Haystacks

Who Can It Be Now?

When I was 14, I was a die hard Men At Work fan. I had the tee shirt, the poster, the magazines. I spent every weekend at my friend Tracey's house so I could watch MTV nonstop. (They were one of the first MTV darlings, for those of you under 25 years of age.) I played BUSINESS AS USUAL in a continuous loop every waking moment. Now that I think of it, I believe I played it while I slept. You get the picture, right? Loved Colin Hay!

Fast forward 25 years later. I am rediscovering Colin Hay's music. I am fascinated by the way some of his tunes (OVERKILL being the obvious example) have stood the test of time. I still love the song, and not just with a heart of nostalgia, but with a more mature understanding of the lyrics. (Day after day it reappears/Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear/ Ghosts appear and fade away) His vocals are just as haunting as they were years ago. There is a narrative quality in his songwriting that takes the listener on a journey.  (When I awoke today, suddenly nothing happened / But in my dreams, I slew the dragon / And down this beaten path, and up this cobbled lane / I'm walking in my old footsteps, once again)

At the end of this month, Jason & I will be traveling to see Colin Hay live in Knoxville. I have high expectations of this show. I hope the 14 year old in me isn't disappointed.
 

"That just tickles me."

Ever said that? Maybe it was something more along the lines of , "That just cracks me up," or "That gets me every time". The question is, What makes you laugh?

For me, it's the Carol Burnett skit of Scarlett and Rhett. When Rhett compliments her on her lovely gown, obviously fashioned out of curtains (rod included), Scarlett responds, "I saw it in the window and I just couldn't resist it." I know the line is coming. I can say it with her, but it catches me and I laugh hysterically every time I see it.

Second is Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks. Just thinking about this one makes me giggle.

So, tell me. What makes you laugh?

Billboard Buzz

It was very exciting this week to find out that one of my favorite bands was going to be on the cover of BILLBOARD magazine. This is the first time a Christian artist has been featured on the cover and I am so proud to say I love and support these guys.

The concert photo used in the article was taken in April of this year at The Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville, TN. We were there on the front row. Yeah, I know, concert pictures of the crowd are vague at best. And don't all heads look pretty much the same from the back? Not when you're wearing a cowboy hat!

Get your TV geek on

I think I know how that first Neanderthal felt when he clicked two pieces of flint together and saw sparks fly. As the tiny spark grew into a burning flame, he probably thought, 'This is the coolest thing in the history of the world. " Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is the coolest thing in the history of the world.

Fancast.com offers hours of episodic television. Name your poison: Star Trek: The Original Series, Adam-12, Alfred Hitchcock, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Twilight Zone, Perry Mason. Besides the classics there are those from the 'We Hardly Knew Ye' category: Bionic Woman (2008), Journey Man. Monk, Medium, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother and all the CSI incarnations are among the available current shows.

Did I mention it's free?

Who needs writers?

With the writers' strike, networks are forcing reality television at us like an aggressive perfume sprayer at the front door of Macy's.  It's unavoidable. I'm not a big fan of reality series. They just don't hold my attention. Television is an escape for me. Who needs more reality?

Last night, after turning off the boob tube and bemoaning the lack of good programming, a drama unfolded outside our front door. The people who live across the road are a COPS episode waiting to happen. When they aren't being annoying or just plain weird, they can be entertaining. Last night they drove a blazer into a muddy field. Imagine their surprise when they couldn't get the vehicle up the incline and back onto the road. I mentioned it was muddy, right?

For about 20 min, this group whom we sometimes refer to as a less attractive cast of MY NAME IS EARL, tried in vain to drive the blazer our of the mud pit and onto the paved road. They finally succeeded in getting the front tires on the pavement. They then tied a rope to the blazer, attaching it to the rear end of a mini van. The problem was this: The blazer sat front tires on the road, while the mini van moved perpendicular, driving on the aforementioned road. As we watched them bind the 2 muffler-less cars together, Jason muttered, "No good can come of this."

The van revved up. The blazer fishtailed. Mud flew through the air. When the noise died down and the vehicles stilled, the blazer rested in the ditch. Two tires were still on the road, but now it was the left side tires and not the front two. After a few more attempts, and one damaged light pole, the van finally dislodged the blazer.

We turned off the entertainment portal (meaning we closed the blinds) and wondered what the next episode would bring.

Who needs writers?