Interesting and yet not

Bill suggested taking this USAToday poll that tells you who in the presidential campaign is most in line with your beliefs. Aside from the last question, which annoyed me because I am not sure any of those things matter, I thought the quiz was interesting. According to this poll, I am most in line with....(drum roll, please)

1. Dennis Kucinich (D)
2. Mike Huckabee (R)
3. Mike Gravel (D)

Looks like none of those guys will probably make it to the finish line but I am actually a bit interested in Mike Huackabee. He was on Bill Mahr a couple of weeks back and had some interesting things to say.

Don't tease me, NBC

Is that a shirtless Jim Halpert? Yes it is. Please baby Jebus, let us see more than his shoulders.

A to Z cds: Day 52

238. Fight for Your Mind ~ Ben Harper (last listen: 6 months - 1 year): I love this disc. It's really where I think Ben hit his stride. It starts off solid with "Oppression" and continues to blow my mind with just about every song. If I had to choose my favorites I would essentially be listing 75% of the songs on the disc. The ones that aren't my faves are still good. If you have want to get into Ben this is the cd I suggest starting with. I will say that when I saw him play "Ground On Down" and "Fight For Your Mind" back in 2000 at Mississippi Nights it was truly a musically mind blowing experience. I do love me some Ben Harper.

239. Will to Live ~ Ben Harper (last listen: 1-3 years): Favorite songs: Faded, Homeless Child

240. Burn to Shine ~ Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (last listen: 1-3 years): This cd was entrance into the world of Ben Harper. I remember it distinctly. I was in Chicago visiting Angie and Scott and we were listening to XRT and the song "Burn to Shine" was in heavy rotation. Every time it came on I asked who is this? Because they never said and then finally they did. I literally drove home and then bought the cd the next day. By the end of the week I owned three Ben Harper cds. Then I convinced Angie she needed to listen to Ben Harper too. I love it when I am right, which I so often am.

Favorite songs: Burn to Shine, Steal My Kisses, Show Me A Little Shame, Beloved One

I heart Big Haircut

Only, I like the shaggy haired version better.

Your TV boyfriend is:


Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)

Sweet, sweet Jim. As cute as he is charming and sensitive, and able to make you feel good and have a big laugh any time you need it. Jim's worldview may seem a bit limited -- after all, it's largely a ragin' case of apathy that keeps him locked in to his "could do it with one hand tied behind his back" job at Dunder Mifflin -- but that's also part of his appeal; the love of one good woman is all this tall, cool drink of water needs to make him happy. Nice choice in TV boyfriends!

Find out who your tv boyfriend is here.


P.S. I've decided to give up Grey's in favor of The Office. It just had to be done.

Random snarks

So, a few things that I want to complain/bitch/kvetch about....

1) Why does BBCAmerica always run that turn on your closed captioning because we are British and talk funny commercial before every show? It really annoys me and makes me think that Brits must think Americans are frakkin' retarded that we can't understand the words coming outta their mouths. I don't know why it bothers me so much but it does. Or rather, I do know why it bothers me; some idiots must have complained that they couldn't understand the speech on BBCA or even worse, they (the Brits) think the commercial is cute. I watch several shows on BBCA and every time I see the various iterations of that commercial I get mad and grit my teeth.

2) Hunter Ellis is not a good enough replacement for Josh Bernstein on Digging for the Truth. Is it because I think Josh is way cuter than Hunter? Maybe. But really, it's more that Josh seemed to get so much more geeked up about digging for the truth than I have seen Hunter get. Well, with the exception of the recreation of blowing up stuff on the Huntley episode. But then, most people get geeked up about blowing stuff up. [insert Beavis and Butthead voice here] Fire! Fire! [/Beavis and Butthead voice] I am still going to watch DFTT mostly because I think the show itself is so awesome and I always learn something cool but I really miss Josh.

3) Why do none of the shows I love have their theme music available as ringtones? Is it really that hard to fathom that fans might want this? I can't imagine that it would that hard to create ringtones. I am looking at you The Office, How I Met Your Mother, and Robot Chicken. I would gladly pony up the $2.99 a piece for these ringtones if only someone would make them.

A to Z cds: Day 51

235. Songs in the Key of Indifference ~ Squater (real name withheld since he appears frequently here) (last listen: 1-3 years): Squater asked me to not include this cd in my listing but I told him that I had to keep the integrity of the listing. I don't know why he's so embarrassed about this disc. I think it's a very solid disc of folk songs. Maybe he doesn't like it because of the time of his life that this music represents. I remember that things were a bit tumultuous when he recorded this and his wretched ex accused him of some of these songs being about her but then she was a self-centered bitch who thought everything was about her (yes, I will tell you how I really feel, especially since I banned that person's ip address range from my old blog). He should have written a song about how I am such an awesome best friend who always listens to his fart jokes and his made up words. (ETA: I also have to listen to him wax poetic about strippers and hookers on way too many occasions.) But for me I listen to this disc when I am missing my best pal, guess I haven't missed you much in the past year, dollface. Plus, I love the song "I Never Conceded." Alas, only he can tell us why he doesn't like this disc anymore.

