News from outside Hollywoodland

My liver is broken. My cardio has taken a big hit. But it was all worth going to New Orleans for Jazzfest. In two days I saw George Clinton, Neil Young, Buddy Guy, Bon Jovi, the Neville Brothers and a bunch of groups that you've never heard of, but were excellent. I had a gator po' boy, the best pecan pie ever and oysters upon oysters. But the best part of all, was just spending time not talking about the latest in Hollywood, the WMA/Endeavor merger, the upfronts and SAG. I know I was lucky to go there, and thus I thought I'd share a little bit of what people are discussing outside our little bubble.


What does alligator taste like?
The catch-all phrase "it tastes like chicken" does not apply here. I'd say it tastes more like shrimp but a little meatier. It goes quite well with about a quarter-cup of Crystal Hot Sauce (not Tabasco) and a few of New Orleans best brew - Abita.


The Bulls/Celtics Game Six
During my years in Chicago, I was never a Bulls fan. I appreciated how good they were, but I never rooted for them. That all changed at some point between Joakim Noah's steal from Paul Pierce and his improbable dunk. For those who say basketball players aren't the best athletes in the world, watch this triple overtime game. You'll change your mind.


Is there anything better than a White Russian Daiquiri?
Before Sunday morning, I would have said nothing is better than the chocolate shake from In-n-Out burger. And then I had one of these delicious mixes in a 20-ounce Styrofoam cup. Had The Big Lebowski been filmed in New Orleans rather than LA, the Dude would have been just as addicted to these. Buy a large, you get a free shot!


Childhood Shenanigans
Whether it's gluing someone's butt to their school desk chair, hand-to-hand combat while water skiing or errantly stepping in a pile of dog poop, we all have funny stories from our younger days. It's fun to recount those moments before going back to Rolling Calls, making Resies or Leaving Word.


How great Neil Young still sounds
He may not have much of a sense of humor, he may not be much to look at and half of his songs are terribly depressing, but when he cranks up "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World" you know that it's all worth the price of admission. [Runner Up: Buddy Guy for a performance of "Mustang Sally" that rivals anything he did when I used to watch him in his club.]