M*A*S*H

favorite gag
The gag that cracked me up the most was when Tom gets his scalp blasted clean of hair in some explosion. Usually when that happens in a cartoon, the victim is back to normal for the next sequence. In this particular cartoon, though, Tom goes throughout the remainder with a cheesy orange toupe.

good old cartoon mayhem
I watched a lot of T&J when I was a kid and there's one moment that sticks with me after all this time: Tom has Jerry cornered, and Jerry suddenly acts fascinated with something he has clenched in his fist. Tom gets curious and tries to see, Jerry keeps turning away and then finally agrees to…

The Brave
The Gregory McDonald book, not the Johnny Depp movie. Rafael, the protagonist, doesn't actually die in the book, but the story ends with him on his way into the city to be killed. And you know how that is going to happen thanks to the infamous chapter C. I felt like I'd been kicked in the head by the time…

"But at least you know what band you're listening to, because they'll inform you every 30 seconds!"

That's what's great about Neue Deutche Harte bands like Rammstein and Megaherz. They could be singing about rainbows or spitting on every principle you hold dear and it doesn't matter; you just rock out. Plus, heavy metal singers are never better than when they're shouting in an angry-sounding, guttural language.

Catherine Wheel
I would love for a Catherine Wheel reunion, only one where they finally got their due and made it really big. Am I the only one who, ten years later, doesn't think Wishville was as bad as it's made out to be (well, most of it)?

short story
The story this movie is somewhat based on, "Spurs", is pretty good. Hans is a lot meaner in that one. I can't remember where I found it, though.

Aerosmith
A lot of songs come to mind when you think of Aerosmith, but three of them are not "Train Kept A-Rollin'", "Hangman Jury" and "Seasons of Wither". The first two were released as singles but barely charted or didn't chart at all, and the third is a deep cut. But I'll take any of them over "Walk This Way" or…

Yeah, for all its sloppiness, Sandanista is a gold mine of great, hardly acknowledged songs. Let's Go Crazy, The Street Parade, Corner Soul, the list goes on. I was very surprised to see a video from their performance at the 1983(?) US Festival where they actually played The Sound of Sinners.

The German film "M" has the most smoke I've ever seen in a movie. In the cross-cut scenes of the criminals and the police planning how they're going to catch Peter Lorre, the smoke gets so thick you sometimes can't see the actors' faces. I feel like I'm going to get a helping of secondhand smoke through my TV.

I hated natto the first time I tried it, and then it grew on me without my having to even do anything. I started eating it mixed with rice and raw egg and wrapped in seaweed. I was living in a teeny little apartment at the time and the others there used to yell at me for stinking the place up, but I guess you can't…

Bad flashbacks
This feature is taking me back to my college days. No es bueno.

I always get the durian-flavored tapioca smoothie at our local Vietamese place. I don't find the flavor disagreeable at all, so either durian works for me, or they're not making it right.

When it comes to chain pizza, I'll take Papa John's first, Dominoes second (old or new), and avoid Pizza Hut at all costs. I wouldn't use Little Caeser's (or its local competitor, Five Buck Pizza), as a doormat.

25 cents admission into the mind of DLR
My friend found this book in a bargain bin at the local supermarket, of all places, for a quarter. He bought it and gave it to his roommate, who was a major Van Hagar fan.

I'll second that. I don't exactly hate the later stuff, but it's not nearly as memorable as the classic line-up.

The Faces
I am constantly telling my rock-loving friends that the Faces were one of the best bands of the early 70's, and I will try to set the hook by mentioning Ronnie Wood before I have to say the thing that usually breaks the deal: It was the band Rod Stewart was in before he went solo. To paraphrase Mayor…

I remember
I remember watching this on Saturday mornings, and how weird it was, especially the Alvin and Chipmunks parody where the rodents lived in fear of their human manager. Was this also the series that had the Scooby Doo send-up in which, instead of a dog, the gang kept a giant amoeba as a pet? I seem to…

The Cranberries
I flew from Salt Lake City to Seattle, then took a bus out to The Gorge, to see The Cranberries when they were touring on "To the Faithful Departed". I got back to Seattle about 4 am and my uncle picked me up where the bus dropped me off. I asked him if it was a bad neighborhood we were in and he…