The Baked Ziti Radio Hour: Episode 26

Ever wonder what really scares us? Ever wonder where Leah's name really comes from? Ever wonder how to prevent aliens from abusing your shower? All this and more awaits you in episode 26. The cast this week includes me (Gene Cawley), Leah Averre, Suzie Gallehugh, Maureen Johnson, Kate Shaeffer and Jason Keeley.

Download episode 26 here:

Episode 26

The Baked Ziti Radio Hour: Episode 25

We're back again. Yes, another episode of the Baked Ziti Radio Hour for you cats and kittens to sink your teeth into. This time around, we have an actual topic: James Frey. Yeah, I know the whole Million Little Pieces thing is sorta beat into the ground, but we have decided to talk about it anyway, 'cause we love a challenge!

Download episode 25 here:

Episode 25

Yes, Virginia, There Is An Evil Grimace!

Last week, Jack Phillips and I were talking about Grimace of McDonaldland fame. He said he remembered that Grimace had once been an evil character with six to eight arms long before he had been turned into a sort-of mutant Ed Wynn. Naturally, I laughed uproariously about this, thinking perhaps too much LSD had been present in Jack's life, until today when he came up with actual proof in the form of the above picture with a caption that reads:

"The Evil Grimace Ronald knows is round and purple and has big toes. He carries shakes in every hand as his scurries through McDonaldland."

Pretty heady stuff. After seeing this, I did some more research, but not as much as Stay Free Magazine, who did this amazing report about the goings on in McDonaldland's marketing department. It's truly incredible.

Go here to see video of the Evil Grimace.

Countdown To Sly?

Will he show up? Smart money may say "no," but I'm hoping against all hope that he will arrive at the awards tonight prepared to do some of that inimitable Sly damage.

As of now, there are no confirmations that Sly or the band will perform. The only confirmation so far is from Recording Academy spokesman Ron Roecker, who admitted that Stone will be in attendance.

So at least that's something.

-All Grammy eyes on Sly [mp3.com]

The Baked Ziti Radio Hour: Episodes 23 & 24

We like to call it Manifest Destiny Radio. Is it because of a belief in our heart of hearts that we, the Baked Ziti Radio Hour, provide this great nation with a message - no, make that a manifesto - which arms our disciples with a truth akin to that of the sharpest daggers? No, we just like how it sounds.

Though our numbers are few (reduced to just me, Jack, Dwight and Jason on these two episodes), we still refuse to sit quietly and eat our sprouts like the good children you wish we were. We're going directly for the pie and the cookies, and there's absolutely NOTHING you can do to stop us!

Download the episodes here:

Episode 23
Episode 24

Michael O'Donoghue Quote Of The Day: #5

Well, this one's not a quote exactly. It's a sound clip of Michael from 1973 doing a famous bit for the National Lampoon Radio Hour. It's his famous impersonation of Ed Sullivan. Though he would later revamp this bit many times (he "impersonated" Tony Orlando, Mike Douglas and Elvis Presley in much the same way on SNL), this is still my favorite version.

Here it is:

What If Ed Sullivan Were Tortued?.mp3

Go here for (yet) more Michael O'Donoghue info.

Polce State Of The Union

This kinda disturbed me a bit. This is the first I'm hearing about this incident with Cindy Sheehan, and it is in the form of the U.S. Capitol police apologizing for her unlawful arrest due to her sporting an antiwar t-shirt at the House Of Representatives right before Bush's State Of The Union Address. Why did the original story of Sheehan's arrest not make the news? It seemed as though the Capitol police had ample time to respond to the incident - and assess the damage - before it made any major news source. Am I nuts?

Either way, Sheehan was not the only person harassed by the Capitol police on the night of the speech:

Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer also apologized to the wife of a House Republican who was told to leave the chamber during Bush's speech for wearing a shirt bearing words of support for U.S. troops.

Rep. Bill Young of Florida had condemned the treatment of his wife, Beverly. Young, who chairs the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, said on the House floor his wife was called "a demonstrator and a protester" for doing what Bush had asked of Americans: supporting U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq.

Sheehan was attending the speech as the guest of Rep. Lynn Woolsey, a California Democrat. In a speech on the House floor, Woolsey said Sheehan wore a shirt that highlighted the number of dead U.S. soldiers in Iraq. "Since when is free speech conditional on whether you agree with the president of the United States?" Woolsey asked.

"How can we claim to be fighting on behalf of freedom around the world, making the world safe for freedom when we are smothering freedom here at home?" she said.

Yeah, Woolsley's a bit melodramatic, but she has a point.

Capitol police apologize to activist Sheehan [Reuters]

Has Oscar Gone Wilde?

Well, this year's Academy Awards are bound to be viewed as a deliberate slap in the face of our current political climate. The reason? Three out of five nominees for Best Picture have homosexual males as their focal point

• Brokeback Mountain tells the story of two cowboys who "form a lifelong bond" (No spoilers here)
• Capote is a film about Truman Capote, a well-known (spoiler alert!) homosexual
• Good Night, and Good Luck prominently features footage of Sen. Joseph McCarthy. (No spoilers here either; everybody knew that one)

Is this a sign of a brave new Hollywood, one that refuses to buckle under the weight of our current administration's dogged intolerance, or does Oscar simply adore gays? Either way, it's as close as the entertainment industry can come to true rebelliousness, and I applaud it on those principles. I mean, they even have a man in drag up for Best Actress.

The List Of Nominees [oscar.com]