To Be a Young Fisher of Concussed Men

All Kinds of Time - Fountains of Wayne (mp3)
Only the Young - Journey (mp3)

It's the moment when sports become this beautiful, transcendent better-than-the-real-world thing.

Compared to 99% of people in Tennessee, I'm not much of a Titans fan. Their head coach, Jeff Fisher, is worth every bit of good ol' Southern admiration anyone can muster. That moustache. Hair that has greyed, bit after bit, as he became the Great Patriarch of Tennessee Football once Philip Fulmer's reign disintegrated like King Lear's.

In October, the mumbles began claiming Fisher had seen his last year as the Titans coach. The owner pulled rank and demanded that his QB in the wings, Vince Young, have a shot at the starting job. Fisher bristled.

Young, as we all knew here in Tennessee, had lost his stinkin' mind a couple of years ago. He practically held dogfights in his own head, a Vick stuck in his own mental prison. He was done as a pro. Stick several forks in him for good measure. Might as well collect his contract buyout and start doing local ads in Texas like Tim Couch does in Kentucky. His mind-blowing performance over USC at the helm of the Longhorns offered him more immortality than most humans earn, so he was going to have to settle for cashing in on those glory days for the rest of his life. Let's be honest: there are worse fates, right? Than being fawned over by millions of people who wear 10-gallon hats and Remember the Alamo?

It's not like Vince was a hated or even disliked athlete. People didn't badmouth him. We just all kind of thought the whole NFL thing was over his head. For whatever reason. Nothing personal, you know? In fact, a darn shame it wasn't working out.

Well, that was five weeks ago.

Since then, the Titans have tallied five straight victories behind the Vince Young no one but his own family thought even existed (anymore). [NOTE: If any Titans fan actually dares to tell you that they knew Vince was going to step up like he has, please stare at their nose. Just stare and keep staring, 'cuz I swear to God it will grow before your very eyes.]

Vince Young had officially returned to the NFL before the last Sunday in November. But what he did on Sunday, against the Arizona Cardinals, was orchestrate a 99-yard comeback drive even Arizona Cardinal fans had to watch with some modicum of admiration and warm fuzzies. Comebacks like this are why idiots like me watch a bunch of grown men do shit to their bodies that gladiators and Spartans see and go, like, "OMG why wud u do that 2 urself? LOLz!"

Most pundits are proclaiming Brett Favre's run with the Vikings to be "The NFL Story of 2009," but if Vince and his boys can pull off a 6th straight by knocking off Peyton's undefeated Colts next week, I'll officially announce this "The Year of The Vince."

The Vince Victory, November 29, 2009


Our school's own Titans savant, a man we lovingly call The Viper, declared it the third-best game in Titans history, and that didn't even count the dramatic Super Bowl loss.

SIDE NOTE: Oh, and by the way? Enjoy what we know as "professional football" while you can. This growing concern and focus on concussions? They'll spell the end to football as we know it. The dudes in charge of the system, having served loyally as the stoolies, like their pro-tobacco "scientist" predecessors, finally had to resign. Like the Shrew, they were calling the sun the moon, and too many important people were fed up. Once you start down this path, the path of acknowledging just how much serious damage football does to men's brains, the sport will have no choice but to adjust.

For Vince, who ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer, I only hope the changes go slowly and give him a few more years to shine, because the dude is fun to watch. Better yet, watching a guy return from the brink (of unemployment? of sanity? of glory days?) is precisely why so many of us are drawn to sports. And damn if anything should get in the way of our fascinations.

"All Kinds of Time" is perhaps the coolest ballad of a football player in alternative rock history. "Only the Young" is me desperately trying to be clever and failing miserably. I also wanted to enjoy bragging that I've posted two Journey songs in the last two months.

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

As with most music-related blogs, December is a special month at BOTG. Not only do we get to ponder and then pontificate about what we think are the best songs and CDs of the year, but, at least in my home, the days right after Thanksgiving are when we make the transition to 3-4 weeks of Christmas music being pretty much all that we listen to. So we get to share the holiday* music wealth, too.

Regarding those best songs, that will be difficult for me. Not that it hasn't been a good year (though it probably hasn't been a great year), but most of the time, just like I'm not thinking whole CDs anymore, I'm also not thinking in terms of what was released in 2009. There is so much music available now, and even more with what people are sending us here. Beyond those newly-released freebies, however, I don't have a good sense of what came out when.

