Rank this!!

scariest looking presidents according to "dr. history" (aka c.s.)

2009-08-29T04:35:00.000-07:00

5. William McKinnley - jowls like a bulldog, eyebrows like shag rug from the 70s.

4. John Tyler – anorexic before it was fashionable.

3. James Madison – if he HAD hair on top, he’d have a mullet. At least he had his height to fall back on… oh wait, no he didn’t.

2. Lyndon Johnson – big nose, big ears, and deep set eyes - a hulking figure with no respect for other people’s personal space.

1. Martin Van Buren – picture speaks for itself. What scares me though is that if THIS is how he looked on ‘picture day’ imagine what he must have looked like every other day of his life.

From Andy D: Top Uncredited Musical Guest Appearances for Another Artist's Recording.

2009-08-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

1. Eddie Van Halen -- guitar solo on "Beat It." Fused Rock and R&B once and for dang all.

That's all I got. But you can take it to the bank.

Shinigami-Sidhe's irrational music hatreds.

2009-01-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

Shane McGowan
Lynyrd Skynrd
REO Speedwagon
Josh Groban
Celtic Woman
George Gershwin
Madonna
Celine Dion

Phillip Glass

Andrea Bocelli

Better as a movie than a book

2009-01-22T18:09:00.001-08:00

.5 Last of the Mohicans. I haven't read the book, not really, but the snippets from James Fenimore Cooper that I read some twenty years ago caused me shame to be an English language speaker. The movie was just mediocre-plus, but there's no way on god's green earth that that book could be better than that. the horror.

so...help me out here, folks. surely there are some examples.

How 'bout this?

There's just no way the novel was better. No way. Yes, it had more detail. Sure. Big deal. But the Godfather redeems film as a type of art.

So...what else?

Andrew B's irrational musical hatreds

2009-01-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

Andrew B's top ten Irrational Music Hatreds

10. Green Day
9. Panic! At the Disco
8. Fallout Boy
7. Metallica
6. Neil Diamond
5. Blue October
4. My Chemical Romance
3. Evanescence
2. John Mayer

1. Mariah Carey

1. Nickleback

1. Hinder

1. Aerosmith

Ten things that bore me to tears with a degree of brutality unfitting for an adult.

2009-01-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

Soccer.

Either use your hands or start scoring more.

Car talk. Both the show and car talk in general. Yes, I know the car talk folks are geniuses. I don't care. That beings said, I have a way-cool car talk coffee mug.

Talk about dieting and nutritional fads.

I can take ninety seconds tops. After that, I just start craving ice cream sundaes--both to spite the diet crusader and also to hasten my death as a means of escape.

Museum displays.

I love art. I love reading about art. I have dozens of books about art. I like looking at art in museums. I like museums in general, more or less. But good grief, do I ever hate reading museum informational displays.

Here's how my ideal museum experience would unfold. I'm walking along and I say, Oh, that's a Manet. Cool. I know something about Manet. And you know, I think I'll learn more about him later when I read about him in a book. But here I am at the museum with the original Manet right in front of me. Hmmm....I think I'll actually look AT the Manet. Now...moving on.

But the read...read....read...reading aspect. Ugggh...

Neighbors.

Yes, I know this makes me a bad bad man. I'm sorry.

You know, virtually every neighbor I've ever had in my life has been so sweet. Just very nice and kind people. But what are we going to talk about? I mean, really. And let's just face facts: I'm doing them a big favor by shielding them from myself. I don't know what to say to them, and if they knew what I wanted to talk about, they'd never leave their house again. I can see them now, peeking out through their window blinds. "There's that bad man who keeps whining on and on about his soul. He gives me the creeps."

Politial pundits and, more specifically, political talk shows.

They're noisy and obnoxious and less informative than you'd hope. I'll pass, thanks.

Sermons.

I know, I know.

I know.

I'm just being honest. I'll save the reasons why for another time. But let me just say here that it's me, not them. It's me. Sometimes I hold my breath during in a sermon to see how long I can do it without letting out a loud exhale noise.

My record? Two minutes.

I'm serious.

Musicals.

All right, this takes just a little explaining. My in-laws love musicals. I've always said that "The Pirates of Penzance" is like catnip for them--just the mere mention of it gets them giggling and singing and quoting lines and rejoicing in the fundamental lightness and goodness and bounty and joy of life. It energizes them and makes them happy as song birds and generally intolerable.

