My 3 Songs 02/22/06

Sometime after the game will be the contest.

Here are the songs:

1. Twice as Hard - Black Crowes
2. hanginaround - Counting Crows
3. Every Day is a Winding Road - Sheryl Crow

easy enough?

My 3 Songs 02/08/06

In honor of the censored one himself.

Here are the songs:

1. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
2. State of Shock - The Jacksons
3. Dancin' In the Streets - David Bowie & Mick Jagger

Yep, that's right they all have Mick on vocals.

Where has the creativity gone in America?

Okay, I'm going to go on a rant here...but I think this stuff needs to be said. At least, I feel I need to say it.

Why have we lost our creativity and appreciation for creativity? There are numerous examples of this all over this crazy country. The one that bugs me most is the new concept car from GM, which I'll get to in a moment...but first I think we need a little background first.

We are in an energy crunch here in the U.S. Now, don't get me wrong, we still pay less per gallon for fuel than most other countries...but I think that is because we have a president that sleeps with the enemy...but that's another blog. Yes fossil fuel prices are at an all time high and go back and forth more than the Sea Dragon at Worlds of Fun. And yes we are all puking our dollars out to fill up those SUV's. Okay not all of us..just those that feel they have to compensate for something small with something so large that guzzles gas. So with fuel costs so high the powers that be say we should be looking into alternative fuels, yes even George W. said this. And you know what, there are many alternatives out there. One that grabs my attention immediately and should yours is this Bio-Diesel. It can be made from dirty old fast food fry bin grease. And it IS being made by many entrepeneurial folks. I've seen the whole process and really it doesn't take much. In fact there is supposed to be a "refinery" close to where I live that makes it from soy beans...and if you have driven through Illinois lately, you know that soy beans are plentiful. But the problem lies with the folks manufacturing automobiles. There are only a few making hybrid cars and even those have price-ranges so out of range from the average consumer (the ones who would benefit and would create more benefits from) cannot even think of purchasing them. (something to do with, wanting to feed their families and some such nonesense) So these automobile manufacturers continue to churn out the gas guzzling suv's and autos at a sickening pace. (A side note here...with bio-diesel it can eat/disinegrate rubber so pvc type hoses need to replace the auto's rubber parts...really this is minor) The auto industry does not even look at such answers.

Instead of planning for the future the auto industries look to the past. Okay here's where the creativity part comes in. Yes it would take a smidgen of creativity to create some new cars that are affordable and can run on the many alternative fuels out there. (hydrogen, bio-diesel, electricity, et. al.) But instead at the big auto show in Detroit in early January of this year, GM rolled out their CONCEPT car. Okay a concept car is (at least in the past it was) something new and daring and will project the future of automobiles. So what does GM do? The introduce their CONCEPT of the Future auto as.....are you ready?.....introducing....a car...never before dreamed of.....the amazing.....CAMARO. WHAT!?!?!? Didn't GM retire that freaking gas guzzling muscle car leftover after 30 years of production? What is so new about that? I'll tell you what's new.........NOTHING. What happened is the lazy creators and managers said "well we need a concept car this year what do you have?" And those guys thought WE AMERICANS were soooo stupid we wouldn't see the wool brought over our eyes (again). They said we could take an old car that we haven't manufactured in a few years and re-paint it. So the designers said good because I just want to collect my 6 figure paycheck and not have to lift a finger...besides they have the old drawings on computer and can just click on the print button. So where is the creativity? It ain't there my friends.

Okay, that said let's look at TV. REALITY FREAKING TV, is not creative. You know, it has always been the epitome of laziness to program television. One network does something that works and the rest copy. Then along came FOX and well they tried something new. And TV got creative for a little while. Then Reality TV came along....and now everybody is doing it. even TVLand, jeez. However you can still look at FOX and still see some creativity. Yes they do have a couple of reality shows now and then ...but their Sunday night lineup consists of some nice writing and creativity...btw FOX is owned by Rupert Murdoch....an Australian.

Now let's get to literature....Thank God, that when Stephen King said he was retiring he didn't/couldn't. Since his "retirement" he's written 3 or 4 books. And each one as great as ever...But the recent trend in literature has taken a cue from TV...REALITY literature. I'm talking about the recent trend of memoirs. I did a search on amazon.com for "memoir" and in books there were 36,000 + titles available. Now don't get me wrong, they are good to read and very informational...and sometimes "good for you." But, this trend turns to the scary side. I think though this may subside due to the recent James Frey "fiasco." Which brings me to something about creativity. James Frey took some artistic license in a book about his own life. SO WHAT!! Yes, sure the authors that write reality are now being looked at with a skeptical eye, but c'mon...did the world end? I can't believe there are idiots suing him. Did his book make you look at your life different? Well good ...take it and grow. I mean Mark Twain changed some folks lives with his views in Huckleberry Finn...but it was fiction...heck Mark Twain wasn't even his REAL name. What does it hurt? I do understand there are writers out there that are upset...but that should just be your cue to write better and not try to fool anyone.

If anything I think James Frey may help to bring back creativity in America...although I know that was never his intention. Now we can see more fiction, more creativity and maybe this creativity can help us get out of the rut we are in economically and politically. Believe me the reality of it isn't working...it's gonna take some creativity.

My Three Songs 02/01/06

I'm not going to type the answer...but it should be obvious.

1. Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
2. All I Need Is a Miracle - Mike + the Mechanics
3. In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins

(I could throw in When the Heart Rules the Mind - GTR, but won't)

Remember there is a free pizza and a Howie Day sticker at stake here. Listen in tonight and be the first caller with the correct answer.