SPOOJITZU

Not since Eddie Van Halen ripped off brother Alex's guitar and began shredding has a rock band made such a splash on the music scene. Well, maybe I'm drinking the Kool-Aid.Ya see, a few months back, sports dood rounded up a few hard-rock wannabes in an attempt to live out his life's dream: fronting a rock band. After a couple hastily arranged practices, the guys threw together a playlist right out of I Love the 80's, and a band was born. The only detail left was a name.A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but in rock and roll, the name is everything. Don't believe me? Ya think Deep Pink could have rocked Smoke on the Water? Would Molting Crew have ever been bad enough to Shout at the Devil? Would you have followed Floyd the Barber to The Dark Side of the Moon? I think not.

So when it came time to name the band, these brave souls left it to the photog staff. Not a good idea. Ya see, I've also always wanted to be in a rock band, but I couldn't carry a tune if it had a handle. But I've made great use of the copious amounts of downtime we find in this business hanging around court houses, outside meetings, and kicking the curb at the cop shop. I've got a list of really cool band names.As a joke, I suggested my favorite. Spoojitzu.

But something happened after it was summarily laughed off the big blackboard of band names in the practice garage. Sports dood began to take a liking to the sound. "We're Spoojitzu. See you next tour."With one week to the big debut, it looked like a lock. Until someone in the band clued him in to the joke.The band debuted under the name SoundBYTE.

Appropriate for a bunch of TV guys making a lot of noise in a barroom. The Burbank Road tour wrapped up this weekend. My ears are still bleeding. As to why Josh Meeks is swinging boxers over his head? Let's just say he's got a thing for sweaty singers.

I'D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY

I GOT A TAWWDY! (Actually, I'm not sure what it's called, but hey, who am I to turn down an award?)

First I'd like to thank the Academy for this prestegious icon. Next, I must say thanks to Brian at newshutr's views for the nommination. You know, it ain't every day that a lowly shit shiner gets to set his eyes on something as lovely as a cartoon picture of a cubic zirconia statuet.

Next, I would be remiss if it didn't thank all the little people who helped along the way. Now that I'm famous, I'll be forgetting I ever knew you. But a year from now, when no one remembers my name, I'll be back bumming a five spot for a cup of Starbucks.

Actually, it's cool that folks think the blog is the shit. The way Brian explains it, a Tawwdy is the drunken brainchild of a friend of his. He ships Tawwdies off to folks whose blogs he finds "brillante." But there's a catch. Now I gotta pay it forward. So without further waste of electrons, here's my Tawwdy list, which, along with the aforementioned five spot will get you an overpriced cup-o-joe at a soon-to-be-vacant Starbucks near you.

Viewfinder Blues Stewart "Lenslinger" Pittman is The Don of the blogging photog "family." Pith, smarm, and big words abound on his groundbreaking site. You can blame him for this site and all the other photogs who think they can write. Lenslinger cranks out missives from the mundane to the macho. Whether he's tiptoeing around the widow's porch or lugging his stix on a tripod safari, Stewart makes you wanna be a photog, even if you already are one.

beFrank Brian Frank is the true anti-Turd. A cool guy with a great attitude that loves the TV business. Jump on his site and tag along in the sat truck as Brian does what it takes to get the story on the air. And the dood can shoot. One day, he'll rule the world.

tvnewsgrapevine Run by reporter coach Randy Tatano, this site is full of the do's and don'ts of the business. Randy serves up common sense solutions to newsroom delimmas, and he does it with the same wit and dry sense of humor that made him one of my favorite all-time reporters.

Stuff White People Like Take a walk on the mild side as the creators of this site poke fun at everyone lacking melanin. Written with a anthropologic bent, this site is a hoot and a first class primer for anyone looking to befriend a white person.

Skitzo Leezra A look at life from the feminine side -- sort of. Leezra is the kind of girl most guys wanna to hang with. She's loud. She's bawdy. She's hot. At least that's what comes through in her writing. Skitzo covers topics as diverse as dating, rednecks, pop culture, and news. Check her out if you got the balls.

Hippieville SPX Leave it to professional smart-ass El Guapo to deconstruct the life of a sports photog. From the Olympic trials, to the joys of biking around town, to the hippies that make his hometown of choice so damn much fun, Guapo's site is a hoot. But if you stop by, be ready for a foul-mouthed diatribe or two. Just the way I like it.

Toucey Land So you think you got it tough? Try being the mother of three. I met Hillary Toucey on a shoot about the ultimate LSU Fan, her then 3-year-old autistic son, Eli. Since then, we've kept in touch through this blog. Now, Hillary has started a blog of her own. Take a break from the business of life and learn what really living is about. Hillary reminds us all that life ain't about what you got, but what you give. Her posts from the hectic life of a mother of three will make you laugh and cry at the same time. Check her out.

Senator's Forum Fellow photog Big Rob Hollins is casts a big shadow whether in his favorite spot on the floor of the Louisiana State Capitol, or scanning the streets for random Pookie and Ray-Ray sightings. Say what you want on his blog, but make sure it's in the form of a question, did you know?