Where have you gone.....Kurt Loder? Our nation could use turning it's culture-lonely eyes to you.....woo woo woo..

Remember when MTV News had actually news (let alone music videos)? Over the past 25 years, I whole-heartedly believe one of the most unheralded members of the media has been Kurt Loder, the man we all know from his news updates, MTV specials on everything from UFOs to "Choose or Lose" (of which to retrospectives on music, political and pop-culture history. Over the past few months, I've become pretty nostalgic about the early 1990's from listening to the Spectrum (Channel 45) on Sirius/XM. I mean, 10,000 Maniacs, Pearl Jam, R.E.M, the Proclaimers, Nirvana, Jesus Jones, Axl Rose, Weird Al...Color Me Badd. It brings back those memories of "Reality Bites" soundtrack and Soul Asylum. MTV News (and MTV itself) mattered because Kurt Loder was a trusted source in a time where young people were marginalized in the mainstream media. In addition, they were able to present controversial issues at a time the networks avoided them like former juicers do to Jose Canseco at a card show.

The man whom broke the news of Kurt Cobain's death in a live-break in, Kurt Loder is now writing movie reviews for MTV.com. What a waste of his talent. The case could be made that Carson Daly ruined MTV, because "Total Request: Live" totally took over the channel and catered to music videos of the Hanson sect. Loder, a former editor for Rolling Stone, was obviously much more talented than that. So it seems he was phased out ala Ted Koeppel at ABC.

Have you seen some of the crap that MTV has put on over the past few years? Before the Hills and True Life specials (one of which wasn't the Jersey Shore I go to, I know and I love), there was The Real World. At the time, the show was revolutionary. 7 strangers...Picked to live in a house...and have their lives on tape. And the strangers were picked in an era where certain social prejudices and stereotypes were more prevalent. (sidenote: The Real World was one of those shows I wanted to apply to because I wanted to be the token Conservative who everybody stereotypically thought was a prick, but as the season went on would change the hearts and minds of all in the house....basically a nicer version of Rachel Campos. As of last September 23rd when I officially turned 26, the dream has ended) It was good TV. The MTV "Choose or Lose" interview with Governor Bill Clinton was a major reason youth were convinced to exercise their democratic right. MTV was societally more relevant then than any "Hills" spin-off or "True Life" will ever be. I miss those days.

I think the closest thing to Kurt Loder that I had as a college professor was T. Corey Brennan, a professor of classics at Rutgers. While much was made of his stint as the original guitarist for the early 90's alternative/pop band, the Lemonheads, his class had to be one of the most fascinating and interesting classes ever. We were able to write our papers on ANYTHING. At Phi Delta Theta, we took classes in the same manner that women go to the bathroom....in packs. Once "Rate My Professor" became a pre-req for choosing classes junior and senior years, not to mention I believe someone had taken him before, it was one of those classes where it mattered more that you took something away from the class, rather than the grade. The class was "Greek Civilization". Where else could you write about how Oedipus and Marty McFly in "Back to the Future" were both romantically interested in their mother and how they were in common? (which Frank Croce did) Professor Brennan is now on a 3 year stint at the American Academy in Rome. Kudos to him and let's hope someone writes about what Antigone had in common with Tori Spelling.

Side note: SNL Season Finale: After watching Will Ferrell & ensamble (Norm MacDonald, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Tom Hanks, and the human mutz ball himself, Arthur Lange, Jr.), I have a greater appreciation for the song "Goodnight, Saigon". It was always one of those songs that I'd skip over on the Greatest Hits CD or thinking what Billy is going to play next at a show during the faux helicopter opening. I've already played it a few times from the "2000 Millenium Concert" since then.

Side note two: Sal & Richard's "Tradio" calls make it impossible for me drive in the morning. I almost had to pull-over this morning or risk initiating a pile-up on the NJ Turnpike because these calls are so damn funny.

Should we talk about the weather?......Should we talk about the government?

Here's something to mull.....

During the Presidential Election, it was well-documented that then 1-term junior Senator from the Land o' Lincoln, Barack Obama promised his kids that if he was successful in his quest for the Presidency, that his two young daughters Sasha & Malia would be blessed to welcome a puppy into their lives.

And so we got Bo (and don't be fooled that it's named after Bo Diddley....Bo knows) the Portuguese Water Dog.

Now, I was pondering hypothetically today with my brother....Say lightning struck, Sarah Palin was the American version of "the Iron Lady" and Obama was defeated on November 4th.....

Would Sasha & Malia still have gotten a puppy?

And since we're on the topic of Bo...Does anybody miss Bo Jackson like I do? Growing up, there was no better athlete to look up to, no better Nike commercials to watch than those with Bo Jackson, and no better player in the history of Tecmo Bowl.

Got brass....in pocket? (or in your bra)

Out of the darkness...Into the black....The newest invention to come out of nowhere (or out of Kramerica) is a bra. Today's New York Post (my daily beacon of enlightenment) has shed light on the emerging revolution amongst nagging, biological clock driven women looking for a catalyst to put their life-partners back on the chain gang. It's not your standard mammary support structure that has evolved as tastes, culture and Madonna has changed.

