Beastie Boys - "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)"

This song was the start of a long love affair with The Beastie Boys. MCA (Adam Yauch) is my fave. Because Universal Music Group is, apparently, a really clueless operation, they do not allow anyone to embed the video. They are one of the big music conglomerates who fail to see the promotional value of YouTube and believe they should make LOTS of money from the enterprise. So, here is a link to the awesome, awesome video:

(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)

What was the name of the place a block from the train station that hosted "safe" dances for us teenagers? We used to make them play this every time we went.

Happy New Year, all. Hope you have a happy, healthy and kick ass 2009. I'm hoping I do.

INXS - "Don't Change"

The best INXS song and arguably one of the best songs of the 80s. This was recorded in 1982. I saw INXS on the Listen Like Thieves tour at The Beacon Theater when I was in the 9th grade (with Betsy B. and Rebecca L., if I remember correctly). When I was in 10th grade, I won tickets to see Eric Clapton and Tracy Chapman at MSG by calling in to WNEW and identifying this INXS song. That was cool.

This song is seriously connected to my teen years - not sure why it had such an impact, but it takes me back every time I hear it. It's a bittersweet kind of connection. And Michael Hutchence was one of a kind.

Sponge Bob Perpetual Pants

When is Sponge Bob NOT on television? Seriously? Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a fan, but it's become a running joke in our house because every time O asks if he can watch the show, it's on. I know, we've ruined his brain by letting him watch. I know. And H.R. Pufnstuf did absolutely NO damage to me, so there!



And don't forget Sigmund and the Sea Monsters or Land of the Lost. Good times.

Ah, Sid and Marty Krofft, why are you so awesome?

Does your first real concert count if your mom and little bro go?

Thompson Twins - "Hold Me Now"

I didn't say this would be pretty, did I? Ah, but how I loved this song when I was 13. I can remember listening to this album in the living room of the duplex my mom, brother and myself lived in when my parents separated for the 5th or 6th time. We weren't there long before my dad moved back in with us. Fun times. Not.

In August of 1984, my mother took me to see the Thompson Twins at The Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ (now the PNC Bank Arts Center) - along with my little brother (he was about 9 at the time). Berlin opened and my mom let me sit a few rows in front of her, closer to the stage. The concert was not well attended, as I remember. I almost caught a drumstick the drummer of Berlin tossed into the crowd, and sang along when they played "The Metro." The Thompson Twins put on a pretty good show as I recall, but hey, I was 13 and liked them - a lot. So take that with a teenage grain of salt.

Or, you can listen to David Fricke, who wrote in April of 1984, "...they seemed to aspire to be the Pink Floyd of the white dance floor. Except it's a classy ambition that threatens to burst the bullseye simplicity of what is already a sure-platinum dance attack."

Ah yes, classy - a sure-platinum dance attack. To be fair, he was talking about "Doctor, Doctor," I believe, and not this ballad:

Happy Life Day, Star Wars Geeks!

Ha ha I forgot this existed and now I 'm going to share it with you so you, too, can have it's terribleness burned into your brain. Behold, the Star Wars Holiday Special!! The Wookies celebrate Life Day and Leia sings! Jefferson Starship trips you out with music. Bea Arthur...runs the cantina...and sings. Since it's sort of still Christmas (get out there and spend more money at the post-holiday sales - our retail economy depends on YOU!), I'm only going to make you watch a three-minute clip. I'll provide the link to the full special, in all its glory, at the end of the post. Oh, and look for the first appearance of Snuggies - the blanket with sleeves! - on the Wookies.



You should also read the Vanity Fair article about the 1978 special.

Here the full version. You know you want to watch it.

Happy Holidays!

Day Three - Bowie and Bing

Because it's Christmas Eve - and because I love this song and video, here's Bing Crosby and David Bowie performing "Little Drimmer Boy." I wonder how the wife beater/alcoholic could stand to be around the super cool and talented bi-sexual?



I have several favorite 80s holiday songs...I might post a few more later today and certainly tomorrow.

Day Two - The Lords of New Romance

Day Two - Duran Duran

I loved Duran Duran as a confused 12-year-old and I still love them today. I am not ashamed to admit that John Taylor is the reason I insisted on playing bass guitar as a pre-teen. He's no Geddy Lee, but I still dig his playing - and the ruffled shirts. The walls of my bedroom were covered with pictures ripped out of magazines and giant posters I bought at The Union Market. Sadly, I discovered during my last trip home to NJ that the Union Market is now a Home Depot. There was an Indian food stall that had some of the best samosas I've ever had. Anywho, remember when you actually stayed home so you didn't miss the World Premiere of a video on MTV? Ah, those were the days. I won't bore you with too many installments of early-Eighties romantic pop, but here's one of the songs that started it all for me:

Duran Duran - Girls On Film



The MTV version was always edited, as far as I recall, so I was SUPER excited when my cool aunt in Cali sent me a copy of the VHS tape with the original and uncut version of the video. Good thing my dad never saw it (he wasn't exactly pleased when I rented Monty Python's The Meaning of Life and walked in on the scene in the high school classroom...). I think I have a picture of me with a Duran Duran shirt and a perm somewhere...I'll have to find that.

