Top 20 Songs - 1989

So this ends my rankings of songs from the 1980s. What a decade. In 1980, I turned 7 & was in first grade. (Just like Payton!) By 1989, I was 16 and was a sophomore in high school. Those 10 years seemed like forever then. Nowadays, 10 years goes by in a blink of an eye. (Foxwoods will turn 16 next month!!!)

Onto the list...

HONORABLE MENTION: Cryin': Vixen, Girl You Know It's True: Milli Vanilli, Seventeen: Winger, Close My Eyes Forever: Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne, Patience: Guns N' Roses, Electric Youth: Debbie Gibson, I Drove All Night: Cyndi Lauper, Toy Soldiers: Martika, On Our Own: Bobby Brown, Forget Me Not: Bad English, You're My One & Only (True Love): Seduction, Runnin' Down A Dream: Tom Petty

#20
Cherish, Madonna
"I was never satisfied with casual encounters
I can't hide my need for two hearts that bleed with burning love
That's the way it's got to be
Romeo and Juliet, they never felt this way I bet
So don't underestimate my point of view"

#19
Angelia, Richard Marx
"Angelia
Where you running to now
Angelia
Got to make you turn around"

#18
The Look, Roxette
"She's got the look.
She's got the look.
What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue.
When everything I'll ever do I'll do for you and I go:
la la la la la she's got the look."

#17
Rock Wit'cha, Bobby Brown
"I wanna rock wit'cha, baby
All night long
I wanna roll wit'cha, lady
Feelin's so strong
I wanna rock wit'cha, baby
All night long
Rock and roll, and roll and rock
Make your sweet love, don't ya ever stop"

#16
Second Chance, .38 Special
"Since you been gone
I feel my life slipping away
I look to the sky
And everything is turnin' grey
All I made was one mistake
How much more will I have to pay
Why can't you think it over
Why can't you forget about the past"

#15
Baby Don't Forget My Number, Milli Vanilli
"Ba ba ba ba baby
Don't forget my number
Baby love is stronger than thunder
Ba ba ba ba baby
Don't forget my number
Love will see you through"

#14
A Girl Like You, The Smithereens
"Now if I seem a little wild, there's no holding back
I'm trying to get a message to you
I won't take anything from anyone
I won't walk and I won't run, I believe in you
London, Washington, anywhere you are I'll run
Together we'll be
Inside, outside, got my pride
I won't let him take you from me"

#13
Higher Ground, Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Teachers
Keep on teachin'
Preachers
Keep on preachin'
World
Keep on turnin'
'Cause it won't be too long
Oh no"

#12
Fire Woman, The Cult
"Shake shake shake shake it. yeah...
Wound up, can't sleep, can't do anything right, little honey,
Oh, since I set my eyes on you.
I tell ya the truth.
Twistin' like a flame in a slow dance, baby,
You're driving me crazy.
Come on, little honey, come on now!"

#11
I Remember You, Skid Row
"I paint a picture of the days gone by
When love went blind and you would make me see
I'd stare a lifetime into your eyes
So that I knew you were there for me
Time after time you were there for me"

#10
Bust A Move, Young MC
"New movie's showin', so you're goin',
could care less about the five you're blowin'.
Theatre gets dark just to start the show,
then you spot a fine woman sittin' in your row.
She's dressed in yellow, she says hello,
come sit next to me ya fine fellow.
You run over there without a second to lose,
and what comes next, hey, bust a move."

#9
Just Between You And Me, Lou Gramm
"Staring at each other with accusing eyes
Keep our voices low, don't act surprised
If the word gets out, yeah, that's alright"

#8
Poison, Alice Cooper
"I want to love you but I better not
touch (Don't touch)
I want to hold you but my senses
tell me to stop
I want to kiss you but I want it too
much (Too much)
I want to taste you but your lips
are venomous poison"

#7
Every Little Step, Bobby Brown
"Don't matter what your friends try to tell you
We will even fall in love
And we will be together in any kind of weather
Just like that, just like that"

