Afternoon Drive with Jeff & Carly

We’ve all had strange occurrences with our computers - files that go missing, inexplicable “freezing”, a disconnect between what you see on your screen and what comes out on the printer.  But ghosts in your PC?  That’s what Louise Ungro says.  She’s a psychic who can rid your computer of “unfriendly energies”.

Do you believe in this stuff?  What bizarre computer happenings have you experienced?  Let me know what you think by using the comments sections below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is COMPUTERHAUNTINGS.  You have until midnight on February 1st to enter it at www.925jackfm.com.

So I’m surfing around the Internet (no, I wasn’t looking for porn) and I came across this company in Ghana.  They specialize in made-to-order caskets.  The idea is to be buried in something that reflects who you were or what you enjoyed in this life.  They’ve had orders for coffins shaped like airplanes, a WWII gun, even a cucumber (apparently, the stiff was a grocer).

I must admit, this Coke coffin looks kind of cool.  It got me thinking, what would I want to be buried in?  Probably a shoe - maybe a sexy pump or a pointy boot.  I’ll bet my brother would want to lie in a replica muscle car for all eternity.  As for my parents, a book for my mom, a camera for my dad?  Hey, this is kind of fun!

What shape would your casket take?  Have you witnessed any unique burials?  Feel free to share your comments below - that’s what the reply section was made for!  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is COKECOFFIN.  Type it in at www.925jackfm.com before midnight on January 31st to reap the rewards.  

Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner.  Have you purchased your new television and armchair yet?  According to a U.S. survey, football fans plan to purchase 3.9 million TV sets for the Big Game and 1.8 million pieces of furniture.

Now I realize that Super Bowl is a bigger deal south of the border, however, I did find a flyer in my mailbox today promising to deliver “your new couch and flat screen in time for Sunday”.  I don’t think I’ve ever bought a piece of furniture especially for a particular event.  Clothing, yes.  Food and beverages, yes.  Decorations, yes.  But an expensive piece of furniture?  No.  Is this a male/female thing?  Or maybe it’s more about acquiring said expensive piece and using the Big Game as a “reason” (read: “excuse”).

Have you done this, not necessarily for Super Bowl, but for some other event?  Do you know someone who has?  Leave your story or opinion in the Comments/Reply section below.  Today’s bonus code is ARMCHAIR.  It will score you a Jack Nation touchdown until midnight on January 30th.

Strawberry Cheetos, anyone?

There are some strange flavours out there.  I realize that much of it is regional - if you’ve grown up dipping your fries in mayo instead of ketchup, it doesn’t seem that odd.  (In fact, give it a try sometime and you’ll see that it isn’t half bad.)  On the topic of fries, I remember ordering my first poutine when my family moved to Quebec City.  I was shocked at how delicious fries with gravy and cheese curds could taste.  But I digress…

There are some flavours, though, that really leave you scratching your head.  There was the turkey and gravy soda at Thanksgiving a few years ago.  Huh?  What?  Yeah, see the element that makes those two flavours great together is the fact that they’re both piping hot, which is not the way you would normally drink your pop.  And now Frito Lay in Japan brings you… Strawberry Cheetos!  I could maybe see it if the strawberry were a seasoning, the way the cheese is.  But if you look at the picture on the bag in the photo above, it appears that the strawberry is a coating.  Yum!

What bizarre flavours have you been exposed to?  Maybe you’ve created your own concoction that sounds strange, but tastes delicious.  Have your say in the reply/comments section below.

STRAWBERRYCHEETOS is your Jack Nation bonus code.  You have until midnight on Tuesday (Jan. 29th) to score points by entering in once you’ve signed in at www.925jackfm.com.  If you haven’t joined the Jack Nation yet, there’s no need to wait - it’s free!

AskMen.com has published the Top 10 Drinking Songs, i.e. songs that are not only entertaining while you have a few wobbly pops, but also contain a drinking reference or two.  Here’s the list:

• KISS - Cold Gin
• Sublime - 40 Oz. to Freedom
• Snoop Dogg - Gin & Juice
• Semisonic - Closing Time
• The Doors - The Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
• Garth Brooks - Friends in Low Places
• Jimmy Buffet - Margaritaville
• George Thorogood - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
• The Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey
• AC/DC - Have a Drink on Me

I would have to add Billy Joel’s Piano Man to the list.  There’s the line about the old man making love to his tonic and gin.  Also, it’s an awesome tune to sing along to, especially if you’re hearing it performed live and you’ve had a few pints.

Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo by Tracy Byrd is another one of my faves.  The lyrics pretty much describe my relationship with tequila:

I walked in. The band just started.
The singer couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.
Was on a mission to drown her memory but
I thought “no way” with all this ruckus

(chorus)
But after one round with Jose Cuervo
I caught my boots tapping long with the beat
And after two rounds with Jose Cuervo
That band was sounding pretty darn good to me

Then some stranger asked me to dance
And I revealed to her my two left feet
Said, “Don’t get me wrong - I’m glad you asked
But tonight’s about me and an old memory”

(chorus)
Then after three rounds with Jose Cuervo
I let her lead me out on the floor
And after four rounds with Jose Cuervo
I was showing off moves never seen before

(bridge)
Well around five or round six
I forgot what I came to forget
And after round seven, or was it eight?
I bought a round for the whole dang place

(chorus)
And after nine rounds with Jose Cuervo
They were countin’ me out, an’ I was about to give in
And after ten rounds with Jose Cuervo
I lost count and started counting again

(tag)
One round with Jose Cuervo
I went two rounds with Jose Cuervo
Three rounds with Jose Cuervo

(Guys talking and joking)
Go on and get me another one, whooo
Five, or was it four
(laughing)
Four or five, yeah!
Six rounds with Jose Cuervo
Eight rounds with Jose Cuervo….

