My New Favorite Christmas Special

...because it's not Christmas without the surf guitar sounds of Dick Dale. Seriously.

Guess What Today Is?

..... And for those who aren't quite into cake:

Happy Valentines Day With the Kids In the Hall

....because whenever I think of Valentine's Day, I always think of five Canadian guys performing sketches about the intricacy of relationships....

A Conversation with Bruce & Don

A very special, short conversation between Kid in the Hall Bruce McCullough and Don Cheadle, star of House of Lies and some movies you've never heard of.

Please pay attention - there may be a lesson in this talk.

Welcome to Shuckton

In my mind, there are four things that completely redeem Canada from bringing us the dual nightmare of Anne Murray and Bryan Adams: Siskoid, the blogger; Homercat, possibly the greatest music blogger out there; the three guys in Radio Free Skaro, and the Kids in the Hall.

I spent a good chunk of last year liveblogging the Kids' original television run - I've even seen them live both taping and at a show in St. Louis (part of their Tour of Duty). So when I read that they would reunite for an eight part series on CBC, I was optimistic...but a little concerned that the Kids might show their age.

I'm happy to report after viewing the first two episodes that not only are the Kids "back in action"...but time has not dulled their dark sense of humor. In fact, there are even some moments of pathos involving Bruce as a former hockey player with a questionable past.

But that's getting ahead of myself - one of the great things about Death Comes to Town is that it avoids many of the mistakes that doing a revision/updating/reunion show would make. (And yes, I am talking to you, Red Dwarf) . There are very few references to past characters (except for Mark and Bruce as clueless cops, and the picture at right is one of the funnier sequences in the show), but there's an acknowledgment, at least, that time has gone on, and the fact that the Kids are older - and a little heftier - gives their humor a bit more added bite. (Especially in light of Scott's health issues)

It's also telling that Bruce McCullough is executive producing the show, and co-writing the scripts with his fellow troupe members. (Episode one was co-written with Kevin McDonald, and number two with Scott Thompson). Granted, his quirky sensibilities aren't for everyone, but in a series like this - where a demon comes to a small Canadian town to collect souls, and the mayor dies under unusual circumstances - they mesh relatively well. Kelly Makin's direction also really helps center the story, so much so that it seems sweet revenge after the failure of Brain Candy (which is not his fault, but simply put - this is a really well shot series)

Unfortunately, the CBC's site has a proxy block, meaning that non-Canadian browsers cannot watch this live. (Of course, Canadians can't enjoy Ironside reruns on Hulu, and the BBC does the same but for non-Englanders). Between this and NBC's late night shenanigans, I'm beginning to build a resentment for any television network that ends in the letters "BC".

Do what you have to, but watch this series. You'll thank me later.

May 2009 Record You Should Own

To finish off the blogiversary celebration, I'm podcasting about Brain Candy, the Kids' only cinematic outing (thus far) as a group, and include three - count 'em, three - Records You Should Own which are related.

(Two are out-of-print, but may be available used at your local indie record store. Why not check it out?)

You can choose to either download directly from libsyn, or give a listen in the convenient sidebar embedded player.

Enjoy!

Crushing Cabbage Heads: Kids in the Hall Season 5

(Updated on December 18, 2020)

When I had announced that I would be live blogging the Kids back in January, I never realized how much fun it would be - much better than the usual British science-fiction show. Writing about the fifth season is a little tough for me, for some obvious personal reasons.

However, I am happy to say that although it's much spottier than previous seasons, Series 5 is actually pretty darn good, and the Kids happened to leave on a relatively high note.

Much of it is that the Kids themselves acknowledge the end is coming in various ways - the opening credits include past opening footage; incidental music moves from the surf-punk of Shadowy Men From a Shadowy Planet to an Eastern drone; and "plot points" for several of their major characters are, in a way, wrapped up. In fact, although there is a slight sense of fatigue, there's also a go-for-broke spirit that just makes this seem all the more victorious.

And the final episode? Some flat-out brilliant touches - Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes essentially telling Armada they'll never make it; Buddy Cole torching his bar; and of course, the classic take on the stuff-we-couldn't-show-you episode, featuring the classic "Hitler BLANKS a Donkey. Or, take it away, Kevin:

Not the best starting place for a newbie, but unlike some comedy series (*cough* Red Dwarf *cough*), doesn't overstay its welcome - it leaves at just the right time.

