The Winner Gets To Go To McDonalds

So if you have watching any of the professional sports that have been on TV over the past couple of weeks...you have no doubt seen the commercial for Guitar Hero: World Tour. Just in case you haven't...here it is.




Now you all know that I love professional athletes. You probably also know that I love Guitar Hero. So for me...this commercial is one of the best ones that I have seen all year.

Let's start with A-Rod. A-Rod is a totally unexpected member of the "band" which makes it so awesome. Alex's major downfall in life is the fact that he is arrogant SOB but he somehow manages not to come off that in this commercial. He genuinely seems to be having a good time and that is why he works in this commercial. When he first slid out I thought "No way!" because I couldn't imagine A-Rod allowing himself to be seen acting so silly. He even flashes that same smile that I saw back in May when I forgave him for being the most notorious choker in Yankee history. Bottom line...I love him in this commercial.

Then came Tony Hawk. I have no real opinions regarding Tony...professionally or regarding this commercial. I do think that they could have found someone better...someone like Peyton or Eli. Just saying.....

Next is Michael Phelps which was totally awesome. I loved seeing him rocking out on the guitar...especially when he and A-Rod are jamming while laying on the couches.

But then came Kobe. At the risk of opening myself up for abuse...I will admit that I am kind of a Kobe fan...at least of his commercials. In this particular commercial....he is FREAKIN' AWESOME! He totally channeled his inner geek for this one and he looked amazing doing it! Seeing him own that song made me feel like I could hang with him. He sang, he danced, he hammed it up for the entire commercial. I could spend hours trying to explain how cool it is...but I won't. Watch it and see. Let's just say that the geek in me is totally crushing on Kobe in this commercial.

Which reminds me of a commercial from earlier in Kobe's career.




I have yet to find anyone who understands my feelings regarding this commercial...but hear me out. The first time I saw this commercial....I cried. Watching it now...I still get teary eyed. Perhaps it is the whole "helping out kids thing" but it chokes me up every time. I crushed on Kobe for a good year after seeing this one for the first time.

So let's hear it for Kobe...who is just behind Peyton and Derek as the greatest pro-athletes who also make commercials.

Oh...and let's hear it for the Phillies! I am happy that they won the World Series...and not just because they are not the Red Sux.

We Were So Young...All For One and One For All

Sorry for the hiatus....and thanks for the emails and calls.

So in effort to get myself back on track....here is a special Tuesday edition of iPod Shuffle.

Blood on Blood by Bon Jovi - This song really doesn't get the credit that it deserves. I think that it is because New Jersey is one of the greatest album of all time. It contains so many absolutely outstanding songs that one was bound to be overlooked. Vocally Jon rocks the hell out of this song. Dino and I were lucky enough to see this song performed live when we saw Bon Jovi in Vancouver...at least I thought we were lucky to have seen and heard it live. It remember getting a little teary-eyed because it is a rather personal song. Listening to this song there should be no doubt that Jon is one of the best singers out there. Lyrically it is pretty damn good because it is descriptive enough that you can actually imagine a young Jon running around with his young friends. But even better....the lyrics provoke reflections on your own days of youth and friends who were there. One really must consider themselves lucky if even one of those friends is still around later. I am lucky to have more than one of them still in my life. And based on the fact that both of them spend several hours on the phone with me over the past week, I would say that there is a lot of truth to this song. So I dedicate the best line of sing to those of you who sacrificed a lot of sleep for me last week.. Best Line: "Through the years and miles between us it's been a long and lonely ride but if I got a call in the dead of the night, I'd be right by your side."

Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins - Hearing this song kind of pisses me off because I am reminded of how talented the Smashing Pumpkins were and how much it sucks that they are no longer together. I almost feel cheated. Oh well. This song is bitter...but I am not exactly sure why. But it was by far one of the better self-loathing alternative rock songs that came out during the 90s. I think that I didn't appreciate it during its heyday because it was a little too dark but now I appreciate its opening line...as I have fallen for it many a time. Truth be told...it creeps me out as it seems kind Ted Bundy-ish. Still a good tune though...creepy stalkerness aside. Best Line: "Disarm you with a smile and leave you like they left me here to wither in denial, the bitterness of one who's left alone."

I Get Lonely by Janet Jackson - I think this might be the last song by Janet Jackson that I actually liked. The title is accurate as it is all about being lonely. More importantly it captures what goes into being lonely. Only someone who has ever been lonely can describe the feeling of loneliness. From the sitting by the phone waiting for the call to know that everything is okay. Only someone who is changed by meeting someone can recall the little details such the day of the week that you met that person. This song is a very sexy song about the desperate desire for that one special person. It captures how no matter how miserable the wait is...you do it anyway because you know that it will be worth the wait. Best Line: "Holdin myself close, pretendin my arms are yours...I want no one but you."

