Saturday, May 16, 2009

Best of the Week vol. XXI


30 Rock on iTunesQuote of the Week: What’s done is done. (Sawyer – Lost) or
If it’s meant to be it’s meant to be. (Jack – Lost)

Song of the Week: He Needs a Kidney – Kidney Now (30 Rock; note: profits from the video on iTunes benefit the National Kidney Foundation)

Big News of the Week: Scooter McGavin Does not Use Twitter: I have been asked about a couple times, so to clear up any confusions, I do not have a Twitter account. And I would also like to add an additional spaz courtesy of losers making fake Scooter McGavin Twitter accounts: I DON'T HAVE A (expletive deleted) TWITTER... WHY WOULD I USE TWITTER??? I ONLY BLOG 5 PERCENT OF WHAT I'M UP TO IN THE FIRST PLACE. I'M ACTUALLY SLOW DELIVERING CONTENT BECAUSE I'M TOO BUSY ACTUALLY BUSY BEING CREATIVE MOST OF THE TIME AND IF I'M NOT AND I'M JUST LAYING ON A BEACH I WOULDN'T TELL THE WORLD. EVERYTHING THAT TWITTER OFFERS I NEED LESS OF. THE PEOPLE AT TWITTER KNOW I DON'T HAVE A (explicative deleted) TWITTER SO FOR THEM TO ALLOW SOMEONE TO POSE AS ME AND ACCUMULATE OVER A MILLION NAMES IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND DECEITFUL TO THERE FAITHFUL USERS. REPEAT... THE HEADS OF TWITTER KNEW I DIDN'T HAVE A TWITTER AND THEY HAVE TO KNOW WHICH ACCOUNTS HAVE HIGH ACTIVITY ON THEM. IT'S A (expletive deleted) FARCE AND IT MAKES ME QUESTION WHAT OTHER SO CALLED CELEBRITY TWITTERS ARE ACTUALLY REAL OR FAKE. HEY TWITTER, TAKE THE SO CALLED SCOOTER MCGAVIN TWITTER DOWN NOW .... WHY? ... BECAUSE MY CAPS LOCK KEY IS LOUD!!!!!!!!! I hope that clears things up.

Coalition Links of the Week:
Buzz got pumped about the upcoming sneak peek of Glee and shared some tidbits she learned from the cast. (BuzzSugar)

Vance celebrated his 2000th post on the blog by remembering some of his favorites over the years, including Everwood, Lost and Friday Night Lights. (Tapeworthy)

This week, Jace was once again consumed with all things Lost, offering his in-depth thoughts and theories about the two-hour season finale (The Incident, Parts One and Two). He feels much better now that he knows what lies in the shadow of the statue. (Televisionary)

Dan watched the premiere of The Fashion Show and found a temporary filler for the Project Runway-sized hole left in his heart. He still misses Tim Gunn, though. (TiFaux)

It's (VERY) early, but Matt is already excited about the second season of Fringe. (TV Fanatic)

Kate was bemused and befuddled when Food Network renewed lying, cheating Robert Levine's show. (TV Filter)


Free Download of the Week: LeftRightLeftRightLeft – Coldplay (Coldplay.com): Here is a nine song live album for those that don’t have the money to actually see Coldplay in person this summer for the low price of free. For those that are interested in a physical CD of the album, everyone that buys a ticket to the summer tour will get one at the door of the show.

Deal of the Week: Up to 50% Off in Our Spring TV Event (Veronica Mars, Arrested Development, Married with Children)

Video of the Week: The latest The Office webisode features Creed back to blackmailing ways. Check out the video below to see who his latest victim is.



Next Week Pick of the Week: How I Met Your Mother, Monday at 8:30 on CBS: Two weeks ago Ted told an elaborate story about how he changed his regular routine that led to meeting his mother only for him to run into Stella. Last week: no mention of the mother, just Stella moving to the left coast. Will we finally learn why meeting Stella that day led to being introduced to said mother in the season finale? Hopefully it is the goat they have been teasing for awhile.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Lyrics Quiz: As Seen on TV 2009


As we wind down the television season, I am going to run down the best music placement of the past twelve months and as an added twist, I am going to do it in Lyrics Quiz form so you have to guess to see the actual list. As usual, place your guesses in the comment (or e-mail me), both artist and song title, and if you are correct I will un-bold the lyric. You can also get a bonus point is you correctly guess which show the song was featured on and double bonus points if you correctly guess the character how sang the song on the show if it was not performed by the original artist (you can steal the bonus point if and only if someone correctly guesses the lyrics). Now since I don’t watch every show on television and there are plenty of unoriginal shows out there that copy other show’s musical taste, I will only accept quality television shows, and I am the one who decides whether a show is quality. Now onto the quiz:

