Happy New Years!

Alright folks...the best of post will have to wait until tomorrow due to the fact that I have spent my day shoveling snow and will no doubt be doing it well into the New Year. Gotta love duty!

HAPPY NEW YEAR folks!

Worst Moments of 2008

As I started to prepare to write my best of and worst posts for the year I realized that I really didn't know enough about each genre to write anything. Clearly I have been distracted from pop culture this year. I am not the least bit upset by this as my mind has been filled with other wonderful thoughts....but it does make it hard to blog. So rather than break it up by genre...I am going to do two posts this year...the best of and the worst everything in 2008 according to Millie.

Let's start with the things that really pissed me off this year. In no particular order....

Jenny Sheppard getting killed on NCIS. I just started to like her character and then they go and kill her off. I was pretty pissed...and I will admit that I cried. Oh well.

The official statement that The 4400 would not return...not on TV...no movie...nada nothing. This is a prime example why it is not good to like anything...ever. You only get let down.

Wang getting hurt and missing the rest of the entire season. This injury not only effected the Yankees but it effected me personally because I had to endure months of "wang-less Yankee" jokes. Damn it all. Oh and the subsequent injuries to the Yankees sucked too...all except for fucking Pavano because I am incapable of feeling sympathy for him.

The passing of Heath Ledger....call me crazy but I still get sad when I realize that I will never see him another movie. I loved everything he did from his cute rendition of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" in 10 Things I Hate About You to him scaring the shit out of me in The Dark Night. He wasn't the sexiest man alive but somehow managed to make you think that he was when he was on screen. Still bumming over this one.

Chinese Democracy - OK so I really didn't have that high of expectations for this one and yet I still was disappointed. Talk about a total letdown album. I mean...I know that there was no way that it could possibly live up to its own hype but I never expected that it would suck so much. Oh well. Other let down albums of the year include Viva la Vida by Coldplay, Death Magnetic by Metallica, and Black Ice by AC/DC.

The Eagles Comeback - How in the hell is this team in the damn in playoffs? It pisses me off so much that I don't even want to write about it.

The Governator blowing off the Northern Pacific Coast Guard Forum. OK so I know that I wouldn't have been able to meet him but being that I help coordinate an entire floor plan around him the least he could have done is show up! So the budget was screwed up...he wasn't going to fix it in the two hours it would have taken to show up and make a bunch of Coasties' day. Oh well. Bygones.

The BCS system. Though one could make the argument that this one of the world moment's of every year.

Finally the worst moment of the year according to Millie....

The moment when I officially knew that the Yankees were not going to the playoffs. I will admit it...I cried then too. The good news is that I am confident that the Yankee organization has made the necessary changes to ensure that I don't shed those tears again in 2009.

Now I am sure that I am missing some moments but I am in a pretty good mood tonight so it is hard for me to think of bad things. Check back tomorrow for my list of the best moments of the year!

Ready Let's Roll Onto Something New....

I am going to start with one thing...and that is that I FURIOUS that the fucking Eagles are going to the playoffs. That is all that I am going to say about it.

Now let's shuffle...

Somebody Told Me by The Killers - This song takes me back about four years when The Killers came out with their 1st album. I remember hearing this song on the VH1 Top 20 Countdown and instantly fell in love with The Killers. I didn't really get the song but still loved it. I am not sure that I get it now but still love the song. It is another one of those songs that comes on and I find myself getting pumped up. Pumped up for what I am not sure but pumped up nonetheless. Much like Brandon Flowers in the video...the leg starts kicking and the fists start pumping and before I know it...I am singing along. The beat of the song is by far the best part...as it is one of those pulsing beats that sticks in your head for days. It is no wonder that The Killers are still kicking ass in the music world with a start like this. Best Line: "Pace yourself for me, I said maybe baby please but I just don't know now when all I wanna do is try."

If I Fell by The Beatles - Most of you already know my take on The Beatles. I strongly believe that they are good...but not as good as everyone thinks that they are. But that is not the point tonight. This is my favorite song by The Beatles. The sweetness of this song just makes me melt whenever I hear it. There really is only one line worth mentioning but it is no doubt the reason that I love it. I hear it and I reflect on the deeper meaning of it. It is easy to overlook the greatness that is the opening verse. It is a scary thing to be on the brink of falling in love with someone...let alone to ask them to teach you what it really means to love that person. Do you jump? Will you regret it if you do? I say no...no regrets at all because love like that...imperfect though it may be is worth it. Best Line (s): "If I fell in love with you would you promise to be true and help me understand 'cause I've been in love before and I found that love was more than just holding hands."

Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews - For as overrated as I think that the Dave Matthews Band is I have to say that this song is probably one of the sexiest songs ever written. It is not overtly sexy which is what makes it sexy. I remember thinking as a teenager that I very much wanted to believe that love existed in the world the way that it did in the song. I still want to believe that love can be seen in my eyes. Best Line: "I'm bare boned and crazy....for you."