(And quite frankly, this has been the most pleasant live blog to do - there is rarely, if ever, a totally bad moment, and I've yet to regret watching the end of a run. Unlike, say, Red Dwarf, which didn't quite end well....Ok, the last five minutes of Only the Good, but that's it)

Highly Recommended

Crushing Cabbage Heads: Kids in The Hall Season 4

To be honest, I wasn't expecting (upon watching this again) to like it as much as I did.

When season four first began, I had trepidations - after all, it was moving from the censor-light HBO to the slightly more restrictive CBS in an abortive attempt to create a late night line up. It often meant that the KITH were on in the wee early hours of the morning (if at all), and blasted commercials kept interrupting the show.

In fact, I was also worried that they had lost their edge.

On some levels, there is a slightly more "mainstream" approach to the Kids' writing...but in all honesty, one of the highlights of this season in particular is how the KITH will go from a slightly more wacky, less-than-edgy (or, to paraphrase one of their skits, "just like The Sonny & Cher Show) to sharp, biting, almost pitch black humor....within the same sketch.

Good example - Simon Milligan & Hecubus engage in a "vocational exchange" program - a slightly less-than-adult premise. The kind of innocuous premise one might see in a less-than-stellar sketch show. However, the sketch soon delves into drug use, some hints of inappropriate sexual behavior, and modern dentistry. It manages to not only have the Kids' darker edge...but I'm sure that the executive in charge of Standards and Practices had a field day attempting to have the sketch "edited" for mass appeal.

(I know, it's late night, who's watching, but still...)

Season 4 isn't the Kids' strongest season - there are a couple of sketches that don't work. However, it's still much stronger than its primary competition, In Living Color (which seems to have not dated well). However, I'm greatly surprised at how consistent the Kids have been....and that fourteen years later, this material still holds up.

Now, next month means season five...and the season where I attended a taping. This has been the most fun I've had blogging.

Crushing Cabbage Heads: Kids in the Hall Season 3

(Updated December 18, 2020)

In many ways, Season 3 of Kids in the Hall is their best season - not because by now, they had mastered the art of television comedy. What makes it work is that, in many ways, the Kids seem to hit their stride, making the act of writing cutting edge, funny sketch comedy look easy.

In many ways, this is where the Kids begin to gain some level of pop culture radar, with many "guest appearances", some Canadian-level hip; others being amazingly prescient. In fact, you could say that the Kids' younger brothers arrived under their tutelage - the Vacant Lot (which included Mark McKinney's younger brother Nick) made frequent appearances in the background (and took on secondary roles in some sketches). Although this resulted in an all-too-brief series of their own, this did show that the Kids were beginning to get some sense of their own power.

Perhaps it was that the CBC was lessening its censorship of the show (or that they knew they were leaving HBO), but there's a casual sense of fun and freedom about this season. Granted, some characters are 'retired' (Cabbage Head gets referred two but never performed in two sketches; in another, the Headcrusher becomes the Resumeupdater - perhaps causing Lorne Michaels some consternation), but this is a season where the Kids seemingly come into their own. It's as if, to use a then-current metaphor, they were the Nirvana of sketch comedy - thrust headlong into notoriety, and the only thing they could do was make jokes about it. And the culture around them.

Or, I could just be full of myself.

But this season does contain one of my favorite sketches, set in a pizzeria. Not just because it contains a very young Neve Campbell, but the subtext - about grown men and inappropriate behavior towards younger women - is just plain funny. I never laugh as hard as when I hear Kevin say, "Actually, in some cultures..."

...or when Mark casually states, "Call me uncle pizza man."

It's that kind of casual attitude of making fun of taboo and undisclosed impulses that make the Kids' humor work. And season three is a clear example.

And Now, Bruce McCullough Would Like To Remind You That....

Thank you.

Crushing Cabbage Heads: Kids in the Hall Season 2

(Updated December 18, 2020)

Now this is more like it....

Even after the relative success of season one, this second season of Kids in the Hall looks and feels much more confident, more polished, more professional. You might be tempted to think that it was years between the two series...but it wasn't.

This is where the Kids begin to hit their stride. The first episode opens with a mordant monologue from Scott which seems to say, "We're ba-a-a-ck!". Followed by a four-person skit which not only skirts the line of propriety, but puts its hand up that skirt, and we know...the Kids are coming into their down.

