The Honest Scrap Award/10 Things Readers May Not Know About Me

Earlier this month, I received the Honest Scrap award from Penny Lane (who to the best of my knowledge, does not have a barber inside her sharing photographs). In addition to my thanks to Penny, I also offer my apologies for taking so long to put up a post linking back to her.

Here are the rules: "The Honest Scrap award comes with a caveat or two. First, you have to tell your readers ten things about you they may not know, but that are true. Second, you have to tag 10 people with the award. Third, let all the people you've given the award to know that they've gotten it (comment on their blogs or something).

Sorry Penny... I'm a lover, not a tagger. :-)

One of the reasons I sat on this post for as long as I did is because I struggled to come up with 10 things about me that readers already didn't know. Without further ado, here are 10 things that you may not know about me:

1. In my early 20s, my girlfriend at the time bought me an electronic keyboard for Christmas. One of the songs I learned to play was Every Breath You Take by The Police.

2. The first concert I ever attended was the "Together Forever" tour featuring Rick Astley Run DMC and The Beastie Boys during the summer of 1987.

3. I was in the "Phone A Friend" pool for an acquaintance who was a contestant on WWTBAM back in 2000. While at work, I got a call from WWTBAM instructing me when they might be calling me, what to do if I was called, etc. Although I knew the answer, the acquaintance used her husband as her PAF. Thankfully, he knew the answer too. In case you are wondering, the question where she needed to use her PAF lifeline was this:

Which one of the following actresses won a Daytime Emmy for playing Erica Kane's daughter?

a. Jennifer Love Hewitt
b. Sarah Michelle Gellar
c. Liza Huber
d. Melissa Joan Hart

Feel free to take a crack at answering it.

4. When I was younger, I used to get misty eyed when I'd hear I'll Be There by The Jackson Five.

5. I often give my girlfriends nicknames based on a physical characteristic of theirs (for example, "Blaze" and "Sexy Specs")

6. When I put gas in my car, I always make sure that the amount ends in "0" or "5".

7. I have a life-size Star Wars Episode 1 Droideka that I'm looking to sell. Anyone? Anyone?

8. On two separate occasions during my days in retail, I rang up filmmaker Michael Moore

9. The last time I was clean shaven (which was sometime in the 1990s) was due to a mistake. I was trimming my moustache and kept going from the left side to the right because I couldn't get the sides even. You can probably guess the rest.

10. In early December, I was pulled over late at night and ticketed for speeding (I was going 83 in a 70 mph zone). I lucked out because the officer never filed the ticket. Since the ticket wasn't in the system, I didn't have to pay it!


Although I am not a tagger, feel free to take part in this meme on your own blog and if you would be so kind, link back to me. If you do make a list of 10 things that readers may not know about you, let me know because I'd love to read it!

Tuesday Tunes: Week 103

The theme this week is concerts:

What's the best concert you've attended? Lollapalooza '94- The lineup included The Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, The Breeders, George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars, and Smashing Pumpkins.

Note: The ticket stub below isn't mine (I found it on Google Images). My stub (for the Saturday show at Pine Knob in Clarkston, MI) is packed away somewhere.

What's your dream concert lineup?

James Brown

Jackie Wilson






















Otis Redding












Yes, I know they are all dead. This is a dream remember?


Smallest/largest concert you've attended:



Smallest: Felix Cavaliere at a Novi auto show in the early 2000s. It was a fantastic show and I got a chance to meet him and get his autograph (on my 2-CD Rascals Anthology) afterward.




















Largest: The Police at The Palace of Auburn Hills in 2007. One of the cool things about that show was seeing people of various ages (teens through the 50s) in attendance.


















One artist you'd like to see in concert: John Mellencamp- I've heard that he puts on a dynamite show!

Tuesday Tunes: Week 81

A little 3, 2, 1 Countdown

3 songs you can't get enough of right now

Ashes by Embrace
















Did You See Me Coming? by Pet Shop Boys






















You Get What You Give by New Radicals



















2 artists you'd like to recommend to us.

