Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Funny Meijer Ad
Just caught this ad on TV tonight and it made me laugh:Posted by soft rock star at 10:35 PM
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Twin Sign Jim Thome
I just read that the Twins signed a one-year, $1.5 million, incentive laden contract with Jim Thome. It's quite a bargain pickup (considering he got paid $13 million last season). I think it's a nice move and only bolsters what is becoming quite a potent power-hitting lineup for the Twins. At the very least it puts a massive home run hitter (who has hit more home runs against the Twins than any other team) out of the White Sox lineup. I'm excited about baseball coming back and hopefully the Twins will make some waves in their new stadium this year :)
Posted by soft rock star at 10:52 PM
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Return Of An Unfunny Tonight Show
Tonight was the final night of The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien. I'll admit, I saw hardly any of his shows. I'm a Letterman fan. But I like Conan. He seems like the happiest, most genuinely grateful man who loved what he did. He had finally reached his dream job. The only problem was, his predecessor is a classless man who decided he didn't want to leave. And he sabotaged Conan's show by staying on the same network, moving his show up, and taking all his viewers with him. Conan was destined to fail. Jay failed too. But his reward is forcing Conan out so he can take back the show he promised he'd give up five years earlier. Yes, there are far more important things going on in the world. And I'd gladly take 30+ million dollars to leave my job (I don't care how much you like your job. It's $33 million!!) So Conan will be fine. And he knows that too. It's just sad to see the bad guy win. It's sad to see the far superior talent forced to leave. No more Conan. No more Triumph. No more Walker, Texas Ranger Lever. See ya Conan.
Posted by soft rock star at 11:33 PM
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Me Being A Cranky Old Man, haha.
"Youth are spending more time with nearly every form of media than ever, said a report released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation. They spend more hours on the computer, in front of television, playing video games, texting and listening to music than an adult spends full-time at work.Youth spend more than 7 1/2 hours a day using electronic media, or more than 53 hours a week, the 10-year study says. "And because they spend so much of that time 'media multi- tasking' (using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into those 7 hours."
Affirming parents' fears, the study showed those habits ripple throughout a youth's life. Those who were big media consumers were more likely than kids and teenagers who are only seldom in front of a screen to earn average or poor grades in school. Those who use more electronic media get in more trouble, and say they are often sad."
This doesn't surprise me. It does make me sad though. Even though I find myself addicted to media myself at times (I mean, here I am blogging and watching TV so I'm not being a snob here), I just worry about the way kids are being raised these days. Parents are basically letting their children be raised by the media. And when these kids are watching crap like MTV reality shows, sexting and blowing people up in video games every day, it's easy to understand how we're raising a generation of conscienceless, attention-craving, fame-seeking, overweight, sad, ignorant kids.
I loved staying out with my friends, biking around, swimming, sledding, going camping with my family, eating dinner at the table each night with them, and reading. There was no internet, I didn't play video games, didn't have a cell phone, and you know what? I really liked my childhood. I worry about how hard it must be to keep kids off all of this media. Sure, I watched TV and we went to movies. But there are so many ways for kids to not communicate face to face with people now. And it does affect them. And it is a bad thing. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier. But I think in many ways it makes it more complicated.
Don't get me wrong, I walked through old shacks from the late 1800s in Florida earlier this month and I thanked the Lord I didn't grow up then. But I do think there is a balance... and I honestly wouldn't want to be a kid growing up now either.
Posted by soft rock star at 11:14 PM
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Height Of Irresponsibility
It never ceases to amaze me that Conservatives & Christians (usually the same group) are so outspoken in judgement & condemnation of others, especially in times of need. Pat Robertson has been no stranger to controversy, making the most outlandish, embarrassing and divisive statements through the years, and sadly, it's all done 'in God's name.' Let me tell you, I think God would like to distance Himself from Robertson as much as possible. The other day, on his program, Robertson claimed that the earthquake in Haiti was retribution for a pact they made with the devil! “They said, ‘We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.’ True story,” Robertson said. “And so, the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal.’“ Umm, for real??!? That is a sane statement? And then windbag de jure, Rush Limbaugh, chimes in and decides to politicize the death of thousands and the living hell of millions more urging his listeners not to donate money to the relief effort charging that the Democrats will “use this to burnish their, shall we say, credibility with the black community, both the light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country,” calling it “made to order for them.” For real? Are conservatives really proud to have these men speak for them? It's ignorance and hate speech of the very highest order. And I just don't get how God continually gets used to hurt people. What rational person's heart doesn't break watching the horrific coverage of these helpless people fighting for their lives? It simply goes against human nature. Robertson and Limbaugh are monsters and if I was a Conservative/Republican I would feel ashamed (of course, I'd feel ashamed for a whole host of other things too, haha). I guess that's the beauty of being conservative. All of the judgement without any of that pesky guilt!