236. The Ultimate Darryl Hall and John Oates ~ Hall and Oates (last listen: 1-3 years) This double disc is little flashback into the life of young Jalehlabad. I recall that my childhood best pal (and still current pal) Andi and I made up an awesome dance routine to Maneater that we wanted to perform on Puttin' on the Hits. Remember that show? Anyway, anyone who doesn't love some Hall and Oates is really missing out. Plus, Oates has the second most awesome mustache of the 80's, coming in second only to Tom Selleck.

237. Welcome to the Cruel World ~ Ben Harper (last listen: 1-3 years): This isn't the first Ben Harper cd I bought but it's the earliest cd of his that I own. This early disc isn't his best but you can definately see his future trajectory and the artist he will become. That's not to say that this cd doesn't have some gems, because it totally does. I've always liked the song "Whipping Boy."

A to Z cds: Day 50

231. Grease Soundtrack ~ Various Artists (last listen: 5+ years): Just because I haven't listened to this soundtrack in over five years doesn't mean I don't know all the words to the songs still. I have seen this movie more times than I can recall. My mom took me to see Grease in the theater and she said even though I was a toddler I was transfixed. The movie is pretty amazing and actually quite dirty, which I did not realize until my teenage years. And as much as I love this soundtrack, what I really am jonesing for is the Grease 2 Soundtrack. Anyway, the only thing that really annoys me about this cd is that the songs are not in order of how they fall in the movie. It makes no sense to have "You're The One That I Want" before "Sandy."

232. Dookie ~ Green Day (last listen: 1-3 years): Oh early, Green Day. I think if you were alive and anywhere near the ages of 11-30 you had to own this cd. If you didn't well, then you were kind of an idiot. This cd holds up pretty well and I still love Basketcase.

233. American Idiot ~ Green Day (last listen: 3-6 months): I think this disc is amazing. It really pushed Green Day into a whole new place musically but also kept them true to their punk roots. I really love the song American Idiot because it so perfectly reflects many of my thoughts and feelings.

234. Lost and Gone Forever ~ Guster (last listen: 1-3 years): Remember when MTV played videos instead of shows? I do. But people have been bitching about this for years now so MTV created M2. And I was happy because I could still get my music fix.

1999 was kind of a pivotal year for me. I was very unhappy; living at home with very few friends in the area; a college graduate but not working in the field where I had a degree because I really hated that field; working at Target and, in general, stagnating. But my parents had satellite so when they were at work and I was at home I would watch a lot of M2 because daytime television, except Passions which is so damn funny, is pretty bad or it was in 1999 (I mean, how many times can you watch Judge Judy?). One day, it was summertime, I heard this song come on M2 and I couldn't get it out of my head. That song was Fa Fa by Guster. I tried to get the song out of my head and I couldn't. I would find myself singing it and relating to it: "When you look in the mirror/Wish you were somebody else/Just a perfect reflection/You and no one else/Minutes run into hours/Hours run into days/You're still waiting for someone who never ever came." Man, Guster, sing it; preach it! I bought that cd about three days later. I love this whole cd. It really touches something inside of me and it makes me feel alive and okay that sometimes life knocks me around. Because in the end, I quit Target and went to grad school and then went to another grad school and somehow ended up a librarian. So, thanks, Guster. You really helped out a lost girl. I really need to invest in their other discs.

A to Z cds: Day 49

227. American Beauty ~ Grateful Dead (last listen: 3-5 years): I was going to talk about how this cd reminded me of my freshman year of college and this crush I had on this hippie boy but then I watched Freaks and Geeks. And now, all this cd reminds me of is Lindsay Weir and me wondering what would have happened on a second season of Freaks and Geeks? Because Mama and Papa Weir were not going to respond kindly to Lindsay blowing off the academic summit. Anyway, I do like this cd and it's nice to pop it in every now and then.

228. White Ladder ~ David Gray (last listen: 1-3 years): I think this disc has some really beautiful songs on it. Plus, there is just something about David Gray's voice that I really love.

Favorite songs: My Oh My, Babylon, This Year's Love

229. Lost Songs ~ David Gray (last listen: 1-3 years)

230. On How Life Is ~ Macy Gray (last listen: 5+ years)

Mad Men: Are you watching?

If you aren't watching Mad Men, then you are missing some very smartly written televion. Check out this lil' trailer for episode nine.

A to Z cds: Day 48

223. Our Little Corner of the World ~ Music from the Gilmore Girls (last listen: 0-3 months): What is not to love about this cd? It has multiple versions of Strummy Strummy La Las (I know B-Mart feels me on this one). It has Bjork; it has, well, music from GG. Sometimes though, especially recently, this cd is almost painful to listen to since it reminds of all the good GG and then I am reminded of how far that show fell. But I will admit that this cd will be in my rotation for many moons to come.

