...For The Ride Home: Everybody wants a divorce, why journalists and PR people hate each other and the fastest selling video game is...

...Because I know there's somebody out there who may appreciate this more than others. And I really, really like this song. I know the critics semi trashed it (and by critics, of course, I don't necessarily mean a certain Associate Editor. Hey a six is better than anything one through five, right?), but I've really found peace with Mr. Gray's latest record. Plus, I'm telling you, if you fill out that peak he has on the top of his head, that's pretty much how I look, and that excites me. Oh, and I love the way he bobbs his head. It's adorable! Anyways, I watched "August Rush" last night because 1) many people told me I should see it and 2) Wal-Mart has new $5 movies! The exclamation point is used to portray my excitement. Not only was I able to pick up "Four Brothers" (a total steal), but my roommate insisted on buying this with the express purpose of me watching it with him last night. The kid's great. He's not good. He's great. The rest of the movie? Eh. It's hard to do music right on the big screen. And though I know I've only been watching movies for a few years now, I can honestly say that with the exception of "Cadillac Records," "This Is Spinal Tap" and "Once," it's hard for me to get into any music-driven movie (even when yes, we all know how much music has played a gigantic part in my life). In any case, the kid's good. Damn good. And maybe even worth checking the movie out for. Maybe. In any case, it is Tuesday and it is a nice day. So perk up and enjoy it friends! Now!

Now, this is great. And we can thank the better half of this blog for such a link, too! Ten things journalists and public relation people hate about each other. (Ereleases)

Yahoo asks the question that’s been on all of our minds: Where have all the fun jobs gone? Honestly, though. (Yahoo)

Hey, hey, hey. The latest FIFA video game has become the fastest selling sports video game…ever. Take that (American) football, basketball, baseball and hockey. (The 90th Minute)

Copying and fashion. Read this. (Popmatters)

Christina Aguilera is back on the market. Always thought she was way prettier than the other poplets of that time. Still do, actually. Don’t you think she’d go great with Justin Timberlake? Ohhh. And ahhhh. (TMZ)

…And the same could be said about Courtney Cox. Turns out, dude from “Scream” slept with a bartender. Doesn’t anybody stay together anymore? Damn. I thought these two couples got it right, too. Shall there be no faith in anything anymore? (Fox News)

NPR hires people to monitor its comment boards. Keep in mind, new comment board police men: All things written are said in a monotone, serious voice, and shall be written with words containing no less than nine letters. (NPR)

Andy Richter is coming back with Conan. If only Max was listening. (Entertainment Weekly)

...For The Ride Home: Randy Moss is going back to Minnesota, non-fiction writers you need to know about and our hearts go out to Mr. Levitt

This is the best movie of 2010. So far, at least. This puts "The Kids Are All Right" at No. 2. Forget your Inceptions. Forget your The Towns. This is it, right here. I still think it's a down year for movies, though. If this ends up lasting another three months in its position, and I'm forced to consider this the best movie of 2010 in my tiny, little brain, then yes, this is a slow movie year. It's still really, really good, though. Eisenberg should get an Oscar nod for this. Honestly, though. In much the same way Clooney was born to play the lead in "Up In the Air," Eisenberg was definitely born to play the lead in this particular flick. It's smart, and sitting right next to romantic comedies, those are my favorite kinds of movies. I don't - and still don't, for that matter - know anything about Facebook, including how to use it. But that doesn't really matter when considering "The Social Network." Dialogue-driven movies: They're the best. And the opening sequence? Goodness, gracious. Fantastic. I feel as though I've been sitting on his end of the table way too many times in my life, acting the exact same way: Scatter-brained, unsure, skeptical, obsessive, quick-speaking, subject-changing, smarmy. Wow, I'm awful, aren't I? I could go on for another 6,000,000 words, but I'll digress for now. Instead, I'll offer the following links, and remind you that the more you are nice to others, others will be nice to you. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Randy Moss is going back to the Minnesota Vikings. Hmm. (NESN)

The five best new artists for October, as determined by Spin. (Spin)

There are only three plausible scenarios for the future of newspapers. And this guy talked about them. (The Herald Times)

Ohhhhh. And. Ahhhhhh. Twenty non-fiction writers under the age of 40 that you should pay attention to. (New Haven Review)

As we said yesterday, Howie Kurtz is out at the Washington Post. And here is what some people think The Post should go after when trying to replace him. (Columbia Journalism Review)

Sooooo, the naked cowboy is going to run for president? Really? (TMZ)

Christina Hendricks: Women hit on her just as much as men do. Side: I love her – don’t get me wrong – but outside of “Mad Men,” it’s hard to find pictures of her in which she looks nearly as good. Side No. 2: I love her voice. (CNN)