#6
New Thing, Enuff Znuff
"Worry worry is your answer
If you like your wrinkles faster
Nursing old things make em last
The way we did it in the past
Everybody telling you
You ain't got no respect"

#5
One, Metallica
"Back in the womb it's much too real
In pumps life that I must feel
But can't look forward to reveal
Look to the time when I'll live
Fed through the tube that sticks in me
Just like a wartime novelty
Tied to machines that make me be
Cut this life off from me"

#4
Cult of Personality, Living Colour
"Look into my eyes, what do you see?
Cult of Personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I've been everything you want to be
I'm the Cult of Personality
Like Mussolini and Kennedy
I'm the Cult of Personality"

#3
Paradise City, Guns N' Roses
"Just a' urchin
livin' under the street
I'm a hard case
that's tough to beat
I'm your charity case
So buy me somethin' to eat
I'll pay you at another time
Take it to the end of the line"

#2
18 And Life, Skid Row
"Tequila in his heartbeat, His veins burned gasoline.
It kept his motor running but it never kept him clean.
They say he loved adventure, "Ricky's the wild one."
He married trouble and had a courtship with a gun.
Bang Bang Shoot 'em up, The party never ends.
You can't think of dying when the bottle's your best friend"

#1
Headed For A Heartbreak, Winger
"Darling don't wait up for me, tonight I won't be home
You've become a stranger, I just got to be alone
Don't need nobody on my side to dull the blade I'm on
So don't be waiting for love, 'cause I'll be waiting to ramble on"

Race Point

IMG_1295ps Ferry to Fisher's Island, originally uploaded by JMalcolm.

I found this on Flickr tonight. I need to dig around some more there.

I'm not sure if I'll be adding many photos there, as I use PicasaWeb already. Then again, I don't have many photos up there either.

Regardless, this is a nice shot of the M/V Race Point passing Ledge Light on the way to Fishers. I like this one a lot because it's headed the right way, to Fishers.

(BTW, this is a test. If this doesn't look right, drop me a comment.)

Payton's Webkinz

This will be a running list for everyone to keep track of the Webkinz Payton has & will be getting. Look for a link on the right once this gets pushed down the list.

Current Webkinz (updated 7/13/08)
**New additions: Crocodile, Toucan

ALSO, please let me know if you have any of the figures, which I will also start to list here.

Beagle
Bengal Tiger
Black Arabian
Black & white cat
Black cat
Black lab
Black Stallion
Brown Arabian horse
Brown dog
Bull frog
Charcoal cat
Cheeky Dog (Black & white)
Cheeky monkey
Chicken
Chocolate lab
Clydesdale
Collie
Cow
Crocodile
Dalmatian
Duck
Elephant
Elephant (velvety)
Frog
German Shepard
Golden Retriever
Gorilla
Grey Horse (Arabian)
Grey & white cat
Himalayan cat
Hippo
Husky
Kangaroo
Koala
Lemon-Lime Gecko
Leopard
Lion
Lion (little kinz)
Lioness
Love frog
Monkey
Orange & white cat
Panda bear
Penguin
Persian cat (white)
Persian cat (little kinz)
Pig
Pink google
Pink & White Cat
Pink pony
Pink poodle
Pinto
Polar bear
Rabbit
Raccoon
Reindeer
Samoyed
Siamese Cat
Spotted frog
Tiger Snake
Tree frog
Unicorn (little kinz)
Velvety Elephant
Wacky Zingoz
Whimsy Dragon
White poodle
Yellow lab
Yorkie


Purchased, but haven't given to the Princess yet:

Black Bear
Black Poodle
Blue Rhino
Bull dog
Chihuahua
Cocker Spaniel
Tiger
Toucan


Figures:
Brushing Up Hippo
Chillin Out Polar Bear
Fire Chief Elephant
Kinzpinz Panda
Shootin Hoops Black & White Cat

Misc.:
Notebook
School Supplies kit

Top 20 Songs - 1988

Another solid year. You can really start to see the influence of my rock ways starting to show, although it's still a fairly diverse list.

