White Collar

I am quite proud as I discovered this show and introduced it to my sister. This is a very rare occurrence. Nobody seems to have heard of it but Google it and you realise that a lot of people watch it. It seems there is one very good reason to watch it. May I introduce you to Matt Bomer. Bomer. Not Boner. He is very handsome. He's actually a bit too handsome for my taste however he plays an irresistible character, Neal Caffrey, who is a con. He works as a consultant for the FBI partnering the man who tracked him down, Peter Burke. Peter is married to Valerie from 90210! That's the most exciting thing about this show. Tiffini is back! Neal's mate is Mozzie played by Carrie's GBF from Sex and the City. Willie Garson is a revelation in this, I never liked his character in SATC but he's fabulous in this and gets most of the best lines.

It took a while for me to really get into White Collar but round about the middle of season two it really hots up and gets interesting. It's a dream for those of us who enjoy watching a programme saying 'now what's she/he been in?' Every episode has someone familiar in it. Excitingly Andrew McCarthy is in a couple of episodes. Playing a baddie, he makes a very good baddie.

It's a clever show, set in Manhattan with fabulous views. Neal is smooth, charismatic and fun to watch and it is a bit like watching a television series of Ocean's Eleven with the set of Gossip Girl.  I've sold it to you, haven't I? Check it out.

90s music: Arrested Development

Arrested Development were huge in 1993/94. The album, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life... was one of those seminal albums everyone had.

I always really liked it and recently heard People Everyday again and was blown away by how good it is. It still sounds fresh.

I've been having a little dig around. How good was Mr Wendal? I just love the introduction of this, with the guy going arrrrgggh! The lyrics are excellent.

Their other big hit was Tennessee which I am less fond of but it's still good.

God bless the early 90s, they were marvellous.

Musical crushes

All this talk of crushes from the TV world got me thinking about musical crushes. I didn't think I had many but then I started making this list and thought again!

First up, My Guy favourite, David Essex.

Oh he was dreamy! Those blue eyes, the cheeky smile. He had a weird voice and some fairly bad songs but mmmm, he was rather nice at the time. Gonna Make You Smile is such a 70s classic, I just listened to it and swore I was back in the late 70s eating fish fingers.

Adam Ant

I've talked before about my love for Adam Ant. Perfect cheekbones.

Mark O'Toole from Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

The non-ugly, not-gay scouser. For those who are slow, second from the right. I loved Mark, I didn't even have to look up his name. Frankie were so great, I've not done a proper post about them yet. Soon.

George Michael

Look, I know. I know. But the thing is, at the time, I genuinely didn't know. And I thought he was lovely.

Bono

He's a pain in the arse now but there was a time when Bono was sexy. His voice just is sexy, no doubt about it. And look at that picture above and tell me you didn't have Bono love back in the day.

Jim Morrison

It's obligatory to have a crush on Jim Morrison. And so it came to pass.

Slash.

I still have a soft spot for Slash. I saw him on Download last night jumping about on stage and thought, yes Slash, I still love you really. Deep down. Some crushes never die. Some dreams never fully leave the building.

Lenny Kravitz

This was more than a crush, this was a full on obsession. No matter that he's tiny. I still love Lenny. He's cool as school.

Jason Orange

The best one in Take That. And he pays his taxes. He's always been my favourite.

Elvis

I leave you with the king. He had it all, talent, sex appeal and a beautiful face.

Tell me yours!

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are in the news at the moment as it's fifty years since their first gig. It's quite an achievement to still be around for all that time and to still be successful. It got me thinking and although I wouldn't have said I am a huge fan, as I looked at their songs and reminded myself of their skills, I realised, they are pretty fantastic. I feel a list coming on!


Before we do that, a word about the Stones. They are just more annoying than The Beatles somehow. Mick is a great frontman but he's so arrogant and there is something very dislikable about him. Did you see that suit her wore to Jade's wedding the other week? You upstage your daughter on her wedding day?! Talking of weddings, this is one of my favourite images ever:

He actually looks pretty hot here.

