We're just days away from Black Friday!!!  Remember: "When you have shopping on the brain, it helps to have a song in your heart."

So, award-winning songwriter Lou Carlozo (who?) has written a song called "Black Friday Blues" to salute the kick off to the 2009 shopping season!  It's pretty funny, so I just had to share...(although I was working on a song of my own!)

Compliments of AOL Video. Click here to view this "Black Friday Blues" video.  (By the way, you'll have to suffer thru a brief "ad" before the video song begins.) For those of you who would like to have a "Shoppers Sing Along", the lyrics are written below.

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"Black Friday (Can't Get No Zhu Zhu Pet) Blues" By Lou Carlozo

When the turkey's all done getting stuffed, then it's your turn
Twenty shopping bags you'll try to drag while your cash burns
You'll line up at midnight, stay awake the whole night through:
Going, going, Bakugan!!! No zhu zhu pets for you...

When Black Friday's done
Maybe you can get away
You're gonna need a vacation
From your happy holiday
Who gets to do the dirty work
So the kids can play?
There's no other way...

Tell me who needs XBox or the Nintendo Wii?
What we need is a video game called Shopping Spree
Jockey for your parking space, set debit cards on stun
Fight the mobs with martial arts, now don't that sound like fun?

When Black Friday's gone
Where's your happy Saturday?
You're gonna need a second job
With those bills to pay
So max out your credit cards
Sell your kids on eBay
What do you say?

Peace on Earth ... with Death Star Legos in every aisle
Goodwill toward men ... and robot dogs with programmed smiles
Today it's the perfect gift, tomorrow perfect trash
Oh well, if all else fails, there's always cold hard cash
There's always cold hard cash
There's always cold hard cash

When Black Friday's done
Maybe you can get away
You're gonna need a second job
With those bills to pay
Who gets to do the dirty work
So the kids can play?
What do you say?

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So remember:  "When you have shopping on the brain, it helps to have a song in your heart."  May you find all the bargains you're looking for on Black Friday...and be safe!

I have been a HUGE Aerosmith fan since before some of my listeners were born...(yes, I rocked out to "Walk This Way" as a wee infant!  haha!)  The rumors - true or not - are taking a toll on me!!!  Steven Tyler CAN'T be leaving Aerosmith!  Or IS he?  Just to get you up-to-date on the situation, in the past 7 weeks...

September 24 - Joe Perry denied break-up rumors.  He said the band was just "taking a breather" and a new album "will happen."   Less than 2 weeks later...

November  6 - Headlines read:  "Aerosmith to replace singer Steven Tyler?"  The band was to hold "crisis talks about their future."  Then 3 days later... 

November 9 - "Joe Perry: 'Steven Tyler has quit'."  Perry says the band will "probably find somebody else to sing."  Then the very next day...

November 10 - Headlines read: "Aerosmith's 'Steven Tyler quit' comment 'misquoted', says Joey Kramer."  However, the band's drummer refused to deny that Steven Tyler had left the band.   The very next night...

November 11 - WHAT?!?  Steven Tyler goes onstage with Joe Perry (who was playing a solo gig) and stated very clearly that he is "not leaving Aerosmith!"  The two performed 'Walk this Way.'  YEAH!!!  All is well, right?  Ummm...not exactly.  The very next day...

November 12 - Joe Perry says Steven Tyler wants two years off from the band and "Aerosmith won't wait" for him.  Say it ain't so!

So where does that leave us?  No "official" word yet from Steven Tyler on Perry's last comment.  Whatever happens, will happen.  At least I'll have my albums (yes, those big black plastic discs) and my CD's.  I just have one question for Aerosmith...it's actually a question that my father used to ask us kids... "Why can't you all just get along and play nice?"

We all know about Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of Hell" Trilogy.  Now 31 years after the original (and the best, in my opinion)...the music, the songs, the lyrics...and the concert that started it all in 1978 is COMING TO DVD!

"Bat Out of Hell: The Original Tour" will drop Tuesday, November 10th, just in time for Holiday gift giving.  This DVD is a MUST HAVE for any music fan!

This was the concert that made Meat Loaf a star!  The DVD features larger-than-life stagings of material like "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" and "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth."

Here's the list of songs on "Bat Out of Hell: The Original Tour" DVD:

1.) Great Boleros Of Fire
2.) Bat Out Of Hell
3.) You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)
4.) All Revved Up With No Place To Go
5.) Paradise By The Dashboard Light
6.) Introducing The Band
7.) Johnny B Goode
8.) River Deep, Mountain High
9.) Johnny B Goode (reprise)
10.) Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad
11.) All Revved Up With No Place To Go (reprise)

ENJOY YOUR MEAT LOAF!

It's still difficult to believe Michael Jackson is gone.  However, as with Elvis, Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, etc., they will never really be gone as long as someone thinks they can make money from the artist's image and music.  That's certainly the case with Michael Jackson and the "movie" THIS IS IT, which opens this Wednesday, October 28.

THIS IS IT is basically a film about his last days during rehearsals for his big tour he was getting ready to embark on, before his untimely death.  Oh, there's also an album to compliment the "movie", which will drop this Monday, October 26.

I keep putting the word "movie" in quotations our of respect for Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson.  She says she's not going to see THIS IS IT because "it's not a movie, there's no acting."  How sweet.  And she's right, but that's not keeping tens of thousands of fans from purchasing their tickets in advance.  Everyone wants one final glimpse of Michael Jackson in all of his magical wonder, dancing across the stage...and I'm no different than anyone else.  Have I purchased an advanced ticket?  No.  But I do plan on seeing THIS IS IT, because I too want once last glimpse of one of the greatest entertainers of my generation!  Michael Jackson will be missed.  Thank goodness for music videos and DVD's!

So, is this it?  Probably not.

Why does Hollywood keep re-vamping old shows into new shows?  I think their creativity is drying up.  The lastest TV Hit from years gone by is a re-make of Melrose Place.  It's set to premiere September 8 on CW11 and rumors STILL abound that Heather Locklear may join the cast.  Shouldn't she have already been signed on from the get-go?  Maybe she wants to "make an entrance" onto the show.  Remember, she only had a guest role on season one of the original, then in season two, Heather made her debut as a regular cast member. 

Yes, just like the re-make of 90210, this MP re-make will have new cast members...

...but the BIG BUZZ is about the out-of-work original cast members who have signed on to reprise their roles.   Laura Leighton as Sydney;  Thomas Calabro as Dr. Michael Mancini;  Josie Bissett as Jane;  Daphne Zuniga as Jo...and of course, last minute negotiations with Heather Locklear.  Will she or won't she?

All I have to say is:  you can't go back!  If you want a re-union, make a movie, but don't try to re-make a hit show.  Although there are few exceptions, re-makes (and sequels) usually don't stand up to the "original".