Monthly Archive for August, 2005

Total Eclipse of the Kitchen

Normally, I would say that a Jim Steinman song deserves better than this, but then I think of that Boyzone song he wrote, and I reconsider that position.

Baaaa….

Gakked from

Go here and put your Birth Year & graduation year into the search thingy. The first link is likely the top 100 songs of that year. Cut and paste that list here. Bold the ones you actually like. Understand that the word “like” in this case means, in the very least, “wouldn’t immediately change the radio station from.” Pick a favorite. Underline that favorite.


Starting with 1969….

1. Aquarius, Fifth Dimension
2. Sugar, Sugar, Archies
3. I Can’t Get Next To You, Temptations
4. Honky Tonk Women, Rolling Stones
5. Build Me Up Buttercup, Foundations
6. Dizzy, Tommy Roe
7. Hot Fun In The Summertime, Sly and The Family Stone
8. I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, Tom Jones
9. Everyday People, Sly and The Family Stone
10. Get Together, Youngbloods
11. One, Three Dog Night

12. Crystal Blue Persuasion, Tommy James and The Shondells
13. Hair, Cowsills
14. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby, Marvin Gaye
15. Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet, Henry Mancini and His Orch.
16. Crimson And Clover, Tommy James and The Shondells
17. Grazin’ In The Grass, Friends Of Distinction

18. Suspicious Minds, Elvis Presley
9. Proud Mary, Creedence Clearwater Revival
20. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love), Jr. Walker and The All Stars
21. It’s Your Thing, Isley Brothers
22. Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
23. Jean, Oliver
24. Bad Moon Rising, Creedence Clearwater Revival
25. Get Back, The Beatles

26. In The Year 2525, Zager and Evans
27. Spinning Wheel, Blood, Sweat and Tears
28. Baby, I Love You, Andy Kim
29. Going In Circles, Friends Of Distinction
30. Hurt So Bad, Lettermen
31. Green River, Creedence Clearwater Revival
32. My Cherie Amour, Stevie Wonder
33. Easy To Be Hard, Three Dog Night
34. Baby It’s You, Smith
35. In The Ghetto, Elvis Presley
36. A Boy Named Sue, Johnny Cash
37. Baby, Baby Don’t Cry, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
38. Only The Strong Survive, Jerry Butler
39. Time Of The Season, Zombies
40. Wedding Bell Blues, Fifth Dimension

41. Little Woman, Bobby Sherman
42. Love (Can Make You Happy), Mercy
43. Good Morning Starshine, Oliver
44. These Eyes, The Guess Who
45. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy, Blood, Sweat and Tears
46. Put A Little Love In Your Heart, Jackie DeShannon

47. Do Your Thing, Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
48. I’d Wait A Million Years, The Grass Roots
49. Touch Me, The Doors
50. More Today Than Yesterday, Spiral Starecase

51. I’ve Gotta Be Me, Sammy Davis Jr.
52. Lay Lady Lay, Bob Dylan
53. Atlantis, Donovan
54. Traces, Dennis Yost and The Classics IV
55. It’s Getting Better, Mama Cass Elliot
56. This Magic Moment, Jay and The Americans

