towelheadedcameljockey
towelheadedcameljockey is a Reader contributor. See staff page for published articles.
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Athletes and Actors in the News
Didn't know Karma and freedom of speech went hand in hand. Foxy, you should really take a valium and seek some therapy. There is nothing wrong with one expressing their opinion. To make such e-threats is pathetic on your part.— July 8, 2008 9:14 a.m.
Stop! Drop! And Roll!
Anywhere we can see the interview online?— July 7, 2008 8:40 a.m.
Athletes and Actors in the News
ARod's supposedly got sucked into Kabbalah. I'm guessing Tom Cruise is furious over missing this one.— July 6, 2008 11 p.m.
Dumpster diving for dinner in North Park
AJ's Playhouse (93.3) mentioned this cover story on their radio show this morning. They said they sent out one of the guys who works there on a dumpster diving mission because he was inspired by this cover story on the Reader. They went on about Freegans then connected with the guy going diving and had him descibe what he found. I switch stations. He was in back of an In N Out descibing all the half eaten food he found.— July 3, 2008 10:18 a.m.
Coffee & Cops
I agree that it is idiotic on his part to taunt Mansker by starring him down and disobeying requests to go to the judges chambers for a cool down. I don't see why they just didn't hold him in contempt of court. The whole case is ridiculous on so many levels but what I find most asinine is that Mansker hasn't been fired. Regarding Starbucks, I've heard that in addition to closing down 600 stores, they're opening 200 new ones. One of which is being built in a grocery store down the street from me. So net 400. Which means 2 on every block instead of the current 3.— July 3, 2008 9:40 a.m.
Under the Covers
Ugh. Cake is a damn good band, but that "I Will Survive" crap is not what I want to hear them covering. I don't want to hear anyone covering it. It's like "Sweet Dreams". One can improve a step up from crap, but only to a pre-turd. They do several other covers which I dig. When I was a tot I vaugly remember watching a California Raisins cartoon on Saturday mornings. All I remember is they sang a lot on the show. "I Heard It Through The Grape Vine" cover by these guys was all the hype when I was 6.— June 27, 2008 5:04 p.m.
Under the Covers
Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was Bryan or Brian, because of Ryan, so I just decided to go with the generic. Serves his parents right anyway for putting a frekin "y" where there is meant to be an "i". <in Stewie from Family Guy's voice> "Ohhh, let's be different. Yeah. Let's throw a y in Bryan, it's hip, it's cool. And we'll spell fat with a PH. Yeah". I can't believe you like UB40's version of Red Red Wine. My image of these fans are always in the 40 plus age range, wearing white tube socks with black sandals, khaki shorts, Tommy Bahama button down beige shirt and one of those safari hats with a mini fan built in the front. They then proceed to sway side to side as the song plays on and get straight pumped when "Kokomo" comes into rotation right after. "Weekend At Bernie's" is usually their favorite movie. I just realized that Annie Lennox and M. Manson actually look like they could be related too.— June 27, 2008 4:41 p.m.
Under the Covers
"Wild Horses" - this is like the female version of "I Fought The Law". This just needs to come to a halt, hippies. "Only The Lonely" - The Motels. Original is a classic, but the cover is pretty solid too and can run with the punches. "Jolene" - The White Stripes. Even though White doesn't have the boobage that Parton does, I can definitely get down with the Stripes funk on this one. Actually, the Stripes have a few damn good covers they do. Red Red Wine - UB40. Really UB40? Really? You needed to revive this song? But this brings me to something...someone recently told me how Neil Diamond credits Quentin Tarantino and Pulp Fiction for the revival of his career. Now, Urge Overkills cover of his "Girl, You'll Be A Woman" is in the movie, not his version. So, why is it that he thinks this saved him and not UB40's cover of Red Red Wine. I can't tell you how many douche bags still keep this song in rotation. Again, I don't understand why my ears even have to fear being subjected to such crap. "Take Another Piece Of My Heart" - Joplin. Again, one I would never have known was a cover unless my friend with a big music brain pointed it out. I dig the cover though. Not top 5. "Gone, Gone, Gone" - Allsion Krauss/Robert Plant. Great cover. Never listened to original until this version came out. To me the Krauss/Plant version is straight fire compared to the original. Could well be in my top 5. "Sweet Dreams" - Manson. I'm actually not a fan of the song period whether it be the original or cover yet I'm just going to point out he took the original and improved on it it. Creepy is better then crap. "Landslide" - Smashing Pumpkins. Anyone know that "Powder" was actually a bio-pic on Billy Corgan? Yep. I'm running with Fleetwood on this one. Even if Stevie does sound like a goat at certain points, I'll take it over Corgan. This one can go on forever.— June 27, 2008 3:14 p.m.
Under the Covers
Johnny Cash - "Hurt". Love it. The video also brings a lot to the table. Even Reznor himself said the song was no longer his once he heard Cash's version and saw the video. Also dig Cash's cover of Soundgardens "Rusty Cage", but not a top 5'er. Cash has a lot of covers out there, kind of became the novelty in his later years. Hell though, if I was a writer I'd be stoked for Cash to do a cover of my song. Expect if my name was Tome Petty. Cash's version of "Won't Back Down" is TERRIBLE. In fact, Cash will probably be the only artist to make it in both my top 5 and bottom 5. I'm not going to consider Ring Of Fire as a cover, even though June wrote it. We'll say that's all in the family. Like Cash, the Kinks are a group who artists will always cover. The Pretenders cover a few of their songs which I think are good. Not top 5 though. Plus, Chrissie Hyde looks like she could be related to Ray Davies. His much better looking female 3rd cousin. "Hound dog" - I recently heard the original version of "Hound dog" by Big Mama Thorton. Her version BLOWS Elvis' out of the water. I still couldn't put his in my bottom 5, but her original is way higher up there then his. "American Woman" - Lenny Kravitz. How the hell didn't this make the bottom 5 of this list you saw, I don't know. I actually like much of Lenny's work, but covers are not his thing. I can't even believe this track gets as much play as it does. It's absolute garbage. "Higher Ground" - Red Hot Chili Peppers. Love it. I can see Stevie weaving his head side to side with this right now. No pun. "Sweet Jane" - Cowboy Junkies. Better then the original for me and I'm a Velvet Underground fan. "Wonder Wall" - Ryan Adams original Oasis. We could do without everything involved in this one. Be gone Oasis, be gone Wonderwall, be gone Ryan Adams...and take Brian Adams with you while you're at it. "I Fought The Law" - covered by so many. I can deal with The Clash's version, even though I quickly switch stations anytime it comes on (which has to at least be 3 times a day), it isn't in my bottom 5. But really, nobody else needs to cover this one and yet, they do.— June 27, 2008 3:12 p.m.
Dumb Imus (race relations and the NFL)
Even though he looks like he could be representing Alfred E. Neuman impersonators society, Jeff Garcia represents for the Latinos in the NFL. Unfortunately, he's been arrested (same with his wife, maybe that's a double whammy), so he will not be receiving a pat-on-the-head-seal-of-approval that Mr. Vietnam got in this blog. To that I say, Fritz Pollard wasn't arrested. So give it time.— June 27, 2008 12:08 a.m.