Lock the Door...Pretend You're Safe

Is Tamara there?

Are you sure?

See you later...

As previously mentioned posted...there is one way that is guaranteed to make me stop feeling sad...no matter what....and that is a scary movie. It truly is impossible to feel sad when you are terrified. So that is what I did and here is my review of The Strangers. I knew that it was going to be good based off of the fact that the previews freaked me out. As long as the previews hadn't showed all of the scary parts...I would leave the theater looking over my shoulder and walking fast out of fear.

So you have Liv Tyler as Kristen and Scott Speedman as James...and they are the somewhat troubled couple who are "home". They spend the next 90 minutes trying to stay alive in spite of three insane people in masks who are taking their sweet time in finishing them off. The movie is truly terrifying and not terribly gory...which is a rare feat in film today. Here is why it works...

(POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT)

So there is the obvious angle of the whole thing happening in the safety of one's home. OK so techincally it is a summer home but when you think about it...that actually makes it slightly more scary. Think about it...vacations are supposed to be relaxing and typically your guard is down because you are relaxed. More importantly...how much would it suck for the madness to be occuring at the safe and fun place from your childhood? But back to the point... it is happening in one's home...the place where one should feel the safest. I know that I always feel safer once I've walked through my door and promptly locked it behind me. But what if the very thing that you are afraid of is already inside? Guess what...You're pretty much fucked.

Another part that scared the hell out of me was how incredibly smart "The Strangers" were. It wasn't like they were brainless zombies or lunatics. "The Strangers" were incredibly smart and that sends chills up my spine. From the way that they returned James' cellphone so quietly...sans the battery to the way that managed to keep sneaking back into the house unnoticed to do little creepy things like turn on the record player..clearly they were fairly bright cookies.

Creepiest of all in the opinion of Millie the Geek is the fact that there were three "Strangers" and of those three...two were women. Sure that is probably incredibly sexist of me to say it but there is something really, really creepy about two women helping to torture a young couple with no real reason for doing so. Not to say that I don't think that women are capable of committing such heinous acts...but it is almost always fueled by jealousy and/or love. Rarely it is unprovoked. Random acts of violence tend to be a man thing. Yet there were the two young women being just as evil as the man they were with.

Liv owned her role as Kristen...largely in part thanks to her big blue eyes. She was born to look vulnerable and therefore she sold that she spent the entire movie in fear for her life. She never did anything out right foolish throughout the movie but she was not a smart heroine. She was average with worked for the role. I mean...how does one prepare to combat something as terrible as being tortured in your own home?

James was awesome. He was a total gentleman in spite of his broken heart, smart, tough, and completely sexy. I knew he was doomed but damn it all I really wanted him to make it.

The scare scenes were scary...the death scenes were gory but not overly so...and the storyline was believable....so overall the film was pretty damn awesome. Definitely worth seeing.

"Why are you doing this?

"Because you were home."

Oh...and don't forget that the story is based on actual events. That little fact increases the fear factor tremendously.

Let It Out and Move On

OK...so I posted a well-written Star Wars related post tonight...read it and realized that I had better pull the post. It was too dark of a posting and would get me referred to worklife or even worse...result in a paranoid phone call from my parents. (Email me if really want to read it). So instead...here is a complimentary shuffle. It is sort of like when baseball has a rain delay and so you end up watching an episode of Will & Grace instead.

Sally's Song Catherine O'Hara (137) - I love The Nightmare Before Christmas...specifically this song. Sally is probably my favorite fictional heroine. She was one smart and tough cookie...and yet so sad. Tonight especially...I feel Sally's pain. The best line of the song is the opening line...which makes it all the more awesome. Best line: "I sense there's something in the wind...that feels like tragedy's at hand." It is the type of 1st line that really hooks the listener.

