#87 Modern Medicine

My good friend Mitch just went to the hospital for troubles with his gall bladder. I imagine that this kind of ailment could have killed someone 100 years ago. I'm incredibly grateful for the technologies of ultrasound and endoscopy that are helping to cure his troubles.

#86 Dreamcatcher

Dreamcatcher is a perfect Steven King adaptation. His 700 page tomes are almost always schizophrenic messes crammed psychic childhood bonds, sweetly retarded saints with magical powers, subhuman receptacles of pure evil, crazed para-military types and a golden oldie or two from Wolfman Jack's record crate. William Goldman and Lawrence Kasdan put every one of these patented Steven King elements onscreen, no matter how goofy, trite, overused or just plain confusing. The result is just like one of King's books; part predictable, part mystifying and oddly entertaining. I'm not kidding around, though. This movie is really weird.

#85 Camping

This weekend was my first time in a tent in at least 15 years. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed roughing it. Being able to drink beer while camping adds a new, quite positive spin to the whole experience. I look forward to more outdoor expeditions, though I'm still a bit nervous about bears. In Florida all we had to contend with were snakes and gators.

#84 Gameboy Advance SP

The latest edition of the Gameboy Advance is a great improvement. The unit is smaller, but retains the same screen size. The image is nicely front lit, so gamers can finally play in low light. Power comes from a rechargeable pack, rather than disposables. On top of all that, the streamlined design makes the device look really sharp. The Gameboy Advance SP streets on Monday, but I was able to buy mine early from Toys-R-Us. Call around if you just can't wait.

#83 My Sister

Her name's Rachel and she's the coolest. She's an astronomer and she's working toward her PHD. The simplest way to describe her specialty is to say that she studies geology and biology in space. NASA just did a cool interview with her that talks a bit more about her current research. Rachel also made it into the book Cool Careers For Girls In Air and Space. My little sister is a role model. I can't describe how proud I am of her.

Did I mention that she also loves video games, anime and role-playing games?

#82 Froogle

Speaking of shopping, Google just launched their e-commerce search engine, Froogle. Type in the item you want to buy and Froogle lists all the web sites that are selling the product and displays the price. The money wasting possibilities are endless.

#81 eBay

I guess I'm a little late in the game on this one, but I just sold my first four items on eBay. A handful of Animal Crossing e-reader cards earned me a tidy $19.00. These sales earned me my first star. I'm sure I'm not the first to experience this, but I've been looking at all my belongings differently lately, gauging them for salability. I guess this new urge is better than the compulsion to shop.

#80 Manga

It's still premature, but this Japanese variation of the comic book could be the medium's salvation. Comic books sales have been on a steady decline since the boom of the late '80s. But things are starting to change. The hottest selling comic book right now isn't Spiderman or the X-Men, but an American edition Shonen Jump. The ultra-thick collection, which includes serialized tales of kid faves Yu-Gi-Yo and Dragonball Z, is selling more than any comic has in 20 years. Part of manga's success could be in that much of it is sold in collections (which take a little while to read) as opposed to the traditional leaflet-style comic pamphlet (which you can finish in a heartbeat). Viz, the company who publishes Shonen Jump and many other best sellers, may abandon printing monthly issues in favor of bound collections. Personally, I don't care how comics are published. The fact that kids are reading comics again is a great relief to me. Thanks to manga, the love of comics will survive at least one more generation. By the way, my current manga faves are Astroboy, Lone Wolf and Cub, Uzumaki, Phoenix: A Tale of the Future and Lupin III.

#79 Ben

I can't vouch for the upcoming remake of Willard yet, but Crispin Glover's cover of the theme song (originally performed by Michael Jackson) is sublime. Admittedly, this cover isn't as odd as the music on his 1989 album, The Big Problem Does Not Equal The Solution - The Solution Equals Let It Be. Luckily, the video makes up for the tune's straightforward musicality with some odd Lynch-ian visuals. To learn more about Crispin Glover check out this semi-whitewashed L.A. times profile.

#78 Turner Classic Movies

The cable station's 31 days of Oscar festival is now in full swing. For the entire month they're showing only Academy Award winners and nominees. Yesterday, while getting over a stomach bug, I watched 12 Angry Men and Reversal of Fortune. Both films were uncut and commercial free. Reversal was even letterboxed. I usually don't watch movies on cable, but TCM presents movies the way I want to watch them.

