Saturday, March 15, 2008

Lyrics Quiz: iTunes Most Played


Five years ago this month I downloaded iTunes for the first time and one of the cool features is that it keeps track of how many times a song is played. Well cool until you look at your top twenty-five and realize that a Rihanna song has been played way too often. You can blame most of the songs on this list for being either well liked by the Party Shuffle Genie or songs for whatever reason being in multiple playlists and naturally songs from the past five years dominate. I did fudge the list a little deleting repeat artists, mash-ups and songs that have been in recent quizzes (like Rihanna), but all the songs here are in my top thirty-five. As always you need to put both artist and title in the comments section (or you can e-mail me) and if you are correct I will un-bold it and give you credit. The Lyrics Quiz is for entertainment purposes only so please do not use anything besides your own meandering mind to help you up with the answers. Now onto the quiz:


1. Drug dealer buys Jordan’s, crackheads buy crack, and the White Man gets paid off all of that. (All Falls Down - Kanye West; guessed by Slaygal1981)
2. I never knew that everything was falling threw. That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue to turn and run when all I needed was the truth. (Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray; guessed by Erica)
3. King of the town, yeah I’ve been that. You know I click-clack where you and your men’s at. Do the Smurf, do the Wop, Baseball Bat. Rooftop like we bringing ‘88 back. (Made You Look - Nas; guessed by KK)
4. Found myself a picture that would fit in the folds of my wallet and it stayed pretty good. Still amazed I didn’t lose it on the roof of the place when I was drunk and I was thinking of you.
5. We had nothing I had do something so I’m knocking on heaven’s door like I’m Bob Dylan.
6. Light up; light up, as if you have a choice. Even if you cannot hear my voice, I’ll be right beside you my dear. (Run - Snow Patrol; guessed by Erica)
7. Hear voices I don’t want to understand. My car keys are jingling in my hand. My high heels are clicking towards your door.
8. You stand in the line just to hit a new low. You fakin’ a smile with a coffee to go. (Bad Day - Daniel Powder; guessed by Angie)
9. We hit the bottom, I thought it was my fault, and in a way I guess it was. I’m just now finding out what it was all about.
10. I worry I weigh three times my body. I worry I throw my fear around. (Clarity - John Mayer; guessed by Angie)
11. Jealousy, turning saints into the sea. Turning through sick lullabies. Choking on your alibis. (Mr. Brightside - The Killers; guessed by Erica)
12. Old friend calls and tells us where to meet. Plane takes off from Baltimore and touches down on Bourbon Street.
13. Nobody ever said it would be so hard; I’m going back to the start. (The Scientist - Coldplay; guessed by KK)

14. I know that we don’t talk. I’m sick of it all. Can you hear me when I sing? You’re the reason I sing. You’re the reason why the opera is in me. (Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own - U2; guessed by Slaygal1981)
15. All the husbands, all the sons, all the lovers gone they make no difference, no difference in the end. Still hear the woman say “you’re daddy died a hero.”
16. When you’d cry I wipe away all of your tears. When you’d scream I’d fight away all of your fears. (My Immortal - Evanescence; guessed by Erica)
17. You should love it way more than you hate it. You mad; I thought you’d be happy I made it.
18. Baby burst into the world, never given a chance. Then they asked what went wrong when you never had it right. (Desperately Wanting - Better Than Ezra; guessed by Slaygal1981)
19. All I think about is keys and G’s. Imagine that, me working at Micky D’s. (New Jack Hustler - Ice-T; guessed by Slaygal1981)
20. With the sure shot, sure to make the bodies drop. Drop and don't copy yo, don't call this a co-opt. (Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine; guessed by Slaygal1981)
21. Though it’s been a while now I can still feel so much pain. Like the knife that cut you the wounds heals, but that scar, that scar remains. (Every Rose Has its Thorn - Poison; guessed by Angie)
22. I got a plan to get us out of here. Been working at a convenient store, managed to save just a little bit of money. (Fast Car - Tracy Chapman; guessed by Angie)
23. Do you really have everything you want? You can’t ever give something you ain’t got. You can’t run away from yourself. (Are You Happy Now? - Michelle Branch; guessed by Angie)
24. What’s cooler than being cool? (Hey Ya! - Outkast; guessed by Erica)
25. To all your friends, you’re delirious so consumed in all your doom. (Beautiful - Christina Aguilera; guessed by Erica)


