Johnny Rockets - the Great American Diner

America has had a love affair with the Diner since the 1930's. Back then you could find them everywhere - in fact they were the predominant type of restaurant in America for perhaps 30 years. Sure there were variations on the Diner, some came prefabricated, others were made from train cars and then during the 1950's, the Diner morphed into the Drive-in. The Diner set within Arnold's Drive-in was the principle shooting location for 8 or 9 seasons on ABC's hit sitcom Happy Days. A Diner featured prominently in the movie Grease. And eventually a small Diner from California turned itself into the World's largest restaurant chain - McDonalds. Diners were everywhere - but not anymore. While there may be tens of thousands of McDonalds spread across the globe, the chain gave up on its Diner roots long ago.

One of the true great American diners

"Beauty School Drop Out" from Grease took place in the Diner

So what is it that makes a Diner a Diner anyway? Here are some of the key criteria:

• It must have the Diner look and Feel. That means lots of metal in the decor, stools to sit on with a counter and jukeboxes for starters. (booths are nice too)
• It must have a limited menu, one focused on traditional diner cuisine. Now this doesn't always translate to burgers and fries but it is limited pretty much to what you can be cooked short order using larger grills.
• A Diner absolutely, positively must serve Milk Shakes, Malts and Floats. Diners in fact inherited the role of Malt Shop once that institution migrated out of drugstores in 1920's and 30's. It is still the best place (outside of a Coldstone perhaps) to get real quality Milkshakes.
• Diner employees tend to wear white uniforms and funny hats. This is an important part of the experience.
• Diners aren't healthy - this is where fast food was born. Eating vegetarian or organic food in a Diner seems a bit oxymoronic. 
• Diners are friendly, casual dining environments. It's not meant to be fancy - you come as you are.

The opening of a Johnny Rockets Diner in Texas

In every city or region there a few hidden gems lurking about - Diners that somehow survived or were reborn. Place like Culp's Cafe in Dayton Ohio and Dot's Diner in Bisbee, Arizona. But there is only one true Diner chain that evokes the memory of what the American Diner used to be and that's Johnny Rockets. They've got outlets across the country and in more than a dozen nations. They've even put a number of Diners in Royal Caribbean cruise ships - that's not something we've tried but it certainly sounds intriguing.

The American Cheeseburger - king of cholesterol 

So why do we like Johnny Rockets so much? Here's our reasons:

• Because they have absolutely awesome Milkshakes - the cherry chocolate is a life altering experience.
• Because we can find them in the places we like to go - (from DC to Tuscon to Cincinnati).
• Because it's become a family tradition. 
• Because you can go there just for dessert and the experience of being there - so you could get a pizza somewhere else or go to a movie and then just stop by for shakes. 
• Because they know how to draw smiley faces and other animal characters using Ketchup. 
• Because we love only paying a nickel to use the jukebox that's at each table (when it's working).

This song has nothing to do with the restaurant but we liked it and put it in anyway

Eating at a Diner is a unique part of living in America and now it has become a way to relive our past in a tangible and tasty way. It may not be good for us but it's a heck of a lot of fun and Johnny Rockets is perhaps the best place across the nation to experience this for yourself.

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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Pushing Daisies - A Garden of Colorful Characters

Standard network television is no place to showcase brilliance, not these days anyway. There are a handful of television shows that could be described as pure genius captured on video - Pushing Daisies is one of those shows. While it ran only about 2 and a half seasons on ABC from 2007 to 2009, it is still a joy to go back and watch. One can only imagine the heights it might have soared to if the network had allowed the plot to mature over several more seasons. 

hopelessly devoted to you...

Another short-lived yet brilliant piece of television

Pushing Daisies is a modern American fairy tale, complete with mythical characters and a surreal vision of the world splashed with brilliant colors. Mythical they may be, but all this show's characters are real on a level that is both intimate and sublime. The premise of the show is unusual, but then again most fairy tales are - there is a man named Ned or the "Pie-maker." He has the ability to bring back things from the dead by touch but only for 60 seconds or else something else similar will die to take its place. Also, if he allows the dead thing he touched to remain alive he cannot ever touch it again else it will fall dead instantly. 

Needless to say Ned falls in love with a girl he's revived from the dead, so he can never touch her again. Their relationship presents a number of challenges, but their love endures nonetheless. In the meantime he uses his unique talents to salvage rotten fruit for making pies at his bakery (called the Pie Hole) and for solving crimes by reviving the dead for 60 seconds or less to ask them how they expired.