#77 Wave Twisters

ex-Invisbl Skratch Pikl DJ Q-bert first released Wave Twisters as a turntablism concept album. The product was a frenetic hip-hop record jammed with science fiction samples and mind-blowing scratch antics. The album's fairly abstract story comes to life in Wave Twisters: The Movie. Almost every sound on the album has a visual representation in the film. One warbly scratch may represent a bird tweeting in the foreground of an establishing shot. Another deeper series of scratches is interpreted as a herd of giant, rampaging space squids. Needless to say Wave Twisters is quite strange and very funny. Astute viewer will catch dozens of geeky hip-hop, video game, science fiction and computer related in-jokes. Those at all interested in hip-hop or animation shouldn't sleep on this immensely creative gem.

#76 Reese's Chocolate Eggs

Forget those disgusting Cadbury Cream Eggs; they'll put you into instant insulin shock. My fiance just introduced me to Mr. Reese's excellent entry into the Easter candy market. They're kinda flat and tear shaped, not very egglike, but they're very tasty. Eat many before time runs out...Then buy tons of them on clearance!

#75 Dragnet

Dick Wolf's police shows, particularly Law & Order, always reminded me of the orignal Dragnet. Both programs focus on a pair of hard-working detectives and dwell in the procedural nature of crime solving. It makes sense that Wolf and company are giving new life to Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith. I particularly like the new show's realistic approach to shooting Los Angeles. In the last episode, "The Cutting of the Swath" a hit and run took place on the corner of Griffith Park and St. George in Silverlake.They shot the scene at that very corner. Still, the show isn't completely authentic; the writers take Law & Order's patented "ripped from the headlines" formula and apply it with a healthy dose of television dramatization. Recent episodes imagine a copycat killer's recreation of the infamous hillside stranglings and what would happen if an episode of Bumfights went bad. Because of this approach, the show's intro had to be changed. Now when the program begins, the voice lets us know that the story we are about to see isn't true, but "based on real events." Ed O'Neill's cool, yet wearied portayal of Joe Friday makes up for the show's modern, titilating approach. That guy can really act.

Dragnet airs Sunday evenings on ABC, then repeats on USA. Unfortunately, the orignal Dragnet is not currently on the TV Land schedule.

#74 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Again, my uneasy relationship with the GTA games ends with me giving in. Things always start out rocky between us. I start with my arms folded, resistant to the hype. "This can't be a perfect game," I mutter to myself after reading hundreds of positive reviews. I play for a while, finding moments of enjoyment and prolonged periods of frustration. I put the game down, and then months later rediscover it and play it to completion.

A friend once told me that GTA: Vice City is a lousy game, but an amazing toy. I'd have to agree, as a game, it's far from perfect. As a toy, GTA: Vice City sure beats the hell out of a Slinky.

#73 Roots Manuva

Rodney Smith aka Roots Manuva makes dub-flavored hip-hop with heart and brains. The MC has made a slew of guest appearances with the likes of Cinematic Orchestra and Mr. Scruff, but his recent full-length recordings Run Come Save Me and Dub Come Save Me show that he has more than enough talent to stand on his own. I just picked up the collection Badmeaningood Vol. 2, from Ultimate Dilemma which is a mix of tracks that Roots Manuva deems influential, important or otherwise interesting. The record bounces between the new/wave ska of The English Beat to classic rap tracks from NWA and Eric B and Rakim. Roots Manuva fans will want to snag the Badmeaningood Vol. 2, if only to hear the selector's own take on The Beatles classic Yellow Submarine.

Roots Manuva's excellent video for "Fitness" can be seen here (the download may be a bit slow, but it's worth it).

#72 Give Up

This show is one of the most unique to spring from Dublab in a while. I'm pretty sure it was Dntel who came up with idea to spin a night of sad music, and I think he's created a monster. The crowds have been growing steadily since the nights started. I suppose people really do want to hear The Smiths and Rainbow Connection from the Muppet Movie soundtrack while sipping on a Girl Scout Cookie. The show on Sunday, March 16th will be the last Give Up for a while. I'm particularly excited about this show, because I'm going to be one of the DJs. If you're in LA, free and feel like having a miserable night, please stop by the Bigfoot Lodge. Download a pdf. of the flyer here and share the misery with your friends.