...For The Ride Home: Larry King says goodbye, Eminem sold way more records than you thought he would and Robin Williams as The Riddler?

This song came on this morning while I was out for a run. Haven't heard it in years, and it was an absolute delight to hear it again after so long. Once saw them on a three-band bill at an outdoor amphitheater. They opened the show. Vertical Horizon was second. And Third Eye Blind was third. I lost about 75 dude points after admitting that, I understand. Too bad these guys went away, actually. They were a little different than the other lame-rock groups. The slower song was the bigger hit, but this tune has a bit of a tounge-in-cheek feel to it that's fabulous. Anyways, welcome to Wednesday, or as some may say, the last day of June. NBA free agency begins at 12:01 tonight, and where will all of those young superstars land? It shall be interesting to see how it plays out. Early thought: If LeBron goes to Miami to play with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, he will be a five letter word that I am not allowed to type on a blog that has such young eyes. In any case, before any of that drama comes to fruition, take a look at a few of these links to get you firmly over the hump that Wednesday always provides.

Eminem sold 741,000 copies of Recovery in its first week. That’s awfully, awfully impressive in today’s fickle music world. Can’t imagine another record will top that this year. (Rolling Stone)

Oh, wow. Blogger writes about how good it is to hear about a story regarding heterosexual molestation from a priest as opposed to homosexual molestation. Outrage ensues. (D Magazine)

The media industry really is in trouble. Playboy cuts jobs to save $3 million a year. (Chicago Business)

A vote for Jurgen Klinsmann to become the next United States National Men’s Soccer Team coach. (Fox Sports)

It’s true. Verizon will carry the iPhone in 2011. AT&T stores around the world are immediately put up for sale. (Christian Science Monitor)

Robin Williams wants to play The Riddler in the next “Batman.” Good luck. (Showbiz Spy)

Erin Andrews is going to stay at ESPN. College coaches rejoice. (USA Today)

Larry King’s show is finally coming to an end. Here’s a look at some of the man’s worst moments. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Five dollar movies are way better than five dollar footlongs

One of the three biggest reasons I was able to dive head-first into movies and film around two years ago was the now-infamous $5 bin at my local Wal-Mart. Having owned a grand total of two movies until that point, the discounted prices helped me become more acquainted with films I was told I “should” or “will” like. Besides, it’s five dollars. If you enjoy the movie even a little, it’s well worth the hit to your pocketbook.

That said, Wal-Mart isn’t the only place that sells discounted movies. Some months back, I found myself with a few friends at a dollar store knock-off of a dollar store (and though I will not reveal the name, I will hint that it has something to do with temperature). Yesterday, I found myself in the vicinity of the same kind of knock-off store, and after remembering that someone I was with purchased the wonderfully long “Casino” for five bucks there before, I thought I’d take a gander.

Sure, I didn’t find “Casino,” but I didn’t need to. Why? That’s because I ended up with gold instead. After making my way to the movie shelf, I noticed that two movies I love – one of which was in my top five of ever for a little while – were available. Those movies? “Doubt” and “No Country For Old Men.” Imagine my excitement. It felt like 2007 and 2008 all over again! I snatched up the movies, and moved to the cash register, practically skipping my way over. The five dollar bin to the rescue again.

Driving home, I began thinking about what movies should be included in some five dollar bin somewhere - movies I have in the back of my mind each time I run into these discounts, knowing these titles could feasibly be justified if I were to indeed ever find them at such a price. I thought I’d share my findings with you, the fantastically pretty-eyed reader. Your opinions, as always, are welcome.

Citizen Kane
Come on, now. The experts say this is the greatest movie ever made. Why not make it available for an easy low price so all movie lovers could acquire it?

Love Actually
It’s the best romantic comedy ever. Like, ever.



Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI
Because the first two have been taking up space in every discounted section throughout the world. And each installment is worth it in its own little way.

Ocean’s Thirteen
Much like the “Saws,” the first two installments of this trilogy can be found for five dollars anywhere. Plus, this offering is way better than “Ocean’s Twelve.”

Any Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Chuck Norris movie
Oh, wait…that’s already been done.