Pushing Daisies was like the Wizard of Oz of contemporary television

The entire cast of Pushing Daisies is nothing short of phenomenal. Lee Pace and Anna Friel bring the Fairy Tale to life and a host of other fascinating characters pile on many layers of depth and surprises to the already mesmerizing presentation. Of particular note is Kristin Chenoweth as the tiny, love struck third wheel at the Pie Hole whose voice belies her petite frame (we've included two of her songs on the post). Then there's The Darling Mermaid Darlings, a distraught pair of former synchronized swimmers who are now afraid to leave the house. Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Green are the dynamic duo who represent what's left of Dead Girl's (Friel) family.  They may be two of the most enduring and charismatic characters in modern television. 

Perhaps the greatest joy of this movie is the mastery and pure joy of the English language that is infused into every episode. Clever or intelligent writing is so rare these days - so much of what comes out our end of the the flat-screen is formula-driven drivel. Not so here. Then again, Bryan Fuller is not your ordinary producer / director. He was involved with Star Trek Deep Space Nine and also created Dead Like Me, and Wonderfalls. So far he's batting a 1000. He's got two new series coming out soon so we'll see if he can maintain this streak of brilliance. In the meantime, it seems as though there is at least a glimmer of a chance that Pushing Daisies may end up on Starz as a new mini-series - hopefully someday soon. 

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What is Camelot?

What is Camelot? Is it an idea or a shining castle on the hillside - is it a movie or a Starz series or perhaps a Monty Python skit? Camelot is a central theme of the Arthur legend - it is that place from which a just ruler becomes one with the land and brings peace and prosperity to the people. Camelot is where there is a grand conference room with a giant round table wherein all the knights of the realm can meet and discuss the virtues of being chivalrous.  

Richard Harris had some ideas about Camelot...

The story of Arthur seems ingrained in our culture for some reason - we just can't help returning to it. Arthur is the royal Robin Hood - a man who brings justice along with his god-given or Merlin-procured birthright. Last year Starz decide to reignite the Arthur legend once more, unfortunately despite a promising start the series wasn't picked up for a second season. Will Arthur return on Starz again ? Will a young squire locate the sword and pull it from the stone once more to become king? Will Guinevere play Yoko to the Round Table Knights again - leading them all into ruin?

The Stars of Starz shortlived series, Camelot

Maybe it is a silly tale, perhaps the Python boys got it right. Can it be retold without conjuring visions of the profoundly bad First Knight from the early 90's or the hopelessly outdated broadway musical from the 1960's? Most readers don't recall that Camelot was 'the' show on Broadway when JFK became President and partly for that reason the popular media began referring to the White House as Camelot (and like Arthur, Kennedy strayed from his queen). 

Who knew that this month had such unique powers

We like the Starz series Camelot with two major exceptions. First, the actor Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bower) was miscast. Bower appears far too feminine and looks hopelessly childlike (and often downright goofy). It strains the whole credibility of the show with him at the helm. The second major issue was the lack of budget. It seems as though Starz had directed all their resources into buying new loincloths for slaves on Spartacus. Camelot deserves some epic touches, a bit of grandeur. 

There was one movie which did give Camelot and the Arthur legend the epic setting it deserved and while it was relatively low budget it managed to hide that fact cleverly. We're talking about John Boorman's classic, Excalibur.  

Excalibur had an Arthur we could believe in, an unforgettable Merlin and the sexiest Morgana ever. It even had Liam Neeson in one of his first movies as the knight who accuses Guinevere of lusting after Lancelot. Granted, both Ralph Fiennes and Eva Green provide fantastic performances as Merlin and Morgana in the Starz version of Camelot, but it's hard to compete with the 1981 classic. Some of you might be saying, "everyone in the 1981 film was wearing armor the whole time, armor that hadn't been invented yet, they even wore it while having sex." So maybe they took safe sex too far in the 80's - Excalibur was still a great show.

Starz might want to try Camelot again, but this time add some more pizzazz and some armor and get rid of Denis the Menace as Arthur and pick a real king. One of the reasons that the show wasn't picked up was because Bower was busy working both Breaking Dawn films. That should be evidence enough that is not the chosen one...

