Welcome back kids. It has been quite a week here at homebase. I lost a load of links when I lost my PC. I’m not sure how that’s going to affect our final count today, but we’ll see.

We also welcome a new Geek to the herd this week. Aamir comes to us on a strong recommendation from Chris and we’re glad to have him in the fold. Look for him to start posting very soon.

And before we get to the links, it wouldn’t be LinkFrogging without our weekly slice of cheesecake. This week that cheesecake is Tina Fey. Love her or hate her, Tina is seeminly everywhere. Her take on Sarah Palin may have single-handedly submarined the former Alaska governor as a potential vice-presidential candidate. On a recent episode of David Letterman, when asked about a story that she was a virgin well into her 20’s her response was…”couldn’t give it away.”  It disarmed Letterman. That’s hard to do. Tina can be seen on NBC’s 30 Rock each Thursday night.

On with the links.

1. The worst of the baseball.
2. NBA – The world’s league.
3. Russian missile or global coverup?
4. Royalty my ass…
5. AXL @ LAX (TMZ won’t let me just put in a link) http://www.tmz.com/2009/12/11/axl-rose-guns-n-roses-paparazzi-punch-attack-airport-lax-video/-
6. Become an Achiever!
7. Is it “gotcha journalism” when it comes from the right?  Youbetcha!
8. Dear Alanis:  THIS is ironic.
9. He’ll never wear an adult large baseball cap again either.
10. Pride and Prejudice…and Zombies gets a star.
11. Check out the survival status of your favorite TV shows.
12. For all the Harry Potter pervs in the audience.  You know who you are!
13. Because the world was just waiting for Howard Chaykin to draw Tracer Bullet. (not you Ray)
14. The Conchords have been grounded.
15. #1 is bathe.
16. In this unlikely event, I won’t be compiling a list that week.
17. Its as if Confederacy of Dunces came to life.
18. Peter Gammons leaves ESPN.  Search underway to find new Red Sox homer.
19. Nothing says Christmas quite like a gorked out Captain Pike.  Fa la la la la la logical.
20. David’s Iraq deployment blog.
21. The Ghostbusters take on A Christmas Carol.
22. What’s the difference between Tiger Woods and Santa Claus?  Santa stops after 3 hos.
23. A friend of mine just started this poker site.
24. ATF stands for Alchohol, Tobacco and…
25. Skynet was number 9.
26. I should tweet this.

Speaking of Twitter, if you’re into that sort of thing, you can follow us @gonzogeekcom.

During a conversation this morning with a friend, we discussed our first five album purchases.  Now, this does perhaps reveal a great deal about age, but it’s kind of hilarious looking back.

My first five:

1. Hootie and the Blowfish – Cracked Rear View (song)
2. Weezer – The Blue Album (song)
3. Ace of Base – The Sign (song)
4. Alanis Morrisette – Jagged Little Pill (song)
5. No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom (song)

I’m not at all sure of the order, so it may well be that The Real McCoy’s Another Night (song) and The Cranberries’ Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can’t We (song) were somewhere in the mix too.

Man, I had great taste.

Thinking back, what were your first record purchases?

I don’t usually like to get too personal on these posts.  Other writers seem to be able to cut themselves open on their blogs and not feel weird about, or maybe they spend a lot of time scrubbing their naked bodies with a Brillo pad under scalding water in the shower and we just don’t witness this.  A lot is made about the fragility of an artist.  I still remember No Doubt’s best record, “Tragic Kingdom”, how it portrayed a terrible breakup of Gwen Steffani and her guitarist ex-boyfriend (interesting how I can’t remember his name) and how powerful it was; or Alanis Morrisette’s “Jagged Little Pill” (not sure why all the female artists albums are coming to me now) album, which put out for the world to see, Alanis’s angst and broken heart.  Maybe that’s part of my problem as an artist, in that, I’m a very private emotional person.  A lot of things go on in my life, a lot of issues, and I’m not comfortable, never have been comfortable, sharing them with even my best friends and family, and I think they can sense this, in some way, that I’m hiding things from them and maybe this inhibits us from having as great relationships as I would wish.

My brother left today to go back to San Diego, where he lives, about as far away from us as he can be, and I understand why he lives there, understand this intimately as it was a desire for me to be as far away from my family as I possible could be.  I don’t think that growing up in my family was anywhere as horrible as some stories I’ve heard about kids being locked in cages and girls being raped by their fathers and dealing with alcoholic/drug-addicted mothers, but I will say that all four of us (my siblings and I) have developed into individuals who seem in some way incapable of dealing with a lot of things the world has for us.  In our own ways we are deficient, and all kind of hopeless in fixing the internal issues that impede us.

