Yes, Mr. Williams, I *am* ready for some football. Thank you for asking.

I am a college football fan. My veins bleed Buckeye scarlet and Spider blue. If either are playing, I'm watching. But I don't really follow the NFL. And by "don't really", I mean not at all. Sure, I'll watch a few regular season games (parts of them, at least) and, of course, the Super Bowl commercials, but I don't care about team rankings and whatnot. I find the NFL's biggest appeal is as background noise to my autumn Sunday afternoon naps.

For a time back in college I rooted for the Jets. But my short-lived fandom was born out of a funny series of Nike commercials where Joe Namath attempted a comeback ("We beat the Colts!") and the sad fact that the 1996 Jets went 1 for 15 and I figured that somebody had to support them. Plus, Kevin Arnold was a fan. So I did what I could. I even bought a hat and a sweatshirt. The next season they had a respectable 9-7 record. My work was done.

So this season I thought it'd be fun to pick one team again and follow them throughout the next 17 weeks. But the question begs, which one?

Though they are the local favorites, the Redskins are out. I got really sick of yellow and red when I was growing up. The Cowboys are "America's Team" and a favorite of my dad's, but I want to be my own man (though Hank Hill's love of them is a strong argument in their favor*). The Packers are appealing, have a storied history, and play in a colder climate - plus, I really, really like cheese - but I think they're a bit too good for me to root for. I could kick it old school and be a Jets booster again, but I want something new. The Patriots? Please. My Ohio ties compel me to choose the Browns or the Bengals, but I want to look beyond the Buckeye state. I don't have a big enough stockpile of throwin' batteries to be an Eagles fan. The Bears (and the Saints) have the Ditka legend. And the Steelers are agreeable. But none of these franchises feel like a good fit.

No, none of those teams need me. There is only one team that is comprised of the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked. Only one team calls America's burned out urban cesspool home. Yes, for 2010 I will become...a Detroit Lions fan. They were freakin' WINLESS last season. How could I not root for them? Now, given their distance from me and the fact that they blow, I'm not sure how many games will be broadcast around these parts. I'll at least watch the Thanksgiving game. But I'm sure I'll have to primarily follow them through web sites and Sports Center clips.

So, how'd by my boys do yesterday? They lost to Chicago. Seems like old times.

*And an excuse for me to post this chestnut: "Dallas? I don't want you goin' to Dallas at all. That place is crawlin' with crack-heads and debutantes, and half of 'em play for the Cowboys."

Song to close out the weekend: "The Outdoor Type" by the Lemonheads

The Lemonheads |MTV Music

(link)

"I can't go away with you on a rock climbing weekend. What if something's on TV and it's never show again?"

This is my theme song. But I am greatly digging the slightly cooler temperatures.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week Two

We enter the second week of this most glorious season with an Ohio State game against the hated Hurricanes of Miami and Richmond off on a bye week. Curious about what the Great Xbox 360 Swami predicts will happen this afternoon, via a CPU vs. CPU match? You're in luck.



Ohio State 56, Miami 42

Twas ever thus.

Never forget.

Pixelated Pigskin Prognostications: Week One

Your favorite blog feature is back! Yes, once again it's time to harness the awesome computing power of my Xbox 360 and my copy of NCAA 10 to determine the outcome of this season's Ohio State and Richmond football games (and I'll also take requests, time permitting). Each week I'll run CPU vs. CPU match ups and will post the results. This season things will be a bit askew since I'm using last year's video game, but really, does it matter in the grand scheme of things?

So, what's going to happen today? Here you go:



UR 23, UVA 52

Now, the OSU-Marshall game caught me unawares and I didn't have time to run it through the Xbox. They would've won anyway. Trust me.