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Dangerous Liaisons - A Raving Playlist

Love is the ultimate double-edged sword - it drives us to creative heights and also drives us crazy. Whether it is a chemical intoxication or an unpredictable psychosis or perhaps a curse from the gods we'll probably never know. We will continue to write poetry and make music about the wild leaps of passion and despair that one thing that marks the milestones of our existence. All love is, by nature, risky as well as being both wonderful and frightening. It makes the perfect inspiration for artists and we can share in that inspiration or empathize with it. This playlist is for all of you who are struggling with the consequences of seeking after and perhaps realizing true passion... good luck

As usual you can find this list on Spotify...

Dangerous Liaisons


Velvet Revolver – She Builds Quick Machines
The Black Crowes – She Talks to Angels
Matchbox Twenty – 3 am
The Black Crowes – Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution
U2 – Vertigo - Radio Edit
Staind – It's Been Awhile
R.E.M. – Living Well Is The Best Revenge
Buckcherry – Crazy B*tch
Foo Fighters – The Pretender
Weezer – (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
Hoobastank – Crawling In The Dark
Gin Blossoms – Hey Jealousy
Juanes – Me Enamora
Queen – Hammer To Fall
U2 – When Love Comes To Town
Counting Crows – A Long December
Staind – Believe - Amended Album Version
ZZ Top – Heartache In Blue
Don Henley – The Heart Of The Matter
Theory Of A Deadman – Bad Girlfriend - Explicit
Dead By Sunrise – Crawl Back In
Eric Hutchinson – Rock & Roll
Miranda Lambert – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Reel Big Fish – Your Girlfriend Sucks
The Rolling Stones – Bitch - 2009 Re-Mastered Digital Version
Jet – She's A Genius
Bush – The Chemicals Between Us
U2 – Magnificent
Weezer – Troublemaker
Coldplay – Hurts Like Heaven - Live
Live – Lightning Crashes
John Mellencamp – Your Life Is Now
The Rolling Stones – Can't You Hear Me Knocking - 2009 Re-Mastered Digital Version
Buckcherry – Talk To Me
We Are Trees – I Don't Believe in Love
The Wallflowers – 6th Avenue Heartache
Incubus – Love Hurts
INXS – Pretty Vegas
Rihanna – Hate That I Love You
Counting Crows – Mrs. Potters Lullaby
Default – Wasting My Time [Acoustic]
John Mellencamp – Lonely Ol' Night
The Black Crowes – Jealous Again
Jack Johnson – Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend - Explicit Version
R.E.M. – Everybody Hurts
Def Leppard – Bringin' On The Heartbreak - Live
Shinedown – Second Chance
The James Gang – Walk Away
The Killers – Smile Like You Mean It
J. Geils Band – Love Stinks
INXS – What You Need - Single/LP Version
Matchbox Twenty – If You're Gone
U2 – Mysterious Ways
Santana – Maria Maria - Radio Mix
R.E.M. – Shiny Happy People
John Mellencamp – Down And Out In Paradise
Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World
Radiohead – Just
Fall Out Boy – I Don't Care
Dire Straits – Sultans Of Swing
David Bowie – Suffragette City - 2012 - Remaster
3 Doors Down – Be Like That
Soundgarden – Spoonman
10,000 Maniacs – Candy Everybody Wants
Rob Thomas – When The Heartache Ends
The Cars – You're All I've Got Tonight
AC – YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG
U2 – God Part II
Steely Dan – Hey Nineteen
The Vandals – My Girlfriend's Dead
Phil Collins – Easy Lover
Dave Matthews Band – Lover Lay Down
Paul Simon – 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Breaking Point – All Messed Up
Madonna – Bad Girl
John Mellencamp – Hurts So Good
Kings Of Leon – Taper Jean Girl - Explicit
Joe Cocker – The Jealous Kind
Queen – Jealousy
John Mellencamp – Crumblin' Down
Jack Johnson – You And Your Heart
Franz Ferdinand – Darts Of Pleasure
The Strokes – Last Nite

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Breaking Bad AP Chemistry 101

Hello and welcome to the Breaking Bad AP Honors Chemistry course.

We have lot's in store for you this semester and we're sure it will prove to the most exciting science class you've ever taken. Your professor this year is our Dean of Chemistry, Walter White. Professor White brings an unparalleled academic record and an absolute love for chemistry into every course he teaches. He is recognized worldwide for his skills in growing crystals and also runs a thriving small business in his spare time. Your course assistant this semester is Jesse Pinkman, he is majoring in Meth Production and Distribution as well as punk rock.