Human by The Killers - Seriously...this song gets better every time I hear it. Without a doubt it is the best song of the year...there I said it! (Shout out to you Andrew!) Lyrically and musically it is phenomenal. I feel like I could write and write and write about this song and never be able to capture how awesome it is. You have to hear and listen to it to appreciate how great it is. I changed my Caller Tunes to this song for all but one person because the song is so damn awesome. It is tough to pick the best line because the entire song is like one great line. But here it is. Best Line: " Give my regards to soul and romance, they always did the best they could."

Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis - Bloody hell I get mad whenever I listen to Oasis. They were so damn talented and they blew it. Oh well. But that is not the point. I always smile when I hear this song because I remember singing this song but not knowing the words. Bobby finally looked up the lyrics (I am pretty sure that this was before the ease of Google) to prove to me that it really was "So Sally can wait" and not whatever goofy thing that I said instead. This is not the best Oasis song but probably the second best so go ahead and download it. Best Line: "You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out."

I Wanna Wish You A Merry Christmas From The Bottom of My Heart

Its the most wonderful time of the year indeed.

Here are a few of my favorite Christmas tunes for you to enjoy as you sip your eggnog and recover from a day of holiday cheer.

All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey - "I won't ask for much this Christmas, I don't even wish for snow, I'm just gonna keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe." Yes I will keep on waiting.

Rocking Around The Christmas Tree by Jessica Simpson - "Everyone dancing merrily in the new old fashioned way." Indeed there was a great deal of dancing today...largely due to wine and the Wii.

____________ off of the Chris Isaak Christmas Album - Because as I have said before...the man could sing about dust and it would still sound sexy.

Up On The Housetop by The Chipmunks - "All for the little ones Christmas joys." One cannot celebrate Christmas without a dose of The Chipmunks.

The Christmas Song by Dave Matthews: "Why in this hatred do you fill me up with love love love." OK so not your typical Christmas song but absolutely amazing song nonetheless.

My Wish by Britney Spears - "Oh I'll be waiting here, Santa that's my only wish this year." Patiently waiting indeed. Oh and its cool to like Britney again so don't give me any shit!

Please Come Home For Christmas by Bon Jovi - It is by Bon Jovi. Enough said.

Feliz Navidad by Millie and Todd - Todd you have to send me this or load it to youtube so the whole world can see and hear how well we sang this song back when we were teens who drank too much at their parents Christmas party.

White Christmas by The Drifters - "May your days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be white."

Merry Christmas folks!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

A sound...a sound...the sound of Yankee fans rejoicing as Red Sux fans weep from another unexpected blow.

Let's recap what the fine leaders of Yankee Universe are giving us for the new season.

First there is the new stadium.

Then there was the addition of C.C.

Then came A. J.

And now we have Teixeria.

If all of that isn't enough...there is the joy in knowing that there is one major player left on the free agency market and that's Manny. There is no way in hell that he is going to back to Boston which means that the Red Sux have officially failed in the preseason battle...giving them little chance of success come the regular season.

I hope you enjoy the playoffs from your couch Red Sux Nation.

And I Know You Like It Too....The Way That I Want You

As I sang to myself in the car this morning I realized how much I truly missed Monday Night Shuffle. So tonight I will shuffle until I hear the familiar call that is the only reason that could pull me away from my beloved blog this evening.

And it must be fate because the first song to come on is most appropriate for tonight's post.

Its Been A While by Staind - This song is a great example of why I started the shuffle in the first place. When you have as many songs on your iPod as I do you tend to forget about a few of them. This song has long since been forgotten and that is a bummer. This song is morbidly romantic. That is the only way that I can think to describe it. It is beautiful in its description of love and the pain that comes with it. What most impresses me is that this is a song of confession for the sake of love. He sings of how far from perfect he is and of how less than ideal their love is and it is takes you to the point where as the listener you can't help but think "Than why are you still there?" and then comes the best line of the song and it seals it in greatness. In that one line you understand why he stays even though it is hard. You understand why even though the circumstances are sometimes tough are comprehend he stays. At least that is what this song expresses for me. It might not be said in the most romantic way but it is real and that is what makes this song a truly amazing song. So here it is...the Best Line: "It's been a while but all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you."

Got To Give It Up by Marvin Gaye - This is another awesome song. The beginning of it kind of reminds me of the younger version of me which is kind of bittersweet. The song opens up talking about how in his younger days he would go to the parties but wouldn't dance. He wanted to but didn't. The first couple of months of high school were like that for me. Thanks to Bobby I was invited to the best parties but lacked the courage to put myself out there and have fun. But after that fateful Eldorado Invitational Wrestling Meet everything changed and I danced at every party after that for the rest of my high school days. But I digress...the best part of this song is the fact that is a sure thing. You cannot help but groove when you hear it...and in the right mood it will prompt me to sing and groove. For some reason this is one of my favorite shower songs. It is probably because I can't sing it for shit and therefore the shower is probably the safest place to sing it...though certainly not the for grooving. Best Line: "But my body yearned to be free so I got out on the floor for somebody to choose me."