We sometimes wonder whether the rest of the civilized world is passing us by. Coming out to Japan is the newest way to induce a marriage: The Konkatsu brassiere. While it doesn't have the diamonds that Heidi Klum did on her $8 million dollar support device, this bra has a few things that a woman could use to speed up the commitment process: a ticking clock, heart shaped oven mitts (perfect for those breakfast in bed mornings), and when a successful proposal is garnered, a place for when the diamond or ring pop is accepted to put it in, unlocking a serenading of "Here Comes the Bride" ("Canon in D" will be available in future models). Frankly, with all those bells and whistles, I don't think even MacGuyver himself would get picked off heading to 2nd base with a lady wearing that thing.

With the economy tanking faster than Hanson's career after the summer of 1997, conventional wisdom (& probably Dr. Hibbard) states that people have been re-examining their priorities. Instead of "me", there's a focus on being able to share in the joys of selflessness and commitment.

As humans, we hate to be pressured to do things we know we are going to get around to when we feel like it. Not to sound overly simplistic, but when your mom used to (or still) implores that you clean your room. You don't do it that second, drop everything your doing to go and do it. You do it when it's time. There are many reasons that the divorce rate is staggering in this country. If any good can be seen in this economy, maybe individuals will say "I Do" because they're in love and not because he fits some sort of checklist-like criterion, as well as provide the house in Sag Harbor and the token

Now here's relationship advice from the 26-year old who has only had long-term relationships with the only label worse than communism in a Giants fan's eyes: Philadelphia Eagles fans. I don't think we need a fem-bot bra to tell people it's time to get married. (but maybe it will come in handy in proper cookie baking times) I guess, when you know, you know. Dating is in many respects like the favorite game of my youth: Super Mario Brothers. You keep on going to different levels and through different levels. Sometimes you fall in the pit and sometimes you're told after you get to a level or two by the Mushroom-headed Toad, "Thank you Mario, but the Princess is in another castle".

I don't know what level of the classic game that the nuptual-catalyst bra would fit in. But, if I had to guess, I'd probably place it in the "Game Over" category.

Slow down, you crazy child....You're so ambitious for a juvenile....

Mother's Day without your Mother. While in many respects its a Hallmark Holiday (only because everyday should be Mothers Day), my parents are in Napa. Away from the kids, in the pre-eminent wine region of our great nation....So I guess that is a true Mothers day. (sans children) Not some Hallmark fabricated, but totally sincere groveling. Just some cab. Merlot, and Pinot. Not to mention great food.....For the week. Godspeed, Vicki & Neal. You deserve it.

The night before a few of us were honored to have dinner with the Bishop of the Diocese of Paterson, Arthur Serratelli in Madison. It was a fascinating & enjoyable night. Then the Bishop left....the spirits kept flowing...and continued to the nuovo chez Sushi Lounge until we were kicked out because the staff wanted to leave.

I wished my mom an early-Happy Mothers Day when I bid them adieu in the drop off area of Terminal B of EWR. At 5 in the morning. After having gone back and forth from DC in that very terminal for two years, I told them that being they subscribed to every carry-on stipulation they'd be fine even if they got there at 6 for a 7:15 flight. But I dropped them off and had 2 and a half hours to kill before I continued my road race habit and ran the Newport 10k in Jersey City.(I'd be remised if I didn't say the Riker Danzig Newport 10k....I do some work with them and they're awesome people).

So what do I do? As a purveyor of all things New Jersey and off the beaten path. (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is a reality show to me...except that "Guy" looks more like a singer for the Rascal Flatts than a Food Network celeb) Jersey City is 2 miles away from Newark. As a purveyor of NJ culture, I realize the oldest true diner in America is in Jersey City....The Miss America. So I decide to park my hungover rear there.

I don't exactly train for these races like Steve Prefontaine. And I was crankier than David Hasselhoff without a cheeseburger to cure the hangover blues. So when at the Miss America and you need fuel to run your race, you order the #12: 2 eggs, a hamburger and fries....not to mention copious amounts of coffee and a thorough reading of the New York Post.

But fastforward to now. Did a 10k in a better time than I thought I'd do. Went to a 1st communion with the best people and awesome food. (Congrats Isabel....and I don't know if the Market Basket mac n' cheese was meant for adults but I certainly had my fill) The red wine induced an early bedtime. Than I woke up the next morning to repeat the cycle...This time hoping the Mets can extend their streak to seven.

I love CitiField. Sans the absence of all things that are glorious about the New York Mets of New York town. The fact that I can walk about the stadium and at every turn stand in the lower bowl as if I was at a bar & gorge on Danny Meyer fare while watching my team is something that sounds a little too manufactured for this old-school, baseball purist.
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So my friend Hughey and I sample beers across the stadium in multiple locations. By the time it was the "Pepsi T-shirt" launch, we were up on the "Pepsi Porch". All the sudden, in a flash, a t-shirt comes whizzing towards us. The guy in front misses and in a Charlie Hustle type way, I caught the t-shirt. (which was then left on a Main/Bergen Line NJ Transit train) CitiField has been pretty good to me. On my first visit, a Ryan Peene cameo was made on SNY....Me at the Shake Shack picking on fries waiting for my burger. (Another similarity between George Louis Costanza and myself....though it was nothing like his US Open excursion)

But still no foul ball. I think everybody who attends baseball games on a regular basis longs for that moment. Its the one little thing that can make a person feel that "Man, things just went my way for a milli-second" (unless you take the foul ball off the head....than that's life)

I got home. Plopped on the couch. On-Demanded Frost/Nixon. I was out cold by 7:45.

