Ten Things I Love About Myself

Believe me, I don't think I'm really this arrogant, but after posting "Ten Things I Hate About Myself". a few friends have suggested I balance the scales with this list. I have to admit that this list was harder to compile, but here I go(in no particular order):

1. I was taught to have very nice manners(thanks mom) and I'd say I've maintained them, despite living in the dead center of the rat race, Manhattan. There's plenty of people around me who have none.

2. I love that my math skills are still pretty solid. Most of the time I don't need a calculator to add, subtract or multiply. Division can be tougher.(Thanks Stuy, especially Ms. Latham)

3. I'm still pretty good with trivia, especially pop music and sports. I'll do battle with anyone in either of those subjects.

4. I love being 60 lbs. lighter than I was a year ago. I feel more energetic, I can move around a lot easier than before and I'm not out of breath after walking a few miles.

5. I love that I have the ability to network with people the way I have the last few years(thanks Facebook). It's helped me to continue to grow and improve socially. Though, I have my timid moments, I'm not the shy kid in the corner anymore.

6. My DJ skills have improved a lot. I usually always know what song to play next to keep people up and dancing, or at least keep them from leaving the bar.

7. Though I'm almost 42(which is a shock to me), I still have just about all of my hair. But, I do see the grays starting to invade... :(

8. I can still say the alphabet backwards in under five seconds. Go ahead, you try it...Z-Y-X-W-V-U.......

9. I don't get as many migraine headaches as I used to and I don't vomit from them at all. Of course, it's because I hardly eat any chocolate or drink alcohol excessively anymore. Those are my two triggers.

10. I'm always willing to change and adapt, to situations, to people and to the times. I know that I'm not the same person I was five years ago and I'm excited about who I'll be five years from now.... :)

Update: The Lady Of My Dreams

I'm happy to say that I think I have someone in my life now that has the potential to totally get that other lady out of my mind. My fingers are crossed.......  Of course, the other lady is now a neighbor, therefore I'll still run into her from time to time, but I'm happy and hopeful of the future in very many ways... :)

Blessed Is The Rain

The following are the lyrics to a song that I've always enjoyed immensely(and one that my older brother, Joe, played a few million times in my youth.)

Blessed is the rain that falls on me
As far as that girl can see
The earth that I walk upon is heavenly
Blessed is the love I bring to her
And knowing what it means to her
In the eyes of that girl
I am everything to her
But what happens
When the statue on the pedestal
Comes crumbling to the ground
I don't wanna be around
To see the sorrow on her face
When she thinks I let her down
And what happens
When she finds the world is real
And not the fairyland it seems
That I'm a man who lives and breathes
And makes mistakes and not a
Superman she dreamed
Blessed is the strength she finds in me
And the weakness she'll never see
I'll go before the image falls apart
And blessed is the way I'll always
Stay in her heart
Oh, blessed is the way I'll always
Stay in her heart

Update: Ten Things I Hate About Myself

Throw it away....someone finds me interesting, ten faults or not, so I wouldn't say totally disregard the post, but take it with the proverbial grain of salt. Sometimes I do write because of emotions and not of logic...

Ten Things I Hate About Myself

In no particular order, these are things about myself, that bother the crap out of me. Some of which, I know I can change, some are just hopeless to even think about changing:

1. I still have a terrible social habit of not looking people in the eye when I talk to them.
2. Noisy people, whether it's loud talkers or screaming babies and kids irk me.
3. I have a bad road rage problem. Every vehicle and pedestrian annoy me to the Nth degree.
4. I lack patience with most people and things.
5. Though I have improved in this area, big crowds make me very nervous.
6. I keep desiring women who I know are way too good and successful for me.
7. I'm terrible at saving $$$$.
8.(related to #6) I have big trouble getting over being rejected by women.
9. I snore very loudly
10. I have a hard time accepting the fact that some people just don't like me, no matter what I do or say.

I'm very honest about myself, what can I say...

Cara Mia Karaoke

My New Feel Good Ten

Here’s my list of 10 new things that make me feel good, in the order they popped into my head:

1.That I know 800 people that would be my friend(FB)
2.There's a Starbucks virtually around the corner
3.There's a Chase Bank only two blocks away
4.That OK Cupid has finally landed me a date...
5.That I'm back in Manhattan for six months
6.That I haven't gained back all the weight that I lost yet
7.That there's 23 people I know that live in Stuy Town, and only one of them hate my guts....
8.That O'Hanlon's is probably the most enjoyable, and convenient DJ gig I'll ever have
9.That I don't have to drive a damn zip car anymore
10. That I'm still getting enough sleep, for a change

For Those Who Think I'm Lazy.....

Here's my schedule this week:

Monday - 7am - wake up
9am-330pm - Real Estate Training
4pm - 8pm Zaarly Work
9pm - Arlene's Grocery for RnR Karaoke

Tuesday - 7am - wake up
9am - 330pm - Real Estate Training
4pm - Midnight - Zaarly Work

Wednesday - 7am - wake up
9am - 330pm - Real Estate Training
4pm - Midnight - Zaarly Work

Thursday - 7am - wake up
9am -330pm - Real Estate Training
4pm - Midnight - Zaarly Work

Friday - 7am - wake up
9am - 330pm - Real Estate Training
4pm - 8pm - Zaarly Work
10pm - 4am - DJ Work

Saturday - 11am - wake up
12 noon - 8pm - Zaarly Work
10pm - 4am - DJ Work

Sunday - 11am - wake up
12 noon - Midnight - Zaarly Work

Total - 52 hours Zaarly Work
            32 1/2 hours Real Estate Training
            12 hours DJ Work
            96 1/2 hours total........