2009 is the first year I heard Rusted Root's "Send Me On My Way" or Warren Zevon's "My Ride's Here" or, just today, Ray Davies' "Thanksgiving Song." My ideal list would probably better be titled "What I Heard For The First Time and Really Liked This Year."

One of the many joys of this blog is making those kinds of continual discoveries, and I'm glad that "hey did you ever hear" or "this post reminds me of another song" have become part of the conversation here. So, I'll find a way to make the Best Of list work, and if last year is any indication, Billy's and my list aren't likely to have too many intersects with the general consensus. Though Miley Cyrus does have a shot to make one of our lists.

Billy's.


(Will St. Vincent and the National's cover of "Sleep All Summer" make Bob's Best of 2009 list? Wait and see, but listen now: St Vincent and The National--"Sleep All Summer: (mp3) )

Regarding those holiday* songs, well, we could never hope to accomplish the brilliant lists put up by the Leather Canary (who seems to have gone defunct, alas) last year. They were so comprehensive, and I look forward to listening to them again if I can find them. Still, we enjoyed putting up one holiday* song a day up until Christmas, so you'll notice that I've just started that tradition again. As always, recommendations are welcome.

So let me implore you again. Even though people tell me that they don't read this blog for the music or the writing, but just to see what random pictures of hotties Billy will put up (even Manga hotties!) that have no relation to whatever he is posting about, there will be a lot of good music for you to hear this month, music of good cheer and music, perhaps, of lasting quality. So tune in and turn on with us and let us enjoy the various pleasures of the year as it winds down.

*I love the ACLU, but the idea that "Christmas" is to be replaced by "holiday" in order to be secular, inoffensive, inclusive or whatever strikes me as simply going too far. Shawn Colvin is available at Itunes, the St Vincent and The National cover is available at eMusic.

Pecan Pie, oh my!

Last night I made a Pecan Pie to take over to my mother's house today for Thanksgiving dessert. Yum! And no, I didn't pick at it, steal a spoonful or break a piece of pie crust off... I was a good girl! haha

Pecan Pie is my favorite (and Pumpkin too), and it also has to be one of the easiest pies to make - ever! Although I understand many people buy it in order to have one less thing to make, or because it's cheaper than buying all the ingredients (pecans are so pricey!) there's something about a home made Pecan Pie that you just can't get from a store bought one (or at least the majority of store bought ones)! So, like I said, making a Pecan Pie is easy easy easy (five minutes prep time people!!)... My mother has always used the recipe on the back of the Karo corn syrup bottle... and believe me, that's all there is to it for a sinfully rich Pecan Pie.... read on for the full recipe:

Pecan Pie
(recipe from Karo Corn Syrup)
"From scratch to your oven in 5 minutes."

Preheat: 350 degree oven
Prep time: 5 minutes
Bake time: 60-70 minutes
Serves: 8

1 cup Karo light/dark Corn Syrup
3 Eggs
1 cup Sugar (granulated)
2 tbsp. Butter, melted
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups Pecans (6 ounces)
1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish Pie Crust

(High altitude adjustments: reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and increase butter to 3 tbsp. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit)

Stir the first five ingredients thoroughly using a spoon. Mix in pecans. Pour into pie crust and bake on center rack (350 degrees) of oven for 60 to 70 minutes.

*Cool for 2 hours.

TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200 degree Fahrenheit. Tap center surface of pie lightly; it should spring back when done. For easy cleanup, spray pie pan with cooking spray. If pie crust over-browning, cover edges with foil.

*You can make this pie the night before (it's too late now - sorry) and then after letting it cool for 2 hours, store it (covered in foil) in the refrigerator and just warm up or let sit out for a bit before serving - whatever you prefer.

hurry, there's still time to make a Pecan Pie from scratch!!!!! ;)

~enjoy!~

(all images via Google image search on Pecan Pie or Flickr)

Happy Thanksgiving! The day is finally here...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a great day with family and friends and enjoys the food!

Instead of giving thanks to some higher being, we should give thanks to the Earth, for providing us with the ingredients to make such a dreamy meal and sustaining the human way of life up until this point in time.... We should honor and protect our planet before it's too late.

