Since he's too good to give an update, I'll just chime in as Deanpaul's quasi-adopted bastard stepchild and inform you all that Deanpaul is, in fact, the worst dad ever, and that's all anyone need know about him.

Please tell me you're not disparaging the great Jose Feliciano.  Man, that's a great tune.  In fact, I prefer it to Jim Morrison's moody, melancholic droning.

I originally had a post here, with a bunch of goofy, chintzy-type songs, that (in most cases) would never be played at anyone's funeral.  Here it is, for historical purposes:

"Don't Worry, Be Happy" - Bobby McFerrin
"Walkin' on Sunshine" - Katrina and the Waves
"Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker, Jr.
"Sugar Shack" - (don't know the artist off-hand)
"Back in Time" - Huey Lewis and the News
"Sing" - Marlo Thomas
"Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's
"Walk Like an Egyptian" - The Bangles
"I'm Too Sexy" - Right Said Fred
"The Calypso Song" - Harry Belafonte (is that the correct title?)
"Baby Got Back" - Sir Mix-a-Lot
"Misirlou" - Dick Dale
"Everyday" - Buddy Holly
"Girl from Ipanema" - (don't know the artist off-hand)
"Hold My Hand" - Hootie and the Blowfish

I thought it was really funny, and the idea was that if anyone questioned me on it, I could make a joke like I'm dyslexic and confused "funeral" for "real fun" (after all, they are anagrams of each other).

After I posted, I looked back at the first page to see what some of the other replies were, and I'll be a monkey's uncle if Sprry75 didn't already put up something very similar to my list:

Quote

I've had this planned out since the first time I took a butterknife to my wrists at age 8 (although it's changed around and gotten some new additions as warranted):

I will have no speakers or eulogies or anything, just my body in an inverted casket, with these songs in this order:

10: The Humpty Dance, by The Digital Underground
9: I Love You, by Sarah McLesbian
8: Ghostbusters, by Ray Parker, Jr.
7: Institutionalized, by Suicidal Tendencies
6: Piece of Crap, by Neil Young
5: Rock is Dead, by Marilyn Manson
4: Dust in the Wind, by Kansas
3: We Are the World, by USA for Africa
2: Good Vibrations, by the Beach Boys
1: **** the Pain Away, by Peaches

Even had one of the exact same songs!  What're the odds?

Now, when I saw his list, I remember reading it back in May, and thought I had forgotten about it, but the idea of a list of inappropriate funeral songs must have manifested itself in my subconscious.

So when I saw it, the first thing I did was rush to delete my list, because the last thing I want to be is unoriginal.

But then I decided that:

A)  I spent too much time thinking of a bunch of goofy-ass songs just to delete them because someone else had a similar idea several months ago

and

B)  The whole story is interesting enough that it deserves mention.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is, don't do drugs.

Clearly, "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. is not a goofy, chintzy-type song.

I've had this planned out since the first time I took a butterknife to my wrists at age 8 (although it's changed around and gotten some new additions as warranted):

I will have no speakers or eulogies or anything, just my body in an inverted casket, with these songs in this order:

10: The Humpty Dance, by The Digital Underground
9: I Love You, by Sarah McLesbian
8: Ghostbusters, by Ray Parker, Jr.
7: Institutionalized, by Suicidal Tendencies
6: Piece of Crap, by Neil Young
5: Rock is Dead, by Marilyn Manson
4: Dust in the Wind, by Kansas
3: We Are the World, by USA for Africa
2: Good Vibrations, by the Beach Boys
1: **** the Pain Away, by Peaches

Okay, I'm confused now.  Who missed the point more, me or Holographic Elvis?

I still think that knowing the ending of a movie (or a book, for that matter) only ruins the experience of the movie (or book, as the case may be) if the only redeeming quality of the movie (or book, natch) is that it has some sort of "surprise."

And if that's the case, then it's a gimmick and I would hate it anyway.

If, on the other hand, the movie (or book) is a quality experience through and through, with maybe some surprises along the way, then the quality of the storytelling makes the media compelling regardless of the shock value.

But I kind of already said all that, didn't I?

Dunno, but I read an atricle that noted his intention to pay one tenth of it as tithing.

Is that one tenth gross, or net Ken?

Hey DP, at least I didn't have to click on the link 

I recommend that he pay gross; that way he doesn't have to pay again when he gets his tax return.

I don't think so; on the contrary, I think that storytelling has been sacrificed for the sake of "surprises."

I've read the Lord of the Rings books two times each, each of the Harry Potter books at least twice (some three or four times), and seen the Star Wars Original Trilogy nearly a hundred times.

Yeah, I know what's going to happen each time I encounter or revisit the stories, but that doesn't diminish the quality of the storytelling in the slightest.

If a storyteller--regardless of whether he or she chooses film, literature, or some other medium--is good at the craft of weaving compelling narrative with something important to say, then "surprises" are simply a part of the story. 

Something like "The Sixth Sense," on the other hand, comes off as just gimmicky.  Sure some people were "shocked" at first (how so many people couldn't have seen that ending coming from miles and miles away is beyond me, but I digress...), and had a good time watching it the second time to spot the "Oh!" moments ("Oh!  Look, he's sitting at dinner with her but she never really converses with him!  Oh!"), but who in the hell would want to sit through that crap a third time?  The gimmick works once for the shock, and again for the "Oh!" moments, but after that...nothing.

With timeless tales such as Lord of the Rings or even the Star Wars saga, however, you can revisit them again and again and again, because it isn't just about the destination; it's about the journey.

Who can honestly say that Empire Strikes Back sucks just because now you know that Vader is Luke's dad?

See?

LOL!

Good one, Dressel!

And here I thought you'd lost your sense of humor.