"ABC, BBD"

12:35pm
B-Trip: Home

I've never been able to sit still without some song or melody emerging from the fertile crescent of my subconscious to take a few spins around my cranium. In the face of sensory deprivation, I'll fill in the gap one way or another.

Sometimes it's just an annoying jingle that, if vocalized, would legally justify Elle smothering me in my sleep. That happens a lot while I'm jogging. The repetitive sound of my feet hitting the sidewalk provides the rhythm, and I end up spending a few miles trying to eradicate the infantile melody from my brain. This rarely works, since such tunes always seem to have the leech-like death grip of a Wilson Phillips anthem.

That's probably why I've never run a marathon.

Other times, a forgotten song blossoms out of nowhere. It rarely warrants mentioning since it happens so often, but at present Boyz II Men's "Motownphilly" is making the rounds...and it occurs to me that this song may be a kindred spirit.

"Motownphilly" was one of those songs that you knew was gold the first time you heard it. Catchy, fun, and with harmonies so tight they could only be described as 'Cooleyhigh'. Indeed, Boyz II Men was going off. And their music, just like Goldilocks's preferred porridge consistency, was 'Not too hard, not too soft.'

But sometimes newcomers bursting onto the scene like this can be too much for us in the general public to handle. Not to worry. The producer who discovered them - Bell Biv DeVoe's Michael Bivins - swoops in a couple times throughout the song to ease digestion and provide a little background: "Yo, check this out. One day back in Philly, four guys wanted to sing..."

I don't know about you, but I appreciated this formal and proper introduction. Some may have deemed it unnecessary, but it's way better than, say, those heathens from Creed. I still refuse acknowledge them in any way, arms wide open or otherwise.

The video was even more brilliant than the song. Sure, the fashions and dance moves seem comically dated nowadays, but what happens approx. 90 seconds into the song will live forever.

It's the first time we hear from Michael Bivins. And where do we find him? That's right, he's Taking D. Never mind there's a party raging right outside the door. He even brought the newspaper in with him!

Clearly immersed in the Zen-like state one always strives for when Taking D, he's unfazed by our intrusion. I've never been able to make out a damn word he says other than "you know they be talented", but that's alright. Like most of us, he's probably not used to having conversations while Taking D.

It was an historic moment for American music -- the first time someone performed in a video while Taking D.

And I don't believe anyone has done it since. (Though, admittedly, I haven't seen anything Carrie Underwood's been up to lately.)


7:30pm
B-Trip: Home

Pre-jog D.

Reading about Tim Russert's testimony at Scooter's trial.

I have nothing particularly insightful to report, but I do know that if I ever write a book about my father, Randall Pice, we'll never look this corny on the cover.