Real Love by Mary J Blige - There is only reason why this song is on my iPod....because it makes me laugh. There is only part of the song that does this and I know for a fact that there is only one other person who knows what I am talking about. Thank goodness for the "Old Skool lunch hour" and the memories that it created. All that being said...it is not a bad song...but Mary has definitely gotten better with time. I am not even sure how to write out the best line but I will do my best. Best Line: "I-----ahhh--------'m seachin' for a real love."

Got My Mind Set On You by George Harrison - Tough luck Dino but this song reminds me too much of you not to share it with my readers. So one night Dino and I were driving somewhere when this song came on the iPod. I was trying to remind Dino what an awesome video this song had and mentioned that it was by George Harrison. Dino never remembered the video by said that he liked George...especially his song "Faith". So after a few minutes of laughing so hard that I was in tears and almost wrecked the car, I was able to compose myself enough in order to let him know that he had confused the former Beatle with the guy from Wham! who went on to sing "I Want Your Sex". When I hear this song now, nothing has changed. I still think that the video was damn awesome and I still laugh as I try to picture George Harrison singing "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go." Best Line: "Its gonna take time....a whole lot of precious time....its going to take patience and time". Ok so maybe not the best line but there really isn't that much to work with.

Once again...for the record...I still love Joba and am still a loyal fan.

Life Was A Song....

I do not cry for my Grandfather...as I am certain that he is already watching over his family from above. I do not cry because he drank, laughed, and sang until the end...which is all he ever wanted to do. I cry for those of us that are left here trying to figure out how to fill the gap that he left behind. He is the only person that I have ever met who lived and loved his life completely and did so on his own terms. I cannot put into words how dearly I loved him and how much I will miss him.

Blogging will be sporadic as I will be going home at some point in the next few days.

Though They Try...They'll Never Break Me

Let's start out by saying that I am quite pleased with the World Series match up. Sure my evil plan did not end up working out but that is okay. If the Yankees cannot be in the World Series, all I can ask is that the Red Sux are not there either.

Now enough about baseball...let's shuffle.

You Can Sleep While I Drive by Melissa Etheridge - Here is another example of why Melissa is one hell of a song writer. This is such a sexy and romantic song and most people don't even know it. Start with the title...you can sleep while I drive. That in itself is a pretty romantic gesture but when you add to the point of the song...it goes to new level. Think about it, the singer is offering to drive while the other one sleeps just to get out of town. Sometimes the desire to get away is so strong that it is almost impossible to fight the urge to just get into the car and drive. It is definitely a download-worthy song. Best Line: "There's a chill in my bones, I don't want to be left alone so baby you can sleep while I drive."

Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood - Alright Carrie, this song is exactly why men tend to call us ladies crazy. I never realized how crazy this song is until Andrew blogged about it and now I am even a little bit afraid. The repeated "right now"s of the song scream obsessive stalker because only someone who is slightly over the edge would spend so much time thinking about what he is doing "right now" over and over again. Then of course there is the specifics that come from saying that she "took a Louisville Slugger to both headlights". Andrew made an excellent point that most people would lack the specific details of the brand of bat used to beat the shit of the car. Then there is the hatred of "bleached blond tramp" who is singing "a white trash version of Shania karaoke". Why is that a girl always hates the other woman...who really hasn't done anything wrong? The scariest part of the song has to be the fact that Carrie's voice seems to escalate to a rage as the song progresses. Hell...after hearing this song even I am afraid to fuck with Carrie. Better watch your back Jessica. Best Line "The next time he cheats...no it won't be on me." No shit.

Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance: Quite honestly this song is absolutely awesome. I tend to forget how awesome until I hear it and then I always think "why don't I listen to this song more often?". You can't tell me that you don't get just a little pumped up whenever you hear it. The opening minute and half of the song actually is a little bit annoying but once you get past that...it totally kicks ass. I actually think that this would be a perfect karaoke song. Whenever I hear this song I feel somewhat defiant and get a "fuck you" attitude though I am not exactly sure towards whom. Maybe that is why it is such a great song. It inspires the listened to "carry on" and that can mean anything to anyone. The important thing is that it stirs the desire to fight the good fight and that can't be a bad thing. Seriously though...this is an awesome tune! Best Line: "So paint it black and take it back, let's shout it loud and clear, do you fight it to the end, we hear the call to carry on."