Judee Sill- A first-rate singer/songwriter from the early 1970s, Sill only released two albums during her short lifetime.






















JoBoxers- A British-American pop band fronted by U.S. born Dig Wayne (far right) and best known for their hit Just Got Lucky, they released two albums before calling it quits in 1985.














JoBoxers- Is This Really the First Time:





1 album you can't wait to purchase:

None... I don't buy albums/CDs anymore

So Many Movies...

I copped this meme from Michael T. over at Daily? musings. Here are the rules:

If you’ve seen the movie, put the title in bold type (because my type is normally bold, I highlighted the ones I've seen in red).

Put asterisks next to the movies you’ve seen and liked

The following list comes from the current double issue of Entertainment Weekly in which they list the 100 best movies of the last 25 years (aka The New Classics).


1. Pulp Fiction 1994 *
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy 2001-03
3. Titanic 1997
4. Blue Velvet 1986
5. Toy Story 1995 *
6. Saving Private Ryan 1998
7. Hannah and Her Sisters 1986
8. The Silence of the Lambs 1991*
9. Die Hard 1988*
10. Moulin Rouge 2001
11. This Is Spinal Tap 1984*
12. The Matrix 1999*
13. GoodFellas 1990*
14. Crumb 1995
15. Edward Scissorhands 1990*
16. Boogie Nights 1997*
17. Jerry Maguire 1996*
18. Do the Right Thing 1989*
19. Casino Royale 2006
20. The Lion King 1994
21. Schindler’s List 1993
22. Rushmore 1998
23. Memento 2001
24. A Room With a View 1986
25. Shrek 2001*
26. Hoop Dreams 1994*
27. Aliens 1986*
28. Wings of Desire 1988
29. The Bourne Supremacy 2004
30. When Harry Met Sally… 1989*
31. Brokeback Mountain 2005
32. Fight Club 1999*
33. The Breakfast Club 1985*
34. Fargo 1996*
35. The Incredibles 2004
36. Spider-Man 2 2004
37. Pretty Woman 1990
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004
39. The Sixth Sense 1999
40. Speed 1994*
41. Dazed and Confused 1993
42. Clueless 1995*
43. Gladiator 2000
44. The Player 1992
45. Rain Man 1988*
46. Children of Men 2006
47. Men in Black 1997
48. Scarface 1983*
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2000
50. The Piano 1993
51. There Will Be Blood 2007
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad 1988*
53. The Truman Show 1998
54. Fatal Attraction 1987*
55. Risky Business 1983*
56. The Lives of Others 2006
57. There’s Something About Mary 1998*
58. Ghostbusters 1984
59. L.A. Confidential 1997 *
60. Scream 1996*
61. Beverly Hills Cop 1984*
62. sex, lies and videotape 1989
63. Big 1988*
64. No Country For Old Men 2007
65. Dirty Dancing 1987
66. Natural Born Killers 1994*
67. Donnie Brasco 1997
68. Witness 1985
69. All About My Mother 1999
70. Broadcast News 1987 *
71. Unforgiven 1992
72. Thelma & Louise 1991*
73. Office Space 1999*
74. Drugstore Cowboy 1989*
75. Out of Africa 1985
76. The Departed 2006
77. Sid and Nancy 1986
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
79. Waiting for Guffman 1996
80. Michael Clayton 2007
81. Moonstruck 1987
82. Lost in Translation 2003
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn 1987
84. Sideways 2004*
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin 2005*
86. Y Tu Mamá También 2002
87. Swingers 1996*
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery 1997
89. Breaking the Waves 1996
90. Napoleon Dynamite 2004
91. Back to the Future 1985*
92. Menace II Society 1993*
93. Ed Wood 1994*
94. Full Metal Jacket 1987
95. In the Mood for Love 2001
96. Far From Heaven 2002*
97. Glory 1989
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley 1999
99. The Blair Witch Project 1999
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut 1999

This meme confirms what I already knew; although I watch alot of movies, many of them aren't recent. Of the 25 movies that were released in 2000 or later that made the list, I have seen only 4 of them. Overall, I tend to watch movies that even pre-date 1983 (my favorite channel is Turner Classic Movies). Having said that, I do plan to watch some of the movies on this list that I haven't seen.

