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Lou Pickney's Online Commentary

Thoughts at 4:30 AM on a Sunday

Sunday
May 19, 2002


"Most people don't have much of a clue as to why they act the way they do."
-Hugh Hefner

While waiting for a massage therapy session for my neck this past week, I read through a copy of Esquire Magazine that happened to be on the magazine rack at the doctor's office. I don't normally read Esquire, but hey, it was either that or the golf magazine I'd read through the past two times in there. So Esquire it was. Anyway, the magazine had a fascinating short interview with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. Click on the link to check it out for yourself. It almost comes across like one of those e-mails where you fill out info about yourself and then forward it on, but it is quite an interesting read.

Here are a few random things worth addressing....

-There are too many caucasians with shaved heads in Tampa. No doubt about it. Up in Huntington it was pretty different to have a shaved head. When I went down to Starkville in April, it was very unique there and a definite plus as far as standing out. But here, it's like half the dudes at the bar have shaved heads. What's up with that? Hell, I caught grief at the Green Iguana last night because my head wasn't as freshly shorn as the dude next to me. Seriously. This is the world in which I live.

-The Sixth Sense is an excellent movie. This is no new revelation, I know, but if you haven't seen it... well believe me, you really need to check it out. I have it on tape (though I'm sure it's worth owning on DVD), and I dug through my random assortment of VHS tapes early this morning to give it yet another play.

-Living down here in Tampa, it's easy sometimes to forget what rain sounds like. Rainy season is just around the corner, and a bit of rain hit yesterday/last night at the end of the pool party and then during the night out in Ybor. I'm sure I'll be reminded time and again this summer of what the sound of rain is, with the daily 4:30 PM thunderstorms. Not that I'm complaining; we need the rain. And with my bizarro sleep shift, the rain actually comes at a good time. Waking up to the sound of a thunderstorm can be pretty nice.

-As long as we're talking weather, in talking with several friends on Saturday it sounded as if much of the Midwest and Northeast is being hit with a cold snap. Cleveland, South Bend, even NYC -- all cold. And I heard about that as I sat by the pool in 80 degree weather and sunshine. In a related note, I don't know if I'll ever be able to leave Tampa...

-Is there a more subtly addictive song out there right now that "Underneath Your Clothes" by Shakira? Say what you will about pop music, or songs that sound like country crossovers (Shania Twain style), but there's something about that tune that really sticks with me. The remix is particularly hypnotic.

-Going back to The Sixth Sense for a minute (since it's playing in the other room), one of the great things about that movie is the delivery in the dialogue. While maintaining a level of believability, there's this certain chill to the interaction between the characters that strikes just below the surface. It's difficult to explain. But it's effective as hell.

-Dick Vitale is an underrated color commentator. Watching a broadcast of a North Carolina/Duke basketball game (from Feb. 1, 2001) on ESPN Classic, I was reminded early this morning yet again at how good he is at building the scene and putting over the participants and making the game seem important. There are plenty of bad or forgettable color commentators out there, but Vitale stands out as one of the greats.

-It's no fun to wear the invisible shirt.

-Is there any stopping the L.A. Lakers in the playoffs this year? My guess is: no. He doesn't get the headlines, but Robert Horry is (in my opinion) the most underrated player in the NBA. Shaq and Kobe deservedly get the attention, but Horry brings quite a bit to the table himself (he's a 6'10" playmaker who's a solid defender and a legit scoring threat). There's a reason Mr. Horry is going for ring #5 this year...

-There's a real need out there for a music video network that doesn't cut out half the words on their songs. Watching the video for the song "Saturday" by Ludacris on M2 early this morning, I was amazed at how much they sliced and diced on the words. Much Music out of Canada is pretty good, but I'd have to think a premium music video channel (read: commercial-free) could be a major money-maker for the cable/satellite TV industry. They already have digital music channels with uncensored songs -- I figure going with videos could take it to a whole new level.

-Finally had the chance yesterday to try some ice cream from Marble Slab. And, wow, it was delicious. Here's hoping they find success in the tricky businessplace known as Centro Ybor.

-I still need to see Spiderman. And about 10,000 other movies.


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