Friday, March 14, 2008

Cleaning Out My Inbox vol. II


A plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on World’s Funniest Commercial: Hilarious Liaisons, The Riches, The Librarian, The Ruins, Made of Honor and Battlestar Galatica.

- Sunday at 8:00 on TBS sees the latest installment of World’s Funniest Commercials this time focusing on what they are calling Hilarious Liaisons. There is an overabundance of American ad that got old after seeing them for the second time in-between episodes of Lost, but the fresh foreign ones are somewhat entertaining. Be warned that the show is being hosted by Kathy Griffin who is starting to look like a drag queen trying to impersonate Felicity Huffman. You can also check out VeryFunnyAds.com for the ads to hot for television.

- A new season of The Riches starts up next week, Tuesday March 18 at 10:00 on FX. Gotta love that are with the Pinocchio noses, which you can see below (click to enlarge)along with a promo for the show. I have some cool behind the scenes videos but they are taking a bit longer to uploaded than I expected so check back tomorrow for those.



The Riches


- It was announced this week that there will be a third Librarian movie set to air this winter entitled The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice on TNT with Noah Wyle, Bob Newhart and Jane Curtin all back while Bruce Davidson and Stana Katic (wasn’t she supposed to be a bigger part of Heroes but disappeared after one episode) join the cast. This time around the crew heads to New Orleans, because when I think of dudes who betrayed Jesus, I think of the Big Easy. The first two movies rank as the highest watch ad supported cable movies of 2004 and 2006 respectively.

- If you remember back a couple weeks when I showed you that cool video for the premiere of Breaking Bad where you could personalize a message for a friend from Walt, well they guys behind that video are at it again this time for The Ruins a horror movie starring Jena Malone. I guess with Ellen Paige taking all her emo/independent films, Jena had to find another genre for work. But anyways. You can see the video followed by the trailer for the movie over at Justin.tv. Then enter your friends’ e-mail’s to see how many you can trick into thinking it is real.

- This next one is just for the ladies because I can’t imagine any guy who would be interested. May 2 sees the premiere of Made of Honor starring Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan and Sony is currently hosting a contest to get married at the red carpet premiere. The Grand Prize also includes a European honeymoon package, his and hers diamond rings, and other great prizes. Other finalists receive a $1,000 gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond. Actually, looking over the lengthy prize package, I may have to enter this myself. Anyone out there who would like to fake marry me, shout me a holla. Anyone else interested in entering the contest for real you need to hurry because the contest ends Monday, Match 17. Click the banner below to enter.

Made of Honor Contest


- Less than a month away from the start of the final season of Battlestar Galactica and you can expect plenty of BSG content soon (I was sent over a half a gig worth of videos and pictures, naturally it is taking its time to download, guess I should have started earlier) including how you can get a free pizza just by watching the premiere (don’t get your hopes up too much for the free food if you live in the Midwest because the pizza offer is only good in New York City and Los Angeles).

- Here is another character profile for the upcoming movie 21:



Thursday, March 13, 2008

Musings From the Back 9: 90's Rock Edition


Just how predictable have you become when a magazine gives you a negative review without actually listening to your album? In The Black Crowes defenses, how can you take a music review from Maxim seriously when they are best know for bringing you pictures of a half named Avril Lavigne? Still, you are not going to be too surprised with what you hear on Warpaint, the first album from the brothers Robinson is seven year, first since Kate Hudson tried to Yoko Ono the band. The band gets you right back into the fold with Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution which could have been created out of the same template of Jealous Again which itself pulls from classic southern rock of the seventies. The band does stretch its boundaries a bit like on the spacey Movin’ on Down the Line, the old time blues stomp of God’s Got It, and the eastern influences that creep into Whoa Mule but there isn’t here that will bring in any new listeners, but it won’t disappoint those that have waited on a new album from the band.