One more D2 story: When I was in 7th grade, a classmate of mine, Samantha D., had tickets to see Duran Duran at Madison Square Garden (they might have been box seats - her dad got them through his office). Even though I wasn't good friends with Samantha, she asked me to go with her because she knew how much I loved this band. Because the show was on a school night, my mom wouldn't let me go. I have not forgiven her to this day, even though I got to see many other concerts later due to divorce guilt). I never got to see Duran Duran live. I had another opportunity in my twenties when I lived in Hollywood and they were scheduled to play the Hollywood Bowl. Simon LeBon had some throat issues and they had to cancel the show at the last minute. Damn you mom and Simon LeBon!!!!

Enjoy!

The semester from hell is over, and a countdown of sorts

Well, grades are turned in, so that's a huge relief. What's an even bigger relief is the reopening of O's daycare after almost 2 weeks. I love love love our DCP - she's essentially O's daytime mom and there have been times when O has called me by her name and I got over it, really I did - but did she HAVE to close for a week-and-a-half right at the end of the semester to move into a new house? Much of the furniture, boxes, etc. were already moved over before she closed. Ten days? Really? Sigh. We got through it and now she's open for two glorious days before the Christmas break. I am lounging on the couch doing nothing, eating bowls of cereal and watching bad television. I need a book to read.

On a completely different subject, my 20-year high school reunion is this coming summer. I did not attend any of the previous reunions, but I think I'll go to this one. Should be fun to see people, hear 20 years of condensed life, all that good stuff. I hated high school. I was miserable, my home life was pretty miserable (divorce, instability, all the good stuff), I think I drove most of my friends crazy with my mood swings and obnoxious personality and self esteem issues. I don't know that I was always easy to be around. Thank goodness for music. I don't think I would have made it through my teen years without copious amounts of awesome music and the hours spent record shopping, listening, concert-going - seriously, it freakin' saved me.

I'm going to try to post a song/video every day leading up to the reunion - songs and artists that remind me of those years, that set the foundation for my love of music, that made me laugh, cry, escape, songs that have special meaning. I'm going to start with some of the early and cheesey crap I listened to before I did an abrupt 180 and became a punk/indie/superdork music snob. I am not ashamed of any of the music I've liked - it's all good and it plays a role in my life.

So here's day one:

Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E.'s In Love
When we moved from CA to NJ in 1982, I was in the middle of my transition from listening to whatever my parents were listening to and falling asleep with Dr. Demento on my radio, to teen-appropriate pop. I won this album by calling into a SoCal radio station just a few months before we moved to New Jersey. That move to NJ is responsible for the direction my music tastes took in junior high and high school. I don't know that I would have "discovered" the same music I did in my teen years, had I stayed in SoCal. Who knows. So I will start with the song I associate with my last memories of living in California...

It's all a blur

I taught five classes this semester - no time to post - enough said. Semester is done, grading almost finished. I'm all about non-school related distractions now. I just discovered there's a video for one of my fave songs from the past 5 or so years. It's The New Pornographers, "The Laws Have Changed" from Electric Version (2003). It's an amusing video (check out the denim jumpsuit lady toward the end), but the song rocks.



Apparently, this video was based on the film "Simon of the Desert" by Louis Buenel. Hope you enjoyed it.

What Profs Dream about when they are (apparently) not dreaming about work

I've had a few interesting dreams over the past few nights. Usually I dream about tornados, scary giant squids, republicans...you know, the usual stress stuff. Last night, though, I dreamt I was trying out for a Pat Benatar video. Seriously. The one with that shredded dress that today would look like something Blayne made on Project Runway...Ah yes, this one...



Perhaps it's that pimped out/indentured servitude feeling I'm having at work these days that I'm struggling with...

It was one of those "so real" dreams - I was very concerned about making the cut. Then suddenly, the song changed into Footloose. I'd love to tell you what happened next, but O came in to let me know he'd had an accident (we are in the midst of nighttime potty training). He's doing really well, but now I will never know if I have a future as an 80s video extra.

Oh yeah, and classes have started and I am teaching FIVE courses this semester. WTF was I thinking?

Birthday Bed

I know I suck at posting. Sorry.

Here's O's reaction to his birthday present (yes, we spoil him). He knew he was getting it, but had not yet seen the bed.

