Happy Birthday to A Man From 'Down Under'

Colin Hay of Aussie 80's sensation Men At Work turns 57 today. thought we could celebrate his day with a viewing of the classic video!

7 Video Game Worlds Collide!

It's amazing what you can find on the Internet. I've known about this game for a while but never tried it out, but now that I have, I have to pass it along to others...

If you are a gamer who grew up playing Super Mario Bros. and other true NES classics like Ninja Gaiden and Metroid, then you need to play Super Mario Bros. Crossover. It's a fan-made flash game that takes the original Super Mario Bros. game and mixes it with other old-school video games to hilarious effect. You can play with Mario, but you can also play with Mega Man (Mega Man), Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden), Samus Aran (Metroid), Bill Rizer (Contra), Simon Belmont (Castlevania), and Link (The Legend of Zelda). They all play as they do in their respective games, and they even come with their familiar attacks and theme music. How cool is that?

Super Mario Bros. Crossover is best played with Mario, because it's his game, but it's fun to play with the other greats to see what it would have been like if they were all in the original game. If you have a PC gamepad, it would be wise to use it. The game controls use the keyboard, and it can be weird to adjust to (I just finished playing it and I'm having a hard time typing this now..). At any rate, it's pretty cool and I hope they expand this game for more characters, or maybe do another Mario game. How about adding Mario and the others to Ninja Gaiden? That would be awesome!

Check it out at supermariobroscrossover.com.

Whatever Happened To: Harvey Danger

Harvey Danger, courtesy last.fm

Formed in Seattle in 1992, Harvey Danger rose to popularity and tripped off the tongue of music lovers in 1998 with the release of their first album, Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone, which featured the instant hit, "Flagpole Sitta".

The song for which they are remembered...



I've always been a bigger fan of this song...



They released a couple albums, on several labels, several singles and some EPs after their debut...but none managed to really catch the ear of the listening audience in the way that Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone did.

Harvey Danger called it quits on May 28, 2009, then played eight farewell shows in the summer, ending it all where it began, in Seattle.

According to Wikipedia, front man Sean Nelson "has also recorded and performed with many of independent music’s brightest lights, including Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Robyn Hitchcock, The Long Winters (of which he was a founding member), Nada Surf, The Minus 5, and others." So it wouldn't be a surprise to see him continue in this vein.

Makeover Monday - Round & Round

Ratt, Image Courtesy revolutionmyspace.com

This song should remind all of you, at least those in your mid-late thirties like me, of big bangs, neon sweatshirts, parachute pants and loud music that made your parents sigh!



Enjoy! And have a great Monday...

Happy Birthday Bonnie Tyler

Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer best known for 80's hits "Holding Out For A Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart", turns 59 today.



According to wikipedia, "In 1977, Tyler was diagnosed with nodules on her vocal cords that were so severe that she needed to undergo surgery to remove them. After the surgery, she was ordered not to speak for several weeks to aid the healing process, but she broke her doctor's orders. This caused her voice to take on a raspy quality."

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" was a worldwide hit, reaching No. 1 in the UK, France, Australia, and in the United States where it remained at the top for four weeks.

Happy Birthday, Ms. Tyler. Celebrate in style!

Makeover Monday - Unchained Melody

When my iPod pulled up Cyndi Lauper's version of "Unchained Melody" yesterday while I was listening in shuffle mode, I knew I had to use it in the next Makeover Monday blog post.



U2 also did a version of the classic love song, a B-side to their hit "All I Want Is You", another love song.



And of course I couldn't post this without the incomparable original...