The Godfather Parts 1 & 2
That’s a bargain: You’re only paying a dime for each hour!

This Is Spinal Tap
Because I can’t find it anywhere. Like, anywhere. And it has to be one of the funniest movies ever, right? Has to be.

And finally…

Cool Runnings
Honestly, though. Why isn’t this anywhere in sight? You always see “The Sandlot” or “Rookie Of The Year.” What’s wrong with putting this movie right beside it on the shelf. It’s a classic. Feel the rhythm…

...For The Ride Home: We had this Steve Carell story months ago (dangit!), NBA free agents do meet and the death of concerts is imminent

...And there's the video of the Chris Brown incident we alluded to yesterday. It's now time to make your own call. We still stand firmly in our position that it was a bit put-on. I'm not sayin' but I'm just sayin.' Hello, hello. Happy Tuesday to you pretty faces. June is almost gone and as my roommate said this morning, "I'm still stuck on June 1." Me too, actually. It's a bit sickening to know the Fourth of July is right around the corner. It seems like just yesterday it was cold and rainy. But alas, here are we, nearly ready for the MLB All-Star game while hearing rumblings about how college football season is only a couple months away. Where does the time go, friends? Where does it go? As you ponder that particular question, take some time to click a few links, and inexplicably be excited for this new Harry Potter movie that has all the Harry Potter fans excited. Be good, and remember to stop at crosswalks for pedestrians.

Oh contraire. The NBA free agent summit indeed did occur. Remember: Thursday’s the day. (ESPN)

This is something that deserves its own post, and possibly even more. This summer’s concert season is slowly becoming the most disastrous within the last decade. More and more acts cancel/postpone dates and sometimes entire tours (citing various untrue reasons, mind you). Today’s victim? Rihanna as she cancels her tour opener in Washington. (Pollstar)

Get ready for special editions of GQ, Vogue, Glamour and The New Yorker. (New York Observer)

At least he knows it: The “Sh!t My Dad Says” guy recognizes that he is the luckiest guy in the world. Him and Ringo Starr, that is. (I Want Media)

The stereotypical “soccer will still never catch on in America” column. This time from Jay Mariotti. (Fanhouse)

OK. Hold on a second. We had this Steve Carell leaving “The Office” story literally in April. Why are people only finding out about this now? (San Francisco Chronicle via The Associated Press)

Wait. Jay-Z and Eminem are going to do an album together? (All Hip-Hop)

Love Kelly Ripa. No. Really, I do. She’s funny, pretty and seemingly smart. And she looks absolutely fabulous for nearly 40. Hell. She’d look absolutely fabulous if she was nearly 29, too. (People)

Yes, I love Harry Potter. Yes, I'm a grown up.

Nerd alert for you all: I am a Harry Potter fan. Yeah, I said it – a Harry Potter fan. But not like a Harry Potter book fan, because those people are the real nerds, right? (kidding!) Regardless, I’ll stick with the movies; they haven’t failed me yet.

Anyways, you can only imagine my excitement when I heard the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows” trailer was finally out. My wife and I saw “The Half Blood Prince” the day it came out (half because we’re fans, half because we just wanted to see a movie and it happened to be playing that evening), and ever since then I’ve been looking forward to the final installments (the last book is two movies, if you didn't know).

Let me get deep on the HP story for a minute here.

The themes of this series have been interpreted and reinterpreted dozens of times – at its core the tale is one of life and death, good versus evil. But then we see the way Hermione is treated by the “elite” students and it becomes a commentary on prejudice and a faulty class system. We see the way Lord Voldemort thirsts for power and immortality and it becomes an observation on tyranny and totalitarianism. The possibilities go on and on and on. At some point you have to think when all is said and done, this series will have made many people – young and old – more well-rounded individuals.

Deep part over… did I mention that my wife and I dressed up as Harry Potter characters last Halloween? Before you judge me, keep in mind that we were on a tight costume budget and visited the costume store on, like, Oct. 29.