I don’t know where this came from.  I just know that I have a difficult time processing and dealing with emotions of any nature, whether happiness or sadness, and find it foreign that others can seamlessly absorb a stimulus, have a physiologic response, and move onto the next event.  It’s like my body doesn’t know how to react, how to bring the correct chemicals in my brain together, to produce an apparent reaction, so I appear numb to the whole process.

And I feel numb.  My brother has just backed down the driveway in my mother’s car, on his way to O’Hare airport to go back to San Diego, not to return until God-knows-when, and I know I should feel sad about this, know that emotion is in there somewhere, but I can’t bring it to the service, can’t let it release, whether I want to cry or pound my fist against the wall or go to sleep for fifteen hours or go to the gym and run until I can’t stand.

I feel an incredible nothingness.  And I don’t believe that’s normal.

There’s been some really painful things that have happened in my life since I came back to Chicago this summer and I have no clue what to do with the emotions I feel over them.  They seem to be sitting in my chest or floating around in my head, as though waiting to be called to the forefront and dealt with, in whatever way such feelings are dealt with by normal people, but I don’t know how to do this, so they drift around and latch onto other feelings and emotions and grow and feed off of whatever they feed off of until I really can’t ignore or repress them anymore.  But even then, I’m not sure how to slay these particular dragons, and have found through practice that drinking a lot or running five miles on the treadmill at the gym or listening to Nirvana at ear-splitting decimals or watching porn or messaging on Facebook or packing my bags and moving to Costa Rica doesn’t help.

So, here, now, in the new way I’ve come up with to deal with my sour emotions, I’ll start small and hope it helps.

Good bye brother.  I’ll miss you.

November 27th, 2009

La mia vita forse è un telefilm, sì.

Ma uno spin off. Anzi no. Un Crossover.

Tutto questo è molto divertente. Anzi no. Ironico.

Quindi il buon giorno ed il buon fine settimana io ve lo auguro con Alanis

(e cmq questa canzone spacca e spaccherà fino alla fine del mondo)

The following was shared with me recently and I wanted to share it with all of you as well:

Why Can’t I Own a Canadian?

October 2002

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a east coast resident, which was posted on the Internet. It’s funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness – Lev.15:19- 24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination – Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t agree. Can you settle this?

Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? – Lev.24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted fan,
Jim

I hope my friend doesn’t mind but for literary sake, I’ll refer to him as “Bill”—which is not anything close to his real name but shorter than “my friend”.

So Bill, thanks for sharing this.  I found it amusing to start with.  You see, it shows the shallowness of some Christian thinking and I agree in part with the subtle point Jim is making in this letter.  Whether the letter is real or not, the point is still valid in some ways.  Christians do a good job of picking out or picking on one or two points in the Bible.  It becomes a banner under which a Crusade is fought.  Not cool.

According to some accounts, there are 613 Jewish laws or Mitzvot.  And for some reason, Christians pick 10 of them—no, 11—no 12 of them to hold up today as standards.  There are the Ten Commandments that most have heard of and few can recite.  Then there’s the one pastors love about tithing—and they say it’s not about the money.  And then there’s the one about homosexuality.  The other 601 simply don’t matter anymore to the Christian.  And that’s how we get to Jim’s letter.

So why can’t I own a Canadian?  I was going to be first in line for Shania Twain.  I’d settle for Alanis Morrisette but either way, my wife would have a problem with it.  Besides, there’s that 9th commandment.  Oh well.  Who needs to own anyone anyway!

Back to the point:

Jim, the problem with Dr Laura’s position and your assertions is that the Law is not understood and taken in context.  These laws were not given to the world, but rather to the Jews as a nation.  These were to be their laws within the borders of the land which God gave them.  He never told Moses to go enforce these laws for the Egyptians or Babylonians, but these laws prescribed how the Jew should act or behave if traveling in those lands or in dealing with those people.  These are not laws that necessarily transfer to other countries, peoples, lands, etc.

The laws give us insight into God’s character though and tell us what he finds acceptable and pleasing.  If one chooses to love God and to serve him—if ones focus is to please God—how better to do so than to understand how he feels about human interactions.

Some laws were ceremonial, others had to do with righteousness, while other laws have to do with health and hygiene.  Regarding the latter, there were laws regarding touching dead things, dealing with mold and mildew, and eating certain foods.  Relative to today’s food hygiene standards, I doubt many of us would want to have eaten shellfish or pork back then anyway.   And would we have E.Coli outbreaks today if we followed kosher guidelines for slaughtering an animal?

Lives would be more peaceful and healthy if we followed the ancient guidelines but today, we know better.  We risk eating shellfish and even then, raw!  We eat meat with the blood still in it (rare) and wonder at our health problems.  We have relationships with people at inappropriate times and in inappropriate ways and struggle to stop AIDS and STDs.  Indeed, there are people engaging in acts with animals—and society worries about getting H1N1 from eating pork???  What are they getting transmitted sexually???

