March 2008

There were 35 posts published in March 2008 (this is page 3 of 5).

Salute The Irish

Well it’s that time of the year again. The Chicago River is dyed and children everywhere are threatening friends foolish enough to not wear green. I, like many people, found myself wondering, “hey, why is this holiday important? Why do we care so much about leprechauns, the color green and drinking on this particular day?”

Well it turns out that St. Patrick’s day is actually an ancient Irish celebration. Did you know that the shamrock is meant to symbolize the holy trinity? You can learn this and more by reading about the holiday on Wikipedia. I did.

I know what you’re thinking, “Irish? But I don’t live in Boston!” But did you know that there are many famous Irish Americans? Like actors Matt Dillon, Chris Farley and Rita Hayworth. Or the famous gangster Sean Patrick O’Leary (his name is very Irish, it turns out). James Hetfield’s Irish, so is tennis superstar John McEnroe and talk show host Conan O’Brien. Even some of the presidents like George Washington and George Bush were Irish. Why, I bet you know a lot of people who are Irish!

So let’s all salute these industrious members of our society by watching a couple episodes of Rescue Me, listening to some Dropkick Murphys and throwing back some Guinness (if you’re old enough, which most of us aren’t).

Everyone’s Irish on March 17.

Faith and Begora

Well I hope everyone has a fun yet productive St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow. Let us all celebrate that rowdy March holiday, in which people tend to get incredibly drunk and remember some patron saint dude named Patrick. To get into the season I give you the wonderful gift of me in Irish attire. Unfortunately, I’m not Irish at all (Mostly German/Swedish and a questionable amount of Scottish.) but let us still be festive and don’t forget to wear green!

Keep on Dancing


Man it sure has been sad hearing about all this Patrick Swayze cancer stuff. For those who don’t know Mr. Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months ago and is currently undergoing treatment. I guess he’s still working but it’s a real shame when someone is diagnosed with such a serious illness. I’ve always heard that pancreatic cancer patients usually don’t live that long, I guess it’s supposed to have the highest fatally rate of any cancer. My grandfather died from it after only about a year, so it’s pretty depressing to think that Patrick Swayze might only have a few years left. I hear for the most part though that he’s optimistic and still trying to keep busy… If there’s anything I’ll ever remember him for it’ll definitely be him on SNL with Chris Farley, classic…

T3: Sitcoms That Aren’t Seinfeld

Because you know that Seinfeld would be my number one. My apologies to Home Improvement and other shows that I appreciate but were before my time. They just didn’t effect my life as much. Also I didn’t count shows like Family Guy or South Park, just cause it didn’t feel right. My rules, bitches.

10. Malcolm in the Middle
One of few shows to really capture just how bizarre and dysfunctional a family can be, Malcolm in the Middle is remembered for its zany comedy and brutal honesty. Yes, the show got increasingly less realistic as it went on, but the laughs kept on coming. Now Frankie Muniz is a race car driver.

9. Scrubs
Finding a perfect balance between drama and slapstick comedy, Scrubs was a true pioneer during its first few seasons. Sadly the show has not been as strong since the end of season five, downplaying the hospital setting significantly. Due to the WGA strike the seventh (and final) season got really messed up. Here’s hoping that this show gets a proper finale.

8. Frasier
Probably the smartest show ever to gain widespread popularity, Frasier is the thinking person’s sitcom. But don’t let that scare you away, if you just pay attention you’ll have a great time with this classic. In fact, if I had seen more of the show it would probably be higher on this list.

7. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Always pushing the limits of late night basic cable, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is arguably the most laugh-out-loud funny show on TV right now. The characters are all horrible people, but that just enhances their comedic value. Plus, come on, Danny DeVito.

6. The Office
The American version of the British classic (which, like Extras, isn’t on this list because it was never aired on American TV) is smart, sweet, funny, everything you could want from a show. Who would have guessed that the monotony of a workplace made for such a great show. The Office has been golden since the second season, let’s hope it lasts.