Song to close out the weekend: "Chief Rocka" by Lords of the Underground

I came downstairs this morning to find that my nephew had set up my old Playstation 2 and was playing NBA Street Vol. 2. (So blurry! Hi def has spoiled me.) That has arguably the best soundtrack in all of video gamedom, Rock Band and other rhythm games excluded. For the most part, hip-hop today sucks. Back then, even the commercial stuff was quite listenable and sometimes quite great. I'll take Lords of the Underground over the Auto-Tuned to death claptrap currently on the radio any day. And get off my lawn!

Also, yesterday I got a little sucked into an infomercial where Pat Boone was hawking a compilation of '50s/'60s music sung by an endless parade of Betty Drapers and Pete Campbells. Well, maybe not Pete. But it got me to thinking that it won't be long before we see Dr. Dre and Ed Lover occupying half an hour of TV real estate preying on Gen X nostalgia and shilling a series of K-Tel "Golden Age of Hip-Hop" recordings. And this thirtysomething curmudgeon will buy them.

Micahpalooza '10: served on a bed of French fries and melted cheese

Over the weekend Micahpalooza continued with a quick road trip to Pittsburgh. It didn't start out too well, since a combination of being in the back seat, the sun beating down on me, and reading and a typing a flurry of text messages* made me sick and we had to pull over three times so I could vomit. Ugh. On the plus side, one of the stops was in New Stanton and, while I was upchucking, I was soothed by the sounds of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" directly followed by R.E.M.'s "Talk About the Passion". For that it won Pennsylvania Turnpike Travel Plaza of the Year.

The main purpose of my visit was to celebrate Shamrock & KPMD's** spawn's first birthday. It was truly the best Curious George themed party I've ever been to.

Dinner one night was sammiches at the original Primanti Bros. where I had a very heart smart one that consisted of pastrami, cheese, onion, tomato, a fried egg, and French fries. I opted out of the cole slaw because, well, I don't like cole slaw. If that exposed me as tourist, so be it. The fact that I have a beard and not just a mustache did that before I even sat down in the place.



The culinary highlight, though were the Savory Waffles (Bacon! Egg! Cheese!) at The Waffle Shop. They say to try it with hot sauce, but I used syrup. Delicious. I want a waffle maker now. As for the restaurant itself, I especially liked the talk show set up in the back of the place and look forward to checking out some of the interviews they have archived on their site.

The trip back was much, much less eventful. And I was perfectly cool with that.

*I CANNOT read in while riding in a car.
**Remember them? Is anyone reading this anymore?

Song to close out the weekend: "Smalltown" by Lou Reed and John Cale

(link)

"There's no Michelangelo coming from Pittsburgh"

As part of this year's Micahpalooza festivities I took a quick road trip to Pittsburgh to wine and dine and celebrate good times with great friends. And since Pittsburgh is the hometown of Andy Warhol, what better song to post than the lead off track from Lou Reed and John Cale's song cycle dedicated to the late artist, Songs for Drella? Fun song, but Pittsburgh ain't that bad.

Micahpalooza '10: up in smoke

In what's shaping up to be a yearly tradition (or at least, I dearly hope will be), tonight the folks over at Rifftrax are yet again beaming a live event into theaters nationwide, this time skewering message movie classic Reefer Madness. I've seen Mike Nelson's solo riff of the movie and it's quite funny, so I'm really looking forward to Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett joining him. And I don't even indulge in the wacky tobaccy!

What a way to kick of this year's Micahpalooza. Tomorrow: Pittsburgh.

Quick movie reviews: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Expendables

The Expendables: My expectations were sky high - how could they not be? - but I left a little disappointed. Just a little. My biggest gripe is that, for a movie that aims to bring back the glory of '80s cinema, Syvlester Stallone opted to film the action scenes mostly using the trendy "extreme close-up/ADD editing/shaky cam" trifecta, so a lot of times it was hard to tell what was going on. Other than that, you get exactly what you expect: laughable dialogue, little plot, and tons of explosions. I had a blast! Kudos to Terry Crews for having the most awesome character name ever ("Hale Caesar") and providing the best "blow 'em up good" sequence of the film.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: Another slight disappointment. It wasn't as funny as I'd hoped and I'm totally over Michael Cera's charms. Also, I didn't buy the relationship that drives the plot. But this flick is director Edgar Wright's show. He really shines here, with loads of visual quirk, creative editing, and a very brisk pace. Hey, Hollywood, how about letting Wright direct every movie?

