It's hard to believe that this is the 2nd to last Monday Song recap in the hunt for the Best Love Song of All-Time. It's just crazy. Time flies, right? :D Anyway, today's update is a little different than the ones you have all been used to in the past as it is a Jordan's Cereal Bowl exclusive. Today I'll give you 40 new nominees to the list that have not been mentioned on any other site I'm using to extend the word about this search!! But first, a little tidbit of thought I've been having over the past few weeks.
At work they've been having me do the whole "water flowers" thing, and it has really got me thinking about life, love, and the beautiful journey that both of these add to everyone's everyday interpersonal relations. Not specifically on a romantic level, but on every level. You see, every flower is just a little bit different. Some require more water than others; while others require more sun; there's some that can't be in the sun at all! Now take that information and apply it to relationships within your own life. Isn't it unique how each of them is different? Now let's turn it back to the actual care for the plant themselves. There are some people who water their flowers every day and give them the excellent care needed to help them thrive, while there are others who do not. Some people just neglect the plants altogether and hope something pretty will grow, and they're often disappointed when that doesn't happen. Of course, everyone has there off days. There are days where you're really wrapped up in work, and life, and you don't get the chances to water your flowers. ... Does anybody see where I'm going with this? If you make the analogy between life, love, and flowers, it's amazing the parallels you can see. So, my word of advice for today is, water your flowers. =)
By the way, Happy Memorial Day everyone!! I almost forgot what today was!! Granted, most of my celebrating was done over the weekend, but for many people, today is the day to enjoy cookouts and time with loved ones, etc. Don't forget what today's meant for though - acknowledging loved ones who have passed. Honestly, I've never really dealt with a hard hitting death in my own life, but I could only imagine how hard it would be. And because of that, I honor this holiday greatly. So, take a moment of silence and recognize all of the fallen people both in your life, and not in your life, that have impacted it positively. We owe them a lot.
Now onto this week's song nominations!! Here they are - all 40 of them!
"Some Hearts" by Carrie Underwood
"The Power of Love" by Celine Dion
"Never" by Heart
"I Only Want to Be With You" by Hootie & the Blow Fish
"Feels Like Home" by Lee Ann Rimes
"He's Only Everything" by Reba McEntire
"Forever and For Always" by Shania Twain
"Lovestruck" by The V-Factory
"I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You" by Marc Anthony
"Don't Stop Believing" by Journey
"Waiting for Tonight" by Jennifer Lopez
"Slide" by the Goo Goo Dolls
"Don't Turn Off the Lights" by Enrique Iglesias
"How Do I Get There" by Deana Carter
"It's in His Kiss" by Cher
"Wherever You Will Go" by the Calling
"One Kiss From You" by Britney Spears
"Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler
"Eternal Flame" by The Bangles
"When I See You" by Bad English
"The Time Alone With You" by Bad Enlglish
"Pieces of Me" by Ashlee Simpson
"Crazy in Love" by Beyonce Knowles
"Me & You" by Cassie
"You're the Inspiration" by Chicago
"Love Sex Magic" by Ciara & Justin Timberlake
"Irresistible" by Jessica Simpson
"Bye Bye" by Mariah Carey
"Looking Through the Eyes of Love" by Melissa Manchester
"This Will Be Everlasting Love" by Natalie Cole
"Forever Love" by Reba McEntire
"Keep On Loving You" by Reo Speedwagon
"I Only Have Eyes for You" by Sara Evans
"Don't Be Stupid" by Shania Twain
"Teardrops on My Guitar" by Taylor Swift
"Just to See You Smile" by Tim McGraw
"Paradise is Here" by Tina Turner
"We Ride" by Rihanna
"Poker Face" by Lady Gaga
"Senorita" by Justin Timberlake
... Shoo! Did you get all of that!? Forty new songs were just nominated for the Best Love Song of All-Time. Putting it all in one chunk did make it seem like a lot, but trust me, this list isn't the half of it!! We have five days of nominations left, and 10 new nominees each day! Sadly, not all of these songs can make the nominee list in that short time, so it's up to everyone as an individual to keep inputting their nominations so I can make sure everyone's FAVORITES make the list!
In case you've missed any of our hunt, feel free to go back and check it out...
Previous BLSAT Posts:
>> BLSAT Monday Update #5 - "Only Two Weeks Left!"
>> BLSAT Monday Update #4 - "Share Your Love Story"
>> BLSAT Monday Update #3 - "Why I Fight for Love"
>> BLSAT Monday Update #2 - "BLSAT Hits MySpace"
>> BLSAT Monday Update #1 - "After the First 5 Days"
>> The Hung Begins...
BLSAT Monday Update #6
1 commentsSCJ: If Democrats Had Any Brains...
1 commentsWelcome to this week's edition of the Saturday Cup of Joe!! I told everyone last week that this week's SCJ would be a cumulative surprise, and by that I mean it's something along the lines of Ann Coulter's Book, If Democrats Had any Brains, They'd Be Republicans. You all remember that book, right? Well today, I'm sort of doing Part 1 of the same thing. This week and next week I'm going to highlight some of the best Liberal/political slams I have ever made here on the Cereal Bowl. So, grab your coffee (I got mine!), and get ready for some crazy $#!T. =) I'm going to start off with quoting a few of Ann Coulter's popular slams, and then move on to a few of my own. And check back next week for Part 2!!
- "Liberalism is a mental defect. Liberals are racked my self-loathing as the result of some traumatic incident - say, driving drunk off a bridge with your mistress passed out in the back seat and letting the poor girl drown because you're a married man and a U.S. senator, just to take one utterly random, hypothetical example off the top of my head."
- "Freedom of speech isn't working out so well for liberals now that they aren't the only ones with a microphone. It's not so much fun when the rabbit's got the gun."
- "Suppose Bush had known nineteen Muslim immigrants planned to hijack four planes on a certain day. What could he have done? Throw Arabs out of the country? Put them in preventive detention? Order airport security to take an extra little peek at swarthy men boarding planes? Liberals wouldn't let us do that after 9/11."
- "I can't watch Fox News, CNN, or any other news channel for five minutes without getting frustrated. Okay, I know the world is a screwed up place - but what the hell am I supposed to do about it? You can only mingle in other people's affairs for so long before you realize you're fighting an uphill, unwinnable battle." - Attacking the Issues: Racism
- "... I can't remember the last time I applied for a college scholarship that was only given to white people... Why don't white people have an Ebony magazine, or a rewards show that acknowledges only white people?" - Attacking the Issues: Racism
- "And, do you know who I hate? Rosie O'Donnell. It is my belief that she left The View, cutting her contract short, because of her confrontations with Mrs. Hasselbeck. Granted, she says that's not the case, but I think that's only to keep her from looking bad... as if being a fat lesbian isn't bad enough." - Not So Rosie Anymore
- "Alert the homophobic faction of the Christian community and let them know there is a holy place left in the world after all [Iran]. And while you're at it, tell George Bush too..." - In reference to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saying Iran has no homosexuals, Ignorant Iranian 101
- "... in no way am I questioning Al Gore's integrity. After all, we all know that it's only millionaire politicians who affiliate with the Republican party that have no integrity. The millionaire Democrats always tell the truth." - And That My Friend is an Inconvenient Truth
- "... why don't we build a fence [around Mexico]? Well because then we'd ruffle the feather's of enviromentalists (another group of unhappy Americans) who think we'd be hindering animals abilities to migrate south... it seems like the last time I watched Animal Planet, I heard nothing about giant Elephant-sized creatures migrating to Mexico for winter. Whose migration path would it be "hindering"?" - It's Called Illegal for a Reason
- "Here are a few things to avoid saying to a liberal: ... Don't tell them you support border control - or else they'll say your a white supremacist, racist who hates blacks, Mexicans, and any race other than your own. Don't tell them you go to church - or else they'll say you're a homophobe, and that you're trying to oppress women of their right to "choose." ...Don't shun against Hillary Clinton - or else they'll say you're a sexist pig who is agaist progressiveness and affirmative action..." - A Liberal's List of Favorite Adjectives
- "... It's like everyone who opposes you, suddenly knows your entire life story, and has completely sized you up, based on the fact that you support a single issue that they oppose." - A Liberal's List of Favorite Adjectives
Until next Saturday, have fun. Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend!:)! [...]