I must be nuts.....

The Top Grossing Films Of My High School Years

1983

1. Return of the Jedi ($309.1m*) - Luke finally becomes a full-fledged Jedi, but the dark side is stronger than ever. (#8 all-time)
2. Terms of Endearment ($108.4m) - Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger live life to its fullest.
3. Flashdance ($94.9m) - Alex, a welder and exotic dancer, wants to become a ballet dancer.
4. Trading Places ($90.4m) - Dan Akyroyd and Eddie Murphy find out how the other half lives.
5. WarGames ($79.6m) - Young Matthew Broderick unwittingly hacks NORAD's computers and poises the world on the brink of WW III.
6. Octopussy ($67.9m) - Bond tracks a fake Faberge egg and a dead 00 agent to a plot to instigate world war.
7. Sudden Impact ($67.6m) - Dirty Harry on the trail of a vicious serial killer (is there any other kind?)
8. Mr. Mom ($64.8m) - Michael Keaton loses his job and becomes an utterly clueless stay-at-home dad.
9. Staying Alive ($63.8m) - Saturday Night Fever's Tony returns in this sequel directed by Sylvester Stallone!
10. Risky Business ($63.5m) - Stressed about college and trashing his father's Porsche, Joel does the logical thing... turns his house into a brothel!

1984

1. Ghostbusters ($238.6m*) - Who ya gonna call? The gang battles ghosts, goblins, and Gozar the Gozarian. (#23 all-time)
2. Beverly Hills Cop ($234.8m) - Detroit cop Eddie Murphy chases a killer to the very different environment of California. (#24 all-time)
3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ($179.9m) - Indy seeks the Ankara Stone in the film that lead to the creation of the PG-13 rating.
4. Gremlins ($153.1m) - Adorable creatures become malevolent destructors... don't get 'em wet and never, EVER feed them after midnight!
5. The Karate Kid ($90.8m) - Pat "Mr. Miyagi" Morita teaches Ralph "Daniel-san" Macchio to wax on and wax off.
6. Police Academy ($81.2m) - A group of misfits face off against police instructors.
7. Footloose ($80.0m) - Kevin Bacon cuts loose in a conservative Iowa town.
8. Romancing the Stone ($76.6m) - A romance writer teams with a low-life adventurer to rescue her kidnapped sister.
9. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ($76.4m) - Kirk steals the Enterprise to return to the Genesis planet.
10. Splash ($69.8m) - Tom Hanks falls in love with the mermaid who saved him from drowning as a child.

1985

1. Back to the Future ($210.6m) - An '80s Michael J. Fox meets his '50s parents on their turf! (#33 all-time)
2. Rambo: First Blood Part II ($150.4m) - Stallone single-handedly saves a dozen POWs! "YO!"
3. Rocky IV ($127.9m) - Rocky takes on the Russians for the pride of the whole country. "ADRIAN!"
4. The Color Purple ($94.2m) - Whoopi Goldberg discovers who she is in the 1920s.
5. Out of Africa ($88.1m) - Meryl Streep falls in love with Robert Redford on a plantation in Africa.
6. Cocoon ($76.1m) - Old folks discover the fountain of youth in a swimming pool filled with alien pods.
7. Witness ($68.7m) - A cop must adjust to Amish life to protect a boy who was the sole witness to a murder.
8. The Jewel of the Nile ($65.6m) - Jack and Joan tire of their easy life in this sequel to Romancing the Stone.
9. The Goonies ($61.4m) - A group of misfits go on a treasure hunt to save their homes. "Goonies never say die!"
10. Spies Like Us ($60.1m) - Two CIA desk-jockeys are sent to Soviet Union to prevent nuclear disaster... or so they think.

1986

1. Top Gun ($176.8m) - Tom Cruise flies into the danger zone and takes Kelly McGillis' breath away.
2. 'Crocodile' Dundee ($174.6m) - Paul Hogan introduces America to the land down under. "Now that's a knife."
3. Platoon ($138.0m) - Oliver Stone gives us his take on what Vietnam was all about.
4. The Karate Kid Part II ($115.1m) - Daniel and Mr. Miyagi travel to Okinawa for a tournament.
5. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ($109.7m) - Kirk and Spock time-travel to Earth circa 1986.
6. Back to School ($91.3m) - Millionaire Rodney Dangerfield returns to college to help his son get through.
7. Aliens ($85.2m) - Ripley returns to face not just one Alien, but hordes of them.
8. The Golden Child ($79.8m) - A detective specializing in missing children tracks down a very special boy.
9. Ruthless People ($71.6m) - Danny DeVito is delighted when wife Bette Midler is kidnapped!
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off ($70.1m) - Ferris is determined to have a good time, school day or not. Leisure rules!

1987

1. Three Men and a Baby ($167.8m) - Selleck, Guttenberg, and Danson get a crash course in fatherhood.
2. Fatal Attraction ($156.6m) - Michael Douglas learns to keep his fly zipped when dealing with Glenn Close.
3. Beverly Hills Cop II ($153.7m) - Detroit cop Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills to solve another crime.
4. Good Morning, Vietnam ($123.9m) - Robin Williams heats up Armed Forces Radio during the Vietnam War.
5. Moonstruck ($80.6m) - An Italian widow becomes interested in her safe fiancee's angry brother.
6. The Untouchables ($76.3m) - Federal Agent Eliot Ness hunts down Al Capone and his gang.
7. The Secret of My Success ($67.0m) - Michael J. Fox takes a shortcut up the corporate ladder.
8. Stakeout ($65.7m) - A cop has to watch his partner fall for the woman they've been assigned to watch.
9. Lethal Weapon ($65.2m) - Danny Glover and Mel Gibson team up to get bad boy Gary Busey.
10. Dirty Dancing ($63.9m) - A good girl falls for her bad boy dance instructor.
    The Witches of Eastwick ($63.8m) - Three bored women summon Jack Nicholson to their town.

