I realize the thought of snakes on a plane is rather trivial right now, but a movie with Samuel L. Jackson going medieval on some reptiles may provide welcome respite from current events.

While you eagerly await the movie's release next Friday, I highly suggest picking up Snakes on a Plane: The Guide to the Internet Ssssssensation by noted author, jetset playboy and all-around great guy Dave Waldon. Dave pays much-deserved props to the fans on the Internet who made the film a hit--well before its release.

Do yourself (and Dave) a favor and buy a copy (or ten) today!Posted by Nattie Hattie at 9:49 PM

At the gym, I overheard the lady next to me say this about "What You Wating For?":

Can we listen to another song? I don't understand what she's saying. All I hear is "Watch a whale, watch a whale, watch a whale..."Posted by Nattie Hattie at 12:21 PM

On the drive to Atlanta this weekend, I was reminded of the time I was flying from Atlanta to Louisville and experienced terrible turbulence. When our plane suddenly dropped, the first thought that came to my mind was wanting my mother.

When the plane finally landed, my mother and stepfather greeted me as I hurried off the plane. I told her about the terrible turbulence and, like a child, wishing that she were there to hold and comfort me. She smiled and told me that when people are scared, they think about the people who are most important to them. She was right.

When I'm scared, I think about her. When I'm happy, I think about her. Not a moment goes by when I don't think about her. In my dreams, I call upon her to be with me, knowing that she can't be there when I'm awake.

Happy birthday, Mom. I love you.Posted by Nattie Hattie at 1:08 PM

A while ago I posted a list of my favorite songs to sing in the car. Here's a new list: songs that make me weep like a baby when I listen to them:

1. "Hallelujah" - The Jeff Buckley version. With all due respect to Leonard Cohen, Buckley recorded the definitive version during his tragically brief career.

2. "Just One Smile" - Dusty Springfield

3. "In A Manner of Speaking" - Martin Gore

4. "All I Want Is You" - U2. I don't care if even the most die-hard U2 fans dislike "Rattle and Hum"--I love this song.

5. "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue" - Billie Holiday

6. "Crazy" - Patsy Cline

7. "Michelangelo" - Emmylou Harris

8. "Black Boys on Mopeds" - Sinead O'Connor

9. "We Float" - PJ Harvey

10. "Don't Worry Baby" - The Beach Boys. I know, this seems too upbeat to be a tearjerker, but the beautiful vocal harmonies, especially the yearning in Brian Wilson's voice, simply reduce me to tears.

11. "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" - The Smiths. It's sacrilege for a diehard Smiths fan like myself to admit that "Strangeways, Here We Come" is my least favorite Smiths' CD. This is the one song from the CD I adore.Posted by Nattie Hattie at 11:55 AM

I've been working on a mix for a friend of songs that are perfect for singing along to in the car. While working on this mix, I compiled my own list of songs that I have been known to belt out whilst stuck in traffic:

1. "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush. Warning: this should only be attempted when in the car alone, with the windows up, to prevent potential hearing loss in innocent bystanders.

2. "It's a Heartache"/"Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. Which song depends on whether I'm listening to a 70s station or an 80s station at the time.

3. "Blue Dress" by PJ Harvey

4. "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I can also do a great rendition of "Black Tongue," but it is way too dangerous to perform while driving.

5. "Surrender" by Cheap Trick

6. "The KKK Took My Baby Away" by the Ramones. If my long-lost friend Andy Mercer happens to be reading this: Andy, this song's for you.

7. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" by Marianne Faithfull. Because I WILL ride in a sportscar through Paris with the warm wind in my hair before I turn 37.

8. "Kiss" by Prince. Because I am Nattie, and I am funky.

9. "Crazy" by Patsy Cline. Life is unjust in that Britney Spears is allowed to sing a song with "crazy" in its title.

10. "Pretty Vacant" by the Sex Pistols. If I were Johnny Rotten, I wouldn't attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, either.Posted by Nattie Hattie at 8:08 PM

All I'm saying is that there are some things beyond the ken of mortal man that shouldn't be tampered with. We don't know everything, Andy. There's plenty going on right now in the Twilight Zone that we don't know anything about and I think we ought to stay clear.

Barney FifePosted by Nattie Hattie at 9:42 AM

- Iraq Extends Security Clampdown

- South Dakota lawmakers pass anti-abortion law

- Bird Flu Reaches Swiss Border

I'd love to turn you off.Posted by Nattie Hattie at 12:17 PM