Warpaint gets a Terror Alert Level: Elevated [YELLOW] on my Terror Alert Scale.

The Black Crowes on iTunes



When you hear the phrase These Are Good Times People spoken by someone under the name The Presidents of the United States of America you may think it is another George Bush spin job as purported by Fox News. But it is just those Seattle goofballs who brought us such nineties classics as Lump and Peaches. Instead of silly songs about Boll Weevils and Dune Buggies we get to be entertained by songs about Ladybugs and French Girls. The highlights include Mixed Up S.O.B. which puts the pop in power-pop, the instantly catchy Sharpen Up Those Fangs, and More Bad Times, the happiest song about not being sad enough you will ever hear. Knowing that their sound can get old quick, the Presidents knew to keep the album at as listenable forty minutes with only two of the fourteen songs going over 3:15 mark.

These Are Good Times People gets a Terror Alert Level: Elevated [YELLOW] on my Terror Alert Scale.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Previewing 21

21, in theaters March 28, looks like one of those movies that will be considered a box office bust but whose DVD will within a year or two be in every dormroom with a monologue from the movie being quoted at every poker game for the next decade. I’ll certainly be picking it up because Kate Bosworth is what I like to refer to as esculent. To keep it from being a box office bust, Sony is putting a marketing push into overdrive starting with the live webcast today at 7:15 PST (if my math’s correct that is 10:15 for those of us on the east coast) over at 21-Movie.com, and if you missed it you can view it in its entirety starting tomorrow (Thursday). While you are there you can sample the 21 Soundtrack (look in the upper right corner) which is out March 18 which has an electric pop feel to it and features tracks from Mark Ronson, LCD Soundsystem and a the Rolling Stones remix. The movie is based on a book, Bringing Down the House about Jeff Ma who is coming out with his own how to count cards videos which can be found at his blog Wild World of Gambling. And of course the movie has its own Facebook page where you can become a fan of. Below is a Blackjack game that you can play and even put on your own website, MySpace or Facebook page as well as a pair of character profiles (I have three more which I’ll post as the movie release date approaches):
Ben (Jim Sturgess) Jill (Kate Bosworth)

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

We on Award Tour: 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony


The Rock and Roll of Fame Induction Ceremony has been, since its inception, one the most reliable entertaining show on the awards calendar. But I think starting with this year it is going to get hit or miss and we will be lucky for two great acts being inducted in the same year. It really wasn’t a good sign that this year was headlined by The Dave Clark Five which would have anyone my age or younger asking, “Who?” Granted John Mellencamp, or even Madonna, deserved a higher billing, but that may just be my age bias. Here are some more thoughts on last night’s ceremony and inductees of which you can see in an edited version on VH1 on a week from Saturday:

- Up first is the songwriting team of Gamble and Huff who make the first of two Elliot Spitzer jokes of the night. Seriously, how does a guy that has busted a few prostitution rings in his day not realize just how he could get caught? But anyways, you may Gamble and Huff from such great songs as Me and Mrs. Jones and If You Don’t Know Me By Now.

- Harmonica player Little Walter is next in and shows just how much my harmonica knowledge goes when I expected the dude from Blues Traveler to show up to pay tribute.

- Only two classic cuts and if there was a year that needed the extra classic cuts, this would be it.

- The Ventures make a rare instrumental induction into the Hall (Booker T and the MG’s are the only other ones off the top of my head). Granted the band is way before my time.

- Leonard Cohen is another odd choice for induction, Songwriter Hall of Fame, definitely, Hallelujah is on of the best songs ever written; Rock Hall, that’s a stretch.