Cradle of Love by Billy Idol (195) - I LOVE this song. It is the best song by any Billy...there I said it. ;>) AU I was actually singing this song in the car this morning...when I was still somewhat upbeat...completely unaware that the day would be one of the worst in a long time. I love this song because it is extremely sexy though I can't exactly say why.

Try Me by James Brown (245) - Love songs...they just don't make them like they used to. This is another song that I hear and immediately shut my eyes to better see the one that always comes to mind from the moment I hear the 1st note. There is no real reason for it since there is no connection between the two but it doesn't stop me from wishing that there was. I suspect that this song would be perfect to slow dance to...just as I suspect that I will never know for sure. Best line: "Darling tell me...I need you."

I Grieve by Peter Gabriel (174) - I don't know about the rest of you...but I always think of Nicholas Cage's character Seth in City of Angels when I hear this song. Remember how completely crushed he was by the loss of Maggie? I always picture the devastated yet determined look on his face at the market as he loaded his basket with pears as this song played in the background. He had tears in his eyes as he grabbed pear after pear, clearly fueled by his rage and pain. It might be my favorite Cage scene ever...as I totally bought it. I remember several of my guys friends making fun of this scene...(what else did I expect from teenage boys?) and yet I will always remember the tender way two of those insensitive jerks (kidding my dear friends) sang part of this song this to me at my saddest hour. Much like Seth in the movie...this song ended up giving me comfort...which is why it totally kicks ass. Best line: "Did I dream this belief or did I believe this dream?"

Of course...one must sleep in order to dream.

Baseball Overdose

No real blog tonight folks as I am off to Safeco for more baseball goodness.

It might seem a little weird that I will be cheering my heart for the team that I was just against three days ago but the fact is that I must fight evil at all costs.

Besides…One cannot pass up an opportunity to boo Manny Ramirez…no matter how tired one feels.

It's Up To You...NEW YORK!

Where to begin? It is hard to say because I crammed a lot into a very short period of time. In honor of my self-diagnosed ADD...here is a completely random recap of the weekend.

Let's start with the Hartford Airport...which totally suuuucks! It might be my least favorite airport ever. It wasn't too bad when I got there but leaving was a damn nightmare. From my battle with the ticket counter lady over my departure ticket. She seemed to think that I hadn't paid for my ticket and when I asked how I got to CT in the 1st place if I hadn't paid for my ticket her response was..."Umm that is weird huh?" It eventually got sorted out. Then there was the search that TSA conducted right outside of the gate. Yep that is right...I made it through the 1st security check point with no problems but then had to get searched at the gate....patted down and everything. I am all for security...but this seemed like some serious overkill. Either they don't trust their agents at the first gate or they think that the average traveler can channel Macgyver and make something evil out of novelties sold in the Hudson News Gift Shop. Whatever. Minor inconvenience really except for trying to cram all of my Yankee stuff back into my seriously overstuffed bag.

The actual goal of the trip was easily accomplished. (No not the Jeter the thing...more on him later.) I now have a place to live when I move out to CT so that is one major victory in the world of Millie.

Moving on...

WTF is wrong with this Elmo? Well...I discovered the answer to this question after Elmo agreed to pose for a picture with MC. As I reached to take the picture back, Elmo grabbed me by the wrist and informed me that he was "fucking homeless" and wanted a dollar. In true Millie the Tourist form...I honestly had no cash on me as I had spent most of it on cab fare. Elmo seemed to have no intention of letting go of me and I could already imagine the headlines..."Coastie Tourist beaten by Elmo on Broadway over a buck!" Then I got a bright idea and settled my picture-taking tab with Elmo by giving him my Metrocard. The damn thing wasn't getting me where I wanted anyway so it was no real loss.

Ahhh the Subway...I got lost twice riding it but by the end...I think I finally got the hang of it. In fact...I think that I would have been a pro if I had one more day. It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Considering that I watch an obscene amount of the various Law and Order series...I think the fact that I even got on the damn thing is a pretty major accomplishment in itself. I did have a brief moment of panic when some guy wouldn't stop talking to me about why I was in the city and where I was headed via what route...etc....so I jumped off at the next stop and waited for the next one to come along. I am sure that he was probably just being friendly but I had no intention of finding out if I was being paranoid or smart. Good times.

