And Now For Something Completely Different..

For those of you who are anywhere close to my age (and you know who you are) The words above should trigger instantaneous humming of the John Phillip Sousa march which served as the theme music to Monty Python's Flying Circus. For those out there unfamiliar with Monty Python (and what rock have you been hiding under) It is a British comedy show which aired starting in 1969 and lasting about 4 years. But most Americans are familiar due to its airing all through the seventies and eighties on public television stations. Growing up in Chicago it was a staple at 10pm Sunday nights, followed by Dave Allen at Large (or a variety of other British comedy shows) and then Doctor Who at 11.

Monty Python is responsible I would say for about 70% of my sense of humor. I will still break out quoting lines from the show, even though I haven't seen a full episode in at least 12 years (nudge nudge, wink wink), But all of this is about to change. Why? you may ask. Let me tell you a story...I love a good story.


Once upon a time some genius invented the DVD...gotta love him. And then some brilliant person decided the put all 45 episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus onto DVD and add a couple live performances, a documentary and the two episodes in German and put them into a 16 disc boxed set priced at $100 dollars or better. that person made loads of money. For years I have longed for this box set, and for years could not afford it.

But on Saturday last week I walked in to Barnes and Noble and they had the $100 DVD set on sale for 50% off. I wanted to grab it on the spot, but decided I need time to cool off and makes sure I was making the right choice; $50 is still a lot of money. As I drove home without the DVDs I remembered that I am a B&N card member and would save an extra 10% off the sale price, that would make the price only $45; this was looking better. Then I remembered that I had a Barnes and Noble gift card in my wallet from mom and dad for $25 that brought my out of pocket to $20 plus the tax. I called the store and asked them how long it would be on sale, hoping it wasn't a on day sale, and I hadn't blown my chance. They said the sale was good through the 4th of January. I was happy, and I asked them how many copies they had. He told me there was just the one copy. I asked if he could hold it for me till Monday, he said they could only hold for one day. So I spent Saturday night praying that no other Python fan would come in and nab te set before I got there. Sunday morning I called the store to see if the set was still there. It was, and I put it on hold. I was so excited to be getting a $100 DVD set for only $20.

Monday at work it was practically all I could think about. Lucky somewhere along the line I thought of the book in my car that I had gotten as a gift, which I already owned a copy of. So when I got to Barnes & Noble I returned that book for about $17 in store credit. I went back to pick up my DVDs and handed the clerk my gift card, then handed her my store credit, then handed her a $10 bill, and got back a dollar and change. Yes, I got a $100 DVD set for less then $10 including tax!! So tomorrow at lunch I will hear the words "and now for something completely different..." and start humming that tune.

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #5 top 5 most interesting people of 2009

Rounding out my Top5 top 5's of 2009, with apologies to Barbara Walters for stealing her category, here are my top five most interesting people of 2009.

5) Adam Lambert: I started out not liking him on American Idol. I found him dark and strange. His song choices seemed sometimes very odd to me. What turned me around was his version of Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. He has a very good voice. I still find some of his song choices odd (on his debut CD), and his at times outrageous stage behavior can be disturbing. But he is being true to himself. I'm sure this Idol will be around for a while.

4) Sandra Bullock: A year ago I was asking myself, "what happened to Sandra Bullock, haven't seen her in a while?" I guess that was because she was busy making movies, With three releases this year she is suddenly every where this year, Two hits (The Proposal and The Blind Side) and one flop (All About Steve) have brought Sandra back into the public eye. She has two Golden Globe nominations (For The Proposal and Blind Side) and talk of an Oscar nod. I'm Glad she's back!

3) Lacey Schwimmer: This Dancing With The Stars pro is really interesting to me. I follow her on Twitter and she seems so down to earth and fun, Recently she has gone public with her struggles with anorexia. A very brave step for this rising star. Also she is working on recording a CD, following in the footsteps of Dancing with The Stars pros Julianne Hough, & Derek Hough and Mark Ballas (Ballas Hough Band). Best of luck Lacey!!

2) Taylor Swift: The country music Mega-star has been having a winning year including nabbing the CMA entertainer of the year award, American Music Awards Artist of the year and recently the AP Entertainer of the Year. Not bad for someone who just turned 20 this month.

1) Orianthi: I know I keep talking about her in top 5 list. But if you haven't heard her play, you wouldn't understand. This young woman is absolutely amazing on guitar. She is exploding onto the music scene, and you will be hearing this name for years to come. She has a ton of videos on YouTube, go check them out. Buy her CD Believe today. Buy This Is It on DVD when it comes out next month. You won't be sorry.

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #4 Top Five Performances of 2009

Today I present to you my top performances of 2009. These are live performances of some kind. On Stage or on TV. Basically to qualify for this you had to be in front of some kind of a crowd. Let me know if you saw any performances I may have missed.

5) Adam Lambert and Kris Allen perform with Queen on American idol Season Finale:
Okay, Kris Allen was there, but all eyes were on Lambert, his showmanship and flare fit in perfect with the flash and style of Queen. Lambert practically channeled Freddie Mercury. Look back at this performance and ask yourself, "What was America thinking by picking Kris as the winner?"