Here are two awesome family recipes for Thanksgiving:

 

Stuffing

It took me nearly twenty-two years to finally shirk my aversion to stuffing, and all I can say is damn, was I foolish for missing out all those years! What a shame! There was something about soggy bread that always grossed me out and kept me from experiencing the heaven that is stuffing....
Sigh, anyway, I have a long road of making up for all that lost time, a long love affair with stuffing ahead of me... So, last year I decided to put my own spin on my mother's classic [and delicious] stuffing. I saw a few ideas on the Food Network and melded them with her recipe to create the following recipe for bliss: (try this recipe, you can't go wrong and you won't be sorry!) ;)

Five Grain-Apple-Cranberry and Sausage Stuffing

1 loaf 5-grain Italian bread (Publix Bakery) 

2-3 stocks Celery 

1 large Onion (or two small) 

1 cup dried Cranberries (I use Ocean Spray's "Craisins") 

1 cup chopped Walnuts 

1-2 chopped green Apple (Granny Smith) 

1-2 cups Chicken Broth (moisten to your taste) 

(optional) 1 box Stove Top stuffing seasoning of your choice 

1 pack Sausage (I use Jimmy Dean sausage w/ sage) 

2 cloves fresh Garlic - or, to taste 

*chopped Parsley - to taste 

*chopped Sage - to taste 

*Salt + Pepper to taste

Chop loaf of bread into small cubes and bake in 200 degree oven for 10-20 minutes until toasty and golden brown (the more dry the bread is the better, so as to absorb the most moisture).
Meanwhile, cook sausage and season - to taste. Chop celery, onions and garlic and saute 5 minutes with the sausage - add a little butter or olive oil.
Transfer the bread, sausage, celery and onions into a large bowl and combine thoroughly, adding the parsley, sage, chopped apples, walnuts and cranberries/"Craisins". Once everything is thoroughly combined slowly add the chicken broth and optional Stove Top seasoning packet (as per directions on the Stove Top box) until the bread absorbs all the liquid and develops a thicker consistency.
Then... stuff it in your turkey, spread it in a casserole dish or pack it into a muffin pan for some (as Rachel Ray calls them) "Stuffin' Muffins" and bake 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven!
*If you find that the stuffing is too dry after baking, moisten as desired with some chicken broth.

 

Sweet Potato

 

Oh sweet potato, how well you go with butter, pecans and brown sugar.... None of that marshmallow topping nonsense here folks (leave the marshmallows for the hot chocolate!!), as I said, this is straight up brown sugar, pecans and butter!! It's baked to a delicious crisp over a bubbly sweet potato that will melt in your mouth!! Once you try this recipe, you'll most likely wish you hadn't missed out for so long, forget your sweet potato past and incorporate it into your menu... Well, at least that's how I feel, you be the judge.... Here is my mother's take on the dish, followed by the detailed recipe:

 

Sweet Potato Casserole 

by my mom, Carolina Michelena

"Thanksgiving day is almost here and I want to share with you my most favorite dish for my most favorite holiday. This dish will knock your socks off - it is a terrific pot luck signature dish that will be requested for years to come by all who try it! That's why I call it my "tried and true". So try it and remember me! Love to all and have a Happy Blessed Thanksgiving." - Carol

 

Potatoes:
6-7 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and boiled until tender (drain them well) 

1 Egg 

1/2 stick Butter 

1 tsp. Vanilla extract 

1/2 cup granulated Sugar 

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, Ginger or Nutmeg (optional)
Topping: 

2 cups chopped Pecans 

1/2 stick Butter, melted 

1 cup dark Brown Sugar 

2 tbsp. Flour
 

In a mixing bowl, add boiled and peeled potatoes, egg, butter, vanilla, sugar and any other flavors desired. Mix well with a hand mixer (until it looks like mashed potatoes). Pour mixture into a casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, mix the all of the ingredients for the topping until crumbly and spread evenly over sweet potato mixture in casserole dish.
Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes until bubbly.
**As a side note, you can definitely prepare and cook this the day before, let cool and then refrigerate overnight. Simply pop it in the oven [covered in foil] for a bit to warm up before the meal (my mom has done this once or twice to save time and it tastes all the same, trust me - I'm very finicky about leftovers, hehe)**

 

 

(image via Flickr)

Happy Thanksgiving.... one day to go!!!!!!!

Whether your dinner looks like this......

Or this.........