Meeting Andrew...which was awesome. He was very bit as brilliant as I expected him to be and incredibly nice...which I also expected but was pleased to be proven right about. I think that it went well because thanks to blogging, Facebook, and email...we had already gotten the basic stuff out of the way to keep the first face-to-face from being awkward. It was awesome and exciting to talk to someone who speaks "pop culture geek speak" so well. By all rights...Andrew has every right to be cocky considering that he is the greatest mind in pop culture...yet he wasn't. He is probably one of the nicest guys I've met in a long time...and he doesn't flaunt the fact that he is a pop culture genius. In fact...he is quite humble about the whole thing and didn't even mention the WSOPC thing and refused to spend more than a few minutes talking about it after I brought it up. The highlight was when he was getting ready to take his pic with MC and asked which smile I preferred. I can't remember what the 1st option was...but the 2nd choice was "Painfully white geek trying to look cool"...which is most often the look I go for when taking pictures. (In fact...there is only one person who has ever seen the other Millie look used in pictures and has already deleted them.) But I digress...I enjoyed meeting Andrew and I am even more of the guy now that I have meet him in person. Birds of feather indeed.

The train to NYC...what an experience that was. Every now and then I have a completely boneheaded moment and make an outright foolish choice that I should have known better than to do. In this case...it was deviating from the plan. My plan was to take the damn train from New Haven to Grand Central Station and then take the Subway to Yankee Stadium. But no...I had to be a dumb ass and get off at the 1st stop. For the record...it was the 100 or so other fans who got off at that stop that convinced me that it was a good idea. It wasn't and I ended up wandering the streets of Harlem by myself. The upside of this situation was that I was able to make good on my promise to OSCS S and hail a cab and tell the driver to get me somewhere quick. He got me to Yankee Stadium in like 5 mins which was awesome! Granted I was only there for all of three minutes but Harlem wasn't nearly as scary as I had expected.

Yankee Stadium...it is hard to put the experience into words. I have seen it at least a half dozen times before but something about this time made it special. Probably because I doubt that I will see it again. But as I walked up and saw those blue letters...I had my 1st emotional moment of the day as I paused for a moment in awe. I quickly regained my composure and snapped the 1st picture of MC at Yankee Stadium.

I was actually the 3rd person in my line to get into the game which was kind of cool...or kind of lame depending on who you ask. The awesome part of it was that it was umbrella day at the stadium and got a cool "Final Season" umbrella. I booked it over to Monument Park but was not able to get in because so many other people had the same idea and they closed the line. Oh well. So I went to field for Yankee batting practice. I talked my way down to the front row seats in order to get some good pictures....and it was absolutely overwhelming.

I did make my second marriage proposal to Derek Jeter. Once again...he didn't say yes but he didn't say no...so I consider it to be a victory. Never mind that unlike the 1st time I asked him...I am not certain that he heard me this time. Either way...the important thing is that he still hasn't said no which means there is a still a chance! Let there be no doubt that Derek was painfully good looking in person. I was maybe ten feet away from him and the only thing that stopped me from well...you know...was the extremely large security guard who was eyeing all of us fans very closely.

