Prince Gives Super Performance...

No wardrobe malfunctions, no lewd acts, no lip syncing. Just Prince, a few guitars and a medley of 6 great songs. "Let's Go Crazy", "Baby I'm a Star", "Proud Mary", "All Along the Watchtower", "The Best of You", and "Purple Rain".

Prince took the rain drenched stage (shaped like his trademark symbol) and brought the damn house down. With the exception of Whitney Houston's performance of the "Star Spangled Banner", this was the greatest Super Bowl musical performance EVER. CBS got it right.

Who will ever forget "Purple Rain" in the driving rain?? It's enough to give you chills. Or have a room full of drunk men singin': "Wooo-hoo hooo-oooh, Wooo-hooo hooo-ooooh, Woo-hooo hooo."

The Game ft. Kanye West - Wouldn't Get Far (DIRTY)

Dope production, tight flow, what more can you ask for? I was wondering when they were gonna make a video for this. It's a little all over the place, but still good stuff.

Personally, I miss Brian Dunkleman...

I'll admit it, I watch American Idol. I've watched it off and on from the beginning. When Kelly Clarkson won, I was there. When Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard went at it, I watched. I skipped the Fantasia season (she didn't do it for me at all), but I was feelin Carrie Underwood and last season, I caught the Mcfever...

After the premiere tonight, however, I may be done with the show.

You know, I like laughing at people with little or no talent as much as the next guy, but in the end, how long can you milk that angle?? How serious are we supposed to take this show when the first two hour show had maybe 2 or 3 legitimate singers? Everyone they showed just stunk. The show will be on again tomorrow and the day after. Each time, they travel to a new city. Each time, there will be two hours of horrible singers embarassing themselves. It's just... lame.

They would be much better served to show us some real talent that may not make it to the final 10. Perhaps it was just the first city they traveled to (Minneapolis) that was totally devoid of talent, but I doubt it. I'll give tomorrows episode a chance for about half an hour, but if its all more of the same, I'll be moving on and not watching anymore until the contestants are paired down to the final 10. Where there is actually some talent and entertaining going on.

And before I forget, does Ryan Seacrest get on anyone elses nerves as much as he does mine?


I think it might be over-exposure, but this dude is hosting Idol (which automatically means he'll be on TV for 3 nights a week for the next 4 months), in commercials and music videos, and most annoyingly, on drive time radio here in Los Angeles every morning. The guy is everywhere. I almost forgot that he dropped that apple in times square for the now "unfit to perform" Dick Clark on "New Year's Rockin' Eve".

I misss the good ol' days with Brian Dunkleman co-hosting the show. Back then you didn't get so much Ryan overkill. Brian kind of leveled him out a little. Took the edge off of the Seacrest express, which is barreling down the tracks and headed your way this television season.

If this guy gets in a movie I'm gonna seriously hurt someone.

Here's to American Idol getting back to basics and featuring hot talented women like Miss Carrie Underwood and Katherine McPhee, and stop with the silly no-talent acts trying to be so terrible that they get on TV for it.

Getting Dunkleman back and saying goodbye to Ryan Seacrest is probably too much to ask for.

Colts And Saints Deserve The Superbowl

Karmicly speaking, the Colts and Saints are shoe-ins to go to the super bowl this season.

“Always the bridesmaid, never the AFC Champion…”

The Colts have long languished as the 2nd best team in the AFC. Playing second fiddle to teams like Pittsburgh and New England. That’s the same Patriots team they will face on Sunday in the AFC Championship game. A game Colts fans everywhere are hoping will finally be the one that will land them in a Super Bowl.

Fresh in Colts fans minds is the disaster at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers a season ago. A fumble by the usually sure-handed Jerome Bettis at the goalline that the Colts recovered and almost returned for a TD were it not for a super human effort by Ben Rothlisberger to make a game saving tackle. A tackle that seemed all the more important after Mike Vanderjagt missed the potential game winning field goal, sending the Colts home again, and the Steelers on to Super Bowl victory.

It seems like only yesterday that these same Colts were playing on a snowy field against New England in the playoffs. Their wide receivers seemingly being mugged with no reprieve from the officials and a blitzing, dogging defense stymieing and frustrating Manning and the Colts who were sent home in defeat, while New England went on to win the Super Bowl.

And don’t get me started on Tom Brady.



Brady has won 3 Super Bowls and was twice named MVP of that game. He has a career 12-1 record in the playoffs and is the fresh faced youngster you can find on the cover of GQ magazine. If he’s not on the cover, check inside. He’s probably in one of the mags many ads, hawking Tag Huer watches or Calvin Klein underwear.






