As Music Director here at Z99.5, people ask me about my favorite songs all the time.  So, here are the songs that are in my personal 5 as of this moment (subject to change very soon!)

Ke$ha “Tik Tok” – I know it’s getting a little old, but I still love this song.  You know why?  Because it’s fun and dancy and utterly pointless.  Ke$ha doesn’t know or care about anything except having a good time, and she’s honest about it.  I can’t stand it when artists – who are rock stars, not economists or foriegn policy experts – try to take a political stand about complicated issues (yes, I’m looking at you, Green Day).  I much prefer a song that’s just fun and upbeat, and functions as entertainment, not propaganda.

Kris Allen “Live Like We’re Dying” – If an artist finds that he/she must do a song that has a deep message, do one that’s not political or divisive.  Make it something everyone can relate to and agree on, like getting the most out of every day.  This update on Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You’re Dying” has decent tempo and a good hook, and I like it a lot.

Daughtry “Life After You” – Maybe you’ve noticed, most of Daughtry’s songs sound pretty much alike.  (I guess that’s why I like them all!)  But, Chris has a good sound, one that’s been missing from radio for a long time.  After nearly two decades of everybody either singing very low and growly (like Eddie Vetter and Scott Stapp), or sounding like Chad Kroeger, it’s refeshing to hear someone singing a little higher.  Daughtry songs always have great hooks, too.

Orianthi “According To You” –  Gotta love a good, mature, female-voiced rock song.  Yes, Pink and Kelly Clarkson have done decent rock songs recently, but they both have a pop image.  And Paramore is too teen-sounding for my taste.  Orianthi, amazing guitarist that she is, has real “rock cred” like the Wilson sisters from Heart, Pat Benatar, and Melissa Etheridge (and maybe Amy Lee from Evanescence).  I like this song a little bit more everytime we play it.

Lady Gaga, featuring Beyonce “Telephone” – Did I mention that I like a good, fun, pointless dance song?  Awesome tempo, great hook, and the mid-song switch-up in rhythm and style when Beyonce does her part makes for an interesting interlude.  This is the song that makes me turn the radio way up when it comes on.

So, who’s in your 5?

Note: This blogpost is about the Super Bowl Halftime show; not because the show as good (it wasn’t – it was dull and boring), but because most of the commercials were lame this year, and the game itself was ultimately depressing.

As I watched the first 30 seconds of the Halftime show last night (that’s all I could stand before I lost interest and went to the kitchen for more chocolate-chip cookie-cake), I thought about how ironic it was that The Who were chosen to play because they’re “safe.”  Maybe you’ve noticed: ever since the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake episode, the NFL powers-that-be have insisted on having very old “rockstars” play the show.  Apparently, they want to avoid anymore disasters like “wardrobe malfunctions.”  And, they figure that washed-up classic rock dinosaurs will be “safe.”

But, it’s crazy how times change.  I mean, 40 years ago, The Who weren’t “safe.”  Once upon a time, The Who were rebellious, uncontrollable misfits who made a show of destroying guitars and drumkits (not to mention hotel rooms).  They were a bunch of drunk drug addicts who passed out in the middle of concerts.  They weren’t “safe” family entertainment by any means.

Maybe they’re just too old to raise any hell anymore.  I mean, let’s face it…they looked like a couple of guys from The Forum retirement home trying to play Guitar Hero.  But, maybe society has changed so much that what used to be considered outrageous behavior is now to-be-expected.  Maybe society has defined deviancy down to the point that it’s getting harder and harder to be shocking and irreverant. 

I don’t know.  But, it’s certainly ironic.  The Who, “safe?”  Surely, that’s the one thing they never wanted to be!

I’ve never been to Haiti myself.  But, I know personally many people (mostly from my church) who have.  And, I know a family that lives there in Port Au Prince.  We heard from them a few days ago, and they’re mostly O.K.

But, they told us a story about the moment the earthquake hit.  They had been at the marketplace.  They left, and started driving back up the mountain to their home.  Moments after they walked out of the market, it completely collapsed in the quake, and many people were trapped in the rubble.  As they tried to find a safe place to survive the quake, they said they could do nothing but watch helplessly as people were crushed under fallen houses and other debris.  In a matter of seconds, they saw a lifetime of horrific suffering.    

Our friends are blessed to be alive, but they have damage to their house, and there’s no power.  Haiti needs our help badly.  There is still horrific suffering.

It’s days like this (bitter cold, tons of snow) that I get mad about the job opportunity that I ALMOST had back in 1998.  I was up for a producer gig at KIIS-FM in Los Angeles, which is Ryan Seacrest’s home station.  I came home from work one day and found a message on my machine from the lady who was doing the hiring.  I was ecstatic!  This was my chance to move to Cali, finally!  I called her back and left her a message.  I waited a few days.  Nothing.  I called her again, left another message, and waited a few more days.  Still, nothing.  I couldn’t figure out what was going on…after all, SHE had called ME!  (It wasn’t like I was cold-calling her, when she wasn’t interested in talking to me.)  Then, I found out about a week later that the station had done some house-cleaning/downsizing, and she’d been canned, along with a bunch of other people.  AND, they’d instituted a hiring freeze.  Needless to say, I didn’t get the job, and I didn’t move.

Most of the time, I’m fine with that.  I’m over it.  And, I still love it in Indy…except on days like this.  Then, I start thinking about sunshine and palm trees and 72 degrees in January all over again.