I don’t accept that these laws apply to Christians today unless one chooses to live under them.  Not sure why they would.  However, knowing and doing what is right based on these laws is another thing.

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourself.  And he challenges us to change our thinking as to who that neighbor is.  He tells us to do to others as we would have them do to us.  Paul tells us to consider others better than ourselves, or rather, do not think of ourselves as being better than others.

Frankly, if we do these things, what commandments do we need?  Do we need to be told not to murder?  Who would we hate to the point of murder if we loved our neighbor as ourself?

As for the homosexuality issue, if God says something is an abomination, then that’s what He says.  Not me.  But I’m in no position to contradict him.  One of my best friends EVER is gay and I care about him and love him.  Do I agree with some of his actions or choices?  No.  Do I accept him?  Yes.  So let’s consider this:  I have heterosexual friends where I can say the same things—some of their actions and choices I disagree with also.  And if you knew me better, you would probably disagree with some of my actions and choices.

But this friend of mine—the gay one, not “Bill”—is also a Christian.  Is he headed to Hell because of his lifestyle?  I don’t think so.  You see, even if I thought so, I cannot pronounce judgment on him and I have no idea what his relationship with God is.  I stand in judgment over no-one.  Based on what scripture tells me, I believe he is saved and will be with Christ one day. 

But based on what scripture says, I also have to believe that his lifestyle is not in keeping with God’s perfect plan for humanity.

A few more points:

The Bible teaches that if we break one law, we break them all.  No sin is better or worse than another.

The Bible says that ALL have sinned and fall short.  That’s why Jesus came.

The Bible says that Jesus died for “whomsoever would believe would be saved”.

And the Bible teaches that for the Christian, there is no condemnation, but it also teaches that we are no longer under the Law.

MORE:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp

http://www.humanistsofutah.org/2002/WhyCantIOwnACanadian_10-02.html

http://cavmom.wordpress.com/2007/10/05/why-cant-i-own-a-canadian/

Besting a personal record, I’ve managed to meet the man of my dreams, fall madly in love with him, and then find out he was a total jerk all in the span of about a week. In celebration of this occasion, I’ve compiled a list of my all time favorite “men suck” songs. Please feel free to add to the list.

• 

  Yikes, better stay on her good side.

  You Oughta Know – Alanis Morrisette

• I  Hate You So Much Right Now – Kelis
• Here We Go – Trina feat/Kelly Rowland
• I Will Survive- Gloria Gaynor
• Irreplacible- Beyonce
• Survivor – Destiny’s Child
• Single Ladies – Beyonce
• Me, Myself, & I – Beyonce
• Freak ‘Em Dress – Beyonce (Just about anything from Beyonce could be on this list)
• Shoulda Let You Go – Keyshia Cole
• Since You’ve Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson
• Heard it All Before – Sunshine Anderson
• Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood
• Mya – If You Died I Wouldn’t Cry (cause you never loved me anyway)

adam lambert drake labry break up according to tabloids

If the Tabloids are true, then all those love sick women out there will be going crazy trying to get Adam Lambert’s attention.

It will be a complete waste of your time girls.

You see he has a new album coming out, which means hundreds of hours of press, tours and interviews.

Who has time to spend with anyone when you have a schedule that keeps you away from a person for weeks, even months at a time?

I think Adam Lambert was very wise and so was Drake Labry to call it quits for now.

Adam Lambert kisses Drake Labry Goodbye

This way both of them will be able to concentrate on their careers and not worry about hurting  or disappointing their “special someone’s” feelings.

No one to call home to, and say, “Hey I can’t make it for dinner, tonight, or this week, maybe I can pencil you in say in February?  But then again… I could be on some sort of tour, then there’s the movie offers and of course I’m going to be working on my next album, so how about I schedule you in about two years time?”

That’s the honest truth, ask anyone who has made it in hollywood, how taxing fame can be.

Adam likes to keep things in balance, you can see that by how he answers each and every question in his interviews.

He likes to contemplate and take his time, savor each moment of fame, then decide what his next step is.

Without any distractions from anyone else, he’s got a BIG job to do.

Not only does he have the pressure of being our #1 American Idol from all season’s on his shoulders.

He wants to reach the pinnacle of success, if not, then I’m sure his producers are keeping their fingers crossed.

They want to make the next Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson star.

Who else gets half of hollywood begging to make a record with them?

I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime (and I’ve been around for some time now.)

I think it’s awesome how artists in Hollywood are vying to work with Adam, because they know he’s talented and they are telling us that he is worthy of their attention!

Now that’s BIG.

Even Elvis Presley didn’t have this kind of fame when he first started.  He had to work at it for a few years before becoming the King of Rock n Roll.

