I buy a lot of books that end up not delivering on their promise. For instance, "Bye Bye Baby" by Caroline Sullivan charts a woman's lifelong obsession with The Bay City Rollers, but after the 40th running into the band in a hotel it kind of got boring. The same goes for "I Was a Teenage Dominatrix", where author Shawna Kenney spends most of the book assuring us she's really a good girl, really! YAWN!
I guess I should be more discriminating when it comes to kickily named books, but old habits die hard, and thus my recent purchase of "Hellbent for Cooking: The Heavy Metal Cookbook" by Annick Giroux.
Originally bought with the idea I would give it to a friend who loves Heavy Metal, and... well, cooking, after an in depth go over last night, I don't think I'm going to be able to part with it. Lifelong friendship is one thing, but do I really want to just give away this tome of home cookin' recipies by Anvil, Sepultura, and Uriah Heap? Cleverly, author Giroux has made the recipes so easy even the most simpleminded headbanger will find it within their grasp to whip up egg salad or a pizza from scratch, while more advanced metal connoisseurs might try their hand at making "black metal pie" (you paint a pentacle on the top in chocolate), Moroccan lamb, or even sweetbreads (that's cow brains, people and the recipe is by GWAR, who else?). Most importantly though, the part where one day you can look forward to hosting a dinner party with these foods and when asked about the dishes say "oh, I got the recipie from Thin Lizzy/Accept/Judas Priest..." alone justifies the cover price.
At last a book that delivered even more than it promised.
I recently find myself laying in bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about one of my favorite shows from the past - Banzai! Banzai! is sort of a parody of a "Japanese TV Show" which actually came from the UK in the early 2000's. The format is a betting show, where viewers are supposed to wager on the outcome of an array of peculiar events set up by Banzai staff. The show had a brief run here in the US on Fox before Asian-American activists shut them down - gee, I wonder why?
Nonetheless, one of my very favorite recurring sketches is Lady One Question - a girl reporter who asks celebrities one question and continues to stare at them as if they are still answering until confused, they eventually walk away. Below one can enjoy her interview of Gene Simmons from Kiss, how long will the batty blowhard talk? Well wager why don't you?
Not had enough of music celebs being hosed by fake Japanese for the bemusement of the BBC viewing public? Then try on for size Alicia Keys being interviewed by "Mr Shake Hands Man" a reporter whose entire goal is to see how long he can get a celeb to shake his hand (sorry to say, he's not really that interested in your latest project - cough cough - but really, who is?). Again, place your bets now!
How nice to see this bit of trivia from the good people at the Smoking Gun.
When looking at the catering requirements of Metallica's tour rider it's hard to miss that the phrase "BACON VERY IMPORTANT THAT BACON BE AVAILABLE AT EVERY MEAL AND DURING THE DAY" is right at the top of the band's directives. Sure they may ask for lots of fresh fruit and premium teas (aw, boys after my own heart), but from here on in, I hope that when someone asks any of you "What can you tell me about Metallica?" that the first thing that comes to your mind is "Man, that band sure loves their bacon".
I buy a lot of books that end up not delivering on their promise. For instance, "Bye Bye Baby" by Caroline Sullivan charts a woman's lifelong obsession with The Bay City Rollers, but after the 40th running into the band in a hotel it kind of got boring. The same goes for "I Was a Teenage Dominatrix", where author Shawna Kenney spends most of the book assuring us she's really a good girl, really! YAWN!