One thing I love is the fact that the movies have gotten increasingly darker as the series progresses. Harry, once an innocent, at times annoying little kid, has become a troubled, at times brooding young man who is learning his place in the world as well as the power he has to shape it. At times he’s the confident prodigy that he’s grown into, while other times he exhibits the naivety and trepidation of a fawn (baby deer, duh).

And in that respect, Daniel Radcliffe is seriously underrated… I’m not saying he should win an Oscar necessarily, but would a Golden Globe nomination at some point be out of the question? According to IMDB.com, the guy has had 20 nominations for various awards, five of which were for Saturn Awards by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA – woohoo. I think Danny deserves better for the complex character most of us have come to love and fear on some level. And no, I’m not talking about an MTV Moon Man for Best Kiss.

If any fellow semi-nerds (what the heck, even full on nerds) are still reading this, do me a favor and humor me. I can’t be the only 28-year-old Potter fan. Here's the trailer for your viewing pleasure (2:32 I think). Let's dicuss afterward if you like - no spoilers though!



Oh, and just for those of you want a little chuckle, check out the video below. It's a song called "HP is HC" (hardcore) by a band called International Superheroes of Hardcore, which is made up of members of the band New Found Glory. I don't think there's any real foul language, but it is a screamy hardcore song. Enjoy!



Don’t forget to come get your Ride Home links at 4 p.m. Until then – Expecto Patronum! Look it up on Wikipedia. ☺

...For The Ride Home: A weekend filled with festivals, Chris Brown cries and Katie Couric to CNN?

It garnered a 13 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. IMDB gave it a 4 out of 10. Me? Of course I liked it! Going in with absolutely no expectations, this movie was way better than simply OK. Hugh Grant makes me laugh. It's his delivery. I suppose he's probably a "love him or hate him" kind of guy, but the more movies I see with him in it, the more I fall to the former rather than the latter. OK. So maybe I'm sucker for romantic comedies, and maybe the movie is a bit predictable, and, at times, not all that good. But hey, when you go in thinking you are about to waste the next two hours of your life, and come away having laughed out loud a few times, you feel pretty good about it. Still not sold on Sarah Jessica Parker, though. No way. Anyways, welcome to week 14! Word on the street is that we have a new reader or two around these parts these days, so we'd like to take this time to extend our sincerest hello to you lovely individuals. And hello's can go a long way, you know. We celebrated our three month anniversary over the weekend by staying away from all computers at all times. Or, well, at least I did. It's nice to be back in the saddle, though, and as we find our way through the final week of June, we ask that you click a few links, take some time to reminisce on America's faltering World Cup, and eat healthy food. It does your body good, you know.

I am going to take the following position on this: Chris Brown didn’t seem sincere. It seemed a little too much like a perfect storm for him to go on and on the way he did. It’s OK if you want to cry, but if it completely takes away your ability to sing the actual song, something’s up. Maybe I’m in the minority. (MTV)

Photographer snaps photo of two lightning bolts hitting a building at the same time. It’s a neat photo. (NPR)

Agreed: Don’t rid the Internet of anonymous commenters. They make things interesting. (Boston Globe)

Sad. Jennifer Capriati overdosed on drugs over the weekend. She’s recovering. (CBS News)

Katie Couric may be interested in going to CNN. Interesting. (Los Angeles Times)

Just because it’s not in America doesn’t mean it isn’t important. Glastonbury, a music festival that was around before music festivals were hip, took place this weekend. And naturally, Stevie Wonder stole the show. (NME)

Another music festival you should care about? Eric Clapton’s "Crossroads." That was this weekend as well. And Bill Murray was there. “Broken Flowers” is a fabulous movie. (Popeater)

Oh no! Kobayashi may not compete at this year’s Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. (Deadspin)

The United States bows out of World Cup. Sources say tournament will continue.

The United States' dreams of hoisting the World Cup trophy for the first time in the country's history came to an abrupt end Saturday when the Americans lost 2-1 to Ghana, a team ranked lower than them in the Fifa world standings, and a team that sent the U.S. packing four years ago by the same score.

When Michael Bradley got loose late in the second half and couldn't convert, I said to myself there was no way America could pull it out. His chance was simply too golden and his effort was a bit too rushed. The sequence itself was indicative of how the United States' World Cup went - a ton of great chances wasted by players who were either unlucky or un-skilled.