HONORABLE MENTION: Two Occasions: The Deele, Just Like Paradise: David Lee Roth, Wishing Well: Terence Trent D'Arby, Hands to Heaven: Breathe, Walk on Water: Eddie Money, Edge Of A Broken Heart: Vixen, Look Away: Chicago, Waiting For A Star To Fall: Boy Meets Girl, If It Isn't Love: New Edition, All Fired Up: Pat Benatar, Lost In You: Rod Stewart, Supersonic: JJ Fad

#20
I Still Believe, Brenda K. Starr
"Each day of my life I'm filled with all the joy I could find. You know
that I am not the desperate type. If there's one spark of hope left in
my grasp I hold it with both hands. It's worth the risk of burning to
have a second chance."

#19
Beds Are Burning, Midnight Oil
"The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact's a fact
It belongs to them
Let's give it back"

#18
Kiss Me Deadly, Lita Ford
"But I know what I like
I know I like dancin' with you
And I know what you like
I know you like dancin' with me
Yeah, yeah"

#17
New Sensation, INXS
"Cry baby cry
When you've got to get it out
I'll be your shoulder
You can tell me all
Don't keep it in ya
Well that's the reason why I'm here"

#16
Nite And Day, Al B. Sure
"Believe me when I say that I do care (I can tell you)
I’d like to run my fingers through your hair (I can tell you)
Baby, if you left I could not bear (I can tell you)
Please don’t share"

#15
Sign Your Name, Terence Trent D'Arby
"Sign your name
Across my heart
I want you to be my baby
Sign your name
Across my heart
I want you to be my lady"

#14
Parents Just Don't Understand, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
"I said, "This isn't shinin' armor, c'mon mom, I'm not Bowser.
Mom, please put back the bell bottom, Brady Bunch trousers.
But if you don't want to I can live with that, but,
You've gotta put back the double-knit, reversable slacks"

#13
Going Back To Cali, LL Cool J
"I'm going back to Cali, rising, surprising
Advising realizing, she's sizing me up
Her bikini - small; heels - tall
She said, she liked, the ocean
She showed me a beach, gave me a peach
and pulled out the suntan lotion"

#12
The Flame, Cheap Trick
"Just can't stand up for fallin' apart.
Can't see through this veil across my heart, over you.
You'll always be the one.
You were the first, you'll be the last."

#11
Endless Summer Nights, Richard Marx
"Do you remember all the nights we spent in silence
Every single breath you took was mine
We can have it all again
Say that you'll be with me when the sun brings your heart to mine"

#10
I Want Her, Keith Sweat
"I seen ya last night
I saw you standing there
Couldn't picture the color of your hair
And all I wanted to know
Were you really there"

#9
When It's Love, Van Halen
"You look at every face in a crowd
Some shine and some keep you guessin'
Waiting for someone to come into focus
Teach you your final love lesson"

#8
Forever Young, Rod Stewart
"May good fortune be with you
May your guiding light be strong
Build a stairway to heaven
with a prince or a vagabond"

#7
Electric Blue, Icehouse
"I just freeze everytime you see through me
and it's all over you, electric blue.
In too deep, standing here waiting
as i'm breaking in two, electric blue."

#6
Born To Be My Baby, Bon Jovi
"My heart beats like a drum (all night)
Flesh to flesh, one to one (and it's alright)
And I'll never let go cause
There's something I know deep inside"

#5
It Takes Two, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
"My name is Rob, I gotta real funky concept
Listen up, 'cause I'm gonna keep you in step
I got an idea
That I wanna share
You don't like it? So what, I don't care"

#4
Father Figure, George Michael
"Sometimes I think that you'll never
Understand me
But something tells me together
We'd be happy"

#3
Pour Some Sugar On Me, Def Leppard
"You gotta squeeze a little, squeeze a little
Tease a little more
Easy operator come a knockin' on my door
Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet
Little miss innocent sugar me, yeah"

#2
Sweet Child O'Mine, Guns N Roses
"She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder
And the rain
To quietly pass me by"

#1
Hysteria, Def Leppard
"Out of me, into you, yeah
You could hide, it's just a one-way street
Oh, I believe I'm in you, yeah
Open wide, that's right
Dream me off my feet
Oh believe in me"

The Wire - Top 20 Characters

If you're not watching "The Wire", don't worry, this isn't the post where I try & convince you to watch. I've most likely already talked to you about it and if you really need more convincing, just Google "The Wire" + "best show". Wait. I'll save you the time. Just click here. Besides, that post will be coming soon.

