Sure, in recent days I've been so busy that all I could manage to post was a silly sliver of an image from an old Marvel house ad and a hastily snapped photo of a cozy dog, so you'd think this week's Five for Friday would be easily succinct and simple, wouldn't you? Oh no.

You see, I have a pair of dear friends who are reaching a major accomplishment this Sunday. I wanted to be there, but that's a practical impossibility. Which leads me to this humble little space. And one quintet will not do. Respond to one or respond to all, but...

As always, please play along...

( It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all, is what school is all about. )

There should be no shortage of songs for this topic.

As always, please play along...


( Rosebud, I swear to God you are as graceful as a capital letter S. )

MAC HELD HOSTAGE -- DAY FOUR!

While most of my files were saved before my laptop was shipped off to the downtown clinic of emergency hard drive transplant surgery, the hefty stockpile of music that was on it was understandably backed up be my workplace Computing Services department. The precious, precious iPod will ensure that I don't actually lose all those songs, but the situation does suggest a topic.

The movie quote that marks our lj-cut this week is just for you, silent_spring.

As always, please play along...

( You know Willie, I came down here to learn a lost song, not to get slapped in the face by an 80-year-old man! )

Searching "crazy bone" sure produces a lot of different stuff. I didn't expect to find an online medical dictionary through that route.

As always, please play along...

( There's nothing wrong with you that a little Prozac and a polo mallet can't cure. )

As should be no mystery to anyone reading 'round these here parts this week, it's that time again. Last year's topic worked fairly well. Let's try it Jeopardy! style.

As always, please play along...

( We all know most marriages depend on a firm grasp of football trivia. )

After last week's topic, you may have seen this one coming. With our annual trip to Wisconsin now less than a week away, today's topic is also about things that are moving far too slowly.

As always, please play along...

( There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don't you know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don't understand it. )

No backstory, just a topic.

As always, please play along...

( All the animals come out at night - whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal. Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets. )

Five for Friday historians well know that this weekly feature inaugurated as dual birthday celebration. In the two-and-a-half-years since then, many other birthdays have served as inspiration. So it is today. Happy birthday to the newbie lurker that knows firthofforth very well. There's clearly one option for today's topic.

As always, please play along...

( Did you ever dream about a place you never really recall being to before? A place that maybe only exists in your imagination? Some place far away, half remembered when you wake up. When you were there, though, you knew the language. You knew your way around. That was the sixties. )

Last night I started in on a new book I got from a pal o' mine. Today's topic presented itself almost immediately.

As always please play along...

( 'What about Naugahyde Windpipe?' 'Too metal.' 'Oedipus and the Mama's Boys.' 'Too college radio.' 'My Johnson Is 12 Inches Long.' 'Interesting, but I don't think it's a band name.' )

Congratulations to jupiterjuniper! I am thrilled that your amazing persistence has justly paid off with a great new gig. I initially had a different idea for today's topic, but decided that instead I should look to a certain swatch of your broad musical taste for inspiration.

As always, please play along...

( Quiet, please. Observe strange sounds. )