And the latest piece of news from the “what is Tom Brady doing today” front, Tom has recently started dating Brazillian lingerie model Giselle Bundchen. Yeah, the one you’ve seen in all of those Victoria Secret ads. Don’t get me wrong, Brady’s ex Bridget Moynahan was nothing to sneeze at, but this IS a Victoria Secret model we’re talking about here, a trade up in anyone’s book. So yeah, I would have to say that as far as good fortune goes, Brady has had his fair share. It’s definitely Peyton’s turn.



And I thought my ex-girlfriend Katrina was a bitch…

And then there’s New Orleans, which took it first on the chin from Mother Nature, and then from this nation’s emergency preparedness system. As the levy’s broke and the water rose, the nation watched in horror as an entire region was left to fend for itself. The under-represented and marginalized seemingly left behind as so many of us watched on television, powerless to help.

If any people need something to cheer for, something to get behind, it’s the people of New Orleans. The only thing that would be better then that team getting to the super bowl would be actually having the super bowl in New Orleans, but I’m sure they’ll take what they can get.

Did I forget to mention that Brian Urlacher, the captain of the Chicago Bears team that the Saints will face at Soldier Field this Sunday, has been linked to girls like Tara Reid and Paris Hilton?

How much more do guys like Brady and Urlacher want? There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I mean, unless these guys are saints (the holy type), how much more good fortune and karma can they have stored up? Brazillian lingerie models? Young Hollywood starlets?

Spread some of the love around guys. I’m sure your girlfriends can keep your minds off of the disappointment of the loss. New Orleans and Indianapolis have waited long enough, they could use the trip to the superbowl, and one of them might even get a ring.

Jack Bauer had me at 'hello'...

I have never watched Fox's wildly popular series '24' in the past. I've managed to avoid its clutches for 5 full seasons. That was, until last night...I had forgotten that the premiere was on Sunday and was going about my own business. I called a friend who as it turns out is a '24' junkie:

"Let me call you back when 24 is at commercial..." she said

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten that tonight was the premiere, ca" [click]

So I figured, eh, what the hell, I'll go ahead and check it out. See what all the fuss is about. So there's Jack Bauer, chained up in a chair, the bad guy leaning over him.

AND JACK BAUER ATE HIM!

Ok, well, he didn't eat him. But he did kill him with his teeth, which last I checked, was damn near close to eating someone. He just stopped chewing when dude was dead. Needless to say, I was instantly sold on the show. I plan on renting seasons 1-5 and catching up on what I missed.

I mean, JACK BAUER JUST ATE THAT GUY!

Christina in GQ Magazine

She has a new album coming out. And at the risk of being cliche, it's clear the Aguilera publicity machine believes that sex sells records.

They might be right. They might be wrong. I'm not complaining either way.

They don't make'm like they used to

One of the great passions in my life is music. And one of the most influential genres of music (for me) was/is hip hop. Now, don't laugh. I'm serious. Of course, the stuff that they play on the radio now of days can barely be characterized as Hip Hop and it sure the hell isn't music. The genre has fallen off so much that it's really depressing. There are the exceptions, but they really are few and far between, and for every Common and Mos Def, there are 20 50-cents and Paul Wall's.

I guess I was spoiled in college. I think Hip Hop reached its height of popularity and quality in the mid 90's (specifically 1992-1996). I was attending college at the time and needless to say, Hip Hop culture influenced every nuance of my life. People criticize the culture as being violent and masoginistic, but not all Hip Hop is like this. And more importantly, thie genre of music isn't the only one to hold a mirror to the problems of society. And that's really what it is. Real Hip Hop (at its essence) gives inner city youth a voice. A way to express themselves and what they see and live through.

Thanks to my friends at HHE (Hip Hop Elements.COM) I found some old gems from the golden era of Hip Hop. The first is a clip from the Arsenio Hall Show finale that features Yoyo, MC Lyte, Naughty By Nature, A Tribe Called Quest, Fu Schnickens, CL Smooth, Guru, Das EFX, the Wu Tang Clan, KRS One, and Mad Lion.



The next clip is from the classic MTV Show, YO! MTV Raps. It was their 7th anniversary and the last YO! Mtv Raps show ever. They had a freestyle session that is broken into 2 parts below. The freestylers (in order) are Rakim, KRS-One, Eric Sermon, Chubb Rock and MC Search in part 1. Part 2 featured: Redman, Method Man, Extra P, Special Ed, and Craig Mack.