BLSAT Monday Update #5
0 commentsWelcome to the fifth Monday Recap in the hunt for the Best Love Song of All-Time. Okay people, we've been going at this for a month as of last Friday! I'm starting to wonder if there's anyway to ever truly give recognition to every noteworthy love song ever made! We have two weeks left for nominations, and at the rate of thirty songs per week, I'm still not going to have all of this ongoing list posted!! Sadly, there may be some really great love songs that don't even make the cut as nomination! Of course, it may be YOUR suggestion that decides whether they get put in the running or not! So whether you've already nominated a song or not, do it [again]! The more votes a song gets, the more likely it is to appear as a nominee and make the cut! As for the next two weeks, I'm going to be running things a tiny bit differently.
*My apologies for not having this posted until Wednesday, May 20th. I accidentally hit "save draft" instead of "publish" when I had finished it on Monday :( But it's here now. No worries! Ha-ha.
New Scheduling for May 19th through May 24th
Over the next week there will be NO nominees posted on Twitter. This week is a Jordan's Cereal Bowl exclusive leading up to the next recap on May 25th. I'm using it as a way to help catch-up on the nominee list and get more songs added before the last minute. On next Monday's recap, I will post 40 new songs, and you'll see them here first - all at the same time!! Given the quota I'm shooting for, it just seemed like way too many "tweets" to use the Twitter account. Perhaps towards the end of the week I will post a few of the more stand-out songs that will be on next Monday's recap, but rest assured, next Monday will bring us some Cereal Bowl Exclusive songs that you won't find anywhere else until AFTER they've been announced here. There's incentive to stay tuned in if you're spending more time following us via other sites :) Plus, it'll give some of you - including myself - a small break from Twitter.
New Scheduling for May 26th through May 30th
Over these five days, we'll be back on Twitter posting 10 nominees daily! That's 50 songs over the course of five days!! In other words, over the last two weeks, we'll be adding a cumulative 90 new songs to the nomination list JUST in time for the nomination deadline!!
Nomination Deadline, and How Next Month Will Work...
The last of the nominees are due in by May 31st at 12:01AM, and even at that point, I can't guarantee they'll get added. There's just going to be so many songs swirling around as nominees by that point. And remember the surprise I announced last Monday that was supposed to start today? Well, that's being put off a couple weeks, and will begin on June 1st and run through the second week of the month. During that time, the categorizing and research process will be going on here at the Cereal Bowl to start sorting all of these nominees by their genre and time period of original release.
That's the forecast of what's left to come on the hunt for the Best Love Song of All-Time! Sorry to make it sound so business oriented, but it sort of helps me layout the time line in my own head to share it with everyone else! Next week's Monday recap - in addition to 40 new exclusive song nominations - will include my own personal analogy between growing flowers and love! Trust me, you don't want to miss that!! And with that said, here are last week's song nominations! Enjoy.
Tuesday, May 12th
"I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne
"The Way You Love Me" by Faith Hill
"That's All" by Michael Buble (originally Nat King Cole)
"Take My Breath Away" by Berlin
"Mad" by Ne-Yo
Wednesday, May 13th
"I Drove All Night" by Celine Dion
"Faithfully" by Journey
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison
"Kiss Kiss" by Holly Valance
"Somebody's Me" by Enrique Iglesias
Thursday, May 14th
"Bridge Over Troubled Waters" by Paul Simon & Garfunkle
"Falling In Love at a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg
"In God's Hands" by Nelly Furtado
"Show Me the Way to Your Heart" by Sara Evans
"It Takes Two" by Tina Turner
Friday, May 15th
"Still" by Reba McEntire
"Ocean Avenue" by Yellowcard
"It Feels Like Home To Me" by Chantal Kreviazuk
"A Different Kind of Love Song" by Cher
"Could I Have This Kiss Forever?" by Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston
Saturday, May 16th
"Then" by Brad Paisley
"Alone" by Heart
"Don't Forget About Us" by Mariah Carey
"The Reason" by Hoobastank
"God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You" by N'Sync
Sunday, May 17th
"Is This Love" by Whitesnake
"Your Embrace" by Shakira
"Jai Ho" by The Pussycat Dolls
"I Need You" by Lee Ann Rimes
"Wait for You" by Elliot Yamin
SCJ: My Saturday Off!
1 commentsHello regular fans of the Saturday Cup of Joe. When I started this little segment back in the middle of February, I had no idea how popular it would be for my site! Well granted, "popular" for the Cereal Bowl means it's lucky to draw a little feedback and a few comments, but nonetheless, I think they've made their mark pretty well. It started off as a pretty straightforward idea. It gave people my take on some ongoing media and political headlines. If anything I think it helped draw back some of my readers who were reading all the time during this past election, and then when it was over realized, "Well, I guess this guy doesn't JUST talk about politics after all." Ha-ha. Honestly, I love politics, but what I had most about my time during this past election was that you can't really convince anybody you're right on any given topic. Republicans think they're always right, and Liberals think they're always right. It's like a damn broken record. You can persuade them, and hand them the evidence, but ultimately it's like the Creationism v.s. Evolution argument. People believe one or the other, and have little tolerance for the other side. Unfortunately for humanistic Liberals, I happen to know that I'm right on both of these stances. Anyway, today I'm figuratively taking my first Saturday off from this since it started back in February. I have a lot of things going on with the hunt for the Best Love Song of All-Time, and a project that I'm working on that's non-site related. So, for today, I'm going to hand the baton off to one of my personal favorite politically-based tv personalities, Greg Gutfeld of Red Eye. I love this show!! If it weren't on so late, I'd watch it more. And what's on the block for discussion today? Torture, and perhaps the craziest broad to speak out from the Left since Rosie O'Donnell - Nancy Pelosi! And it's all coming to you via video format!
Don't miss next week's Saturday Cup of Joe where I have a highly cumulative special surprise in store!! Have a great rest of the weekend, everybody! :)
LOST: The Incident
2 commentsWARNING: The following post contains major spoilers to LOST's 5th season end.
Well fans, another season of LOST has come and gone, and do you know what that means, besides the fact that we have to wait another 8 to 9 months for any new episodes? We're down to just one last season of the show! It's hard to believe that by this time next year we'll be looking at the entire series in hindsight. It's just crazy! And speaking of crazy, that's where I'm going to start off
my review of last night's LOST Season 5 Finale "The Incident."