Those chances notwithstanding, the biggest amount of blame should be shouldered by coach Bob Bradley (even though the first Ghana goal showcased super-keeper Tim Howard's fault more than anyone else on the field). His insistence on staying in the 4-4-2 formation was ultimately what did the U.S. in. Flash back to the match against Slovenia to see how successful the Americans were in a 4-5-1 during the second half, and you need no more argument. The decision to sit Maurice Edu in favor of Ricardo Clark coupled with the under-use of Benny Feilhaber didn't make things any better, either.

Even with all of those things said, the most alarming problem the United States faced was acting as though they had won the entire tournament after that incredible Landon Donovan goal against Algeria. In a rare moment of intelligence, Alexi Lalas described that instance as more of a moment than a goal. He was right. It was up to the Americans to take the win and advancement in stride, rather than shed tears over advancing...out of group play. The fact that the squad was unable to bounce back efficiently was a direct result of the manager. He should have leveled his players' heads out. He should have added perspective in the locker room. And most importantly, he should have led a charge that forced his players to act as though they have been there before.

He didn't do any of that, and now it may be an idea to look elsewhere when it comes to Brazil in 2014. The Americans should have gone further than they did here, and the readiness to accept mediocrity as success is more troublesome than anything. This team got the country interested in the sport again, if only for a minute or two. But this team also succumbed to a lack of talent, and, ironically enough for a team that came back so many times, a lack of heart in the end (we're looking at you, Jozy Altidore).

Where does this leave us? That's hard to say. Getting further into the knockout stages needs to become common practice rather than a barely-obtainable goal. And hopefully within the next four years, someone tells Mr. Bradley that. That is, if he's still around, of course.

In the meantime, this gives us an opportunity to show the video of one of my favorite moments in sports history...



...it gets better every time.

...For The Ride Home: Tilda Swinton is fab, Kinks bassist dies, Tweedy covers Beyonce, and a year ago today, two icons died

Well, they say you can't go home. Or at least Bon Jovi does. But I am. And what better way to end this exhausting 13th week than to post Jay-Z's "On To The Next One" video? Remember when he premiered it on New Year's Eve? A night with grandma. Dancing with my brother and sister. Watching my dear friend throw up around midnight in front of his brand new girlfriend. Ahh, yes. Probably the best New Year's Eve, like, ever. Do not forget to have your television tuned to your local ABC outlet at around 2:30 tomorrow afternoon to take in the monumental United States knockout match. If we win, I might just run around my hometown naked. That's true, too. Hopefully you enjoyed this week. We offered up another installment of our Blogspot Banter series. We saw an end come to our Signs of Summer series both here and here. We broke some breaking news that "Entourage" will be done after the next season. And we had a wonderful discussion on birds. Was it as fun for you as it was for us? Good, that's what we thought. Before you run and enjoy for first official weekend of summer, though, take a glance at few links, buy some red, white and blue face paint and don't forget to tip your bartenders this weekend. Do not forget, friends. Love, you, miss you.

John Wall went No. 1 overall last night, and here’s a look at how Bill Simmons’ day went. More importantly: The Hawks wound up with Jordan Crawford, just like I had hoped. Love his upside. (ESPN)

Pete Quaife, the original bassist for The Kinks, died. Favorite song of mine: “A Well Respected Man.” (Rolling Stone)

Washington Post hires blogger thinking he’s a conservative. Turns out, he’s a liberal. And now he’s fired. (Politico)

According to this link, professors tend to believe journalists aren’t smart enough to handle certain stories. Thanks, college. (The Atlantic)

An interview with Tilda Swinton. “Michael Clayton” will forever be in my top 10 movies, ever. And until recently, I could confidently say it was in the top 5. And my God, she’s absolutely fabulous in it. (Popmatters)

Like we said up top: 2:30 tomorrow. U.S. vs. Ghana. Get your mind right people. This tournament is only a success if we get to the semis. (Philadelphia Daily News)

A year ago today, Michael Jackson died. So much could be said and linked, but we opt for this interview with the phenomenal guitarist that showed up in “This Is It,” Orianthi. (MTV)