It's just stunning that any emotion but sympathy could be conjured with this earthquake. Politicizing this issue and demonizing these people at this nearly unprecedented time of need is unforgivable.
Update: Just came across this letter in response to Pat Robertson's comments. It's very funny... and very smart (something Pat could work on):
Dear Pat Robertson, I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I'm all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I'm no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth -- glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake. Haven't you seen "Crossroads"? Or "Damn Yankees"? If I had a thing going with Haiti, there'd be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox -- that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it -- I'm just saying: Not how I roll. You're doing great work, Pat, and I don't want to clip your wings -- just, come on, you're making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That's working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract. Best, Satan
LILY COYLE, MINNEAPOLIS
Posted by soft rock star at 11:36 PM
Holy Crap This Is Funny
This is amazing, ballsy, hilarious TV. Seeing Jay Leno get raked over the coals his own show is priceless! And it's so true! Leno agreed five years ago to relinquish his right to The Tonight Show to Conan and now he's showing how truly classless he is and taking it back. It's sorta how he dicked over Letterman seventeen years ago and apparently Rosie O'Donnell too from what I'm now hearing. What a guy! It makes this five minutes of tongue-lashing especially enjoyable :)Posted by soft rock star at 11:32 PM
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Grandpa
After I uploaded my latest blog post I saw the date: January 14. And I immediately remembered that today was the day my grandpa died. I was really young when it happened but it was my first real experience losing someone I loved. It's odd how much I remember about that day even though I was only ten years old. My grandpa was a quiet man. He was a farmer. He had an incredible work ethic. He loved his garden and for some reason I remember that he always cut all the corn off his corn on the cob before he ate it. He died suddenly, suffering a heart attack when he and my grandma got home from counting offering money at church as they did every Monday morning. Funny how certain days stand out in your life. For me, January 14 will always be the day my grandpa died.
Posted by soft rock star at 12:55 AM
Haiti Earthquake
Watching the coverage of this earthquake is just heartbreaking. No electricity, no food, no water, no stores open, dead bodies everywhere, people living and sleeping outside too scared to go back in buildings that weren't destroyed for fear an aftershock will bring it down, no earth moving equipment to help in rescuing trapped people... it's insane and it's just so sad. I can't even imagine.
Posted by soft rock star at 12:48 AM
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Oh My God, I Looooove Politicians!!!
No one personifies smug, fake grinning evasiveness like John McCain. He had some semblance of credibility before the election but since then he is textbook political smarm. Check this video out and see it all unfold in paint-by-numbers fashion. The fake grin plastered on his face even when you can tell in his eyes he wants to kill Matt Lauer. The totally evaded answer to the question. The guilt piled on about just being in Afganistan when Lauer doesn't back down. The agressive tone and shame he tries to place that he would be asked such "silly" questions when there is work to be done. The use of tired cliches ("fight the good fight.")
How the man thought he could get away with the response "I wouldn't know" when asked why Palin was not vetted properly is ridiculous! You were the presidential nominee! That choice sunk his listing campaign. He'd have never won regardless of who he picked, but if he was even a little honest, he has to admit that was poorly executed. I'm so sick of politicians not answering the questions they are asked.