Sometimes She Cries by Warrant - I really am such a sucker for 80s hair bands. While this isn't one of the greatest ballads of the generation but that's okay. What woman hasn't had a moment or two when she felt like she was Melissa? If she hasn't...she really hasn't loved. That's really all that I have to say about this one. Best Line: "She tried and tried to make it all work out, no matter what she does she's left standing in the middle of doubt."

Talk Dirty To Me by Poison - Perhaps it is the hidden desire in me to be a bad girl that makes me love this song...or maybe it is the fact that Poison really is freakin' awesome...I don't know and I don't care. All I know is that I love this song. It is actually pretty funny because as I was departing from the city this past weekend and it came on I found that I could not restraint myself. I was singing it as loud as I could, rocking as I drove and allowed my mind to wander far more than I should have considering that I wasn't driving in the most ideal weather. I just love the rocking way this song sings of what an obsession "talking" on the phone can be. Lyrically it is amazing, musically it is a bitchin rock song and it is sung by Bret who is just a few levels below Jon Bon Jovi on the hottie rocker chart. It truly is a must have for every hair band fan. The Best Line: "I call you on the telephone, I’m only hoping that you’re home so I can hear you when you say those words to me and whisper so softly...I gotta hear you."

Rock & Roll by Eric Hutchinson - So this song is my #2 favorite new song at the moment. Much like my favorite new song at the moment I heard while watching VH1 recovering from my surgery. This song is a bad song to listen to the day after you have your abdomen cut open because it is IMPOSSIBLE not to start grooving to this song. Thank goodness for pain meds because they allowed me to groove to this song in the painful days after. The rest of album is so so which is disappointing. Luckily the fine folks at iTunes allow me to buy single songs. That being said...I would have blown 14.99 or whatever ungodly price CDs sell for these days for this song. Best Line: "They can roll with the punches as long as they feel like their in control."

Nine In The Afternoon by Panic At The Disco - Kudos to Panic for surviving the sophomore curse. I would even venture so far to say this song off their 2nd album is better than all of those on their 1st. This song is another great tune for singing and dancing to. This song gives me memories of walking down on the street, damn near bursting with excitement, happier than words can describe. It makes me smile as I remember stopping at a stop light and receiving a sudden touch that sent shivers down my spine, made my heart flutter, stole my breath, and fueled a passion that I never knew that I could feel. So yeah...one could say that in spite of its peppy, happy go lucky tune...it is a song that brings a provokes a great deal of emotion in me. Best Line: "You could ’cause you can....so you do and we’re feeling so good."

Hey There Delilah by The Plain White Ts - I know that I have written about this song before and what I write tonight will probably differ from what I wrote in the past but that is what makes music great...its ability to change to fit your mood. I swear that this song is one of the greatest songs ever. As I reflect on things and the way that I have grown I often find myself whispering to myself "Oh its what you do to me." It can happen at a grocery store or an airport and I will suddenly stop and softly sing "Oh its what you do to me" and smile. The soft melody of this song makes it the perfect soundtrack for reflecting. No wonder it is the #2 played song on my iPod. Tonight I choose the following for the Best Line: "I'd walk to you if I had no other way."

It Is A Wonderful Life!

If you look to the right of the blog...you will see one of my favorite quotes. I proudly say that "EVERYDAY I THANK THE GOOD LORD THAT HE MADE ME A YANKEE FAN". This is the absolute truth. Fellow Yankee fans know that I changed a great quote to make my own...some say it is sacrilege but others say (and quite accurately) that it is paying tribute to one of the most beloved men to ever wear pinstripes.

But that is not the point of tonight's post. I only mention it because while I am grateful everyday...it is especially true today. Today was truly a great day in Yankee Universe. Hot damn...I couldn't be more excited.

Call me crazy but I find a great deal of comfort in knowing that no matter how crazy things are for me that things are well in Yankee Universe. Call me crazy but it gives me hope.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO START!

I'm Back

Sorry for the closing the blog for the past month. Most of you know why but for those of you who don't, I have been under the weather and just didn't feel like opening up. The blog wasn't the only thing that I shut out, as many of you learned I stopped answering emails and phone calls. It wasn't that I wanted to be left alone, it was more about me not wanting to display how I was feeling. Feeling weak sucks.

But enough of that. So much has happened in the past month that I don't know where to begin or what really warrants my 2 cents on. So here are of real gems that I can't help but comment on.

