"When I was a kid, my grandfather used to say to me that . . . a fellow's life wasn't worth mentioning if he hadn't shared it with some folks along the way." - MacGyver
Oh what a wonderful little twist this story is having. As you all know by now, I am a fierce opponent of the fact the Charlie Sheen is still alive, and as such am always elated when bad things happen to him. It seemed as if he would never get what was coming to him. Hold your wife at knife point on Christmas day? No worries, you're Charlie Sheen. Drive while under drugs? NBD. Busted for cocaine? How about a raise?!
But finally after years and years of perpetuating the collapse of American society with that terrible terrible atrocity that is Two and a Half Men, you may have finally done it. After calling out AA and CBS and making personal attacks on the creator of the show, it canceled the rest of the season. Fantastic news. And now, his appearance on the Today Show this morning, has resulted in an incredible backlash against him. Not since Tom Cruise called Matt Lauer 'glib' has anyone given such a crazy interview. He's still on drugs and his spiral into hell is really fun to watch.
Here is a coincidental link Kingsford recently posted about what people look like after getting addicted to drugs. Look at those and tell me Chuck doesn't belong with these other assholes. Hopefully within the year, people will forget that he ever existed.
Charlie Sheen, I hope you don't die, but live a long agonizing life where I get to punch you in the face every day until I have kids and then they get to punch you.
VW strikes again with another great idea. I don't talk about ads a lot on here because I spend enough time at school talking about them, but this is an example of a perfectly simple idea that goes a long way.
And yet again, something I'm writing has been done. This is literally the third script I've written about teachers, the first two were pilots the most recent a screenplay, only to find out it's already been done. I stopped writing my screenplay when I first read the synopsis for this movie, which looks pretty funny, but with JT in it, I'm definitely watching it. Writing screenplays is a lot like writing ads; you think you have a great idea only to find out someone else has already done it. And once someone has already done it, you can't do it (though a recent look at movies coming out of Hollywood would suggest otherwise).
Clearly my goal for posts this month was a joke. I'll try and get to 15 though. Go big.
Finally a trailer for the new X-Men movie. I couldn't be more excited for this summer. Thor, Captain America, X-Men and let's not forget about Fast and Furious 5. Greatest summer ever? Probably, but only time will tell. In other great X-Men related news. I read that Darren Aranofsky told Hugh Jackman that while he was ripped in the past as Wolverine, he was too lean and wanted him to get huge. Wolverine is supposed to be short and stocky, not tall and muscular. Anyway, Jackman has since gained 20lbs and is eating 6000 calories a day. My hero. I'm off to the gym.
Seriously? Another camera phone scandal? This time it was Congressman Christopher Lee of New York, and while I'm all for any hit the GOP takes, I'm more troubled at the idiocy of these dudes. First of all, stop texting! You're an adult. I'm 28 and find texting tedious, annoying, juvenile and impersonal, what is this congressman doing?
I just don't understand. You know you're going to get caught right? There is a 100% failure rate for any public figure who sends pictures. You don't even need to be attractive, as was the case for this dude. Or have a large penis, as was the case with Brett Favre. You just need to be in the public eye in some form or another.
Guys just can't catch a break. You know why you never hear about chicks resigning from this? It's not because they don't do it. It's because when they send pictures to guys, guys don't hold it against them as blackmail. Guys will thank them for it. Girls just wait til the dude f*cks up and the next thing you know, you're getting the back of your Escalade broken by one of your own golf clubs.
If I ever hold any sort of public spotlight, you bet your ass I'm ditching the cell phone and getting a land line. A rotary phone at that.
Go big.
-M, p, z & shredder
ps - is this dude seriously flexing?! I mean, I do it a lot in private, but when you flex in front of a chick, you gotta do it on the DL so it just looks like you're really that strong.
So, like last year, I will do two music lists. One for best albums and another for best songs. I've gotten really bad at blogging. 3 blogs last month? Who am I? What am I doing that keeps me so busy or am I just too lazy to post? These are the burning questions that keep me up at night. That and sugar. I try not to have sugar past 6 or 7pm. My brain can't take the stimulation. Anyway, here were my favorite albums of the year. I couldn't decide on 10 so "mine goes to 11."
