10 Songs I can't get out of my head....

....whether I want them there or not....actually it's more like 200, but I'll start with 10!

1) Abba - Chiquitita
Any of their songs could go here; contrary to the belief of a certain ex-New York City chef, this is (was) a great band!

2) Mariah Carey - Shake it Off
Addictive

3) Neil Diamond - Cherry, Cherry
"We're gonna make our own lightning"

4) Erasure - Yahoo!

5) Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom
Some songs are just too catchy, ya know?

6) Patti Labelle - Lady Marmalade
featuring the ever immortal lyric: gitchee gitchee ya ya da da

7) Robert Palmer - Hey Julia/Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley
Perpetually groovy

8) Rihanna - Pon de Replay

9) Rihanna - SOS
"Why-Oh-You-Are..."
damn that Rihanna....am I ever gonna get some sleep?

10) Yaz - Walk Away from Love
Alison Moyet = most underrated voice in rock 'n roll

TV Chatter

The love of my life at the moment is my new DVR (Digital Video Recorder). I can tape something and watch something else, I can tape something and watch something else that I already taped. Plus, I have picture in picture, and the picture in picture can move around inside the picture! Get it? Now, if there was only something I wanted to watch...
Actually, I'm still not over Project Runway, even though the project is. And if you feel the same way, then Bravotv.com has tons of fun stuff, interviews, blogs, and video. Then hike on over to Televisionwithoutpity.com where the recaps are fabulous and the forums are more so. I just miss the whole ensemble (along with the ensembles), and feel like I really got to know these people: Vincent, the raving lunatic; Keith, the charming psychopath; Uli, the humble immigrant; Kayne, the bon vivant; the Professor and Mary Ann....
In terms of competing reality programming, Top Chef just doesn't cut it.
Lastly, I am kinda sorta into watching 30 Rock, if only for Alec Baldwin. It's not merely that he looks uncannily like my friend Bob, but he manages to steal every scene he's in and even some he's not in. Unfortunately, he's the best thing about this otherwise so-so sitcom. But if you want to check it out, it's on Wednesdays at 8 on NBC. And since NBC is not paying me to promote their wares, I will sign off on this missive.

10 Great Snacks

1) Mallomars*
2) Ben & Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk
3) Peanut Butter and Jelly on a Ritz
4) Kraft Macaroni and Cheese**
5) Friskie's Gourmet Grill, Sliced***
6) Slim Jim's and a bag o' Lays****
7) Ring Dings and a Diet Coke*+
8) Stewart's Orange and Cream w/Penn Dutch Potato Salad*++
9) Entenmann's Pound Cake and a glass of milk
10) Turnips, Parsnips, Rutubagas & Beets**++

* enjoyed by bloggers everywhere!
** may actually be considered a meal in certain states
*** for cats only
**** in car only
*+ breakfast of champions
*++ available at Rolf's Deli on Jackson Avenue
**++ for Joe only

OOPS/Just a thought

I can't believe I left off my favorite rock album - The Pretenders: The Singles. Chrissie Hynde is my hero! BTW, this in no way precludes my great love for the folk/pop/rock hybrid (my favorite genre and one I am sure I will writing more about in the future), and such iconic albums like Blood on the Tracks and Blue.

I heard a great name today: Fuschia Dunlop! She's apparently a cookbook writer and a contributing editor at Gourmet. Just a thought: I think Gwyneth should name her next baby "A Little Bit of Protein." It would round off the plate, so to speak.

Betcha didn't think I knew how to rock and roll

Some personal favorites from vintage rockers:

1) Eric Clapton: Behind the Sun

2) Elvis Costello: King of America

3) Debbie Harry: Def, Dumb & Blonde

4) Best of Van Morrison, Vols. 1 & 2

5) Prince: Purple Rain

6) The Rolling Stones: Some Girls

7) Bruce Springsteen: Tunnel of Love

8) Squeeze: Singles-45s and Under

9) Talking Heads: Speaking in Tongues

10) Warren Zevon: Like'll Kill Ya

What I'm Reading #2

I Like You by Amy Sedaris, the erstwhile actress and sister of David S., this book purports to be an advice book of entertainment etiquette, along with recipes (and it does work on that level) but really it's an off-kilter parody of Martha, with killer one-liners and comical illustrations copying the look of "Better Homes and Gardens" and "Ladies Home Journal" circa 1960.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows

...and so few about books and/or rock stars?
Well, here's a few:

1) Be My Yoko Ono (Barenaked Ladies)*
"If I was John, and you were Yoko, I would gladly give up musical genius/just to have you as my very own personal venus"

2) The Book I'm Not Reading (Patti Larkin)**
"The book I'm not reading is better than TV"

3) Brian Wilson (Barenaked Ladies)*
"Just listening and relistening to Smiley Smile/And I'm wondering if this is some kind of creative drought"

4) Everyday I Write the Book (Elvis Costello)**
"you said you'd stand by me in the middle of chapter 3/
but you were up to your old tricks in chapters 4, 5 and 6"

5) Gimme Mick (Candy Slice aka Gilda Radner)*

6) I Could Write a Book (Rodgers & Hart)**
"I could write the preface on how we met/So the world would never forget"

7) Lou Reed (Little Willies)*
"And we hope our perceptions isn't slippin/But we swear to God we saw Lou Reed cow tippin"

8) My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors (Moxy Fruvous)**
"I like to go out dancing/My baby loves a bunch of authors/Lately we've had some friction/ 'Cause my baby's hooked on short works of fiction"

9) New Biography (Van Morrison)***
"How come they've got such good memories/And I can't even remember last week?"