Toy Story 3: Congratulations, Toy Story 3. You're second only to Big Fish in the category of films that make me bawl like a schoolgirl. I hope you're happy with yourself.

The A-Team: By all accounts, I should really hate this movie. The last thing the world needs is a cinematic retread of a silly '80s TV show. And that flying tank scene shown in the trailer? Stupid, stupid, stupid. But guess what. The movie's pretty damn fun for what it is. Going into it, my expectations were low, but Bradley Cooper and company won me over.

Iron Man 2: Eh, I liked it well enough, but it suffers from sequelitis. There is way too much going on and the film seems a bit bloated. Robert Downey, Jr. is excellent, as usual, and you can't go wrong with Scarlett Johansson kicking butt in a skintight suit, but I've got to give top honors to Sam Rockwell, who improves every movie he's in. He steals the film. My new favorite actor? Maybe.

Colin: This extremely microbudgeted (£40) English flick was screened on the last night of the "Zombies in Art, Film, and Literature" class I took last week. By taking the point of view of the titular zombie, it puts a fresh spin on a genre that churns out more turds than gems. Sometimes the camerawork gets overly shaky and it suffers the same Multiple Ending Syndrome as Return of the King, but given how much it cost to make, it's impressive. Worth a look, if you can find it.

Bonus Crush of the Week: Rachel from "Big Brother 12"

This week's Bonus Crush is "Big Brother 12" contestant Rachel. Well, make that former contestant, since she got voted out of the house last night.



Her voice and laugh are annoying. Her "showmance" (ugh!) is annoying. She is annoying. But remember that one episode of "Seinfeld" where Jerry is simultaneously attracted to and repulsed by a woman he's dating and imagines his brain and penis engaged in a game of chess? Yeah, it's kind of like that.

Crush of the Week: Britney from "Big Brother 12"

This week's Crush is "Big Brother 12" contestant Britney. I despise reality TV, but this show is my one guilty pleasure.



Sure, she comes off as childish and spoiled, but her sarcastic comments and faces can be pretty funny. Plus, she's got that whole Southern belle thing going on.

Seven reasons why autumn can't get here soon enough

Man it's hot. It's like Africa hot. Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot. Even worse, the current pop culture landscape is pretty lackluster. Sure there have been some bright spots these past few months (Toy Story 3, "Breaking Bad"), but overall I've been wanting. With thankfully cooler climates, though, comes some hotly anticipated media and such. Here are seven things I'm greatly looking forward to over the next three months and why I'm not in such a rush to kill myself.



"The Walking Dead" (October): Oh, boy. There are few things I'm looking forward to more this fall in life than this Frank Darabont written/directed/produced AMC adaptation of the ongoing comic book. I think we as a nation are finally ready for a television show set during the zombie apocalypse.



Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1 (September?): After being delayed a year because of MCA's cancer diagnosis, the new Beastie Boys album is hoped to be released this fall, depending on how his recovery is going. Get better, MCA!



Rock Band 3 (October 26): As more and more information gets released about this game, it's shaping up to be epic and I will be required to take a week off of work when it comes out. One word: keyboards! Two more words: "Bohemian Rhapsody"!



Due Date (November 5): Robert Downey, Jr. + Zach Galifianakis + the director of The Hangover and Old School = at least a few belly laughs, right?



E. Claiborne Robins Stadium (September 18): Spider football finally comes to campus when the new stadium is christened at the home opener against Elon Phoenixeses. Now maybe more than a handful of UR students will actually show up for the games. They have no excuse.