Let's start with Plaxico. I'm starting with the fallen Giant mainly because I am pretty pissed off about the situation. I ended last football season being a Plaxico fan. I bought his redemption story and now I look like an ass for believing in him. The guy had it all and totally blew it. What a fool. But at least his demise has been amusing. I mean...you can't tell me that you didn't laugh a little when you heard how the dumb ass shot himself in the leg. I had to make sure that I wasn't suffering from a percocet induced mania when I first heard the story because how dumb do you have to be to shoot yourself in leg? I guess if you are going to destroy your rapidly crumbling career, you might as well do it in a manner that the allows the entire sporting world to have a good laugh. Fucking Plaxico...he single handedly ruined the Giants.

Now I know it is all old news...and in light of how the Eagles are playing is pretty silly to discuss...but let's spend a minute on the whole Eagles-Bengals tie. Everyone already knows that I am full-fledged McNabb hater so of course I found this whole thing incredibly funny. The fact that they couldn't beat the fucking Bengals is funny on its own but then you add the completely idiotic comments that McNabb after and you have a pop culture gem. How in the hell did he not know that a regular season game could end in a tie? More importantly, why didn't anyone in the locker room stop him from admitting that in front of millions of fans (most of whom were well aware of the rule in spite of the fact that their involvement in the game is shouting the screen from the comforts of their living room)? I mean, the man had no credibility in my opinion to begin with but did he really think that using the old reliable "I didn't know" defense was going to make it all better? I don't care if the team is on a winning streak or not...I will continue to receive tremendous satisfaction every time I see that _-_1 on their record. God help me but I really despise McNabb and hope beyond all hope that the tie keeps him from the playoffs.

Enough football....let's talk baseball.

I LOVE that people are complaining about the Yankees again. It is a good sign because it means that other teams are jealous and probably a little bit afraid of the Yankees...and they should be. Everyone knows that the reason the Yanks didn't have a good season last year is because of their pitching...or lack there of. So how can anyone blame them for going out and signing two of the best pitchers on the market. They would be foolish not to and people are just pissed off that they were able to. While it would be nice if the Yanks could now sign Manny or Teixeira in the next few days, I won't be greedy. Without a doubt the Yankees have dominated the off season and I am confident that it will pay off for them in through the season and long into the playoffs.

Remind me again what the Red Sux have done...oh that's right. No one knows because no one cares when the Yankees are doing such great things. All is right in the world.

Finally...let's talk some music. There is really just one thing that I want to mention and that is the new song Human by The Killers. Holy shit is this song awesome. I have to admit that I first heard it when the music video came on VH1 and I was quite completely off guard by it. I had to download it immediately because I knew that I liked it but I couldn't really say why. I just knew it was great. Lyrically and musically it is awesome...but there is something more to it. I still can't put my finger on it but I can say that it is without a doubt the best song of the year. If you have any interest in music at all...download this song. It really is that great.

Well that is enough for now. I have missed my blog.

Will You Wake From Your Dream With A Wolf At Your Door?

It has been awhile since we played Jeopardy so enjoy. This should be an easy one.

Category - Name That Tune

$200 - "But you know that there's a fever, Oh, that you'll never find nowhere else. Can't you feel it burnin'?"

$400 - "Can we pretend to leave and then we'll meet again when both our cars collide?"

$600 - "And will he see how much he means to me? I think it's not to be."

$800 - "You baked me brownies and said, 'Don't you cry' and gave me the coat off your back."

$1000 - "She used to have a carefree mind of her own, with devilish look in her eye, saying you can call me anything you like."

Final Jeopardy -

Name the Common Theme of These Songs

I Don't Need To Try To Explain...I Just Hold On Tight

To quote one of the greatest movies ever..."Looks like somebody has a case of the Mondays". Guess what...that somebody is me. Holy smokes today was a rotten day. The funny part is that I woke up around 5am which is earlier than I needed to and didn't even care. 0530 rolled around and I felt the apprehension of the bad day and by the time I finally crawled out of bed at 0610, I managed to convince myself that it would be a good day. By 0815 it pretty much went out the window and never really got better. It never got really bad but everything seemed to be a struggle and that sucked. I can handle the days that are battles because adrenaline starts pumping. It is the days that consist of short struggle after struggle that really wear me down. It was dark when I left the office (which was 82.8 degrees BTW) and just sat in the car for a minute to gather energy to drive home. Good thing that I don't have to work tomorrow because I just don't feel it right now.

Now that we have that out of the way...let's shuffle.

I Want You by Savage Garden - Remember what an awesome song this was? I always forget how much I loved it until I hear and remember that this song totally kicked ass in an awesomely bad way. It gets stuck in your head and you can't help but sing it even though you don't know the words. I fell in love with Savage Garden from the song and stuck with them through their follow-up albums which lacked the greatness of their first. This song is filled with whacky metaphors that really don't make a whole lot of sense but sound great. I actually get a little excited when I hear this song and have absolutely no idea why. Best Line: "Anytime I need to see your face I just close my eyes and I am taken to a place where your crystal mind and magenta feelings take up shelter in the base of my spine, sweet like a chicka cherry cola." It is nice to have vivid memories that you can recall simply by closing your eyes.