Then came A-Rod. It is no secret that I have had my issues with A-Rod in the past...and I never expected that I would ever make my peace with him. Yet as he walked over to start signing autographs...something changed. A-Rod was standing directly in front of me...if I would have reached up...I could have touched him...yet I couldn't move. I couldn't move to get my camera or pen...all I could was stare at him. I am not sure what it was...but I was star-struck. (Before you judge...consider that he is the greatest player in baseball at the moment...standing there in pinstripes.) Then he smiled and suddenly everything was different. It wasn't even like he smiled at me...he just smiled at his fans...and they were smiling back. I stood there like a dumb ass for the next few minutes as he signed baseballs and programs...and kept staring at him as he walked back to his teammates. As I saw him start joking with Robinson Cano...I realized that my hatred for him died the moment I saw him smile. Sure he makes more money than any man should...and all of the things that made me hate him some much before are still real reasons for concern...but the hatred is gone. In spite of everything...that smile healed all. I saw him as man who loves what he does and God bless him...he is damn good at it. The smile was genuine and something about that melted my heart for the guy. By the time I left the stadium...I walked out with A-Rod baseball bracelet among my tons of Yankee merchandise. It wasn't until the train ride home that I realized that I should have gotten a picture of him with the MC pic. Damn it all. But just to be clear...In spite of my forgiveness of A-Rod...my love for Jeter is as strong as ever. He is damn amazing!

Finally...the last thing part of the trip that is worth mentioning is my issue with McDonalds. By in all...McDonald's sucks. Yet I found myself eating it 3 times during the weekend for one reason...McD's Sweet Tea. I LOVE sweet tea and it is damn impossible to find in Seattle...yet on the east coast you can get at the McDonald's drive-thru. How unfair is that??? And that is just one of the many reasons why I cannot wait until I move either permanently!

I'm Looking Forward To The Future But My Eye Sight's Going Bad

In light of the excitement and thus total exhaustion from my trip to the east coast...I seriously considered skipping tonight's shuffle in favor of my random recap of my journey. Tempting though it was...I must honor what few traditions that I have...so let's shuffle.

Thnks fr the Mmrs by Fall Out Boy (298) -Seriously...I love Fall Out Boy. I am not sure why it is someone taboo to admit but the fact is that I think that are excellent. Lyrically they manage to paint whatever image they are singing about better than most new bands that are currently around. Their songs always rock and are almost always cleverly titled. And as mentioned before...Patrick Stump is one of the two strongest male vocalist at the moment. So someone tell me why mentioned anything other than hatred for the band on the Internet results in a serious decline in pop culture cred? This is my favorite FOB song because it gives me a false sense of strength. Maybe one day... For this particular song I will not use the best line...so let's go with the 2nd Best line: "In these crystal balls...It's always cloudy...Except when you look into the past."

Lonely No More by Rob Thomas (32) - This is the song that made Rob Thomas for me. Until this song I simply viewed him as the lead singer of an overrated band. Yet this solo attempt came out and he went from lame to bonafide superstar. The video was sexy and the song even sexier. I still think that Matchbox 20 is overrated but I have a great deal of affection for Rob. The thing that makes this song so sexy is the fact that it oozes vulnerability and you know what a sucker I am for songs with that theme. It is a pretty easy concept to get on board with because honestly...who does want to be lonely? The best line of the song is one that stings me the most. "Now it seems to me that you know just what to say but words are only words...Can you show me something else?" I am not sure why I don't listen to this song more often...probably because I kinda forgot about it until it came on the shuffle tonight. I have added it to My Top Rated because it is worthy of more than 32 plays on my iPod.

Loungin' (Who Do Ya Luv?) by LL Cool J (45) - WTF is up with this song? Seriously...it is a hot song with one exception and honestly...that one part just ruins it for me. In the chorus of the song, LL can be heard whispering "I wanna laugh at you...I do what I gotta do." WTF LL? You are trying to seduce a love-deprived woman by telling her that you want to laugh at her? Where is the fucking romance in that? I have asked just about everyone I know in the pop culture world for their take on this line and short of LL wanting to demonstrate that his the Alpha Pimp...no other answer can be supplied. Seriously though...the song is awesome and totally groovable but I just can't get over the whole "I wanna laugh at you".