Michael Jackson had to work at it for many years to become the King of Pop.

Adam Lambert shows up on a TV show after working his butt off for over 10 years in stage, musicals and productions and he becomes a star overnight?

It’s because he learned the tricks of the trade.  He fashioned and molded himself into a Hollywood diamond before stepping out into the limelight.

Then when he hit center stage and found the correct spotlight (Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi) he walked calmly in, stood there, knocked us over with his vocal talent and wowed us with his penace to create some interesting songs and performances.

He’s a natural, its in his blood and he’s doing what he loves to do… For your Entertainment.

The name of his first album, tells it all.

Adam Lambert is writing and singing music for our entertainment, because he likes bringing joy into our lives.

And I want him to know, it’s working.

Adam, We want you to know that your a joy to watch perform, your entertaining and funny.

We  really want to see you in a movie, sometime soon too!

Hugs… From ALL YOUR FANS.

I like these songs – I call them BREAK UP Songs…

Por: Lourdes Maldonado (Editora Asociada)
PSN ID: Lulusoy

¿No es "Ironic" que Lourdes regresa cuando sale mi canción en Rock Band?

¡Hola gente! Estoy de vuelta y vengo con mucho ánimo. ¿Díganme, me extrañaron? Bueno pues yo sí los extrañé. Por si no lo sabían, fui víctima de “YLOD” así que estuve de luto por varias semanas. Terminé comprándome un PS3 Slim. Bajar todas mis canciones y DLC al nuevo PS3 tampoco ha sido tarea fácil pues mi conexión de Internet parece no ser el mejor del mundo, pero aquí estoy de vuelta y con muchas ganas de “rockear”.

Esta semana salen 9 canciones (DLC) para Rock Band. Las bandas son: Alanis Morissette, Electric Six, Flotbot y The Raconteurs. Empezaremos hablando de Alanis, original de Canadá y considerada como una de las artistas de mayor venta en la historia. Es canta-autora, actriz y productora. Nos trae esta semana dos de sus más conocidas canciones: Head Over Feet e Ironic. Ya había salido en RB2, You Ought to Know, todas del mismo disco.

Por otra parte la banda Electric Six nos trae: Dance Epidemic, Gay Bar, y la canción I Don Like You. Electric Six es una banda activa americana de rock alternivo conocida por su éxito Danger High Voltage, pero esta canción no está disponible en RB. Quién sabe, quizás más adelante estará disponible. A mí personalmente no me gustaron ninguna de sus canciones. Y que me dicen de Flotbot? Lo conocen? Otra banda americana de rock alternativo y hip-hop formada para el año 2000. La canción que nos traen es Handlebars, tampoco recomendada por mí. Por último tenemos The Raconteurs, la cual es otra banda americana nueva del 2005 y nueva en RB con 3 canciones: Many Shades of Black, Salute Your Solution y Steady as She Goes, siendo esta última canción la más conocida.

Mi recomendación: las dos canciones de Alanis Morisette. La dificultad mayor en ambas canciones se ve en la batería y en la parte vocal, pero se puede manejar dado que no son imposibles. Yo de seguro las compro. Si no tienen mucho dinero para gastar pues lo mejor es que guarden para octubre 20 que va a salir un paquete de 10 canciones de Queen y el álbum completo de Abbey Road ($16.99) para The Beatles Rock Band y esos sí hay que comprarlos. Y si les parece poco, en noviembre sale Lego Rock Band ($49.99) que también viene con tremendas bandas.

Bonus Track: te hace falta sacar el trofeo de Flawless Singing? Solo necesitas hacer 100% en una canción en modo experto y la mejor canción para hacer esto según los expertos es So Whatcha Want de Beastie Boys de RB2 porque la canción es como hablada. En mi casa funcionó con Testify de Rage Against the Machines. Suerte ahí!

]]> http://crabbits.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/rock-art/ Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:54:19 +0000 crabbits http://crabbits.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/rock-art/

Sketchbook with black and blood-colored ink. Ooh, two cups of tea.

Street Fighting Man, Rolling Stones cover by Oasis

And a whole bunch more…

Billy Idol. Alanis Morrissette. Marilyn Manson. Rhys Ifans. Liam Gallagher.

El anterior video empiezas con unas chicas coristas… Vamos a dedicarles una Entrada solo a las chicas que enorgullecen la escena rockera…

Cramberries, deliciosa voz.

En realidad las mujeres siempre van a tener mucho más tacto para tocar temas humanos que los cavernícolas hombres, y como ya sabemos, una buena canción, con un buen tema y letra es mucho mejor… Otra que toca estos temas escabrosos es esta señora de la que dije atrás que merecía más espacio…

Marianne Faithful, la oscuridad personificada. Mil veces resucitada de todas sus maldades. Genial y tétrica.