1. I got a secret I’ve been hiding under my skin. My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain: IBM. (Mr. Roboto - Styx; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
2. There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do. (Africa - Toto; guessed by Doug; Bonus: Jeffster of Chuck both guessed by Julie)
3. I know a girl who thinks of ghosts. She’ll make you breakfast, She’ll make you toast. (She Don't Use Jelly - The Flaming Lips; Bonus: Landry of Friday Night Lights; all guessed by Doug)
4. Say my name, sun shines through the rain. Oh life so lonely and then come and ease the pain. (Eternal Flame - The Bangles; guessed by Doug; Bonus: Olive of Pushing Daisies; both guessed by Rebekah)
5. I don’t ever wanna feel like I did that day. Take me to the place I love. Take Me all the way. (Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
6. Said it before and I'll say it again, while others pretend, I need you now and I'll need you then. (Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tenille; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
7. Moon appears to shine and light the sky with the help of some fireflies. I wonder how they have the power to shine. (Baby I Love Your Way - Peter Frampton; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
8. First time was a great time. Second time was a blast. Third time I fell in love, now I hope it lasts. (You've Got It (The Right Stuff) - New Kids on the Block; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
9. What I want you got it might be hard to handle. Like the flame that burns the candle. The candle feeds the flame. (You Make My Dreams - Hall and Oates; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
10. And you may tell yourself this is not my beautiful wife. (Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
11. I’ve acted out my life on stages with ten thousand people watching. But we’re alone now.
12. I used to be a renegade. I used to fool around. But I couldn’t take the punishment and had to settle down. (Hip to Be Square - Huey Lewis and the News; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
13. Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose. Plant any one of those. (MMMBop - Hanson; guessed by Doug; Bonus: Chuck guessed by Julie)
14. All we have to do is to take these lies and make them true somehow. (Freedom '90 - George Michael; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
15. We are young, heartache to heartache we stand. No promises, no demands. (Love Is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
16. Just barely got out of school, came from the edge of town. Fought like a switchblade so no one could take him down. (18 and Life - Skid Row; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)
17. I don’t need the king of the world as long as I am the hero of this little girl. (Heaven - Warrant; guessed by oug; Bonus Not Guessed)
18. She's into superstitions black cats and voodoo dolls. (Living la Vida Loca - Ricky Martin; guessed by Curtis; Bonus Not Guessed)
19. I see you my friend and touch your face again. Miracles will happen as we dream. (Crazy - Seal; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
20. I would gladly give up musical genius Just to have you as my very own, personal Venus. (Be My Yoko Ono - Barenaked Ladies; guessed by Curtis; Bonus Not Guessed)
21. You’re the one thing that I can’t get enough of. So I’ll tell you one thing: this could be love. ((I've Had) The Time of My Life - Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
22. “Can you teach me throw?” I said “not today, I got a lot to do.” (Cat's in the Cradle - Harry Chapin; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
23. You lying so low in the weeds. I bet you gonna ambush me. You’d have me down down down down on my knees. (Barracuda - Heart; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
24. My morals got me on my knees, I’m begging please, stop playing games. (Mercy - Duffy; guessed by Angie; Bonus Not Guessed)
25. I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom. (The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground; guessed by Doug; Bonus Not Guessed)


Bonus (need performer and song being parodied): Pulling down her pants, yanking off my own. Underneath the mistletoe I’ll make your sister moan. (Jingle Bells - Barney Stinson; guessed by Rebekah)

Thursday, May 14, 2009

What’s Done Is Done or If it’s Meant to Be it’s Meant to Be


Lost on iTunes

During its first season, Lost was having one of the best starts of any television shows ever. Then came the season finale that trotted along for three hours as we watch Jack and company hike across the island back and forth so they could get into the hatch only to be left without seeing what was actually down the hatch. From that point on, the show has ebbed and flowed for the next couple season until the fourth season when I just decided to accept the insanity. Which is a good thing considering the fifth season ended up introducing time travel.

I bring up the first season finale because last night’s finale had that same kind of ending but instead of hunting around the island for dynamite to blow up the hatch only not to see what was down there they were trekking across the island to detonate a hydrogen bomb as the same sight almost thirty decades later. And of course we don’t get to see the aftermath (assuming Juliet’s hitting it did set it off).