This is sad. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s brother dies. He was 36. Saw the movie star on Carson Daly’s show last night, promoting the fabulous hitRECord Web site, and he’s just someone to root for. Once came across a tweet from a dude I went to college with who was totally trashing him because he saw Levitt perform his music somewhere. No need for that. Joe seems like a nice kid. (People)

...For The Ride Home: Howie Kurtz lands a new job, Beiber is the next Ashton Kutcher and an awfully good remix of an XX song

Watch this now. I don't care what you are doing tonight, but there is really no excuse to not cancel all your plans and sit at home with this movie (unless if you are coaching a soccer game and then going to see "The Social Network" much like myself. Then you'd have good excuses). I got home from work and saw this began on AMC, and even though I HATE watching movies on television (commercials completely ruin everything), this began what hopes to be an impressive week of movies. Goodness, gracious. For someone who loves, loves, loves romantic comedies, this thing is perfection. It's a "Love, Actually" situation, really. Wow. Cuddle up with someone you love, cook some tea and do yourself a favor by giving this movie a shot if you haven't already seen it. Fabulous. So, hello, Tuesday. It's rainy and it's cold. Actually, it hasn't stopped being rainy and cold for a few days now. And I think I may be getting sick. But then again, I've been thinking I was about to get sick for about three weeks now. It has to come eventually, right? Especially in October. Before I get sick, though - and before you run to the nearest almost-closed Blockbuster to rent "You've Got Mail" - check out a couple links below, and enjoy the autumn weather. That is, if you like enjoying autumn weather.

Now that baseball’s regular season is over (and the Pirates were again awful), these guys take a look at how all of the “experts” did with preseason predictions. Here’s a hint: Not well. (The Big Lead)

The name of Kanye West’s next CD? My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. (Rolling Stone)

Wooooooooowwwww. Someone who we have linked before in these parts – Washington Post columnist Howie Kurtz – is leaving the paper to work for The Daily Beast. Wow. That’s a hit. (TBD)

Wooooooooowwwww (part two). Michael Ausiello is leaving Entertainment Weekly. Goodness, what has gotten into all these people today? (Deadline)

This guy says there will be no more news anchors who get gabillions of dollars thrown at them. Good. (Mark Coddington)

“Punk’d” is coming back. And Justin Bieber is going to host it. (Popeater)

Four Tet remixes The XX. Turn off all your lights and listen to this magical nine minute piece of work. (Pitchfork)

Because there is a Fashion Week going on. And it’s in Paris. And you should care. (The Guardian)

...For The Ride Home: Anderson Cooper has himself a new show, what the 'like' button really means and rest in peace Greg Giraldo

Why Phil Collins today, you ask? Well, after writing that Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame post yesterday, the lovely people at the Hall decided to follow us on Twitter (something you fantastic friends should do as well!). This, in turn - and because we are nice people - led us to start following them. The result? Well, today those fine people tweeted that on this day in rock history, Mr. Collins joined Genesis! That's right. Little did the world know that 40 years ago on this very day, the history of music would forever be rewritten as one (if not THE) greatest band in the storied history of the musical universe would undergo a lineup change. It's such a landmark day, you know. It's also a rainy day (at least at The Unusual Suspects world headquarters). And I like that. No. Wait. I love that. Rainy days are my favorite, and if I could only come across one during which I didn't actually have to work, my mind could be at ease. But alas, that's what we grown-up people do. Work hard for the money. Whether or not it is raining wherever you are, we suggest taking a few minutes to click on a link or two, check out our take on the latest and greatest NFL prank and cuddle up with a nice, loving lover. Because nice, loving lovers are the best. They really are.

Anybody out there see yesterday’s comments from Bubba Watson about this year’s Ryder Cup? Check this out and I dare you to tell us you aren’t rooting for the United States now. (ESPN)

Oh, wow. Don’t know if this is the right move. The Boston Globe will begin to offer two Web sites – one you have to pay for, the other will remain free. (Boston Globe)

Anderson Cooper is going to have a daytime talk show. And I’ll bet it’s good. (New York Times)

Recession-proof style. What more could you want? (GQ)

I admittedly know absolutely nothing about this kind of stuff. So this, to me, at least, is interesting: What the “like” button means in regards to Web traffic. (CNN)

So, someone from The XX is already putting out a solo album? Damn. Who do these dudes think they are? (Pitchfork)

Greg Giraldo died yesterday. That’s sad. (People)

Spencer and Heidi: Love perseveres. (TMZ)

...For The Ride Home: Rita's new show debuts tonight, the top 10 love triangles and the Boston Celtics are funny