Posted by soft rock star at 3:31 PM
Musical Chairs
The last few days have been musical chairs on TV. David Hasselhoff leaves America's Got Talent which seems crazy. Who else is gonna hire him? lol. I don't watch the show but it sounds like it will get even more unwatchable with his replacement: Howie "Never Been Funny" Mandell. Jay Leno finally got his show canned. Hard to do comedy that more than a few million humorless Americans will watch. So he's getting shipped back to 11:35 and poor Conan, who had to wait five years to finally take over The Tonight Show gets jerked around some more. I feel for the guy. He's the only funny one of the bunch. On a lesser known note, Erica Hill left Anderson Cooper 360. I really liked their banter together. 
Today Simon Cowell confirmed that he will leave American Idol to launch The X Factor here. Again, I don't watch AI but it's interesting news. I'm not sure the show will survive without him. And now Sarah Palin gets hired by the only network dumb enough to want to hear her talk: Fox News. It's a natural fit. Here quote about being hired is pure comedy: "It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news." Maybe she should go into comedy writing? Good Lord.
‘It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news’
Posted by soft rock star at 12:09 AM
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Product Placement: Home Edition
I hadn't seen an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in some time. As much as I love the premise of the show and the reaction of the people when they see their incredible new homes, I find it hard to stomach Ty Pennington's spazzy, manic yelling and then whiplash, soft-spoken, barfy, whispery segments about how he's changing lives. I've always disliked the product placement and name drops of companies donating their items to the show but it was a sad but necessary thing in getting these deserving families a new home. But after tonight? Wow! They aren't even pretending to be subtle anymore. Logo shots on every single item in the house before the reveal. It made me sick. No major corporation in this country donates their money and products without needing everyone in the world to know it was them who did it. It's certainly not because they care. They just want the publicity. I always knew that, it's just hard to see it be done so conspicuously and blatantly. It's so shameless.
In the end it gives these families a far better life (assuming they can pay for it), but it feels empty knowing these companies want everyone to know did it more for themselves than anyone else.
Posted by soft rock star at 10:51 PM
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Daybreakers
We caught Daybreakers tonight. Although some people are probably tiring of the vampire craze, it's actually one of the smarter vampire movies I've seen in some time. It has an interesting story, is visually arresting, was quite gory (one scene in particular was an orgy of gore that was (I think) purposefully comical), well acted and just enjoyable to watch once it got going. Apparently it was filmed two years ago (which makes sense now as the outbreak was referenced to 2009, which is now dated) but I'm glad it finally saw the light of day.
Posted by soft rock star at 12:33 AM
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
yikes
I doubt "embarrassing" is the first word that is supposed to come to mind when I saw this picture of Jake Gyllenhaal from his upcoming movie, Prince Of Persia. But it is.
Posted by soft rock star at 10:20 PM
2009: Recap
2009's top 10 stories as voted by the U.S. editors and news directors:1. THE ECONOMY: Despite a $787 billion federal stimulus package, much of the U.S. economy continued to sputter throughout the year. The jobless rate topped 10 percent, scores of banks failed, the federal deficit tripled to a record $1.4 trillion, and stocks fell to their lowest levels since 1997 before rallying. Yet investment banks' profits surged, triggering public anger and efforts in Washington to crack down on Wall Street bonuses.
2. OBAMA INAUGURATION: Inauguration Day in January was a moving moment for many Americans, as the nation's first black president took the oath of office. But Obama soon confronted the sobering realities of governing as he struggled to get the economy back on track and win support for his ambitious legislative priorities.
3. HEALTH CARE: A sweeping overhaul of the U.S. health care system, extending coverage to millions of Americans now without it, was a top priority for Obama and majority Democrats in Congress. But Republicans were almost unanimously opposed, leading to complex, bitterly partisan showdowns in both chambers.
4. AUTO INDUSTRY: It was an immensely challenging year for America's Big Three automakers. General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy, GM's CEO Rick Wagoner was ousted by the government, and Chrysler was pressured into an alliance with Italy's Fiat. Ford avoided bankruptcy, but its worldwide sales — like its competitors' — fell sharply.
5. SWINE FLU: Swine flu struck tens of millions of people worldwide, worrying governments as supplies of vaccine failed to meet demand. In the United States, according to federal authorities, swine flu sickened an estimated 50 million people, hospitalized close to 200,000 and killed 10,000.