In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks (November 2): Over the past year or so I've become a dedicated listener of Adam Carolla's podcast (even with the ill-advised morning zoo-esque format switch) and the man himself. This should be a good book to read while on the can.



Mid-Term Elections (November 2): Hopefully the insanity will be stopped slowed down, though possibly replaced with a different kind of insanity. But at least it won't cost us trillions of dollars. One party rule is good for no one.

Song to close out the weekend: "Long Hot Summer Days" by Sara Watkins

(link)

Miserable enough out there for you? This song by former Crush Sara Watkins is included on this year's Summer Mix and I think it's one of the best songs to really make you feel the heat of this most wretched season. Also, it reminds me that I really need to check out her work with Nickel Creek.

Crush of the Week: Elizabeth Cook

This week's Crush is country singer/songwriter Elizabeth Cook, whose song "El Camino" I put on my summer mix this year.



Her latest album Welder is a good listen. The great thing about Cook is that she's slick enough for the Power Country crowd (ugh!), but twangy and crass enough to hang with the Outlaw Country boys.

My Summer Mix 2010

Man, it's hot out there. Who's up for some cool tunes?

Some songs on this year's summer mix aren't available for streaming above, so the rest are here (YouTube links provided when available):

Mates of State - "Second Hand News"
The Sundays - "Summertime"
Brenda Kahn - "Mint Juleps and Needles"
Kate Nash - "Kiss That Grrrl"
Lucky Soul - "Love3"
Madeleine Peyroux - "Was I?"
Dwight Yoakam - "Train in Vain"
Elizabeth Cook - "El Camino"
Merle Haggard - "Mexican Bands"

Other seasonal mixes of mine can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, and Doctor.

Requiem for Dr. Beeper

R.I.P. Dan Resin, 1931-2010.



Caddyshack (and, to a lesser extent, his Ty-D-Bol commercials) made me the man that I am today, so this is a great loss. Heaven will be a nice change from dreary old Manhattan.

Song to close out the weekend: "Release Me" by the Like

(link)

I just discovered the Like earlier this week and really like love their latest album, Release Me. Between this acoustic take, the studio version, and a remix (free download!), I must've listened to the title track about 20 times this weekend. Totally infectious.

I wish I would've found out about this band sooner. They would've fit in perfectly on this year's Summer Mix, which I will post shortly.

Song to close out the weekend: "Secret Wars" by the Last Emperor

(link)

One of these years I'll fulfill a lifelong dream and attend the geek Mecca (and increasingly relevant) San Diego Comic-Con. Until then, I'll just have to live vicariously through online reports. And I'll listen to the Last Emperor's "Secret Wars", where he pits comic book characters against some of 1999's hottest backpack rappers (and does some hilarious impersonations of them).

This is another one of those songs that takes me back to my DJ days. I have the 12" single (see, this was back in those dark days when one had no choice but to purchase physical copies of music), but I don't believe I ever worked it into one of my sets. But it was fun to just put the headphones on and listen to it. Indie hip-hop and comic books. It doesn't get much geekier than that.

The exhilarating tension between being and becoming: 13 of my favorite baseball-influenced pieces of pop culture

It's been quite a week for America's pastime. The All-Star game happened. George Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard passed away. The Orioles and the Nationals are still sucking. Admittedly, I don't follow the game all that closely, but I do love a good day at the ballpark. Unfortunately, I haven't made the trip this season (or even taken a nap to a televised game on a lazy Saturday afternoon). But I have revisited some of my favorite baseball-referencing pop culture:



"Eastbound & Down": Gloriously mulletted and hilariously profane, Danny McBride totally inhabits the role of disgraced former MLB pitcher Kenny Powers. Not only is the HBO show my favorite baseball-related slice of media, Kenny keeps on entertaining during the "off-season" via his Twitter feed.



"Manager's Corner with Earl Weaver": Speaking of profanity, this has got to be the funniest baseball-related viral audio, from back before any such thing was labeled "viral". It's been said that this was all a put on, but I'd prefer to think it's an actual artfully crass on-air interview.