Landed a phone interview with the particular gentleman you see to the left. For those of you who do not know, this is Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of a band called The Killers. He recently put out a solo record and because one of the 52 jobs I have allows me to speak with big stars on occasion, I will be dialing his number within the next few weeks (something you may not know: These things takes for-ev-er to finally come to fruition). I bring this up why, you ask? Well, I need questions. Because I am certain whatever interaction we have, I will probably write about on this here blog, I figured it would be nice to extend the invitation to see if anyone out there has ever wanted to ask Mr. Flowers a question. And please, friends: No Killers questions. He's promoting his solo album. The band will be back in 2011. He's not going to want to talk about it. You know where to leave them, and as always, any words are incredibly appreciated. Anyways, welcome to Tuesday. I can't stop sleeping. It's odd, actually. I'm certain it has to do with the season and the rain, but it's still unsettling. Back to the gym next month and then that shall change. This week? Well, this week means more sleep and bad food than one could ever dream of. Oh, well, sleep, bad food, and blogging, of course. Here's hoping you have a wonderful rest of the day as you check out a couple links below, and until tomorrow, do not forgot to keep your bathrooms clean. Because when they get messy, boy do they get messy.

The Boston Celtics are becoming lovable. They really are. (The Big Lead)

Phil Collins has another No. 1 record. And on the day when the exclusive club his band was let in a mere year ago announces finalists for its next class (more on that tomorrow). (BBC)

Congratulations are in order to CBS for winning seven news Emmys. (Broadcasting & Cable)

David Simon, who used to work at the Baltimore Sun and, more importantly, created “The Wire,” wins “Genius” award. Yay! (Baltimore Sun)

Finally got around to catching up on this season’s first episode of “30 Rock” last night. Brilliant. In related news, Jenna touches on the live “30 Rock” that’s set to take place in a couple weeks. Should be interesting. (Popeater)

The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the best teams in baseball and nobody in Tampa cares. It’s sad. (ESPN)

The top 10 love triangles. When “Casablanca” is mentioned, I’m listening. (Time)

This show starts tonight. We root because Rita is in it. Can’t think it lasts more than four episodes. (New York Daily News)

...For The Ride Home: Vincent Chase makes a movie about celebrities, Fox News controls the world and is 'Family Guy' in trouble?

Who could have ever thunk this guy would ever be lauded as heroic for his actions? Not this particular blogger. Episode 10 brought it last night, and it was met with a gigantic "It's about time," from, well, me, and those who I speak with about such things. We finally saw the "Mad Men" crew pick up the action on last night's episode as Don lets yet another individual in on his deepest, darkest secret. Dude was shook. He clearly couldn't take the thought of losing everything, which must lead us to ask the following question: Exactly how confident and how sure is the real Don Draper (or, well, Dick Whitman)? He exudes such emotions on a consistent basis so much that it's simply weird to see him act the way he did last night (the acting, though, was utterly incredible. Who says Jon Hamm isn't one of the best in the game?). Betty, on the other hand, came across in the same light as Mr. Campbell - nice. They both went to bat for Don when both of them clearly had the chance to bring everything he's worked for down. Oddly enough (and because the "Mad Men" writers are smarter and better at what they do for a living than most of us), they were also the two people who could have benefited the most from Don going away for good. Or could they? Joanie and Roger's saga continues, and to be completely honest, I was hoping Joan would have kept it. Something within me still longs for those two to be together permanently. And Lane! Oh, Lane, you poor, poor thing. He just needs to catch a break. Any break. As always, comments, thoughts, arguments are encouraged in the section so designed to display such a thing, and as always, I'll be checking back throughout the day to partake in such an activity. For now, though, hello Week 27, and hello links.

A 25 year old and a 26 year old land jobs at The New Yorker. I will now proceed to drink until Thursday. (Splitsider)

Vinnie Chase made a movie! Vinnie Chase made a movie! (Popmatters)

This writer left The Huffington post because she wasn’t getting paid. That seems fair, right? (Mayhill Flower)

Fox News holds all the clout in political media. In related, “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe this is true” news, seasonal change can bring upon seasonal sicknesses such as colds, sore throats or ear infections. (Politico)

A little late on this, but it’s still sad: Max Weinberg will not be back with Conan when he starts his new show. (Rolling Stone)

Mindy Kaling: Still one of the funniest women on television (Twitter)

My God, Peyton Manning is good. (Yahoo)

Is this the beginning of the end for “Family Guy?” (Hollywood Reporter)

Your “Mad Men” recap, friends. (Entertainment Weekly)

...For The Ride Home: Sarah Palin needs to shut up, Joaquin Phoenix is going back to see Dave and goodness, 'Mad Men' is great