Instead, I'd just like to list MY favorite characters from the show.

This show is incredibly written, incredibly cast & acted even more incredibly. David Simon & Ed Burns throw a lot of characters at us over the years, but they all grow on you eventually. I wish I could put into words how great everything about this show is, but again, you can Google for yourself & read what people with far better writing skills than I have to say about it.

For the HM guys, I will try & link to a YouTube clip of theirs. For the other 20, I'll embed the clip right into the post. BEWARE. I can pretty much assure you that all of these videos that will have language NSFW.

One other thing to watch out for. If you plan on watching the show (which I really hope you do), many of these clips will contain spoilers, some pretty big ones too. Just a heads up.

Honorable Mention: Detective Leander Sydnor, Deputy Ops William Rawls, Marlo Stanfield, Slim Charles, Wee-Bey Brice, Avon Barksdale, Poot Carr, Gus Haynes, Randy Wagstaff, Bunny Colvin & Butchie.

#20
Sgt. Jay Landsman

Landsman cracks me up. He's not ashamed to be sitting at his desk, reading some hard-core porn, even in front of the Mayor of Baltimore. He's based on a real Jay Landsman, who happens to play the role of Lt. Dennis Mello. The show really is "all connected."

One of the most memorable moments of the show:


#19
Elena McNulty

Det. McNulty's ex-wife, she didn't make the list because of her character, she made the list because I adore Callie Thorne. I've liked her ever since her role of Detective Laura Ballard on Homicide: Life On The Street. (Another David Simon production.)

#18
Senator Clay Davis

Senator Davis, a horribly corrupt politician, makes the list for his signature line.


#17
D'Angelo Barksdale

One of the many great aspects of this show is how it blurs the line between good guys & bad guys. The guys you're supposed to root against, you end up rooting for. D'Angelo is one of those guys.


#16
Brother Mouzone

A small, but memorable role for the Harper's Weekly reading enforcer.


#15
Dennis "Cutty" Wise

Cutty's rise during season's 3 & 4 is one of the very few uplifting story lines in The Wire.


#14
Preston "Bodie" Broadus

Bodie has lots of memorable scenes in nearly every season. He grows on you.


#13
Det. Kima Greggs

Unfortunately for my faithful readers, there aren't many good YouTube clips of Kima that don't involve her & her girlfriend. I wanted to show her police-ness in this space. :)

#12
Michael Lee

Season 4 focuses on the problems with the schools in Baltimore. We're introduced to a handful of kids, nearly all of which you will become extremely attached to emotionally.


#11
Chris Partlow

I love, love, love this character. The way he goes about his business, expressionless & without emotion (with one notable exception) is fun to watch.


#10
Bubbles

How Andre Royo has not won himself a handful of Emmy's for his role of Bubbles is beyond me.


#9
Sgt. Ellis Carver

For all the bleakness The Wire shows, there are many, many funny scenes. Sgt. Carver seems to be behind a lot of them.


#8
Duquan "Dukie" Weems

Poor Dukie. I love this kid. His interaction with Prez is inspiring to this future teacher.

#7
Proposition Joe

Prop Joe, the master of negotiations.


#6
Major Cedric Daniels

Major Daniels climbs the ladder, but has a questionable past, which we may learn about in season 5.


#5
Stringer Bell



#4
Det. Bunk Moreland

Bunk is a funny man!


#3
Set. Lester Freamon

Lester is the Father Figure of the bunch. Stand-up guy & real po-lice.


#2
Det. Jimmy McNulty

McNulty would probably be considered the main character. I could post 20 clips just of him. Good stuff here.