But unlike the first season there were a few surprises along the way. No, not that Jacob showed up in everyone’s life (more on him later). The big shock for me was what was in the Other Other Other’s carryon (or they are they simply Others considering Richard Alpert knew what lied in the shadow of the statue, which may or may not be him because he was despite answering in some random language). I predicted that it was the hydrogen bomb that Jack was about to set off (in my defense, the writers cheated by having everyone call what was in the box “it” instead of “him”) but instead it turned out to be a man which I did then thought it would turn out to be Jacob’s buddy Richard Hatch yet instead it turned out to John Locke himself.

Did Richard Hatch find a way onto another island?


And apparently Richard Hatch used Locke to find some loophole to kill Jacob whom they seem to be in some kind of conundrum that Charles Whitmore and Benjamin Linus find themselves in where they cannot kill each other. Yet Richard Hatch in John Locke body still has all of Locke’s memory somehow. Alrighty. Not surprisingly Jacob, who at one point lived in the same cabin as Rose, Bernard, and Vincent, visits the Oceanic survivors where he had a hand in the death of Nadia, got Hurley back to the island (and apparently not the only one as he also brought The Black Rock to the island earlier to the dismay of Richard Hatch), and possibly brought Locke back to life. And even though he turned out to be his emissary, Jacob just misses Jack’s dad (or could Jack’s dad could have been Richard Hatch all along manipulating everyone to get to where he was at the end of the season?). Yet no visit for Walt who no one seems to want back on the island despite being so integral in the first two seasons. Oddly enough we also get a Juliet flashback (who I swore was Charlotte until we heard her name) yet no Jacob or really anything.

As for season six, the last for the show, I am currently going with the theory that Miles pointed out (and I originally had when Faraday first suggested nuking the Swan) that what if that turned out to be The Incident was created not by the drilling, but it was the bomb all along that caused The Incident. But the question then would be, what does the explosion mean for Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, Sayid, Miles, and Jin? And will Juliet turn into a Desmond-type figure considering she was at the epicenter of and electromagnetic explosion at the Swan? Who are the “They” that Jacob tell Richard Hatch are coming? And the most important question, will Lost have a satisfying ending?

Lost 5.x gets a Terror Alert Level: High [ORANGE] on my Terror Alert Scale.



Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Do You Know What’s Worth Fighting for When it’s not Worth Dying For


21st Century Breakdown - Green Day

It is a story fit for Behind the Music: band on the edge of self destruction ends up recording their most critically acclaimed album and second biggest selling album, a concept album of all things that some would argue (not me) is the soundtrack for the Bush era. So what do you do for a follow up if you are Green Day and it has been half a decade since you released American Idiot: how about another concept album?

And so we get the three act 21st Century Breakdown that follows the couple Christian and Gloria (as opposed to the singular protagonist of American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia) through eighteen songs across seventy minute. The first act Heroes and Cons is the angsty portion of the album that opens with the ambitious title track with multiple tempo changes within its five minutes. That is followed by the paranoia driven first single Know Your Enemy which can easily be written off as this album’s American Idiot: a straight ahead rocker with not so thinly veiled potshots at their political foes.

The act does delve into some of the mellowest movements of the band’s career as we are introduced to Gloria in ¡Viva la Gloria! Before that song takes off then goes back down for the acoustic Before the Lobotomy before again revving up halfway through the song. Then comes Christian’s Inferno that sound as menacing as the title would suggest. The act ends with the mellow Last Night on Earth that unlike the previous songs in the act doesn’t get moving.

The second act Charlatans and Saints starts off with East Jesus Nowhere, a pure punk rocker that shouts along for four and a half minutes with machine gun guitar riffs that takes aims at religion that permeates the second act. That rocker continues with Peacemaker but with a south of the border tinge. They go full tilt western to start out ¿Viva la Gloria? (Little Girl) sounding like an old time drinking hole piano player.

The last act Horseshoes and Handgernades (as in the only two things where close counts) also is the name of the first song which may be the closest thing on the album that sounds like nineties Green Day with its snotty lyrics and fast guitars. 21 Guns could be this album’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams with its high highs and low lows that go back and forth during the song. Bucking the trend of the closer of the previous which close with songs that border on Air Supply type adult contemporary, the album ends with a bang worthy of the act title, that tells the ever after of Christian and Gloria.

All in all, if you liked the politics and rock theatrics of American Idiot, 21st Century Breakdown will be right up your alley even if they just seem to be rehashing things five years later. Musically it seems like their detour with the garage rock of the Foxboro Hut Tubs as the genre creeps into many songs on the set. But if you started to get sick of American Idiot and the bands turn into Queen like stadium anthems, just stick with Dookie and pass on the album.

Song to Download – 21st Century Breakdown

21st Century Breakdown gets a Terror Alert Level: Elevated [YELLOW] on my Terror Alert Scale.