Alanis Morrisette, la vi en San José y me gustó más que los Red Hot (llegaron parecido a tocar por acá), fuerte y me encanta la loquita del asiento de atrás retorciéndose, en general me caen bien todos los exagerados expresivos.

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything’s okay and everything’s going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything’s gone wrong and everything blows up
In your face

Janis Joplin, me costó decidirme con cual video, así que busqué el más raro de todos, no necesita mucho que decir, es de sentarse a escuchar…

Puedo seguir y seguir, así que lo dejamos para otras…

]]> http://tvduchess.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/weeds-all-about-my-mom/ Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:45:55 +0000 tvduchess http://tvduchess.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/weeds-all-about-my-mom/

Weeds, your season finales while normally fast paced (Season 1), this one was just like a normal episode until the last 30 seconds! WTF?!? I heard right on Twitter that it would be a shocking ending that no one saw coming! It can only be described best as “Oh My Goodness”!

Let’s not blow the ending yet, instead we’ll discuss Adelita Reyes first. She is certainly a little pain in the neck. I figured that we would see Silas win her over out of spite, much to the dismay of Esteban. Turns out she is a habitual recreational user of heroine. A junkie or “yunkie” if you will. For someone who’s gotten the best education from all over the world, when your entire left side is numb you go to the freakin’ hospital! Yikes! Could you believe the nerve of her asking Silas to shoot her up because she just needed the quick fix? I am proud of that Botwin boy! He’s grown up so much since we first saw Silas after his break up with Quinn.

Speaking of the Hodes, Celia trapping Doug in that storage unit was priceless. I am little surprised that she hasn’t started sleeping with him again… It was a nice hit to the face with that pitcher! But Celia really needs to understand that in her faint attempts to be Nancy, it isn’t going to work. It’s only brought tragedy to Nancy. Not that Celia has that much to lose, but even Nancy realizes that she made a lot of mistakes since Judah died. How long will Celia’s business last? Do you think she’ll become more profitable and powerful than Nancy?

Esteban seemed powerless against Pilar. It really doesn’t suit him. But what was up with the tirade over Nancy wearing his deodorant? I mean, honestly, I am not a fan of wearing my husband’s deodorant… But if I liked the smell, I could understand Nancy wearing it. She couldn’t find him anywhere, she missed him! It made her feel close to him, why would that make him feel emasculated?

Pilar inviting Nancy to the party was hospitable on her part though, but telling her to leave after 30 minutes because Nancy will have a “headache” was a little much. What kind of man will Mexico elect if that man goes to parties without his wife? I think a rude one.
But when Pilar decides to escort Nancy outside for a talk, I was a little surprised to hear that the hit on Pilar would not be carried out by our favorite duck (or was he the tiger?), Guillermo Garcia Gomez. Apparently, our Puerto Rican drug dealer was under the employ of Pilar. Seems like the information on Nancy from him could have gotten him moved out of the prison in the US sooner… But what do I know? Then Pilar decides to tell Nancy all of the ways she is going to arrange for her two oldest sons to die: a car crash, a plane crash, etc.

More shocking however was the croquet mallet that seemed to appear on the screen out of nowhere! Pilar’s head was hit, and she fell face first into the pool! Who was wielding this weapon of mass destruction? All we could see was Nancy’s blank face. Then we heard a voice, and that voice was Shane’s, who by the way was incredibly silent this episode (“You can always tell a Milferd Man!” – Arrested Development). He apparently had been looking for a golf club, and the croquet mallet was all he could find.

What a finale! That scene had literally come out of nowhere! Fantastic!

What did YOU think of the finale? What are your theories for next season?

Comment below!

This episode certainly had put an interesting spin on an otherwise boring tale of sitting in a jail house while waiting on news of your incarcerated loved one.  It certainly opened the door for many new questions which always occurs when Andy and Nancy discuss the matters at hand.

I really admired the only magazine available for the English speaking patrons was from 1974!  And for Andy and Nancy to be stuck reading a Love quiz from that era, of what seemed like a dirtier version of Redbook, was hilarious.  But it slightly shocked me that Nancy was getting such a low score on this quiz, because it had seemed to me that she was actually falling in love with the man that Esteban was becoming for his new campaign.  That is, right before he was apprehended by some sort of police squad on racketeering and tax evasion charges…

But meanwhile, back at the ranch…  So Silas is not in the same “division” as Adelita Reyes, but he at least has the decentsy to save her from being accosted by two well to do Mexican prep students?  Is Adelita even aware that she is normally taken advantage of while she is under the cloud of heroine with her loser friends?  A girl of her upbringing, being very well educated, and knowing her father’s business, it surprises me that she would fall victim to such a bad case of peer pressure…  Something else is certainly going on here…

But the best moments of this episode had to be Dean, Doug, and Isabelle devising a plan to get back at Celia for stealing their product and ruining their business.  Having Dean dress up as a detective with a trademarked fedora and flashing a badge as he follows a Nancy Botwin-esque dressed Celia while she is heading out on her drug deals was fantastic!  Especially her call to Nancy for help, and advice on how she handles all the caffeine without wetting herself was just hilarious!  Poor Celia, she couldn’t catch a break with fly paper!