"People tell you who they are, but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be." Had a "Mad Men" crunch over the last two hours. Why? Because I love you, silly. Caught up on the last two episodes (as you know, I missed last week, and last night was the VMAs. More on that later, though), and I know I end up saying these kinds of statements week after week, but the most recent two episodes may be some of the best the show has seen. The inner monologues with Don add an element of reflection and tone to the show that frankly somehow hasn't been there before. We saw last night that he wants to start living his life in a better manner, and while we all know one of the biggest attractions the show has is Don's struggle with alcoholism and, well, his life in general, there is something within me that actually wants to see him get better. You really have to wonder if people will turn against the show because of this (assuming this particular story line continues to progress, of course). Hell, even Betty earned a few points when she picked the baby up, gave it Don, and walked away (though, if I may interject for one moment, the look on her face as she saw how Don was with the kid reminded me - for whatever reason - of the end of "The Graduate." Was that regret on her face? Did she really mean it when she told Henry that "they have everything?"). The other fabulous quote from this episode? Again, a line coming from Don's disembodied voice: "We're flawed because we get those things and wish for what we had." This comes after he spends a couple minutes looking back upon what people want from their lives and how ungrateful we all can be once we get those things. And finally (from the episode before the most recent), the more Peggy and Don interact the way they did the night of her birthday, the more I will fall haplessly in love with the show even more. And then he grabs her hand! Yes, that exclamation point was used to show enthusiasm. Whew. This has been a lot. You know where to share the comments. All are welcome. Hello Week 25, and hello links.

Expect a full post (and it will be long) regarding the VMAs Wednesday. That is, if the better half of this operation isn’t planning on tackling it first tomorrow. In the meantime, here is all you need to know in 60 seconds. (MTV)

So, Deadspin hates Tony Dungy. That’s kind of mean. (Deadspin)

The New York Football Jets kick off their season this evening. One of the few nights I regret getting into newspapers in the first place. Oh, and just in case if you were wondering, they apologized to that female reporter. Silly Jets. (USA Today)

Advertising spending is up nearly six percent. If only those ads could be used on print media. Come on, now. Just some of them. (Market Watch)

Oh, Sarah Palin. Will you please just stop. (Missoula Editor)

Floyd Mayweather wants to kill an NBA player. Fifty bucks to anyone who could tell me what team he plays on without looking. (TMZ)

Joaquin Phoenix is going back on David Letterman. This should be interesting. (Popeater)

J-Lo is going to “American Idol.” And those crazy demands reported? These guys say they really weren’t all that crazy. (New York Magazine)

And of course. Your normal "Mad Men" recap. (Entertainment Weekly)

...For The Ride Home: The Emmys are Sunday, older people love social media and 20 years ago today, Stevie Ray Vaughan died

I usually try to send you off into the weekend with a nice, "kick off your shoes, put on your dancing hat and let's have some fun because it's Friday and the weekend!" offering. Not that Mr. Rob Thomas can't do such a thing, but I had the weirdest dream last night about how I was informed he had died. It was super odd. Because it has stuck with me all day, I now offer this, a live version of a song I had no idea was, at one point, a single, "Mockingbird." Huge place in my heart for Mr. Thomas. Today, we say goodbye to Week 22 and to let you in behind the curtains for a few seconds (and only because we are all best friends around here, you know), this was tossed around as being the very final day of this blog's existence. If you haven't noticed, today, we celebrate our five month anniversary, and, it should be noted for those who are counting, that this is our 201st post. Over 200 posts, five months and thousands of page views (can't thank you guys enough for that), and because of other obligations, we contemplated the notion of giving it up. But alas, love prevailed in the end, and we shall push through until...well, until you guys stop reading. So, this is good news, right? You don't want us to do away, right? Come on, now. We need a little bit of our ego fed (more so than words can say), so any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated. All of that said, here's to another five months, eh? Now with the curtain swiftly being pulled in front of us again, we'd like to offer the following links to kick off the last weekend of August. Did you remember to check out today's Blogspot Banter? It's a goodie, you know. Give that a read, follow Ms. Indy Grrrl to her site to see what she has to offer, and as we wait to find you back here, ready to go Monday morning, I must remind you, the people who truly keep this operation going, love you, miss you.

So, Melo is gone, we know that. But he wants his extension, too? And Denver is honestly willing to blow the entire operation up once he leaves? Don’t really know if that’s necessary. (Yahoo)

Oh, college newspapers. You crazy. (Independent Florida Alligator)

Remember the Fox News guy we linked earlier in the week? You know, the one who was leaving to go to print? Yep. There’s a pay cut involved. (Media Matters)

People 50 and over love Facebook, too! Actually, they do, though. There are numbers to prove it. (Pew Research Center)

Good. Question. (Salon)

What would you give for lower concert ticket prices? (Pollstar)

Twenty years ago today, Stevie Ray Vaughan died. Way too young. (Contact Music)

The Emmys are Sunday. Don’t forget. We root for “Dexter,” “30 Rock,” “Mad Men” and “House.” And “Modern Family” got robbed. (NPR)

OH! Levi’s mad at Bristol! Levi’s mad at Bristol! (CNN)

Mike Lupica’s take on Tiger. I find myself feeling more bad for him each day. I shouldn’t. But I do. Weird. (New York Daily News)

...For The Ride Home: Revisiting 1990's music, Will Forte is leaving SNL and the Champions League draw was today

This DVD sits firmly on the top of my DVD player, and it seems as though there is no better night than tonight to finally indulge myself in it. After "The Maiden Heist," this has to be good, right? I mean, come on. You can't go two straight Netflix movies without stumbling upon something good, right? Right. Anyways, welcome to Thursday and the Ride that accompanies it. I have absolutely no idea where my partner in crime was earlier today, so alas, for the first time in this blog's history, there will be one Ride on top of the other. That's sad, isn't it? I plead with you not to think it's a product of laziness. Promise it won't happen again. Or, at least, I hope it won't happen again. In any case, the following links are for your viewing pleasure, and we sincerely hope you have a fantastic second-to-last day of the week. August is almost gone, now. Enjoy it while you can.

