of his store:
"That will literally scare the piss out of them!"
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/2009/10/23/trader-will-shock-drunks-who-use-shop-front-as-an-outdoor-toilet-86908-21768574/

4. On Dallas police ticketing 39 drivers in 3 years for not speaking English:
"Really? In Texas? Next thing you'll tell me is the Easter Bunny isn't real."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-citations_23met.ART.State.Edition2.4bac015.html

5. On a supermarket clerk who urinated on herself at the checkout counter after her supervisor refused to let her take a bathroom break:
"Wait, don't they have Depend adult diapers at the supermarket?"
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/23/BA6U1A9D8H.DTL

Weekly Homework Assignment

2009-10-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! I chose the following prompt: Describe a favorite Halloween costume or moment you wish you had on video.

I would have to say that my favorite Halloween costume was one I did relatively recently ... OK, not too recently, about 8 years ago (I think) - I dressed as none other than the Nature Boy, Ric Flair! My wife (at the time, girlfriend) and I spent months and months developing the complex black robe, with all of the sequins, feathers, etc. I had to find the perfect wig, the perfect 1970's/80's sunglasses, and other accessories ... it was a lot of hard work, but man, was it fun work.

And I had the whole character down - the famous strut ... the fantastic catch phrases (To be the man, ya gotta beat the man!) ... all of the mannerisms!. The costume was a huge success - I was amazed at how many people knew who Ric Flair was.

I can't post a pic of the costume up, because I'm ... at work ... but, I promise I'll post one eventually.

Fast Food Corner

2009-10-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing a lot of commercials about the new Taco Bell Black Taco ... I'm really starting to wonder about the folks at Taco Bell. Why the Black Taco? Was there a demand for this? Seriously, will this taste any different than regular tacos (I guess I would probably need to try one to find out)?

The commercial, much like any other Taco Bell commercial, is more annoying than anything, and turns me off. I have no desire to try this taco, thanks to the main-character schmuck featured in said commercial. And, adding the "Jack Sauce" to the taco, just makes it seem as more of an attempt at adding "sex" to the commercial ... and fails miserably.

The latest Taco Bell commercials actually make me long for the Taco Bell Chihuahua ... which is really saying something.

Still, I feel like I owe it to my reader(s) to try the black taco (hey-yo) and provide my own review ... stay tuned!

The annoying commerical.

Song of the Week

2009-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Guns and Roses is a band that probably should've lasted longer and been more "legendary" than they ended up being. Most of the blame goes to Axl Rose and his Hitler-like paranoia. Some of the blame can probably be shared with the excessive drug-use of the band. But still, in the short amount of time that the original band produced were together, they produced some fantastic songs.

Since I'm a Stones fan, I'm partial to their remake of Sympathy for the Devil. Sure, their version is not as good as the Stones version, but they put together a great effort. Slash's guitar-work in this performance fits well, and even though Axl's voice at times gets close to being annoying, it still works. The intricate drum-work is noteworthy as well.

Maybe someday this band will reunite ... probably not. Unfortunately, they wasted far too much time bickering, drinking, and doing drugs.

Not the video - but you can at least listen to the song ... you're welcome.

Dope or Nope ...

2009-10-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Reality TV shows ... Our television airwaves are epidemically infected by them. I can't stand them for the most part, although I have watched Top Chef before. I predicted that this trend would die a few years ago, but sadly, it seems like it continues to pick up steam. I have no answers why - I mean, I know the production of these shows is cheaper than an actual sitcom or drama, and the networks adore this.

And, for some reasons TV viewers can't get enough. I'd love to criticize, but I end up pretty much watching sports and pro wrestling ... so, what I'm basically saying is that I really have no room to talk.

So, where do you guys fall on this - dope or nope?

80's Corner

2009-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

There seemed to be no bigger story in tv entertainment news than the "Who Shot J.R." episode of Dallas. I wasn't even a fan of Dallas, and I remember watching it. Larry Hagman was the actor who played J.R. ... heck, he even parlayed that role into BVD underwear commercials ... sure, it was a bit disturbing, but still.

Being a Philadelphia, I probably never should've watched the show Dallas ... and for the most part, I didn't. But, the show itself was a night-time soap opera, much like Dynasty at the time, and probably not all that different to Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210 (although, I think those soap operas were targeted to a younger generation).

I can't truly remember, but I think this show was on Friday night, along with shows like Love Boat and Fantasy Island ... truly a TGIF (if that was in fact the case).

Luckily, this BVD commercial didn't show Hagman in his skivvies.

Wacky News Stories

2009-10-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

Winter seems to be coming early to the north-east ... seems we've skipped autumn altogether!