11.) She & Him: Volume 2
A great follow up to Volume 1. Not as many perfectly mood fitting songs, but Zooey's voice touches me somewhere only Tom Hanks, Wes Anderson and that one really awkward but amazing scene in Good Will Hunting can.
10.) The Roots - Wake Up!
Wake up indeed. This was the most refreshing thing to come from the roots since their live album which contained Seed featuring Cody Chesnutt. That song was great. So is this album. The best beats they've had since Things Fall Apart and that was over 12 years ago.
9.) Taylor Swift - Speak Now
Most of you who know me well will be wondering why this is ranked so far down my list. To be honest, I've refrained from listening to the album too much because I'm not ready to drive around with my windows down singing with all of my heart. I'll re-evaluate post Spring but for now rest assured that my love for her is as unwavering as ever.
8.) Jack Johnson - To The Sea
He may have peaked with In Between Dreams, but To The Sea is nothing to shake your fist at. Packed with enough songs for me to want to sing along with and enough to make me wish I was better at both piano and guitar to keep me feeling like Spring all Winter long.
7.) J. Cole - Friday Night Lights
Though this was just a mixtape and not an actual album, I couldn't leave him off the list. Punchrhymes introduced me to J. Cole last Spring and he's already risen to be easily one of my top ten favorite hip hop artists of all time.
6.) Eminem - Recovery
Changed from The Relapse 2 to Recovery, Eminem surely knew what he was talking about when he named this album. I'm sure you've all heard the album and agree with me. It's awesome. A mature Slim Shady who isn't relying on gimmicks or shock factor is a serious force to be reckoned with.
5.) Girl Talk - All Night
My initial response to the album was that it wasn't as 'hype' as the last three, but I gotta say, the more I listen to it, the more I love it. With the exception of the Wiz Khalifa mash-up, he improved on every beat to every song he sampled which is saying quite a lot.
4.) Vampire Weekend - Contra
I'm not sure which I like more, this or their first album, but that in itself is a feat. I love Vampire Weekend. Every track on this album is perfect except for one, the name of which escapes me right now.
3.) Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away
If you don't listen to Josh Ritter, he's pretty much the gateway into folk-rock. Through him, my eyes have been opened to some of my folk favorites including, Blind Pilot, Joe Pug and Slow Club. All of these bands are worth checking out and this album, if you haven't heard him before, will be your new favorite.
2.) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
I'm surely going to catch Hell for not making this my number one, but number 2 ain't to shabby either. It's got some of the best songs of the year, and a return to the great music he hasn't done since 2007 with Graduation. This album is amazing and really could have gone number 1.
1.) Kid Rock - Born Free
Kid Rock? Really? I know what you're thinking, but you clearly haven't listened to the whole album. I'm obsessed with this album. Kid Rock has left behind any semblance he ever had to the flashy late 90s sound he had, and has wholeheartedly embraced a sound that makes him the heir to great Michigan rockers like Bob Seger. Part country, part rock, he really captures something here and maybe you have to have as wide ranging a musical palate as I do, but he really fucking nailed it.
Anyway, that's it. Sorry for the delay on this. Top ten songs coming up shortly (I hope).
Go big.
-M, p, z & shredder
ps - Other Guy is 31 today. Shit man, that dude is old.
pps - I've been a bad blogger these last few months but I'm trying to get back in the groove. I'm going to go for my goal from a couple years ago which was something like 28 blogs for February. I've got a few to make up but I'm gonna shoot for the moon here.
In lieu of doing my usual top three Superbowl ads, I'm just going to talk about one. Most of you have already seen this, but it's worth a repost. This commercial is my favorite. Ever. There is an attitude and a feeling that comes from being a Michigander (and loving it) that very few people outside of Michigan can capture. Kid Rock and Eminem can do it, but they've got street cred. Not sure how the guys at Wieden Kennedy nailed it (the ad agency behind every ad that leaves you jaw dropped) but they really, really nailed it.
I read an interview with Eminem's rep that said it originally started out as just a music licensing request, but after Eminem found out the vision and the idea he not only thought it was awesome and paralleled his recent comeback, but he wanted to be in it and rep the D. Some people were hating on him being in the commercial, but I loved it.
I love that the people from Michigan who are famous really try and promote the state. What a great place to represent.