I have a lot of problems with this, actually. For one, Matchbox Twenty isn’t done and Rob Thomas’ solo career has been notably successful. Once wrote a column about this, but did it right by using bands such as Nine Days and Oleander. Half of these bands are still semi-prominent. (MTV)

The Champions League group stage draw was held today. And here are the pairings. (The Big Lead)

Bill O’Reilly watches porn. A writer reveals it nearly 30 years later. (The Phoenix)

Mariotti has been suspended from AOL. (Twitter)

If Conan wins Sunday at the Emmys, he’s not allowed to say what he wants. Kind of. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Bristol Palin joins The Situation and Kurt Warner as contestants on “Dancing With The Stars.” How long until she becomes “Mrs. Situation?” (Access Hollywood)

Will Forte is leaving “Saturday Night Live.” Get those resumes ready, funny people. (Entertainment Weekly)

What is going on with Timbaland, anyways? (All Hip-Hop)

...For The Ride Home: Tiger and Elin talk, Christina Hendricks named spokesperson of London Fog and Brownie goes back to New Orleans

"Last night. She said." And then I have no idea what is sung after that. It's weird how the older you grow, the more you find yourself liking music you dismissed when you were at the age in which you should have liked the said dismissed music. The Strokes are slowly gaining ground on my conscious and I'm not quite sure what to do about it. The same kind of thing happened with Hanson, but, as you read earlier, we already scratched that itch. Anyways, welcome to Wednesday, a hump day for the ages. Why? It's the last of such a day August offers. Can you believe it? Summer is gone, friends. Its last breath will be uttered next weekend, and, only if the plans I happened to make last night are followed through will the summer truly go out in style. How about you? Oh, nevermind. I'm sure a "how was your summer?" post will be lurking somewhere around the corner by either one of us. Or, wait. Maybe even both of us (gasp!). Before we get around to any reflection, though, we must deal with the current, and we currently offer you wonderful readers the following links to enjoy on this, the last Wednesday of August 2010. Remember - eating healthy may assure your life to be longer. Just sayin.'

Elin talks. The world listens. (People)

Tiger talks. The world listens. (TMZ)

Michael Brown returns to New Orleans five years after that incredibly big storm made its way through the city. Naturally, he loves his life. (Westword)

Fox News talking head leaves Fox News to delve back into print journalism. Score one for the good guys! (Mediaite)

Lifehouse is going to tour in the fall. In shocking news, Kris Allen will open the shows. No Name Face is one of my favorite “nobody can ever know this is one of my favorite CDs” CDs. (Pollstar)

Elisabeth Hasselbeck supports gay marriage. And she wants you to know she’s not nearly as conservative as you think. This is certainly going to lose her Republican votes when she tries to run for president in six years. (New York Daily News)

I like Chris Broussard. But why write such things as this? Especially about Baron Davis? (Sports By Brooks)

When there is ever a link involving her, rest assured we’ll link it. Christina Hendricks is the new spokesperson for London Fog. She’s fabulous. (Fox News)

...For The Ride Home: Heidi and Spencer have been lying all along, Cheryl Hines is single and a must-read for those who are in their 20s

OK, OK. I know I promised to babble about Hanson in today's Ride. But as I sat down to compile this opening paragraph, I thought, "Wow. There is way too much to say than a mere one paragraph. This needs an entire post." So, to the six of you who read this blog, the Hanson stories must wait one more day. Promise it'll only be one day, though, and, of course, promise it will be worth it. In fact, I'd go as far to say that you definitely would like to check back tomorrow morning for a full Hanson-related post. And don't worry. You can thank me then, not now. I'll understand. Oh, and I need to take a moment to sincerely thank you wonderful, fabulous friends for offering up movie titles yesterday. I believe that may have been our most-commented post yet, and all of you can rest assured that I will take each suggestion and give it a shot. Much, much love to you fantastic people for that. Moving froward, I made it a half-hour into this movie last night, and I plan on finishing it as soon as this post goes live. Really can't explain why I put it on my Netflix list, but, hey, it's pretty short, and it has Morgan Freeman, Bill Macy and Christopher Walken. It can't be all that bad, right? Right. We've come across a few rainy days now for really the first time this summer, and, to be honest, I kind of dig it. Summer's gone, anyways. There are few better things in the world than a warm rain, you know. I'm not sayin' but I'm just sayin.' In any case, enjoy the following links, be ready and be excited for tomorrow's long-awaited Hanson diatribe, and be nice to those you may meet in public. Nobody likes to be treated badly, you know.