6. AFGHANISTAN: Casualties on all sides mounted as U.S. forces, with their Afghan and NATO allies, battled the resilient Taliban. President Obama, after lengthy deliberations, opted to send 30,000 more troops. His decision was complicated by the disputed Afghan election, which prompted allegations of widespread fraud but resulted in President Hamid Karzai taking office for a second five-year term.
7. MICHAEL JACKSON DIES: The "King of Pop" died at the age of 50, triggering grief and nostalgia among his legions of fans around the world. His doctor became the focus of a Los Angeles police homicide investigation after telling investigators he administered propofol, a powerful operating room anesthetic, to help the pop star sleep.
8. FORT HOOD RAMPAGE: An Army psychiatrist, Maj. Nidal Hasan, was accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, a sprawling military base in Texas, before being seriously wounded by police gun fire. Investigations were launched to determine if authorities missed warning signs that might have prevented the rampage.
9. EDWARD KENNEDY DIES. Sen. Edward Kennedy, who carried on the family legacy after the deaths of his three older brothers, died of brain cancer after a distinctive political career filled with highs and lows. Though his own presidential aspirations were thwarted, he earned bipartisan respect for decades of hard work in the Senate.
10. MIRACLE ON HUDSON: A US Airways passenger jet, both its engines disabled, made an emergency ditching in the Hudson River, and all 155 on board survived in what was dubbed "The Miracle on the Hudson." The veteran pilot, Chesley Sullenberger, was hailed as a hero for averting a disaster.
Top Albums
1. Taylor Swift, Fearless, 3,217,0000 (plus 2,112,000 in 2008)
2. Susan Boyle, I Dreamed A Dream, 3,104,000
3. Michael Jackson, Number Ones, 2,360,000 (plus 1,708,000 before)
4. Lady Gaga, The Fame, 2,240,000
5. Andrea Bocelli, My Christmas, 2,210,000
6. Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie, 1,820,000
7. Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D., 1,790,000
8. Eminem, Relapse, 1,740,000
9. Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3, 1,520,000
10. Kings Of Leon, Only By The Night, 1,400,000 (plus 311,000 in 2008)
Jackson is the biggest selling albums artist for 2009 with more than 8.2 million album sales for the year. He owns four of the year's top 20 best-selling albums. Not only is "Number Ones" at No. 3 on the year-end list, but the top 20 also houses "This Is It" (No. 12 with 1.29 million), "Thriller" (No. 14 with 1.27 million) and "The Essential Michael Jackson" (No. 20 with 1.15 million).
Most Played Songs
Overall
1. "Boom Boom Pow" Black Eyed Peas
2. "Poker Face" Lady Gaga
3. "Just Dance" Lady Gaga
4. "I Gotta Feeling" Black Eyes Peas
5. "Love Story" Taylor Swift
Pop
1. "Gives You Hell" All American Rejects
2. "Just Dance" Lady Gaga
3. "I Gotta Feeling" Black Eyes Peas
4. "Poker Face" Lady Gaga
5. "Love Story" Taylor Swift
R&B/Hip Hop
1. "Blame It" Jamie Foxx f/ T-Pain
2. "Pretty Wings" Maxwell
3. "Break Up" Mario
4. "Best I Ever Had" Drake
5. "Rockin' That Thang" The Dream
Alternative
1. "Use Somebody" Kings Of Leon
2. "Feel Good Drag" Anberlin
3. "Panic Switch" Silversun Pickups
4. "Sex On Fire" Kings Of Leon
5. "Second Chance" Shinedown
Adult Contemporary
1. "I'm Yours" Jason Mraz
2. "Love Story" Taylor Swift
3. "Better In Time" Leona Lewis
4. "What About Now" Daughtry
5. "Viva La Vida" Coldplay
Hot Adult Contemporary
1. "You Found Me" The Fray
2. "No Surprise" Daughtry
3. "Use Somebody" Kings Of Leon
4. "Please Don't Leave Me" Pink
5. "Gotta Be Somebody" Nickelback
Dance Club Most Played
1. "When Love Takes Over" David Guetta f/ Kelly Rowland
2. "Waking Up In Vegas" Katy Perry
3. "Beautiful U R" Deborah Cox
4. "The Fear" Lily Allen
5. "Give You Everything" Erika Jayne
Country
1. "I Run To You" Lady Antebellum
2. "Whatever It Is" Zac Brown Band
3. "Boots On" Randy Hauser
4. "It Won't Be Like This For Long" Darius Rucker
5. "River Of Love" George Strait
Top Downloads
1. “Boom Boom Pow” The Black Eyed Peas 4.76 mil
2. “I Gotta Feeling” The Black Eyed Peas 4.43
3. “Poker Face” Lady Gaga 4.38
4. “Right Round” Flo Rida 4.13
5. “Just Dance” Lady Gaga & Colby O’Donis 3.20
6. “Party In The USA” Miley Cyrus 3.16
7. “Down” Jay Sean 3.05
8. “Gives You Hell” All-American Rejects 2.88
9. “Fireflies” Owl City 2.75
10. “Whatchu Say” Jason DeRulo 2.71
The biggest selling act, in terms of digital song downloads, was Lady Gaga with more than 15 million in track sales.