Your AP Chemistry course Professor, Walter White

Course Syllabus
This semester's course will be divided in the following categories or sections; we'll denote within each area when labs are required:

Bomb Making Essentials - We will explore a variety of chemical compounds used to produce explosives and even create triggering devices. These techniques will come in very handy whenever you may feel the need to blow the face off of any rival druglord.

Lab 1 - Mercury mini-bombs.

Lab 2 - Glycerin (how to turn soap into dynamite)

Lab 3 - Plastique basics   

Dissolving Bodies - There's nothing worse than using the wrong acid compounds to eliminate evidence, it can lead to serious damage to your lab or basement. This section will explore how to most efficiently dissolve corpses while leaving your lab intact.

Lab 1 - Dissolving Guinea Pigs in milk cartons

Meth Production - Baking crystals isn't easy. Professor White takes you from theory to large scale production. 

Lab 1 - How to make super-pure Blue Meth Crystals 

Lab 2 - How to clean your lab without driving your mentor insane

The Big Rock Candy Mountain...

Setting up Mobile Labs - Being stuck indoors all the time is no fun for anybody let alone homicidal chemists - there is a way around this dull routine however; build a mobile lab. This section will explore everything from the types of recreational vehicles to choose as well as finding the equipment best suited for mobile chemistry. 

Lab 1 - Properly weighting down the RV

Killing your co-workers - Competition within the chemistry field can be cutthroat and let's face it, who needs the aggravation? Whenever you find yourself at odds with up and coming talent why not just eliminate the stress altogether? Or what about that partner who got rich off of your discovery and screwed you over? This section explores the myriad of ways you can use what you love (chemistry) to kill jerks you don't like.

Lab 1 - Killing co-workers at the lab

Lab 2 - Killing associates outside of the lab

Mixing Poisons - Ever wish you could make your own Ricin? We'll cover that and much more in this section.

Lab 1 - Using household items to produce deadly toxins.

Chemistry and Glam Rock - Even Chemists need to unwind; why not do it by creating elaborate Karaoke videos to David Bowie or David Bowie knockoff songs. This section of the course will show you how. 

this seems so harmless... ha ha ha

Chemistry and Glam Rock go hand in hand

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Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States

History is a fascinating topic and here's why:

1. It is the over-arching story of all of us.
2. It is a highly interpretative and subjective art (it's not a science).
3. It is hopelessly intertwined with the cultures that produce it.
4. It serves as the larger context for every other type of information our society produces (be it science, religion etc.)
5. It often involves people and events we know, or think we know.

Oliver Stone and Showtime have teamed up to produce what can best be described as an alternative course in 20th Century American history called Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States. The truth is that Director Stone began this project 30 years ago through films like Salvador, Born on the 4th of July and JFK. But now it has moved from specific stories to an all-encompassing historical perspective.

Maverick Producer / Director Oliver Stone

The core premise of the show is that there are a lot of misconceptions in the traditional or common textbook versions of what happened in the US over the past century or so. Stone attacks what he sees as that bias and adds some very interesting spin of his own. The show is still early in its run and is just about to tackle the Cold War in its next episode. This week Stone explored myths surrounding the use of the Atomic bomb in Japan at the end of WWII. So far the most interesting part of the series has been the focus on Franklin Roosevelt's first Vice President, Henry Wallace. Most Americans don't even know that Roosevelt had another Vice President (other than Truman). Wallace's story proves both fascinating and tragic; but for one late night vote at the 1944 Democratic Convention Wallace would have become President and presided over post-war America. 

Henry Wallace - FDR's 1st Vice President 

In the following episode, "The Bomb"  Stone more or less eviscerates Truman on every possible level; from political skill, to personality flaws and even morality. Stone does correctly point out a number of key facts regarding use of the bomb though:

1. The estimate about how many Americans might be lost in an invasion of Japan were vastly inflated later to help justify the bomb's use.
2. Stalin's invasion of Japan (per agreement with the Allies) in August 1945 is what led to Japan's surrender much more so than the dropping of the two atom bombs (at Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
3. Japan would have surrendered months earlier if the US had made guarantees about about retention of the Emperor (something we ended up doing anyway after Japan surrendered unconditionally).
4. Probably the main reason why Truman and his political allies wanted to use the bomb was to warn or threaten the Soviets. This directly led to tensions which kicked off the Cold War. 