Fidelity by Regina Spektor (189) - God help me but I love this song...in spite of the fact that even I recognize how truly annoying it is. The vocals are down right terrible but the lyrics seem to be another song taken straight from the heart of Millie. I think that the reason that I like this song so much is because it makes me feel better to know that I am not the only person whose head is filled with music. It doesn't make me any less crazy but at least I have some company in my insanity. Best line: "I hear in my mind all this music and it breaks my heart." Some days it is down right miserable to listen to my iPod because every song makes me think of things that break my heart and it sucks. Being a music fiend has it ups and downs and the biggest down is once you associate a person or memory with a song...it is doomed to be that way forever. Soon songs that you once loved and couldn't listen to enough like Honey & the Moon and Romeo and Juliet make you want to throw the damn iPod against the wall. This song makes me think that I am not alone in this situation.

I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) by Daryl Hall and John Oates (19) - Just to be clear...I am not a fan of this song nor the weird guys singing it. I am not sure what it is doing on my iPod. The only reason that it stays is because it is now one of many songs that reminds me of Dino and makes me laugh as a result. Every time I hear this song I think of me trying to sing it to him when he said that he didn't know who Hall and Oates were. Everyone laughed but he still didn't know who I was talking about. So it stays for purely sentimental reasons in honor of my dear friend. Seriously though...I still don't understand what the big deal about this song is. I think it sucks.

Highlights from the trip tomorrow...

Whatta Man! Whatta Man! Whatta Man! Whatta Mighty Good Man!

It takes more than a fast pitch from some Orioles jerk to keep Jeter out of the lineup.

Thank goodness...as I would have been really pissed if he was forced to sit out of Sunday's game become some asshole hit him with a pitch.

I have a new player to hate...

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

So honestly...I was bumming pretty hard by mid day. Luckily...Dino is an awesome enough of a friend to drag my emotional ass out of the office for an afternoon of fun with the gang. It was totally awesome!

Highlights of the day include:

Hitting a hole in one!

Spinning Josiah not once but twice in go-karts. (Never mind that we were not supposed to hit each other.)

Screaming like a little bitch for the second year in a row with my dear friend Charlene on the giant swing.

Somehow managing to earn one of the only two negative scores in Laser Tag. (How in the hell does one end up with a negative score?) The best part of the negative score is that the only other person to get a negative score was Dino whose company I love to be in...even if it means getting our asses handed to us after I had talked an obscene amount of shit.

And how could one be bummed out when playing Dance Dance Revolution even though the guys whooped the girls?!?!!?

Let The Rain Fall...I Don't Care

Its Monday and you know what that means...Another healthy dose of Monday Night Shuffle!

Let's get started!

Macy's Day Parade by Green Day (142) - For all of my mixed feelings towards Billie Joe...the man can write one hell of song. The emotion and the sincerity of this song makes it one of my favorite Green Day songs. It was never exactly mainstream and in spite of having seen Green Day four times in concert, I have never seen it live. I suspect that if I ever had it would have given me chills...possibly even moved me to tears. I am surprised that the playcount is as high as it is because if I hear it in on the wrong (right?) day...it will make me cry. So again...in spite of our differences in opinions...Billie Joe and I seem to be similar creatures and this song is just another example of how so. Best line: "Because I'm thinking about a brand new hope, the one I've never known cause now I know it's all that I wanted."

Mockingbird by Eminem (46) - Much like Timbaland...Eminem is another King Midas of the music world. I admit that I love his goofy songs but this song proves that he is more than a goofy white boy rapper. The whole song is heartfelt confession and devotion to his daughter which is awesome but in the end he reminds everyone that he is still a bad ass. Even if you don't like rap music, I challenge you to say that this song isn't pretty damn great. Best line: "Everything's gonna be alright, stiffen that upper lip up little lady, I told ya, Daddy's here to hold ya through the night."