Class of '87 - Top TV Shows

These were the TV ratings for each year. This was the 1983-84 viewing season:

1.	Dallas	CBS	21,536,600
2.	60 Minutes	CBS	20,279,600
3.	Dynasty	ABC	20,195,800
4.	The A-Team	NBC	20,112,000
5.	Simon & Simon	CBS	19,944,400
6.	Magnum, P.I.	CBS	18,771,200
7.	Falcon Crest	CBS	18,436,000
8.	Kate & Allie	CBS	18,352,200
9.	Hotel	ABC	17,681,800
10.	Cagney & Lacey	CBS	17,514,200

 Here's 1984-85:

1.	Dynasty	ABC	21 225 000
2.	Dallas	CBS	20 970 300
3.	The Cosby Show	NBC	20 545 800
4.	60 Minutes	CBS	18 847 800
5.	Family Ties	NBC	18 847 800
6.	The A-Team	NBC	18 593 100
7.	Simon & Simon	CBS	18 508 200
8.	Murder, She Wrote	CBS	17 064 900
9.	Knots Landing	CBS	16 980 000
10.	Cagney & Lacey	CBS	17,514,200

Here's 1985-86:

1.	The Cosby Show	NBC	28.948,300
2.	Family Ties	NBC	25,770,000
3.	Murder, She Wrote	CBS	21,732,700
4.	60 Minutes	CBS	20,530,100
5.	Cheers	NBC	20,358,300
6.	Dallas	CBS	18,812,100
7.	Dynasty	ABC	18,726,200
8.	The Golden Girls	NBC	18,726,200
9.	Miami Vice	NBC	18,296,700
10.	Who's the Boss?	ABC	18,124,900

and here's 1986-87:

1.	The Cosby Show	NBC	30,502,600
2.	Family Ties	NBC	28,579,800
3.	Cheers	NBC	23,772,800
4.	Murder, She Wrote	CBS	22,199,600
5.	The Golden Girls	NBC	21,413,000
6.	60 Minutes	CBS	20,364,200
7.	Night Court	NBC	20,276,800
8.	Growing Pains	ABC	19,839,800
9.	Moonlighting	ABC	19,577,600
10.	Who's the Boss?	ABC	19,228,000

I hope someone finds this interesting..........

For The Class Of '87 - The #1 Songs Of Our Years

As I've been starting to plan the 25th Reunion for my class next year, I've reflected on those years and a huge assortment of memories have come to mind, about the people and places I've experienced. I've also thought about the music that was the soundtrack to those times. I was basically a pop fan then, and my high school years were my first exposure to new wave and alternative music, though I was also into dance/rap music and I had my metal head friends too. The following is a list of all the #1 pop singles during my high school years(September 1983-June 1987):