There had been strong opposition in the War Department including by the Secretary of War, Eisenhower and others to use of the bomb, yet all those objections were ignored. Truman took responsibility for the decision and the specific directives to use the bombs in populated areas as opposed to somewhere less populated (which could have demonstrated their destructive power without killing hundreds of thousands of people).

The series tackles lots of tough questions like this and that's a good thing. While all the points Stone makes are true, though, he also seems to paint Stalin in a more flattering light than the crazed Soviet dictator deserved (Stalin killed more of his people before WWII than Hitler killed across Europe during WWII). One has to wonder what might have happened if we hadn't taken a hard line with the Soviets or if the bomb hadn't been used. Certainly the using the bomb had little to do with stopping the war, but it did make an impression that was never forgotten and in doing so may have somewhat deterred use of the bomb in future combat (it still has not been used since 1945). We'll never know of course what might have happened if different choices were made - whether using the bomb made us safer or instead brought us to the very brink of self-destruction. These are questions worth asking and we're looking forward to seeing more of Oliver Stone's spin on American History.

Series preview for Oliver Stone's Untold History of America

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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A Tribute to the BBC

Today we're paying tribute to the British Broadcasting Corporation or BBC. This year has been tough for them due to a sex scandal over one of their show celebrities; however, we don't think that's how the BBC ought to be judged or remembered. The BBC for us is the network that gave the world Monty Python's Flying Circus and 100's of other memorable programs. The BBC has partnered with PBS since 1971 on what is the longest running prime time program in US television history - Masterpiece Theater. The influence of the BBC is probably more pervasive than most people realize as a number of American TV shows like the Office are in fact copies of previous British productions.

The BBC's understated logo

The BBC is in fact a series of state run television and radio networks. The BBC first began broadcasting TV programs in 1932 and began regular broadcasts in 1934. Television broadcasting was suspended during WW2, but BBC radio was there broadcasting the London Blitz to the world in 1940. The BBC has a long and storied history; it was the preferred method for coordinating resistance fighters in France and elsewhere and also served to inform Hitler that there was still one voice broadcasting Democracy across Europe. 

A family listening to the BBC during World War 2

Ten Reasons We Love the BBC

1. Because it captured Winston Churchill's defiant messages to Hitler and showed the world that Democracy would not give up without a fight.
2. Because Monty Python's Flying Circus probably wouldn't have happened anywhere else - it redefined comedy for generations. 
3. Because Dr. Who never gets old - and it's bigger inside.
4. Because they took Shakespeare and other British theater and made it fun (I, Claudius). 
5. Because the BBC is not afraid to take risks and launch groundbreaking shows across genres.
6. Because the BBC inspired Austin Powers. 
7. Because all the British Invasion bands and then later many Alternative bands helped get started through appearances on British TV. 
8. Because it is the launchpad for many of the best actors on the planet.
9. Because it represents the number one cultural exchange between Britain and the US (the British Invasion is a close second).
10. The BBC has absolutely nothing to do with Rupert Murdock. 

The Teletubbies eventually hit the gym to work on their image issues...

BBC Shows we're Going to Review

1. Sherlock
2. Dr. Who
3. Primeval
4. Masterpiece Theater
5. Torchwood
6. Walking with Beasts
7. Red Dwarf
8. Monty Python's Flying Circus
9. Life on Mars (BBC version)
10. I, Claudius
11. Teletubbies

The Dead Parrot Skit

Mrs., will ya, turn on the tele...

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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The Spartacus Awards

The tale of Spartacus and his slave rebellion against Rome never seems to get old. The 1963 version of the movie about him propelled Kirk Douglas into super-stardom. The new Starz series (there are about 4 of them now) about Spartacus have decided to take a unique approach to telling the tale however; one that focuses on the shock and awe of life in Rome circa 75 B.C. Starz has taken the movie Gladiator, added some 300 and mixed in some of HBO's Rome for good measure. All this has been used to "spice up" the old story a bit. Well, it is so spicy we're thinking that it has broken new ground in a number areas for television (even for a cable network). For that reason, we've decided to put together an awards tribute for these shows - it's called the Spartacus Awards because we're pretty sure that they're aren't many other shows that could even compete in these categories...