I miss REAL Hip Hop. Here's to hoping that it makes a comeback.

Did someone say FREE?

Gnarls Barkley is set to perform this weekend at the 2006 Coachella Music Festival. Before they take the stage in Coachella, however, word through the grapevine (thanks Heleen) is that DJ Dangermouse and Cee-Lo will be putting on a FREE concert in Los Angeles on Friday, April 28th.

The concert will take place at the Roxy theater in Hollywood. Doors open at 7pm and the line (according to the folks at the Roxy) will begin at 12 noon. There will be no bracelets or other raffle for tickets, it's strictly first come, first served basis.

"Learn to dream with one eye open"

Ashes and Snow is the ongoing project of canadian artist Gregory Colbert. It combines photographic works, 35mm films, art installations and a novel of letters to breach the boundaries of "modern man and the totemic animals that touch our spirit." The photos are truly breathtaking, as is the Nomadic museum, the 45,000 square foot structure that houses the show. It was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and is made up of shipping containers and paper tubing, which means it can only be installed at shipping ports. According to the design sheet, the museum is “67-foot-wide by 672-foot-long.”

The exhibit is currently at the Santa Monica pier through May 14th (tickets are $15) and if you live in the area I highly suggest you see it. The images and message are breathtaking.

"In exploring the shared language and poetic sensibilities of all animals, I am working towards rediscovering the common ground that once existed when people lived in harmony with animals. The images depict a world that is without beginning or end, here or there, past or present." - Gregory Colbert

"The power of the images comes less from their formal beauty than from the way they envelop the viewer in their mood... They are simply windows to a world in which silence and patience govern time." - New York Times

Colbert traveled for 15 years collecting the content that makes up his exhibition. He participated in expeditions in places like India, Egypt, Burma, Tonga, Sri Lanka, Namibia, Kenya, Antartica and Borneo. Colbert didn't save all of his artful touch for his exhibit. The webpage connected to his work at http://www.ashesandsnow.org/ is truly remarkable. Make sure you have the latest FLASH player installed and are on a broadband internet connection before visiting the site.

Cavemen angered by comments, demand retraction

I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize for my comments in the Jessica Alba post I had made on April 24th. In my rashness I made the following disparaging remarks:

"PS - Jessica if you happen to stumble upon my site, I'd like to thank you for helping out my cause. Unlike these other cavemen, I love you for your sparkling wit and intelligence."

The cavemen have agreed to not press charges as long as I print this retraction. I had no idea anyone was even reading this blog, much less willing to litigate the matter.

They also asked that I publish another Jessica Alba picture (as have others). I'm never one to deny my reader's requests.

Dangermouse + Cee-Lo = Crazy

More specifically, they equal Gnarls Barkley and they're here to bring something hip hop hasn't seen in a while: a sound that is fresh and new. These two guys are making truly beautiful music and if the US release of their album "St. Elsewhere"(set to be released May 9 by Atlantic/Downtown Records) is as successful as the album has been in the UK, the hip hop genre may be in for a big change. True hip hop heads and those in the know have heard of these two before.

Danger Mouse (real name: Brian Burton) created a "mash-up" of the Beatles' so-called White Album and rapper Jay-Z's "The Black Album." Calling it "The Grey Album," that marriage of disparate genres became a watershed event in hip-hop. As a result, Burton was tapped to produce the conceptual rock-dub band Gorillaz's second album, "Demon Days," for which he received a Grammy nomination.

Cee-Lo aka Cee-Lo Green (born Thomas Calloway) is best known for his work with the hip hop group Goodie Mob. Among Cee-Lo's solo hits are the singles "Closet Freak" (2002) and "I'll Be Around" (2003), produced by and featuring Timbaland.

Check out the video to the first single off of the upcoming Album, entitled "Crazy". And when the album drops on May 9th, GO COP IT! Support REAL HIP HOP and GOOD MUSIC in general people!
Happy Easter

Happy Birthday Apu!... and Chief Wiggum... and Comic Book Guy...

Janam Din ki badhai!(I'm told that means happy birthday in Hindi) and best wishes go out to Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. Now of course, it's not REALLY Apu's birthday, but it is Hank Azaria's who turns 42 today and is the Emmy Award Winning voice of Apu. He has provided the voices for over 160 characters on the show including those of Moe Szyslak, Police Chief Clancy Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Cletus, Professor Frink and Snake.