Top Grossing Movies (Jan 1-Dec 31)
1. Transformers 2 $402 mil
2. Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince $302
3. Up $293
4. The Twilight Saga: New Moon $284
5. Avatar $284 *Has since gone on to become the highest grossing movie released in 2009
6. The Hangover $277
7. Star Trek $258
8. Monsters Vs. Aliens $198
9. Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs $196
10. The Blind Side $196
Top Selling DVDs
1 Twilight 9,836,341 mil
2 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 8,528,044
3 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 7,751,718
4 Up 6,614,216
5 Star Trek 4,787,654
6 Bolt 4,581,755
7 Monsters vs. Aliens 4,511,928
8 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 4,311,287
9 The Proposal 4,213,818
10 X-Men Origins: Wolverine 4,139,785
Nielsen's Top 10 TV Shows
1 American Idol-Wednesday FOX 14.4
2 American Idol-Tuesday FOX 13.8
3 Dancing with the Stars ABC 12.0
4 NBC Sunday Night Football NBC 11.7
5 Dancing with the Stars - Results Show ABC 9.9
6 NCIS: Los Angeles CBS 9.8
7 NCIS CBS 9.4
8 NFL Regular Season L ESPN 8.8
8 Sunday Night NFL Pre-kick NBC 8.8
10 The Good Wife CBS 8.5
Top Viral Vidoes
1. Susan Boyle - Britain's Got Talent (120+ million views)
2. David After Dentist (37+ million views)
3. JK Wedding Entrance Dance (33+ million views)
4. New Moon Movie Trailer (31+ million views)
5. Evian Roller Babies (27+ million views)
Honorable Mention (since I loved it)
6. Baby Dancing to Beyonce
Top Grossing Tours
1 U2
2 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
3 Elton John / Billy Joel
4 Britney Spears
5 AC/DC
6 Kenny Chesney
7 Jonas Brothers
8 Dave Matthews Band
9 Fleetwood Mac
10 Metallica
Notable Deaths
Michael Jackson, 50
Walter Cronkite, 92
Ted Kennedy, 77
Bea Arthur, 86
Farrah Fawcett, 62
Karl Malden, 97
John Hughes, 59
Ed McMahon, 86
Patrick Swayze, 57
Natasha Richardson, 45
Dom DeLuise, 75
Les Paul, 94
Don Hewitt, 86
David Carradine, 72
Brittany Murphy, 32
Posted by soft rock star at 10:12 PM
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
World's Tallest Building
I'm not sure how I had never heard about this building until last week (seeing as it's been under construction since 2004) but it is a frightening thing to see. Opening just this week, the Burj Khalifa Tower is over 1000 feet taller than the previous tallest building in the world, at 2,717 feet. It was originally planned to best that structure by 33 feet but those plans were revised as the building was being constructed (which seems like an awful idea to me!). Can this building really support all this extra weight? I guess it can, but man, seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Has shades of the Titanic written on it to me.
This building is 160 stories, 50 stories more than the Sears Tower in Chicago and has more square footage than any other building. Seeing it absolutely tower over the rest of Dubai is a strange sight. People are going to LIVE in this building. That would scare the crap out of me. In this day and age I can't imagine this building's height will be surpassed anytime soon. &1.5 billion dollars worth of vacant real estate, haha.