But at the end of the episode we learn that the missing Esteban has been taken by Pilar, and is now being backed by her in the race.  What does this mean for Nancy’s marriage?  Will Pilar send another hitman out for Nancy?  Or the baby?

What are YOU hoping to see in the finale?

Comment below!

British songstress Luci Cahn began her career in the music industry as a receptionist at a recording studio.  Lucky for us, she was sacked after the owner found a demo tape of hers and accused her of sneaking into the studio.  Now making a go as a singer/songwriter, Cahn’s sound is pure, fresh pop accompanied by quirky lyrics.  Is she particularly innovative and revolutionary?  No, but she’s fun to listen to and that’s all I ask out of my music.  Her debut single ‘Inside Out’ was released with Halo Records along with a music video, and hopefully we’ll be hearing a lot more from Cahn very soon.  Until someone wises up and signs her, you can listen to all her tracks on her MySpace page.

‘Inside Out’- On her first single, Cahn sounds a bit like Alanis Morrisette with a hint of her British accent.   Defnitely a rock-pop vibe.

‘Sentimental’- Feel good beats while Cahn croons in a deeper tone, not your typical sugar-sweet pop voice.  Just like her own lyrics this tune “could never be called sentimental.”

‘Romeo Juliet’- The B-side to her single, I simply love the lyrics, “strangers passing in the night, birds on a different flight.”

‘Carried Away’- Personally my favorite song of hers so far.  Cahn slows it down on this one about trying to get over a love that always makes you get carried away.

‘Words Like Ice’- This was a close second in the competition for my favorite song.  Cahn’s lyrics do an excellent job of painting contrast in the chorus: “Your words are like ice down my back, your lips are so warm.”

‘I Can’t Sleep’- The beat during the chorus is particularly catchy in what amounts to an upbeat song about insomnia.

You can purchase Luci Cahn’s single ‘Inside Out’ on iTunes and Amazon now.

People, I’m here to help. It has come to my attention recently that certain people are not wearing sweat bands when they really should. Sweat bands aren’t just a fashion accessory. People, they are IMPORTANT.

Just ask Alanis Morrisette, caught here in desperate need of some sweat bands while going for a jog in Santa Monica.

Or Owen Wilson, shown here after a game of tennis. But hey, we sell sweat bands in a set of 12 assorted head and wrist sweat bands (36 sweat bands total). Maybe dude just needs to double down.

Instead, follow J. Lo’s lead! Whether or not you’re running a triathlon, it’s indisputable: your best accessory is a beautiful smile. Seen here modeled by J. Lo as she crossed the finish line in Malibu last September.

The conclusion is obvious: yellow striped sweat bands are definitely key!

Blue & White Head and Wrist Sweat Bands (3 pc. Set) $14.95 Now $2.45

Orange Head and Wrist Sport Sweat Bands (3 pc. Set) $14.95 Now $2.45

Brown Athletic Head & Wrist Sweat Bands (3 pc. Set) $14.95 Now $2.45

Tonight’s episode of Weeds was incredibly enjoyable!  It was interesting to see how the new couples were working out together.  Who  would have guessed there would be so many to discuss?

Andy & Audra – So Audra finally accepts Andy into her heart, err, I mean bed, um, sofa!  And then finds him irresistable.  Don’t all women who meet Andy find him that way?  Nancy excluded of course.  But he’s her knight in a shiny Dukes’ of Hazzard car (and so sweet to actually get the door unwelded shut!)!  It’s a little unbelieveable that even if Audra does move into the house with Andy, the anti-abortionists won’t be able to find her.

Celia & Your Pretty! cosmetics lady – So Raylene is actually going to convert Celia to lesbianism?  Really?  Didn’t Celia ask Nancy to have an affair with her in season 1?  This play to make Celia into a lesbian is a little tiresom.  We get it, she’s lonely, and she’s picked on her daughter enough that it would be kind of ironic (yes, that would be the right use of ironic, are you listening Alanis Morrisette?).  But honestly, does she really need to go through a mid life crisis, like Dean did with his Asian tennis instructor?  Speaking of Dean…

Dean & Doug – Honestly, there has been enough beating around the bush, when are they going to get over this ridiculous bromance?  We know that Doug secretly hearts Dean!