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

:)

I came across this post and laughed, so I had to share:
The 9 Most Annoying Conversations You'll Be Having On Thanksgiving

(all images via Google image search on Thanksgiving)

Never Too Much Of A Good Thing

Richard Shindell--"Hazel's House" (mp3)

Thanksgiving is one of those funny holidays. You have to accomplish it. You have no choice. Take me, for example. I'm going to Rome to see my daughter, but I had to have a Thanksgiving meal before I left, so we had one last night. We even had the nearly-as-essential Thanksgiving leftovers meal tonight.

When I first knew we would be in Italy over Thanksgiving, I started googling around to see if there was a place in Rome that would put on a respectable Thanksgiving spread. I got a couple of good leads and was feeling pretty good about it until I got whacked in the side of the head by someone who posted a response to the question. He said, "You're in Italy. They don't really cook turkey there. Do yourself a favor and celebrate Thanksgiving by finding a nice restaurant and having a delicious Italian meal." He was right, of course.

What is it all about? Why do we have to have that meal? And how many times do we have to have it?

Tomorrow, my wife's firm has their traditional Thanksgiving meal. Last Wednesday, my school had theirs. What is it?

I was talking to a student the other day and asking him about Thanksgiving break, especially what he would be doing.

"Nothing much," he said. "Mostly just staying here."

"Well, at least you'll get a good meal, right?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You know," he said, "I don't really like Thanksgiving food all that much. I don't know what the big deal is. I mean, my mom cooks it okay. But Thanksgiving food just isn't that good. It's alright. It's more about getting together with your family."

I never eat turkey at any other time of the year, except in its deli form. I don't really like cranberries. Not a huge fan of sweet potatoes. And yet, here I am once again loading up a plate, and if someone told me that I had to load a similar plate of the same offerings at someone else's table tomorrow, I'd probably do it. Because there is something about Thanksgiving, its overwhelming sense of nostalgia and comfort, that is difficult to put into words.

Unless you are Richard Shindell. There isn't a whole lot of Thanksgiving music out there. Maybe none at all. Maybe there doesn't need to be, because this song captures the essence of it:

There’s a two-lane county road in northern Jersey
Winding up a hill beside a lake
Just before the road winds to an end
Is Hazel’s house

Long white picket fence around the front yard
A wagon wheel someone made into a gate
Flagstone steps will lead you to the front door
Of Hazel’s house

And Hazel will have seen you from the window
She’s waiting for you as you climb the steps
She says, “Thank God, we were starting to get worried.
Come on in.”

It’s New Year’s and the place is overflowing
Cousins, aunts and uncles gather round
“How long has it been? It’s great to see you.
How you’ve grown.”

And the uncles all have one eye on the Rose Bowl
One by one they slink back to the den
Everybody else heads for the kitchen
You go with them

She always has the crumbcake at the ready
Today is no exception - there it is
The order of the universe intact
At Hazel’s house

And no one seems to know that this is heaven
They say we only know it by and by
That one day all will be revealed
Well, here it is:

There’s a two-lane county road in northern Jersey
Winding up a hill beside a lake
Just before the road winds to an end
Hazel’s house

Yeah, yeah, I know the song is about New Year's Day, but I don't care. To me, it captures everything there is to say about Thanksgiving. I'd drive there tomorrow. If this one doesn't move you, I don't know what will.

Happy Thanksgiving here are two AWESOME recipes!

The time is ever so near... the one day of the year when we feast on a unique array of delicious dishes all at once... Thanksgiving is next week and I can't wait!! Oh yes, I enjoy the day of preparation and chatter leading up to the meal, but of course, nothing is better than the meal itself!

Besides a slice of turkey or two, my focus is always on the side dishes and the desserts!! Here are the recipes for two of my favorite side dishes and some inspiring Thanksgiving themed images..............

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Stuffing

It took me nearly twenty-two years to finally shirk my aversion to stuffing, and all I can say is damn, was I foolish for missing out all those years! What a shame! There was something about soggy bread that always grossed me out and kept me from experiencing the heaven that is stuffing....

