Things change

Last night Kristen and I were at Applebees and the topic we were discussing were things that are no more; things that have changed and don't exist the way they were before. This started when I noticed the West Coast Video where I waited in the freezing cold for Sting tickets didn't exist anymore (replaced by said Applebees.) The last time I even called into Ticketmaster was 5 years ago to buy U2 tickets and even then I had a web browser opened at the same time hedging my bet. I digress. I started thinking about all the things that have changed. So here's my list:

• Flipping the LP over. Remember listening to 5 or 6 songs and then walking over to the turntable and then flipping over the album to hear the other 5 or 6 songs?
• Being at the television at the exact moment when the TV show you wanted to see was starting? In these days of VCRs, DVRs and television shows on the iTunes Music store, who watches shows when the network wants you to?
• Speaking of TV - how about having only 7 or 8 options? The networks, a few locals, PBS and that's it.
• Physically reading a newspaper. This one I lament. There is something about reading a newspaper physically that is better than reading it online. It's a shame that the newspaper business is being changed because of the content being available online. The same is being attempted with books - but come on, who can replace a book with some sort of video screen? How do you break the spine?
• Calling a phone number to get the time or the weather.
• Apple was called crazy for getting rid of the floppy disk with the first iMac. I can't remember the last time I saw a floppy. And with USB drives and email, I barely need to burn cds anymore.
• Here's another one I miss: not being in contact with the world 100% of the time by 5 different ways. I have at least 5 different email addresses, 2 mobile #'s (one for work), a home #, two IM addresses. Don't get me wrong, I love the new technology, but sometimes it's nice to have a break.
  

There are others. Popping popcorn in a microwave is just the way it's done today. There are things that are going away - renting a video at a video store is one.

Tell me what I missed?

A million little vomits

If you didn't see last week's South Park - A Million Little Fibers - it's a riff on the whole A Million Little Pieces scandal. Funny as hell but one thing:

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME FOR OPRAH'S CROTCH.






















Pass the bucket please

Six Degrees featuring Jenna Bush and Michael Penn

I have no idea why this article is appearing now because this concert happened last fall. Oh well, it's still a funny story.

Jenna Bush and Michael Penn: Joined In the Curse of the More-Famous-Relative - Wonkette

Oh yeah - what's up with that picture of Michael?

Just in case you didn't know

Gas Prices Climb Sharply, Survey Finds

This is the kind of survey only people who don't pay for their own gas or don't watch the news would pay for. Reminds me of when Bush had to look into the price of a gallon of milk.

Review: The Henry Rollins Show

Kristen is having a girl's night out so I'm catching up on my DVR watching. When I first heard about the Henry Rollins Show it sounded like a winner - first show: Oliver Stone and Sleater-Kinney - that's enough for me. This show is for liberals what Rush Limbaugh is for conservatives. Rollins needs a little smoothing out - but I think that's the style. It's rough around the edges - but he doesn't care. Tell you what - his rants sound a lot like mine - I guess that means he's pretty good. It will be interesting to see if he includes some guests that don't share his viewpoint - Rollins puts those guns to use.

Rollins has always been an odd one for me. He looks like he would kick your ass, but when he talks, he turns out to be a sensitive, green tree-hugger. Nice trick.

IFC is perfect for this show - it wouldn't play anywhere else - master of the obvious I am - where else on TV are you going to hear "motherfuck George Bush". I love the idea of giving people like Chuck-D an avenue to speak and musicians such as Jurassic 5 and Sleater-Kinney TV time.

24 thoughts

I've been meaning to write about 24 since last week. This is a show where you're looking to be shocked and it amazes me that they're able to continue surprising us. As recently as January I called President Logan the biggest pussy in Presidential TV history - witness my shock when the big bad is none other than Logan himself. Entertainment Weekly said that Gregory Itzin deserved an Emmy for his portrayal of Logan and this was before we realized he was the bad guy. Of course he's been quoted as saying he didn't even know he was the bad guy until 2 episodes prior to the reveal. This has to be the whoa shit moment of the year he and the writers had me totally fooled - I never thought Logan had the cajones to pull all of this off. It's a master stroke because the fact that Cumming is now dead makes it plausible that the President would even be talking to Christopher Henderson - he has no choice.