Off the top, we get to meet the mystery man who has been haunting "leaders" of the
Others since the show's start, and that is Jacob. Of course, my theory that Locke IS Jacob seemed to be disproved in last night's finale, but I'm sure there's still room for that story to continue. Throughout the episode we're shown off-island flashbacks throughout many of the characters' lives where they had already met Jacob. And maybe I was totally mistaken, but did anybody else get the impression that he has a Jesus complex? It's hard to tell whether this just validated all of the possible theories surrounding the show regarding religion, or if once again, it's just allusions used by the writers to help further viewers' addiction to the show itself. Ha-ha. And if Jacob was supposed to symbolize God in that sense, what does it mean that Ben and Locke killed him? Who does that make them?
In the island's present day, we spend all but the last few moments of the show watching Locke follow Richard to Jacob's whereabouts. I find this funny, because at the same time they're looking for Jacob, Ilana and the rest of her vigilante crew - including LaPedus - are looking for him too. Of course, they end up at his cabin, but he doesn't live there anymore! At that point, they realize they must go to the statue. It seems as though Richard was already aware of Jacob's relocating. And speaking of the statue, it was confirmed that the four-toed statue we seen in a past season is the same statue that we seen at the beginning of this one. It seems as though at some point in time it was destroyed down to the mere foot that stands in its place today. However, prior to that, it was the statue of the Egyptian god Anubis which we seen earlier in the season when Ben went to see the smoke monster. Remember the image on the dungeon wall of Anubis and the smoke monster looking at each other? Once again, this leaves me thinking very metaphorically and wondering if it means any more than just what it is.
Upon finally meeting at Jacob's new crib (lol), Richard's group and Ilana's group
realize they have similar interest, though it is not revealed that Jacob actually asked Ilana to come to the island! I wonder if we'll discover that later. One issue stands: neither Richard nor Ilana know that Locke and Ben killed Jacob!! I'm assuming neither of them will be pleased to figure that out either. Perhaps one of the most spooky scenes in the show is when Ilana has her crew dump the contents of a cargo box they spend the entire episode toting around, and Locke's lifeless body falls out of it. It appears that he didn't "come back from the dead" after all, and similarly - alleviating old speculation - maybe it wasn't Jacob that "chose" to let Locke come back to life. I will be interested to see how this plays out. The entire Ben/Locke/Jacob/Richard story line is just mesmerizing. I'm not sure why, and I'm sure next season we'll get a bit more explanation regarding the dynamics of these four men, but for now I'm just left to wonder hmmmm...
I guess while I'm on the topic of dynamics regarding groups of four, I might as well attack the elephant in the room - Kate, Sawyer, Jack, and Juliet. Last night's episode showed Kate admitting to Sawyer that she came back to the island for him, though she later tells Jack that it was to find Claire, which was the same story she fed Claire's mother prior to dropping Aaron off at her place. This is symbolic of Kate's inner conflict, I believe. Why can't she just admit she came back to hook-up with Claire 
for pete's sake? Ha-ha. There are a few scenes where Juliet catches Sawyer gazing upon Kate, and this brings her to the realization that just because two people love one another doesn't mean that they were "meant to be together." This is very upsetting, especially given the fact that I've been pulling for a Sawyer-Juliet happy ending since the beginning of the season, but who knows. We also witness the conversation between Jack and Sawyer where Jack tells Sawyer that he wanted Kate, but couldn't have her. It was interesting that he didn't reveal to Sawyer that he was the reason they didn't work out in the first place. With or without that information, they ended up in their first physical quarrel ever!! I know it was coming. This is perhaps one of the most expect, yet you'd-never-think-it-would've-happened scenes of the show to date. These two have butted heads since season one; I guess you might say it was about time they finally had a go at it. Though I don't like seeing people beat the hell out of each other, it was definitely rewarding as a fan.
While bounding through the jungle after just making the great submarine escape, would you just guess who Sawyer, Juliet, and Kate stumble upon?? Vincent! And do you know where he's been for the past three years? Living with Rose and Bernard. This was a very rewarding scene given that I've been curious as to their whereabouts ever since the beginning of the season. They've taken on this "life's too short to worry"-hippie approach to living on the island that is a bit boring, though highly refreshing. It almost seemed as if Juliet was envious of them. After all, her and Sawyer were semi-doing the same thing by accepting their life with DHARMA Initiative until the rest of the survivors strolled back in and ruined their lives together.
You're probably all wondering by this point, if you watched the episode, did I cry
after Jack tossed the plutonium down the tunnel, and Juliet was sucked down it...? Of course I did!! When Sawyer and Kate were trying to save her, and they couldn't, I just lost it completely. Though I must admit in the final scene when we realize Juliet survived the fall to the bottom, I was a bit relieved. What followed that left me with many mixed thoughts going into next season.
Now that the season's done and over with, I still have many questions, but I'm sure going into the final season that's what the writers had in mind. However, the difference is that it almost seems easier to go through this last LOST hiatus than it has in past seasons. While it ended with a cliffhanger, there was almost a certain closure as well. The fact of that matter is, a lot of our questions were answered this season. According to the writer's, the time traveling aspect won't be as front and center next season. This leads me to believe that - as previously theorized - igniting the bomb would take the survivors from Oceanic Flight 815 back to the present day aboard the crash of Ajira Flight 316.
But what does that mean for Juliet who was originally an other? She never crashed on either plane. Will she be around next season, or was the final scene her exit from the show? Similarly, what does this mean for Miles, Sawyer, and Jin? They are survivors, but they never left the island, so it would be hard to explain bringing them back to the present day. If they were never on Ajira 316, how could they crash on it? What about Sayid? He was on both 815 and 316, but it seemed as if his character was on his death bed near the end of last night's episode. If he dies in the 1970's, will he still be alive next season? Without a doubt, next season is going to be amazing. I have no doubt in my mind. Not to mention that Claire will be back! That should make for some interesting story telling. Besides this information, I have two speculations regarding the show...
#1 - I believe Rose and Bernard's story line is finished. After seeing Bernard with his beard, and Rose looking more beautiful than ever, I had the undeniable feeling in my gut that these two people ultimately become the "Adam & Eve" bodies that were discovered in Season One. It makes sense. But will the writers ever elaborate on this story, or will they just leave it open to the minds of the viewers? After all, they can't answer EVERY question, because some questions are just... too abstract? Like, "What IS the Island" for instance. I don't think they can honestly answer that. EVER. I think there will be certain "it is what it is" things next season that will leave distaste in the mouths of some of the more finicky fans.
#2 - I believe the island is an important plot - a sacred, religious grounds even.
I believe the island is coarse-correcting itself. Does anybody ever wonder why the pilot of Oceanic Flight 815 was killed by the smoke monster? Maybe the pilot of 815, and perhaps we'll discover this later, was working for Ben... or Widmore... or somebody, and they were NEVER supposed to crash on the island. Similarly, maybe the DHARMA Initiative was never supposed to be there. By bringing the survivors back, and ultimately allowing them to set off the hydrogen bomb, I think the island totally demolished all of the things that "weren't supposed to happen." That's just one of the many reasons I believe the survivors will wake up after the crash of Ajira 316, and while remembering everything that happened to them, will ultimately realize that much of what did happen - including Oceanic Flight 815's crash - wasn't supposed to happen. But at that point, they will have fixed it. Fixed it without losing any of the knowledge that the island IS in fact a sacred, powerful place.