That said, Farrah Fawcett also died a year ago today. Man, she was beautiful. (The Money Times)

Wilco’s frontman covers “Single Ladies.” It doesn’t get better for that band than Sky Blue Sky. I’m not sayin’ but I’m just sayin.’ (Pitchfork)

Blogspot Banter: Serendipitous

In this month's Blogspot Banter, we feature Chris H.'s "Seren-dipitous," a blogspot blog that is approaching its five year anniversary, and — it should be noted — has over 2,000 followers. Yes. 2,000 followers. That just seems like so much, doesn't it?

Based in northern New England, the blog features her photos from the often beautiful landscape those northeastern parts of the United States have been known to offer. Though she is an adjunct professor, and, as you will find below, she considers her blog something she likes to "play" with, "Serendipitous" has clearly amassed quite the following in the often fickle blog-filled universe. It was linked on blogspot's homepage, and the constant flow of comments and commenters that appear on her blog is something tiny little blogs like us can only dream of.

She was kind enough to take some time out of her obviously busy schedule to answer a few questions about blogging, photography and, of course, the complicated world of the Inter Webs. Oh, and to say serendipity wasn't in play when we found out what her favorite movie was, well, you'll see. So without anymore blah, blah, blah-ing from us, take some time to get acquainted with "Serendipitous" (which you can visit here, by the way), and spend a few minutes on getting to know the individual behind the blog. Enjoy...

Q: You’ve had your blog since 2006. That’s almost five years you have been running now. What gave you the idea to begin a blog based around pictures you have taken that predominantly feature items from nature (flowers, trees, insects, etc.)? Did you come across any bit of inspiration for this particular blog?

A: A few summers back, I finally broke down and bought the DSL camera I'd been lusting over for too long. I shot a summers-worth of pictures, but then when fall (and school) came, I just stopped. I started blogging later that fall to make myself take the time to shoot at least one thoughtful photograph a day. I love the outdoors, love to take note of small, seemingly insignificant things so that's what I photograph. But serendipitous is not just about nature — it's about the daily things that impress me — for whatever reason.

 Q: Your blog has over 2,000 followers, and your profile says it has been viewed over 6,000 times. Those are pretty good numbers. What advice would you give to a blogger starting out in regards to how to gain readership? Were there any struggles you had to begin with, and how did you overcome them?

A: I didn't start out looking for an audience. I started blogging for myself. I'd done webpages before but blogging was an easier way to get information online. In the beginning I knew family and a few friends read serendipitous (from my email signature file and stat counter!) but, even now, with so many readers, a lot of what I write is still just for me. I see it, I think it, wonder about it, sometimes even feel it, then take the photograph, write about it, and post. The fact that anyone but me finds any interest in it is astounding to me, even now. 

Q: It also states in your profile that you an adjunct university professor and ICT specialist. How do you find time to blog around your professional career? Would you like to make a career around your blog and/or blogging?

A: I love my jobs, but they're pretty intense and I work long hours. Blogging has become a bit like playing — I search for a picture all day and snap it when I see it. I mull over the posting as I go about my day, writing down words and phrases and emailing them to myself or sticking them on a Post-it in my pocket. By the time I get home, the skeletal post is pretty much ready to post to Blogger. I sit and tweak it, then re-tweak in the morning with coffee. It's great fun - but no, I'd never make it a career. Wouldn't want to take the chance that it might not be fun anymore! 

Q: How important is the comments section/re-adership numbers to you? Is this blog up and running for fun, and your own personal enjoyment, or is this something that you only find gratification in when you know other people are reading? That said, have you become discouraged and have you ever considered giving up your blog because you thought no one cared/read? If so, how did you overcome those feelings?

A: I do love to get comments and so appreciate them. I would love to be able to repsond to all of them, although I'm not even sure that's expected, and I feel a bit guilty that I don't. But even when I didn't get any comments I still loved to blog. No, never considered giving up - not on this blog, anyway! ;-)
 
Q: How did you come about the name “Serendipitous?” Is there a more personal meaning, or was it designed to draw readers in? How important do you think a name can be when beginning one’s own blog?

