My friends and watched this music video the other night and it still gets me right here (in the heart). I recall vividly the night my sister and I were allowed to stay up for the premiere of the video–the totally bonkers, amazingly fun, wrestler cameo filled, 12 minute video that still blows my mind. There are two parts (the same song, more plot) and it features The Bangles, most of the Goonies cast, Andr? the Giant, Captain Lou Albano, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Steven Spielberg, and most importantly, the giant octopus that got cut from the final cut of the movie.

I remember listening to the song on repeat over and over and over on my Walkman, straggling behind my mom at the mall, day dreaming of Corey Feldman and massive backyard adventures. I remember that I even cleaned my room (probably the only time in my life) because it was my dad's ingenious stipulation for me seeing Goonies on opening day. Ooooh. Can't you just remember how fun it was to get excited as a kid? It makes me happy that it still happens with the Harry Potter movies and such.

So it's sad to learn that the glorious Miss Lauper does not share my enthusiasm. She admitted that she actually hates the song and has excluded it from her compilation albums. And that video that looks like the most fun an unusual gal could ever hope to have? According to Lauper, it was a horrendous and exhausting experience. Oh well.

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Posted on July 21, 2008

From the first notes of the heavy hook to all the spaced out creepiness that ensues, Amon Duul II's master work Yeti is a phenomenal and nearly incomparable double album. Though I do slightly prefer their debut record Phallus Dei which, like this one, is best listened to continuously, as a single piece of music, Yeti is a mind altering excursion into eccentric darkness.

It's widely acknowledged as one of the most interesting Krautrock albums, but the band continues to be ignored as focus is turned on better known bands like Can and Neu! though more and more people are beginning to discover them (the album is now available on iTunes).

Sure, it's not for everybody (or every occasion), it hits hard with its epic, dense, hallucinatory experimentations; but it's one of the greatest trips you can take. Is goth phsychedelia with a thick German accent and bongos awesome? My god, yes!!

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Posted on July 21, 2008

The critically revered Edge of Darkness is often referred to as a miniseries about espionage and that's a bit misleading if you, like me, therefor expect some traditional spying. It is a political thriller to be sure, as well as a murder mystery with an environmental cautionary tale and a family tragedy thrown in.

It takes a couple episodes to completely suck you in. It doesn't start slow exactly, but as more and more layers and complexities pile on it becomes more absorbing. By the third hour we were hooked and in totally agreement with the general (British) love for the show. It's never been released in the US sadly, though, (also sadly) it is going to be remade into a film starring Mel “sugar tits” Gibson.

He'll be taking the reigns from Bob Peck, who is spectacular in the role of Detective Craven, a man with a stiff upper lip and woeful eyes. I am surprised to say I haven't seen much of him in other BBC productions. It's a small world and you usually recognize all the faces. For example all making appearances here: Hastings from Poirot, Zoe Wanamaker from Prime Suspect and Harry Potter, and Joe Don Baker.

Yes, I said Joe Don Baker. We totally freaked when we saw his name in the opening credits and I hoped for his sake he was playing himself and not attempting to play a Brit. (He's a skilled actor, but I just don't think it's in him.) But happily, he's excellent here as a Texan CIA agent, adding some much appreciated swaggering audacity to the dignified proceedings.

The miniseries won several BAFTA awards including ones for Peck and the un-timeless score by Eric Clapton & Michael Kamen. If you like your dramas intelligent and for adults, make every attempt to see Edge of Darkness.

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Posted on July 21, 2008

Not too long ago I took a quick trip with work to Atlanta. It was a brief stint in the The Big Peach, but in that time I managed to fall in love with the soft southern accents, grow envious of all their Chick-fil-a's (how is it fair that some should have so many, while others suffer?) and meet the awesome ladies that make our sample for us.

I also squeezed in some good food. First, breakfast at The Flying Biscuit, an airy, quirky breakfast spot with indeed, scrumptious biscuits as well as creamy down home grits. I ordered the Southern Scramble with eggs, turkey bacon bits, onions, cheddar, and spicy collard greens. Yummm, just the kind of thing I wanted to take of advantage of out of Yankee territory.

The other great meal came in a slightly more upscale package at South City Kitchen. Their slow cooked BBQ appetizer?that seriously was too much for even four of us, but was so flavorful and delicious it was hard not to fill up on it. I had a nice, mild trout with crab and mashed that was equally worthy of your order. The only place we were disappointed was dessert, where a bland banana pudding and pecan pie failed to wow. Still, it's a nice spot with mostly top notch food.

On the bad side of the food spectrum: Panda Bear buffet. I didn't eat there, but I meet my coworkers and saw their plates. Cold, gelatinous mac and cheese next to fat frozen looking egg rolls? No thanks. But people claim it's better than the buffet across the street, so who knows.

We also somehow managed to get in some good shopping before our plane left in the Little Five Points area, their arty section. I'd avoid Junkman's Daughter unless you want to be transported to your alternative early teenage years in 1993 when baby doll dresses and mass produced spike belts were new and exciting.

Head down the block instead to some decent and mid priced vintage at Clothing Warehouse. The selection is hit or miss and some of the cooler dresses were a bit outside my ultra frugal means but deals can be struck and there is a large selection. The best vintage can be found at Stefan's a smaller but more selective shop with everything from lacy antique lawn dresses to spectacular new look fifties frocks.

For non vintage finds, Wish and Bill Hallmans' Flaunt have some hip pieces (includeing a neon winter scarf I found on sale.)

See more: Places to Visit

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Posted on July 21, 2008

Going to a Brooklyn Cyclones game is a dream finally realized after wanting to go since I moved here. Prepare for crowds, and up close action. There doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the stadium, though the $9 bleachers without backs might be a bit uncomfortable. Unlike a Yankees game, where you have to spend an arm and a leg to even remotely make out the players faces, we could almost count the blades of grass. With the old parachute ride in front of us, the actual Cyclone and Coney Island in the distance, and seagulls overhead, it was a beautiful way to devote a Sunday night to.

The food is, of course, a major part of the experience for me and we all started after a day of near fasting, with a foot long Nathan's and a beer. Later I couldn't resist the pastel allure of cotton candy (see this week's dessert pick) and Jim even went so far as to have a burger and beans as a second course.

Mike let us share his big soft pretzel which he bought as consolation for not finding an egg cream. We misunderstood our neighbor who said there was a smoothie and egg roll stand, not egg cream. But seriously smoothies and egg rolls? They just don't go together in my mind and a Brooklyn based team might just want to look into offering the local specialty of egg creams.

The game itself was fairly uneventful. We won. The players were cute, with smaller fannies than major leaguers.

The real kicker of the night was in the oddities and special events like the vintage car show, Jewish heritage night complete with an on field dance and jerseys in Hebrew, contests that pitched audience members against one another and the Nathan's hot dog race, where three men in hot dog costumes resembling vaginas stage a mock race on the field. Ketchup won because relish and mustard couldn't keep their hands off one another and began to dance. Yeah, it was weird. (and I apologize for there being no photos, but my camera battery died early on)

None of these compare to the entertainment of Sandy the Seagull and Peewee?- the mascots, and particularly the mind blowing King Henry and loud mouth Jay who really ran the entertainment side of things by yelling. We found out King Henry runs an entertainment business (creepy) and even has his own show. Jay, well he really just yells throughout the game, maybe does a few moves he picked up at a Staten Island night club, and occasionally throws stuff to the screaming eager audience – mostly tee shirts, but once (I swear) packaged Applebees quesadillas (which he described in a horse shriek as chickeniny) Jim is completely obsessed with the man.

See more: Spend a Couple Hours

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Posted on July 21, 2008