Dust in the Wind by Kansas (33) - Honestly...I was never really a fan of this song until it was used in Old School. Being that Old School was the last Will Ferrell movie that I could tolerate...it seems oddly appropriate. So until recently I would hear this song and think of that movie and smile. As of a month ago...that all changed. Recently I compared someone I deeply respect to "Blue" because he was going to event where he would be the oldest person and therefore the "Blue" of the group. When I explained this the people around me...no one got the reference (FOR SHAME!). Luckily...Dino came back and understood the joke and I finally got my well deserved (in my opinion) laugh. Best line: "All we are is dust in the wind, ohhhhhhh." You're my boy Blue indeed!

Brighter Than Sunshine by Aqualung (154) -When this song was first released it took me some time to appreciate it. In fact, I thought that it was insanely annoying because the guy singing it just seemed to be whining. Then I discovered that if you ignore his voice and focus on the words, it is a pretty damn good song. In fact, it is quite romantic and you know what a sucker I am for romantic songs. The simplicity of the lyrics is what makes it so romantic. When you are that blinded by passion you really could care less if it is raining as you wander the streets of an unfamiliar town because the excitement of the person you are with is greater than any kind of weather. That passion can compel you to reach over and touch that person no matter who is looking even it is on a busy street corner and this song seems to understand that desire. Even better, this song seems to capture the feeling of excitement that comes when all of this passion is discovered after the person has given up on the idea of romance and passion. How awesome is that? Best line: "I didn't have the strength to fight, suddenly you seemed so right, Me and you... what a feeling."

Say It Again by Marie Digby (51) - And here is yet another song introduced into my world courtesy of Smallville. It is another sweet song of love that it is catchy and easy to sing. In fact, it has recently become one of my favorite songs to sing as I am dancing around my kitchen while cooking dinner after a pleasant afternoon. Vocally it is average but the lyrics are simple and real which makes it an easy song to enjoy. Best line: "And never in my whole life have I heard words as beautiful as when you say my name."

Even Though I Know How Very Far Apart We Are...

Sunday Potpourri:

$200 - Look into my eyes and you will see what you mean to me.

$400 - Well baby I surrender to the strawberry ice cream never ever end of all this love, well I didn't mean to do it but there's no escaping your love.

$600 - Feel your breath on my face, your body close to me, can't look in your eyes, you're out of my league.

$800 - You've gone a million miles...How far'd you get? To that place where you can't remember and you can't forget.

$1000 - Beneath the pale moonlight some one's thinking of me and loving me tonight.

Bonus: What is the common theme?

And on a totally unrelated matter...

Baseball fans are a buzz after Jason Giambi's somewhat weird admission that he sometimes wears a gold thong in effort to break his bad hitting streak. Being that he is still hitting below .200 I would say that it is either he is currently not wearing it or it is clearly not working. Personally, I don't care if bats commando, in a thong, or wrapped in aluminum foil...as long as he bats at least .250 which he has failed to do all season. His teammates were all aware of the "lucky gold thong" and don't find it strange...which is cool in the sense that at least they are supportive of him. If the story would have stopped there I would find it kinda cool and would be able to defend it in the morning as no doubt the Red Sux fans in my office are itching to give me shit about this one. I could have easily defended this however it was taken one step too far when it was announced that teammates Johnny Damon and my beloved Derek Jeter have also trying wearing the thong for luck.

WTF? Isn't there some sort of rule that men don't share underwear...specifically a thong? I mean, there is something kind sexy about the thought of any of the 3 in a thong but NOT THE 3 OF THEM IN SAME THONG!!!! WTF?

Somedays it is hard to be Yankee fan. Them losing 11 to 2 to the damn Mets doesn't help. I am glad that I stopped watching the game when I did. Of course, how could I not choose Strider over Jeter?

Name That Tune...Name The Theme

I know that will the ease of the Internet that you can easily cheat and get the answers. So be it.

$100 - Well the dogs were barking at a new moon, whistling a new tune...Hoping it would come soon and the sun was wondering if it should stay away for a day til the feeling went away.

$200 - On my knees, I'll ask... last chance for one last dance. 'Cause with you, I'd withstand, all of hell to hold your hand.