A: If the name of the blog is the first thing a reader sees - in someone's blogroll, in a web page or email link - it should be intriguing enough that the reader would want to click and find out more. "Serendipitous" was the name of a dear friend's get-away retreat in northern Maine, a beautiful spot on the coast that she just happened upon and subsequently bought. I always liked the word and the concept behind it. That's how most of my photos and ramblings are - not planned, I just find or notice or wonder about them as life goes on. 
 
QUICK 5:
Q: What’s your favorite movie?    
A: The Usual Suspects. Yeah, really. 
Q: Favorite food?          
A: V8 Juice
Q: Favorite television show?        
A: LOST - Now that it's over, I may go into LOST withdrawal and not watch TV ever.
Q: When you are not working or blogging, what do you enjoy doing the most?
A: I'm a huge fan of sleep, I really like to read and study and learn new things - and I love hanging out with my grandgirl.
Q: What’s your favorite blog?      
A: A vlog, actually - The Vlogbrothers, by Hank & John Green. It's funny, clever, unpredictable, and it always makes me laugh and often makes me think. 


For more, check out http://chune123.blogspot.com/.

Double Feature: Grown Ups & Knight And Day

Each Friday, we will offer up two movies that are scheduled to be released within the accompanying weekend. We know, we know. It’s hard to come across blogs who ever actually get movie talk right. That’s why we won’t say much. A trailer. A paragraph. And boom – all you need to know about what new movies you can take your beautiful object of affection to see this weekend. It's like going to the drive-in movie theater. Remember those? So much fun. Thank us later, not now.

Grown Ups

Every single time I see Kevin James hold on to the rope, slam into the tree and fall through branches and bushes head over feet, I just can't help but laugh. This can't be good, right? Way too many people that have done way too many entertaining things in their respective careers for this to work out. I've never seen a thing that Rob Schneider has been in that I've enjoyed. Couldn't they replace him with someone like Ted Danson? Now that would have been funny. In any case, this is the only real wide release this week that comes out Friday because for reasons that are above my pay grade, movies are now being released on Wednesdays, too (see below). Nobody wants to be in a theater during the first official weekend of the summer, so it's hard to think anyone will pick this over a second viewing of "Toy Story 3," but hey — "Funny People" did pretty well last summer, didn't it?



Knight And Day

Oh, snap! Muse is playing during the trailer! Yeah. What's up with these action romantic comedies? And even more so, what's up with Cameron Diaz not making good movies anymore? Tom Cruise gets a lifetime pass for the brilliant "Tropic Thunder," but I can't imagine this movie being anything worth seeing. And as I pointed out up top, why is this the first of many movies that are due out on a Wednesday this summer? Is this standard practice during June, July and August? I mean, goodness. I'm writing about it, and you've already had two days to see it (reviews go in the comments section, thank you). The most redeeming quality of this film? There's a Peter Sarsgard sighting! That's two exclamation points in one post. Still haven't seen "An Education?" How about "Shattered Glass?" Piece of advice. Save that money you'd be spending from making a trip to the theater this weekend for a summer vacation and rent one of those two movies. Promise either one will be better than this. Pinky-promise.

...For The Ride Home: Lollapalooza after-shows, beat reporters have no spine and don't forget about tonight's NBA Draft

Imagine my happiness when I realized this record finally came in the mail yesterday. Shuffling it into my CD player in my car on the way to work, I arrived with a smile on my face, thus proclaiming to everybody at work that there was a smile on my face and the reasoning behind a smile being on my face. I said this then, and I shall repeat myself now: If you can't smile after listening to this record, you don't know what music is. I cannot begin to put into words, or a blog post, or a column, or, well, yeah, you get it, how much I root for these guys. There was never, ever a time when you heard a bad story about any of them. ANY OF THEM. Nobody ever accused them of doing anything wrong, ever (aside from writing tunes that ended up being the absolute biggest songs in the world, and yes, I'm sure you were annoyed). They are all now married. All now grown up. And all now still making music as a band together. Nobody thought they were bigger than the others. Nobody spoke out about "other interests." Nobody was caught coming out of a club stumbling drunk at 15-years-old. Nobody was rumored to have an affair with some type of mistress. None of that. They were once the biggest act in the world and then they went away. And that's it. Now they've released the official album of the summer of 2010. Goodness, you have to love that. OK. I'll get off my soapbox now and offer a few links for you wonderfully pretty readers. Hopefully, you enjoyed our breaking news in today's earlier post, and hopefully, you will enjoy our second installment of "Blogspot Banter" tomorrow. Until then, enjoy your Thursday, have a banana and spend time with your elders. They know more than you.

