TEN RANDOM THOUGHTS, OCTOBER 10, 2007

1. With the arrival of the first industrial-strength cold front of the fall, I’ve switched into my seasonal uniform: colored t-shirt, flannel shirt, jeans, and hiking boots. For the next six months, wherever I go, it’s 1993.
2. Speaking of 1993, it’s been a couple years since the last VH1 list of 100 things, so now you’d better go vote for the 100 Greatest Songs Of The ’90s. And in case you wre wondering, Biz Markie’s “Just A Friend” came out in 1989 and isn’t eligible. Their choice of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” throws the whole list into suspicion–everybody knows the best song on Superunknown was “Fell On Black Days”.
3. I would rather hear Joe Paterno read the entire Pittsburgh telephone book than hear “Hey There Delilah” one more time.
4. Okay, my votes in the VH1 thing: #1 “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (how CAN you pick anything else?), #2 “You Oughta Know”, #3 “Jeremy”, #4 “Interstate Love Song”, #5 “Killing Me Softly With his Song”, #6 “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It), #7 “Everlong”, #8 “Mind Playing Tricks On Me”, #9 “You Get What You Give” (the New Radicals album was great, I don’t care what anybody else thinks), #10 “Closing Time”.
5. But the whole thing is suspect because among your choices were *NSYNC’s “Tearing Up My Heart” and Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy”.
6. And I sort of feel bad about not voting for Radiohead’s “Creep” but let’s face it, they’ve gone in a completely different direction since Pablo Honey.
7. I used to like McGriddles until I saw that the one I liked best has 560 calories and 32 grams of fat. Good grief, what is IN those things? Egg McMuffin = 300 calories and 12 grams of fat.
8. I’m not saying it’s cold in my office but I think I’m getting frostbite.
9. Today is Brett Favre’s 38th birthday. Outsiders may wonder how we mark this occasion here in Wisconsin. At noon, the town sirens all go off and we all bow in the direction of Kiln, Mississippi for exactly 4 minutes. Then all able-bodied adults go outside and march one block for every consecutive game Favre has started. (Not such a big deal–you only have to complete 61.2% of it.)
10. As a native Iowan, I can conclusively say it’s high time that somebody else got to have the first-in-the-nation primary/caucus. Just be careful what you ask for, ye in other states who feel slighted. It’s a less-than-wonderful experience. Just the advertising ALONE is profoundly tedious.