Video of the Week

Back when MTV actually played music videos there were some videos I loved but that was over 15 years ago. I had a hard enough time using wikipedia to remember the details of Teen Wolf. Either way, I can't remeber a video I thought was as good as the Bowerbirds video for 'In our Talons'.

Vampires and Werewolfs

By now it's pretty much a fact that women (and girls) in the all-important 12-36 female demographic loves both werewolves and vampires, especially the ones with great abs and basketball skills. This has been true since the dawn of the 80's when Bram Stoker began dreaming up the ideas that would transpire on to the pages of Dracula in 1897. Almost 100 years later my older sister would fall in love with Michael Emerson, who moved with his single mother to Santa Carla, a coastal California town plagued with gang activity and unexplained disappearances, only to be baited into becoming a half-vampire by a young Jack Bauer, back before he was into preventing major terrorist attacks on the United States and saving civilian lives both and government administrations. Even today fourteen year old girls laugh at me because I don't think the plot of 'Twilight' is very believable. Personally, I'm more of a fan of Scott Howard.

Scott and I had many things in common as of 1985. He as seventeen years old, and sick of being average and wishing he were special. His father ran a local hardware store, while mine was a local mailman. Scott played basketball for his high school's team, the Beavers, with a not-so-good win-loss record, while I played for the Eagles, with an equally not-so-good record. The girl of Scott's dreams, Pamela Wells, was dating Mick, a jerk from an opposing high school team, the Dragons. Mine was Lorie Griffin, the actress that played Pamela, as well as stints as Bonnie Reed in Cheerleader Camp, 2 episodes of 'Highway to Heaven, another episode in 'Charles in Charge', and a career-defining role as Kenneth's receptionist in the made for TV 'Seduction: Three Tales from the Inner Sanctum'.

After another of the team's losses, Scott began to notice strange changes to his body. Don't get me started on my junior year of high school. While at a party, Scott kept undergoing changes and eventually returned home to undergo a complete change and become a werewolf, while his father demanded that he open the door. Things were a little different when my dad demanded I opened the door but you get the point. If only I could have wolfed out I could have led the Eagles to the conference championship game only to decide to play the game as my true self rather than the wolf and stand at the free-throw line with the title in the balance as Mick stood under the basket staring me down. I really don't get it when people laugh when I argue for Teen Wolf as the greatest sports movie of all-time.

Fall

Just posted a new playlist, Fall. It starts with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes who I've been listening to a lot. It also has a song from the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack and a one from the new Avett Brothers album. It's been a pretty strange fall so far. I was pulled over the other day while talking on the phone to my mom. It's never cool telling your mom you have to let her go because you're being pulled over, and it only got worse. The officer was very polite, but became visibly flustered at one point during the stop. He also asked for my phone number, explaining it was necessary because I had a CDL. He let me off with a warning, giving a quick wink before leaving me to wonder what the hell had just happened. I used to be jealous of women that could flirt their way out of tickets but am really giving that some second thought. I think it's time I shaved my mustache, it's not having the effect I hoped it'd have.

Video of the Week

Here's a video by the Local Natives I found on My old Kentucky Blog (myoldkyhome.blogspot.com/) You can't go wrong with a single-take video, plus it's a cover of one of my favorites. Check out the site, it always has great stuff.

Songs for September

Sorry, it's been a while since my last post, I've been wrapped up hunting snakes and growing a mustache. I just added some songs for September, or at least songs from September. Most are songs I've been listening to in the past month, others are from the last summer and kind of fit in the list. My favorite right now is 'These Old Shoes' by Deer Tick, but the list also includes a couple songs from Blitzen Trapper I've been playing a lot and a cover of my favorite country song ever. Be sure to check it out.

Living the mustached American lifestyle

It's that time of the year again. As the leaves turn to brown and my upper lip begins to chill in the cool fall breeze, my mind always turns to the greats. Men like Keith Hernandez, the Mario Brothers, Robert Goulet, and Adolf Hitler. Many could argue the greatness of them as men; Hitler is one of the most evil men in history and the Mario brothers have brutally murdered millions of turtles; but nobody can argue the greatness of their mustaches.

Gary was always such a lucky bastard

I'm pretty sure I've helped Mario kill more than 6 million turtles and mushrooms myself.

For those looking for more information on what was voted the most stylish facial hair of 1976 check out the American Mustache Institute at americanmustacheinstitute.org/Default.aspx. It includes history of the stache, different styles available to your upper lip, and even an opportunity to nominate someone (probably someone other than Hitler) for this year's Mustached American of the Year.

Check back later for GandR's newest film short, the Evolution of a Mustache, currently in production.

Snake Attack

Last weekend I was following my regular routine of using beef jerky or chewing tobacco (Redman works best because of it's addictiveness) to catch perch on a small hook before sticking a larger hook through it's eyes and using it as bait to catch bass.After a while I noticed a small fish that had gotten tangled up in the banks on the far side of the quarry I was fishing, and, being the animalitarian I am, I had my fishing buddy keep an eye on my rod while I went over to help free the fish. I also had him watch my fishing pole, and while I climbing through the weeds he hooked and later lost what he said was the largest bass he'd seen. "Easily five pounds," he said. By the time I reached where the trapped fish had been, it was gone, and I assumed it had freed itself and was getting ready to hit my bait so I hurried back to fish. When I got back the fish was back up in the brush, this time a little further up the bank. At first I thought it may just be messed up on the tobacco I'd been fishing with but soon saw there was a large snake wrapped around it. I went back for a closer look and took these pics. I wasn't as scared as I normally would be around such a large snake (or a small one) and figured it'd have to spit the fish out of his mouth before attacking.

You can see the fish's fin and body coming out the snake's mouth. It's hard to see with the glare but the fish is at least foot long, which means the snake is six or seven feet long.

I showed some experts at the local animal control the picture and they assured me it wasn't the copperhead I though it was and rather a harmless, venomless, water snake. I think maybe that's what they're telling themselves to avoid having to go after it and am in the process of forming a vigilante posse of snake hunters so the women and children of the area can feel safe again. Let me know if you want in, I'm currently taking applications to join my snake-hunting force. In the words of Sir Ernest Shackleton: "Men wanted: For hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success."