Forget the actual Lollapalooza festival. Check out the after-shows featuring Minus The Bear, The National, Devo, MGMT and The New Pornographers. (Alternative Press)

Italy, the defending World Cup champions, were knocked out of the tournament this morning. Great headline: Italian loafers. (Fox Sports)

Boy, this magazine really stumbled upon a gold mine with this Ed Rendell story. Yesterday, he addresses affair rumors, today he talks about meeting up with a prostitute. (The Philly Post)

Interesting. A vote for the notion that a beat reporter would have never used the McChrystal quotes in fear of “burning bridges.” (Press Think)

Five reasons not to buy the latest iPhone. Not listed? Reason number six – Because cell phones are the death of us. (Yahoo)

Jen Anniston has been told to stay away from Branjoilina. Oh, come on. But she’s so cute! (Showbiz Spy)

Don’t forget: The NBA Draft is tonight. The Cleveland Cavaliers, who have no picks going into it, are trying to maneuver their way into tonight’s festivities. (ESPN)

Kim Kardashian is dating Miles Austin. Does this mean the Cowboys will win this year’s Super Bowl? (New York Daily News)

Whoa. Had the highest of hopes that once the divorce news broke, nobody would find much wrong, and we could all just live with the fact that a separation happened amicably. That’s clearly not happening. Al Gore accused of sexual assault. (People)

Piven says 'Entourage' has a timeline, Turtle immediately begins looking for work

Though my better half couldn’t make it today, thus forcing you, the lovely reader, to have a pretty me-heavy week’s work of writing, I will spare you a World Cup post…until Monday. As for now, I present you with the first Thursday without a sign of summer since 1996.

Hey, “Entourage” kicks off its new season Sunday. Are you interested? Didn’t think so.

But Jeremy Piven was on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" last night. Did you catch it? Knew he was on, but didn’t give it much thought (Still can’t get over the fact that he wears a toupee). Knowing my love for Ari Gold, my roommate turned it on and suggested I come see. Begrudgingly, I sat through the final segment. And I only say begrudgingly because Jay Leno annoys me. A lot. Like, a lot, a lot.

Anyways, buried in all of this was a nugget of news I was unaware of. Season eight of “Entourage” will be the series’ last. I was…stunned.

Yes, the plot is irrelevant and predictable, and yes, many fans jumped the shark years ago. But what makes this ominous to me is the fact that the show has been able to gain a core audience of viewers that simply like the show for what it is. Maybe some people have run away, but it’s surprising to find the amount of people who haven’t completely given up on the show, admitting to rely on its odd sense of charm to get them through the last few seasons.

Even more interesting? Piven also flippantly mentioned the notion of a possible “Entourage” movie once it’s all said and done. And….boom goes the dynamite.

“Sex And The City” became a massive hit in theaters. In fact, some may argue the show held more of a grip on popular culture after it was cancelled, thrown into syndication and subsequently made a movie out of. Hey, fabulous ladies. What do you think a counterpart to a show like “Sex And The City” would be for men? That’s right, friends: The bro-happy story of five dudes doing dude things in Hollywood. Add that to the fact that the show is already in syndication (on the most dude-happy network of them all, “Spike), and what you have is a recipe for a possible saturation of all things “Entourage” within the next few years.

Does the show have the legs to pull something like that off? Really, really doubt it. But does the show still hold a substantial crowd’s interest even though most people have already dismissed it seasons ago? Yes. What does that add up to? I’m not really sure, though I’m awfully curious to find out.

In the meantime, check out the trailer for this upcoming season….