Well, those are my theories. I just have one final question to pose: Why didn't we seee Widmore in the finale? Did anybody get the feeling that maybe there are THREE sides? There's Jacob, there's Widmore, and then there's the Ben/Locke side? It's still hard to tell who's good, and who's bad - regardless of how subjective those words may be. Though after watching Ben stab Jacob, and Locke kicking his still-living body into the fire pit... I have a feeling that they've just been officially marked as the ones who are "bad." I think next season it will ultimately be THEM who are the ones to stop.
I guess I'll have to wait and see along with every other fan of the show. I CANNOT WAIT!
LOST: Follow the Leader
1 commentsFinally, and just in time for tonight's season five finale - my review for last week's episode. You can say one thing about my punctuality, I always come through in the nick of time! Ha-ha. Anyway, enough about me, let's talk about LOST. Last week's episode "Follow the Leader" may
have just been the best penultimate episode of the season for LOST since the franchise began. It definitely impressed me, and it set every question up perfectly for the finale. I have a few topics I want to discuss, and then I'll leave you with my thoughts on how tonight's episode will play out.
So, Sayid's back! And not a minute too late. There have been a few scenes over the past few episodes where I was totally expecting him to show back up. For instance, last week when Faraday was pointing the gun at Richard Alpert. I expected Sayid to step in and kill Faraday's mother after she shot him. But he didn't. Well, in this episode when I was like, "Okay, it's not going to happen." Bam! Heeee's back! This got me excited because Sayid is one of my favorite characters. As every LOST personality survey says, I'm most like Sayid, so... I must have a connection to the character or something :) It will be interesting to see how long he follows Jack and Richard around before he goes all vigilante killer on their asses. The expression on his face, and in his tone, when Jack told him that young Ben was still alive was absolutely classis Sayid. I bet he was PISSED. Frankly, Jack's "he's just a kid" excuse for keeping Ben alive bothered me because if you recall correctly, Jack didn't want him to live! He was the one that denied doing surgery on him, and therefore Kate had
to take him to the Hostiles. Why was Jack acting so innocent? Him and Sayid were in the same boat at the beginning, but once again, Jack goes off and does one more thing that makes me dislike his character even more. Bastard. Lol.
So, just when you think Sawyer and Juliet are going to have a happily ever after, and leave in the submarine, and go back to Ann Arbor, and start a life together in the 1970's... Here comes Kate to bring that triangle back to life. Geesh, can't anybody just have a happy ending on this show? From the looks of tonight's finale, we're bound to hear some relationship drama. I'm not sure I'm looking forward to it, but we shall see. I KNOW the writers aren't about to let three of their main stars leave the show, but again, according to the previews and from spoilers across the web, a "beloved" character will be leaving the show. Who will it be? Keep reading; I'll get to that in a few minutes.
Okay, now snap out of the 70's and let's focus on the current day for a minute. John Locke, Ben, Richard, Sun, and the entire mass of beach-inhabiting Others are on their way to see Jacob! First off, does anybody really think we'll end up seeing Jacob in tonight's finale? I have my doubts, but I think it's about time they bust open that can of worms. Apparently tonight's finale opens the doorway for next season's exploration of the history and earlier cultures on the island. Does any of this relate to Jacob? I guess we shall see. But wait, why is John Locke really wanting to meet Jacob? Is it to allow the Others to finally meet the man who has been ordering them around all along, like he had said? No, because apparently he's as manipulative as Ben. This is revealed when he tells Ben that he plans on killing him. So, I'll say it to someone else: bastard.
All right, enough recap! Onto my predictions for tonight's episode. Off the top, I do NOT think we will "meet" Jacob, though we may be given an idea of who he is. I have a feeling people will be in for a surprise, because I don't know if I'm entirely convinced that Jacob is an actual living, animate person. I have a feeling he's... maybe not even qualifiable to be given a gender. Maybe he's a computer...? Maybe it is a person, but he doesn't even live on the island. Perhaps he speaks - or in Ben's case, doesn't - to the leader of the Others via some other form. I highly doubt we're just going to meet some average joe-schmo. That is, if we do end up meeting him tonight. We'll see. I have mixed feelings about the topic. All of my theories aside though, dare I say, I think we won't meet Jacob because... he doesn't exist yet. I think we possibly ALREADY know who Jacob is, that person just merely hasn't "become" him at this point.
I have a feeling before tonight's episode is over, we will see either Ben or Richard try to kill Locke. I'm not sure whether either of them would be successful in their efforts, due in part to Locke's ability to rise from the dead, but we'll see. I could be totally off, but given what Richard said to Ben near the end of last week's episode, I just have this feeling in my gut. And then Ben later trying to lure Locke into a false sense of security by disclosing to him what Richard has said. Just don't be surprised if some crazy shit goes down involving these three. I think they just need to whip 'em out and see whose is bigger, really. Lol. Perhaps Richard told Ben what he did knowing that he's run to Locke and tell him, and therefore, maybe he's playing them both. Maybe Richard is really in charge, after all he's been the "advisor" for... ever? Is that fair to say? One thing's for sure, when I've lived over 50 years, I'd like to look half as good as Richard. Hell, I'll even wear the eyeliner.
What do I think Jack, Sayid, Richard (the 1970's version), and Faraday's Mom end up doing with the hydrogen bomb? Uhh, probably nothing seeming as how they still need to play out a sixth season. However, tonight's finale is supposed to pack the most shocking twist every in the history of LOST, so who's to say they don't let the bomb go off and therefore kill off everybody who's still stuck in the 1970's? Like I said, I doubt it, but after what that Dharma guy did - hitting Juliet in the face to get Sawyer to 'fess up - there would be a real justice conveyed if they did bomb those mutherf*ckers. Sorry for the word use, but that scene of last week's episode REALLY, REALLY pissed me off. You don't hit the ladies; it's as simple as that.
Now, who do I think leaves the show? Honestly, I have no idea. I wouldn't be surprised if that's only a figurative term, and maybe nobody really leaves the island at all. Or maybe it's like when Rosseau and Alex's boyfriend died last season. Sure, they died, but nobody was really upset by their deaths. Maybe they'll pull a stunt like that. BUT if in fact they decide to cut a lead character out tonight, I have a eerie feeling it's going to be Juliet. I don't know why, but something has told me all season that they're prepping to move in that direction. Of course, the only thing in my mind that would keep them from doing that (other than losing me as a fan - lol) would be the storyline between she and Ben, regarding the one time she told Jack that Ben thought of her as "his." If they want to elaborate on that a little more, they might just keep her around a little longer. But if it's not Juliet, I have no idea.
Apparently, tonight's episode is a Sawyer-Kate-Juliet-centric episode. I have a feeling there will be a lot of them sitting around in the submarine discussing things which will prompt flashes to other scenes, and moments on the island. I only pray that tonight's episode is as good as it's being pumped up to be. Of course, I don't doubt that it will be. The writers and actors have truly put on one of the most amazing seasons of the show with this one. It won't disappoint. Don't miss it! The LOST Season Finale starts at 8PM on ABC :) Just for kicks I'm attaching the preview for tonight's episode, only because I can't stop watching it myself!! Lol.