But here's my thing about musicals. I've seen plenty of them. PLEN-ty. Well over 50 different musicals. I know because I once counted them to prove to my in-laws that, yes, I do know musicals and my negative judgment of them isn't based on lack of experience of them--rather it's based on that experience.

Here's a very simple test for a movie. Imagine that you're at the theater (or at home) and you're in the middle of the movie, preferably nearing the end. Now imagine that the electricity dies out and you can't see the rest of the movie. What's your reaction? Now the typical reaction to that for a decent, or even average, movie is one of disappointment--and that independently of the money you plunked down. You're upset because you're wrapped up in a narrative, and that narrative has taken hold of your imagination. You thirst to know how the story resolves. But here's what I'm saying about musicals. I can think of no more than five of those fifty musicals I've seen about which I can that if the electricity went out I'd feel more disappointment than relief.

I'm serious.

Actually I can't think of five (or three), but it's better to err on the conservative side.

I've seen musicals. They don't appeal to me.

But let's remember in all fairness that I don't judge those people who do like them as showing bad taste. That would be wrong.

No, it's not, because they do display bad taste, and I do judge them.

I'm teasing.

(No, I'm not.)

Stories about shopping.

I trust you made a good purchase. Congratulations.

Discussions with others about their home furnishings and the hard choices they had to make to select juuuuuuuust the right pick.

You did great. It was a hard choice, I'm sure, but you did well. Congratulations.

Now let me tell you about my soul.

Most overrated movies according to Shinigami-Sidh

2009-01-13T05:15:00.000-08:00

5. The Notebook
This is the same chick flick we have suffered many times before, and it never gets any better.

4. Napoleon Dynamite
Is there any point to this other than making fun of nerds?

3. Anything Disney has ever created

2. The Wizard of Oz

1. Gone with the Wind
even the pencil-thin mustache of Clarke Gable is not worth the four hours of my life

From Shinigami-Sidh--

top 10 most handsome deceased actors

2009-01-11T15:38:00.000-08:00

In alphabetical order, and when they were handsome. Usually that means when they were younger, though not always, and also when they were not dead (always). Also, though I hate to add it, when they were pre-fat (Brando), pre-accident (Reeve and Clift), and, pre-pickled (Ricard Burton).

Marlon Brando

Richard Burton

Montgomery Clift.

James Dean

Errol Flynn

Charlton Heston

Paul Newman

Gregory Peck

Anthony Perkins

Christopher Reeve

More irrational hatreds of musical artists

2008-12-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

This from anonymous:

Ummm. What does it mean when the only person who responds to your top 10 irrational music hatreds can't distinguish between Don Henley and Don McLean? Perhaps it means that what you really meant for your list was:

10. Hanson (bros.)
9. Axl Rose
8. Styxx
7. yeah, the Clash
6. Dr. Hook
5. William Shatner
4. Mariah Carey
3. Tim Weisberg
2. Tony Bennett
1. Leo Sayer

Top Movie Cliches We Never Want to See Again!

2008-12-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

Timekeeper offers these:

6. The cop days away from retirement.

5. trying to make the computer exciting shot of the screen bar or percentage of the download/upload finished while hoping someone does not come in and turn off the computer.

4. frightened person looking backwards while walking.

3. Family/friends singing kareoke style while dancing together.

2. Microphone feedback.

1. Slow walk away with explosion behind.

Top sports deals with the devil that fell through.

2008-12-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

There are tons of athletes whose transcendent talent was sidelined by injuries (Bo Jackson or Bill Walton) or trauma (Monica Seles and Vince Young) or idiocy (Dwight Gooden and John Rocker and Ricky Williams and Daryl Strawberry and Michael Vick to name a few). What I’m interested in here are folks whose talent just seemed to……disappear. No satisfactory explanation. As though the devil said, you know what? Keep your soul. I don’t want it. But I’m taking back your talent. Deal with it.

Here are some suggestions for your consideration. I need your help and really welcome any suggestions and corrections, especially if these guys below suffered from injuries that explain their collapses.

Golf: David Duval and Ian Baker-Finch

Football: Brian Bosworth and Christian Okoye and Drew Bledsoe

Baseball: Roger Maris and Dontrelle Willis

Basketball: Phil Ford and Ralph Sampson and Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway

Others? Please let me know.