Some of you may look at the list above and be amazed at some of the movies I haven't seen. To me, unless you are a movie critic, there are going to be some holes in anyone's list of movies they've seen vs. what they haven't.

As many of you know, I don't tag people for memes. However, if you decide to play along, let me and others know by leaving your link in the comments section.

Top 5 On Friday: Week 173

From Music Memoirs, Top 5 On Friday - Week 173

Top 5 songs that get you ready for the end of the day/weekend

1. Livin' For the Weekend- The O'Jays











2. Bang On the Drum All Day- Todd Rundgren













3. Love Shack- The B-52's














4. Bustin' Out- Rick James













5. Wooly Bully- Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs

Top 5 On Friday - Week 171

From Music Memoirs, Top 5 On Friday - Week 171: Top 5 break up songs

1. Hit the Road Jack- Ray Charles















2. So Long Baby- Del Shannon
















3. This Diamond Ring- Gary Lewis & the Playboys












4. I Don't Love You Anymore- Teddy Pendergrass















5. Goodbye To You- Scandal

Tuesday Tunes: Week 29

From Music Memoirs, Word Association Week! Name the first band/artist/song/album/instrument etc. that comes to mind when you see these words.

Drum: Different Drum by The Stone Poneys feat. Linda Ronstadt













River: River of Dreams by Billy Joel














Sea: Sea of Love by Phil Phillips














Sand: Remember (Walkin' In the Sand) by the Shangri-Las











Travel: Around the World by Lisa Stansfield













Time: Time In a Bottle by Jim Croce














Journey: Oh Sherrie by Steve Perry











Number: One by Three Dog Night












Theme: (Theme from) The Monkees














Magic: Magic by Olivia Newton- John

Tuesday Tunes: Week 27

I'm a day late, but I still wanted to play... and so can you. This is from Music Memoirs.

Word association week: Name the first song/album/artist/musical style that comes to mind when you see the following 10 words.

Camera: Aztec Camera (a Scottish new wave band)
Married: Love & Marriage by Frank Sinatra (later used as the theme to "Married... With Children")
Lost: Must of Got Lost by J. Geils Band
Grin: Smile (an album by The Beach Boys)
Rest: Restless Heart (the country pop band)
Environment: Clean Up Woman by Betty Wright
Hippie: Harry Hippie by Bobby Womack
Betrayal: I Hate Myself For Loving You by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Emotion: The Emotions (female R&B group)
Dream: #9 Dream by John Lennon

The Movie Quotes Meme

Beth (whose blog is titled A Cup of Coffey) tagged me for this Movie Quote Meme.

1. Below are quotes from 15 of my favorite movies.
2. Without consulting Google, imdb.com, or any other search engines, see if you can correctly identify the movies that contained these quotes
3. I'll post the movie titles (along with name of the first person to correctly respond) as they’re correctly identified.
4. Normally I ask that you send your answers to me via email. For this one you can just post your responses in the comments section.

Following each quote is the character who said it, the perfomer who played the role, and the movie title. Also included are the names of the people who correctly identified the quote.