LOST Extras
1 commentsHere's a few really great tidbits and lists for all of you LOST fans, and then some - via a few great, useful links:
>> The 4 Elements to LOST
This clever little bit discusses the roles earth, fire, wind, and water have played in the series to date. At first I didn't totally understand what they were getting at, but as I browsed through the pictures, it started making sense. Either the writers think way too much about the story before writing it, or the fans just like to complicate things. I'd like to think it's a combination of both! :)
>>The 16 Most Shocking Moments in the Series (so far)
I'm not totally convinced that #1 is accurate, though it was incredibly shocking. I think #3, 8, and 9 were the most shocking for me personally. Taking a scroll back through these will really get you feeling nostalgic. Like, Wow - have I really been addicted to this show for five years now? LoL.
>> Damon Lindelof offers spoilers to next season
I wouldn't say this packs any serious spoilers regarding next season (a.k.a. the final season of LOST), but it is a very interesting read. It helped me as a viewer realize that maybe I was thinking a bit too much, and that my expectations of the writers were far too high. There are some mysteries of the island that really can't be answered; they're just there because they are. It's one of those "it is what it is" kind of things. Like "the numbers" for instance. Of course, I was sort of disappointed to find out that chances were slim to none of the writer's finishing out the Libby storyline.
>> 100 Off Island Connections on LOST
This - in my mind- is the most key element for any viewer, new or old, to understand the depth of the show. ALL of these people are connected in some way. Nothing that is happening is by chance. Clearly, the list wouldn't be this big if the writers weren't truly trying to magnify the existence of the 6 degrees of separation throughout the show. So, if you have enough time to read a list of 100 things, I encourage you to read this one. It's worth it, especially for you avid LOSTies :)
That's all for now everyone. This afternoon you can come back for my review to last week's episode of LOST "Follow the Leader," as well as some of the easter eggs for the episode. In addition, my forecast and what I predict of tonight's finale!! It starts at 8PM on ABC - DON'T MISS IT!
BLSAT Monday Update #4
2 commentsWelcome to the 4th Best Love Song of All-Time update in our search!! It's been an awesome ride so far, and the nominations are continuing to come in. This week I'd like to announce a new perk for the weeks to come that will be totally exclusive to the Cereal Bowl. I would love everyone to take part in this, whether you're supporting us on any of the networking sites or not! :) And, if you were wondering what today's "surprise" was that I mentioned last week... Check back throughout the week and pay attention to the left hand sidebar. I'm sure you'll all be surprised.
Share Your Love Story (or Story of Love)
Over the next week I want to encourage everyone to write-in to the Cereal Bowl with their own personal stories of love and inspiration - their own personal journeys and experiences. I'm not asking for a lovey-dovey, overly mushy portrayal. I'm looking for well-written, multi-paragraph entries depicting your story of love through all aspects. I want it to be very raw, and very provoking. I don't want anything sugar coated, just talk about the ups and downs that love has taken you on, and how in the long run, it has helped you better understand the foundation of love as a whole. Don't be dramatic about it. Just real. I would appreciate anyone and everyone willing to take part in this addition to the hunt for the Best Love Song of All-time. Starting May 18th, I'm going to pick an entry and publish it right here on the site. One story per day, every weekday, until May 29th. That's ten total entries. It's a first come, first serve setup. As much as I'd LOVE to post everyone's, I'd like to be able to set aside a day dedicated to each individual story I post. So, get to writing! You can e-mail your submissions to BLSATmail@aol.com or Fierceness7@aol.com, or via the BLSAT MySpace or Facebook. Thank you.
And now, without anymore waiting - this past week's nominations!!
Monday, May 4th
"At the Beginning" by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis
"The Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston
"A New Day Has Come" by Celine Dion
"Whatever It Takes" by Lifehouse
Tuesday, May 5th
"Everytime We Touch" by Cascada
"Our Song" by Taylor Swift
"So Small" by Carrie Underwood
"You Are the Sunshine of My Life" by Stevie Wonder
Wednesday, May 6th
"Breathe" by Faith Hill
"Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis
"Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin
"Let Love In" by The Goo Goo Dolls
Thursday, May 7th
"Realize" by Colbie Caillat
"Love Don't Cost a Thing" by Jennifer Lopez
"Broken" by Amy Lee & Seether
"I Can Love You Like That" by John Michael Montgomery
Friday, May 8th
"When You Kiss Me" by Shania Twain
"Addicted" by Enrique Iglesias
"Tonight, I Celebrate My Love For You" by Roberta Flack
"Inevitable" by Shakira
Saturday, May 9th
"The Sun and the Moon" by Mae
"To Be With You" by Mr. Big
"If You're Not the One" by Daniel Bedingfield
"Collide" by Howie Day
"Unanswered Prayers" by Garth Brooks
Sunday, May 10th
"My Love" by Justin Timberlake & T.I.
"I Ain't No Quitter" by Shania Twain
"More Than Words" by Extreme
"Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira
"Wonderwall" by Oasis
Previous BLSAT Posts:
>> BLSAT Monday Update #3 - "Why I Fight for Love"
>> BLSAT Monday Update #2 - "BLSAT Hits MySpace"
>> BLSAT Monday Update #1 - "After the First 5 Days"
>> The Hung Begins...
SCJ: The Gay, the Bad, and the Ugly
1 commentsWelcome to this Saturday's edition of the Saturday Cup of Joe! The title pretty much hints at the entire contents of today's SCJ. First I'll be discussing the Miss American Pageant blow-up, and then I'll go on to discuss my beliefs on the topic as a whole. I've never done this here on the Cereal Bowl, so this should be good. Please - whether you're straight, gay, bisexual, Liberal, conservative, whatever - read this. I think if there were more gay men with stances such as myself, our culture would be more accepting of same sex marriage - something they're not used to, because not every gay man waves a rainbow flag outside their door. Being gay is apart of who they are; not "who they are."
Secondly on the roster, I'm going to disagree with another blogger/writer for the first time, right here on my site!! So, if you're not interested in the whole gay mumbojumbo, skip down to the last paragraph and see why I disagree with Tonic's Pick for the #1 Most Beautiful Person.
First of all, I don't even know anybody that follows these sort of things anymore, but anytime there's ever something newsworthy regarding it, it gets blown out of proportion. Perhaps many of you have already heard about this, but when asked whether every state should follow "Vermont's lead" and legalize same sex marriage, Miss California said that she did not think it should be legalized. All right, well you better believe this invoked millions of homosexual Americans to become angry. I attached the clip; check it out before you proceed.
We live in a country where EVERYONE is entitled to their own set of moral beliefs and viewpoints, regardless of how last century they may be. I am gay; I have been with my partner, the Security Guard, for over three years now. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to marry him, and follow the traditional footsteps of every other American relationship. However, same sex marriage is NOT traditional. For so long the foundation of marriage has been between one man and one woman. You can't just throw a new idea on an entire country and expect ALL of them to embrace it blindly. There are many people who have never even befriended a gay person in their lifetime. Then one day they're driving along in downtown Columbus, Ohio and see a gay pride parade, with a bunch of half naked guys wearing leather chaps. Of course there are people who will not be so quick to embrace the lifestyle, because they do not understand it. When they think of homosexuals, they think of the extremists. They think of the guys you see on television who talk with lisps and wave their hands like wannabe women. They don't see happy, committed couples who have the same problems as any other couple. They don't see the love that two members of the same sex are capable of putting into a relationship. And how could they? There are so many homosexuals working against the cause, just like members of political parties that hurt their party's image (i.e. Rosie O'Donnell, Al Gore, Michael Moore, George Bush, Ann Coulter, etc).