Sigh, anyway, I have a long road of making up for all that lost time, a long love affair with stuffing ahead of me... So, last year I decided to put my own spin on my mother's classic [and delicious] stuffing. I saw a few ideas on the Food Network and melded them with her recipe to create the following recipe for bliss: (try this recipe, you can't go wrong and you won't be sorry!) ;)

Five Grain-Apple-Cranberry and Sausage Stuffing

1 loaf 5-grain Italian bread (Publix Bakery)
2-3 stocks Celery
1 large Onion (or two small)
1 cup dried Cranberries (I use Ocean Spray's "Craisins")
1 cup chopped Walnuts
1-2 chopped green Apple (Granny Smith)
1-2 cups Chicken Broth (moisten to your taste)
(optional) 1 box Stove Top stuffing seasoning of your choice
1 pack Sausage (I use Jimmy Dean sausage w/ sage)
2 cloves fresh Garlic - or, to taste
*chopped Parsley - to taste
*chopped Sage - to taste
*Salt + Pepper to taste

Chop loaf of bread into small cubes and bake in 200 degree oven for 10-20 minutes until toasty and golden brown (the more dry the bread is the better, so as to absorb the most moisture).

Meanwhile, cook sausage and season - to taste. Chop celery, onions and garlic and saute 5 minutes with the sausage - add a little butter or olive oil.

Transfer the bread, sausage, celery and onions into a large bowl and combine thoroughly, adding the parsley, sage, chopped apples, walnuts and cranberries/"Craisins". Once everything is thoroughly combined slowly add the chicken broth and optional Stove Top seasoning packet (as per directions on the Stove Top box) until the bread absorbs all the liquid and develops a thicker consistency.

Then... stuff it in your turkey, spread it in a casserole dish or pack it into a muffin pan for some (as Rachel Ray calls them) "Stuffin' Muffins" and bake 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven!

*If you find that the stuffing is too dry after baking, moisten as desired with some chicken broth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sweet Potato

Oh sweet potato, how well you go with butter, pecans and brown sugar.... None of that marshmallow topping nonsense here folks (leave the marshmallows for the hot chocolate!!), as I said, this is straight up brown sugar, pecans and butter!! It's baked to a delicious crisp over a bubbly sweet potato that will melt in your mouth!! Once you try this recipe, you'll most likely wish you hadn't missed out for so long, forget your sweet potato past and incorporate it into your menu... Well, at least that's how I feel, you be the judge.... Here is my mother's take on the dish, followed by the detailed recipe:

Sweet Potato Casserole
by Carolina Michelena

"Thanksgiving day is almost here and I want to share with you my most favorite dish for my most favorite holiday. This dish will knock your socks off - it is a terrific pot luck signature dish that will be requested for years to come by all who try it! That's why I call it my "tried and true". So try it and remember me! Love to all and have a Happy Blessed Thanksgiving." - Carol

Potatoes:
6-7 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and boiled until tender (drain them well)
1 Egg
1/2 stick Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, Ginger or Nutmeg (optional)

Topping:
2 cups chopped Pecans
1/2 stick Butter, melted
1 cup dark Brown Sugar
2 tbsp. Flour

In a mixing bowl, add boiled and peeled potatoes, egg, butter, vanilla, sugar and any other flavors desired. Mix well with a hand mixer (until it looks like mashed potatoes). Pour mixture into a casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, mix the all of the ingredients for the topping until crumbly and spread evenly over sweet potato mixture in casserole dish.

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes until bubbly.

**As a side note, you can definitely prepare and cook this the day before, let cool and then refrigerate overnight. Simply pop it in the oven [covered in foil] for a bit to warm up before the meal (my mom has done this once or twice to save time and it tastes all the same, trust me - I'm very finicky about leftovers, hehe)**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Let me know what you think if you try either of these recipes!
I'm working on another Thanksgiving post with some additional recipes for side dishes and desserts... stay tuned!

~ enjoy!!! ~


(all images via Google image search on Thanksgiving, or WeHeartIt)

Owl You Need Is Love

I stumbled across this image on We Heart It and it brought a smile to my face! Apart from it being a cute play on words, it's good to see this simple but powerful message continuing to linger throughout society in various forms, particularly in art.

The Beatles had it right... if only the whole world could simultaneously understand !

MetaWomen and the Gawkers Who Love Them

Just - Radiohead (mp3)
The Fame - Lady GaGa (mp3)
(Links removed by request)

[Super-Special Double-Length Thanksgiving Edition!]

As the father of two girls who seem to be approaching their pre-teens at a speed approximating Warp 4, I spend a lot of free time obsessing over girl issues. As I scour various news sites for interesting stories, my eyes are always drawn to stories about women, or about the feminist movement, or about women in the focus of the pop culture lens.