1. When you're slapped you'll take it and like it. Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart), The Maltese Falcon. Answered by Pjazzy

2. He ain't in the box because of the joke played on him. He back-sassed a free man. They got their rules. We ain't got nothin' to do with that. Would probably have happened to him sooner or later anyway, a complainer like him. He gotta learn the rules the same as anybody else. Dragline (George Kennedy), Cool Hand Luke. Answered by Pjazzy and Jay

3. You wanna boycott someone? You ought to start with the goddamn barber that fucked up your head. Sweet Dick Willie (Robin Harris), Do the Right Thing. Answered by Pjazzy

4. Come out here and kick ol' Sarge's ass. Come on, geechie. You don't want the Sarge to grow old waitin' for you. Sgt. Vernon Waters (Adolph Caesar), A Soldier's Story. Answered by Pjazzy

5. You know, there's a million fine looking women in the world, dude. But they don't all bring you lasagna at work. Most of 'em just cheat on you. Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), Clerks. Answered by Pjazzy and Jay

6. Yeah? Oh, I'm gonna have a block for you to bust, too, baby, so you better bring a whole lotta hammer. Beth Foster (Denise Nicholas), Let's Do It Again. Answered by Pjazzy

7. The hell I don't. LISTEN KID. I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I'm out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes. Murdock (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Airplane. Answered by Pjazzy and Jay

8. I want all of you to take a good look at this slovenly, sloppy boy - as an example of how NOT to dress. If you look like THIS in the morning, find some other clothes to wear. Self-respect permeates every aspect of your existence. If you don't have respect for yourself, you're not gonna get it from anyone else. Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman), Lean On Me. Answered by Pjazzy and Jay

9. I'd hate to take a bite outta you. You're a cookie full of arsenic. J. J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster), Sweet Smell of Success. Answered by Pjazzy

10. The governor of Louisiana gave me this. Madame Tinkertoy's House of Blue Lights, corner of Bourbon and Toulouse, New Orleans, Louisiana. Now, this is supposed to be the finest whorehouse in the south. These ain't no pork chops! These are U.S. PRIME! George Hanson (Jack Nicholson), Easy Rider. Answered by Pjazzy and Jay

11. Football season is over, Veronica. Kurt and Ram had nothing left to offer the school except for date rapes and AIDS jokes. Jason Dean (Christian Slater), Heathers. Answered by Pjazzy and Beckeye

12. Whatever! But Sidney, she has a home. A house, with a rec room. You know what time it is! Go downstairs in that basement, sofa bed, pow! You're in there! Peter "Play" Martin (Christopher "Play" Martin), House Party. Answered by Pjazzy

13. Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! John "Bluto" Blutarsky (John Belushi), Animal House. Answered by Pjazzy, Beckeye, and Jay

14. Now, get this! We ain't partners. We ain't brothers. And we ain't friends. I'm puttin' you down and keepin' you down until Ganz is locked up or dead. And if Ganz gets away, you're gonna be sorry YOU ever MET me! Jack Cates (Nick Nolte), 48 Hours. Answered by Pjazzy and Jay

15. WHAT YOU'RE HIRED FOR, is to help us... does that seem clear to you? TO HELP US, not to... FUCK-US-UP... to help those who are going out there to try to earn a living... You fairy. You company man. Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), Glengarry Glen Ross. Answered by Pjazzy and Jay

I Received the Thinking Blogger's Award

Earlier this month, I received the Thinking Blogger Award from Pop Art Diva. It's quite an honor and I want to thank her for the kudos. Speaking of Kudos, I could really go for some of those right now.

Anyway, back to the Thinking Blogger's Award. The participation rules are as follows:

1. If you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think
2. Link back to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’.

I am going to tag the following quintet as the blogs that make me think and keep me interested and inspired:

Book Mama

Life Is RANTastic!

Riley Central

Traces of A Stream

What Would Thembi Do

Top 5 on Friday: Cover Songs and Covers Albums

From Music Memoirs:

Due to the damn snowstorm, I got home later than normal on Friday evening and thus couldn't get this posted until the wee hours.

Here are 5 interesting covers in my CD collection.

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by Lesley Gore- The "It's My Party" girl tackles a song made famous by "The Thunder from Down Under" and does a credible job.

Dust In the Wind by Eric Benet- from his 1999 CD "A Day In the Life", Halle's ex adds some flavor to his version. Toto, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore.