Airplane Song

Can you tell I'm having fun with my new little video camera? O likes to sing. Enjoy :)

>

Zesto!!!!!!!!

Although you couldn't tell from the foot of snow we got last week...Spring is here. Zesto has opened for the season!!



Mmmm...ice cream..and the smell of greasy fast food across the street...

O and the Beastie Boys

Not sure how well you can hear "Check It Out" in the background (and that's probably a good thing considering copyright infringement...the what now?), but this is O's dance-reaction to hearing the B-Boys for the first time:

Slow Automation

While dropping off my tray in the Union this afternoon after lunch, I thought it would be pretty amusing to have this little bit of video for random chromakey insertion:



I know, I am a tech dork, but something about those dirty trays, florescent lighting and slow automation called to me.

Video from my new toy

Here's some video of O I shot with my birthday present (a Flip Video camera - WAY cool). The video is nothing exciting, I just wanted to test it out. And excuse the compression - the video looks much better right off the camera and not compressed for YouTube. Oh, and if you are offended by almost-4-year-old potty humor, consider yourself warned...

This Rocks the House - and the Vote

This is so well done. Now you know I am a full-on Obama supporter (have been for a long time):



If you live in a Super Tuesday state, please be sure you vote. I don't care who you are voting for (although I hope it's Obama ;) ), but get out there and VOTE! My primary, and the sad little three delegates it awards are basically meaningless, so I live vicariously through all of you who can make a difference with your vote.

Scary TV

So, yesterday morning, O crawls in bed with us at about 5 am - as he does most mornings. Here is the half asleep conversation that ensued:


********************************************

O: Mama...um...mama

Me: Yes, sweetie?

O: Mama...

Me: Yes, punkin? What's up?

O: Umm...mama...

[this continued for a few minutes, until...]

Me: O, what's wrong?

O: Mama, the TV.

Me: What about the TV?

O: The TV is scaring me.

Me: Why is it scaring you?

O: It's not on!

********************************************

Lovely.

No one is unique anymore

The fashion industry stole my look.

"The Newly Uptight"

Bitches!

The accompanying copy is somewhat interesting. I've never considered myself uptight or bourgeois, I just happen to love the collection of vintage 50s and 60s dresses and skirts in my closet. I spent about 2 decades collecting them.

From the article:

Some of Seventh Avenue’s most influential tastemakers are invoking in their latest collections the proprieties, the seamless appearances and the tony aspirations of midcentury Middle America. They are, in short, going bourgeois to the core.

Puke. I hate the fashion industry. Of course, this trend won't reach my part of the country for about a decade, so I guess I'm cool.

I suppose the coin slot pants are no more?

The power of advertising

I knew our little blissful world of children's television sans commercials wouldn't last for ever (but thank you, Noggin, for making that a reality for so many years) - and I will be the first to admit that I ushered in the era of, "Mamma, maybe I will have that!" by letting O watch a few Spongebob episodes here and there...

So, last night, O declares, "Mamma, I like Chuck E. Cheese!" (a little background - we do not have a CEC here in town, thankfully, but there is one in the "big city" down the Interstate a ways. I have never mentioned CEC to O and he's never been to one). My guess is that he saw a commercial for it on Nickelodeon, or one of the kids at his daycare has been there and raved about it recently over a project at the craft table). So I ask O, "Oh really? What is Chuck E. Cheese?" His response was so charming: "It's a fun place with games and food and tables and presents...and you can have a party there!" Uh huh, I think that's the commercial narrative to a T. Very cute of him, but I have no plans to book a birthday party there anytime soon.

The first few times O watched a program with commercials, he was quite offended that someone would interrupt his show with these short, loud and visually mesmerizing things. The he noticed the sugar-laden cereal, race tracks, flying space guys and Sowder Rangers (his term for Power Rangers - ugh) on the screen in front of him and started to change his tune. I think I'm going to start recording Spongebob and Scooby Doo (his two new faves) and put them on DVDs for him without those darn ads!

Good Friday

It's Friday. I worked my ass off all morning on my Women In Media class putting together a stellar set of readings - I hope anyway. Came home at lunch, hit the library for kid-entertainment so we won't go stir crazy during the frigid below-zero weekend (I will admit right here the thrill and victory I felt when I looked through the DVDs and actually found Meet the Robinsons). O's been wanting to see if for weeks now and it's always checked out (and I'm too cheap to rent it). I also picked up the newest Caldecott winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret - holy cow! The drawings are amazing and the book is about 500 pages long! I'll see how far we get before I have to return it to the library.

Then I was off to the grocery store - always good to avoid the Friday afternoon or Saturday morning rush - and anytime I can go without a three-and-a-half-year-old, I snap up that opportunity. Came home, put everything away. Made sure M was doing okay (he had knee surgery Wednesday - 5th scope - ouch!). He's good, but his knee looks totally puffy, lumpy and yellow. Note to self: O will not be a high jumper, or play catcher on a baseball team. Those activities will ruin your joints for life.