#1
Omar Little

Omar is not only the best character on The Wire, he may be the best character in the history of television. A modern-day Robin Hood, Omar answers to a code & that's it. For all the cursing these characters do, good like finding one coming from Omar's mouth. (Only one to be exact & that was it.)

The Stuffed Animal (and more)

Well, I've received a couple of comments regarding my sleeping with a stuffed animal. Allow me to expound a bit.

There is a reason for it. Sure, I had plenty of them growing up (still have some of my originals), but this one is special.

Since I don't sleep under the same roof as my daughter, I thought it would be cool if we both slept with the same stuffed animal. So, I picked up two of these when Kohl's was selling them about a year ago.


I've kept my end of the bargain, but Little Miss P has way too many now (especially her precious Webkinz), so I believe Spotty has been relegated to the closet.
-----
In other news, Mary is currently on her way to Shanghai. Therefore, I will have more free time than I know what to do with for the next few weeks. Look for more posts here, including the conclusion of my Top 20 songs of the 80's (& hopefully 90's), my Top 20 characters from The Wire, and more, if I can find my list of ideas that's in a notebook somewhere.

The Century Mark

No, this isn't my 100th post here. The official counter says 96, but that doesn't take into account really old posts which seem to be lost forever. This is more like post 200, but whatever.

As I saw the "official" number inch closer, I was reminded that I wanted to do a 100 post, similar to Mike's. Why? I have no idea, other than I thought it was interesting. So, without further adieu, here we go. 100 things you may or may not have known about me.