Keith Richards is one of the great survivors of rock and roll. Just looking at photos of him makes me laugh.

To go from this:

To this:

The drugs don't work kids. I saw Keith once and he is tiny. Honestly, you coud knock him over with a gust of wind.

Everyone's favourite Stone is surely Charlie Watts. Mr Cool himself who seems vaguely amused by the nonsense:

As we did with The Beatles (and it seems some are still bearing the scars), it's time to narrow down our Stones love to just eight songs. It's obligatory to blast out Stones songs to appreciate them, they don't make music to quietly play as background, you need to belt them out and jump around. I would argue, they don't have the subtle poetic genius of Beatles songs, it's more sexy, fun rock and roll. That's what fab about them. Here are mine, in no order:

Sympathy For The Devil: great introduction with Mick sort of grunting. And a perfect first line.

Jumpin' Jack Flash: a song that inspired a Whoopi Goldberg song, how can it be wrong? They really knew how to open a song didn't they?

You Can't Always Get What You Want: a change of pace with lyrics that can be applied to almost any situation. I think Mick sounds wonderful on this. I love it.

Paint it, Black: No list could not include this surely. It's perfection.

Honky Tonk Woman: Also perfect. There isn't much more to say. It's just brilliant, the opening. Everything.

Angie: I love this, it's soulful.

Start Me Up: I've always liked this but seriously Mick, what is this outfit?

Gimme Shelter: it's actually easy for me to pick my favourite Stones song, it's this by miles. It's got everything you could want in a song, it's almost my favourite song ever, it's certainly up there. Although I can't possibly entertain the notion of doing my top eight all-time favourite songs. TRAUMA!

So, there we have it. Tell me your choices dear readers.

90s songs: Ini Kamoze, Here Comes The Hot Stepper

This is the very definition of an earworm, I heard this at the weekend and I've been literally singing it to myself constantly since then. I don't mind though because it's fantastic. I had forgotten all about this song but once I heard it, I hot-footed to iTunes to buy it and added it to my workout playlist. It's pretty much perfect and impossible to sit still to. Before you click below, ask yourself: Are you prepared to have this in your head on repeat for the next week? Click carefully my friends.

Paul Simon, Graceland

I'd forgotten how much I like this album until I heard You Can Call Me Al on the radio yesterday. I consider Paul Simon a musical genius and this really was (and is) a fabulous album. It's been 26 years since it was released and it still sounds fresh as a daisy today. I was compelled to buy it on iTunes (damn me giving all my CDs away without burning them all) and I am having a very happy time listening to it again.

My favourite song is Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes. It gives me goosebumps as it's so good. I absolutely love the opening singing and then the introduction of the instruments. It's simply wonderful. I can't imagine anyone not loving this song, it's so happy. 

I also adore You Can Call Me Al, it has the best lyrics. Any song that can have the line, "there were incidents and accidents, there were hints and allegations" sung as fast as Simon sings them has my vote. It's famous for its video which I've also just watched again. It's much funnier than I remember. I've never liked Chevvy Chase (apart from the fact he's called Chevvy) but he does a great job in this. Although Paul Simon's expression is what makes me laugh.

Every song is excellent and has it's triggered a Simon & Garfunkel revival at Teen Towers. Expect a post about them soon. 

Nora Ephron

A post in which we remember the genius of Nora and I have nothing else to say other than I am sad that she's no longer with us because this dialogue is wonderful. RIP Nora.


Sally: The first date back is always the toughest, Harry.
Harry: You only had one date. How do you know it's not going to get worse?
Sally: How much worse can it get than finishing dinner, having him reach over, pull a hair out of my head and start flossing with it at the table?
Harry: We're talking dream date compared to my horror.


Jess: Emily is terrific.
Harry: Yeah. But of course when I asked where she was when Kennedy was shot she said, "Ted Kennedy was shot?"
Jess: No.