Yeah, I sense a rematch coming on this weekend and I already know who’s going to lose…

Do you agree with the list?  What would you add and why?  Use the comments/reply section below.  Don’t forget to check back later to see what others had to say.  Today’s bonus code is DRINKINGSONGS.  You have until January 27th to enter it in the bonus code section of your Jack Nation account.

According to Glamour - a magazine written for women - a guy doesn’t care if his significant other has bad table manners.  Their reasoning is no matter how bad a woman’s manners might be, the man’s are probably far worse.  That’s kind of insulting.  Bad table manners are a huge turn off, regardless of sex.  The sound of chewing with one’s mouth open or slurping soup seems to amplify the longer you are together.  The first month you don’t mind too much.  A year later, it’s mildly irritating.  Within a decade, it’s like nails on a chalkboard!

I have always found poor grammar to be a turn off.  It’s not a big deal casually, but if a date is taking the time to send me a note, remembering that contractions lesson from Grade 3 would be appreciated.

What flaw do you find hard to overlook?  Which ones do you not care about?  Feel free to have your say in the space below.  Today’s bonus code is BADMANNERS.  It’s valid until January 25th.

I made a decision the day Johnny Cash died.  I decided that I would never again allow a music or theatre legend to pass through Toronto without taking in his or her performance at least once.  You always think you’ll get around to seeing your idols at some point and then are shocked when they pass away - often suddenly and too soon - and the opportunity is forever lost.  Since that day in 2003, I have seen James Brown, Loretta Lynn, B.B. King, and William Hutt in Waiting for Godot, to name a few.  I also saw Gordon Lightfoot at Massey Hall.

It was his first performance at the venue since his illness in 2002.  If You Could Read My Mind brought a tear to my eye.  He is such a powerful songwriter, a strength that emanates from the subtleties in his melodies and the stories he tells.  I also attended his show at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in 2006.  This time, it was Early Morning Rain that really spoke to me.

If you’re also a Lightfoot fan - good news!  He is returning to Massey Hall for four shows, May 7-10, 2008.  Tickets go on sale this Friday (Jan. 25th).  You can find out more about the concert at www.masseyhall.com.

What legendary performers have you seen?  Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is LIGHTFOOT.  It’s valid until midnight tomorrow (January 24th).

Were you at the Ozzy concert last night?  Although I had a great time belting out all of his familiar tunes, Ozzy is a parody of his former self.  He’s gone from being the cool older cousin to the drunk uncle.  And I think he was wearing a diaper!  His pants were bunchy in the front - and not in a good way.  Leave your thoughts about Ozzy or another artist who didn’t live up to your expectations in the comments section below.

And here are the John Mellencamp afternoon drive bonus codes.  They’re valid until midnight tonight (Tuesday) and could score you free tickets to the show on February 6th.  You need to be a member of the Jack Nation, though, so sign up (also free) at www.925jackfm.com.

3 p.m. - PINK

4 p.m. - DOWN

5 p.m. - JACK

I saw Cloverfield, the J.J. Abrams flick, over the weekend and was sadly disappointed by the movie.  If you haven’t heard anything about it, click HERE to view the trailer.

The concept is kind of cool - the “disaster” is documented by a guy who is filming goodbye messages for a buddy moving to Japan - but if you had a hard time keeping your layered butter popcorn down due to the unsteady camera work in The Blair Witch Project, this is not the movie for you (especially if you get there late and have to sit in the front row).

The movie is only an hour long, but it feels much longer.  I was making a grocery list in my head during the whole opening scene, where everyone’s talking about how Rob slept with Beth (how 90210).  The special effects are fairly decent, with only a few unintentionally laughable moments, so if you definitely want to see this film, I would recommend taking it in on the big screen.  Mind you, if you wait to rent it, you’ll feel less ripped off when you turn it off than you would walking out of the theatre.

Was there a movie you were looking forward to that left you sorely disappointed?  Have your say in the comment section below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is LETDOWN.  It’s valid until midnight on January 22nd.

News today that Associated Press has prepared Britney Spears’ obituary.  I guess they figure if she pulls a full-on Anna Nicole Smith, they want to be ready.  Now media outlets often prepare obits in advance, but usually not until celebrities are elderly or sick.  I don’t know why you would have to go out of your way to prepare something special, though.  Surely you would already have an updated profile and all would do is change a few verb tenses (sad, but true) and tack on the funeral arrangements, but what do I know?

You don’t usually see creative obituaries, but I have seen some pretty witty epitaphs.  Like this one from Boot Hill Cemetery, just outside of Tombstone, AZ:

So it got me thinking, what would I want on my epitaph?

Here lies Carly, who put the “class” in Klassen.

But with my luck, there would be a typo and this is what I would have to lie under for all eternity:

Here lies Carly, who put the “ass” in Klassen.

What would you want on your epitaph?  Leave your comments in the space below.  And don’t forget to go back and check responses on previous blog postings.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is LESTERMOORE.  It’s valid until midnight on January 19th.