$300 - Idealistic will so hard to please...put your indecisive mind at ease.

$400 - Less concerned about fitting into the world...Your world that is, cause it doesn't really matter anymore (no it doesn't really matter anymore).

$500 - Me and you are subject to the blues now and then but when you take the blues and make a song...You sing them out again.

$600 - I'm on the outside looking in...Let me into your heart.

And the theme is....figure out it.

Is This The Place That I've Been Dreaming Of?

Let's Shuffle!

Call Me When You're Sober by Evanescence (34) - Talk about an outstanding vocal performance! I think that is the main reason why this song is as good as it is. The lyrics are pretty awesome too. There really is something awesome about a tough girl proudly declaring that she has had enough. If I remember the video kicked ass too so this song is an all around winner. Best line: " Can't keep believing, we're only deceiving ourselves and I'm sick of the lie."

Blurry by Puddle of Mudd (62) - I am not sure what it is about this song but it always chokes me up a little bit when I hear it. I know how strange that must seem like a strange to thing to say about a Puddle of Mudd song but there it is. It is not overly passionate and yet the lyrics just get me. It is not a mushy song in spite of the obvious declaration of love which means that you don't feel like a wuss for listening to this song. I guess it is the "power ballad" of alternative rock. Best line: " This pain you gave to me...Take it all away." Dino once told me that the people you love are usually the ones that hurt you the most. He was right. The person who hurts you usually is the one with the power to make it all better.

Somewhere Only We Know by Keane (168) - This song is is kind of creepy to me because once again it feels as if someone looked into my head and heart and wrote a song about the feelings inside. It seems to capture the reality of not really believing in anything but desperately wanting to. I have been blessed to be able to enjoy a few moments of happiness but there are brief and will not last. Best line: "So if you have a minute why don't we go talk about it somewhere only we know?" The "somewhere" in the song is not an actual location just as the somewhere that I long for isn't real either. It is a emotional state that is wonderfully and dangerously addictive. Hearing this song live is pretty damn amazing. I don't care what anyone says...Keane is awesome!

This Must Be The Place by Talking Heads (54) - I have no real feelings about this song. It is decent and clearly I liked it enough at some point to download it but I really can't think of much to say about it. In the right mood I will dance around to it but not often. It is a much better song to listen to when you are focusing on something else. The melody is kind of soothing so that is a plus. And that really is all I have to say about this song. Best line is tough but I will go with "Did I find you or did you find me?"

Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches & Herb (141) - If I had a dollar for every time I near fell in the shower dancing to this song...I would be a rich girl. It is impossible not to dance to this song. It is one of my favorite disco dancing songs. Hearing it always puts a smile on my face as I always remember Bobby braving the Duke City Disco Dance Off for me when no else (no names need be mentioned here) would and we took 4th overall. We owned this song on the floor and had this been the final song of the competition we would have won. A true friend will wear a fake wig and red polyester flare pants in spite of the fact that cameras would no doubt be present. Best Line: "There's nothing more that I'd like to do than take the floor and dance with you."

Into The Light

So as much as I bitched about Crabby....clearly I cared for the damn cat because I have been a mess over putting her down all day. I didn't really think that the vet was going to tell to me that it was time to put her down. I was fully prepared for them to tell me that we could up her meds or something else outrageously expensive. In turn I would cave in spite of the shocking price tag and we would get at least another month of Crabby's presence. I immediately started to cry when the vet told me that nothing could save my evil bitch of a cat.

As evil as she was...she had her moments. I have fond memories of her trying to be nice and maybe that is what I will miss the most. Those rare moments when it wasn't blatantly obvious that she was the spawn of Satan...rare though they were made all of the other evil stuff worth it.

As the vet left the room to let me say goodbye, I couldn't help but smile through my tears as I picked her up and in true Crabby fashion she bitched slapped me. So I held her paws so she couldn't repeat the attack and held my poor skinny cat and cried. Then Elizabeth told me that it was time for Crabby to go into the light. The fact that Elizabeth saw that made me see that it was in fact time.

