There are so many wonderful Christmas songs, but when you try to come up with good ones for New Year’s Eve, it’s a little tougher.

One of the songs rock stations generally pull out this time of the year is “Funky New Year,” by the Eagles. This is an awful song, and it’s actually about a hangover. There are probably some excellent hangover songs out there, but this is not one of them. It’s so bad there’s not even a video for it on youtube.

But some one did their homework and came up with a top ten list of New Year’s songs.

Pretty good list, but they missed some obvious ones. Like this song from George Harrison. I know, it just says ding ding dong ring out the old ring in the new, but I love George so have to include it.

And we can’t forget Jimi!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

Note: Jonathan is on vacation until the new year.  In his place, we’ve been featuring guest bloggers.  Today your new year’s resolutions from 2010 will be featured.

Seriously?  I don’t mean to be a jerk, but you really haven’t done squat with me all year.  Today is the final day of 2010!  Do you want to make an attempt to at least revisit this list again?

Great!

Let’s get started.  You promised to read at least one book a month in 2010.  How did that go for you?  No, reading the Best of Doonesbury doesn’t count.  No!  Reading your Sports Illustrated doesn’t count either!

Okay, next on the list: Volunteering.  You planned on volunteering at least 40 hours somewhere in the community.  Are you serious?  40 hours?  That’s it?  You could manage a little more.  Did you do it?  NO!  Volunteering to bag your own groceries ONE time at the check out line does not count!

Third on this list: Exercise.  You said you would go to the gym at least 3 times a week.  I don’t even want to know how far off the mark you were on this resolution.  What’s that?  You can’t even find your workout clothes?  How about that salsa stained pair of sweatpants?  You could have washed those and worn them to the gym.

Next on the list: Clean the bathroom including the toilet, bathtub and sinks every other Saturday.  Okay, I just check with the fungus in the tub and it apparently teaming up with the lime deposits in the sink to build some new condos on the bathroom counter for even more germs to move into the area.

Moving on to the next on your list: Challenging your brain.  This would have been a great one, if you actually did something about it.  I can’t say flipping between sporting events on television counts as much of a challenge.

I think I’m going to breeze past the rest of these which include losing weight, spending more time with friends, writing a book, avoiding texting while driving and eat more vegetables.

No, no, no, no and no.  You didn’t do any of those things.

So I  guess you can just use this same list for 2011, but I’ve got a better idea.  Why not lower the bar, just a bit.  Here’s a good list for you:

1) Wear pants or shorts (when appropriate) every time you go outside.

2) Brush your teeth at least once a day

3) Eat food

4) Shower at least once a week

It’s just a start, but hopefully you can do at least 2 of these four things.  Good luck in 2011!

Friday at 7p join Triple M as we count down to 2011 with some of the best live music ever recorded. The Friday Feature will run all the way up to midnight. To get you pumped, here’s a free download of an amazing Stevie Wonder show recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London 1/31/74.

The lineup includes:

Stevie Wonder – lead vocals, keys
Michael Sembello – guitar
Reggie McBride – bass
Ollie E. Brown – drums
The Wonderlove – backing vocals

Note: Jonathan is on vacation until the new year.  Guest bloggers are filling in until he returns.  Today that freaky “tongue cat” gets to use this space.

Hello Humans!  I’m not sure if you’ve seen my video yet.  It’s quite popular on You Tube.  Take a look at it before you continue to read this blog.

So you may wonder what I was thinking.  Why would I not only do that strange move, but let my kitty liter cleaners film me doing it?  Good question, but the answer is quite simple.  We felines are on the verge of speaking!  That’s right.  And we’ve got a lot to say.

First of all, we are going to start lobbying for the title of man’s best friend.  Why do dogs get that title?  Shouldn’t they really be called man’s “yes” friend?   When was the last time a dog rejected an idea his or her owner came up with as an activity?  Dogs will follow their owners ANYWHERE.  The owner wants to climb up the side of a mountain, you bet the dog will follow.  I’d never do something that stupid.  The owner asks his dog if he really looks good with those white shoes on and the dog wags his tail.  A cat should be man’s best friend because we’ll be honest and walk away in disgust as you decide to go for a jog when it 110 degrees outside.

Secondly, once we can talk we’re going to let you in on a little secret.  We cough up hairballs for financial gain.  It’s true.  All cats have a side job sending our hairballs to a sweat shop in China where they create your beautiful “cajmere” sweaters.  We named them cajmere because that’s just one letter off of CATmere.  It’s true.  Those high end garbs you’ve been buying for years come from our stomachs and we’re making a ton of money off  of you.