Hey, look. Further Seems Forever is reuniting with the guy from Dashboard Confessional! (Alternative Press)

Brazilian referee stabs soccer player in the chest after arguing over a penalty. Wow. (Deadspin)

The Baltimore Sun’s magazine is coming back. Who said all news about newspapers was bad, again? (Baltimore Brew)

For those who watch Candy Crowley on CNN. Here’s a profile that is worth your time. (Washington Post)

Cheryl Hines is officially back on the market. (People)

Just in case you haven’t read this by now (and if you happen to be in your 20s, and you haven’t read this by now, shame on you). The current batch of 20-somethings are taking longer to grow up than previous generations. Keep an eye on the five milestones. (New York Times)

So, about all that Heidi and Spencer stuff. It’s a lie. (Radar)

A nice read on Joe Scarborough. There was once a time in my life when I religiously watched Olbermann’s show on MSNBC and some of the best moments of the night came when he threw to Joe’s “Scarborough Country.” Funny dude. (GQ)

Miss Universe pageant brings laughter into at least one home… mine

For the last couple years, my wife and I have created a new tradition in our house where we watch the annual Miss Universe pageant, place little bets on who will win and then poke fun at the proceedings. Typically, the question and answer portion of the program garners the most sarcastic comments, and last night was no exception.

And let me throw in a disclaimer here: we have nothing against this whole pageant thing. We just like to bust chops. And we’re equal opportunity chop-busters - you can ask anyone.

Anyways, if you were one of the many unfortunate people who missed out on this trainwreck, let me break it down for you… and PS, this is paraphrased from my memory. It was so good I don’t even need to look it up for reference.

Judge (to Miss Philippines): What is one major mistake you’ve made in your life and what did you do to rectify it?
Miss Philippines (to the judge, the audience and the world): “You know, I’ve never made any major, major mistakes in my life, so I just want to thank you and everyone for the opportunity to be here today!

And yes, the exclamation point is there because she ACTUALLY sounded excited by her response. That’s right, in her head, she nailed it.

Needless to say, Miss Philippines did not win the fun little bedazzled crown this year – that honor went to Miss Mexico, who looked strangely not Mexican in my opinion, but I digress. She is the only one of the final five that gave a response that was hard to pick on.

Other highlights from this part of the show included:
- Miss Jamaica saying only one person has the right to end a life, and that person is God.
- Miss Ukraine sounding like a scary robot character from a Tim Burton film
- Miss Australia assuming (in a way-too loud and excitable voice) that everyone has the freedom to choose their religion, and how one of our unalienable rights is the right of fashion…

There are several confusing elements to this competition:

1. On what criteria are the judges chosen? Does the brilliant thespian William “Billy” Baldwin have some kind of background in finding/understanding the subtle nuances of “true beauty?” Does Gold Medal Winning Figure Skater Evan Lysacek have a pedigree for comprehending the correct way a certain dress should look on a certain woman? Come on folks, isn’t this all just personal opinion?

2. Is there specific criteria for why Miss A scored a 7.657 on the swimsuit portion of the show, while Miss B nailed it with an 8.493?

3. Was the competition always a two-hour infomercial for Chi haircare products?

4. Why the hell didn’t Miss Ireland and Miss Guatemala make the final five?

Until next time, friends, come on back at 4 p.m. for The Ride.

...For The Ride Home: Conan is going to release records, Chelsea Handler will host the VMAs and the country's most stressful cities

I finally did get around to seeing this the other night. The line I typically got on it from people who have already seen it was "the music's great." My line to you? The music's great. I don't really know how else to put it. The acting's fine. The story's OK. Overshadowing the entire thing, though, is how wonderful the music is. I still have a bad taste in my mouth because Clooney didn't win for "Up In The Air." But alas, such is life. Hello, hello. Welcome to Thursday. Did you miss Wednesday in much the same way I did? Ahhh, yes. I apologize dearly for not dropping by yesterday. Unforeseen happenings occurred, and while my day was wasted, the true thing that proved bothersome was knowing I was unable to offer up a few links and (sometimes) witty banter in this particular corner of the Internet. Did you miss me? I doubt it. But I did miss you. Promise. But alas, today, I am back, ready to share some stories with you, and hoping you don't hate me too much. Hey. Friday's nearly here. If nothing else, you really ought to be happy about that, right? In any case, enjoy the following links, and, if you get a little bit of time, enjoy a nice summer night as well. It's almost gone, you know.

