Song of the Day: Toto

Here is an overlooked song from the group who brought us "Rosanna" and "Africa".  Released as the lead single from their follow up to "Toto IV", "Stranger In Town" won a few awards for it's cinematography and direction.  It stars Brad Dourif as "The Stranger"

"Stranger In Town"

Let My (white) People Go!

Step aside, African-Americans!  GLBT?  Just shut up!  These are the most persecuted people in the United States:

For some perspective on the T.E.A. Party protests, read this from Tom Tomorrow's blog.

Song of the Day: '39

One of my fave Queen songs, live and acoustic in Houston 1977:

"'39"

This Modern World

The newest cartoon by the brilliant Tom Tomorrow (click for the full size version).

Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death!

This is an interesting article from Alternet on ABC's latest reality flop, "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution".  Interesting because the show is dead (or dying) not necessarily because of low ratintgs, but because of something deeper.

How TV superchef Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution flunked out

Songs of the Weekend: Night Ranger

Good 80's stuff here.  Night Ranger was a staple of mid-late 80's MTV.  Melodic hard rock with great hooks.

"When You Close Your Eyes"


"Goodbye"


"Sentimental Street"


"Four In The Morning"



Bonus

Bass player Jack Blades went on to join short lived supergroup Damn Yankees (with Tommy Shaw of Styx and Ted Nugent).  Here is their biggest hit, "High Enough".

This Modern World

The newest comic from Tom Tomorrow.  So true.  (click on the image for a full sized version)

Songs of the Day: Jim Peterik, Survivor, Pt. 2

When Jim Peterik was not writing hits for Survivor, he was writing them for .38 Special.  Peterik's moonlighting for .38 Special is one of the more overlooked fun facts of the 80's.  Here is some of his work:

"Caught Up In You"


"Hold On Loosely"


"Fantasy Girl"

Happy Dyngus Day!

After spending the day at various Dyngus Day celebrations around St. Joseph County, I felt the need for one more polka song.  Enjoy!

Weird Al Yankovic, "Bohemian Polka"

Sign of the Times

As someone who does not (and will not) carry a cellphone, this scenario is all to familiar.  It will get worse, never better.

In search of a payphone CNN

Long gone, or soon to be, are the days when almost every block had a phone booth on the corner and every public building had a payphone.  Now if you do not have a cellphone, you are S.O.L. 

Songs of the Day: Survivor

Best known for their contributions to the soundtracks to the "Rocky" series, Chicago rockers Survivor were actually born from the ashes of another Chicago rock group, the Ides of March.

Ides of March leader Jim Peterik met guitarist Frankie Sullivan and singer Dave Bickle while working on a solo album.  They decided to form a band and, with a drummer and bassist, became "Survivor".  After hitting it big with "Eye of the Tiger" and touring almost non-stop, Bickle developed throat problems and dropped out of the band.  He later became the singer in the Bud Light "Real Men of Genius" commercials.

Survivor, uh, survived with a new singer, Jimi Jamison.  Jamison was one of those singers with naturally clear and powerful voice.  He could have sang the phone book and killed.  Although their material with Jamison became more and more like mainstream pop toward the end of the 80's, it is still some of their best stuff.  Peterik plays a few of them to this day in his live shows with the reconstituted Ides of March.

"Is This Love"


"I Can't Hold Back"


"High On You"


Bonus


Here are Jim Peterik (and friends) performing "Eye of the Tiger" live and acoustic in Valparaiso Indiana, 2007

Indiana Wants Me

You never know the ways the recession can touch you.  I read this interesting story today at USAToday.com

Speeding "cushion" may dwindle due to recession

As someone who relies on, and takes full advantage of, the idea that you have a five to ten MPH cushion before a policeman takes a second look, this is a scary idea.