Eleanor Rigby by Aretha Franklin- featuring her superb piano work and vocals, Lady Soul put her spin on The Beatles' classic in 1969.

Positively 4th Street by Simply Red- The British band recorded the Bob Dylan tune for their 2003 release "Home". I picked up a free copy from where I work and listened to it without looking at the track listing. It wasn't until Mick Hucknall sang "You got a lot of nerve...", that I realized what song it was.

Unchained Melody by Vito and the Salutations- recorded in 1963 (8 years after the first version and 2 years before The Righteous Brothers' rendition), Vito & the Salutations did it in an uptempo doo-wop style that makes it almost unrecognizable. I love it!

5 covers albums that I own:

"Chartbusters Go Pop" by Elton John- Back in the days before compilations featuring the original artists became available, budget-priced albums of hit songs by nameless 'soundalike' performers were the norm. Before hitting it big as a solo performer, Elton John recorded this album of hits from 1969/1970. Included are his takes on Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In the Sky", CCR's "Up Around the Bend", Stevie Wonder's "Signed Sealed Delivered", and Nina Simone's "To Be Young Gifted and Black". It's worth it just to hear Elton sing "To be young, gifted and black. Is where it's at".















"Here No Evil: A Tribute to the Monkees" by various artists- This 1992 CD features tunes made famous by Mike, Micky, Davy, and Peter. Highlights include "Circle Sky" by The Diggers, "You Told Me" by Multi-Color House, and "Let's Dance On" by The Doll Squad.















Policia: A Tribute to the Police- Released in 2005, this CD features artists such as Fall Out Boy (Roxanne), Limbeck (So Lonely), and Underoath (Wrapped Around Your Finger) doing songs made famous by Sting and the boys.














Rock Swings by Paul Anka- Recorded in 2005, the former teen idol goes Sinatra with renditions of tunes first done by Survivor (Eye of the Tiger), Nirvana (Smells Like Teen Spirit), and The Cure (Lovecats) just to name a few.














Saturday Morning Cartoon's Greatest Hits by various artists- This 1995 CD features some of the top alternative acts of the day doing songs from 60s and 70s kidvid. Some of the highlights are "The Tra La La Song" by Liz Phair with Material Issue, "Go Speed Racer Go" by Sponge, "Josie and the Pussycats" by Juliana Hatfield & Tanya Donnelly, and "Spiderman" by The Ramones.

My Top 5 Songs From the 1960s

The Mistress of the Dark, a frequent commenter here and the author of her own blog A Little Night Music, puts together music-related memes 3 times a week at Music Memoirs. Although I am a week late, her meme from last Friday finally inspired me to take part. For last Friday's meme, she asks participants to name their top 5 songs from the 1960s. Because it's so hard to narrow it down to 5 songs, that probably made this meme even more intriguing to me. Below are my top 5 songs of the 1960s this week. I say that because if you were to ask me next week, I would have a different list.

Although I won't be tagging anyone, feel free to participate by posting your top 5 in the comments section. If you are a blogger and want to post your top 5 on your own blog, just leave a note in the comments section so that others can visit you.

1. (Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need (1967) by The Temptations- Featuring the "sandpaper and honey" lead vocals of David Ruffin, this uptempo tune also allows the other four Tempts their moment to shine.

2. Do You Believe In Magic (1965) by The Lovin' Spoonful- If ever I need an emotional lift, I can put on this song and all becomes right with the world.

3. Nobody But Me (1962) by The Isley Brothers- A hit 6 years later for The Human Beinz, this original version is 2 minutes and 16 seconds of awesome call & response rock and soul.

4. If I Needed Someone (1965) by The Beatles- This Byrdsy gem courtesy of so-called "quiet Beatle" George Harrison showed that Lennon & McCartney weren't the only capable songwriters within the Fab Four.

5. Baby, I Love You (1963) by The Ronettes- Complete with hand claps, fine musicianship and the pleading lead vocals of Ronnie Bennett, this is a prime example of Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" production style.