Tuesday, May 12, 2009

First Impressions: Charm School with Ricki Lake


The Girls of Charm School with Ricki Lake

Even though I try to avoid VH1’s … of Love shows (sometime unsuccessfully) the Charm School spin off remains one of the guiltiest guilty pleasures currently on television. This is most likely because I don’t have to see trashy girls having sex with the likes of Flavor Flav and Brett Michaels. For the third season they are actually combining two shows with the rejects of Rock of Love Bus and Real Chance of Love. We also get a new Headmistress in Ricky Lake who may be the most credible of giving charm advice of all the headmistresses. But considering she is following Sharon Osbourne, that isn’t saying much.

Gia is first to go... againThere are a couple more changes this season. There is a Dean’s List which keeps some of the girls safe from expulsion every week. And instead of the Headmistress having full control of who to bring down to the carpet then expel, those not on the Dean’s List go to Detention where they vote who goes down to the carpet. An odd change considering it may lead alliances determining who gets on the carpet instead of who deserves it. Even last night the Bus rejects all voted for one girl while the Real Chance also-rans did another. But there was the hilarious part where Gia voted for Ashley, apparently not know what exactly she was voting for through her alcoholic haze.

There also seems to be a theme of charity this season, the first challenge (?) saw the schoolgirls give clothing of their choice to charity. Although I am not sure who would possibly want to wear hand-me-downs from strippers and porn stars no matter how in need they are. Then later in the season some of the girls will be going down the 9th Ward to help rebuild houses. As nice as that seems, should they really have these girls that close to Bourbon Street while in Charm School?

Beverly Palmer: You children will be embarrassedIn the end Gia’s drunken stupor got her expelled, even if she improved from her time on Bret Michael’s bus. C’mon, she didn’t have anyone drink from her lady area. That is progress. But her exit from the house looked like a trailer for a horror movie, it was that creepy. And she wasn’t the only one to leave as the equally drunken Beverly got the boot for breaking the number one rule of reality television of never put your hands on another cast member. On her way out she hoped she wouldn’t do anything to embarrass her children. Too late honey.

Charm School with Ricki Lake airs Monday at 9:00 on VH1. You can stream current episodes at VH1.com. You can also download Charm School on iTunes or Amazon Video on Demand.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

57 Channels and Only This Is On vol. LXXIX


The Big Bang Theory: I wonder is we are heading for a Leonard/Penny coupling again for the second straight season finale? It certainly looks like it. Then we will probably start up the third season with them decoupling once again. Hurmph. At least Sheldon’s fascination with potty humor was funny. You can stream current clips over at Innertube. You can also download The Big Bang Theory on iTunes.

Greek: What was with all the girls running away from the bouquet? Like that has ever happened at any wedding. Certainly the garter may be thrown around until a kid who is to young to understand the consequence gets a hold, but not the bouquet. You can stream current episodes over at ABCFamily.com. You can also download Greek on iTunes.

How I Met Your Mother: Stella? Seriously? We have already established that she was not the mother so why jerk us around like that? But I may have to get myself a job at Goliath Bank to get the unlimited poster budget because I would do as many as he would. I love graphs. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube. You can also download How I Met Your Mother on iTunes.

I Love Money: We are at the finale already? At least we learned once and for all that yes, It is that stupid. You can also download I Love Money on iTunes.

Rescue Me: Leave it to Rescue Me to make Cancer almost funny. Poor Shawn. And if Tommy does let Katie decide if she wants to be in boarding school or like with Janet or him and she choose him, where exactly are they going to say? With Lou? You can stream current episodes over at Hulu.

Rescue Me on iTunes


Lost: Why is it nobody is wondering what exactly what will happen if they actually detonate the hydrogen bomb? Do they think that they will actually magically warp to life in 2007 as if they never crashed on the island without any recollection of actually crashing and not just die in the blast? Then there are Dan’s mom and Richard who have no future to warp to, what do they think with end up happening to them? My theory is that they were always destined to set off the bomb and that is what creates the Swan station. And at least there was the goods comic relief of Dr. Chang quizzing Hurley on current events. You can stream current episodes over at ABC.com.

Lost on iTunes


Survivor: Ug, another week, another week without Coach getting voted off. I wish I could say I couldn’t believe that he actually told his buddy that everyone calls him the dragon slayer, but that would be a lie. You can stream current episodes over at Innertube.

Survivor on iTunes


My Name Is Earl: Yeah, this would have been better as just a one episode because the second part just went off the rails. You can stream current episodes over at NBC.com. You can also download My Name Is Earl on iTunes.