Week of September 3rd, 1983 - Sweet Dreams(Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics
Weeks of September 10th & 17th - Maniac - Michael Sembello
Week of September 24th - Tell Her About It - Billy Joel
Weeks of October 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd - Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
Weeks of October 29th & November 5th - Islands In The Stream - Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton
Weeks of November 12th, 19th, 26th & December 3rd - All Night Long(All Night) - Lionel Richie
Weeks of December 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st, January 7th & 14th, 1984 - Say Say Say - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
Weeks of January 21st & 28th - Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Yes
Weeks of February 4th, 11th & 18th - Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Weeks of February 25th, March 3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th - Jump - Van Halen
Weeks of March 31st, April 7th & 14th - Footloose - Kenny Loggins
Weeks of April 21st, 28th & May 5th - Against All Odds(Take A Look At Me Now) - Phil Collins
Weeks of May 12th & 19th - Hello - Lionel Richie
Weeks of May 26th & June 2nd - Let's Hear It For The Boy - Deniece Williams
Weeks of June 9th & 16th - Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
Weeks of June 23rd & 30th - The Reflex - Duran Duran
Weeks of July 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th & August 4th - When Doves Cry - Prince
Weeks of August 11th, 18th & 25th - Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.
Weeks of September 1st, 8th & 15th - What's Love Got To Do With It - Tina Turner
Week of September 22nd - Missing You - John Waite
Weeks of September 29th & October 6th - Let's Go Crazy - Prince & The Revolution
Weeks of October 13th, 20th & 27th - I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
Weeks of November 3rd & 10th - Caribbean Queen(No More Love On The Run) - Billy Ocean
Weeks of November 17th, 24th & December 1st - Wake Me Up Before You Go-go - Wham
Weeks of December 8th & 15th - Out Of Touch - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Weeks of December 22nd, 29th, January 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th, 1985 - Like A Virgin - Madonna
Weeks of February 2nd & 9th - I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
Weeks of February 16th, 23rd & March 2nd - Careless Whisper - Wham Feat. George Michael
Weeks of March 9th, 16th & 23rd - Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon
Weeks of March 30th & April 6th - One More Night - Phil Collins
Weeks of April 13th, 20th, 27th & May 4th - We Are The World - USA For Africa
Week of May 11th - Crazy For You - Madonna
Week of May 18th - Don't You(Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Weeks of May 25th & June 1st - Everything She Wants - Wham
Weeks of June 8th & 15th - Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears
Weeks of June 22nd & 29th - Heaven - Bryan Adams
Week of July 6th - Sussudio - Phil Collins
Weeks of July 13rd & 20th - A View To A Kill - Duran Duran
Week of July 27th - Everytime You Go Away - Paul Young
Weeks of August 3rd, 10th & 17th - Shout - Tears For Fears
Weeks of August 24th & 31st - The Power Of Love - Huey Lewis & The News
Weeks of September 7th & 14th - St. Elmo's Fire(Man In Motion) - John Parr
Weeks of September 21st, 28th & October 5th - Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
Week of October 12th - Oh Sheila - Ready For The World
Week of October 19th - Take On Me - A-Ha
Week of October 26th - Saving All My Love For You - Whitney Houston
Week of November 2nd - Part-Time Lover - Stevie Wonder
Week of November 9th - Miami Vice Theme - Jan Hammer
Weeks of November 16th & 23rd - We Built This City - Starship
Week of November 30th - Separate Lives - Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin
Weeks of December 7th & 14th - Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
Weeks of December 21st,28th, January 4th & 11th, 1986 - Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie
Weeks of January 18th, 25th, February 1st & 8th - That's What Friends Are For - Dionne & Friends
Weeks of February 15th & 22nd - How Will I Know - Whitney Houston
Weeks of March 1st & 8th - Kyrie - Mr. Mister
Week of March 15th - Sara - Starship
Week of March 22nd - These Dreams - Heart
Weeks of March 29th, April 5th & 12th - Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
Weeks of April 19th & 26th - Kiss - Prince & The Revolution
Week of May 3rd - Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer
Week of May 10th - West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys
Weeks of May 17th, 24th & 31st - Greatest Love Of All - Whitney Houston
Week of June 7th - Live To Tell - Madonna
Weeks of June 14th, 21st & 28th - On My Own - Patti Labelle & Michael McDonald
Week of July 5th - There'll Be Sad Songs(To Make You Cry) - Billy Ocean
Week of July 12th - Holding Back The Years - Simply Red
Week of July 19th - Invisible Touch - Genesis
Week of July 26th - Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
Weeks of August 2nd & 9th - Glory Of Love - Peter Cetera
Weeks of August 16th & 23rd - Papa Don't Preach - Madonna
Week of August 30th - Higher Love - Steve Winwood
Week of September 6th - Venus - Bananarama
Week of September 13th - Take My Breath Away - Berlin
Weeks of September 20th, 27th & October 4th - Stuck With You - Huey Lewis & The News
Weeks of October 11th & 18th - When I Think Of You - Janet Jackson
Weeks of October 25th & November 1st - True Colors - Cyndi Lauper
Weeks of November 8th & 15th - Amanda - Boston
Week of November 22nd - Human - Human League
Week of November 29th - You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi
Week of December 6th - The Next Time I Fall - Peter Cetera & Amy Grant
Week of December 13th - The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & The Range
Weeks of December 20th, 27th, January 3rd & 10th, 1987 - Walk Like An Egyptian
Week of January 17th - Shake You Down - Gregory Abbott
Weeks of January 24th & 31st - At This Moment - Billy Vera & The Beaters
Week of February 7th - Open Your Heart - Madonna
Weeks of February 14th, 21st, 28th & March 7th - Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Week of March 14th - Jacob's Ladder - Huey Lewis & The News
Weeks of March 21st & 28th - Lean On Me - Club Nouveau
Weeks of April 4th & 11th - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship
Weeks of April 18th & 25th - I Knew You Were Waiting(For Me) - Aretha Franklin & George Michael
Weeks of May 2nd & 9th - (I Just)Died In Your Arms Tonight - Cutting Crew
Weeks of May 16th, 23rd & 30th - With Or Without You - U2
Week of June 6th - You Keep Me Hangin' On - Kim Wilde
Week of June 13th - Always - Atlantic Starr
Week of June 20th - Head To Toe - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
Weeks of June 27th & July 4th - I Wanna Dance With Somebody(Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston

It was a fun time that went by too fast........

Back To Poetry: The Swinging F#$%ing A's

It was 1990, in the fall, at 20th Street and 2nd Avenue, and it might have been just a silly New York City softball league to you, but to us, the members of this rag tag team, the A's, it was David vs. Goliath times ten! We barely had enough players to field a team, all that summer. Some of the better players had another league to play in, that was more competitive, that paid more money to the winners. We were just the back-up league to them. They would show up when they didn't have a game in that league, by the FDR Drive. Because of that, guys who were barely good enough to play in this league, had to start and play big roles on this team, like myself. Yes, I could hit a little bit, about .400, but the hits would usually be little dunkers to right field, because I always swung late. I played right field, and sometimes it would be a challenge for me to even catch the ball, but I was a rah-rah guy, cheering my guts out for my team. Though I was usually playing with a hang-over, like most of the team. It was usually 10am on a Saturday or Sunday, and I was just turning 21, the age of partying my ass off. But, I was committed to the team, and I showed up for every game. When I wasn't on the field, I was known as the stat-man. I kept the book and marked every 6-4-3 double play and K that occured. Most of the season, it was us hitting into the 6-4-3's and were victims of the K's. But, when the good players showed up, we eek'd out some wins.
       It was an eight-team league and the top six made the playoffs. We were 5-17 going into the last two games. We needed to win both games to reach 6th place and the playoffs. Every one showed up and we won easily and made the playoffs. We were 6th and faced the 3rd place team, called Scorpio's Tavern. They were a very good team, with a record of 19-5 during the season. We had no chance in the world to beat them and in game one, we were crushed 13-1. They were laughing on the bench at us as they led 4-0, going into the last inning of game two. Their pitcher had a no-hitter going, but lost the strike zone and walked three of us in a row. I should mention that most of our top players were not there. They were in the playoffs in the other league. After a fourth walk in a row, the coach wanted to take the pitcher out, but he swore he was ok. The next batter, known as Stormin' Norman, hit a shot off the wall that tied the game at 4. Then there were two more hits, and we led 6-4 and won that game.
       Game three was all about the legend of Roman Strawa. He pitched the most incredible game and we won 1-0, and we moved on to the next round, and faced an even tougher team called the Giants. They were 21-3 during the season, but we had all of our great players back, Yogi and Kenny and a great pitcher named Avelio. We won game one, lost game two, and out slugged them 9-7 in game three to go to the championship series against a team called the Stars. They were a solid team, but with our momentum, and all of our star players, we had a great chance to win the championship. Someone on their team made a mistake of talking a lot of trash talk. He sarcastically said:"Oh no, it's the swinging f#$%ing A's!" and we took it to heart and won games one and two easily, and after losing game three in extra innings, pounded them 13-4 in game four to win it all.
       The party afterwards was incredible! I was so drunk that afternoon, that I remember dancing like a wild man, but not much else that day. In our minds, it was the biggest upset in human history and though it was 21 years ago, many nights are spent in O'Hanlon's bar reminiscing about that season with my former teammates. We were indeed, the swinging f#$%ing A's and no one can take that away.........