Thirdly, the reason we always walk on your desk while you’re working or sit on the paper when you’re reading is quite simple.  When it comes to the computer, we’re just gathering information.  We’ve got info on things like your bank account password and Paypal account.  We only take a dollar or two a week from your account.  How would you ever know?  Do you remember how much that Awesome Blossom really cost the last time you went to Outback Steakhouse?  Was it $6.73 or $8.59 or maybe $7.32.  Either way, the extra cash is in my account.

So laugh all you want at me wagging my tongue because soon the old phrase “cat got your tongue?” will be true!

Note: Jonathan is on vacation until the new year.  In his place, we are featuring a series of guest bloggers.  Today it’s the mascot from the Air Force Academy.  The falcon named The Bird took off at the beginning of the Independence Bowl game between Georgia Tech and Air Force.  The Bird returned to the stadium near the end of the game.

Greetings college football fans!  I hope you enjoyed that crappy game between Air Force and Georgia Tech on Monday night.  I’ve been getting some static from fellow teammates as well as the higher-ups for leaving the game and not returning until there were only a few seconds left on the clock.

I’d like to use this blog to defend my actions.  First of all, do you know what it’s like to be a mascot?  Sure, you Badger fans have Bucky.  He has lots of daytime gigs.  He visits sick children, he goes to parties and pep rallies.  Heck, he even gets to go to exciting events like the opening of a new mini-mall!  Not me, I’m brought out to games only.  Otherwise I hang out in a rather small cage.  Okay, it’s not as small as the cage Tweety Bird from the Bugs Bunny cartoons was stuck in, but I’m a lot bigger than that friggin’ bird!

I don’t mean to complain, but I sit in my cage all day and a bunch of a-holes who looked like they just walked off the set of Top Gun constantly come up to my cage and shout BOO-YA!  Is that really necessary?!

Back to my story.  The guy who takes me out of the cage and who’s hand I sit on during games is named Jeff.  He was being particularly chatty before the game.  He always calls me TB.  My name is THE BIRD.  I don’t really like my name.  I’d like to think the brain trust here at the Air Force Academy could have come up with a better name, but so be it.  Anyway, Jeff is my roommate on all road trips.  He is NOT very much fun.   His idea of a crazy road trip is going down to the ice machine at the hotel TWICE in the same evening.

So the night before the game he was all upset about our accommodations in Shreveport.  Does he really think I give a turd about the microwave not working in our room?!   Here was his awesome “game plan” for  our visit.  He wanted to stay in our room at the La Quinta Inn and microwave a Hot Pocket for dinner and then watch t.v. until we falls asleep.  Seriously?!

Come on, man!  We’re in Shreveport, Louisiana!  There are so many things to see here.  I knew I couldn’t waste my time at the game because I wouldn’t have another chance to see all the beautiful sights.  Did you know a lot of movies are shot here in Shreveport?  While I was flying around I got to see the place where they filmed some of Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay as well as Blonde Ambition starring Jessica Simpson and Luke Wilson!  How could I miss out on these gems.

There’s also the Yogie and Friends Exotic Cat Sanctuary.  Yes, they spell Yogie with and ‘e’ because they don’t want to get sued by Hanna-Barbera.  Anyway, that place kicks butt.  The gift shop is especially awesome.  I also wanted to check out Gators and Friends which is another awesome animal park.

After all the sights I needed to get something to eat.  Sure, stadium food is okay, but I’ve found the Applebee’s in Shreveport to be quite a bit more delicious then Applebee’s anywhere else.  I just couldn’t wait to get my talons into my favorite dish: the Sizzling Chicken with Spicy Queso Blanco.  I feel so international when I order it!

It all doesn’t really matter because the Air Force won the  game 14 to 7.  It wasn’t the most exciting game for the fans, but at least I got to cruise the town and I was back to celebrate with the team at the end of the game.

What’s that coach?  We’re going to Applebee’s to celebrate?  Man, this day just keeps getting better and better.

Note: Jonathan is on vacation until the new year.  There have been a series of guest bloggers filling in while he’s gone.  Today it’s the piece of luggage that you could have sworn was yours.

Howdy.  It’s been a long trip.  It may feel like the seats are getting smaller in coach these days, but at least you’re not in the luggage compartment.  You should see what it’s like down there.  These days  airlines are now charging for bags to fly.  I thought a charge for bags would mean an upgrade in service.  Perhaps a little heat in the luggage compartment or dare I even dream of peanuts and a soft drink?