This was the season that introduced some of the Kids more popular characters, including Gavin, Derrill, and of course, Simon Milligan and Hecubus. But what makes the series truly come alive - what gives it a unique genius - are three key elements that very few sketch comedy shows (if any) share.

First is a willingness to take on sexual mores, stereotypes, and dynamics - it's smart that the Kids work in drag isn't over the top. It's not used as a comedy device in and of itself (like Milton Berle) - it's used to say things about men and women (both straight and gay) that men and women would be uncomfortable performing on stage.

Secondly is the idea of a "shared universe" of characters - much like comics, many characters begin appearing in multiple sketches, often times running into each other. It then becomes almost fodder for fanfiction (which I have engaged in myself...back in my younger days. Nothing like writing Gavin/Derrill mashups in your youth).

But ultimately, there begins a sense of extended narrative - of mashup and "comedic arcs" being used to develop characters, most notably cabbage head. We have some sense with Simon and Hecubus (although the promise will not be fulfilled until later seasons), but it's not in the beat-it-into-the-ground sense that smacks of Lorne Michaels. It's treating these characters as characters, and giving them a sense of scope, that makes them seem all the more fresh and interesting. They're not just punch line machines; they're people we care about.

Even without these innovations, season two would still be groundbreaking. The best is yet to come...but the current stuff? Still impressive.

Very highly recommended.

Coming Soon

Crushing Cabbage Heads: KITH Pilot/Season One

(Updated on 12/18/2020 with a side note: A&E released the Kids in the Hall pilot as a separate disc due to rights issues; you can find it included in Mill Creek's best of package, which includes the later Death Comes to Town)

It's hard to believe, in a world where South Park has raised the bar on shocking, satirical comedy, that the Kids were considered groundbreaking in their content. They were initially sold as mocking "the surburbs", but beneath their comedy was an incisive look at relationships, sexual politics, and an exploration of the darker areas of existence. Later series will see them developing the idea of "arcs" within their sketches for their characters...but it all began with a group of five improv stage veterans putting together a television show.

I first watched the pilot episode after reading a piece in Rolling Stone, and for years, it was considered a "lost" treasure, half of it being released as a "best-of" compilation. (The pilot is available through another company in its entirety, and the compilation on the Season One Boxed Set through A & E Home Video). In a way, although I can recommend watching the full video, admittedly, one or two sketches don't really hold up...but overall, there are some sketches that really need to be seen. (And by "need to be seen", I mean, "Naked for Jesus"). We see the first appearances of Buddy Cole (or, as Scott Thompson has called him, an "alpha fag"), Mr. Tizik (or the infamous "head crusher") and Cabbage Head (a man with, well, a cabbage for a head). It is, admittedly, a little stage-y (remember, the Kids had spent five years honing their skills at the Rivoli in Toronto - they weren't the hardened tv writers that Monty Python were at a similar point), but quite frankly, it shows a lot of promise....

...which begins to be fulfilled in Season One. There is still an unevenness in the sketches, but that actually works to their advantage. The Kids were beginning to find their footing, and it's really cool to watch a troupe eventually find their voice. When we get towards the end, with sketches like Running Faggot and Dr. Seuss Bible, the Kids' sketches seem much more comfortable, and they appear much more comfortable in their writing and performances.

If you're a fan, you're probably going to agree with everything I say - for those new, I suggest the season one boxed set, and the pilot only if you're curious. You'll get half the pilot in the boxed set anyway, and unless someone posts "Naked for Jesus" on YouTube (unlikely), there's not much you will be missing.

Kids in the Hall: Pilot - Recommended
Kids in the Hall: Season One - Very Highly Recommended

Next Month: Season Two!

KITH Behind the Scenes - Part Five

(The following post was originally presented in April, 1994, and resulted from a Toronto trip to see a taping of the Kids in the Hall's final season. Except for formatting, this post is being presented as it originally was - punctuation and spelling errors included. Enjoy this TARDIS-free journey into my past...updated on December 18, 2020)

CHAPTER 5 -- 4/2/94 SKETCHES 

Same deal as last note, only I don't have the sketch names. Also, they focus the cameras on the audience before each show--sometimes they're used in the transitions. Look for a guy holding up a sign which says JOHN 3:16--that's me. 

1) Film--Dave plays a person who was a test tube baby. 