My Top 100 Rap/Hip Hop Favorites

This was an interesting list to do. I may not seem like a logical expert on Rap music, but considering where I grew up(The East Village/LES), I was exposed to this genre quite a bit and actually do know every one of these tunes. Here it is:
#1 The Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight
#2 50 Cent – In Da Club
#3 Jay-Z Feat. Alicia Keys – Empire State Of Mind
#4 Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force – Planet Rock
#5 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – White Lines(Don’t Do It)
#6 Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock – It Takes Two
#7 House Of Pain – Jump Around
#8 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 – The Message
#9 Kanye West Feat. Jamie Foxx – Gold Digger
#10 Kurtis Blow – The Breaks
#11 MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
#12 Nelly – Hot In Herre
#13 Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back
#14 Biz Markie – Just A Friend
#15 De La Soul – Me, Myself & I
#16 Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance
#17 Eminem – Lose Yourself
#18 Fugees – Killing Me Softly
#19 Coolio Feat. L.V. - Gangsta's Paradise
#20 Naughty By Nature – O.P.P.
#21 Run DMC & Aerosmith – Walk This Way
#22 Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize
#23 Tone-Loc – Wild Thing
#24 2Pac – California Love
#25 Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick – The Show
#26 Salt-N-Pepa – Push It
#27 Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg – Nuthin But A G Thang
#28 Eminem – My Name Is
#29 PM Dawn – Set Adrift On Memory Bliss
#30 Salt N Pepa & En Vogue – Whatta Man
#31 2 Live Crew – Me So Horny
#32 Audio Two – Top Billin’
#33 Beastie Boys – (You Gotta)Fight For Your Right(To Party)
#34 Black Sheep – The Choice Is Yours
#35 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony – Tha Crossroads
#36 Cypress Hill – Insane In The Brain
#37 DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Summertime
#38 L.L. Cool J.- Mama Said Knock You Out
#39 Eric B. & Rakim – Follow The Leader
#40 Snoop Dogg - Gin And Juice
#41 L.L. Cool J. – I Need Love
#42 Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray
#43 Public Enemy – Fight The Power
#44 Whodini – Freaks Come Out At Night
#45 Young MC – Bust A Move
#46 Arrested Development – Tennessee
#47 Digable Planets – Rebirth Of Slick(Cool Like Dat)
#48 L.L. Cool J. – I’m Bad
#49 Public Enemy – Rebel Without A Pause
#50 DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Parents Just Don’t Understand
#51 Eminem – Stan
#52 Eric B. & Rakim – Paid In Full
#53 Heavy D. & The Boyz – Now That We Found Love
#54 L.L. Cool J. – Rock The Bells
#55 Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop(That Thing)
#56 Missy Elliott – Get Ur Freak On
#57 Outkast – The Way You Move
#58 Public Enemy – Bring The Noise
#59 Run D.M.C. – It’s Like That
#60 Special Ed – I Got It Made
#61 Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy
#62 L.L. Cool J. – Around The Way Girl
#63 U.T.F.O. – Roxanne
#64 Warren G – Regulate
#65 2Pac – Keep Ya Head Up
#66 Beastie Boys – Paul Revere
#67 Run D.M.C. – King Of Rock
#68 Craig Mack – Flava In Ya Ear
#69 Dr. Dre With Snoop Doggy Dogg – Dre Day
#70 Eric B. & Rakim – I Ain’t No Joke
#71 Snoop Dogg, Pharrell, & Uncle Charlie Wilson - Beautiful
#72 Jadakiss – Why
#73 Kanye West – Jesus Walks
#74 Run D.M.C. – Sucker M.C.’s
#75 Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh – La Di Da Di
#76 Snoop Doggy Dogg – Murder Was The Case
#77 Run D.M.C. – Jam Master Jay
#78 2Pac – I Get Around
#79 A Tribe Called Quest Feat. Busta Rhymes – Scenario
#80 Jay-Z – Hard Knock Life
#81 Biz Markie – The Vapors
#82 Eminem – Mosh
#83 Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day
#84 Ice-T – Colors
#85 2Pac – Dear Mama
#86 Jay-Z – Big Pimpin’
#87 N.W.A. – Fuck Tha Police
#88 Public Enemy – 911 Is A Joke
#89 Queen Latifah – U.N. I.T.Y.
#90 Salt-N-Pepa – Let’s Talk About Sex
#91 Slick Rick – Children’s Story
#92 3^rd Bass – Pop Goes The Weasel
#93 Big Daddy Kane – Ain’t No Half Steppin’
#94 Common – I Used To Love H.E.R.
#95 Cypress Hill – How I Could Just Kill A Man
#96 N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton
#97 Outkast – Ms. Jackson
#98 Boogie Down Productions – My Philosophy
#99 Fat Joe – Lean Back
#100 L.L. Cool J. – I Can’t Live Without My Radio

A great list, if I may say so myself.............