Not so much.

It’s still cold and dark.  Would it kill them to let us see a little on flight entertainment?

Anyway, the long trip is over and we’re finally back in Pittsburgh.  Wait, is this Toledo?  What the heck am I doing here?!  Shoot, that Samsonite bag was right.  We were put on the wrong plane.  He was nervous the entire flight.  That was almost as  annoying as that giant duffel bag who just kept saying “to go with the flow, man.”

Well, here we are at the beautiful Toledo Express Airport. Whoopie!  What to do now?

Oh no, that older gentleman thinks I’m his bag.  No sir!  Please step back.  Many bags look alike!  Many bags look alike!

Oh crap!  He’s taking me.  Seriously?!  Now, I get to look forward to a few days in Toledo until this genius figures out I’m the wrong piece of luggage.  I wonder if he’s going to open me up or will he realize it before he goes through and finds that pair of Speedo underwear.  That’s right.  You didn’t think I was paying attention when you packed those horrible things in my inside zipper?

Well, see you soon.  Maybe we’ll stop by the Toledo Museum before heading to his place.

It suddenly occurred to me. I must have slept through 2010. An entire year has gone by and I missed it?

It may have appeared that I was awake….I know the alarm went off really early most days and I managed to make it into work and talk on the radio.

But there’s some pretty convincing evidence that leads me to believe otherwise, especially as I look at some of the end of the year lists that have been coming out in recent days.

EVIDENCE THAT KITTY IS REALLY RIP VAN WINKLE and slept through 2010.

1. She can not name a single Justin Bieber song.

2. She did not see Avatar, and when she thinks of blue creatures, she pictures the Smurfs.

3. She thinks that Gilligan was somehow involved in the series finale of Lost.

4. Want to buy a vuvuzela? Kitty sends to you Red Letter News.

5. She still thinks Barack Obama is popular.

She does have a vague memory of something really bad happening in the Gulf of Mexico and some elections with confounding results, but is pretty sure those were just really bad dreams. They were just bad dreams…weren’t they?

With all that snow falling out east, we might have the tendency to mock the situation. Something like: “those babies out east don’t know snow. A few flakes and they panic.” “Boy if this snow were falling in the midwest the news media wouldn’t even pay attention.”

I however do not say any of those things. That’s because I’m pretty sure that if I did the snow gods would get me back, and pretty soon I’d be back outside shoveling and cursing at the snow plows who keep re-covering the driveway.

So I will feel empathy for those dealing with the storms out east (but I won’t help them shovel.)

And for you..I present this cool timelapse video I found.

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Unless you never turned on the radio in 2010, you couldn’t have missed one EskimO’s song Kandi. Have you ever wondered what  ” Kandi” has to do with the song?

It all started with Patsy Cline! Shortly before she died, she recorded a song called ” He Called Me Baby”.

In 2004, R& B singer Candi Staton covered the tune:

That’s the female voice you hear in the One EskimO song.

And now you know…. the rest of the story.

Note: Jonathan is on vacation until the new year.  In his place we have a series of guest bloggers.  Today it’s Jonathan’s motivational and personal training coach, Tony Crow.

Hey there gang!   Ready to get pumped up for the final week of 2010?!  I’m sure last year at this time you made an awesome list of goals for the new year and I bet you’ve tackled them all, right?!

Two-thirds of them?

Half of them?

Any of them?

None?  Don’t feel bad.  Here’s a list of Jonathan’s resolutions for this past year:

1) Climb Mt. Everest

2) Teach my cat, Baxter how to read

3) Make 1 billion dollars and give 3/4 half 1/4 some of it to charity

4) Grow from 5′ 6″ to  5′ 11′

5) Learn seven languages

6) Become a doctor

7) Invent a sandwich just like the McRib and sell it ALL YEAR LONG

Figure out a way to heat all the streets in Madison at no cost to taxpayers so snow plows are no longer needed

9) Create a chocolate cake recipe that not only is good for you but helps strengthen your abs

10) Actually pay my motivational coach Tony for all the training he’s given me.

Of that list, Jonathan has completed none.  However, he did teach his cat, Baxter how to play piano but that wasn’t on the list so he doesn’t get credit for it.  Let’s be honest, most of us don’t stick to our new year’s resolutions.  However, our internet friends Rhett and Link have a better idea when it comes to making plans for the new year.  I think this is perfect for Jonathan and maybe you as well.