5. Futurama
Here’s a great show that Fox boned. Futurama is the story of a 20th Century man transported to the 30th Century. Another great show that is smart, funny, and occasionally profound. Let’s pray that the movies lead to more new episodes.

4. Everybody Loves Raymond
The definitive family sitcom of our time. This show is a real classic, with almost as many tender moments as hilarious sequences. Ray, Debra, Robert, Marie and Frank Barone are as real as fictional characters get. Peter Boyle, you are missed.

3. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David plays himself in a show that shows just how hard it is to be Larry David. Whether he’s accidentally coming off as racist or getting in petty arguments, Larry never seems to get it right. Which is what makes the show so great.

2. Friends
Probably the show that comes to people’s mind the fast upon hearing the word “sitcom,” Friends certainly deserved all the clone shows it had. Joey simple-minded antics, Chandler’s vicious sarcasm, Monica’s obsessive-compulsive cleaning, this show is much more than Seinfeld with more ladies. Yeah, it got a little to romance-oriented at the end, but whatever, Friends rocks.

1. The Simpsons
This was still probably pretty predictable. Let’s face it, The Simpsons was a real pioneer in animation and comedy. The first ten or so season are phenomenal. It’s not so great nowadays, but can you blame them? There’s a lot of truth to the old adage, “Simpsons did it.” Plus they still deliver a laugh or two every week.

Can’t wait to find out what problem John has with my list this time.

Glad All Over

Though I missed the original airing of the 2008 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, I still managed to catch the induction of the only band I really cared about this year “The Dave Clark Five.” It was nice to see DC5 finally get some respect after all these years, as it would seem they’ve kind of fallen of the radar (You can’t even get any of their albums on CD) despite the fact that they were for about two years, The Beatles biggest rivals. Not to mention that they got enough votes to be inducted last year, yet the Hall of Fame still inducted Grandmaster Flash instead. Which I guess isn’t that big a deal except that DC5 lead singer/Organist Mike Smith passed away a few days before this year’s ceremony, and he could of attended if they hadn’t messed with the votes last year.

Anyways, inducting the DC5 was none other than 60s rock fan Tom Hanks (They even played “That Thing You Do” as he walked out). His speech wasn’t particularly engaging but whatever, you got to love Tom Hanks. It was nice to see the three remaining members of the band together finally getting some respect. Dave Clark himself gave a pretty emotional speech, it appeared that this really meant a lot to him. The performances to celebrate them weren’t half bad either, Joan Jett did “Bits and Pieces” followed by an all star tribute from John Fogerty, John Mellencamp and Billy Joel playing “Glad All Over” all in all it was enjoyable.

P.S. This year also marked the induction of the classic surf rock band “The Ventures” Who just happen to be from Seattle. I guess they played like Hawaii Five-O… So good for them.

(Pictured above The Guy from Big and Dave Clark)

C.A.T: Moby Grape

Moby Grape – Moby Grape (1967)
Though they might not have the same name recognition as some of the other groups to come out of the late 60’s San Francisco scene such as The Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape’s debut album is probably better than any album either of those groups ever produced. It’s just too bad that the rest of their short-lived career paled in comparison due to tension between band members and bad management.

The album mixes a variety of genres including country, blues, garage rock, and psychedelia. This eclectic sound is probably due to the fact that all five of Moby Grape’s members contributed songs to the album. The album gets off to a rockin’ start with “Hey Grandma”, and never really lets go. There’s a great energy that comes out of the musical interplay between guitarists Jerry Miller, Peter Lewis and Skip Spence on songs like “Omaha”, “Fall on You”, and “Changes”. There’s even a lot going on instrumentally on the slower songs like “8:05” or “Sitting by the Window”, and really every song is consistently solid. The whole band sounds very tight throughout the whole album not to mention the solid harmonies and great songwriting, and not a second is wasted considering the albums brief running time of 32 minutes.
Favorite Tracks: Fall on You, Come in the Morning, Omaha