Due to her honesty, Miss California did not win the pageant. She was the runner-up, but it is believed that ultimately her inability to compromise her beliefs and patronize same-sex marriage supporters was the reason she lost. First off, I'm not saying she should have won. I don't know; I've never watched the program. But I do believe if she lost purely for this reason, that Americans - gays and Liberals ones - have truly become the intolerant aspect of 21st century society. Would we have rather given the title to a woman who was willing to lie simply for the sake of looking better in the eyes of spectators? Would we have rather given it to someone who was willing to sacrifice what they stood for all for the sake of a title?
... Oh wait, we elected Barack Obama, so of course we are. I just don't get it; I don't get it. Why has America became this place where it's ALL politics? I would much rather see someone win something, or be elected to something, that was willing to admit their mistakes, and was NOT willing to compromise their own personal beliefs just to please the system. And I have no doubt in my mind that if every gay person in the world were like me, that we would have same sex marriage legalized in every state within the next year. It's just that easy. People are reluctant to change when it's being forced down their throat. Liberals and gays can disagree with the war in Iraq because they didn't "ask for our help." Well, they're doing the same thing to Americans that aren't accustomed to the same-sex lifestyle. Liberals... gays... the kettle's calling.
Now, my first ever cited public disagreement here on Jordan's Cereal Bowl.com:
Tonic (click here to view her site) is some writer chick who's actually cleverly impressive. I've just recently stumbled across her work, but she's been published in magazine's and such - an amazing feat for any self-proclaimed writer. Anyway, she comprised a list of the 50 Most Beautiful People. I love lists, so OF COURSE I had to look at who everyone was. I was impressed by the depth of the list. She wasn't just picking half-ass celebrity do-gooders like Oprah, but she was actually picking legit people who fight for real causes. There was ONLY one pick of hers that I disagreed with, and that one just happened to be in the #1 spot. Who was it - you might ask? Susan Boyle.
It's funny actually because being the superficial/shallow person that I tend to be at times, about a week ago the Security Guard was talking about the "Susan Boyle" story or whatever, and wanted me to watch the segment from Britain's Got Talent. I was reluctant, but I did. And let me tell you, I almost cried. I really liked it. It was very inspiring and helped to further alleviate the negative stereotypes that frequently go with people who don't have the "image." But I don't think she can win out over everyone else on Tonic's list for that. People who spend every day of their lives giving back to humanity, fighting for causes, and their beliefs. For a better world. Sure, Susan Boyle had an inspiring 15 minutes of fame, but I can't agree with it due in part to everyone she "topped" on this list. A good singing voice, and an inspiring story, don't change the world. There were other people on this list who are TRULY changing the world, and making a difference. I'm not saying which particular person I would have picked for #1, because honestly, I don't know. But I wouldn't have went with Susan Boyle. But everyone has a different opinion. That's the amazing thing about the world we live in!! It's okay to have differences of opinion. I'm just saying; I don't agree :) Simple as that.
Have a good Saturday, everyone.
Finale Rollout '09
5 commentsIt has been an amazing season for all of my favorite shows. While I've been able to keep up on most of my favorites, I have fallen really behind on others. For instance, I am still like 12 episodes behind on Prison Break, and I'm only a few episodes into this season's Without a Trace. I'm slackin', people - really slacking. On the bright side, I'm current on LOST, 
Brothers & Sisters, and - for the most part - Desperate Housewives. Today I'm going to post the air dates of every television show I consider worthy of noting :) Hopefully this helps anybody who wasn't sure of the dates!
Private Practice - you already missed it on April 30th!! (lol)
Cold Case - Sunday, May 10th
Brothers & Sisters - Sunday, May 10th
LOST - Wednesday, May 13th
Grey's Anatomy - Thursday, May 14th
CSI - Thursday, May 14th
Prison Break - Friday, May 15th (*SERIES FINALE*)
Desperate Housewives - Sunday, May 17th
Family Guy - Sunday, May 17th
Without a Trace - Tuesday, May 19th
American Idol - Wednesday, May 20th
Hopefully I covered everybody's favorites!! If not, well... chances are I don't consider them that good to begin with. But that's cool. It takes proper doses of bad television to make people realize what good shows are. "Live and let live" that's what I always say. Or, "air and let air" might be more suiting for this scenario!! AOL Television released the Top 50 Best TV Dramas EVER. It was full of deserving titles, and a few surprises! Notable entries (a.k.a. shows from my 
time era) included the television drama 24 which ranked #42; the original CSI at #30; Buffy the Vampire Slayer at #26; Six Feet Under which garnered impressively, especially for an HBO drama at #16; The X-Files at #14; The West Wing (a personal favorite of the Security Guard) at #8; Law & Order at #6; ER at #5; and The Sopranos snagged the #1 spot.
But perhaps the most amazing ranking of all was LOST. Guess where it placed.... just guess. It was #3!!! I was surprised, excited, and honored to be apart of the fan base following the show. With one episode remaining in the season, and an entire season left to go, LOST has gone down as one of the most ground breaking, most DVR'd shows in history. That is an incredible feat for any show, especially nowadays when it seems like it's harder to draw in an audience. And it's just one more way of sticking it to everyone who has never followed LOST because it's "confusing." Psht, whatever. Morons. Ha-ha. =)
Stay tune between now and the finale dates of each show, and if they're worthy of receiving a pre-Finale recap, they'll be getting one.
To view the entire AOL Television 50 Best TV Drama list, click here.
BLSAT Monday Update #3
6 commentsWelcome to the THIRD Monday Update in the search for the Best Love Song of All-Time!! I can't believe three weeks have already passed. Okay, technically speaking, it's only been two and a half - we launched on a Wednesday!! It's just crazy. There have been so many amazing songs nominated, and all about the most extraordinary thing - LOVE!! We've had songs depicting the joy, heartache, and conflict that is frequently associated with it. That's the surreal thing about love is that through highs and lows, it's still such a beautiful thing. Like taking apart a clock, when you go to put it back together, you realize just how every part of it works. It might not always be the easiest thing, but it's worth the fight. 
Today I'm proposing a rhetorical question, and that is, why fight for love? There was a song on this past week's list of nominations by Elliot Yamin called "Fight for Love." It's just one of the reasons I'm proposing the question. I want to get everyone thinking. Why do you fight for it? Sometimes it's an uphill battle, but when you've finally reached the top it's the best feeling in the world. I attached a few pictures on today's update highlighting just a few of the reasons I fight for it (three of them to be exact!). It's amazing. Anywho, before I start carrying on, I want to cover our progress on the BLSAT MySpace, and then I'll get to the list of this past week's nominees!!!