Major League: The greatest baseball movie ever? Yes. I've put the sequel out of my mind, but I hope the possible third flick will match the hilarity of one of the best '80s comedies.



"Homer at the Bat": Yes, "The Simpsons" is relevant to all aspects of life, even baseball. Here Mr. Burns recruits nine pro players to act as ringers on the Springfield nuclear power plant's softball team, with hilarious results. ("I thought I told you to trim those sideburns!") Given the MLB's waning popularity and the dominance of "The Simpsons" in our culture, it's not surprising that most of the ballplayers featured in the episode say that they're more remembered for it than their on-field accomplishments.

Talkin' Baseball (Willie, Mickey, and the Duke) @ Yahoo! Video

"Talkin' Baseball" by Terry Cashman: This song is pure nostalgia for me. The aforementioned "Simpsons" episode has a funny parody of this tune ("Talkin' Softball").



"Space: The Infinite Frontier with Harry Caray: Hey! I love everything about this sketch: Will Ferrell's crazy impersonation of the late Cubs announcer, the absurdity of the premise, Jeff Goldblum's breaking up.



Peanuts: Charlie Brown's decades long losing streak is one of the comic strip's constant sources of melancholy. If Charlie Brown is such a terrible pitcher, why don't the kids replace him? Because the whole team's lousy.

Gamechangers Ep 3: A Legend in the Booth with Hank Azaria from Hank Azaria

"Gamechangers Episode 3: A Legend in the Booth": Hank Azaria's take on fictional legendary baseball announcer Jim Brockmire is an instant classic.



The Baseball Furies: Though in retrospect this face painted, bat wielding, and pinstriped street gang from The Warriors is pretty silly, as a kid they freaked me out.



Larry David as George Steinbrenner: I resolved to include just one baseball-related aspect of "Seinfeld" and the relationship between George Costanza and "Big Stein" won out. Sorry, Keith Hernandez.



"George F. Will's Sports Machine": "Throw the ball, George!" This sketch from SNL's heyday is definitely not piffle.



"Fanatic of the B-Word" - De La Soul: "Come on and do the baseball." HOW?! Dance songs are supposed to explicitly tell you how to do the damn dance. Still, the Prince Paul-produced beat's killer.



"The World Series Defense": I'm including this episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" because it's a correct representation of Philly sports fans' obnoxious behavior.

Quick movie reviews: hard boiled thug edition

Get Carter: Thanks to my newfound obsession with the books from Hard Case Crime, I'm actively seeking out all things crime noir: tough men, femme fatales, P.I.s, grittiness, cons, heists, revenge, and lax attitudes towards cigarette smoking. So naturally I had to watch Get Carter. Though the pace would best be described as "simmering", who knew that Michael Caine was such a bad ass back in the early '70s? Certainly not me, since I was only familiar with him in such pictures as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Goldmember, and, uh, Jaws: The Revenge. Caine takes the names of those responsible for his brother's death and then extracts his vengeance, scoring with the ladies in the process. Awesome.

Point Blank: Lee Marvin's bad assness has never been in doubt, however. In this 1967 film based on Donald E. Westlake's novel The Hunter, he plays a baddie working up a syndicate's chain, wreaking havoc on the even worse baddies who betrayed him, including Archie Bunker, Dean Wormer, and Doogie Howser's dad. Angie Dickinson is there for hip '60s eye candy. It was a fast paced and enjoyable flick with some surprising art house touches. Plus, this Point Blank is 100% Keanu-free.