Timekeeper's snarky top 10 Charlton Heston movies

2008-12-17T04:53:00.000-08:00

6-10. All the disaster ones in the 70s where he rode the coat tails of his earlier success in #1 and/or #2.

5. Bowling for Columbine (he was hilarious!)

4. Soylent Green

3. Planet of the Apes

2. Ten Commandments

1. Ben Hur(or vice versa--the first two are the same movie, right?)

Top Ten Genius Artists I Don't Appreciate Enough

2008-12-17T03:52:00.000-08:00

These are not folks for which I have "irrational hatreds." (See below.) I like the work of several of these folks just fine, and several have songs I adore. But given how widely beloved and adored they are by fans and critics alike, it's clear to me that I don't appreciate their work at the level I "should." Perhaps with more listening to a wider range of material, I would do so. So....I'm not disparaging them but it's me I'm disparaging.

10. Frank Zappa--I don't have to like all geniuses, do I? My bad. I'm sorry.

9. Tom Waits--it's not the voice that bothers me. It's the music. I'm sorry for not being more expansive.

8. Carole King--Tapestry. I know, I know. Tapestry is genius. Look, I'm sorry.

7. Bjork-I like her fine. But no more than "fine." She's the female Beck, perhaps, but I like Beck a lot more than her. I'm sorry. Truly.

6. David Gray--Look, it's not you. It's me. It's me. I'm sorry.

5. Stevie Wonder--Wait. Give me a chance. I love Stevie. Some of his work is in my list of faves. But there's a lot of dreck in his oeuvre, too. Did I mention I'm sorry?

4. Neil Young. Hey "Anonymous," deal with it, bro. (I'm sorry.)

3. Ben Folds--I like you fine, Ben. But just as friends. I'm sorry. It's me, not you. Can we still be friends?

2. Bruce Springsteen--I like Bruce plenty. A lot, in fact. Not just enough to satisfy the vortex-like neediness of his fanatical base of followers who believe he invented music. (I'm sorry.)

and for number one, I cheated.

1. Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello

Now Dylan's music I love. I love covers of the guy's music, and there's little doubt that he was the best rock lyricist ever. But I can't make it through his own albums with him singing. And I've got nothing against Elvis Costello. Man, I wish I loved him more than I do. Several of his songs are plenty great. But...he just doesn't quite hit the sweet spot with me. Oh man, I'm sorry.

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

I'm so sorry.

My top ten most shameful musical likes

2008-12-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

What are you going to do? You like what you like. I tend to make very sharp distinctions between a person’s art and their personal lives—something I’ve found very few people do—so some of the guilt here comes from liking less than fully reputable people. But you know, one’s tastes are what they are. Whattayagonna do? I like these artists. So sue me.

Now I should clarify that they aren’t my favorite artists. But I like them enough to not automatically think “Must turn off!!” when I hear them.

10. REO Speedwagon
9. Billy Idol
8. Andy Williams (That voice. I love this guy. Love him!)
7. Michael Jackson (Even child molesters can sing, you know.)
6. George Michael (“Freedom” is one of my favorite songs.)
5. Bee Gees (As is “Stayin’ Alive.” And “How Deep is You love” makes me cry.)
4. Enya
3. Yanni (Yes, I feel shame. Burning deep shame. Yes, I do.)
2. Sarah Brightman
1. Britney Spears

Yes, her loneliness is killing her. And if only I could help her not kill herself. You know. For the sake of the music. Is all. For all of us.

My top 10 irrational music hatreds

2008-12-16T17:33:00.000-08:00

These are the musical artists who for reasons mysterious even to me send me over the edge. Lots of other people I know whose music tastes I respect like them, so I can’t simply justify my reaction by these groups’ inherent badness. Though, I confess, I’m quite tempted to do so, and in a few cases I think I could make a good case. But in general, I acknowledge that my intense visceral stomach churning and muscle-clenching hatred of these artists is basically irrational.

10. Allman brothers (Actually all Southern Rock. Southern Rock fans, I am SO sorry. Look, I admit my hatred here is irrational. Please don’t track me down and kill me dead real quick like, ya hear?)
9. Counting Crows (Get through puberty and get yourself a real voice, please.)
8. The Fixx (zzzzzz…..huh? did you say something?)
7. The Clash (London go away)
6. Don Henley
5. Barbara Streisand
4. Mariah Carey (Not so irrational, actually. Yuck yuck yuck.)
3. Dan Fogleberg (How can mellow make me so angry? Really. How?!)
2. Harry Connick, Jr.
1. James Taylor. 100% irrational. I. Can’t. Stand. Him.