• A July 30 article in The New York Times Magazine shares one mother's fascination and relief that her daughter has found Wonder Woman, the iconic female superhero, as opposed to Hannah Montana or Lindsay Lohan.
• An AP story talked about the rising concern parents with "The Princess Pedestal," our cultural fascination with convincing our daughters that they're all that and a bag o' chips.
• I get the weekly email from The Frisky.com just to sneak a peek into life on the other side, the concerns and subject matter of often horny (mostly 20something) women. Yes, I've hit the age where I'm more concerned about being in touch with my daughters when they are horny and 20something than I am about being in touch with current horny 20somethings.
  

Three women under the magnifying glass of our culture have particularly caught my eye lately, and I've linked to fascinating features on all three of them, as I ponder where a society increasingly operated by empowered women who can turn assumptions and stereotypes on their sides begin to rake in cash for doing so.

Nadya Suleman

The only contributions Nadya Suleman can make to pushing our civilization forward is as a cautionary tale. She's mentally unstable and, if not a bad mother, a completely irresponsible one. If Jon and Kate should never have made eight, then one of them alone sure as shit shouldn't have 14. And although I've never watched a minute of any of these shows, I'm almost certain that Jon and Kate are both more intelligent and at least a hair's breadth more responsible than Nadya.

Nadya Suleman has 14 children.

Please. Sit and stew on that for just a second. She is that NASCAR wreck that kills a famous driver. She is the online execution of a hostage. She stands for everything we know to be wrong about celebrity, about maternity, and about humanity all lumped into a single doe-eyed idiot, yet she and some hungry producers know full well that enough people will watch her to make a profit out of exploiting the children.

Nadya's not being exploited. Exploitation, in my mind, requires an unwillingness to participate. Her kids, for example, have no say. The world gets to witness their own odd little version of hell and giggle at the pseudo-real life that the camera creates for them. They are being exploited. And the only question left worth asking -- and strangely, it IS worth asking: is their exploitation and its financial reward better than the alternative? Even Nadya says it quite well: "People are like, 'Oh why don't you go to work?'... OK, think about the reality of the situation: I leave, I go to work, I'm away from them all day, I make -- how much? $15,000 a year? OK, I need that at least every two months So, how on earth is that going to work? That's absurd. You live in my life one day and you'll see, you'll realize: it's ludicrous."

Yes, it is, Nadya. It's ludicrous to suggest most of us could ever, ever, be living in your life.

Megan Fox

To be sure, if Megan Fox looked like Susan Boyle, she wouldn't be the focus of my interest. And while she is certainly stunning, I have to stress that Ms. Fox isn't The Hottest Woman Ever. Not by a good stretch. She's very attractive, and she oozes a kind of dangerous sultry vibe that kicks her looks up a notch.

What fascinates me is how focused she is on playing the game of being a celebrity and doing it in a very "this is just a game" way. While it's a little much to suggest Ms. Fox is "highly intelligent," she must be given tremendous credit for understanding her game. With only minimal TV and movie credits to her name, she quickly rose to become one of the most desirable magazine pin-up girls of the 21st Century, and she did it by creating a fictional version of herself that makes out with women and loves wild wanton sexual encounters. (In reality, she's been dating one guy for five years, which is practically four lifetimes for a Hollywood relationship.)

What the NYT Magazine article suggests, however, is that Ms. Fox has been too successful in her effort to sell her body and an image rather than hone her craft. She might have shot to the top so quickly that people discover, to her detriment, that "there's no 'THERE' there." So she and her handlers are working to make her more human, less sex doll. Sadly, I fear they'll discover that once our society has embraced you for your body, we don't really care to embrace your soul.

We've already got Meryl Streep for that.

Lady GaGa
If Megan Fox is attempting to manipulate the Hollywood world in order to find success by milking and manipulating stereotypes, then Lady GaGa is doing a similar job on our preconceived notions of music bimbos. Before the Slate article linked above, I'd never even heard a song of hers all the way through. But the article intrigued me, and I watched her video of "Paparazzi" as well as her performance on MTV. The claim that she is taking the career track of Britney or Christina and turning the lens back on the artificial and superficial marketing machine is impossible to deny.

She's glam, yet so over-the-top glam that it requires she be NOT glamorous. You cannot be completely wrapped up in yourself if you are so careful to never expose what you really look like, if you so clearly cartoonize yourself to make a point. (NOTE: One of the most popular Lady GaGa searches on Google: "Lady GaGa without makeup.")