Payback: Also based on The Hunter, Payback is a movie I caught on video when it first came out in 1999, but it didn't make much of an impression on me then. Well, that's not entirely true, because I remember the blue hue of the film sticking out, since that was kind of new in mainstream movies those days. After revisiting it, though, I've come to like it even more. In addition to the action being brutal, the performances are solid, and the dialogue's pretty funny. Repeatedly the "bad guys" (in quotes because Mel Gibson's Parker isn't exactly a Boy Scout) mention Parker demanding the whole amount ($140,000) from the job in which he was double crossed and left for dead, and he'll exasperatedly correct them, saying that he just wants his cut of $70,000. I've heard that the director's cut is an entirely different beast (natural color palette, new score, no narration, different ending, 10 minutes shorter) and I look forward to seeking that out for comparison.

Okay, kiddos. What other films in a similar vein should I check out?

Song to close out the weekend: "Happy Ending" by Mika

(link)

This one goes out to Al Gore.

Bonus Crush of the Week: Sara Watkins

This week's Bonus Crush is singer/fiddler Sara Watkins.



Recently I was introduced to her when she performed on a live Nerdist podcast. Instantly I was smitten with her and her music.

Crush of the Week: Mary-Louise Parker

This week's Crush is actress Mary-Louise Parker of "Weeds". To paraphrase Dieter, she is beautiful and angular and, if she were a gas, she'd be inert.



I just discovered "Weeds" this week. Despite my strong aversion to adorable moppets who talk like hip adults and recognizing the fact that each season is more ridiculous than the last, I'm loving it (especially Kevin Nealon as "Councilman Doug"). How else would you explain me plowing through four seasons in a week?

Today's cheery thought: a new song for my funeral!

I've written earlier about my preferred funeral arrangements, but I've recently stumbled across another song that I want played at my funeral party:



(link)

"Love You All" by Cloud Cult

It's a simple yet beautiful song that builds to a glorious finish. Of course, judging by the lyrics, this should ideally be played in the event of me shuffling off this mortal coil before my parents.

Make it happen*, friends!

*Playing the song, that is. Not the whole killing-me-before-my-folks deal.

Song to close out the weekend: "Living in America" by James Brown

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America! Heck yeah! Happy 4th of July!

Micah World Top 25

Here they are, the top 25 songs burning up my iTunes (as of 7.2.10):

1. "Tell It To The Volcano" - Miniature Tigers
2. "Hot Venom" - Miniature Tigers
3. "Stadium Love" - Metric
4. "Summertime Clothes" - Animal Collective
5. "Chinese" - Lily Allen
6. "Going Back/Going Home" - Butch Walker
7. "Remedy" - Little Boots
8. "I'm Walking This Road Because You Stole My Car" - Fascinoma
9. "Sulphur to Sugarcane" - Elvis Costello
10. "God Help the Girl" - God Help the Girl
11. "The World Will Deem Us Dangerous" - Her Space Holiday
12. "Top of the Bottom" - John Wesley Harding
13. "Fairytale of New York" - The Priestess and the Fool
14. "Waters of March (Aguas de Marco)" - Anya Marina
15. "Another Likely Story" - Au Revoir Simone
16. "My America" - A Camp
17. "Me, You and Steve" - Garfunkel and Oates
18. "Funny Little Frog" - God Help the Girl
19. "Twilight Galaxy" - Metric
20. "Move You (SSSPII)" - Anya Marina
21. "Cuba" - Jude
22. "Sleepyhead" - Passion Pit
23. "God & Suicide" - Blitzen Trapper
24. "The Look You Give That Guy" - Eels
25. "Help I'm Alive" - Metric

I've changed how I formulate these since the last chart. I used to pull it from my iPod, but for some reason the playcounts keep resetting. So now I'm using my iTunes' playcounts, which are a bit different. (I haven't listened to many of these songs in quite a while.)

Crush of the Week: Lucia Micarelli

This week's Crush is violinist/actress Lucia Micarelli, lately of "Treme". She is truly beautiful AND talented.



What her character saw in that abusive junkie Dutchman, I'll never know.

Song to close out the weekend: "F-L-A-Team" by Celph Titled with Murdock and Tino Vega

(link)

For obvious reasons, fool!