Chelsea Handler is going to host this year’s Video Music Awards. Can somebody please explain to me what her appeal is? (MTV)

“Live Entertainment in Kabul: Dog Fighting.” Must-read on in-flight magazines in Afghanistan. (Wall Street Journal)

Business journalists make an average of $65,000 a year? Honestly? Wow. (SABEW)

The top 10 guitar albums of all time. (Popmatters)

Rick Reilly’s take on this Dustin Johnson business that occurred at the PGA Championship over the weekend. (ESPN)

The most stressful cities in the country. Riverside, California, is a city? (Yahoo)

Eminem: Still holding on to that No. 1 spot. That’s hard to do these days, you know. (Billboard)

Kat Von D is officially dating the guy who broke Sandra Bullock’s heart. Seems kind of quick, doesn’t it? (Actress Archives)

Conan is going to release two albums. That’s kind of neat. (MSNBC)

...For The Ride Home: Trouble for "Wait, Wait," the trailer for Joaquin Phoenix's movie hits the Web and a great photographer dies

I woke up this morning with this song rummaging through my head over and over. Full disclosure: I love Train. Like, really love Train. Like, love Train more than some dude should. The night I got home from vacation, I bought a bottle of wine and watched their concert DVD. No kidding, even. I'm really hoping they come around my part of the woods in a not-opening-for-John-Mayer-slot. And that's only because I want to see them play a longer set than a mere opening 30 minutes. Wow, I can't believe I admitted to all of that. This song? Eh. The whole "I'm not in it to win it..." line is cheese at its best, and the track as a whole feels a bit too contrived even for me, someone who just spent the better half of a paragraph explaining my love for the band. Anyways, I'll move away from that now. Welcome to Tuesday, friends. Did you cast your vote for a man's hairstyle yet? You really ought to, you know. So far, we are at clean shaven and short hair - 2, and no shave with longer hair - 0. As the world is grips itself to see who wins this competition, we'd like to offer up a few links for you, the wonderfully talented and pretty reader to look over. Why? Because we love you. That's why, silly.

Jason Whitlock leaves the Kansas City Star. The real news here is the fact that the rumor of a show on HBO is being floated. (The Big Lead)

“Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” is probably my favorite NPR show, and any time they take a stance on something, I must stand firmly behind them. And this is all over the phrase, “For God’s sake,” too. (Star-Telegram)

Arkansas radio reporter wears Florida Gators hat to news conference. Arkansas radio reporter gets fired. (USA Today)

Herman Leonard, the man who took some of those iconic photos of pretty much every jazz great ever, died. He was 87. (Pollstar)

And now Method Man and Tila Tequila can forever be linked together. (TMZ)

So, this Joaquin Phoenix movie is supposed to justify all of that erratic behavior his has showcased in the last few years, right? (New York Magazine)

A closer look at the girl who producers chose for the lead in “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.” (New York Times)

This is kind of funny. After Sunday, she’s slowly creeping her way into my conscious. (Twitter)

...For The Ride Home: Spencer is now a director, Pippen enters the Hall this weekend and Snooki wants to own Snooki

We send off the nice, round number of Week 20 with a cool, calm and collected Jack Johnson and a performance of the fabulous "Flake." And it's even on the now-obscurely-old-and-longtime-canceled talk show hosted by now-annoyingly-famous Zack Galifianakis, to boot! I watched "The Kite Runner" last night, and after a midnight run and rewrites on stories I'm working on, it was a nice way to wind down my evening, or, well, my late-night. I cried twice. Again, much like my reaction to "Outsourced," it delights me tremendously to find that I bought a movie I actually enjoy. That's two for two now in the "buying movies I've never known anything about that turn out not bad" category. Word is this was a book. Can anyone out there either confirm or deny such an allegation? If so, is the book any good? Tonight seems to be a "Crazy Heart" kind of night, though we shall see how that works out. As for the rest of the weekend, well there a few things bolstered down, though it seems as though it may rain through the days. Rain, something I love. What are your plans? Going to see a movie? Maybe be by a beach? Date nights? Come on, now. There ought to be something wonderful in your sights. If not, I suggest sitting in front of a television that won't be consumed with football for one of the last times the next six months will allow. Still don't like that? OK. How about you check out the Premier League's kickoff weekend. That's sure to not disappoint, though you admittedly would have to wake in the early hours of the morning on a Saturday. Promise it would be worth it, though. Honestly. Before you find yourself encompassed in any of that, we offer the below links for you to ponder before diving into a middle-of-August weekend. Treat others well, and please don't forget my dear, dear friends, love you, miss you.

