California Soul -- LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Here's everything Wikipedia has to say about this song:

"California Soul" is a pop-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as a single by American pop quintet The Fifth Dimension in 1969. It was also covered by Motown vocal duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell that same year and was the duo's last single together when released in early 1970.

Both the Fifth Dimension's version and the Gaye/Terrell version were modest charted hits. The original performed better reaching number twenty-five on the pop singles chart, while Marvin and Tammi's cover reached number fifty-six pop but never charted R&B. The duet was released after Terrell's tragic death from a brain tumor in March of 1970.

The song was a socially conscious-type of song advocating love and peace.

In 1969 Bluenote singer Marlena Shaw also did a version of the song which is now featured in a Dockers commercial circa 2008.

(There's no actual video on this clip. Someone just posted the recording with the song title and artist.)

Andrew Lloyd Webber on Idol

I have to say that I enjoyed the guest mentor. I loved the bit in the taped segment when he said about Brooke's singing of "You Must Love Me" from the Evita movie, "I don't think that girl had a clue what she was singing about." He seemed down to earth and had some constructive advice for the contestants.

It wouldn't make me sit through Phantom again, though...

I have to vote Tuesday

Does anyone want to enlighten me as to whether I should vote for Clinton or Obama?

Posh Spice smells like the Pink Taco

The Beckhams are at it again. According to today's Telegraph:

David Beckham employed some strong-arm tactics with the paparazzi at wife Victoria’s birthday lunch.

The footballer elbowed photographers out of his path as he made his way through the throng in Los Angeles yesterday.

Always one to confound her critics, Victoria, aka Posh Spice, chose to hold the family gathering at the Pink Taco, a cheap and cheerful Mexican restaurant.

Okay, I can see Becks throwing an elbow into a photographer's face -- it's what he's there for, after all, when he's not busy donating genetic material or punting a small black and white ball around on a field. And I can see Posh deciding to mix it up by throwing a party at a local taqueria -- slumming it can be quite fun at times (I remember an office bash that wound up in a dive bar somewhere on the north side of Chicago. Won a couple games of pool against my manager, I did).

But -- the Pink Taco? Really? Really? Unless the owners are a pair of Sonoran lesbians, someone has some 'splaining to do.

How could they take THIS off the air???

Idol Gives Back a ratings downer

I'll guess that, since American Idol scheduled a separate show for last night to throw out the latest loser, many people didn't feel the need to watch Idol Gives Back on Wednesday. This year's show had 17.8 million viewers, well below last year's 27 million. I wonder if fewer donations were made as well (it's hard to tell with the figures being thrown about since there are also corporate donations).

You may remember that, after going through the whole show saying someone was being sent home, Ryan Seacrest told Jordin Sparks that she was the lowest vote-getter, then turned around and said that no one was leaving after all. Last night Ryan announced that Michael Johns got the fewest votes and followed up with: ''Now, last year during Idol Gives Back, we didn't eliminate anybody at this stage of the competition. Tonight...we're going to say goodbye to Michael Johns." That was just cruel. However, if they went through that whole hour last night, separating it from Idol Gives Back, and then not thrown him out, I guarantee that would've been the jump-the-shark moment for Idol.

"Talents" of "stars" to remain secret

CBS has yanked "Secret Talents of the Stars" after one airing. Only 4.8 million viewers were curious enough to check out George Takei singing country and Clint Black doing standup comedy. I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you.

Speaking of 80's videos

I have to confess something. Many, many years ago, when I was but an innocent college student, I tuned into MTV one night and saw the video for Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me."

Yes, it's lame yet oddly catchy. Yes, Rockwell wore boxer shorts in the shower. Yes, it never would've gone anywhere if Michael Jackson hadn't been talked into crooning the chorus, "I always feel like -- somebody's waaaaaaaatching meeeeee!" But that's not what haunts me.

What haunts me is, who the hell played the zombie mailman?