Favorite songs: All Strummy Strummy La Las, I Found Love, Car Song, Clear Spot, Tell Her What She Wants to Know

224. G. Love and Special Sauce ~ G. Love and Special Sauce (last listen: 3-6 months): Love this cd. I've loved it since I first heard it back in 1994. My mother always said G. Love sounded like Mushmouth on Fat Albert and Squater has his G. Love issues because of some certain backstage antics between G. and Squater's then girlfriend. I told him that you can't hold girls responsible for having the sex with musicians after a show. I would have done the same thing. You can imagine the death glare that went along with that conversation. Anyway, this cd has been a great companion through undergrad, grad school, and real life. G. Love rules.

Favorite songs: Cold Beverage, Baby's Got Sauce, The Things That I Used To Do, Fat Man

225. St. Elsewhere ~ Gnarls Barkley (last listen: 0-3 months): I'll admit when I bought this cd I really thought I was going to love it off the bat. And then I listened to it and I really didn't love it. I liked it. I thought it was good but I didn't get pulled in by it. Then I just kept making myself listen to this disc. The more I listened the more I began to appreciate how deep this cd really is. Cee-Lo does an awesome job of digging deep inside himself for some pretty introspective lyrics that compliment Danger Mouse's beats.

Favorite songs: Gone Daddy Gone (what a fabulous cover), Feng Shui, Transformer, Storm Coming, Necromancer

226. Demon Days ~ Gorillaz (last listen: 3-6 months): I have to admit that I find it very cool and yet somewhat arrogant that I have no idea what the members of the band the Gorillaz look like. This cd is very good and was purchased mostly because I love the song Feel Good Inc. and that made me wonder what the rest of the disc was like. It has a bit of a Danger Mouse vibe to it and that is explained away by the fact that he produced and mixed this disc.

Favorite songs: Feel Good Inc., Dirty Harry, El Manana, All Alone, White Light, Dare

A to Z cds: Day 47

220. The Celtic Minstrel ~ James Galloway (last listen: never) I don't remember ever buying this cd. I know that I've never listened to it before today. I wish I could say that I had never listened to it at all. It's not terrible or even overly Celtic; I think I would have appreciated some of the Celtish stuff hitting me over the head instead of this vaguely Enyaesque flute music.

221. Garden State Soundtrack ~ Various Artists (last listen: 6 months - 1 year): Easily one of the best movie soundtracks of the past decade. I remember seeing this movie in Loo-a-vull and hearing the Iron and Wine cover of Such Great Heights thinking to myself, "hey, I know that song only in a faster version." I ordered the soundtrack the next day and have never regretted it. Zach Braff did an amazing job of finding the perfect music to match the mood and tone of his film. Just one more reason to harbor that crush.

222. Anthology ~ Marvin Gaye (last listen: 3-5 years): It's Marvin Gaye; do I need to say anything else?

Sorry that posts have been so light. I have been trying to balance too many things at one and this blog is the most logical and easiest thing for me to walk away from. I am going to try to step up the music listening or else I will still be doing this a to z thing next year too.

On the television front, GMYH will be pleased to know that I have started watching The O.C. on Soapnet. So far, it's pretty rad. I'll admit prior to watching the show I never really got the whole Mischa Barton is so special thing. And to be honest, her acting isn't great but she does have this whole "I have a wounded soul, please take care of me" quality about her. Now, if only I could meet my own version of Seth Cohen. Life would be so sweet if that happened.

A to Z cds: Day 46

216. I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You ~ Aretha Franklin (last listen: 6 months - 1 year): Man, Aretha freaking rules. Plus, you know a disc is going to rule when it kicks off with Respect. You can hear why people want to emulate her sound. Her voice really can reach inside you and make you feel. A true classic.

217. Details ~ Frou Frou (last listen: 1-3 years): I listened to this disc quite a bit after I discovered these cats via the Garden State soundtrack.

218. Steady Diet of Nothing ~ Fugazi (last listen: never): This is a recent addition to the collection via Squater.

219. The Score ~ Fugees (last listen: 1-3 years): I have to admit that the first time I head the Fugees cover of Killing Me Softly I was impressed. Lauren Hill's voice was amazing. But I wasn't really into rap at the time, I was a lot more into Tool and Bjork and for some reason I didn't think rap could fit in with that crowd. I was wrong. I even remember seeing The Fugees live at Riverport and not really being into it at all. I think I was letting my rap hating friends influence me too much. Now, I wish I had paid better attention since it's clear this group will never be again due to the fact that Hill has gone a bit nutty. Sigh. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Oh, Ripper!

This article from the Guardian is making me squee like the Joss Whedon fangirl that I am. Long live Ripper. Please, please, please BBCA, don't make my love and trust in you waver now.