Just made "healthy" rice crispie-ish treats. Not sure there is such a thing. The marshmallows alone have 1000 calories. O can eat them. He's all brand new and doesn't seem to be slowed down by such things as too many calories or sugar comas.

I've got my iPod Touch going - currently Frank Black "(Do What You Want) Gyaneshwar" and now INXS "Don't Change. All in all a good Friday. Now to go get the kid. It was Hat Day at daycare today. Someone always comes in a cowboy hat. O wore his Jacks babseball cap. Cute cute.

The low tonight with the wind chill is supposed to be 37 degrees BELOW zero. Super!

Cajun Style

I thought I would feel calmer about the whole Hillary wins New Hampshire thing two days post-shock, but I am still very unsettled. I have that feeling that I know many of us had when they called the race for Shrub after insisting Gore had won Florida. Not good - especially when it's a Democrat causing those waves of dread and negative anticipation. I've been revising and revising what I wanted to say about all of this, and I'm still not sure how to put it together in a way that makes sense and doesn't just sound like rambling. A few things, I guess:

I do not like the people with whom Hillary Clinton has surrounded herself. It's like 1992 all over again. We do not need that. Mark Penn makes my skin crawl.

The fact that she "found her voice" in New Hampshire - excuse me while I vomit - is, well, stupid. If she hadn't found her voice before NH, then there's something wrong with her.

I don't think it's a good sign that my first thought when I saw her "emotional moment" before the NH primary was, "Well, they must have planted the woman who asked her that question and the whole thing was staged." I mean, seriously - I am a woman, a feminist, but this is what Clinton does to me.

And don't even get me started on Gloria Steinem's Op/Ed in the NYTs that was essentially a "you are either with us or against us!" rant about women supporting Obama over Clinton. That really pissed me off. You are wrong, Steinem - so wrong. This isn't about the hegemonic order giving a black man a pass and more hard luck credit over a woman. Yes, I would love to have a woman as president, but I do not think Hillary Clinton is the right PERSON to be president.

And Maurenn Dowd, who I am not usually a fan of, hit the nail on the head in her Op/Ed:

There was a poignancy about the moment, seeing Hillary crack with exhaustion from decades of yearning to be the principal rather than the plus-one. But there was a whiff of Nixonian self-pity about her choking up. What was moving her so deeply was her recognition that the country was failing to grasp how much it needs her. In a weirdly narcissistic way, she was crying for us. But it was grimly typical of her that what finally made her break down was the prospect of losing.

Bill's fairy tale crack was really uncalled for - and Hillary's quip, “I just don’t want to see us fall backwards,” was so out of line - I really wanted to smack both of them. If any of the Dem candidates will make us fall backwards - Hillary's the one to do it. The negativity that poured from her campaign in NH was appalling, and yet typical of a Clinton approach at the same time. It's like they threw everything they could at Obama and hoped some of it would stick. Apparently, some of it worked with people. I'm guessing women over 45 who didn't like to see their contemporary "attacked" (insert gag emoticon here). I don't know how many of you saw the 30 Rock episode from earlier in the season that featured James Carville - but the running joke was that he taught people how to do things "Cajun Style" - a sort of "The End Justifies the Means" approach. Well, that's what the Clinton campaign is doing and I think it's a mistake.

If Hillary Clinton truly wants to help the people of the United States, she'll stop thinking of herself first and foremost - her narcissistic element - and Bill will stop thinking all of this is a personal referendum on him. Their egos are huge - and I know you have to have a pretty big ego to go for POTUS - but that type of behavior will never get my vote, and I know many many others who feel the same way. As I've told my family and friends over and over again, If H, Clinton is the Dem nominee, I will have to bring a bucket with me into the voting booth - but I don't know at this point if I can truly stomach voting for her. Oh, and if she thinks she'll get the same kind of youth and independent turnout that Obama is receiving, she is DREAMING. Yet another reason why she is NOT the person for the nomination.

Oh, and just as an aside, the running joke in our house for the past few weeks has been "Cajun Style" and every time M or I say it, O says, "No no, I don't like cajun style!" So HC wouldn't get the 3-5 year-old vote, either.

Sleep Talking

Last night, about 2 a.m., O crawled into bed with us, as he often does - although he usually waits until about 5 a.m. He was sound asleep almost immediately, but a few minutes later had this to say:

"Grandma, but I don't like cheese!"

The only other time I've heard him talk in his sleep, he was mumbling something about there not being enough crackers...he had to fight for them at his old daycare. I'll expect something about a nice, dry Shirah next.