Because for a zombie mailman, he was pretty damn hot. I never thought necrophilia would interest me, but in this case I'd make an exception.

A new Dark Knight trailer -- amazing!

I know you'll be enthralled by it. Check it out here.

Finally!

Snurched from Poppy Z. Brite's Livejournal -- thanks, Doc!

Line of the Week

From Datalounge:

"Exactly how much did you lie on your resumé, on a scale of One to Hillary Clinton?"

iPod Shuffle Game

Time for another exciting iPod Shuffle Game. Just because I feel like it. Here are the first 12 songs that come up in shuffle mode. Yeah, I picked 12 instead of 10. I felt like it.

1) Naked Eye - Deborah Harry
2) Job Application - Meryn Cadell
3) You're So Vain - The Feeling
4) Challenger - American Music Club
5) Sun On The Water (Demo) - Kirsty MacColl
6) Where Are You Now - Trisha Yearwood
7) Keep It Together - Madonna
8) Music - Joss Stone
9) Never Did No Wanderin' - The Folksmen
10) The Glory of Jah (London Version) - Sinead O'Connor
11) Three County Highway (Live) - Indigo Girls
12) The Big Sky - Mr. Lawrence

The Doctor Is In

Doctor Who's 4th (or is it 30th) season debuted tonight in Britain. I'm very happy the show is back, as I've been a huge fan since way back in high school. I was kind of let down by this year's Christmas special (or would that be last year's? Well, the 2007 Christmas special), so, in my opinion, the show had nowhere to go but up. And while I hate to say I didn't love PARTNERS IN CRIME, I'm happy to say I didn't hate it, either. It was definitely better than VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED, but still had lots of room for improvement. I think what bothered me the most is the plot was too campy. "The Fat Just Walks Away." Really? But that being said, it was so nice to have Donna back. She's going to be a handful this season. And although I thought I was fully versed in spoilers for this season, they managed to sneak in a sucker punch just before the end of the episode. LOVED IT! Overall, I think I would rate this episode a 3 out of 5. I have high hopes for the season. I hope they're met.

Mom charged in her twin sons/gay porn stars' burglaries

There's a new development in the case of the twin brothers charged in a number of burglaries via rooftop break-in, but are just as notorious for their gay porn films. Now the boys' mother has been charged in the cases, since she acted as lookout. Towana Goffney faces the same charges (burglary, conspiracy and related charges) as her sons Keyontyli and Taleon. The Philadelphia Daily News reports that Keyontyli implicated his mother in interviews with police, leading to their warrant for her arrest.

They also dropped in a bit from their previous interview with Keyontyli that didn't appear in the prior article -- I bet you didn't know that newspapers occasionally have deleted scenes just like movies and TV shows. ;-)

"She's a good mom," he said. "She tried to keep us always together. She had us very young. Even when people worked against us, she worked for us.

"She loved us and wanted to do good for us."

Keyontyli said that he told his mother when he was 21 that he was gay, and later informed her that he worked in Internet pornography.

"She had to be OK with it," he said. "I wanted her trust. I wanted us to be closer and I wanted for her to love me for all of me, not just the person I tried to pretend to be."

And that's why they got involved in burglary together, and why he later snitched on her?

It's official: New Kids reunite!

What does this say about the state of the music industry? That the eighties are back? That they think pop music from aging men is viable? George Michael is touring (and charging anywhere from $48 to $253 for his Philadelphia show), and soon he'll be joined by the New Kids on the Block, who are reuniting for a new album to be released this summer. A limited fall tour is planned. Aren't they too old to be called "Kids" now? And referring to them as NKOTB just never made sense.

My new favorite video

Dear Buddha:

Please bring me a pony, a plastic rocket and the guy with the tats in this video.

Thank you.

Spring in Bisbee

Today is not April Fool's Day!

According to my 2008 Simpsons wall calendar, today is Halloween. Brilliant!