What If You by Joshua Radin - Have I mentioned how much I love Joshua Radin? Brace yourself for some serious romantic bullshit but I have realized that I love his songs because they are short love stories. He somehow makes me fall in love and sometimes be heartbroken all in about three and half minutes. But more so, as I have said before, he sings songs that touch my heart. So the story in this song is once again about a love that cannot last. Much like the other love songs that really get to me, there is the upfront knowledge that it is not going to last forever. The honesty makes the love more special because of that knowledge. It no doubt makes it more painful from time to time but it is what it is. Joshua sings this song in his usual soft, almost whisper-iske voice that I suspect that you can actually see me melt when I listen to it. In this song Joshua sings that there is no forever but there is that one night. It is insanely romantic. Best Line: "So, for tonight I'll stay here with you, Yes, for tonight I'll lay here with you but when the sun hits your eyes through your window, there'll be nothing you can do."

Here I Go Again by White Snake - Is there a single person on the planet who doesn't like this song? Probably but only because they haven't heard it. It is one of the greatest songs to come out of the 80s. It is impossible not to rock out when you hear it. It is impossible to resist the urge to turn it up when you hear the opening lines. It is just impossible not to love it. It is a great 80s rock song in the sense that it provokes the closed eyed, back arching, fist pumping movements needed to really sing this song. No one sings it well but that is not the pain. The point is that is an awesome that belongs on every iPod, Zune, etc in the world. Best Line: "I don't where I'm going but I sure know where I've been."

We're Having A Party by Rod Stewart - First let me say that I know that this is not Rod's song. I only put by Rod Stewart because that is the version that came on. I actually prefer the the Sam Cooke version. Moving on...this is another song that I simply cannot fathom anyone not liking. It is just a fun, happy song that is meant for singing with friends. This is the type of song that you want to dance to with a good friend because it isn't a romantic song in spite of its lyrics about dancing with your baby. It is just about having fun...you know...having a party. Who cannot relate to the best line which is..."So Mr, Mr. DJ keep those records playin' Cause I'm having such a good time dancing with my baby"?

Now if this damn Monday Night Football game would just end I would be able to go to sleep so I can wake up and watch the NCIS marathon on USA.

Random Recaps & Rantings

What can I say? My Facebook addiction has put a serious crimp in my blogging. Once again, I asked for your forgiveness as well as extend an invitation to be my Facebook friend. As well as to commit to blog more.

Now let's talk sports.

So let's start with on a positive note...and that is Mike Mussina earning his 7th Gold Glove. The man is about to be 40 and he is still the best pitcher in the American league. Hint hint Yankee management. But that brings me to the first sad note...

Everyone is filing for free agency. OK so honestly I did not expect Jason Giambi to be back but I really had hoped that he would be. The fact that he has filed for free agency tells me that he is all but done in pinstripes. I understand the move but I am bummed by it. What can I say...I am fond of the 'stach. He was so classy about the news of having his contract bought out that I couldn't help but want to give the guy a big hug.

I am actually surprised at the Mike Mussina news. The fact that he filed for free agency kind of stung. I really don't like the fact that the Yankees keep saying how Mike told them that he was pretty sure that he was going to retire. Throw some big bucks his way and motivate him stay for goodness sake! The Yanks need pitching and Mike proved once again that he can deliver. Its not rocket science for goodness sake! Joba cannot carry the Yankees alone next season.

There was some good free agency news in Yankee Universe this week...and that is the fact that Marte filed...and only because I could never figure out why we took him except that maybe that was the only way to get Nady. I honestly don't know because I was blinded by the greatest of The X-Man and didn't really give a shit about Marte and still don't. No hard feelings but I'm not sorry to see him go.

But even better.....Bye Bye Carl Pavano. Ok so he isn't officially gone but heres hoping. Just thinking about him pisses me off. I know that I should be more sympathetic to the guy but I am not. He was a waste of money and a spot on the roster and that pisses me off. He said that he is not surprised that the Yanks bought him. Gee...how in the hell did he figure that one out? Maybe it was the perpetual boo-ing that he recieved from seriously disappointed fans like me.

But one cannot be happy about the newest free agency news that has hit the presses. So today I read that the Dodgers offered Manny Ramirez the second largest contract in baseball (just behind the greatest choker in the baseball...A-Rod). Now Manny has not accepted it however one has to wonder how he could turn it down. This actually bums me out because I was actually kind of hoping that he would be in pinstripes. Oh well.