I really don't like him. At all.

I’m serious.

How ‘bout just presidential hair?

2008-12-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

From Justcurious:

There’s so much to choose from.

Best presidential trio of hair… Mr. President

Best presidential hair over a thoughtful face… Clinton

Award for best foreign coiffure goes to… Sarkozy

Best 1872 presidential wannabe hair… Victoria Woodhull

Finally, best all around presidential hair due to his campaign platform based on a perfect and youthful do goes to…Jacob Mantle, incoming president of Queen’s University Arts and Science Undergraduate Society… (along with the incoming vice-pres, whose hair is nicely coiffed as well). Apparently a school full of High School Musical look-a-likes. Perhaps your college will want to take this into consideration as one of its admission standards.

Best Presidential Facial Hair

2008-12-10T02:23:00.001-08:00

It's stiff competition to be sure. But here's what you got:

5. Abraham Lincoln

4. Chester Arthur

3. Benjamin Harrison

2. Martin Van Buren

1. William Howard Taft

shinigami-sidhe, I hope you aren't hurt that I went with a mere moustache. I just think as far as moustaches go, this one is especially divine. Or if not divine, then certainly walrus-esque.

You may be interested in the following very useful website: http://www.nicholaswhyte.info/presbeards.htm

God's Top Ten Commandments!

2008-12-10T02:09:00.000-08:00

Wait....this has already been done.

Top five errors of judgment in the posts thus far

2008-12-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

5. Nicholas Cage
4. Vincent Price
3. Frank Sinatra (doobie doobie don't.)
2. Bing Crosby (buh buh buh bad)
1. Omitting Marlon Brando. He IS a contender, Charley.

On the bright side, a big revelation for me is Lon Chaney Sr. I’ve never seen one of his movies, but look at this clip. I gotta give it up to him. This is an incredibly affecting video to me—it taps something pretty primal.

On the video between 2:19-2:25 how DeNiro-esque he looks (maybe his Max Cady character in Cape Fear). Amazing.

More top ten actors

2008-12-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

From justcurious: http://www.blogger.com/profile/01049309170646131244

10. Sean Connery (no. 1 in voice, though. talk to me, baby.)
9. Morgan Freeman (another voice guy. could listen to him all day. also does more with less in terms of his facial expressions than anyone.)
8. Charlie Chaplin (i way admire comedic genius. he paved the way and much of it was silent!)
7. Dick Van Dyke (master of comedy. the timing, the facial expressions, the use of his body. the guy sings a lovely song to boot. AND, all this without hollywood looks.)
6. Nicholas Cage (range; that says it all)
5. Johnny Depp (as you say, surprisingly good for a pretty boy. we're going to look back on his administration and liken it to some of the older talent)
4. Robert Redford (how could you not)
3. Robert DeNiro (goes without saying)
2. Anthony Hopkins (the man has class and range)
1. Cary Grant (finally, no other man has started out as Archibald and gone on to have singular billing as #1 Virile Man for as long as he did.)

Top 10 Actors (see below)

2008-12-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

http://shinigami-sidhe.blogspot.com/ says:

1.Rudolph Valentino (No other male film star has reached his level of popularity and pageantry. Ever.)
2.Lon Chaney Sr.(The man with a thousand faces)
3.Clark Gable
4.Bela Lugosi (you just have to admire a guy who emotes with his eyebrows)
5.Frank Sinatra
6.Vincent Price
7.Orson Welles
8.Jim Henson (he was a voice actor. It counts.)
9. Bing Crosby
10. Daniel Day Lewis

All-Time Best American Male Movie Actors

2008-12-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

Here are the criteria I'm using: Range/versatility. Presence/charisma. Respect of/reputation among fellow actors.

1. Marlon Brando
2. Robert DeNiro
3. Robert Duvall
4. Dustin Hoffman (Of course he's an excellent actor. Yeah. Definitely.)
5. Morgan Freeman (Maybe the most "believable" actor ever. Perfectly natural on screen.)
6. Gene Hackman.
7. Al Pacino
8. Johnny Depp. (If the guy weren't so pretty, he'd be much more highly regarded than he is. His range is stunning, and he's as charismatic as they come.)
9. James Stewart
10. Montgomery Clift

Okay, I can already here the criticisms. Bring 'em on.