So tonight I say my goodbyes to the cat that I swore at on a daily basis. Evil as she was...I loved her.

Don't Tell Me That You're Sorry Cuz You're Not

As stated in a previous posting, it is rare that new music impresses me. Sure every now and then a new song comes out that doesn't completely suck but it rarely happens that several songs come out at the same time that I enjoy. So here they are and why they kick ass.

Juicebox by The Strokes - OK so I mentioned this song already in my latest Monday Night Shuffle but I really didn't do it justice. This song is awesome! It is face paced and well written. The eighth note bass line is outstanding! It is fiery and repetitive in a great way. It channels punk rock of old with its chorus. Quite honestly...I cannot say anything bad about this song. In fact, I think it is the best that the band has put out to date. Considering how much I love Last Nite and Someday, that really is saying something. Best line: "The old time love song will die so swiftly." A completely download worthy song!

4 Minutes by Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. Once again I have said it before and will no doubt say it again but Timbaland is the King Midas of music. Everything about this song works with the exception of the video. The makes me want to go and do something. I am not sure what exactly but definitely something. Justin does seem somewhat under-utilized in the song but what else can one except when Madonna is attached to the song? The beat is pretty damn awesome as well. I cannot help but dance to it when it comes on. It was very helpful in the garage clean-up yesterday. Best line: "If you feel it, it must be real just say the word and I'm gonna give you what you want." Definitely worth the $0.99 to add to your iPod.

(Pause to give a shout out to my boy Jeter for hitting his 1st home run of the season like two minutes ago. Sure he is the most consistent hitter in the league but maybe now people will get off his ass now that he finally hit one over the wall.)

Take A Bow by Rihanna - I haven't liked a Rihanna song since SOS so this was a nice surprise. I wouldn't have even taken the time to listen to it if not for the fact that I was unable to change the TV channel when it came on. I will say one good thing about not sleeping...you actually get to watch music videos. VH1 and MTV both play music videos when only insomniacs like me are awake. So I heard the song and actually enjoyed it. It is well written unlike most of the recent Rihanna songs and it is amusing. She pulls off the tough-girl role quite well in this case and you know what...I feel tough when I sing it. As I said...a nice surprise song. Best line: "You put on quite a show, really had me going but now its time to go, the curtain's finally closing." Not a song for everyone but for any woman who wants to feel tough.

Believe by The Bravery - Once again...I am pleasantly surprised by the fact that The Bravery was able to follow up their last album with something that didn't suck. It is a actually a really good song. I am not sure if the rest of the album is good but at least this track is good. The lyrics remind me of Makes Me Wonder but that is OK. I think that it is because so many of us are wandering around looking for someone or something to believe in. Whatever the reason for the commonly used theme...it is a good tune. Best line: "I'm hiding from some beast but the beast is always here, watching without eyes because the beast is just my fear." Spend the $0.99 and download the song!

And now...my favorite new song!

I'm Yours by Jason Mraz- Of all of the surprise songs on this list...this one was the biggest surprise. I really really don't like Jason Mraz. In fact, I hated his song Wordplay so much that it made me want to throw things whenever it came on the radio. So this song was another 3am find that almost makes me think that not sleeping isn't a bad thing. It was island music influence in the song that first hooked me but the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. The lyrics are funny and I can relate to them. It has a carefree feeling that I want to embrace. The song makes me want to dance but isn't the type of song that one can dance around to by themselves so oh well. I tried the whole looking in the mirror thing from the song and guess what...I laughed too. It is one of the best tunes of the year so far in my opinion. Best line: "There's no need to complicate...our time is short...this is our fate...I'm yours."

Time to focus on baseball for awhile. If the Yanks lose to the Tiger I am gonna be super pissed off. This is actually my only break of the whole weekend so damn it the Yankees better win!