And finally in the world of Yankee free agency...Andy Pettitte filed today as well. He said that he felt compelled to do it after being vocal about his desire to remain with the greatest organization in sports and them not being vocal about keeping him. I actually feel pretty bad for him and understand his actions. It sucks when you are waiting for the phone call that never comes. Silence can drive anyone to act out loudly in return. The problem is that it rarely works out the way that you hope it will. Poor Andy.

Football wise...I have no compliants. Of course...the Giants/Eagles game is far from over so that might change. There is really just one major moment of note to mention from the NFL this week...and it is all about Peyton and the Colts. It is always a good thing when the Colts win but it is even better when they do it in a momentus game like today. 40 years is a long time to go without a win anywhere.

And if that isn't enough...I was blessed to see three new Peyton commercials...so today has been a good day. Vote for your favorite!









Nothing like great sports to top off a great weekend. Things are good in the world of Millie.

I'm Lost In A World Made For You & Me

Happy Monday folks. Hopefully yours was a little bit better than mine. I am so frustrated with my knee that I would do just about anything to make it feel better. So let's shuffle.

I Hear A Symphony by The Supremes: For whatever reason I grew up listening to a lot of The Supremes. I think that is why I have been singing this song for years. Try to listen to it without singing along. It is a wonderfully upbeat love song that makes love seem like the greatest feeling ever. In a way it is refreshing because you can relate to the wonderful feelings described in the song. The new and exciting feelings, you joy you feel when your lips touch, the strong desire for the feelings to never end, etc. The only problem with this song is that is awfully one-sided. Of course, I doubt that it would be as much fun to sing if it was a bitter song. Best Line: "You bring much joy within, don't let this feeling end, let it go on and on and on."

This Is Halloween by Marilyn Manson: OK so this song is a wonderfully creepy to begin with. Throw in Marilyn Manson and it goes from wonderfully creepy to just plain creepy. I downloaded it for the CD that I made for my unit's Halloween party last week and then decided not to use it as it seemed like it was a bit over the top. Don't get me wrong...I love this version but it somehow seemed inappropriate for a work gathering. Listen to it once and tell me that you don't get the chills. Best Line: "I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"

Paradise City by Guns N Roses: You can never go wrong with some GNR. Picking a favorite GNR song is tough because almost everything that they put is pretty damn good. So let's just say in the right mood, this is my favorite song. Lyrically it is a bit tough to understand because of how fast Axl sings but that is OK. Between him and Slash they find a way to make it impossible not to rock out to this song. Whenever I hear this song I always think of Can't Hardly Wait and I smile. I love when geeks get their moment to be cool. Best Line: "I must be losin' my mind "Are you blind?", I've seen it all a million times".

Christie Road by Green Day: If you don't know this song...you cannot call yourself a real Green Day fan. Whenever I reflect on the days of my youth...I realize that I had it pretty damn good. I had tons of freedom, never wanted anything that I didn't get, went to the best parties, landed and held onto one of the more desired guys in the city's A crowd, and had some wonderful friends. If I had any enemies(and looking back I am sure that did)...I didn't know about them. So yeah, I had it good. And yet like all teenage girls I still had my moments when I wanted to run away from all of it. It was moments like that when I would crank this song up and sing along with Billie Joe. I used to think that he was singing to me when I would hear this song. It really felt like he was singing the thoughts that were floating through my head. Sometimes I just wanted to get away but I wasn't sure where. Towards the beginning of the song, Billie sings of the loneliness of your friends being gone. And that's when it was tough for me when I was younger. I would spend the entire surrounded by people and was never alone. But eventually night would come and the truth is that the silence and loneliness scared me. Many nights I would fall asleep while on the phone, leaving some poor friend to realize that I wasn't answering anymore. The loyal ones would leave their phone off the hook so the dial tone wouldn't wake me. But I digress....Christie Road was my crutch in those rare moments when not one else was around. I suspect that many a person who grew up in my time felt the same comfort I did whenever listening to this song. If not, I am sorry that they never did. Best Line: "So I sit here patiently watching the clock tick so slowly, gotta get away or my brains will explode."

What Planet Are We On?

OK...can anyone tell me how in the hell Kerry Collins is leading the #1 team in football?

Seriously...I don't get it.

How can Kerry FREAKIN Collins and the Titans have the best record football while Peyton and Colts are barely.500?

Once we solve this one we'll move onto how in terrible the NFC West is that the Cardinals are in first place.

Something is seriously whacky in the world of football folks.

It vexes me.

The Devil In Disguise

Well folks...I hope you all survived the Halloween festivities. In honor of holiday...here is my take on Entertainment Weekly's List of the Top 15 Actors to be play The Devil.

#15 Dave Grohl from Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny: OK so my opinion might be slightly jaded being that I don't like Tenacious D or the Dave Grohl. So that being said...I don't remember this one at all. I think that I saw the movie but can't remember it being great. So thumbs down on this one.