My Top 100 80s Dance Favorites

This was the most difficult list to put together. It covers the years 1981-1989. I came up with over 150 songs that totally belonged, and the cuts were very tough to make. I tried to balance the impact of New Wave, Freestyle, Rap and Pop on this list and you may not agree with all of my choices, but it is just for fun……

#100 People Are People – Depeche Mode

#99 Love Come Down – Evelyn King

#98 Electric Slide – Marcia Griffiths

#97 West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys

#96 I’m So Excited – Pointer Sisters

#95 The Way You Make Me Feel – Michael Jackson

#94 Fascinated – Company B

#93 One Way Love - TKA

#92 Give It To Me Baby – Rick James

#91 In My House – Mary Jane Girls

#90 Nasty – Janet Jackson

#89 I Wonder If I Take You Home – Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

#88 Rumors – Timex Social Club

#87 Give Me Tonight - Shannon

#86 Express Yourself - Madonna

#85 Mama Used To Say - Junior

#84 Numbers - Kraftwerk

#83 Spring Love – Stevie B.

#82 Girl You Know It’s True – Milli Vanilli

#81 You Dropped A Bomb On Me – Gap Band

#80 Relax – Frankie Goes To Hollywood

#79 Together Forever – Rick Astley

#78 Burn Rubber – Gap Band

#77 Hungry Like The Wolf – Duran Duran

#76 Running – Information Society

#75 Like A Prayer – Madonna

#74 Shout – Tears For Fears

#73 Rhythm Nation – Janet Jackson

#72 She Blinded Me With Science – Thomas Dolby

#71 Change On Me - Cynthia

#70 Thriller – Michael Jackson

#69 Jump(For My Love) – Pointer Sisters

#68 I Can’t Wait – Nu Shooz

#67 Forget Me Nots – Patrice Rushen

#66 Let It Whip – Dazz Band

#65 Fame – Irene Cara

#64 You’re The One For Me – D Train

#63 Venus - Bananarama

#62 Atomic Dog – George Clinton

#61 She Works Hard For The Money – Donna Summer

#60 Don’t Go - Yaz

#59 Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode

#58 True Faith – New Order

#57 All Night Passion - Alisha

#56 Tell It To My Heart – Taylor Dayne

#55 Diamond Girl – Nice & Wild

#54 Point Of No Return - Expose

#53 It’s Raining Men – Weather Girls

#52 I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston

#51 Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ – Michael Jackson

#50 Situation - Yaz

#49 Whip It - Devo

#48 Come Go With Me – Expose

#47 Conga – Miami Sound Machine

#46 My Prerogative – Bobby Brown

#45 Somebody’s Watching Me - Rockwell

#44 We Got The Beat – Go Go’s

#43 Strangelove – Depeche Mode

#42 Mickey – Toni Basil

#41 Wild Thing – Tone Loc

#40 Let’s Groove – Earth, Wind & Fire

#39 Pump Up The Jam - Technotronic

#38 Love Shack – B-52s

#37 Rapture - Blondie

#36 I Feel For You – Chaka Khan

#35 Girls Just Want To Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper

#34 Genius Of Love – Tom Tom Club

#33 Rhythm Of The Night - DeBarge

#32 When Doves Cry - Prince

#31 Electric Avenue – Eddy Grant

#30 Back To Life – Soul II Soul

#29 Bizarre Love Triangle New Order

#28 Material Girl - Madonna

#27 Planet Rock – Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force

#26 Push It – Salt-N-Pepa

#25 Gloria – Laura Branigan

#24 Let’s Dance – David Bowie

#23 Boy, I’ve Been Told – Sa-Fire

#22 Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley

#21 Live A Virgin - Madonna

#20 You Spin Me Round(Like A Record) – Dead Or Alive

#19 Beat It – Michael Jackson

#18 1999 - Prince

#17 All Night Long – Lionel Richie

#16 Let The Music Play - Shannon

#15 Celebration – Kool & The Gang

#14 Flashdance(What A Feeling) – Irene cara

#13 Show Me – Cover Girls

#12 Pump Up The Volume - MARRS

#11 Superfreak – Rick James

#10 Paid In Full(Remix) – Eric B. & Rakim

#9 Holiday - Madonna

#8 Tainted Love – Soft Cell

#7 Sweet Dreams(Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics

#6 Blue Monday – New Order

#5 It Takes Two – Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

#4 Silent Morning - Noel

#3 Don’t You Want Me – Human League

#2 Billie Jean – Michael Jackson

#1 Into The Groove - Madonna

What memories! The Underground, Palladium, Limelight, 1018......

My Top 100 Disco Favorites

I consider the disco era to be the years 1974-1980, those are the years that it was the most popular. I will do another list of 80’s dance music that will cover a lot of new wave dance and freestyle dance music. A lot of these disco songs bring back a lot of great childhood memories. I’ll start at #100 and countdown(Casey Kasem would be proud). Keep in mind that these are my personal favorites and not necessarily the actual best disco songs…….