The new Spartacus (the original actor from season 1 passed away)

Our award categories are as follows:

• Best Blood Gushers - Slow-mo shots of blood gushing out of wounds (mainly inflicted by Spartacus).
• Best Blood Splattering - It's almost poetic the way they do it on this show; there's a lot of love put into it. 
• Best Sword Through the Head - (actually The Walking Dead season 3 could compete in this category if we included machetes, samurai swords and garden tools) 
• Most Gratuitous use of Male Frontal Nudity - And the bigger the better seems to be their motto.
• Most Annoying use of Accurate Latin Grammar - So, Latin doesn't use definite or indefinite articles (the for example) - ok we get it already.
• Best Roman Orgies - No contest here.
• Most creative use of the words Cock and Cunt - The shows must have a rule that one or both words are used several times in every episode. It can be quite challenging to find ways to insert this language into nearly any type of scene. 
• Best Entrail Spilling - And we thought the Japanese and King Henry VIII had this market cornered...
• Best Gladiator Music - We've included an example below. 
• Least use of Wardrobe - The Spartacus series certainly qualifies as Green. There must be relatively little laundry to do given the sparse amount of attire employed.
• Most evil Roman Bitches - There's several who jockey from season to season for the top spot.
• Best Trident Impaling - The groin area is especially popular.
• Best Slave Humping - It's seems as though this is all the Romans ever did.
• Best Whorehouse Massacre - Worthy of its own movie.

Spartacus Vengeance - a new lead but lot's of the same action

Best Gladiator Music award

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Sultry Florida Groove - A Raving Playlist

It was 25 degrees here this morning (in Ohio, USA) and it's getting to be that time of year when we ask ourselves why the hell we don't live in Florida. Sure, Global Warming is making things hotter up here but it's still not the same (and it still gets pretty cold). So we will be thinking about Florida a lot over the next couple of months and we decided to craft a playlist that will help us conjure visions of beaches, palm trees and Sea Gulls - well, scratch the Sea Gulls - Pelicans work better. We actually hate Sea Gulls, but we can't escape them because now they're in Ohio too (what's up with that anyway?). But we digress, we love most things about Florida (not counting the Banana Republic nature of their voting practices) and someday we may live there again (but perhaps vote absentee in Ohio, which is only slightly above Banana Republic level in election management).

As usual this list is on Spotify as well. So sit back and drink a Margarita and try not to ask yourself why you ruined your life by moving North.

We wish we were in this picture - Winter sucks

Admit it - Miami Vice was the coolest show ever

Sultry Florida Groove

John Mellencamp – Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)
Various Artists – Miami Vice (Crockett's Theme)
Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
Jack Johnson – To The Sea
Maná – Rayando el sol
Bob Marley & The Wailers – One Love / People Get Ready
Sheryl Crow – Soak Up The Sun
Weezer – Island In The Sun
John Mellencamp – Pink Houses
The Troggs – Wild Thing
Seals and Crofts – Summer Breeze
Jack Johnson – A Pirate Looks At Forty
The B-52's – Love Shack
John Travolta – Summer Nights - Soundtrack Version
Elton John – Tiny Dancer
The B-52's – Rock Lobster
Violent Femmes – Blister In The Sun
Bananarama – Cruel Summer
Jack Johnson – Constellations
Kings Of Leon – Beach Side
Jan Hammer – Miami Vice Theme - Miami Vice/Soundtrack Version
The Decemberists – Down By The Water
Keith Urban – Long Hot Summer
R.E.M. – Shiny Happy People
The Lovin' Spoonful – Summer In The City
The B-52's – Roam
Enya – Orinoco Flow
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps
Dave Matthews Band – Ants Marching
The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
Ben E King – Stand By Me
Bryan Adams – Summer Of '69
Dave Matthews Band – Don't Drink The Water
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Pump It Up
David Bowie – Young Americans - 1990 Digital Remaster
Don Henley – The Boys Of Summer
Dave Matthews Band – American Baby
Gloria Estefan – Turn The Beat Around
Death Cab for Cutie – Summer Skin
The Smiths – There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
The Beach Boys – Fun, Fun, Fun - 2001 - Remaster
Counting Crows – Untitled (Love Song)
Sting – Love Is The Seventh Wave - 2011 Remix
Maná – Perdido en un barco
George Michael Duet with Elton John – Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Miami Sound Machine – Hot Summer Nights
A Rocket To The Moon – Like We Used To
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Three Little Birds
Toad The Wet Sprocket – Walk On The Ocean
Sheryl Crow – Soak Up The Sun
The Black Crowes – And The Band Played Om
The Beach Boys – Kokomo
Wavves – King Of The Beach
Dire Straits – So Far Away
Counting Crows – Rain King
The Smithereens – Only A Memory
Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)
Foo Fighters – Learn To Fly
Lenny Kravitz – Fly Away
Owl City – Umbrella Beach
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
The B-52's – Party Out Of Bounds
Gin Blossoms – Until I Fall Away
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Call Me The Breeze
Elton John – Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time)
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – American Girl
Katrina & The Waves – Walking On Sunshine
Soundgarden – My Wave
Paramore – The Only Exception
The Allman Brothers Band – Southbound
The Cars – Good Times Roll
Gloria Estefan – Cuts Both Ways
Phil Collins – Another Day In Paradise
John Mellencamp – Wild Night
The Barracudas – Summer Fun
Elton John – Island Girl
Eddie Money – Two Tickets To Paradise - Album Version
Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life
Cowboy Junkies – Southern Rain
Beck – Que' Onda Guero
David Bowie – China Girl (Single Version)
Maná – Rayando el sol
Jeff Zavac & the Craetts – Hit The Road Jack
The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations - 2001 - Remaster
Django Django – Life's A Beach
Blake Shelton – Some Beach
Katrina & The Waves – Walking On Sunshine
Against Me! – The Ocean
Barefoot Truth – The Ocean

