Ok, I know this is over a year late, but I simply LOVE this version of this song. I think the reason this was brought to my attention is the release of the soundtrack for Sex and the City 2. There are certain songs that capture the feel of a time or place. This version makes me think of driving through NYC very very early in the morning. In the late 90s, I visited the city and I got up around 5 am to walk around and there was very little traffic or people on the street. The air was crisp and the sun came up bringing new life to the city. I loved NYC at that moment. The window for that moment is so small, but I think it’s captured in this song. I can close my eyes and listen to this and be taken right back to that moment where I felt alone in a city of millions.

There’s also another song in this same vein… You won’t like this, but it’s from Village People. Yes, THE Village People. It’s after the disco craze. I have to set up this for you, first, though. In the early 80’s, the Village People manager wanted to update their style to match the New Romantic movement. So, they went for Renaissance costumes and weird hair and make-up. It obviously didn’t work as they were labeled Disco Queens. In fact, the name of the album was Renaissance. There were several songs about food which instantly made this a comedy album, but you have to remember that everyone was dieting to remain thin. You could not be overweight in the 80’s. Anyway, this song is called 5 O’Clock In The Morning and it’s actually about being in the city at an early time and I think the music and the feel of the song is a perfect match for the subject. The chorus gets a little off, but the verse is perfect! This one seems more late night before bed than early morning riser.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkpZQL0kR6k

Are there other songs I have missed that match that early morning NYC feel? I’d love to hear them!

Ok, I have always wanted to make a list of my favorite tunes, so I will start it here. I have so many, I don’t know if this will ever get finished.
A:
Adam Ant-Strip/Puss In Boots/Goody Two Shoes
Tori Amos-(Entire Little Earthquakes Album)
Anastacia-I’m Outta Love
Avenue Q-(Entire BWay cast album)

B:
Shirley Bassey-(Entire I Am What I Am Album)
Boy George-From Taboo-Out Of Fashion (both the Bway and London Versions)
Breathe-Hands To Heaven

C:
Carpenters-I Know I Need To Be In Love
Carpenters-Solitare
Carpenters-(Everything Karen sang)
Cascada-What Hurts The Most
Culture Club-That’s The Way (I’m Only Trying To Help You), The War Song (very appropriate now!), Victims, Don’t Go Down That Street

D:
Taylor Dayne-Prove Your Love
Dead Or Alive-Come Home With Me Baby

F:
Frankie Goes To Hollywood-(The Whole Welcome To The Pleasuredome Album)

G:
Debbie Gibson-Electric Youth
Guns N’ Roses-Sweet Child O’ Mine

H:
Hedwig and the Angry Inch-Wicked Little Town
Hedwig and the Angry Inch-Wig In A Box
Jennifer Hudson-And I Am Telling You (dance version)

J:
The Jerry Springer Opera DVD soundtrack
JJ Fad-Supersonic
Alison Jiear-I Just Wanna Dance

M:
Madonna-(Entire Ray of Light Album)
Alanis Morrisette-(Entire Jagged Little Pill Album)
Alanis Morrisette-My Humps
Mika/Nelly Furtado-Relax/Say It Right (DJ Bacon Mashup)

P:
Bernadette Peters-Should’ve Never Let You Go
Pure Sugar-Delicious
Pure Sugar-No More Words

S:
Blake Shelton-Austin
Spice Girls-Wannabe
Spice Girls-Who Do You Think You Are
Spongebob-The Campfire Song Song
Brenda K. Starr-I Still Believe
Donna Summer-Walk Away
Donna Summer-Once Upon A Time (reprise)
Sylvester-Stars
Sylvester-Do You Wanna Funk

T:
Tenacious D-Papagenu

U:
Ultra Naté-Automatic (Digital Dog Remix)

I bought a card game years ago called Pacardy. It came with fake coins, but we always used real money. I lost the cards in a move, so I tried to figure out how to play it with a regular deck and came up with this.
The object:
Roll the dice to get rid of the matching cards in your hand.

1 Deck of playing cards

$1.25 playing money for each:
3 quarters
3 dimes
3 nickels
5 pennies
(usually works best)

Pair of 6 sided dice

If you have 4 players, take out 2 of the 7’s. (Doesn’t matter which 2)
If 3 players, leave all 54 cards (deck+2 jokers).

Roll dice to see who deals.
Deal ALL the cards.
Person to left of dealer starts game.

Player rolls dice.
If the player has that number in his hand (2-6,8-10, J(11), Q(12)), they may throw down that one card. The player gets to roll until he rolls a 7.

If player rolls a 7, then everyone at the table has to pay and the next player starts his turn.

The pay goes as follows:
The first time a 7 comes up, everyone puts in 1 penny. The second time, 2 pennies, third, 3. This continues until 7 pennies, then, from every payup after that, it’s 7 cents.
If you have an Ace, King, Joker or 7 in your hand, you may use that in place of your pay until you run out of those cards. Then, you MUST use money. If you run out of money, you have lost.

If you roll the last card in your hand, no matter what it is, you have won.

Notes:
2’s and Q’s are the hardest cards to get rid of. (snake eyes and double 6’s on the dice)

I say “once” because back in 1984, when his book was published, the things looked pretty outlandish. Now, some of these things have become part of our lives. All of them are funny. (And some of the ties I want!) I can identify with his ideas, since I have been called crazy in reference to some of mine. (See tapeworm clinic LOL)

Check out some of his stuff here:

http://www.neatorama.com/category/museum-of-possibilities

and then buy his stuff from him (he really exists!) here:

http://www.patentdepending.com

Tell him XACK sent you!