- Ever since she was announced as an inductee, I have been going back and forth on whether she deserved it. Yeah she left a lasting impact on the music industry, but for the most part it wasn’t a good one. And after hearing Justin Timberlake induct her, I fall firmly on that she doesn’t deserve in. But it was almost worth it to hear Iggy Pop perform for her. Just keep in mind that unlike Madonna, Iggy isn’t in himself or with The Stooges.

- Seeing Billy Joel induct John Mellencamp was going back to my ealy childhood as that was basically all I listen to back then, only Bruce Springsteen was missing. And they ended up giving the best speeches of the night. Wished John would have invited someone, anyone onstage with him though.

- And you thought Iggy Pop singing Madonna was weird, Joan Jett doing The Dave Clarke Five was almost as odd a choice. Which then led to the most boring all-star jam I’ve witness. But I guess that will happen when there are not that many stars in attendance.

Monday, March 10, 2008

25 Best Characters on Television


We are a week away from the first post-strike episodes starting with the CBS comedies. Grant it will be more of a trickle than a pour with the sitcoms coming back first while most of the dramas won’t be showing up until next month. To mark the return of the writers I have decided to make up a list of their best creations, the characters that make us laugh and cry week in and week out. And since it is much more fun if my homies get some, I decided to invite some to make up their own list (keeping it just to current television characters), then I threw all the ballots I received into my algorithm (patent pending) so complex that it would make Stephen Hawking stand and applaud to get on definitive list. Here are the results:

1. Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (Battlestar Galactica)
2. Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
3. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)
4. Benjamin Linus (Lost)
5. Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
6. Coach Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
7. Landry Clarke (Friday Night Lights)
8. Dwight Schrute (The Office)
9. Lily Rush (Cold Case)
10. Omar Little (The Wire)
11. Gaius Baltar (Battlestar Galactica)
12. Olive Snook (Pushing Daisies)
13. Shawn Spencer (Psych)
14. Sheldon Cooper PhD (The Big Bang Theory)
15. Dr. Juliet Burke (Lost)
16. Michael Weston (Burn Notice)
17. Captain Jack Harkness (Torchwood)
18. Dr. Miranda Bailey (Grey’s Anatomy)
19. Chuck Bartowski (Chuck)
20. Brenda Leigh Johnson (The Closer)
21. Emerson Cod (Pushing Daisies)
22. Ned “The Piemaker” (Pushing Daisies)
23. Liz Lemon (30 Rock)
24. Stephanie Lane (My Boys)
25. Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)

Also receiving multiple votes: Desmond Hume (Lost), Major John Casey (Chuck), Jack Donaghy (30 Rock)
Voters: Ducky, Jo, Kate, Sandie, Scooter McGavin, TVFan, Vance



For those keeping track at home, that Friday Night Lights and Pushing Daisies led the list with three characters each with Lost and Battlestar Galactica getting a pair each. I had asked everyone to send along the full name of their choices and was a little annoyed that the people who voted for Ned didn’t include his last name until I realized that we have yet to learn his full name. Where the Narrator calls everyone by their full name, he always refers to him as the Piemaker. And in a measure of full disclosure, here are the characters that made my top ten (for those that agree or disagree, that is what the comment section is for):


1. Landry Clarke (Friday Night Lights)
2. Sheldon Cooper PhD (The Big Bang Theory)
3. Emerson Cod (Pushing Daisies)
4. Major John Casey (Chuck)
5. Coach Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
6. Earl Hickey (My Name Is Earl)
7. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)
8. Shawn Garrity (Rescue Me)
9. Maggie Decker (Eli Stone)
10. Frannie Morgan (Greek)

Sunday, March 09, 2008

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. XXIII


Quote of the Week: You’re asking me why? After everything I did to get you here. After everything I’ve done to keep you here. How can you possibly not understand (dramatic pause) that you’re mine! (Not-Henry, Lost)

Song of the Week: Who’ll Stop the Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival (as sung by the lawyers, Eli Stone)

Big News of the Week: Friday Night Lights Closer to Returning: Early this week it was reported by everyone that NBC had reached a deal with DirecTV to co-broadcast the show on both station but no specifics like who would air episodes first. Well reported by everyone but NBC and DirecTV, so I am inclined to wait until an official announcement before I raise my hopes. One thing that has been officially announced is the release date for Friday Night Lights 2.x DVD set for release on April 22 for $20.99 (see right). A dollar more than the first season with seven less episodes but there will be an audio commentary for the season premiere with the producers.