BTW - while I'm congratulating the writers one thing has me bothered - with all the crap that Jack is carrying around in his purse and a Treo that can bring down terrorist plots (while mine can barely make a phone call) - why didn't Jack make a copy of that phone call? Don't tell me he didn't have time - it was a 30 second conversation. It would only make sense that there would be a copy someplace. Also couldn't Jack have given a number to the little girl to call instead of just leaving her by herself with her wounded mother? I am so glad that they didn't show them getting killed.

Anyway - this show gets better year to year - you can't say that about most shows - but this year they've thankfully avoided the side stories that made us groan (President Palmer's girlfriend, Kim and her battle of wits with the cougar - how she won I'll never know).

Hmmm - I think I owe you 20 more thoughts but I'm full out.

Coming to a market near you

I seriously laugh at the latest addition to the supermarket parking lot - the child parking spots. Since when did having children become the equivalent of being handicapped? I bet some quadriplegic driver sees this and shakes their head.

I'm sure it's a pain in the ass sometimes to gather all the kids and such, but wasn't this a choice?

This past weekend my family and I were talking about all the things that are different these days for kids. We had none of this shit - my mom had to drag our asses on the bus at times to get to the market - but now we have to have special parking spaces for parents.

Killer pancakes

This story is pretty scary.  Pancake mix can cause severe allergic reactions if kept too long?  Jesus.

On my way to the kitchen.

Spaz off

I am so tired of political correctness - today Tiger Woods had to apologize for using the term spaz because in certain countries that term is derogatory. So apparently Woods is to keep track of every word that may have a different meaning than here in the U.S. and eliminate it from his vocabulary?

Seriously I'm upset. Here in the states we all know what a spaz is - hey I've spazzed out on more than a few occasions. I refuse to have one of my top 2,000 words removed from my vocabulary. Hell no.

Philadelphia's on the clock

Tomorrow at 12:01 New Jersey becomes one of 10 states to ban smoking in restaurants and bars. Philadelphia has been debating such a ban for 2 years - now is the time. All the people that complain that it will hurt business - where are you losing business to? The neighboring states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York have banned smoking. The excuses are gone.

It's time.

There are those that argue that there's a rights issue at stake. I could give a flying fuck about your right to a cigarette. Since when does your right to pollute the air trump my right to breathe clean air? The government has every right to regulate this. They do it already. Do I have the right to view porn - yes. Do I have the right o view porn in public- no. Am I allowed to be nude - yes. At the ballgame - no. The government has the responsibility to act in the best interest of its public; and since only 25% of the population smokes, it's in the best interest of the majority to protect their health. Smokers will say that bars are supposed to be places where you can smoke - there are - your home.

Disclaimer - I think that smokers have the right to smoke. I basically believe people have the right to do whatever they want - so long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others. This is where smoking differs from other vices - overeating, drinking, gambling have an indirect effect on others. Smoking directly affects those around you. So if you don't mind - I'm going to worry about my rights - not yours.

It's time that the government stop listening to the whining of smokers and businesses and do what is right.

It's time.

Writer's block

It's been awhile since I've written (honestly I wrote a long post about the double standard where women say things that if a man were to say would cause such a stir, but accidentally deleted it - it sucked any way). I honestly can't think of a thing to write about. 24 is awesome - hoh hum. No good music this year - I think that every year. The Bush Administration got caught in a lie - that's new.

My good friend Grace and I got into a disagreement this week about the protests in regards to immigration reform. That was two days ago - and honestly old news. What the hell? Ok - I'm switching over to....Salon and the top headline will be my subject - drum roll: god damn - Bush and his web o' lies.

Here's my thing - this guy is the Teflon don of Presidents. Clinton had two things - Whitewater an Lewinsky, other than that normal old presidency stuff. Bush would make Nixon blush - every day there's another lie. Was reading a Newsweek article titled Leaker in Chief about the current scandal and the games that this administration have played with us through the manipulation of the media are mind-numbing. Grrr.

One music thought - I don't know why the press has been giving the new Morrissey CD Ringleader of the Tormentors such mediocre reviews. I really like it so far - and I wasn't a fan of Morrissey until the last CD.

Breast Cancer Awareness

A friend of mine, Kelly Gibbs, will be walking in a 3 day walk to raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. She could use your support. As incentive - I will kick in an additional $5 for each of the first 10 people to donate. Just send me your response email spencerblog (at) mac.com.

Click here to donate.

Why didn't I write this book

This was sorely needed: a book and web site outlining the rules behind calling shotgun.

As I thought, I have been right all along.

Maybe if it was Wendy's

Story about a couple that was charged over $4,000 for 4 Burger King burgers.