57. Run Away Child, Running Wild, Temptations
58. Hawaii Five-O, Ventures
59. Galveston, Glen Campbell
60. I’m Gonna Make You Mine, Lou Christie
61. Gitarzan, Ray Stevens
62. Can I Change My Mind, Tyrone Davis
63. Time Is Tight, Booker T and The MG’s
64. This Girl’s In Love With You, Dionne Warwick
65. Color Him Father, Winstons
66. Black Pearl, Sonny Charles and The Checkmates, Ltd.
67. Indian Giver, 1910 Fruitgum Company
68. Mother Popcorn (Part I), James Brown
69. Twenty-five Miles, Edwin Starr
70. Things I’d Like To Say, New Colony Six
71. When I Die, Motherlode
72. That’s The Way Love Is, Marvin Gaye
73. Everybody’s Talkin’, Nilsson
74. Worst That Could Happen, Brooklyn Bridge
75. Chokin’ Kind, Joe Simon
76. Smile A Little Smile For Me, Flying Machine
77. Polk Salad Annie, Tony Joe White
78. Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town, Kenny Rogers and The First Edition
79. Games People Play, Joe South
80. You Showed Me, Turtles
81. Come Together, The Beatles
82. Oh, What A Night, Dells
83. Something, The Beatles
84. This Girl Is A Woman Now, Gary Puckett and The Union Gap
85. Tracy, Cuff Links
86. Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon, Paul Revere and The Raiders
87. I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, Diana Ross and The Supremes
88. I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
89. Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’, Crazy Elephant
90. Hang ‘Em High, Booker T and The MG’s
91. Your Good Thing (Is About To End), Lou Rawls
92. Baby I’m For Real, Originals
93. You Showed Me, Turtles
94. Love Me Tonight, Tom Jones
95. Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man Bob, Seger System
96. Laughing, The Guess Who
97. My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me), David Ruffin
98. Soul Deep, Box Tops
99. Hooked On A Feeling, B.J. Thomas
100. Sweet Cream Ladies, Box Tops

Commentary: 1969 had a bumper crop of hits, but I actually don’t like many of them. Only 37%. For one thing, I only liked “A Boy Named Sue” as done by its author, Shel Silverstein, not the man who made it famous, Johnny Cash. While I do like Tom Jones’ version of “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” I love that song no matter who does it, so it’s not that I like Tom Jones’ version all that much. Likewise, I hate B.J. Thomas’ “Hooked On A Feeling,” but love the mocked-up version done by Blue Swede.

Oh, and for those who don’t know, Crazy Elephant never existed as a band; it was a name used by the Kasenatz-Katz hit factory to release songs done by whatever band they put together. A number of songs by “Crazy Elephant” were actually by one of my favorite bands of the 1970′s, 10cc, although I doubt “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’” was one.


Now moving on to 1987….

1. Walk Like An Egyptian, Bangles
2. Alone, Heart

3. Shake You Down, Gregory Abbott
4. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), Whitney Houston
5. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now, Starship
6. C’est La Vie, Robbie Nevil

7. Here I Go Again, Whitesnake
8. The Way It Is, Bruce Hornsby and the Range
9. Shakedown, Bob Seger
10. Livin’ On A Prayer, Bon Jovi
11. La Bamba, Los Lobos
12. Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Wang Chung
13. Don’t Dream It’s Over, Crowded House

14. Always, Atlantic Starr
15. With Or Without You, U2
16. Looking For A New Love, Jody Watley
17. Head To Toe, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
18. I Think We’re Alone Now, Tiffany
19. Mony Mony, Billy Idol
20. At This Moment, Billy Vera and The Beaters
21. Lady In Red, Chris De Burgh

22. Didn’t We Almost Have It All, Whitney Houston
23. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, U2
24. I Want Your Sex, George Michael
25. Notorious, Duran Duran
26. Only In My Dreams, Debbie Gibson
27. (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

28. The Next Time I Fall, Peter Cetera and Amy Grant
29. Lean On Me, Club Nouveau
30. Open Your Heart, Madonna
31. Lost In Emotion, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
32. (I Just) Died In Your Arms, Cutting Crew
33. Heart And Soul, T’pau

34. You Keep Me Hangin’ On, Kim Wilde
35. Keep Your Hands To Yourself, Georgia Satellites
36. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), Aretha Franklin and George Michael
37. Control, Janet Jackson
38. Somewhere Out There, Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
39. U Got The Look, Prince
40. Land Of Confusion, Genesis
41. Jacob’s Ladder, Huey Lewis and The News

42. Who’s That Girl, Madonna
43. You Got It All, Jets
44. Touch Me (I Want Your Body), Samantha Fox
45. I Just Can’t Stop Loving You, Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett
46. Causing A Commotion, Madonna
47. In Too Deep, Genesis
48. Let’s Wait Awhile, Janet Jackson
49. Hip To Be Square, Huey Lewis and the News
50. Will You Still Love Me?, Chicago
51. Little Lies, Fleetwood Mac
52. Luka, Suzanne Vega
53. I Heard A Rumour, Bananarama
54. Don’t Mean Nothing, Richard Marx