4) Paul McCartney playing at Citi Field in New York: When the Beatles played Shea stadium in the 60's, crowds went crazy, girls screamed, and great music was heard throughout the stadium. When Paul McCartney played the inaugural concert at the stadium that replaced Shea stadium some 45 years later, things didn't change much. A few more older people in the crowd, mixed with their children and grandchildren, but the music was still great. Own the CD/DVD combo now to relive the night over and over.

3) Taylor Swift's SNL monologue: In the midst of an amazing year fro the country superstar, she lands a job not just as the musical guest, but also the host of the late night comedy mega-show. Her monologue was a cute little song that poked fun at her ex-boyfriends (Like a certain Jonas Brother), confirmed rumors of her relationship with Taylor Lautner, and of course got in a jab at Kanye West. Find the video on YouTube if you want a good laugh.

2) The 25th Anniversary Concert for the Rock-n-Roll hall of fame: Bruce Springsteen, U2, Billy Joel, Simon & Garfunkel, John Fogerty, Aretha Franklin and about a zillion other stars jammed for two nights, and HBO managed to cram it into two or three hours. I'm only hoping they put out a DVD with the complete shows.

1) My Birthday Party AKA U2 live at the Rose Bowl: Yes, I was in the crowd for this amazing concert that also featured Black Eyed Peas as the opening act. This concert was broadcast live on YouTube, and was watched by millions around the world. Totally the most amazing night EVER!

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #3 Top 5 Movies of 2009

Merry Christmas to You All!! Hope you are having a great day. Today I'm going to share my top 5 movies of the year. We have a true life story, a music concert/documentary, a Sci Fi blockbuster, a romantic comedy, and a humorous look at a fringe sport. Check out my choices, and let me know yours.

5) Star Trek: Take all your favorite characters from the original 1960's TV series. Replace Shatner and the crew with a bunch of young Hollywood rising stars. Throw in the directive twist of JJ Abrams (Alias, Lost) and you have a summer hit. And a guest appearance by Leonard Nimoy is just icing on the cake. Action from start to finish, just what the tired Star Trek franchise needed.

4) Whip It!: The directorial debut of Drew Barrymore is a quirky look at life inside the Texas roller derby circuit. Juno's Ellen Page shines as a young beauty pagent contest who longs for more. Daniel Stern is priceless as her dad. And we gotta love Drew Barrymore as the almost star of the Roller Derby team.

3) This Is It: The documentary about the preparations for Michael Jackson's tour of England. A tour that unfortunately never happened. I mainly went to see this in order to see Orianthi, the amazingly talented guitarist Jackson had hired for the tour. But I was impressed and amazed at the Jackson I saw. Expecting a sickly tired man, on the verge of collapse, if you were to take the word of his father just after his death; I found rather a professional performer ready to take the stage and restart a sagging career. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to catch the DVD releasing in late January.

2) (500) Days of Summer: A quirky, wonderfully made romantic comedy about a boy who falls madly in love with a girl, and the girl who likes the boy. From my experience I can tell you, not always a good combination. Told in a series of flashbacks and flash forwards, this is one of the cutest and most enjoyable movies I've seen. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt sparkle!! Just out on DVD this week, I promise you its worth the money to rent or purchase.

1) The Blind Side: The true story of a young man plucked from poverty by a caring woman and made to be part of the family, part of a team, and finally to become an NFL star. Already up for some Golden Globes, and sure to get a few nods at Oscar time. You'll laugh, You'll cry, You'll laugh again.

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #2 Top Five Songs of 2009

Happy Christmas Eve!!

Tonight Top 5 is for the best songs of 2009. There is some over lap from last nights Top 5 CDs, but also a couple tracks from other places. these are songs that have impressed me, or touched my heart in some way. Again, feel free to give me your responses.

5) Adam Lambert-- Whaddya Want From Me: The American Idol runner up has been every where the last few months. His debut album is pretty good, and I like this song in particular. To me it is kind of Lambert's cry out to the world. Everyone has been looking to see how wild or strange his next performance will be, and this song just asks everyone, "Whaddya Want from Me"..Okay, maybe I'm reading too much into it. Who knows.

4) Susan Boyle-- Wild Horses: Yesterday I mentioned that Susan Boyle performed a Rolling Stones Cover on her CD. this is it, Wild Horses. I first heard Susan sing this on the season finale of America's Got Talent, and it was just amazing. You have got to hear it.

3) Taylor Swift-- You Belong With Me: Country teen queen Taylor had quite a year this year, and this adorable love song was a big part of it. The story of a girl in love with a friend, trying to convince him that she is better for him than his cheerleader girlfriend. So infectiously contagious once you hear it, you'll be singing it for weeks.

2) Orianthi-- Highly Strung: I can't tell you how much I love this young guitarist from Australia. This is an instrumental cut from her Believe CD. It is a duet featuring guitar god Steve Vai. You have to hear it to believe it.


1) U2-- Magnificent: The second single off of No Line On The Horizon is an absolute masterpice that will have you singing along as the bass causes your car windows to tremble. This verse says it all,
"I was born, I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice from the womb
My first cry, it was a joyful noise, oh, oh" I love this band and this album and this song SO much. Go buy it!!