1. On a bus driver who was suspended for wearing a pink tie for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
"Good thing he wasn't showing his support for equal rights."
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9BBPL3O0&show_article=1&catnum=9

2. On a 30-year-old woman being arrested for misdemeanor child neglect Thursday night after police found her 9-year-old daughter sleeping in a vehicle while she was inside a bar drinking:
"But, officer, I asked her if she wanted a drink, and she said no!"
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20091017/APC0101/910170494/1003/APC01/Police--Greenville-mom-let-girl-sleep-in-tavern-lot

3. On a flight being diverted and grounded after somebody stole beer on the flight:
"Thank god it wasn't the coffee!"
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Plane_grounded_by_beer_thief&in_article_id=753700&in_page_id=2

4. On an 83-year-old Texas man allegedly opening fire on his son for refusing to stop drumming:
"Why am I not surprised that this happened in the country of Texas?"
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/custom/offbeat/sns-ap-us-odd-drumbeat-dispute,0,2360964.story?track=rss

5. On a Halloween costume being sold at Target.com featuring the mask of an alien with a green card and an orange jumpsuit with "illegal alien" written across the front.
"Um ... this may be the greatest ... costume ... evah!"
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/Illegal_Alien_Costume_Controversy_20091016

Weekly Homework Assignment

2009-10-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment! There were more prompts about motherhood, which, of course, I don't qualify for. So I chose this prompt - Create a list of playground dos and don'ts.

When I was young (no, it wasn't before electricity, silly!), my elementary school had a playground that was all concrete - not a big deal, I guess. At the time, this playground included swings and monkey bars. At the time, this still wasn't a big deal - kids got hurt ... so what? I drove by my elementary school a few weeks ago and noticed the playground not having anything on it - no monkey bars, no swings, no basketball courts ... nothing. Can this really be considered a playground? Probably a good candidate for "Dope or Nope!"

I'm going to do the dos and don'ts from a young "Los" perspective:

Dos
1. Do learn how to swing left-handed - this helps at Glenolden school, as the building in "right field" is much closer than the fence in left field.
2. Do bring a baseball glove with you to the playground - it is MUCH easier to catch a tennis ball with the glove.
3. Do volunteer to push the girls when they are on the swings ... it'll pay dividends years in the future.
4. Do become friends with the kid who brought the football to school - he makes the teams, and if you're lucky, you'll be on his team (a.k.a. - the winning team).
5. Do eat your lunch quickly - this will afford more time on the playground at recess.

Dont's
1. Don't pick up and chew gum that's on the ground at a playground ... just don't.
2. Don't pick up that thing that looks like a balloon filled with creme - it's not.
3. Don't call the teacher a homo on the playground at recess - you could be held out of Field-Day.
4. Don't jump off of the swing at it's highest point - concrete hurts.
5. Don't slide down the sliding board backwards - good chance of cracking your head on said concrete.

Song of the Week

2009-10-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Just the other day, I made a CD "mix tape." I made a few copies - for my wife, and my close friends. I enjoy sharing new music that I've "discovered" with said friends - I feel like sometimes I can be a music "pioneer" in that way ... if that makes any sense. And, quite a few of the songs on this disc are from my Songs of the Week blog "column."

I had about 12 songs that I liked, and needed to find about 6 or 7 more to fill out the cd. I chose to look on I-Tunes - sometimes I get good suggestions from the service. I-Tunes suggested that I may like a group by the name of "The Black Kids." Yes - an interesting name for a band, considering only the lead singer is black, and they sing alt-rock. Now, I've heard some songs from them on my Slacker, but didn't really pay much attention to them ... until now.

The song I chose to put on my mix cd is titled, "I'm not gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you," a long song title for sure, but an intriguing one nevertheless. The song starts with a rough-electric guitar riff, followed by Killers inspired synth, and drum beat not all that dissimilar from "Sympathy for the Devil."

Many choruses accentuate this diddy, and I could totally see this type of song being highly requested at bars (the choruses serve as great sing-along material). The lyrics will probably hit home with some - basically, the lead singer doesn't want to show his friend how to dance with the friend's girlfriend, because he's in love with her ... sounds like a premise for about a dozen movies.

Wikipedia provides a background of the band - I was shocked to find that this band actually comes from the United States. The singer sounds quite a bit like the lead singer of the Cure. Sadly, the band is very popular in the UK, but not in the US market, where bands like Linkoln Park and Papa Roach still clog the airwaves.

Unfortunately, I can't embed the video, but, click here to see it!

Dope or Nope ...

2009-10-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

I think this fad is dying out, but a few years ago, many of the "ritzier" members of society were raving over pet roosters. I'm serious - rich people were purchasing, raising, and showing designer cocks. I think there are designer rooster competitions as well - and know, it's not cock-fighting, but more like those Westminster Dog Show events, only for roosters.

When we were in the Outer Banks a couple of years ago, we walked by a mansion, and they had some of these designer roosters fenced in. I couldn't believe my eyes ... or my brain. I mean, am I totally losing my mind on this one? Designer roosters? Really?

What are your thoughts?

Other Cruise Pics

2009-10-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

I HIGHLY recommend cruising with Royal Caribbean - The ships have so many great activities, and the staff is so friendly. Here are some other random pics from the trip back to NYC:

One of the fun, drinks the cruise served during their Midnight Buffet.

Here is a pic of me right before I rock-climb on the ship ... it was a little scary, but I did it ... I'M A MAN!!!

Fantastic ice-dancing show on the ship ... that's right, they have an ice-skating rink!

Our waiters doing a good-bye performance for us.

Goodbye Parade on the Promenade.

The fellas hamming it up for one of those "special" pics.