55. Songbird, Kenny G
56. Carrie, Europe
57. Don’t Disturb This Groove, System
58. La Isla Bonita, Madonna
59. Bad, Michael Jackson
60. Sign ‘O’ The Times, Prince
61. Change Of Heart, Cyndi Lauper

62. Come Go With Me, Expose
63. Can’t We Try, Dan Hill
64. To Be A Lover, Billy Idol
65. Mandolin Rain, Bruce Hornsby and the Range
66. Breakout, Swing Out Sister
67. Stand By Me, Ben E. King
68. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight, Genesis
69. Someday, Glass Tiger
70. When Smokey Sings, ABC

71. Casanova, Levert
72. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
73. Rock Steady, Whispers
74. Wanted Dead Or Alive, Bon Jovi
75. Big Time, Peter Gabriel
76. The Finer Things, Steve Winwood

77. Let Me Be The One, Expose
78. Is This Love, Survivor
79. Diamonds, Herb Alpert
80. Point Of No Return, Expose
81. Big Love, Fleetwood Mac
82. Midnight Blue, Lou Gramm
83. Something So Strong, Crowded House
84. Heat Of The Night, Bryan Adams

85. Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You, Glenn Medeiros
86. Brilliant Disguise, Bruce Springsteen
87. Just To See Her, Smokey Robinson
88. Who Will You Run Too, Heart
89. Respect Yourself, Bruce Willis
90. Cross My Broken Heart, Jets
91. Victory, Kool and The Gang
92. Don’t Get Me Wrong, Pretenders
93. Doing It All For My Baby, Huey Lewis and The News

94. Right On Track, Breakfast Club
95. Ballerina Girl, Lionel Richie
96. Meet Me Half Way, Kenny Loggins
97. I’ve Been In Love Before, Cutting Crew
98. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right To Party, Beastie Boys

99. Funkytown, Pseudo Echo
100. Love You Down, Ready For The World

Commentary: I like just under half of the hits of that year, but most of my “likes” are clustered later in the list, where with 1969 I liked the entire top 11, but absolutely hate three songs in 1987′s top 10. Some of that is due to sheer repetition, but there was also tons of crap that year. I mean, come on, the “Bad” album from Michael Jackson? “Who’s That Girl?” TIFFANY?!?

I wonder if we can extrapolate trends from this?

Hey, Jeffe, you want to point out how this guy screwed up, or should I?

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/package.jsp?name=fte/resurrection/resurrection

Math Proves Christ’s Resurrection?

It is faith, not proof, that makes Christians believe in Jesus Christ’s resurrection, the central tenet of the religion. Until now.

Oxford University professor Richard Swinburne, a leading philosopher of religion, has seemingly done the impossible. Using logic and mathematics, he has created a formula that he says shows a 97 percent certainty that Jesus Christ was resurrected by God the Father, report The Age and Catholic News.

This stunning conclusion was made based on a series of complex calculations grounded in the following logic:

The probably of God’s existence is one in two. That is, God either exists or doesn’t.

The probability that God became incarnate, that is embodied in human form, is also one in two.

The evidence for God’s existence is an argument for the resurrection.

The chance of Christ’s resurrection not being reported by the gospels has a probability of one in 10.

Considering all these factors together, there is a one in 1,000 chance that the resurrection is not true.

“New Testament scholars say the only evidences are witnesses in the four gospels. That’s only five percent of the evidence,” Swinburne said in a lecture he gave at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne. “We can’t judge the question of the resurrection unless we ask first whether there’s reason to suppose there is a God. Secondly, if we have reason to suppose he would become incarnate, and thirdly, if he did, whether he would live the sort of life Jesus did.” He says that even Jesus’ life is not enough proof. However, the resurrection is “God’s signature,” which shows “his approval of Jesus’ teaching.”

The calculations that Swinburne says prove the resurrection are detailed in his book, “The Resurrection of God Incarnate.”