IF IT'S NOT SCOTTISH, IT'S CRAP: I finally saw "The Last King of Scotland" this afternoon. Forest Whitaker is everything you've heard, and more. Rarely is an actor that transparent to his role. But I believe we've covered this film and, if not, suffice it to say that you should this movie. But I've never been quite so uncomfortable watching a movie as I was during the scene in the Entebee Airport Duty Free Shop. But it turns out, what most folks see as a shining example of man's inhumanity to man, others will drop six hundred domars to have done to them.

ONLY TWO LITTLE CHILDREN, BUT I DO HAVE KIND OF A COLD THIS WEEKEND: Of late, the Cosmo family has been seriously in need of a little hey-remember-when-we-used-to-eat-at-restaurants-that-don't-serve-chicken-fingers time. So tonight we enjoyed Danny Meyer's riff on barbecue at Blue Smoke. (Interestingly, Blue Smoke is about as kid-friendly a restaurant as they come, but that is perhaps a topic for some other blog.) One of the great things about the restaurant, other than the seriously yummy pulled pork and Memphis ribs, is that they have really gotten the music right. Kinda bluesy, kinda jazzy, kinda R&B oldies standards -- and played at exactly the right volume. Towards the end of our meal, some version of Stagger Lee that wasn't the one you usually hear came on, and while Cosmo Girl was rocking out, Mr. Cosmo and I drove ourselves nuts trying to remember who sang the version you do usually hear.

When we got home, I checked iTunes, and discovered two things: (1) the standard version of Stagger Lee is sung by Lloyd Price, and (2) do you have any idea how many people have recorded this song?? Everyone from Wilson Pickett to Nick Cave to the Dead to Bobby Rydell to Neil Diamond to Bob Dylan to Ike and Tina Turner to Professor Longhair to Huey Lewis to Fats Domino -- it's insane. The only song I can think of off the top of my head that's been recorded as often is Amazing Grace, which is sort of cheating. Got any others?

A TOLSTOY MOMENT: Earlier this week, Isaac noted that Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton may be playing the only non-boring happy marriage on TV on Friday Night Lights. Let's broaden that a little to cover "romantic relationships" generally, but the point's pretty much right. I'll offer three others, though, to compete:

• Richard and Emily Gilmore, Gilmore Girls--If there's only one thing the new writing staff on Gilmore has gotten right, it's Richard and Emily's characters. They can be detached, insane, and yes, even vicious, but you never doubt that they love each other, and are trying, in the best way they can, to love their daughter and granddaughter. A particular achievement, since Gilmore is mastering both happy and boring (Rory/Logan) and unhappy and boring (Lorelai/Christopher) this season.
• Paris Geller and Doyle McMaster, Gilmore Girls--We haven't seen nearly enough of either of them this season, but not even that can take away from the awesomeness that was "Paris and Doyle do hip-hop." (Heck, even TWOP can't find the words to express it.)
• Marshall Eriksen and Lily Aldren, How I Met Your Mother--OK, kind of cheating since they had a falling-out earlier this year, but their mind meld and willingness to tell each other EVERYTHING (yes, even Marshall's fear of Sasquatch) renders them endlessly fascinating.

Any I'm missing? There might be an argument for Dwight and Angela, though I'm not sure I'd describe them as "happy."

DO YOU THINK I GIVE A DAMN ABOUT A GRAMMY? As I note every year, the awards presented at the Grammys each year are forgettable, but the performances, for the past few years, are not. God bless YouTube for finding some of my favorites from recent years:

• 2003: Joe Strummer tribute with Springsteen, Costello, Grohl and Van Zandt thrashing "London Calling"
  
• 2003: the most excellent Roots band backing Eminem on "Lose Yourself"
• 2004: Prince & Beyonce medley, about which I said at the time, off by two years, "If that's what Prince is going to be like in five years when he starts playing Vegas, I'll send in my $125 right now" and now is recognizable as the Super Bowl medley done backwards
• 2004: a Black Eyed Peas performance of "Where's The Love" w/Timberpants that just keeps building
• my absolute favorite -- a 2005 tribute to Janis Joplin with Melissa Etheridge and Joss Stone, Etheridge's first post-cancer performance, and words cannot describe just how awesome it is.
• 2005: Kanye, Jamie. The FAMU marching band. Gold. Digger. Completely, wonderfully excessive, as opposed to a more subdued Mr. Foxx joining Alicia Keys on "Georgia On My Mind".
• And just because it's so weird to even say this -- from 2006, Jay-Z, Linkin Park and Paul McCartney throw down together.
  

And a few blasts from the past, while you're with us this weekend: in 1985, Thomas Dolby, Howard Jones, Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder performed "a tribute to synthesizers". Big hair! Big keytars! Go watch. And from 1980, well, it's a triumph for My People, and for the Isro. Finally, I can't make this post and forget about the ODB accepting an award for which he wasn't nominated or the legendary "Soy Bomb". This year's performers include:

Earth, Wind & Fire, Mary J. Blige and Ludacris in a James Brown tribute; Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie and Chris Brown in an "R&B" tribute; Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, the Dixie Chicks, Gnarls Barkley, Wyclef Jean, John Legend, John Mayer, Corinne Bailey Rae, Rascal Flatts, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, the Police, Carrie Underwood, James Blunt and T.I.

Also, make your predictions for who gets the loudest non-James Brown necrology applause (Ahmet Ertegun), and what time the annual "stop stealing our music, kids!" lecture is delivered. Or, I guess, express your predictions and hopes for the awards themselves. I'll probably liveblog tomorrow, though this is the kind of thing for which TiVo was invented.

Blinq: Forward, Into The Past

...AND YOU'LL MISS IT: Congratulations to the Inq's Dan Rubin, who is ascending to the role of local columnist now that John Grogan has left. (Speaking of which, Dan: given that history, keep an eye on Harley.)

Sadly, that means the end of Blinq, his blog-about-the-local-blogs which has long listed this site high on its blogroll (God bless alphabetical order), mentioning us in his very first post and pretty frequently since. Dan always treated the blogosphere and this region generally with insight and heart, making the blog a daily read, and I'm looking forward to what's to come, a move from Blinq back to full-time ink.

BLAME CANADA: How do you like your Gordon Lightfoot? Original or cover? Although I'm generally a folk fan and loathe disco, I'm going to have to go with "cover."

ruhlman.com: Guest Blogging: A Bourdain Throwdown

A VARIATION ON 'DUNK BOZO' OR 'SHOOT THE GEEK' AT THE CARNIVAL: You think Anthony Bourdain had problems with the Top Chefs? Wait until you see what he said about the stars of the Food Network. (Via Bill.)