10) Talking New Bob Dylan (Loudon Wainwright III)*
"The real world is crazy/You were deranged/An' when you went electric, why, everything changed--"

11) When I Write the Book (Nick Lowe)**
"When I write the book about my love/It'll be a heartbreaking story about love and luck"

12) Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush)**

*= about rock star(s) **= about book(s) *** = about both

Project R. Finale and Other Soul Crushing Moments

OK, so in last night's finale of "Miscarriage of Justice," I mean "Project Runway," Jeffrey won. Yes, Jeffrey. I am wondering if the judges watched the same show I did. At least one of them copped to the fact that everyone at Olympus Fashion Week was talking about Uli's collection. Well, at least maybe this will give him the money he needs to get off the drugs. Or WHATEVER!
Speaking of money, after paying what seemed to be untold millions to the plumber, I found out that that godawful stench I've been inhaling in my house was coming from a dead mouse behind the bookcase. Bad Cat! Very Bad!
And a shout out to the Disorganized Librarian for giving me a mention in her blog. I only hope I can withstand the pressure of actually having an audience...

In a Mellow Tone

Some Laid Back Tunes to "chill out to" --

1) Erykah Badu: Baduizm
2) Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left
3) Astrud Gilberto: Jazz 'Round Midnight
4) Chris Isaak: San Francisco Days
5) Jack Johnson: On and On
6) Dean Martin: Dino-The Essential Dean Martin
7) Van Morrison: Back on Top
8) Sade: Lovers Rock
9) Nina Simone: Bittersweet
10) Jeri Southern: The Dream's on Jeri

too much tv, too little time

Well, ever since I found out that I now receive the Turner Classic Movie channel, I have been wondering how I'm ever going to wash or do my hair. As it is, I've had to forego the entire new Fall TV season (with the possible exceptions of "Ugly Betty" and "30 Rock"). Be that as it may, here's how my week in TV falls out:

Shows I just have to watch (decorating channel ONLY):
1) Generation Renovation
2) House Hunters International
3) Offbeat America
4) Rezoned
5) Small Space, Big Style
6) What You Get for the Money
7) What's With That House (great host)
8) World's Most Extreme Homes (the BEST host)

Non-Decorating Channels --

On Bravo:
9) Inside the Actors Studio
10) My Life on the D-List
11) Project Runway

On HBO:
12) The Sopranos

On IFC:
13) Dinner for Five
14) Hopeless Pictures
15) The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman

On the Travel Channel:
16) Amazing Vacation Homes
17) Great Hotels w/Samantha Brown
18) Local Flavor w/Joan Cusack
19) No Reservations w/Anthony Bourdain

I would also really like to watch Grey's Anatomy, Nip/Tuck, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, but there's only so many hours in the day...

absolute twang

Favorite albums (country)
Favorite track(s) from each album is listed beneath:

1) Johnny Cash: Best of Johnny Cash
Ring of Fire; I Walk the Line

2)Patsy Cline: The Definitive Collection
Why Can't He Be You; I Fall to Pieces; She's Got You

3)Merle Haggard: Big City
Big City; I Always Get Lucky With You

5)Alison Krauss: Now That I've Found You
When God Dips His Pen of Love in My Heart

6)K.D. Lang: Absolute Torch and Twang
Luck in My Eyes; Walkin' in and out of Your Arms

7)Lyle Lovett: Pontiac
If I Had a Boat; Walk Through the Bottomland


8)Willie Nelson: Greatest Hits (and Some That Will Be)
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain; Whiskey River; My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys; Help Me Make it Through the Night

What I'm Reading Now

Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto.
I have found a new lease on life ever since I've discovered the graphic novel (aka comic books). I haven't enjoyed anything this much since Betty and Veronica when I was a kid. It's like a really great cross between books and television. This is my 3rd book, the first two were Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, a memoir about a young gay cartoonist who comes out to her parents, only to find out that her father has been in the closet for decades. Unfortunately she never gets a chance to discuss this with her dad, as he dies in a mysterious accident(?) not long after. Next I read Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi about the sex lives of Iranian women, which was actually quite funny and charming. Cancer Vixen is Marchetto's take on her life before (shallow and sophisticated) and after (hopefully more courage and depth) cancer and how it changed both her values and her self-perception. I'm halfway through and so far I love it.

The Project Runway Reunion Special

Some thoughts on a Very Special Episode:
a) Do not adjust your set - Vincent is crazy!

b) Keith reminds me of the sociopath from that Woody Allen movie (the one before
Scoop), where he kills his girl friend so he can hang out with the beautiful people.

c) Jeffrey and Angela should get their own spinoff, in which he is forced to work at Lane Bryant, and she is his supervisor.

d) I'm still rooting for Robert.