While the profit motive comes first, that she's attempting to make a statement, a serious and heavy statement, even if I'm not certain I know what it is quite yet, the effort alone is worth at least a little admiration. Will I buy her albums or go to her concerts? Hell naw. But I'll admire her nonetheless.

Nadya is a moron with screwed-up values who caught lightning in a bottle in having eight babies at a time when our popular culture makes heroes out of morons. Megan is a hot crafty dame in a business that rewards hot crafty dames. She played her cards carefully and well and has been rewarded for it. Lady GaGa has done them both one better. She has taken a formula for pop fame -- flash, glitz, shock -- and turned into some kind of threeway between Madonna, Andy Warhol and Andy Kaufman.

All three, ultimately, are women who find tremendous profit in playing the game of fame. I hope the rise of the MetaWoman is a good thing. One day my daughters are going to look at these women -- or the next generation of them -- while Wonder Woman remains imprisoned in cheesy cartoons and undervalued comic book forms. Diana might have a magic lasso, but these women have the magic box. No Amazonian princess with all her skills and cunning can easily defeat such a power as that.

Billy will be taking Thursday off for turkey and giblets, but he wishes you and yours a gleeful holiday and looks forward to begging for more of your attention next week! He also figures the odds that this post survives the entire weekend are slim, because one of these people will have some lawyer who contacts my host or Blogger and yanks this thing down faster than the Hunchback of Notre Dame tugs those damn bells.

Light Bulbs Live On!

(via various sources on a Google image search for light bulb terrariums)

Lately I've been seeing a lot of creative light bulb ideas floatin' around the web, whether through blog scanning, casual [or obsessive] Google image searches, or a friend sharing a YouTube video link on a light bulb project.... Hmmmm, it seems perhaps light bulbs are struggling to rise above their disposable nature through reincarnation into the world of decor!

So people, the next time one of your lamps start flickering and that light bulb dies on ya, don't get all disgruntled and flick it in the trash... Smile and whip up a little "green" do-it-yourself masterpiece! Let the new creative missions begin!

Go here for instructions on how to gut a light bulb.

Here are the ideas I've come across so far:

Oil Burner

I love this idea of turning a light bulb into an oil burner! I really like the unique bottle cap that this person used to seal the top of the bulb! And yes, suffice it to say, I'm on a new creative mission!

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


Flower Vase


(Image via Google, click here for direct source)


(image via HGTV)

No doubt, the idea of using hollowed light bulbs as flower vases is compelling.... But, I have a growing collection of funky vintage salt + pepper shakers so I absolutely have to give it a go on the light bulb shakers! Check out this page for the how-to on both of these crafts.

Check out this video on YouTube detailing how to make a funky light bulb flower vase.

Salt + Pepper Shakers

(frankly, I can do better... but hey, this is inspiration)

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Terrarium! [best idea yet!]

As I was browsing through Apartment Therapy just now, I came across a post on reusing busted light bulbs by turning them into mini terrariums! Ah-ha! I love the whole terrarium idea (another post that I've already begun)!!

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(image via Terrarium Man)

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I also found these amazing light bulb terrariums on Etsy in a store called Steamed Glass. These little habitats are nothing short of art!

"Little Red Tulip Terrarium"

"Plain 25 watt Moss Terrarium"





"Plain 300 watt Moss Terrarium"


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Aaaaaand.... Concrete Wall Hook Mold? :)

Just when you though you'd seen all the light bulb ideas.... A concrete light bulb wall hook! Not my taste, but a crafty idea nonetheless. For instructions on how to create your own concrete light bulb wall hook, visit this page.

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Well, that's that.. I'll post more light bulb reuse ideas as they come my way. Oh, and as tempting as it may be to just go out and buy one of those fascinating ready made little terrariums, isn't it more interesting to see the results of ones own imagination when put to this new creative test?? Light bulbs are easy to come by so there's really no excuse for not experimenting... :)

New Music Monday

I'm sorry, Billy. I been remiss, kid, I see that now. Consider this my public apology. Leavin' you to pages and pages of Gmail submissions from artists, friends, A/R people, DJs, and anyone else who is desperate enough to get heard that they're willing to give our lil' ole blog a shot left you with quite a chore. I found that out when I started going through some of that stuff last week.