BLSAT MySpace Update
This morning we were standing at 352 friends, which I'm absolutely psyched about! I haven't done us much trafficking over the past week as I would have liked, but the requests have continued 
to come in regardless of that. I appreciate everyone's support who's giving it. It means a lot! I had the chance to add a few celebrities/politicians over the past week, and while I'm pretty certain those people don't actually run their own MySpace, I thought it was sort of neat. The stand outs were definitely President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with my personal idol, and Soccer phenomenon, David Beckham!! We have all of May left to solicit support, and I praise the ongoing support of those I've had on board all along, including the Security Guard, my brother The Shoe Salesman and his wife, along with some of the ladies I work with. If you haven't started following us on Twitter yet, it's not too late to get bitten by the Twitter-bug. You can access my Twitter account here.
My Surprise For Next Monday's Update
I'm not going to tell anyone what it is, but it's being done in honor of love, and in representation for the bond between myself and the man I've spent the past three and a half years loving. I think it will be crazy cool, and I'm pretty sure nobody will figure it out ahead of time. For those of you who are aware of what I plan on doing, please remain silent =) I don't want the surprise ruined for everyone else! With that said, here are this past week's nominations:
Monday, April 27th
"If This is Austin" by Blake Shelton
"Born to Make You Happy" by Britney Spears
"You've Got a Way" by Shania Twain
"Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden
Tuesday, April 28th
"Halo" by Beyonce Knowles
"Be" by Jessica Simpson
"I'll Be Right Here Waiting for You" by Richard Marxx
"Fight for Love" by Elliot Yamin
Wednesday, April 29th
"Everything to Me" by Liz Phair
"With You" by Jessica Simpson
"Yes" by Chad Brock
"Here (In Your Arms)" by Hellogoodbye
Thursday, April 30th
"Here by Me" by 3 Doors Down
"Be With You" by Enrique Iglesias
"Like I Love You" by Justin Timberlake
"How Do I Live Without You" by Lee Ann Rimes
Friday, May 1st
"Fall to Pieces" by Avril Lavigne
"Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's
"Come On Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson
"Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga
Saturday, May 2nd
"Hate That I Love You" by Rihanna & Ne-Yo
"It's Your Love" by Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
"Fall" by Clay Walker
"Before Your Love" by Kelly Clarkson
"Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers
Sunday, May 3rd
"Only Time" by Enya
"We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey
"La La" by Ashlee Simpson
"Lithium" by Evanescence
"Amazed" by Lone Star
Debunking Pit Bull Mythology
6 commentsEverybody's heard of them. Chances are it has been in a negative light too. Many people believe Pitt Bulls are violent, territorial, 
and dangerous dogs with bad tempers. Of course, these are all of the negative stereotypes that go with any dog that has ever been known to be aggressive. The reality of the situation is that there is no such thing as a bad dog. My brother was once bitten by a Beagle named Copper. Does that mean Beagles are violent breed of dog? No, it just means dogs - much like humans - defend themselves when they feel they're being physically provoked. Many people who raise dogs for the sake of fighting them choose dominant, protective breeds like Pit Bulls and Rottweilers because of their stature. I've owned a Rottweiler mix for well over a year now, and she has never growled, snapped, or even so much as snarled at someone. Again, like humans, it has a lot to do with upbringing. If you raise the dog to be gentle, traits such as being territorial and protective are actually a positive characteristic.
What is a Pit Bull? 
Frankly, there's no such thing. Pit Bull is a coined term generally used to describe any breed of dog from the Molosser family, which includes American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terries, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and many, many other breeds. The term "pit bull" is actually just used by many to highlight the fact that these dogs are used by many irresponsible, careless people for reasons outside of being a pet.
A common myth is that these dogs' jaws can "lock" onto someone. This is myth is false. There is no truth to it. Ask any veternarian. The structure of their jaw is just like any other breed of dog. Just because 99% of people live under the ignorant assumption that these dogs are blood thirsty monsters, doesn't mean it's true - just like many other misconceptions in our world today. Remember Michael Vick's dogs - most of which were pit bulls? Many of them were able to be rehibilitated and now live in loving households with children, other dogs, and even cats. There has not been a single incident reported by the families who adopted those animals that would hint there's ANYTHING violent about them anymore. Dogs, like humans, need love. 
And when they're not loved, they're not going to be nice. Rarely do people ever see the blatant correlations between themselves and their pets, but the similarities are present. Though sadly, they're often neglected to be noticed.
I had the pleasure of meeting THREE amazing pit bulls two weeks ago that were owned by a lady I work with, and they were remarkable. Of course, I've always lived under those common negative misconceptions about the "breed" itself, so the minute this un-neutered male "pit bull" started walking up to me, I was a bit intimidated. But I was quickly brought to reality when I realized it was one of the most friendly dogs I'd ever met. Sure, it jumped up on me and started sniffing me, and licking me. But no matter how much I played or wrestled around with it, it didn't get violent. So, in conclusion, everyone needs to drop the ignorance. These dogs are just as capable of loving as any other dogs. They're getting a bum wrap based on the common misconceptions, and preconceived notions.
I'm sure most people can relate to this themselves by applying it to a similar situation in their own lives.
Breaking LOST News
2 commentsWas Desmond being shot by Ben apart of the plan all along, or was it just thrown in because of the lawsuit ABC's facing by a former actress from LOST that has accused Henry Ian Cusick of sexual harassment? Click here for the whole story.
In other words, are Desmond's days on LOST over? Given that his "constant" [Faraday] more than likely died in last week's episode, it would make sense that the writer's wouldn't lose much by ditching Cusick now. Tune in. What do you think?
Music ATM: May '09
2 commentsIt's that time of the month again! That time where I get to give everyone the rundown on all of the music AT THE MOMENT - It's the May Music ATM! Woo-hoo! I'm sure everybody remembers how much last months ATM sucked, but I promise you that this month is better. You know the old cliche, "April Showers, May flowers" blah blah blah. Well, it's true. Or at least in this instance. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the songs... This is the BIGGEST Music ATM EVER(!) here at Jordan's Cereal Bowl.
"Love, Sex, Magin" by Ciara ft/ Justin Timberlake
"Sugar" by Flo Rida
"Halo" by Beyonce
"Lovestruck" by V-Factory
"I Do Not Hook-Up" by Kelly Clarkson
"Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga
"Come On Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson
"Welcome to the World" by Kevin Rudolf
"You Found Me" by the Fray
"Fight for Love" by Elliot Yamin
"Not Meant to Be" by Theory of a Dead Man
"Blame It On the Alcohol" by Jamie Foxx
"White Horse" by Taylor Swift (3)
"Poker Face" by Lady Gaga (3)
"Love Game" by Lady Gaga (2)
"Kristy, Are You Doing OK?" by Offspring (2)
All right, there are definitely some good ones, but before I get into anything lengthy I just want to say how ironic it is that there are so many new, blossoming artists in the music industry that sound JUST like other singers we've heard before - only they're better! Who am I talking about? Three examples: 1) Lady Gaga. She sounds like Christina Aguilera, only she's ten times better and hopefully won't end up butchering her musical career later down the line by changing her "direction." 2) Theory of a Dead Man. The first time I heard this song I could've sworn it was Nickelback. Wrong again, Jordan! And here I was ALMOST believing that Nickelback had a good song for once. And finally, 3) The V-Factory. I'm not sure who the hell these guys are, but when I first heard them I thought it was a Justin Timberlake reunites with N'Sync or something. Only, it was good... So I knew it couldn't be them. Sure enough, it wasn't. I'm glad of course, because I really love this song!