Well at least they got their meals for free.

Assholes in charge

Wondering what the Republican Party is - listen to Congressman Tom Tancredo, son of an Italian immigrant, who recently said illegal aliens are "A Scourge That Threatens The Very Future of Our Nation". Now I have a list of things that threaten the future of our country and illegal aliens didn't make it. Top it off by the fact that his family just got off the boat here - he's not only a bigot but a hypocrite.

This country has too many assholes in office - that is what ruins the very future of our country.

STOP DANCING OR I'LL SHOOT!

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Dhani Jones was arrested today for....refusing to stop dancing - outside a club.

There's your taking a bite out of crime.

Reminder

To date 105 people have died worldwide of the Avian Flu - over 29 million have died just in Sub-Saharan Africa of AIDS.

Priorities.

Top 10 favorite songs

Back to music for a bit. I figured I would take a whack at putting together my top 10 favorite songs. Not an easy feat mind you but here are the rules - only one song per artist. Also, If I don't listen to it anymore, it cannot be on this list. Here we go:

1. "Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands" - XO - Elliott Smith - My favorite Elliott Smith songs seem to master the slow burn. This is where the song starts with maybe Elliott on acoustic for 75% of the song and all of sudden here comes the band. Love this. Can also be heard on "Shooting Star" from the CD From a Basement on the Hill or "Can't Make a Sound" from Figure 8


2. "All Over Now" - I'm with Stupid - Aimee Mann - This is the 3rd act in what I think is the best 3 song set I've heard. Songs 1 and 2 are "Superball" and "Amateur" and producer Jon Brion expertly ties it all together by slipping lines from "All Over Now" into "Superball" and then the chorus of "Superball" into the end of "All Over Now". So subtle you might miss it and when you hear it - brilliant.


3. "Figment" - Resigned - Michael Penn - Picking a song from the brilliant album Resigned is near impossible but this song stands out for its beauty and for the sheer brilliance of the words: all of them. This is one of those songs that you can read over and over again and find different meaning each time. So many of Penn's songs are poetry. What Penn has mastered is also making the poetry sing.


4. "Until the End of the World" - Achtung Baby - U2 - OK, I didn't know the religious meaning of this song until recently but still - this song is simply one of the best rock songs ever made. Every part of the band is at their best here.


5. "Four Seasons in One Day" - Woodface - Crowded House - Such a sobering song. Once I sat down and really listened to the words of this song it hit me so hard I nearly cried. The beauty of this song is that it doesn't make it's statement with a brick like many sad songs do.


6. "Last Goodbye" - Grace - Jeff Buckley - This song swoops and dives and is one of those songs that is orchestrated to the point of putting you in the subject's place.  Of course with a break-up song, most of us have been there.


7. "Life is Sweet/Afterlife" - Life is Sweet - Maria Mckee - This song is actually two songs - and is probably the only feel good song on this list.  The thing with feel good songs is that they can be trite or sugary sweet.  This song is real.


8. "There, There (The Boney King of Nowhere)" - Hail to the Thief - Radiohead - Can't believe that my favorite Radiohead song is from Hail to the Thief - a great cd, but no OK Computer.  But this song is classic Radiohead - not trippy, great lyrics, and layered.


9. "Polaroids" - Fat City - Shawn Colvin -Never mind that I consider Colvin, Michael Penn, and Neil Finn to be the best songwriters alive,  I once said that I would marry Shawn Colvin based on her voice alone.  This is a song that showcases it. 


10. "Paper Bag"- When the Pawn... - Fiona Apple - Paper Bag is such a simple song, but Apple is a genre bending artist that is more than just a pop star - she's a songstress that could have fit in in the 40's. 

Here's my top 10 iMix on iTunes

Disclaimer - all of these songs are on my computer and I'm sure I missed some things that just haven't ripped. REM seems to be missing as are Prince, the Police, and Peter Gabriel. I also had to fight against the urge to include Driving Me Mad by Neil Finn, but since he was Crowded House, it seemed to be against the rules.

My coffeeshop

It's kind of lame, and I'm not sure exactly the purpose, but I've started another blog to kind of be the repository of my coffee shop ideas.  I want to own a coffee shop but don't have a plan on paper nor the money.  So I'll start saving and writing.

Here's my new blog:  A Caffeinated World

Brad Pitt

From last week's Bradley vs. Pittsburgh Game

Look at the team names Read it out loud. Thanks to Grace for noticing this...