Don't get me wrong, all you fledgling bands and artists. We appreciate being considered as an outlet for releasing and supporting new music. I think Billy has made that point more than once. But it is a fair amount of work keeping up with the emails. But we like getting them. It gives us a bit of street cred for those readers who go beyond our friends and families. I'd wager we get about 10 emails a day (I don't check it very often, so that is a guess) from people who would like us to consider their music. The guys at saidthegramophone.com say that they get between 150-200 submissions a day, so all things are relative. But it is work.

Much of what we get, I don't really like. Like most everybody else, I'm looking for a hook, a sound, a distinctive something that makes me think I would listen to the song again. But, most new artists don't quite have that. Paul Westerberg once said in a song, "You were my first glimmer of light." It's that glimmer that I'm looking for, too, just the tiniest crack of the light of the future for the musicians involved.

By the way, if I were trying to get heard, here's what I'd do: skip the press kit, the who said what about the band, the hard-to-hear comparisons with better known musicians, the statements of joy or coolness from the artist himself or herself. I'd just make it as easy as I possibly could. That would mean I would send my best mp3 (just one), the one I think kicks as (because if I don't think it, who will?) with the shortest note, something like, "Dear Bottom of the Glass, I hope you will post my song. I think it's best one. I'm sending it to you with no strings attached so you can help to spread the word. Thanks."

Notice a couple of things. We appreciate the personal touch that suggests you are sending it to us personally, and not mass-blanketing every blog you can find, even if you are. Notice also that you don't have to kiss our asses about how much you like the blog and all of that. Most of the blog ass-kissers will say something in their email that reveals they really didn't read the blog in the first place.

So, with no further ado, here are some songs that came our way that caught my interest:

Bullet and SnowFox--"Bad Days" (mp3)

"Bad Days" is a quality pop song that straddles the generations. I can hear Shirley Manson singing it on a Garbage cd; I can hear one of today's singing starlets getting ahold of it and using it to pump up a live concert. The song's simple, insistent, guitar-and-drum driven beat leads into a catchy chorus with (I'm guessing) intentionally-cheesy background vocals. It's a well-produced track that keeps guitars and vocals prominent, with only occasional keyboard touches. Even though the song follows the basic verse/chorus structure, it adds little twists and flourishes to that structure. By coincidence, Butch Walker's "Maybe It's Just Me," from the OC soundtrack cd (my daughter owns it, I swear) came on right after "Bad Day" on Itunes, and it seemed like a logical progression. Very professional, confident song.

Clarence Bucaro--"Let Me Let Go Of You" (mp3)

Clarence Bucaro has cut a cd called New Orleans, and this track certainly captures that vibe with its fairly-straightforward rhythm and blues approach. Everything works here. The instrumentation--guitar, bass, drums, and, especially organ--provides a tight, sympathetic background to Bucaro's strong vocals. As a singer, Bucaro travels in the land somewhere between Van Morrison and Macy Gray. When he double-tracks his voice on the second verse, he increases the emotional power quite effectively. Only slight complaint, after an engaging organ solo, the song fades out. It sounds more like an edit than a complete track.




Kuba Oms--"Beautiful Uncertainty" (mp3)

Kuba Oms has that who-does-he-sound-like quality to his voice, at least until he hits the falsetto chorus. You can tell he's listened to what's on the radio from "Meet Virginia" to Matchbox Twenty, and it makes his music immediately catchy. I like the the guitar sound--not too produced, right up front. The lyrics probably wander a little too much--in the first few lines he's "thinking" about the government and the war, but quickly shifts to a hot girl and to asking for a handout. The lyrics never really justify the title. The instrumental break in the middle, with its Genesis-style guitar and synthesizer and chant "This is not my world" seems a little out of place to these ears because they kill the beat of the song. But the song sticks in my head.


Peter Squires--"Witch" (mp3)

This little ditty simply amuses me. I'm a big fan of vindictive songs, and this one is a clumsily-endearing take on that genre. The woman who has done him wrong has literally turned into a witch, and so the narrator finds himself with no choice to to shoot her with flaming arrows or burn her at the stake. Though he claims to hope that the "human inside" will one day return, this is an empty hope, since he can only tolerate her if he never sees her again. The high-pitched backing vocals which only exclaim "Witch!" are a nice touch.

Greece: Windows & Doors

I really love Greek architecture and design, especially when it comes to windows and doors! There are endless examples of these beauties out there and that's why I'll be starting a "Windows & Doors" themed post, starting with Greece. In the future I plan to continue the trend with a Morocco post as well, stay tuned and enjoy!

All images/photography via Flickr.