I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy - I seriously love these guys more with every song. It is actually a little dangerous because they have broken into my Top 10 favorite bands and they are putting out new awesome songs unlike other contenders such as Blink 182 and Green Day. This is another song that just gets me all pumped up. If I could dance around right now...it would be to this song. Hell...I think that it is going to replace "Shake It" as my primary ring tone on my phone. Say what you will about Fall Out Boy but musically they are extremely talented. Their songs are cleverly written and most importantly...Patrick has the best voice of any new band at the moment. As I have said before...when he belts a line it sends chills down my spine. The man can wail and I love it. Now the best part of this song is the last 1:15 because Patrick really shows off in this part He starts out channeling the Chris Isaak in him before just busting out. It is freaking outstanding. Best Line: "I don't care what you think as long as it's about me, the best of us can find happiness in misery."

See The Sun by The Kooks - And here is an example of why it is worth it to download the free iTunes downloads every week even if you don't know the song. I have never heard of this song before and it has become one of more frequently listened to song. It is also a ton of fun to sing...it is usually a song that is sung in the shower. I don't know why I have so much singing this as I wash my hair in the morning but it is. I usually sing it a little bit louder and more off key on the mornings where I am smiling before I get out of bed which means that it makes me smile later on throughout the day. The funny part is that this song cheers me up and helps me keep my head together. I wouldn't say that it helps with the patience but whenever I start to feel frustrated, I listen and sing this song and realize that it hits the nail on the head. It is no longer a free download but I think that you should download it anyway. It is worth $0.99. Best Line: "Yeah no matter what you do, take a look at yourself and realize I've been good to you". It is true, you have and I am grateful.

Stand By Me by Ben E King - This has got to be one of the greatest songs of all time. It is definitely one of the greatest love songs of all time. I doubt that there is a person who doesn't have a memory to this song or wouldn't like to have one. Whenever I hear this song I can still smell the campfire. There really isn't much else to say....it is just an awesome song. Best Line: "No, I won't be afraid, oh, I won't be afraid just as long as you stand, stand by me." Nothing is ever as scary when you have someone special at your side.

Finally...yes I heard about Joba and guess what...I still love him. So for all of you who keep texting me about it...it is not having the effect that you are hoping for. I don't condone what he did but he was a man about it and that is yet another reason why I am totally a Joba fan.

That Was A Chest Bump

So perhaps it is the fact that my mood is a little poor to begin with or maybe it is because I am watching more TV than usual courtesy of my damn name but several commercials are really starting to piss me off. You know what they say about misery loving company...here they are.

Lets start with the new Brooke Shields VW commercials. Call me uptight but something about this just seems kind of wrong.



Moving on...and let me point out that is the main reason I stopped watching the playoffs last year...those damn Frank TV commercials! I hate them so much. Every time I hear the beginning of one...I want to throw something at the TV.



The damn Free Credit Report Commercials. So help me, they just seem to be getting worse with each damn commercial. Someone has to stop the madness. This one by far is reason enough to never watch live TV.



Carfax...I miss the quiet, less annoying ones that joked about "new carpets" and "fresh coats of paint". Oh well.



Now if I could pick my commercials...here are a few that I just can't get enough of.

Eli and the Chest Pump.



Joba's Mo's Commercial.



Derek's Gillette Razor Commercial



Now if someone can find me Derek's Gillette Deodorant commercial...I would be one happy girl.

Finally...I have to say that I am disgusted with the Devil Rays. They don't deserve to go to the World Series...damn it all.

Going Down To South Park...Gonna Have Myself A Time

So I gotta say that after last weeks season opener of South Park I had serious doubts about being able to continue to follow the show. In fact, I have yet to talk to anyone who wasn't a little bothered by the season opener. But never the less...I decided to take a break from the massacre that was the Dodgers/Phillies game and watch tonight's episode. Honestly...I really just needed a laugh because today totally sucked.

I have to say that it was one of the funniest episodes that I have seen in a very long time. It is so funny that it warrants its one post..brief though it might be.

WARNING.....WARNING.........Spoiler Alert......WARNING.......WARNING

So it starts with Wendy giving a speech on Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In typical Cartman form, he laughs every time she says the word breast as well as cracking lame jokes about "Killer titties". Wendy decides that she has had enough of his shit and challenges him to a fight after school. At first Cartman thinks that it is a good idea until he realizes that she is serious about kicking his ass. He also grows concerned when Butters points out that if he loses, everyone will think that he is a fag. So Cartman tries to make peace with Wendy but she refuses to back down unless Cartman apologizes in public. He refuses so Wendy's anger escalates to the point where she tells him that she is going to "kick his fucking ass" and that she is going to make him eat his own underwear in front of everyone. He misunderstands this to be his way out so he proceeds to eat his own underwear. Wendy laughs at him but is still determined to fight him. Cartman even pleads with Stan to stop Wendy by saying "Dude you are my bro and she is your bitch. I can't beat up my bro's bitch." Determined not to fight with her...Cartman resorts to desperate measures and earns himself detention by going to the bathroom on Mr. Garrison's desk.