Micah World Kinda Sorta Not Really Summer Movie Preview

Ah, summer, how much I loathe thee. As someone who seemingly only has sweat glands on his back, I frequently retreat to the comfort of central air lest I commit a social faux pas with another soaked shirt. Luckily, the movie house is all to eager to embrace me within its temperature controlled bosom and provide a respite from the outside's unbearable heat and humidity. Yes, one of the few things I actually enjoy about this season is the parade of Big Dumb Movies at the local cineplex.

Procrastination is a bitch and I'm just now getting to this "preview". Oh, well. I've already seen one of the huge releases (Iron Man). Some of the relatively big (Get Him to the Greek) and small (Survival of the Dead) films I want to check out have already been released. But there's plenty more to come. The following are the films yet to come out that have piqued my interest the most:

The A-Team (6/11): Though I still think this is a creatively bankrupt idea, the trailer did win me over. Damn you, Bradley Cooper.

Jonah Hex (6/18): At first this Western comic book flick (starring Josh Brolin and Lady Toe Thumbs) seemed somewhat interesting. Then the barrage of TV spots hit and now I think I'm going to hold of until it hits video.

Toy Story 3 (6/18): Pixar. 'Nuff said.

Grown Ups (6/25): Granted, the trailer makes it look pretty ho-hum (Fatty falls down!), I'm hoping these "SNL" vets (from when it was a comedy program) can still bring the funny. Plus, it's got Norm Freakin' McDonald in it.

Cyrus (7/9): Just the thought of John C. Reilly and Jonah Hill butting heads makes me grin. This one's been getting good buzz.

Despicable Me (7/9): Now, I usually only make it out to one animated feature per year (whatever Pixar offers), but this one looks like it could be good. Who wouldn't want to watch a movie about an evil genius voiced by Steve Carell?

Inception (7/16): I have no idea what this Christopher Nolan movie is about and I'm cool with that.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (7/16): Hey, Nic Cage has been on somewhat of a career rebound, so his wizard movie could be halfway decent. But then again...

Dinner for Schmucks (7/23): Comedic heavyweight Steve Carell and my current mancrush Paul Rudd team up again? What's that? Zach Galifianakis and Jemaine Clement are also in it? How could I not see this?

Salt (7/23): Angelina Jolie kicks butt on the run as a Russian spy. Or is she? Man, I miss Cold War thrillers.

Get Low (7/30): Robert Duvall stars as an old curmudgeon (is there such a thing as a young curmudgeon?) who holds his own funeral while he's still alive. Bill Murray also stars, so it's got that going for it, which is nice.

The Other Guys (8/6): It wouldn't be summer without a Will Ferrell flick. But will it be Step Brothers funny or Land of the Lost bad? Considering it's directed by the former's Adam McKay, odds are this will bring the goods.

Middle Men (8/6): It's about time the online porn industry got its own Luke Wilson-starring movie about its early years.

The Expendables (8/13): Stallone. Statham. Li. Lundgren. Rourke. Austin. Crews. Willis. Schwarzenegger. This is easily my most anticipated summer movie not titled Iron Man 2. There's going to be so much testosterone onscreen that I'm afraid that somehow the movie's going to make me pregnant. There is no way that this action flick won't be epic.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (8/13): On one hand, I'm getting tired of Michael Cera's awkward hipster schtick. On the other, this is directed by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz's Edgar Wright. The tie breaker: the main love interest is played by the droolicious Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I'll see it!

And please, do brush up on your movie theater etiquette if you or your friends and/or loved ones need it. If I see any of you gabbing away or texting during a film this summer, it's clobberin' time.

Requiem for the proto-cougar

R.I.P. Rue McClanahan, 1934-2010.



Thank you for being a friend.

Requiem for a child actor/gubernatorial candidate

R.I.P. Gary Coleman, 1968-2010.



You're free from the torment of the Gooch now.

So long, Jack Bauer. Adios, Jack McCoy.