So...I can see no reasons...Cause there are no reasons.....What reasons do you need?

Ohhhhh....Tell me why....




hoodia counter

Come in, she said, I'll give you...shelter from the storm...

Back in the Summer of '69, I wasn't a blip on anybody's radar screen except for the "Big Man" upstairs (Clarence is thankfully still with us..so we'll refer to him as the "Big Man" downstairs)...But during those times, Koosman and Seaver were in the midst of a season that would lead the Mets to a World Series upset over the Orioles, Muhammad Ali was getting paid to speak at colleges instead of box (who knew Ali and Dennis Haskins had something in common?), Heileman's Old Style could be found not only in Green Bay and Wrigleyville but across this great land, and of course, John married Yoko and proceeded to spend most of the year traveling to various hotels "bedding in"...but it was the highway jammed with broken heroes (and stoned ones too) heading up to a field in Bethel, NY for what turned out to be a weekend to be remembered (only by those who weren't there...those who were there remember rainbows and leprechauns) as arguably the most significant one-day event in music and social history. Woodstock.

In an age of the entrepreneurial spirit, where we find everybody and their grandmother putting a label on and selling a nautral resource that encompasses 75% of the planet earth, not one person has announced plans for an all-out Woodstock '09, complete with 3 days of great bands and a message that ties the spirit of the old with the reality of the new?

Every great big idea has to fill a need....OK... Our generation NEEDS a Woodstock. People try to put us down, but we shouldn't talkin' bout my "Generation Y" like some of the others that have come before us. We're a paradox to many. While extremely self-absorbed, we are more socially-conscious (and less angry) than our flannel wearing, Dr. Marten rocking, Eddie Vedder worshiping predecessors (OK, they didn't have that the latter wrong..Dr. Marten's either) Using the faux sociological degree that I earned through one course at Rutgers (it's more training than Mark Consuelos had to serve as Rev. Mark Consuelos for a day to officiate the wedding of Howard Stern to Beth Ostrosky) to so much of it has to do with September 11th - more than we'll ever know...And after '08, where many (OK...maybe more than many...remember what circles I travel in) peers ushered in the era of "the One" with their votes and persistence. We've done just as much to rebuild New Orleans with our sweat and beer money as the government. We "Teach for America" in districts across the country whom need role models. In the midst of our material trappings and mini-dramas that we lose ourselves with daily , we have a heart. Sure, there were Woodstocks in 1994 and 1999...but aside from a few fires and outrage over $4 bottles of water and mass-marketing on Pepsi cans was there any lasting impact? Can your average "person on the street" even remember what bands even played?

Music has always been an outlet for social commentary all bands, even for those who are the most commercially successful. Hell, even going to your local arena to see Neil Diamond, you'd hear about his favorite song about immigrants and how they changed this country. Bono hawking white bracelets for the ONE campaign. Bruce imploring the people of Asbury Park to rise up to rebuild their city, as well as legions of concert goers who at first sound are seemingly booing him (but they're really saying "Brrruuuuccceee) to donate to the Community Food Bank of Monmouth County..and let's not forget is assertion that the government seems to f*ck up a lot. And let's not forget Britney Spears imploring her audience to support the President.

There are so many great festivals across the country. From Austin City Limits to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (I've been twice..missed this year, but definitely will not next year) to the numerous others out there. People gather for something larger than the music. Whatever message it is now, we need it. So many of us losing our jobs. Reality is setting in and we're finding security back in the houses we grew up in. (which in many other respects is an excellent thing in regards to family, but that's something for another time) Things are seemingly falling apart around us and it's not only affecting my best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend who heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl that saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. And yes, its pretty serious. We need something to believe in regardless of who is in charge down in Washington and our own lives. Want to unite us? It's simple....Put us in a field with a bunch of kick-ass bands and beverages. Consider it like a confirmation retreat...We'll enjoy each others company and listen to songs that make us examine our lives, except for the fact we will team build through "flip-cup" and not trust-falls.

On the site of the original festival today lies the brand spanking new Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts. Yes, there will be a concert with some of the acts such as Jefferson Starship and Levon Helm (see him live at least once in your life) on August 15th, but I don't want to go with my friends and listen to stories about how things used to be. Our generation didn't have didn't have Live Aid which had some amazing performances set in London and Philly. Live 8 in 2005 doesn't count. Live Earth was a total Al Gore/celebrity blow-hard, carbon off-set laden sham.

But there's hope. After all, the man with one of the biggest known egos brought his quartet to the campus of Fordham....(on the other hand, he/they did play all new stuff). So that begs me to ask the question that makes me want to cry: What's so funny about peace, love, and understanding? (other than that this is coming from a pastel pants wearing Republican)