Star Collector

Sure, the public saw him as a pop star and teen pinup, but man, no one played rock tambourine like Davy Jones. (And this song features one of Davy's best Monkee vocals too). Rest in peace, Mr. Jones.

Not Available at Their Online Store

Found: an infamous White Elephant party gift from my Google days, which I gave to an unsuspecting co-worker, who then regifted it for my birthday the following year. I was going for the most tasteless, weird and inappropriate stuff, short of anything sexual, that I could find. I succeeded.

Contents (L-R): hollandaise sauce, box of fuses, pack of smokes, anchovies. 

So Long, Kid

Gary Carter: absolutely one of my favorite ballplayers as a child. Energetic, confident, and a great offensive & defensive catcher in the Berra/Bench mold. One of the best and most fun to watch on that '86 Mets team with all its characters.

As for the above video, I had never seen this, and for some reason didn't remember how great his final Mets home at-bat was (nor that it was also Keith Hernandez's last home game as a Met). Poignant and joyous stuff. Today's a sad day for baseball. R.I.P. Kid.

The Clash - "Straight To Hell" (1982)

An old favorite. Been playing this (and the unedited 7-minute version) several times over the last few days. A fitting epitaph for the last days of The Clash (if you don't count "This Is England").

Whitney

Music snobs and macho fools: get over yourselves and pay your respects to a genuine talent. Sure, some lesser performers followed in her wake, but the same could be said about anyone with influence. More than anything, it's a shame about the drugs. RIP, Whitney Houston.

The Superior Man(ning)

So, are we ready to stop this nonsense and just call Eli an elite QB yet? 2nd Super Bowl Trophy, and that makes 4 for the franchise. Scoreboard, haters.

NOTE:
Alternate semi-clever title for this post: Can't Spell "Elite" Without Eli.

Swan Oyster Depot

After 6 1/2 years living in San Francisco, figured I should finally eat here, especially since it's good enough for this herocially cynical bastard.

I wasn't disappointed. Before any of our group were seated, they served us beer at the door while we waited. Classic. And yeah, the food was excellent. No excuses, SF transplants -- go to Swan Oyster.

Bobby Brown - "On Our Own" (1989)

Thanks Dan Leech for the flashback. This was a crazy jam for little Phil back in the day...98PXY, oh yeah.