Sally: Well, if you must know, it was because he was very jealous, and I had these days of the week underpants.
Harry: Ehhhh. I'm sorry. I need the judges ruling on this. "Days of the weeks underpants"?
Sally: Yes. They had the days of the week on them, and I thought they were sort of funny. And then one day Sheldon says to me, "You never wear Sunday." It was all suspicious. Where was Sunday? Where had I left Sunday? And I told him, and he didn't believe me.
Harry: What?
Sally: They don't make Sunday.
Harry: Why not?
Sally: Because of God.


Harry: Please, Jess, Marie. Do me a favor, for your own good, put your name in your books right now before they get mixed up and you won't know whose is whose. 'Cause someday, believe it or not, you'll go 15 rounds over who's gonna get this coffee table. This stupid, wagon wheel, Roy Rogers, garage sale COFFEE TABLE.
Jess: I thought you liked it?
Harry: I was being nice.


Harry: And was it worth it? The sacrifice for a friend you don't even keep in touch with?
Sally: Harry, you might not believe this, but I never considered not sleeping with you a sacrifice.


Harry: You take someone to the airport, its clearly the beginning of the relationship. That's why I have never taken anyone to the airport at the beginning of a relationship.
Sally: Why?
Harry: Because eventually things move on and you don't take someone to the airport and I never wanted anyone to say to me, How come you never take me to the airport anymore?
Sally: Its amazing. You look like a normal person but actually you are the angel of death.


Sally: But I'd like the pie heated and I don't want the ice cream on top, I want it on the side, and I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it, if not then no ice cream just whipped cream but only if it's real; if it's out of the can then nothing.
Waitress: Not even the pie?
Sally: No, I want the pie, but then not heated.

Marie: Restaurants are to people in the 80's what theatres were to people in the 60's. I read it in a magazine.


Annie: Now that was when people KNEW how to be in love. They knew it! Time, distance... nothing could separate them because they knew. It was right. It was real. It was...
Becky: A movie! That's your problem! You don't want to be in love. You want to be in love in a movie.


Sam: Didn't you see Fatal Attraction?
Jonah: You wouldn't let me!
Sam: Well I saw it and it scared the shit out of me! It scared the shit out of every man in America!

The Blow Monkeys

I was listening to the radio this morning and a Blow Monkeys song came on (It Doesn't Have To Be This Way) and it occurred to me that they were a great band. Why were they not a bigger band? They had three fabulous songs.

Let's look at them in turn:

It Doesn't Have To Be This Way

This sounds like the Belle Stars as it opens but soon settles into something even better (almost unimaginable I know).

Digging Your Scene

OK, this sounds exactly like It Doesn't Have To Be This Way, how weird. I never noticed this before! It's the same song!


You Don't Own Me

I've saved the best for last. Of course this is from the sublime Dirty Dancing so we knew it would be great but it's so wonderful. I adore this song.


Whatever happened to them? I bet everyone reading this liked them too!

Boris Becker

Wimbledon fortnight is here and thoughts turn to crushes of the past and yes, dear readers, they did extend beyond the TV, film and music world. I'm not much of a sporting kinda gal but I do like a bit of tennis and I just loved Mr Becker.

Clearly this crush was not actually based on looks as such. I think I liked that he was young and unseeded when he won Wimbledon, what a perfect story that is. He was so sweet and polite. Over the years, I've always followed Boris's career with affection and was a bit upset over Boom Boom Boris in the cupboard. He is intelligent (most of the time) and really a bit like a bear and I've always liked bear-like men. I remember when he crashed out of Wimbledon in 1987 and said "nobody died, I just lost a tennis match." I do miss that sense of perspective because tennis now is such a bore. Honestly, nobody worth having a crush on, nobody with any personality and I want to slap Andy Murray, sulky pants that he is. Rafa has weird eyes.

Boris was watching the tennis last night and the camera honed in on him. Boris baby, what's up? He looked puffy and well, old. He is not old so I am concerned. I'd still offer a little TLC if he fancies coming down the road this week, I only live a few minutes away from Wimbledon. I hope my husband doesn't read this...