#14 Elizabeth Hurley in Bedazzled: Awesomely bad movie and an excellent devil. No one on the planet would be able to resist Elizabeth Hurley...no one. I know that she is a model and all...but you gotta admit...she is pretty damn funny actress. Definitely one of the better devils.

#13 Trey Parker on South Park: OK so he is not your typical Satan but he is completely awesome! I think the reason that it is a distinctive portray of the Prince of Darkness because you cannot help but sympathize with him. Name one other instances where you actually feel bad for the root of all evil?

#12 Ray Wise in The Reaper: OK now Ray scares the shit out of me. The reason why is because if the devil was ever going to fuck with me...he would be smart to it in this form (or one similar to it). You know what I am talking about...a good looking, funny, charming older man with a killer smile. It would be tough to resist and hence my soul ending up in the depths of hell.

#11 H Jon Benjamin in Lucy, Daughter of the Devil. Never heard of the show so I have no idea.

#10 Jennifer Love Hewitt in Shortcut to Happiness. Never seen it but as far as portraying the devil...it is a good pick. Not saying that Jennifer is evil. I am saying that because just like Elizabeth Hurley...how you could resist giving into temptation with a Devil like that?

#9 Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate: OK so this is my favorite of all of the devils. Why? Because he is a PIMP! Quite honestly...he rocked being the devil and lived the way that Satan should. I mean...if you are going to be bad...why not have fun while doing it? He certainly seemed to thriving in his evilness which made me wonder "Would it really be that bad being damned if you got to tag along with this guy?"

#8 Robert De Niro in Angel Heart: Never seen and never will due to my protest of all things containing Mickey Rourke. EW says that Bobby nailed the role...which is good for him.

#7 Vincent Price in The Story of Mankind: Never seen it. But just seeing the picture has revitalized my commitment to work my way through the entire Vincent Price collection. What a creepy looking SOB.

#6 John Glover in Brimstone: Never seen it but I am quite certain that I would have loved it. John Glover is DA BOMB so it is bound to be entertaining. Remember how convincing he was when he was evil Lionel Luthor?

#5 Viggo Mortensen in The Prophesy: As if the Lord of the Rings Trilogy didn't give the world enough...it also gave me the motivation to watch every movie ever made with Viggo...hence the reason that I have seen this movie. Let me just come right out and say it...I would stand no chance of resistance against Viggo as the devil. An eternity in hell would be worth it for Viggo. He is just too damn sexy to say no to. Viggo is amazing actor...and he was amazing in this role as well in spite of not being scary. He is too damn sexy to be feared.

#4 Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick. Another awesomely scary devil. He has the charming older man thing going on too which makes him a little bit scary too.

#3 Peter Stormare from Constantine: Give me a break. I can't be the only person who thought that this is one of the worst movies ever. It has to be one of the greatest mistakes in Keanu's career...and anyone who has seen The Lakehouse knows that that's saying something. As far as Peter goes...I hated the movie so much that I cannot help but dislike his performance.

#12 Gabriel Byrne in End of Days: Dreadful movie but decent performance. Something about his eyes just creeps the hell out of him. He just looks kind of evil.

#1 Alan Cumming in God, The Devil, and Bob: Never seen it but Alan is usually pretty damn funny so it is probably fairly good.

The only few that I can think that were left are:

Harvey Keitel in Little Nicky: Once again...terrible movie but good casting. Harvey has to be related to Satan.

Rosalinda Celentano in The Passion of the Christ: She scared the shit out of me. I swear I thought I saw her creepy face in window reflections for at least a month after watching this movie.

And of course...Ned Flanders on The Simpsons: He is the last person that anyone would expect to be the devil...and probably the first one what we should...based on the theory of "Thou protest too much".

The Winner Gets To Go To McDonalds

So if you have watching any of the professional sports that have been on TV over the past couple of weeks...you have no doubt seen the commercial for Guitar Hero: World Tour. Just in case you haven't...here it is.




Now you all know that I love professional athletes. You probably also know that I love Guitar Hero. So for me...this commercial is one of the best ones that I have seen all year.

Let's start with A-Rod. A-Rod is a totally unexpected member of the "band" which makes it so awesome. Alex's major downfall in life is the fact that he is arrogant SOB but he somehow manages not to come off that in this commercial. He genuinely seems to be having a good time and that is why he works in this commercial. When he first slid out I thought "No way!" because I couldn't imagine A-Rod allowing himself to be seen acting so silly. He even flashes that same smile that I saw back in May when I forgave him for being the most notorious choker in Yankee history. Bottom line...I love him in this commercial.

Then came Tony Hawk. I have no real opinions regarding Tony...professionally or regarding this commercial. I do think that they could have found someone better...someone like Peyton or Eli. Just saying.....

Next is Michael Phelps which was totally awesome. I loved seeing him rocking out on the guitar...especially when he and A-Rod are jamming while laying on the couches.