OPENING 

2) The Chicken Lady (Mark) wants to ride a mechanical horsey in a mall which figures prominently in many skits 

3) Film--Scott plays a gangster who hires Dave, a hit man, for a job. I won't give away the surprise ending, but it features two other Kids

BB  

4) Scott and Kevin play two old ladies who discuss a non-traditional couple's slaughtering by an axe murderer (Scott flubbed a line, and Kevin countered by doing a really funny goofy voice) 

5) Film--the Tea Man (Kevin) sees a doctor (Mark),and...well, you gotta see it for Dave's role. 

6) Bruce plays a man who asks his wife (Kevin) about buying a chess set, and they consult her father (Dave) in a diner.(There were a lot of flubs--Kevin Jumped around in the beginning, saying "there's a cramp in my foot", Bruce flubbed a line, responding "There's a cramp in my brain" and Dave flubbed a line, saying "We're not the real Kids in the Hall--we chloroformed them and took over their roles). 

BB 

7) Film--Mark & Dave play lovers who ask each other questions 

8) Mark plays a guy looking forward to eating a cookie (after this sketch, Mark yells "This sketch cost $80,000!" nobody yelled "Screw you taxpayer!") 

9) Film--Buddy (Scott) eagerly awaits a mail order catalog delivery in a 50s style film 

BB 

10) Bruce shines Kevin's shoes and makes some neat comments 

11) Film--Mark & Dave play lovers who ask each other questions 

BB 

12) Dave plays a florist who gives Mark some good advice 

13) Film--Mark & Dave play lovers who ask each other questions (if memory serves me well, this was a different scenario than 11)

14) Comedian who opened show does another small set 

15) Kevin tells a woman (Bruce) she has a yacky kid.Featuring Mark and Dave 

16) Film--Danny (Scott) impresses his boss (Dave) with his underarm odor, which is then marketed as Husk Musk.Featuring a cameo by Gavin (Bruce) 

BB 

17) Kathy (Bruce) impresses her coworkers with a story about her fling with a dry cleaner (Mark) 

END OF SHOW 

All in all, a marvelous experience. 

KITH Behind the Scenes - Part Four

(The following post was originally presented in April, 1994, and resulted from a Toronto trip to see a taping of the Kids in the Hall's final season. Except for formatting, this post is being presented as it originally was - punctuation and spelling errors included. Enjoy this TARDIS-free journey into my past...updated on December 18, 2020) 

CHAPTER 4 -- 3/23/94 SKETCHES Here are the sketches for Wednesday's taping. Except for one title, I was able to get most of the titles of the sketches from Chadwick (the classmate of Scott's cousin). I'll indicate filmed pieces, BB means "band break" aka SMOASP, and I've written descriptions so that they won't spoil your enjoyment of the sketches when you see them.

POOR RICHARD--Kevin plays a man who talks to his clothes.   

MERCENARY (filmed)--Mark plays a man who has a little problem with relationships.

BB 

YES, MINISTER--Buddy helps a gay couple (Mark and Kevin) get married, and offers his usual insights, as well as discussing his sordid past as an Anglican minister. 

BB 

LOVES YA--Bruce plays a guy who's sincere in his love for his girlfriend (Dave) 

NEW BOOTS (filmed)--Bruce buys a pair of steel toed boot which come in really handy 

BB 

SAM & JANET--Dave and Scott play wife and husband (Dave, in drag, announces before the sketch that "there ain't nothing like doing a sketch in bed". Then a flub occurred when the monitor blinked into black and white, after which Scott announced "We originally wrote the sketch in black and white, and were going to colorize it later") 

BB 

SPERM BANK--featuring Shona (Bruce) and her cohorts (Mark and Scott)

MONKEYS (filmed)--Dave threatens to let the monkeys loose, and Mark backs him up. 

NEEDED ELSEWHERE--Smitty from Steps (Kevin) introduces his new lover (Scott) to his sister and brother in law (Dave and Mark) 

BB 

Unknown--I didn't get the name of this skit, but Mark and Scott play the agents who help a bartender (Kevin) realize his dreams

BB 

OLD PEOPLE--Bruce talks about old people, a soap opera, and other stuff

BB 

END OF EPISODE--all the Kids except Bruce (who was in makeup) come out, they wonder where he is, and Scott asks aloud "Has he quit on us AGAIN?" 