Azaria's most famous character, however, is the beloved Apu. He is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart (a subsidiary of Nordyne Defense Dynamics), the local convenience store. Apu has more episodes revolving around him than any other minor Simpsons character. Apu is married to his wife Manjula, who bore octuplets:(with assumed stage names) [their names when Springfield changed its name to Liberty-ville]:

* Poonam (Dazzle) [Apple Pie]
* Sashi (the rest)[Pepsi]
* Pria (the rest) [Manifest Destiny]
* Uma (the rest) [Condoleezza]
* Anoop (Animal) [Superman]
* Sandeep (Punchline) [Lincoln]
* Nabendu (the rest) [Coke]
* Gheet (The Baron) [Freedom]

In contrast to the generally buffoon-like idiots that inhabit Springfield, Apu is educated and far more knowledgeable about American history:

Homer: Are you sure you don’t want to come? In a civil war re-enactment we need lots of Indians to shoot.
Apu: I don’t know what part of that sentence to correct first.

Proctor: All right, here’s your last question. What was the cause of the Civil War?
Apu: Actually, there were numerous causes. Aside from the obvious schism between the abolitionists and the anti-abolitionists, there were economic factors, both domestic and inter–
Proctor: Wait, wait… just say slavery.
Apu: Slavery it is, sir.

Happy Birthday Hank! And in the immortal words of Apu: "Thank you, come again!"

Jessica Alba = Blog Hit GOLD!

I was talking with my buddy on the phone about my blog, lamenting the fact that I had very few hits and zero comments thus far. Being the hetero-male type that he is, he asked the inevitable: "Have you got any hot chicks on there?"

And it hit me. No, I didn't. No eye candy whatsoever. Let's face it, sex sells. I mean, Carl's Jr. had Paris Hilton hawking burgers on TV in a swimsuit. Those Desperate Housewives can be seen in soft drink commercials, fast food ads, and make-up spots almost everyday. If I want to build traffic up on my site, I gotta show some skin.

And who better then the ridiculously smokin' hot Jessica Alba. So, enjoy these pics and check back often!

PS - Jessica if you happen to stumble upon my site, I'd like to thank you for helping out my cause. Unlike these other cavemen, I love you for your sparkling wit and intelligence.

Hello, Newman.

Happy Newman's Day. Wikipedia defines Newman's Day as: "a college tradition involving drinking 24 servings of beer within a 24 hour period on April 24. The spirit of the tradition often requires that the beer be consumed without falling asleep, changing your daily schedule, or vomiting and that participants must attend classes, meals, and other events as usual. As a result of these difficult constraints, few students who start the tradition actually finish 24 beers. The event is not officially sanctioned by any university."

The origins of this tradition are shrouded in mystery, however some claim 'Newman' refers to Paul Newman. It is said that Newman gave a speech at Princeton on April 24 in the 70s and ended by saying "I think I'll go have a beer." Some at Princeton and Bates also attribute the line "24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not," to Newman as well. Neither of these statements has ever been verified and Newman has denied any connection to the tradition.[1]

In fact, Kenyon College, Newman's alma mater, had tied the day even closer to Paul Newman by celebrating on March 30, the anniversary of the Paul Newman's first Academy Award, a day marked with events (both alcoholic and not) and a t-shirt sale for a charitable cause.

The event received extreme media attention in 2004 after Newman's lawyer sent a letter to Princeton University, and more significantly forwarded a copy to the New York Times, hoping to end the tradition at Princeton.[2] This resulted in swarms of reporters around campus but the celebration continued and the controversy swelled.

In 2004, the Dean of Undergraduate Students at Princeton ordered campus security to seize 400 Newman's Day t-shirts from a student's room, causing an uproar among students, faculty, and civil rights activists.[3]. Eventually the shirts were returned after the event but the student was not compensated.[4]

In 2004, Princeton's Student Health Advisory Board printed up "anti"-Newman's Day t-shirts meant to thwart participation in the event, yet the ambiguous message on the shirts ("Celebrate Newman's Day 2005") actually increased participation.[5]

ESPN Takes over your computer... AND YOU LIKE IT!

Sports nuts rejoice: ESPN has made a version of its popular "Bottom Line" score and story updater available for your desktop. I have installed the newest version of the program and must admit, I'm hooked. Not only can you fully customize the type of updates you receive (no Nascar or NHL for this sailor) you can also get instant access to live game scores and breaking news. It's like having your computer tuned to ESPN all the time.

You can download the latest version of The Espn Bottom Line for your desktop here.