Coalition Links of the Week:
With the finale of The Wire looming, BuzzSugar wondered what series have had the best finales — and which should have ended better. (BuzzSugar)

Since FX's The Riches is returning on March 18, Sandie posted some behind the scenes videos for Season 2. (Daemon's TV)

Despondent about the end of The Wire? Marcia consoles herself with a drinking game for the final episode. It's an excellent way to dull the pain of losing such a brilliant show. (Pop Vultures)

With an overview of what to expect in its second season and what she talked to Courteney Cox about, Spads tried to convince everyone to give Dirt a try. (RTVW)

Vance gets reflective when he sells out to Oprah's Big Give, reviews quarterlife without ever having seen it, and notes how unconfortably similar Matthew's relationship with Old Christine is with his own sister. (Tapeworthy)

Hungry for some more culinary-themed reality mayhem this week, Jace took an advance look at the fiery season premiere of Top Chef. (Televisionary)

Dan ventured into music videos this week, exploring the concept of Room Clearers -- songs that you 20% love, 80% hate (first up, Escape Club's Wild Wild West). (TiFaux)

Kate made a list of the top ten scary/awesome things about The Real Housewives of New York City. (TV Filter)


Welcome to the Captain: Leave it to Super Dave Osborne to finally make me laugh at something on this show. Check him into the Captain now. Who am I kidding, they aren’t actually going to film anymore episodes of this show. Check out the latest episodes over at Innertube. You can also download or Welcome to the Captain on iTunes.


Survivor: For those keeping track at home, that is three straight fans blindside in a row. I actually thought this was the week that they were just making it look like there was going to be doubt that Chet would be voted out, but no, they actually dropped the Incredible Hulk instead. But Chet being tossed around like a rag doll may have been the funniest thing on the show in ages capped by the hilarious exchange of Chet saying he bumped his head with the Hulk saying he didn’t care. Brilliant. Check out the latest episode over at Innertube.

Survivor on iTunes



Lost: Just when I thought that things couldn’t get much worse that last week’s “Take us serious, we’re time traveling” episode, then we get this week’s worst romantic comedy ever episode. And Not-Henry certainly pulled out all the stops from the dinner party with that ended up having only two invitees to the anti-“you had me at hello” “You’re mine!” And what with magical disappearing chick from Rescue Me who really needs to lay off the botox? Was it actually her? Was it the smoke monster? Has she been with the Others the whole time? Did she really talk with Not-Henry? Check out the latest episode over at ABC.com.

Lost iTunes



Eli Stone: Let’s not have Eli be the case study ever again because it made for the least interesting trial to date. But the two speeches by Maggie and Jordan were great. Speaking of Jordan, am I the only one who, when hears his name spoken, initially thinks of the ex-fiancĂ© because Jordan is more of a chick’s name. Check out the latest episode over at ABC.com. You can also download Eli Stone on iTunes.


You may have seen ads aleady for the movie 21 which hits theaters on match 28 and I may have more on it before then, but I wanted to let you know this Thursday at 7:15 PST they are having a live webchat over at the official site 21-Movie.com.


Next Week’s Pick: South Park, Wednesday at 10:00 on Comedy Central: Don’t even ask me what season this show is in but the latest season debuts this week. Matt and Trey are habitual procrastinators who usually turn in new episodes hours before they air so I have no clue what is in store but there is a good chance it will be funny.