Next--Saturday: the final chapter! 

KITH Behind the Scenes - Part Three

(The following post was originally presented in April, 1994, and resulted from a Toronto trip to see a taping of the Kids in the Hall's final season. Except for formatting, this post is being presented as it originally was - punctuation and spelling errors included. Enjoy this TARDIS-free journey into my past...Updated December 18, 2020) 

CHAPTER 3 -- THE KIDS I MET! Here are some little stories about each of the Kids: 

1) KEVIN--although I didn't meet him, he and Dave danced to SMOASP. He dances....well, pretty funny. And we love him for it. 

2) SCOTT--I didn't meet him per se, but he was outside with Bellini (wearing clothes) and someone else talking, and it seemed (to me) like it was important. Some idiot kept poking him in the back, saying "Excuse me, Scott" but Scott kept ignoring him. Later, while signing someone else's shirt, he was called back to do a pickup (aka a redo of a scene/a shot which couldn't be done during a sketch), and his handwriting slowed down considerably. 

3) BRUCE--the most reticent of the Kids, he actually showed up Wednesday night after the show, still in his Shona makeup. He talked with my fellow travelers (after they said they came all the way from Texas, he responded "that worries me"), and kind of ignored me. OK, but seemed a little "get me outta here" 

  4) DAVE--met him after I met Bruce. He's pretty cool--even noticed that I really WAS from Chicago (Chicagoans pronounce it Chi-CAH-go rather than Chi-CAW-go). After I told him Toronto was like Chicago, except not as many guns, he responded "Well, we're working on increasing our gun quota". Really cool--I even have a picture which another KITH fan took of me with him. 

5) MARK--Mark came out Saturday afternoon. As he presented himself in front of the studio, like an idiot I called out, "Hey, Mark--I'M CRUSHING YOUR HEAD!" And I have a picture which another KITH fan took of him with me--although my camera didn't work the first two times due to a wrong aperture setting. (Mark even said about my camera "One of those small Minoltas, eh? Pretty good camera"). Well, now on to the sketches I saw--and, remember, if you need more info, just ask! 

KITH Behind the Scenes - Part Two

(The following post was originally presented in April, 1994, and resulted from a Toronto trip to see a taping of the Kids in the Hall's final season. Except for formatting, this post is being presented as it originally was - punctuation and spelling errors included. Enjoy this TARDIS-free journey into my past...revised December 18, 2020) 

 CHAPTER TWO - MORE BEHIND THE SCENES GOSSIP 

Well, there were several things that really impressed me about the taping of the Kids episodes--several little factoids which you might be impressed by:

1) THE KIDS DON'T USE TELEPROMPTERS! That's right--the Kids do NOT use teleprompters, which I find really, really impressive. There was only one flub per episode, but that can be chalked to pressure, tiredness, etc--for example, Bruce flubbed a line in a monologue which was the last line of the last scene, and there were flubs in the middle of a sketch on Saturday (more about these in Chapters 4 & 5, which goes into more detail about what sketches were taped). 

2) THE KIDS ACTUALLY TAKE TIME OUT TO MEET THEIR FANS! Yes, sometimes before and after, we were able to meet some of our favorite Kids--Wednesday night, I was able to meet both Bruce AND Dave (although, like a total idiot, I forgot my camera), and Saturday afternoon, I talked to Mark (which I did remember to bring my camera for). They chose not to meet the fans Saturday night, but being the last taping for that block, that's OK--they were tired and beat (more about the Kids I met in Chapter 3!) 

3) HOW THE EPISODES COME TOGETHER! Well, what happens is that the Kids write in a block of weeks, then decide which sketches will and won't work, then do a whole lotta tapings. Since April 2nd was the last taping for this block, and the FINAL taping is late May/early June, we can guess that after their tour, they'll go back to the grind writing, and then decide which skits meet the KITH seal of approval. 

4) THE CANADIANS SURE LOVE THEIR HOCKEY! I tried to watch an episode of the Kids on CBC Friday night, but it was preeempted by a hockey game. Go figure. Well, since I introduced a little tidbit in nugget # 2, I think I'd better get to writing THAT note rather quickly....

