You know, the Oscars could really redeem itself from a slump of irrelevance by showering MM:FR with nominations. To say it deserves a Best Director nomination is cake, but I truly believe it should get a Best Picture nomination, too.

My wife was watching this just last week. At one point she asked me if this was a realistic portrayal of male adolescence (allowing that it's a period piece, of course). I said that no, it really isn't, because adolescent males don't have the kind of emotional depth shown in "Stand by Me."

I actually thought his autobiography was well-written, and had a tangible style to it. So this might be interesting.

I got my first Smartphone this summer (I'm unhip like that), and I heard that there's a whole subculture of Simpsons podcasts. Is the one you named good?

Yeah, your link is what made me think of it.

I guess the golden-age episodes didn't TOTALLY end with season 8, because I'd consider this a part of that.

If you're looking for homophobia in '80s movies, the fish often jumps in the boat.

Agreed. For me that was high school/early college.

If "Slow Train Coming" had been the beginning and end of his Christian phase, I think said phase would be fondly remembered, but he had to go on with "Saved" and "Shot of Love," even adding an element of pissiness to the whole endeavor.

I agree on "Infidels,"* and "Oh Mercy" is technically an '80s release too.

BOTT seems to be his highest thought-of album at this point. It's subjective as hell, of course, but from having delved into his entire catalogue (even the '80s albums…shudder!) my favorite is "Bringing It All Back Home." That one's got about the height of his lyrical abilities and something one doesn't often…

This is still on the air? Damn!

I wish I were head-honcho with the ladies.

For years I've been saying it: attractive white Americans should not go to other countries, ESPECIALLY countries that speak one of those ESL languages.

That commercial was especially funny to me because there was a commercial that played at the time in my flyover-country market: a woman sat alone in a house or whatever, and her narration said all these disembodied thoughts such as "Just don't feel like myself," and "What IS IT!" Turns out it was an ad for a…

BARTON FINK "SOUSE!"

1) I eat meat for every meal. I love meat.
2) Morrissey does not like people who eat meat, so he would not like me.
3) Morrissey is an asshole.
4) Morrissey is brilliant, and one of my favorite entertainers ever.

That one didn't strike me as painful. Yes, Carl's Jr. isn't as big as Taco Bell or McDonald's, but it's at least in the same category.

I've stated that, as a Democrat, I like that the GOP primary process is off to such a laughable start, and may never recover… but, it's gone so far that it's almost starting to feel wrong. I mean, I want SOME seriousness to the process, the GOP candidates should have at least SOME chance to get their messages out.

In what's a sign of the summer-blockbuster times, you could tell "Fantastic Four" was star-crossed when its fast food tie-in was… Denny's [sad trumpet].