"24", here's to hoping that the long-talked about movie actually materializes and you live to torture another day.

"Law & Order", though I haven't watched many of your first-run episodes these last several years, I still think it's criminal that NBC couldn't give you one more season so you could best "Gunsmoke" as the longest running drama on television. The arrival of an all "Law & Order" cable channel is inevitable.

Peace out, television staples.

Song to close out the weekend: "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" by Rob Crow

(link)

I just saw this Kingsford commercial that used a slowed down version of the Human League's "(Keep Feeling) Fascination". A little Alta Vistaing gave me the info I was searching for: it was recorded by a gent named Rob Crow.

I MUST OWN THIS SONG. If anyone can steer me towards a full length version, I'd be mighty appreciative.

Requiem for the popularizer of the devil's horns

R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio, 1942-2010.



This world just got 35% less metal. Devil's horns at half mast, people.

My Spring Mix 2010

Last weekend I mowed the lawn for the first time this year, so that must mean it's also time for my Spring Mix.

Not all of the songs on this spring's mix are available for streaming above, so the rest are here (YouTube links provided when available):

The Innocence Mission - "And Hiding Away"
King Missile - "My Heart Is a Flower"
Jason Lytle - "Ghost of My Old Dog"
Caedmon's Call - "Bus Driver"
This Picture - "Naked Rain"
Discovery - "I Want You Back (In Discovery)"
The RiffTones - "Sparkly Vampires"
Clem Snide - "Denver"
Frightened Rabbit - "Fun Stuff"

Other seasonal mixes of mine can be found here, here, here, here, here, and Doctor.

Song to close out the weekend: "Alison" by Elvis Costello

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I should've been at last night's Elvis Costello show at the National. Stupid Ticketmaster and my refusal to pay upwards of $10 for the "convenience" of purchasing a ticket through them.

Oh well, I'll just have to catch him next time he comes to Richmond, whenever that will be.

Crush of the Week: Kate Nash

This week's Crush is singer/songwriter Kate Nash. And she's quite the crumpet.



Her new album My Best Friend Is You is okay, but it didn't immediately grab me like her wonderful Made of Bricks.

Requiem for the father of jazzy hip-hop

R.I.P. Guru, 1966-2010.



His work with Gang Starr was legendary. And Jazzmatazz wasn't bad, either. We knew his steez.

Quick movie reviews

Kick Ass: To avoid the obvious positive evaluation of this movie, let me just say it walloped my derrière. Chloe Moretz as the foul-mouthed Hit Girl was the film's highlight, followed closely by Nic Cage's Adam West-channeling Big Daddy. As for the titular character, I haven't seen a costumed crimefighter so bumbling since "The Greatest American Hero". This was simply a fun time as the movies, but it's not for the faint of heart. Kick Ass revels in the old ultraviolence.

I Love You, Man: I was a bit let down by this. It was funny - and twisting the romantic comedy formula by having the story focus on two heterosexual men was inspired - but not as hilarious as I had expected it to be. Paul Rudd was great, as usual. His status as my mancrush remains unchanged.

The Foot Fist Way: Another disappointment. I love Danny McBride and think "Eastbound & Down" is simply brilliant, but this just didn't click for me. I think I know why: McBride was missing the source of his comedic powers, his signature mullet.

Role Models: Now, this one lived up to the hype. Hilarious. You know, usually I despise it when adorable moppets take center stage in a comedy (or any film, actually), but if you really nerd them up or make them talk like a sailor on shore leave, then they can be tolerable. Paul Rudd is still the man. And it’s always open season for making fun of LARPers. Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt!

Happy Easter/Opening Day!

To commemorate both joyous occasions, here's a video of George Brett talking about pooping his pants.

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Crush of the Week: Nancy Pelosi

This week's Crush is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Her power and natural beauty - and that fact that she's not the least bit smug or annoying - made her choice a no-brainer.



April Fossor!