#100 Rock The Boat – Hues Corporation

#99 Boogie Nights - Heatwave

#98 Turn The Beat Around – Vicki Sue Robinson

#97 Pick Up The Pieces - AWB

#96 Do It Any Way You Wanna – People’s Choice

#95 Hot Stuff – Donna Summer

#94 We Are Family – Sister Sledge

#93 Do You Think I’m Sexy? – Rod Stewart

#92 T.S.O.P. - MFSB

#91 Can’t Fake The Feeling – Geraldine Hunt

#90 Bad Girls – Donna Summer

#89 Boogie Oogie Oogie – A Taste Of Honey

#88 Knock On Wood – Amii Stewart

#87 Get Down Tonight – KC & The Sunshine Band

#86 Got To Give It Up – Marvin Gaye

#85 Love To Love You Baby – Donna Summer

#84 Soul Makossa – Manu Dibango

#83 You’re The First, The Last, My Everything – Barry White

#82 The Break – Kat Mandu

#81 Heart Of Glass - Blondie

#80 I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor

#79 Ring My Bell – Anita Ward

#78 Night Fever – Bee Gee’s

#77 Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe – Barry White

#76 San Francisco – Village People

#75 Never Can Say Goodbye – Gloria Gaynor

#74 Hot Butterfly – Gregg Diamond(Luther Vandross)

#73 Glow Of Love - Change

#72 Born To Be Alive – Patrick Hernandez

#71 The Love I Lost – Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes

#70 Doctor Love – First Choice

#69 Take Your Time(Do It Right) – SOS Band

#68 Funkytown – Lipps Inc.

#67 Bad Luck – Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes

#66 Movin’ – Brass Construction

#65 Disco Circus – Martin Circus

#64 Rough Diamond – Madleen Kane

#63 Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel - Tavares

#62 Shame – Evelyn”Champagne”King

#61 Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson

#60 Shake Your Body(Down To The Ground) - Jacksons

#59 I Got My Mind Made Up – Instant Funk

#58 Spank – Jimmy “Bo” Horne

#57 Move On Up - Destination

#56 Get Off - Foxy

#55 After Dark – Pattie Brooks

#54 Copacabana – Barry Manilow

#53 Spring Rain - Silvetti

#52 You’re The One For Me – D Train

#51 Love & Desire - Arpeggio

#50 I Feel Love – Donna Summer

#49 Hot Shot – Karen Young

#48 Devil’s Gun – C.J. & Co.

#47 Searchin’ - Change

#46 Disco Inferno - Trammps

#45 Love Sensation – Loleatta Holloway

#44 At Midnight – T-Connection

#43 You Make Me Feel Mighty Real - Sylvester

#42 Young Hearts Run Free – Candi Staton

#41 Le Freak - Chic

#40 Got To Be Real – Cheryl Lynn

#39 Love Hangover – Diana Ross

#38 Disco Nights(Rock-Freak) - GQ

#37 Vertigo/Relight My Fire – Dan Hartman

#36 Good Times - Chic

#35 Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston

#34 I Love Music – O’Jays

#33 Heart To Break The Heart – France Joli

#32 This Time Baby – Jackie Moore

#31 Risky Changes – Gregg Diamond

#30 Dancer – Gino Soccio

#29 Souvenirs - Voyage

#28 Love Is In The Air – John Paul Young

#27 Let Me Take You Dancing – Bryan Adams

#26 All Night Thing – Invisible Man’s Band

#25 Doctor’s Orders – Carol Douglas

#24 Lady Marmalade - Labelle

#23 There But For The Grace Of God Go I - Machine

#22 Mandolay – La Flavour

#21 In The Bush - Musique

#20 I Love You – Donna Summer

#19 Come To Me – France Joli

#18 Swearin’ To God – Frankie Valli

#17 That’s The Way(I Like It) – KC & The Sunshine Band

#16 Streetplayer - Chicago

#15 More Than A Woman – Bee Gee’s

#14 Ain’t Nothin Gonna Keep Me From You – Teri DeSario

#13 Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now – McFadden & Whitehead

#12 September – Earth, Wind & Fire

#11 That’s Where The Happy People Go - Trammps

#10 Another One Bites The Dust - Queen

#9 Rio De Janiero – Gary Criss

#8 Miss You – Rolling Stones

#7 I Was Made For Lovin’ You - Kiss

#6 Whispering/Cherchez La Femme/Se Si Bon – Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Bandz La Femme/Se #5 You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine – Lou Rawls

#4 Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry

#3 Native New Yorker - Odyssey

#2 Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gee’s

#1 You Should Be Dancing – Bee Gee’s

Yes, I’m a Bee Gee’s fan. Please don’t hold it against me….

More Worst Songs 11-20

11. Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice - Rips off "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie, sin enough for me
12. Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm - Crash Test Dummies - The most annoying voice in pop music, since the Chipmunks and the most uncreative lyrics ever!
13. Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus - Annoying attempt at a line-dancing anthem
14. Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung - "Everybody Wang Chung tonight", really?
15. Party All The Time - Eddie Murphy - Did you really have to?? Career suicide...
16. Dancing On The Ceiling - Lionel Richie - He was on such a run of hits, until this crap.
17. Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart - The most uncool song of the 80s
18. You're Having My Baby - Paul Anka - "You could have swept it from your life, but you wouldn't do it" Yuck!!!
19. Ebony and Ivory - Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder - I'm all for the positive racial-harmony message but,"on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't we" jeez...
20. The Heart Of Rock N Roll - Huey Lewis & The News - Go ahead, name every town in America. It's been done before.......boring...

I'm sure I'll probably think of more........