As a result of the detention and against Cartman's wishes, the fight get rescheduled for first thing in the morning. Cartman then plays his ever reliable last card...and cries to his mom. Mrs. Cartman takes him to Wendy's house where he cries to her parents and accuses her of being a bully. In spite of pleading her case that it is justified, her parents forbid her to fight Eric. So being the bigger person, she goes to school and refuses to fight even though Eric denies that cried to his mom and calls her the baby.

Yet that isn't all that is up Cartman's sleeve. He starts off the school day by giving his own presentation on Breast Cancer Awareness by cracking rude (but humorous) jokes that send Wendy flying off the hook. As she starts to berate him, Principal Victoria pages Wendy over the speaker to get into her office. Expecting to get yelled at for being a bully, Wendy is thrown a curve ball when Principal Victoria practically orders her to fight Cartman. She did under the guise of doing it to stop Breast Cancer however it was a lovely play on words as she described the cancer as a "a fat lump of pure evil that must be stopped". More determined than ever, Wendy storms out of the office and goes straight to the playground to get Cartman his due.

In what is my favorite fight scene in all of South Park world, Wendy proceeds to beat the shit out of Cartman. I am talking an all out ass beating. At one point she is banging his heat against the jungle gym. By the end of it, he is lying bloody and beaten in the mud and Wendy is using what little energy she has left to kick him in the ribs. Normally I would be against anyone kicking some one while they are down but in this case...I loved it. By the end of the fight...everyone including the ever loyal Butters is cheering for Wendy. The fight ends with Wendy calmly stating that she is done and simply walks away. It was freakin' awesome!

I am not sure why I enjoyed it so much. Perhaps it is because the last person to truly square off against Cartman ended up eating his own parents or because Wendy was fighting evil and for a good cause...I can't really say. I do know that she is one of...if not my favorite character on the show. And if you remember way back to Season 1 Wendy warned everyone...."Don't Fuck With Wendy Testaburger".

You & Me Babe...How 'Bout It?

So I know that it is Tuesday and I should have shuffled last night but I didn't not. What can I say? The excitement of two playoff games and one Monday Night Football game plus the fact that Crazy Taxi was paying triple points and cash last night kept me away from the blog. So I will make up for it tonight because I cannot get comfortable because of my knee. So let's get started.

Forever by Mariah Carey - I had forgotten about this song until the evil genius that is iTunes Genesis recommended it. There is nothing spectacular about this song lyrically or musically but that's okay. Not every song has to be excellent to be enjoyable. It is a sweet song to the one who got away. Vocally it is not Mariah's best song but the fact is that it is well sung and I enjoy it. Well done Genesis...it was worth the $0.99 to have it on the iPod. Best Line: "If you should ever need me unfailingly I will return to your arms and unburden your heart."

Walk On Water by Eddie Money - I swear that Eddie Money was under appreciated in his time. Every time I hear one of his songs I am reminded that he had a pretty damn good voice. This is not one of my favorite songs by him...it is still pretty damn good. When I heard it just now it actually made me feel pretty guilty. It is not fair to doubt the love of someone that you love. This song talks about mistakes that have been made and the fact is that things are bound to happen in any relationship...big things and little things. It made me promise myself to keep that mind because it really is silly to get upset over a little thing like not getting to talk to someone when planned. The best line of the song is also the opening line so that makes it even better. Best Line: "Well if I could walk on water and if I could find some way to prove, if I could walk on water would you believe in me? My love is so true."

Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits - This song recently became the #1 played song on my ipod. It is hard to point out one single reason why I love this song so much...because everything about this song works. It is so good that I never get sick of it and I never fail to smile when I listen to it. It is such a romantic song that is wonderful because it is real. What can I say...it is one of the best songs of all time...in my humble opinion. It is hard to pick the best line because so many of them are great. Perhaps it is the fact that this song understands that "the timing is wrong". Perhaps it is the sexiness of the challenge "You & Me Babe...how 'bout it?" It is probably the fact that it has one of the most real and romantic lines in a song ever with "I can't do everything but I'd do anything for you, can't do anything except be in love with you". Whatever it is about this song...it melts my heart every time I hear it...and that is a good thing. Best Line: "The dice were loaded from the start and I bet and you exploded in my heart." Great song...truly is.

What the hell is happening in the world of baseball? There is no reason that the Dodgers or the Red Sux should be trailing 3-1 and yet they are. I can handle the disappointment of the Dodgers not going to the World Series as long as the Red Sux are also watching it from their couches. The good news is that it looks like they will be. I just hate the Red Sux so much.

As long as Boston doesn't win the ALCS... I am good. Either way...I am working on my "Let's Go Phillies" chant because I will cheer from them regardless of who they play in the championship.