KITH Behind the Scenes - Part One

(The following post was originally presented in April, 1994, and resulted from a Toronto trip to see a taping of the Kids in the Hall's final season. Except for formatting, this post is being presented as it originally was - punctuation and spelling errors included. Enjoy this TARDIS-free journey into my past...and was updated on December 18th, 2020) 

I'm back from my recent sojourn into Toronto to give you, my fellow Prodigy users, some behind the scenes info about all the love (as well as hard work and effort) that goes into making each KITH episode. I attended two tapings--Wednesday night and Saturday night--and will give you all the news that's fit to print about what happens in a series of notes under this topic. Feel free to ask anything, and I can try to answer it. {and all times are EST} Here goes the first chapter in my narrative: 

CHAPTER 1 - BEFORE AND AFTER TAPING - There are usually two tapings on Wednesday and Saturday (which used to be Wednesday and Friday)--one at around 7:15 pm (letting fans in around 6:30) and one around 10:00 pm (letting fans in around 9:15). And--get this--there are two entirely different shows. I almost didn't make it Wednesday night, due to a one hour layover in Detroit and missing meeting my fellow KITHers (although, through the miracle of a Toronto cabbie and the White pages, I was able to witness history--I made it). We (meaning 31st Helen and a KITH fan from Genie) got to the studio around 7:00, and found no line, so we decided to wait. Unfortunately, some Canadians came around and took the head of the line, but luckily, they were really really cool, and we discussed our favorite KITH episodes. We were met by a couple of Canadian friends (including Chadwick, who goes to school with Scott Thompson's cousin), and we continued waiting in line for the 10:00 taping. Sharon Jamison, audience coordinator came out around 7:20, and said, "Why don't you go away and come back in an hour? It's too cold", to which I responded, "Hey, I'm from Chicago--this ISN'T cold" The Saturday taping, however, was a little different--not only a different episode, but the weather was nicer, it was earlier (around 6:30), and I caught a glimpse of Bruce passing a football with Brian Hartt and an unknown young lady. Also, some people cut in front of us because they knew someone in line. Of course, we did that very blatantly, but hey, we're imperialist, gosh darn it--we're expected to do it. Well, what they do is herd everyone into the really, really small studio (contrary to popular belief, the Kids do NOT tape in the state of the art CBC Tower, but in a smaller studio). You get to sit in bleachers in front of a variety of sets, with monitors hanging from the ceiling (so that, if you can't see a particular sketch, you can watch, and they show filmed pieces during set ups). Most tapings last about an hour and a half--that way, they allow for flubs, stuff that will get cut, etc. Both tapings we were serenaded by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet--they not only did a small set before each taping, but they played during breaks (when there weren't filmed pieces showing). My personal fave came when they did their famed "Classic Rock Medley" Saturday night--they played the first few bars of some rock classics (some too numerous, but stuff like "Smoke on the Water", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "The Boys Are Back in Town" etc), and the audience roared when they snuck in a few bars of their own "Having an Average Weekend" (aka the Kids in the Hall theme). More next note!  

Celebrating Our Fifth Blogiversary with the Kids

You know, I was trying to think of a clever way to commemorate my fifth blogiversary in May...and then, looking through my DVDs, I realized that since May is the 5th month...and there are five seasons of the Kids in the Hall's initial HBO/CBC show...and it was the tenth anniversary of their debut...

...well, here comes the monthly liveblogging of the Kids in the Hall, season by season.

Why monthly? First, each season has well over twenty episodes, and although yes, I could watch a season a week...that may be a little too much. (One of the lessons I learned from Sundays in the Village is that if I don't pace myself, I end up not wanting to watch something for awhile...and the Kids deserve watching again and again.

So the schedule, as planned, looks something like this:

January - Pilot/Season One (on Saturday)
February - Season Two
March - Season Three
April - Season Four
May - Season Five/Brain Candy

But to get this party started right, a little bit of a treat this week - back in 1994, I and two other KITH fans from the late, lamented Prodigy Online service went to Toronto to catch one of the last few tapings of the show. Since I was a MemRep (or, "person who gets free online services for simply posting on a bulletin board"), I was fortunate enough to fly out. (Later on, I also got the chance to interview Paul Bellini over the phone, and by "interview" I mean "babble on gushingly like an obnoxious fan"). This week, I'm reprinting those on the blog, unedited...and when you read them, you will soon learn why I didn't really date much in my 20s.

Enjoy!

Blame Mike Sterling

(It's all Sterling's fault)