But then came Kobe. At the risk of opening myself up for abuse...I will admit that I am kind of a Kobe fan...at least of his commercials. In this particular commercial....he is FREAKIN' AWESOME! He totally channeled his inner geek for this one and he looked amazing doing it! Seeing him own that song made me feel like I could hang with him. He sang, he danced, he hammed it up for the entire commercial. I could spend hours trying to explain how cool it is...but I won't. Watch it and see. Let's just say that the geek in me is totally crushing on Kobe in this commercial.

Which reminds me of a commercial from earlier in Kobe's career.




I have yet to find anyone who understands my feelings regarding this commercial...but hear me out. The first time I saw this commercial....I cried. Watching it now...I still get teary eyed. Perhaps it is the whole "helping out kids thing" but it chokes me up every time. I crushed on Kobe for a good year after seeing this one for the first time.

So let's hear it for Kobe...who is just behind Peyton and Derek as the greatest pro-athletes who also make commercials.

Oh...and let's hear it for the Phillies! I am happy that they won the World Series...and not just because they are not the Red Sux.

We Were So Young...All For One and One For All

Sorry for the hiatus....and thanks for the emails and calls.

So in effort to get myself back on track....here is a special Tuesday edition of iPod Shuffle.

Blood on Blood by Bon Jovi - This song really doesn't get the credit that it deserves. I think that it is because New Jersey is one of the greatest album of all time. It contains so many absolutely outstanding songs that one was bound to be overlooked. Vocally Jon rocks the hell out of this song. Dino and I were lucky enough to see this song performed live when we saw Bon Jovi in Vancouver...at least I thought we were lucky to have seen and heard it live. It remember getting a little teary-eyed because it is a rather personal song. Listening to this song there should be no doubt that Jon is one of the best singers out there. Lyrically it is pretty damn good because it is descriptive enough that you can actually imagine a young Jon running around with his young friends. But even better....the lyrics provoke reflections on your own days of youth and friends who were there. One really must consider themselves lucky if even one of those friends is still around later. I am lucky to have more than one of them still in my life. And based on the fact that both of them spend several hours on the phone with me over the past week, I would say that there is a lot of truth to this song. So I dedicate the best line of sing to those of you who sacrificed a lot of sleep for me last week.. Best Line: "Through the years and miles between us it's been a long and lonely ride but if I got a call in the dead of the night, I'd be right by your side."

Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins - Hearing this song kind of pisses me off because I am reminded of how talented the Smashing Pumpkins were and how much it sucks that they are no longer together. I almost feel cheated. Oh well. This song is bitter...but I am not exactly sure why. But it was by far one of the better self-loathing alternative rock songs that came out during the 90s. I think that I didn't appreciate it during its heyday because it was a little too dark but now I appreciate its opening line...as I have fallen for it many a time. Truth be told...it creeps me out as it seems kind Ted Bundy-ish. Still a good tune though...creepy stalkerness aside. Best Line: "Disarm you with a smile and leave you like they left me here to wither in denial, the bitterness of one who's left alone."

I Get Lonely by Janet Jackson - I think this might be the last song by Janet Jackson that I actually liked. The title is accurate as it is all about being lonely. More importantly it captures what goes into being lonely. Only someone who has ever been lonely can describe the feeling of loneliness. From the sitting by the phone waiting for the call to know that everything is okay. Only someone who is changed by meeting someone can recall the little details such the day of the week that you met that person. This song is a very sexy song about the desperate desire for that one special person. It captures how no matter how miserable the wait is...you do it anyway because you know that it will be worth the wait. Best Line: "Holdin myself close, pretendin my arms are yours...I want no one but you."

Real Love by Mary J Blige - There is only reason why this song is on my iPod....because it makes me laugh. There is only part of the song that does this and I know for a fact that there is only one other person who knows what I am talking about. Thank goodness for the "Old Skool lunch hour" and the memories that it created. All that being said...it is not a bad song...but Mary has definitely gotten better with time. I am not even sure how to write out the best line but I will do my best. Best Line: "I-----ahhh--------'m seachin' for a real love."

Got My Mind Set On You by George Harrison - Tough luck Dino but this song reminds me too much of you not to share it with my readers. So one night Dino and I were driving somewhere when this song came on the iPod. I was trying to remind Dino what an awesome video this song had and mentioned that it was by George Harrison. Dino never remembered the video by said that he liked George...especially his song "Faith". So after a few minutes of laughing so hard that I was in tears and almost wrecked the car, I was able to compose myself enough in order to let him know that he had confused the former Beatle with the guy from Wham! who went on to sing "I Want Your Sex". When I hear this song now, nothing has changed. I still think that the video was damn awesome and I still laugh as I try to picture George Harrison singing "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go." Best Line: "Its gonna take time....a whole lot of precious time....its going to take patience and time". Ok so maybe not the best line but there really isn't that much to work with.

Once again...for the record...I still love Joba and am still a loyal fan.