1. I'm an only child. Can't you tell?
2. I have no idea why I have a blog. Few people read it, so I suppose it's cathartic for me.
3. I have never lived anywhere besides Connecticut.
4. I don't think I could ever survive living in a city. Baltimore may be the lone exception to that rule.
4. Fishers Island, NY is the place I would live if I had the opportunity/choice to live anywhere.
5. I don't trust anyone with a mustache. That includes women.
6. I have a beautiful, smart, funny and just plain wonderful six-year old daughter.
7. I have a fantastic girlfriend I'm not sure I deserve.
8. I have four cats (plus three from a previous marriage) and wouldn't mind more.
9. I'm a divorcee.
10. I'm currently a salesman.
11. My dream job is to become a teacher.
12. I don't have a bachelors degree yet, hence the reason I'm not a teacher yet.
13. My GPA my first semester in college was a 0.6. (See #12.)
14. I have never once been drunk in my life.
15. I despise cigarette smoke.
16. I really can't stand people who don't know how to drive. The rules of the road are not difficult. Pay attention, know what lane you're supposed to be in & use your turn signal and I'll be happy.
17. I'm quite picky when it comes to food.
18. My perfect salad is lettuce, sharp cheddar cheese, croutons & dressing.
19. My all-time favorite Kool-Aid flavor is Berry Blue. (followed closely by Purplesaurus Rex, Sharkelberry Fin & Grape.)
20. I love history, mainly U.S. history.
21. I'm a registered member of nearly 50 message boards.
22. The things that I enjoyed doing 20 years ago I still enjoy today. (playing video games, collecting baseball cards, playing basketball & listening to 80's music.)
23. I coached my daughter's soccer team this past fall & (hopefully) am coaching her basketball team this winter.
24. I've had four surgeries on my left knee.
25. Count Chocula is my favorite cereal.
26. I'm a Gemini.
27. I will always have a real Christmas tree. This is not debatable.
28. I enjoy making lists.
29. I'm totally spoiled by HDTV. I rarely watch anything that isn't in HD anymore. Too blurry.
30. I greatly enjoy fantasy sports, but I'm horrible at fantasy baseball.
31. I love weather of all kinds. I get very excited for thunderstorms, snowstorms, cold snaps, heat waves, you name it.
32. Summer used to be my favorite season, now it's my least favorite. (In order, fall, winter, spring, summer.)
33. Honolulu Blue is my favorite color.
34. 12 is my favorite number.
35. I have a knack for recognizing voices in voice overs.
36. I have a knack for making a comment during a televised sporting event moments before the people getting paid to make comments say the same thing.
37. I do not find anything remotely attractive about Angelina Jolie.
38. I hate country music, with the exception of Carrie Underwood.
39. I enjoy acoustic versions of songs.
40. I try & get along with everyone I meet/know. However, if someone screws me over or doesn't treat me with the same respect, I don't forgive or forget. Thankfully, only a few people are on that list.
41. I sleep with a stuffed animal.
42. I collect many things, much to Mary's dismay. (Star Wars figures, baseball cards, Fishers Island postcards and lots of other random junk.)
43. I'm really bad when it comes to seeing movies. Go ahead, ask me what I haven't seen.
44. I don't have one artistic bone in my body.
45. One of my dreams is to finally live in a house with a finished basement. I love basements.
46. The Xbox 360 may be my favorite video game system of all-time, and I really loved my Atari 2600, NES, Sega Genesis & PS2.
47. I'm a night person and don't function well in the morning.
48. I hate being late.
49. I love to shop.
50. I hate Wal-Mart, but love Target.
51. My first car was a 1980 Buick Regal. Lemon.
52. The only country I've ever traveled to outside of the U.S. is Canada.
53. My iPod has 2,494 songs on it, plus Anchorman.
54. I still need to rip at least another 50 CDs from my collection.
55. I order my sodas in restaurants without ice. I want my money's worth!
56. I find it very difficult to save money, although I did open a high-yield savings account last year.
57. I have a cousin who has been on a soap opera (Santa Barbara), Three's Company, the cover of GQ, a failed NBC show (High Performance), US Marshalls & the cover of GQ.
58. I have another cousin who is a member of an up & coming band. (Grace Potter & The Nocturnals.)
59. I follow 52 blogs in my Google Reader. (According to my records, one person subscribes to this blog.)
60. I have a very large collection of Sports Illustrateds dating back to the 80's that will largely be recycled come this spring.
61. I'm still a loyal Miami Dolphins fan, even after this wonderful season.
62. I have personalized license plates.
63. Seinfeld is my favorite sitcom of all-time.
64. The Wire is probably my favorite drama of all-time, surpassing Homicide: Life On the Street.
65. I hate the Red Sox, but love Fenway Park.
66. I try not to get involved in politics or political discussion. I hate when people try & force their beliefs on you.
67. My Friends Five list would probably be Evangeline Lilly, Carrie Underwood, Julie Bowen, Jennifer Aniston & Kate Beckinsale, not necessarily in that order. (I smell at Top 20 list here)
68. I have at least five different versions of Monopoly.
69. My favorite cartoon was Underdog.
70. I don't like seafood at all, aside from the occasional shrimp.
71. I hate spiders.
72. I'm not fond of clowns either.
73. I have great parents.
74. I have a great long-term memory.
75. I have some long-time friendships that I'm proud of.
76. I wish my friends & I had more time to spend together.
77. I love the smell of asphalt & gasoline.
78. I definitely believe in life somewhere besides Earth.
79. A lot of movies make me cry.
80. I like sleeping in a cool room.
81. I'm loyal to brands that I enjoy.
82. I'm beginning to get a little mad at Mike, who said this list should take 20 minutes to create. (I've been at it for well over an hour.)
83. I don't like John Madden at all.
84. I could eat pizza every single day.
85. I didn't receive my driver's license until I was 18.
86. People who whistle in public annoy me.
87. I despise Uggs.
88. I really enjoy spending time on eBay.
89. I'm still a Hartford Whalers fan. Hockey is dead to me.
90. My car has nearly 180,000 miles on it.
91. I have a hard time falling asleep on Sunday nights.
92. I really don't enjoy going to concerts, unless it's a band I absolutely love and have never seen live.
93. I don't drink coffee. Can't stand the taste.
94. I'm a notorious procrastinator.
95. I like to fly.
96. I love period movies/TV shows, but not from too long ago. (40's - 70's.)
97. I'm so glad that I won't have to take any foreign language classes as I work towards that degree.
98. I miss the chili cheese burrito from Taco Bell.
99. Roberto Clemente is my all-time favorite baseball player & he died before I was born.
100. I really enjoy sleeping, which is what I'm going to do right now.