Vacuity

Throwback Thursday: And the Blue One is STILL sexy.

Hello. My name is Ri, and I’m a Serial Blogger.

Yes, I am Ri of Music Savvy Mom…and the music is my first love. But, I do have other interests…random thoughts…a twisted sense of humor…opinions.

I need somewhere for them to go.

So, I’ve taken two of my Blogspot blogs and combined them here. A smorgasborg of random…a year’s worth of “WTF” upon which I shall build an even bigger Palace of Drivel!

(Good Lord, I feel so empowered!)

I haven’t decided on my chosen level of censorship yet. I’d say “lax” is a safe bet.

Still tweaking the site, but in the midst of the migration from Blogger,

while reading some old posts…I thoroughly entertained myself!  So, in the collective spirits of

self-serving vanity, conservation, recycling AND Zombies,

I’ll be exhuming a few for your enjoyment.  This one first ran on November 9, 2008.

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According to the Gothamist:

November 8, 2008
Naked Cowboys Settles Suit with M&Ms

The self-proclaimed World’s Greatest Performer, the Naked Cowboy, must have gotten a sweet settlement deal from the M&M folks. The NY Post is reporting that “he kept mum yesterday after settling a $4 million lawsuit against the Mars candy company. The underwear-clad busker, whose real name is Robert Burck, declined comment except to say ‘the matter has been resolved’ after pulling his case from Manhattan federal court.” The tighty-whitey tough guy brought his wrath down on the company after he noticed a blue M&M wearing his trademark outfit on a big screen outside of their Times Square shop. He later declared on the Today Show: “Type II diabetes and childhood obesity is epidemic. I am the opposite of that. I don’t endorse that product.”

• *On the one hand, this is a prime example of why AdMen should run their brilliant ideas by the Legal Department first, and this falls into my “Dumbshits, you deserve what you get” file.
• *On the other hand, this guy may be wackier than a Fourth of July Fruitcake, but he did come up with this schtick, and he’s the one freezing his peanuts on the corner trying to make a buck, so one might say “Fair play to him…curses on the Evil Conglomerate.”
• *On the other hand…he is sort of a panhandler, and while his physique itself might reflect trips to the gym and the consumption of veggies and eggwhite omelettes…that Butter Face, stringy hair and the WalMart brand tighty whities are decidedly offputting. If I’m sitting in an overpriced cab that smells of cabbage and falafel, praying that the foriegn substance I have just detected on the door handle IS actually hair gel, I’m not gonna be pleased to look up and see Roy Rogers: Chippendale Reject out my window. In that case, I’m looking at M&M/Mars as The Corporate Robin, who was bested by the Scum of Gotham! Dammit, Batman, where are you???
• *On the other hand…should he be paying THEM for this free publicity? I mean, really…
• *On the other hand-

Coachella

Happy Birthday Kathleen – Here’s your Second Shuffle!

So, it’s my buddy Kathleen’s Birthday. (You remember Kathleen – from over at Brutalism – sheese, people, keep up will you?)

Well, in honor of this day and its utter auspiciousness (because really – how often does someone turn 104?) I present to you, Kathleen…and anyone else who happens to stumble in to celebrate with us…the long-promised

Kathleen Shuffle Part Deux – Songs by Kathleens who Kick Ass!

I found two.

Kathleen Edwards.

I’m not sure I can pinpoint exactly what I love about this one. But, evidently the muchmoreeloquent writers at Rolling Stone and the New York Times can do it for me…from Wiki, re her 2003 release, Failer:

‘Rolling Stone declared her one of year’s most promising new acts and Blender said that Failer’s songs possessed “an indefinable pull that makes you love the characters they describe, no matter how fucked up they are.” The New York Times praised Edwards as a writer whose songs can “pare situations down to a few dozen words while they push country-rock towards its primal impulses of thump and twang.” ‘

So, there you go. Plus, “Summerlong” was featured on the “Elizabethtown” soundtrack…so evidently Kevin Smith agrees with me. And we all know he’s brilliant, so by default…y’know…so am I.

Which means you should love her, too.

Kathleen Wilhoite.

Now, you’ve probably seen this one around. She’s also an actress – according to Wiki:

Wilhoite has starred in films such as: Private School (1983), Dream Demon (1987), Road House (1989), Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), Color of Night, Fire in the Sky (1993), (1994), The Edge (1997), Drowning Mona (2000) and Pay It Forward (2000). She has guest starred in dozens of television series including Cop Rock, Twin Peaks, Mad About You, Ally McBeal, Family Guy, Quantum Leap, Boomtown, Will & Grace, Charmed, 24, The 4400 and Boston Legal; and has had recurring roles on L.A. Law as Benny Stulwicz’s wife, Rosalie Hendrickson Stulwicz, ER as Susan Lewis‘ sister, Chloe Lewis and Gilmore Girls as Liz Danes, sister of Luke Danes and mother of Jess Mariano.

Yeah, whatever. I remember her, she’s a good actress, but I won’t be buying any DVDs of her TV or film roles…I WILL be buying any and all CDs this chick puts out.

Well, and maybe this episode from “Throb”, where she sings “Frank Mills” from Hair…with George Clooney in a really ugly suit.

And her eyes are two different colors – how awesome is that?

Have a drink and make a Happy Birthday toast to the other Kathleen. Then take a listen and see what you think.

(And, y’know…tell me. Or go comment and tell her…either way.)

The Kick Ass Kathleen Shuffle Part 1: Songs About Kathleens

I’ve mentioned my buddy Kathleen, haven’t I?