My Ten Least Favorite Songs Of All Time

1. We Built This City - Starship - Bernie Taupin wrote this crap??? Are you kidding me???
2. Disco Duck - Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots - The worst disco song ever!!! Hands down!!
3. It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls - Do I even have to explain???
4. Cotton-Eyed Joe - Rednex - Stupid song, even stupider dance...
5. Kokomo - Beach Boys - They were legends until they did this.....
6. 1-2-3 - Gloria Estefan - I generally like Gloria Estefan, but not this song...
7. Wild Wild West - The Escape Club - Has made me want to puke every time I've heard it since '88...
8. Mambo #5 - Lou Bega - Does he really have to have a little bit of 8 different girls??
9. Barbie Girl - Aqua - I almost enjoy the stupidity of it. NOT!
10. MmmBOP - Hanson -What the hell does that mean, anyway?

Guide For My Younger Friends: How To Not Be An Under-Achiever Like Me

Looking at one of the friend statistics apps on Facebook, I realized that I have over 200 friends under the age of 30. This blog post is for you youngsters and for the parents of youngsters.
        I think the most important thing a parent can do for a child or young adult, especially one that shows they have some smarts or talent, is to keep them motivated to keep developing their smarts or talent and don't make it more difficult for them to continue developing by forcing a heap of responsibilities on them and distracting them off course. I'm not saying that my parents did that to me, but they did force me to pay for my own college, which I had to work full time to try to do and took away from my study time. They also went from being strict about me getting my homework and studying done during my elementary school years, to being more lenient during my high school years to not even caring once I reached college. I do understand that students need to motivate themselves to be successful, but you also need that little push to keep you going through some growing pains in your life.
            As a child, I was driven and motivated to get the best grades in my class, and I usually was near the top, if I may be so boastful. My parents told me that if I kept studying hard and getting good grades, I might be able to get into a very good high school and I'd get a reward for those good grades. Usually it was a toy or game that I wanted. Once I got into Stuyvesant HS, they loosened the reigns a bit, but I was still focused on doing well there. I didn't quite have good enough grades to go to an elite or Ivy League college, but I felt as if I held my own with some of the best and brightest in NYC. But, once I hit St. John's, I had to work, I was also distracted by chasing after young ladies who weren't interested in me at all, I starting drinking, more than most of my friends realize and I had no drive whatsoever to do well in college. I ended up leaving St. John's after a year, I flirted with going to Hunter College, but I withdrew after about a week. I didn't know what I wanted to do anymore and I didn't feel that I had anyone to help me. Since then, I've bounced around from job to job for 23 years. I don't want anyone to feel bad for me. I caused it myself. Though things seem to be on the right track for me now, I will always regret the time I've wasted.
       The moral of the story for my friends, especially the younger ones, is keep yourself motivated and get that degree. Studying might be a pain in the neck, but it easier when you're younger than at my age. You don't want to have to work two or more jobs to survive. It's prevented me from settling down and having a family. I still can't afford to take care of anyone else besides myself. If you learn anything from me, learn how not to be me.

Ok, I'm Back

I hope you didn't miss me too much.........the truth is, I needed a break from posting because I had so much spinning around in this crazy head of mine. I had to pack to move, work two jobs, decide about a relationship and about ten other ideas, thoughts, dreams and fantasies. There's still a lot happening but I didn't want this blog to die. I probably won't post every day anymore but I'll do something to keep you folks entertained. Let me give you a summary on what has happened:

I moved to Stuy Town two weeks ago. A friend had a free bedroom because his roommate moved out, and so I took it. I feel that I can make enough between the two jobs to afford it. It happens to be two blocks from O'Hanlon's where I am the house DJ. It's a few buildings away from my aunt and uncle, who I love. There are several other friends who live in Stuy Town as well, which is good because I don't feel as if I'm a total stranger there.
           The only downer is that my very favorite female classmate from high school, "The Lady Of My Dreams", lives virtually in the next building and she has unfortunately determined that my always being around equates to me stalking her. Whether people believe it or not, it's up to them, but that is not my intention here. It's a crazy coincidence that I live so close. I am making an effort to actually avoid her to help remedy the situation. I actually try to time my errands for when she is most likely to not be around. At the same time, I plan on staying here a while, so people who don't accept me can just deal with it. I've always wanted to live here, and I will.
            Just a quick note to any ladies interested, I'm available again..... :) That's all I'll say about that for now.

        The next thing is: I'm working for Zaarly.com now. It's an internet startup company that I think has a lot of promise. It's only in existence a few months and is only active in New York a few weeks. It's basically the reverse of Craigslist, where people place offers for items to be purchased or errands to be run for a price. I think this is a great opportunity because I will get a salary plus receive a fee for every offer I fill, whether its picking up food or bringing clothes to the cleaners or walking the dog, for example. There's a lot of very busy and/or lazy people in New York that I think will use this service.
       Besides that, I am the house DJ at O'Hanlon's bar on 14th St. Every weekend, the place is pretty crowded and it seems that everyone likes the music I'm playing. The important thing is the owner and bartenders like what I'm doing as well. It's fun and it's close to home. The free drinks don't hurt either, unless I have too many. :)
       I'm also starting work on setting up my high school class reunion, the 25th Reunion(ugh, am I really that old). Anyway, I am excited about doing it and the plans are coming along nicely. It will be in October 2012 and I pretty much have the venues chosen for that weekend. I'm hoping for a really good turnout. It's wild to me that I've gone from not wanting to go to reunions to being the main organizer, but life can certainly change. I can surely attest to that.
       That's it for now. I'll be back when another 10 things happen in my life, probably by Monday.....