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- #1 Top 5 Albums of 2009

Today's Top 5 list is the top 5 CDs released in 2009. Their style varies, as I have a broad range of musical tastes. Let me say there has been a lot of good music released this year, but these albums stand out to me for a variety of reasons. Please feel free to comment back with your own choices.

5)Susan Boyle--I Dreamed a Dream: Yes this is the woman who broke into the spotlight on Britain's Got Talent. A frumpy woman from Wales with a voice that won't quit. Millions saw her perform on YouTube and she delivers with the same amazing voice on this CD. A blend of Hymns, show tunes, standards, and even a Rolling Stones cover. She may have come in second on the show, but she provs she has what it takes to be #1.

4) Carrie Underwood-- Play On: The third album from American Idol winner Underwood is a touch edgier in places, but is still filled with the signature ballads as well. Her voice is beautiful and strong in most places, although on a few of the up tempo numbers it does tend to just be loud. The debut single, Cowboy Casanova is not my favorite, but I'm sure there will be many more number one singles from this one.

3) Orianthi-- Believe: The United States debut album by this amazing guitar sensation from Australia will blow you away if you are a fan of guitar music. I've heard her voacls compared to Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne, and I guess I can sort of see that. But the voice, rocky but still pleasant to listen to, is not the reason to listen. Orianthi has been playing the guitar since she was a child, and her skill is amazing. If you haven't heard of her or can't place her, she played with Carrie Underwood on the 2009 Grammy Awards and was set to tour with Michael Jackson before his sudden death this summer. Do yourself a favor and check out this CD.

2) Jars of Clay-- Long Fall Back to Earth: Jars of Clay has been one of my favorite bands since their debut single flood hit the airwaves back in my KLoRD days (1995 to be exact). One of the things I love about them is that they reinvent themselves with each album. On this, their 10th studio album (according to wikipedia), their sound is almost a throwback to late 70's or early 80's in several spots. It is much more up beat than 2006's Good Monsters. With most of Jars' CDs I latch on to one or two songs immediately, and the rest have to kind of grow on me. With this disc I loved the whole thing almost immediately. If you have not yet become a Jars of Clay fan, this disc is a great place to start.

1) U2-- No Line On the Horizon: For over 25 years now the Boys from Dublin have been delivering top notch Rock with a social conscience and a strong spiritual undertone. I have been waiting since 1987 for them to match the power and feel of Joshua Tree, and for me this is that album. I played it nearly non-stop for the first two weeks I had it. If you haven't heard it yet, go get it, I can't tell you how good it is, you have to hear it for yourself

Steve's Top 5 Top 5's-- An Introduction

It is that time of the year again. No, not Christmas, although of course it is that. It is that time of year where magazines and newspaper columns around the world publish there Best and Worst of list for the year. So this year I'm going to blog for you all my TOP 5 Top 5 lists. Over the next few nights I will share with you my picks for 1. the best CDs of 2009; 2. the best Songs of 2009; 3. the best Movies of 2009; 4. the best performances of 2009 (I'll let you guess exactly what that means for a while); 5. the most interesting people of 2009 (so what if I stole this category from Barbara Walters, I stole one of her people too, so there). So I hope you all will enjoy my little lists, and maybe comment back with your choices. You may notice some overlap between categories, that isn't really planned, just my tastes showing through I guess. So stay tuned over the few nights for a little list fun. And of course, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Domino's pulls a Coke

If you are in my general age bracket I'm sure you remember when the Coca-Cola company made one of the biggest mistakes in the history of marketing. The nations top selling soda manufacturer got nervous because Pepsi, the number 2 soda company had gained a few points. So Coke tossed out their tried and true formula and brought us "New Coke" a sad excuse of a soda that tasted like a slightly reworked Pepsi. Coke drinkers were furious, they drank Coke precisely because it didn't taste like Pepsi. And the Pepsi drinkers were already drinking Pepsi, sp why change to a Coke that just tasted like Pepsi. Less than three months later Coca-Cola Classic brought back the real taste of Coke. A classic example of a marketing blunder.

I feel we are in the early stages of a similar blunder in the fast food pizza business. Domino's pizza, which practically invented the Pizza delivery business 44 years ago, and has certainly been the delivery leader, and standard setter for most of those years is introducing its all new pizza. The slogan reads, "New sauce, new crust, new cheese, but it's still round" The new crust is really just te old crust with a drizzle of garlic butter added after cooking, no big deal if you like garlic. The new cheese is a blend of mozzerella with a touch of provolone, a mice addition. It is the new sauce that I feel will be the death of #newpizza from Domino's. The new sauce is much spicier, and includes cyanne pepper, which get spicier as it sits, so a leftover slice will be even spicier. I realize some people may like the spicy, and that is why packets of red peppers have long been a staple at pizza joints. But putting it in the sauce will turn off people with sensitive stomach's like me, and young children who loved old Domino's will not like the new pizza. I predict by mid summer we will see the return of "Domino's classic" or see a huge drop in Domino's sales. So try the new Domino's and give me your opinion.