Pick up a seashell and listen, right now...

John Cougar in Key West (we think)

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The Idiots Guide to Writing Wine Reviews

Interested in a new career? How about being a professional wine reviewer? If you're not sure, take a look at the following reasons why you should consider it:

1. You get to drink a lot of wine. (a spit the wine across the room into wine spittoons too which is more fun than it sounds)
2. You get to use French words and act snobby. 
3. You can impress people with your knowledge of soil and composting. 
4. You can travel to many fascinating places that have vineyards and drink a lot of wine while acting snobby and spit while playing with the local soil. 
5. You'll be able to impress dates and folks at dinner parties with your wine-related knowledge and humor. Folks will especially appreciate it when you taste their wine for them.

Wine being poured into a wine glass. Notice the tilt and the graceful flow into the glass...

In order to become a sophisticated wine reviewer however, you may have to get rid of some nasty old wine-related habits including:

• Wine chugging - drinking an entire bottle in one gulp may have impressed the frat brothers, but one wonders if you really get a chance to taste the wine when drinking it this way. 
• Drinking from wine cartons - This is very low-brow and no self-respecting wine critic would do this unless they absolutely had to. One of the reasons for this is the adjectives associated with cartons aren't nearly as appealing as those associated with wine bottles or oak barrels.
• Drinking from the bottle - There's a difference between wine critic and wino - be mindful of it. (this means no paper bags either).
• Drinking wine that costs less than the current minimum wage - Again, low-brow.
• Drinking wine with crazy names - Where once there was just Mad Dog 20-20 now there are literally 100's of wines with such odd names as Mommies Time Out, Smoking Loon or Contested Divorce. It really doesn't matter what they taste like, they'll probably end up in a paper bag. 
• Making Wine Popsicles - Freezing the wine tends to affect its bouquet.

Red, Red Wine - it was probably in a bag

Wearing the appropriate attire enhances the wine tasting experience 

So, now you're ready for the wine reviewer's guide. The most important part of being a wine critic is developing a mastery of wine-related adjectives; those adjectives are as follows:

• Aroma
• Bouquet
• Mature
• Nutty
• Fruity
• Lively
• Rich
• Velvety
• Sweet
• Smooth
• Dry
• Oak (or Oakey)

This song sounds good after drinking 1 1/2 bottles of any type of domestic wine

That's it. Any further adjectives you might need will only be variations of the ones listed above - for example - you could swap 'fruity' for specific types of fruit like Cherries.  So let's try this for ourselves on two very different wines:

Wine 1 - This velvety Cabernet Sauvignon evokes a fruity bouquet with hints of berries and a strong oak flavor.  It goes down smooth with most any meal and makes the perfect dinner complement.

Wine 2 - This lively Chardonnay is a perfect desert wine with its rich aroma and just a hint of nuts. It will go down smooth but a bit dry.

That's it - you've now mastered wine reviewing!

Wine comes from grapes, grapes are fruit. 

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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