April 2006

04.27.2006 Comment...
Quote of the Day
I finally went to my first NBA playoff game, ever. Unfortunately, the Suns played badly and lost, and I was sick the whole time. Nevertheless, this was playoff basketball and incredibly fun and exciting, regardless. Plus, according to news reports, it will be announced next week that Nash has repeated as the MVP. That is hard for me to believe, but I won't complain about it. Anyway, this brings me to the quote of the day, regarding the Suns - Lakers playoff series:

"Lakers in six. Because in the end, courage and the heart shall prevail over reason and logic."
-BJ Armstrong, ESPN

04.17.2006 Comment...
The Worst Album Covers
This has been done before, but I need them all in one place. Some of these images are suffering for better resolution, but they are all real. So, from across the Internet, collected here are the worst album covers of all time:


Cody Matherson - Can I Borrow a Feelin'?


Devastatin' Dave the Turntable Slave - Zip Zap Rap


Orleans - Waking and Dreaming


Ken - By Request Only


The Ministers' Quartet - Let Me Touch Him


The Ethel Merman Disco Album


Freddie Gage - All My Friends Are Dead


Christian Crusaders with Al Davis


12 Top Hits - Featuring the Finest in Top Hit Entertainment


Jim Post - I Love My Life


The Many Facets of Roger


David Ingles - Satan Has Been Paralyzed


Father Robert White - The Reverend in Rhythm


Joyce - Self Titled


John Bult - Julie's Sixteenth Birthday


Heino - Liebe Mutter...


Country Church


The McKeithen's


Mike Adkins - Thank You for the Dove


Tino - Por Primera Vez


Man O War - Anthology


Eilerts Jul


At Play with the Playmates


Mike Terry - Live at the Pavilion Theater, Glasgow


Butch Yelton and Upbound - Swing That Gospel Axe


The Singing Postman - The Best of


Ron Johnson - Happiness


The Braillettes - Our Hearts Keep Singing


Furr


Something Special from Jeff


Geraldine and Ricky - Trees Talk Too!


Pooh Man - Funky As I Wanna Be


Alla Pugatjova - Superman Every Night and Every Day

04.11.2006 Comment...
Lions To Protect Pregnant Jolie's Privacy
WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Pregnant Hollywood siren Angelina Jolie and boyfriend Brad Pitt have taken refuge in a remote Namibian game lodge where wild lions will help protect them from the media, a Namibian newspaper said on Monday.

The celebrity couple and their two adopted children Maddox and Zahara arrived in the southern African country last week, fueling media speculation the Oscar-winning actress plans to give birth in Namibia away from the spotlight. Namibian Afrikaans daily newspaper Die Republikein said the pair had moved from a luxury beach resort in the harbour town of Walvisbay to a lodge in the Etosha National Game Park in northern Namibia, where lions are a top tourist draw and would help deter intruders trying to photograph the couple.

According to sources close to the couple, Elton John will perform "The Circle of Life" at the baby shower, where "Bloody Marys" will be distributed in vials.

04.10.2006 Comment...
He Blinded Me With Samples
A few months ago, I blogged about Thomas Dolby and his far-flung influence over modern music. Back then, it was the Iranian government exhibiting strains of Dolby; today, it is the equally nefarious K-Fed. From Thomas Dolby's official blog:

"Britney Spears' husband Kevin Federline, whom I'd never heard of until a few days ago, appears to have illegally sampled one of my compositions. On his MySpace site you can download an MP3 which uses a looped sample from Mobb Deep's 'Get It Twisted', which in turn copped the string line from my own song 'She Blinded Me With Science.' Now, Mobb Deep did it the right way and had his label BMG come and ask for a license. They paid me a fee and a royalty on the sales of Mobb Deep’s record.

"However K-Fed, as his fans affectionately refer to him, did NOT ask permission, he just went ahead and did it. He is therefore blatantly violating the copyright law. And laws aside, he owed it to me as an artist to ask if I minded that he recorded a vitriolic rap over the top of my music. It starts off 'This is for the HATERS...' and goes on to blast the media, paparrazzi and all his other critics, sparing no expletives along the way.

"BMG Records have also had their copyright violated, as they own the master to Mobb Deep's record. But BMG don't want to rock the Britney boat so they are turning a blind eye. It's pathetic! Turns out K-Fed has no management, label or lawyer, so it's going to be hard getting hold of him. So K-Fed, if you're reading this, I'm asking you nicely to take the track down ASAP. Or maybe you'd prefer me to come after some of your wife's ill-gotten gains?"

Dolby's really letting him have it! And, most importantly, he is lashing out through a blog, aka blinding K-Fed with science and hitting him with technology!

04.07.2006 Comment...
I Wanna Be Like Mike
September 10th, 1945 found a five month old Wyandotte rooster pecking through the dust of a farm yard in Fruita, Colorado. Inside the farm house, Clara Olsen was planning on featuring the plump chicken in the evening meal. So, husband Lloyd Olsen was sent out on a routine mission to prepare the designated bird for cooking. Lloyd knew his Mother-in-Law would be dining with them and would savor the neck. So, he positioned his ax precisely, estimating just the right tolerances to leave a generous portion of neck bone intact.

A skillful blow was landed and the chicken staggered around like all freshly killed poultry. Then the bird shook off the traumatic event and ran away. When Olsen found the bird (soon to be named "Mike") the next morning, sleeping with his severed head under his wing, he decided that if Mike had that much will to live, he would help him. With an eyedropper, Olsen began giving Mike grain and water.

A week into Mike's new life, Olsen packed him up and took him 250 miles to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City . The skeptical scientists were eager to answer all the questions regarding Mike's amazing ability to survive with no head. It was determined that the axe blade had missed the jugular vein and a clot had prevented Mike from bleeding to death. Although his head was now in a jar, most of his brain stem was left on his body. Since most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem, Mike was able to remain quite functional.

In the 18 months that Mike lived as "The Headless Wonder Chicken" he grew from two pounds to nearly eight. Mike took on a manager, and with the Olsen family in tow, set out on a national tour. Curious sideshow patrons lined up to pay 25 cents to see Mike, and the "Wonder Chicken" was insured for $10,000.00. While returning from one of these road trips the Olsens stopped at a motel in Phoenix. In the middle of the night, Mike began to choke on his mucous. Unable to find the eyedropper used to clear Mike's open esophagus, the bird slowly choked and passed away. However, his memory lives on in the hearts and fanclub memberships of people everywhere.

Now you know... the rest of the story.