Is there anything more fun than watching little kids open Christmas presents?  In my extended family, we have three kids.  Two girls, ages 7 and 5, and a nearly-3-year-old boy (who makes as much noise as the two girls combined, but that’s another blog).  They get all excited when they realize that the present you’ve just handed them is for them.  They start ripping at the paper, their fingers tripping all over each other as they race to see what’s inside.  Then, after they’ve said thank you and gotten all fired up about their new toy, they ask the nearest adult to put everything else down and help them take the toy out of the cardboard packaging.  Finally, they spend the next several minutes playing…with the cardboard box!  Hey, it’s fun to watch!

If you follow me on Twitter (or have listened to me these last 14 years on WZPL), you know that I hate winter weather.  I know some people think it adds to the whole Holiday Spirit thing.  A green Christmas just isn’t as cool as white one, they say.  I say…bah humbug.

I didn’t mind snow and ice when I was a kid.  Heck, if we got enough of it, we got a day off of school!  But, once I reached that age where I had a real job and had to be at work come hell or high water, I started hating winter weather.  I mean, what’s to like about almost sliding off the road four times just trying to get out of your subdivision?  And, then, taking two hours to get somewhere that usually takes 25 minutes?  All while freezing your rear end off waiting for your car to finally warm up (even though it was in the garage all night)?  The way I look at it, I have to be at work everyday no matter what.  May as well have the best possible driving weather everyday.

Maybe if we had a subway system or light rail that ran from my house in Fishers to the radio station, and I didn’t have to try to drive in this stuff I wouldn’t hate winter weather so much.  But, as it stands now…

This is our 13th annual Make-A-Wish Requestathon.  Hard to believe, but I’ve actually been here for all of them!  (not sure if that’s good or bad!) 

These last 6 years have been the most special to me, though, because I’ve actually had my own child.  In the years before I was a Dad, it was hard to relate to what the parents and families were going through.  I mean, I tried to be understanding, etc. before.  But, there’s a completely different level of comprehension now that I know what it’s like to have a kid.  I thank God that my child is healthy, and I can grasp how grateful the Wish families are when you give to help them.

If you have your own children, you know what I’m saying.  If you don’t have kids, thank you for donating anyway!  Know that we are all very thankful!

Like everyone else here at Z99.5, I’m pretty excited about this year’s Jingle Jam line-up.  (Haven’t heard about it yet?  it’s December 9th at the Murat Theatre).  I honestly think it could be one of the best we’ve ever done.  And, trust me…I’ve been here long enough to know! 

We had an amazing show in 2001.  That was Barenaked Ladies’ first appearance at Jingle Jam (although they’d played for us in, like, 1997 at Uncle Sam Jam).  The show as at the Pepsi Colliseum at the State Fairgrounds, and we did the pre-show interviews in the restrooms because there was no green room, per se! 

We had a great concert in 2003, too.  Probably the best thus far, I think.  Howie Day opened, then we had Jason Mraz and Maroon 5.  That was crazy.  We could’ve sold that show out twice over.

Then, of course, there was the Jingle Jam at The Vogue a few years ago with John Mellencamp.  Scalpers were roaming up and down Broad Ripple Avenue with signs that said “I need tickets!”  That show was huge. 

But, this year is gonna be something special.  BNL always does a terrific show.  Ask anybody who’s seen them live before and they’ll tell you how much fun those guys are.  John from Five For Fighting is great.  And, has any band in the country been hotter than All-American Rejects over the last several months?  

Make sure you get your tickets before they sell out.  If you miss this show, you’ll have missed a truly exceptional evening.

Obviously, texting while driving is unsafe.  We’ve all heard the statistics about how distracted drivers are dangerous drivers, etc.  But, beyond that, texting while driving is annoying, and rude to the other drivers around you. 

This morning, I was in a line of cars in the left turn lane, waiting for the arrrow at a busy intersection (one of those lights that takes forever to get through, and if you don’t make it on the first green, you’re gonna be waiting awhile).  I was about fifth or sixth in line, and noticed that the arrow had gone green.  Nobody moved.  A few seconds passed.  Nobody moved.  Cars started honking.  Still nobody moved.  Finally, as the arrow turned yellow, the first car in line darted into the intersection (three cars followed, running the red – but that’s a whole other blog). 

As the first driver turned, I realized why she hadn’t moved when the arrow went green in the first place…she was mid-text at the time.  And, she either wasn’t paying attention and didn’t notice when the light changed, or she figured she had time to finish her text, and still squeak through on the yellow.  Either way, I can think of at least six people who’d like to wring her neck right now (and that’s mild.  In some cities, she’d have been shot). 

Moral of the story…put the phone down and drive!  It’s safer and much more courteous to your fellow citizens.

So, as you may know, my wife and I are very active in our church, and we’ve become good friends with several of the college students in the congregation (many of them have babysat for us over the years, etc.).  Somehow, we decided that it’d be fun to have 5 or 6 kids over to our house from time to time for ”movie night.”  

So far, it’s been a total blast.  There’s just one thing: college kids don’t sleep unless it’s light out.  Seriously.  I thought I was gettin’ pretty wild and crazy by staying up till 3AM watching movies and talking and eating, etc..  At 6AM, they were still up watching movies, and talking and eating, etc.

Makes me wonder: How does Smiley do it??