Yeah, I did, but I didn’t tell you her name. Remember the High School buddy who found me on Facebook and tipped me off to Dori’s awesome blog?

(If you don’t remember that, then you obviously skipped the Gogol Bordello post. If you skipped the Gogol Bordello post, then I am very, very dissappointed in you.)

So, moving on. Kathleen ALSO has a blog which is funny, snarky and at times just ten kinds of wrong – I love it. (You should go there, but later; I’m not done yet.) On Facebook yesterday, she made a typically snarky Kathleen-ish comment about my lack of posts here recently. Now, being EQUALLY snarky, I decided immediately that the next post would be all about HER.

…don’t you love it when you start out being a smart ass and it ends up working in your favor?

That’s what happened here. In seaching for “Kathleen” songs to make fun of, I found some GREAT stuff! Like for instance today’s choices. I don’t know shit about half of them and have only listened to those once or twice, but I like what I’m hearing.

Guitar Bomb: Kathleen
How catchy is this beat? And, the opening line with a junkie husband reference? Nice. I hope the lead singer is hot, because he is in my head, and I’d hate to ruin my mental picture. I’m going to have to Google them and find out, though, because I want to hear more Guitar Bomb. Oh, please Ceiling Cat, please let him be hot…

Rideout and Shaw: Kathleen
Oh, they had me from the opening wail of that plaintive harmonica. Never heard of them, either, but they definitely fit that Alt Country genre of which I am so enamored. Dude, this sounds like Chris Isaak should be singing, doesn’t it? I’m going to iTunes to get this one as soon as I post. I have dishes to wash and floors to sweep – this is good cleaning music. Picturing Chris Isaak will help, too.

Townes Van Zandt: Kathleen
Yeah, if you don’t know by now how much I love Townes Van Zandt…then perhaps I should say it again. I love Townes Van Zandt, and everything he ever did. Sure, this is sad – most of what he did was sad…except for the stuff that was depressing and hopeless. But that’s exactly what grabs me and won’t let go. *sigh* I’d be jealous about him doing a song about Kathleen if he hadn’t also done a song about Maria. (that’d be me…)

Defiance, Ohio: Hey Kathleen, Are You Hungry?
Yeah, this made it in purely on the title. I. Love. It. (The song is okay…any longer and it might be grating, but I think it may be growing on me…)

W. VanBrunt: I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen
Like I would leave this one out of a Kathleen shuffle? Pffffftt!

Now, stay tuned for The Kick Ass Kathleen Shuffle Part 2 later today or tomorrow, where I introduce you to the artists named Kathleen that I’ve just found and absolutely, positively am hooked on – line and sinker. Megan, if you’re reading this; this artist is now to me as Neko Case is to you. Seriously.

But, I have to listen more and research some, plus there’s that housework to do. Yeah, Hubs has taken the Bug to BJ’s Wholesale to get diapers, Cheerios and other sundries that you must buy in bulk when you have a toddler so that I could have an empty house in which to clean in peace…and here I sit…

I am such a slacker. Man, Kathleen’s snarky comment was right on the money…

What color are you wearing?

That was rhetorical. I don’t really care what color you’re wearing now. But, I betcha soon, some of you will start wearing purple, wearing purple.

I love this interwebby thing. Seriously (with vowels even), I have discovered more new music online this year than ever before. And, in the most interesting, Kevin Bacon-y ways! For instance – a few months ago, my buddy Jillster introduced me to Gogol Bordello via the song that greeted you at the beginning of this post - Start Wearing Purple. I loved it, and them, so I got more.

Now, believe it or not, there are actually SOME people who don’t ENJOY Gypsy Punk. I KNOW, right?!?!? I was just as shocked as you are! So, though I’ve played it for a few friends, I haven’t gotten the kind of reaction that I expected. Naturally, I was undaunted. Being Catholic, I said a prayer for them to St. Jude, the Patron Saint of Hopeless Cases and Lost Causes and went bopping on my merry way.

Fast forward to…well, recently. On Facebook, I get a Friend Request from some woman whose pic is WAY too small for me to see, (she’s since changed it) and whose name is COMPLETELY unfamiliar. Well, being the Devil-May-Care type, and knowing how many brain cells I killed in college which may or may not have been integral parts of my memory…I “accepted” her. Turns out I DID know her (new last name), haven’t seen her in ages, and that she’s actually considerably more humorous than I remember! (See here.)

So, she leaves me a comment about a friend of hers who has a blog that I should check out. I did, and I loved it. Aural Pleasures is aptly named – Dori comes up with some great music! (I’m scoring a “Best of 2008 Mix CD”…she may have a few left that she’s giving out. Vampire Weekend, people. Bon Iver. Radiohead. Go check!)

Where was I…? Oh, yeah, so tonight, Big O is watching football and I’ve baked three batches of Biscotti (Almond, Anise and Cinnamon.) While the cookies were in the oven, I’ve been surfing, and decided to randomly click back on some of Dori’s older posts…when I stumbled on THIS.

Verily, Apollo and his muses frolic in mysterious ways. (Assuming I believed in Hellenic Paganism or Mythology. But I don’t – I’ve just told you I’m Catholic – were you not paying attention…?)

I’ve given you a Gogol Bordello threefer to enjoy while you read Dori’s review of their last New Year’s Eve Concert. If, after ALL THIS, you STILL don’t love these guys…well, just don’t tell me. I don’t want to be disappointed in you.

*sigh*