Silas & The Bitch – Adelita is perhaps the bitchiest character we have ever seen on this show!  And that’s saying a lot, since this is the show with Celia…  But I think I am more shocked at Esteban’s utter lack of compassion for his wife’s sons.  Silas is a simple boy?  He just called him retarded!  Nancy don’t let that man back in your bedroom for at least a month, oh wait…

Nancy & Esteban – Well wouldn’t you know it!  As soon as it seems that Nancy is falling back into love with her man (despite all odds), he goes and gets arrested.  For racketeering and tax evasion no less!  Yikes!  In a Mexican prison!  Ouch!  After he finally agreed about breast feeding (which is definitely the mother’s choice, not the father’s!)!

Nancy & Guillermo -  This odd couple of Ducks and Tigers…  What can I say, other than, I wouldn’t trust him enough to move him back to a country where he has more contacts and available resources to buy his way out of prison so that he can kill you and your baby in the night!  Nancy stay away from this man!  Yeesh!

What did you think of this episode?  What can’t you wait to see more of?  Celia and Raylene?  Nancy & Guillermo?  Cesar and Esteban?

Comment below!

So it seems Jon Gosselin is getting some mileage in–and not in the good way.  Apparently, he and his new 22 YEAR OLD COKEHEAD, er, former cokehead were traveling the globe with tacky designer, Christian Audigier with the hopes of making tacky clothing for children and using his kids as the “models”.  

Now, I realize that Kate was an uber-shrew (maybe something about the name “Kate”?) but did she deserve to be publicly replaced so quickly?  Ten years of marriage, eight kids… and this is all the respect he could show her?

I’m sorry, but…I don’t care WHAT the other person did or didn’t do to cause a ten year relationship to crumble.  For the sake of what you had once, out of respect for that…you don’t go prancing around with your new chippie when the whole world is watching–including your kids.  They only just filed for divorce a few weeks ago and he’s already taking up with someone else?  Yeh.  Stay classy, Jon Gosselin.

I can’t believe I’m about to post this, but: I feel bad for Kate Gosselin.

Kate, I am feelin’ ya.  No hard feelings?  Here, as a sign of my sincerity.  This one’s for you, girl. 

Alanis, sing it!

Rap songs can be mind-blowingly awful (see my thoughts on Asher Roth). Some are wonderful, but occasionally they’re made better by those who have no connection whatsoever to the rap game. Look, if Jay-Z can do part of “Wonderwall,” I feel totally comfortable telling you which rap songs are made better by white dudes in bushy beards. A great rap cover will either:

1) expose the lyrics for the mindless, talentless, moronic rhyming couplets that they are.

or

2) take the song in a completely different, often softer and dangerously emotive, direction. Who would have thought you’d make love to “Hey Ya” after sophomore year of college!

10. Hey Ya covered by Mat Weddle of Obadiah Parker- At first I wondered why Zack Gilifinakis was covering an Outkast song. Then I pressed play and really enjoyed this in an indulgent, sensitive way. It goes really well with my just purchased copy of “New Moon.”

9 THROUGH 1 AFTER THE JUMP

9. Heartless covered by The Fray – This actually ended up on the radio, which I found hilarious and, though maybe Kanye saw this as the sincerest form of flattery, I want to believe this was The Fray once again giving Kanye a subtle finger.

8.Gin and Juice by the Gourds- I don’t know how many times this song has been covered, and I don’t know how much ill-gotten publicity this got Phish, but it’s a great college party song. I wonder if Phish actually did put together a cover of Gin and Juice just because so many yuppie kids like me thought they really did this. This is all the fault of  one stupid kid who accidentally mislabeled the artist in their iTunes. We should hunt that guy down.

By the way, do you think the KKK guys at these concerts are aware of who they’re singing?

7. My Pony covered by Far – Don’t you love it when the same rap song that’s played in strip clubs will come back in rock form and be played in the exact same place? Stop looking at me like a piece of meat, Charity. Angel got here first.

6. Don’t Stop the Music – The Bird And The Bee – Is this a song about the club? Or is it a deeply passionate, indie tale of love? Are Zooey Deschanel and Zach Braff available to make the hipster Romeo and Juliet? Regardless, I love this song.

5. My Humps covered by Alanis Morrisette - What is probably the polar opposite of Fergie? A better-looking tranny? (oh no I didn’t) You’d think this would be the LAST thing Alanis would cover, but really it’s about empowerment, how a girl can get hers in a man’s world. Or the lyrics are moronical and Alanis is a secret comedic genius. She must have a little Ryan Reynolds in her (ba-ZING!)

4. Bitches ain’t Shit covered by Ben Folds – This was my official hangover song for YEARS. It’s kind of nice and soothing, while still making you feel somewhat uneasy. That may just be my stomach. Who wants to get bagels? I could really go for a bagel and about four gallons of water right now.