Okay, now I'm going to bitch a little. Before I completely drop the Justin Timberlake topic, you may have noticed that his new song with... or should I say Ciara's new song featuring him, "Love Sex Magic," made the list. Honestly, and I'm not just saying this for dramatic sake, I like Ciara's parts of the song. That's it. As a matter of fact, I was listening to the radio the other day and heard that the music video for this song was "hot," so you know what that means. I had to watch it! It was hot for about .000026th's of a second before we got our first glimpse of Justin Timberlakes unshaven peach fuzz. Here's some constructive criticism, Justin. The whole scruff thing looks good on SOME guys, but when you look like you're a high school pot head, and your scruff has any tone of light blond in it... it's a no-no. You don't do it. It's disgusting. Plus, it's not even completely a full scruff. It's like... it's patchy. So rather than classy and kept, it looks like you just forgot to shave because you were out too late the night before getting trashed. And now you're making me waste all of this time that I could be talking about positive things on the fact that your mother clearly didn't raise you right. Oh yes, I went there. And kudos to Ciara - she was in fact hot. Hotter than ever actually. And to think it could've been better had she not let Timberlake tag along. Tsk tsk tsk...
Now onto a guy that I can't criticize as well, Matt Nathanson. I'm guessing this guy's sort of new to the whole music scene. I heard his first single on the radio "Come On Get Higher" and I absolutely lost myself in it. Oh, by the way, he's the 4th person that sounds like similar artists, but is MUCH better. At first you might think it's a John Mayer / James Blunt Pro-creation singing when you hear this song, but if you give it a minute, you'll here that this guy actually has talent. It's refreshing really. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the last line of this song just makes me melt. You all need to check it out!! The music video is even fun in an offbeat kind of way, and it reveals to those who may not be familiar with what he looks like that he has a nose ring. I really don't think nose rings look good on guys, but somehow, he pulls it off. Good for him.
Lady Gaga takes the reigns in the battle of the blonds for this month, as Taylor Swift drops to only having a single song on the list - a song that's been on the list for three months no less. I added Lady Gaga's track Paparazzi to the list. It hasn't hit radios yet, but will be before long. I know she's either close to, or finished, shooting the video for it. If it's anything like her last two videos, it's going to be sizzling to say the least.
Flo Rida really, really, really needs to lay off his new song tactics of stealing from older artists. Sure, "Right Round" and "Sugar" have both made the list, but that's only because they're good beats. If you notice, "Right Round" fell off the list pretty quick. A good beat can get you on the list, but it takes more than that to KEEP you on it. I think he's really on a downward spiral. He started off good with "Low," but then he quickly opted to start doing collaborations, and now re-makes. Come on, Flo!
The song I'm by far most impressed with is Beyonce's new one, "Halo." It's just so smooth flowing and romantic. The video isn't all that great, but hey, I can't complain. She has FINALLY released a good track off the Sasha Fierce album that I actually enjoy!
That my friends is all for the May edition of Music At the Moment. Next month we'll be back, and as everyone knows, June is the first month of Summer!! We'll have to wait and find out whether this Summer's going to be HOT in the music arena, or just... another humid one. Until then, rock out & enjoy yourselves!
SCJ: Blame Porky the Pig
1 commentsWelcome to the first May edition of the Cereal Bowl's Saturday Cup of Joe. Today's going to be hot with no nonsense feedback regarding the topic that's on everybody's minds. Okay, well maybe not on everyone's mind, but definitely all over every media outlet. I'd give you a hint, but chances are nobody's dumb enough to need one. So, with that said, I'm going to kick off this weeks SCJ. Enjoy!
Two words, people: Swine flu. Are you serious? Really? What bird flu wasn't enough so now they're targeting pigs? Everybody's heard about it. Hell, a few of my co-workers have started bringing hand sanitizer to work to make sure they don't get it. It's absolutely asinine. Don't get me wrong, I'm not questioning the validity of the illness, or for that matter, the threat. What I'm doubting is the means they're using to facilitate this problem. One person gets sick from something out of the norm, and suddenly every media outlet in the world is portraying it like the end of mankind. Does anybody remember the anthrax scares? What about SARS? MRSA, maybe? Or perhaps even the yearly bird flu scare. It's here one day, gone the next. And trust me, I really hope I'm right when I say this, but just watch... Oh, one - maybe two - months from now, people will be saying, "What's a swine?"
And poor, President Obama. His utter lack of experience comes out the most as we watch him voluntarily jump through every hoop the media puts in front of him. We seen it with the economy, all of the stimulus packages and auto bailouts; we seen it with the Liberal's disdain for a talk radio host, and now we're seeing it with the swine flu. The crazy thing is that he LIKES doing it. It's almost like it makes him feel better about himself because he's going on national television for the twelve-millionth time in the past 103 days as president. Is he solving anything by doing this? No. He's simply explaining the the American people one more example of something his inexperience can't solve. Sadly, that seems to be enough for him. As long as he's "warning" the American public of EVERYTHING bad that is happening, or could happen, he's fulfilling his duty as commander and chief. Whatever, Obama - whatever.
Perhaps the biggest example of his ignorance was expressed when he told reporters he wouldn't be closing the borders to Mexico, because the "horse is already out." Translation: He's not going to close the borders to Mexico where the "swine flu" materialized, because it's already in our country and therefore, he wouldn't be solving anything. Ummm, okay - don't you think it might help prevent a more wide scale outbreak though? Of course, that would be logical, so needless to say, the thought more than likely never crossed his mind. Once again, that's why I think we need to build a fence around our borders and keep Mexicans on the other side. Why? Well, I'm not trying to further a stereotype, but there's a reason they're calling "dirty" Mexicans.
I'm not going to blame it all on the Mexicans though, because as you know, there are a few problems with America that doesn't stem from them. I'm pretty sure it's more likely the swine flu was brought to America via a Spring Break'er, and therefore, I'm going to pin the INITIAL blame onto them. There have been warnings swirling around the media for MONTHS and MONTHS about the dangers of spending Spring break in Mexico. Period. There are drug wars going on, and more crime than ever before. With this in mind, tons of irresponsible adolescents are still opting to vacation there on Spring break. Really? Come on. I guess if we all die from some Porky the Pig disease, we can really just blame it on our own ignorance.
What kills me the most is that scientists and politicians are freaking out about this (for publicity reasons obviously), but yet they're contradicting themselves. Remember my tidbit a few weeks ago about how Malaria is spreading rapidly in Africa, yet environmentalists won't raise the ban on DHT which could save many of the countless lives lost to the disease? If they're going to let innocent people die, why are they making the scuttle over the swine flu? Isn't it ultimately what they want? Aren't humans the thing that's "ruining" this world? I think politicians - green Liberals in particular - need to start picking their battles, and taking note of their own stances before creating new ones.
Just a thought. And on that note, I'm going to bring this week's Saturday Cup of Joe to a close. It was fun. I really enjoy slamming the Liberal media and enviromentalists ALL in the same post. It just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, because clearly everything I'm saying is 100% true and accurate. I can't help it the fact are never on their side. It is what it is.