3. Baby Got Back by Jonathan Coulton – I like that this song could possibly play in some carefree montage of an irreverant romantic comedy. This really needs to be played in a meadow somewhere. I want to frolic to this.

2. Umbrella covered by All Time Low - What could POSSIBLY be more pop than Rhianna’s “Umbrella?” A guilty pleasure pop punk group covering said popular song. This one ALMOST made my head explode, like looking at that paining of an infinite staircase.

1. Boyz N’ Tha Hood by Dynamite Hack – The best. Hands down. The song’s so good and subtly subversive that some of us whiter folks had no earthly idea it was a cover, the lyrics are that laughable.

Semana agitada essa, não?

Abomino um clichê, mas é impossível passar batido (mesmo com o coração sentindo a perda de uma avó emprestada!) à morte de Michael Jackson.

Quando li os comentários dos amigos no Facebook corri até a primeira página da Uol para ter certeza. Li no NYT, mas a vinheta do Jornal Nacional noticiava que ainda não era certa a notícia. Daí eu até respirei.

Mas uma profusão de vídeos do astro era linkada a todo instante no site de relacionamentos. Pessoas inconformadas com a brutalidade do fato. Confesso uma certa irritação. Afinal, MJ quase nunca era citado por lá. Bastou morrer para virar santo? _eu pensei…

Daí é que me enganei. Um mito nunca morre! E Michael Jackson fez parte da adolescência e descoberta de muitas pessoas, inclusive da minha. Nasci um ano depois de seu maior sucesso de vendas, Thriller, ser lançado e me recordo de quando meu irmão colocava o video e/ou o disco para tocar e eu corria de medo daqueles zumbis.

Vivi uma adolescência regada a Spice Girls, No Doubt, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Titãs Acústico MTV, muito Jagged Little Pill de Alanis e Malandragem de Cássia Eller. De Madonna eu ouvia só os clássicos, mas gastava fortunas com revistas importadas quando ela era a capa; meu vídeo preferido até hoje é The power of goodbye, que nem é tão classuda assim, mas… Depois desse, a musa, para mim, não tem mais a mesma importância… mas isso é assunto para outro post!

Michael Jackson nunca foi motivo de comentário algum de minha parte. E não porque eu não gostasse dele. Sempre fui tão ligado à música brasileira que numa fase de vício da Mtv eu mudava de canal quando qualquer foreign sound começava. Mas algumas coisas, ainda assim, eram eternas. Caso da imagem de MJ cantando Black or white.

Amava quando começava o clipe e eu aumentava a Tv até o último volume para dançar com ele. Era tão intensa a minha dança que em pouco menos de 5 minutos eu estava todo suado e cansado… porém, com o espírito evoluído e atingindo um grau de malemolência que nem quando eu frequentava baladas até as sete da manhã eu conseguia…

Michael se foi. Fez, sim, coisas inacreditáveis. Mas eu hoje prefiro lembrar daquele cara negro, de calças pretas com meia branca, que dançava muito e que, certamente, nunca mais vai alegrar multidões!

Que sua dança alegre os céus e que sua música seja sempre uma lembrança boa no coração de seus fãs.

por Daniel Amarhal
Foto: divulgação!
Fonte/vídeo: Youtube

I last was in touch with this dude in about 1998 or 1999. He was involved with a band in the Bay area back then. I believe they were called the Last Americans. But I’d known him off and on since about 4-years old before then. Anyway, he’s obviously done a great job chasing his dreams, and I couldn’t be happier to see him doing something with his platform. War West Michigan! War James Michael.

Me lo dicono spesso, l’ultima stamattina alle 7 al bar sorseggiando il primo di una lunga serie di caffé della giornata.

“Ohhh, sei sempre allegra e sorridente. Sempre il sorriso sulle labbra!”

“Ehhh, R. non tiene probbbblemi!” (detta da un simpatico cliente napoletano che incrocio ormai tutte le mattine)

E come no..

Volevo quasi continuare nella linea della simpatia e rispondere che quello che avevo non era un sorriso ma una paresi, sciorinando battutone di sarcazzo chi non mi ricordo.

Ma non ho detto nulla, come nella mia migliore tradizione. Non sono una tipa dalle battute pronte.

Sempre sorridente.  Certo, é vero.

La mia corazza, la mia difesa.

Solo che la sera, quando nessuno mi vede (e pochi mi sentono..), togliersi la corazza fa male e fa ancora più male vedere che sotto di essa nonostante tutto,  si contano le ferite.

La mia maschera.

“C’è una farfalla intrappolata nella tela di un ragno
Quella lassù è la mia anima
Sono stato già qui in piedi nella pioggia che scende
Con il mondo che gira in cerchi che mi corrono per la testa
Immagino di aver sempre pensato che tu potessi mettere fine a questo regno
Ma è il mio destino essere il re del dolore”