Woke up to find Bob Bradley out as the U.S. men’s soccer coach (I believe I had that one). Only to find that he’s not out and talks are on-going. The saga continues. (Washington Post)

Spencer from “The Hills” is directing a movie. Insert “reality television isn’t real” comment here. (Twitter)

How great is this? PBS ombudsman wants to “grab a beer and hit the escape chute” after seeing some PBS programming. (PBS)

“Warning: Medical claims in this article have not been confirmed by peer-review research.” You NEED to check these out. Funny with a capital "Unny." (Tom Scott)

Thirty-five percent less was spent on press travel for White House coverage this year. That just seems like so much, doesn’t it? What were they doing before? Bringing entire families on the road with them? (Media Matters)

Ellen is going to be on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Well, that’s good. (Dimewars)

In the wake of Scottie Pippen entering the basketball Hall of Fame this weekend, here are 10 current day players who would most likely be Mike’s sidekick these days. (Bleacher Report)

Ut oh. The “Twilight” kids are at it again. (People)

Snooki wants “Snooki” trademarked. In it’s response, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office said no. And your show sucks. (USA Today)

...For The Ride Home: LeBron has a list, college degrees you shouldn't go after and Ms. Mavis Staples

Finally getting back to my Netflix, I watched this the other night. Only put it in the que because it has a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt as its star. It was...not all that good. You know what it reminded me of, though, in a completely odd way, of course? "Synecdoche, New York." The film itself is simply being different for the sake of being different. I understand the art aspect, and I also understand how cool it can be to be pretentious. But sometimes, it's just a bit much, as was the case in these two movies. Next up? "Crazy Heart." Hello, Thursday, how do you do? One more day until the weekend, and we won't stop until we get there (even if the gas gets low). Bought two tickets to see Hanson yesterday. Yes. Hanson. Judge me now, not later. Feel a bit squirmy about being surrounded by thousands of teenage girls screaming for the boys while singing every word of that new album, but hey, nothing a few beers can't cure, right? Wait. Do they sell beer at Hanson concerts? Ut oh. Anyways, we offer the following links in nothing but good spirits, and from all of us here at The Unusual Suspects headquarters, we sincerely hope that you, the wonderful reader, have a fantastic rest of your day.

From the “we have way too much time on our hands department,” we offer you 200 beer bottles opened in 80 seconds. (Deadspin)

There will now be coupon inserts in your copy of the Wall Street Journal. Honestly. (Ad Age)

Hey about that guy who wants to buy Newsweek? Yeah, he’s not a billionaire. (Forbes)

The worst paying college degrees of the year. Super interesting read. I’m assuming Journalism was too low to make the list because a starting salary in that particular field doesn’t even sniff this list’s No. 1. (Yahoo)

A Tiny Desk Concert with Ms. Mavis Staples. Who else is excited-times-a-gazillion about this new record? Come on, now. It has Wilco attached to it. (NPR)

Saw this yesterday but didn’t link it. Thought about it a bit more, and thought why not. LeBron has made a list and he’s checking it twice. (Fox Sports Ohio)

Halle Berry is single and ready to mingle. (People)

Kanye West is going to perform at this year’s Video Music Awards. There are talks of a duet with Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. OK. That second part isn't true. (MTV)

...For The Ride Home: The Virgin Mobile Festival lineup is announced, Lindsay is in jail and Skip Bayless is rock solid

We continue Soul Week today with Wilson Pickett's "634-5789 (Soulsville USA)." The age-old trick of using a telephone number in the chorus of a song is always fun to come across, don't you think? Me, too. This will be a short introductory paragraph because as you can see, we are running a bit late around these parts, but when you have the opportunity to see "Inception," you must go see it when you look at your calendar to notice all your days are filled until 2017. And yes, more on that movie tomorrow. As for now, continue to enjoy Soul Week, your Tuesday, and the fact that you don't have to worry about turning your heat on during the summer months. Because that can get expensive, you know.

First, it was Alex Chilton, and now, a mere four months later, Andy Hummel, bassist for Big Star passes on. Way more influential band than most give them credit for. (Rolling Stone)

The Wall Street Journal may have figured the world of news video out. Who would have thunk? (The Big Money)

Playboy claims its site is safe to look at while at work. Naturally, experts find out that that’s not true. (The Morning Call)

Amen to this: Only privileged kids get the good internships at media outlets. Damn right. (Washington Post)

Skip Bayless is strong. No, I mean it. Look at him! (Deadspin)

Lindsay Lohan is in jail. And that’s all. (People)

Because I got it wrong yesterday and the show starts this coming Sunday as opposed to this past Sunday, here’s an interview with Matthew Weiner, creator of “Mad Men.” (New York Magazine)

The Virgin Mobile Freefest lineup was announced today. I found my way to it last year, and with LCD Soundsystem on the bill this year, I may just have to make the venture again. (Virgin Mobile)

...For The Ride Home: More awful concert news, Betty White is being saught after yet again and summer music releases

I just can't get the opening drum lick of this song out of my head. So in turn, we offer this song up as we conclude week 14 and head into the always social Fourth of July weekend. What better way to go off into the sunset than some depressing pop punk, anyways, right? It's been a heck of a week, hasn't it? We talked about reading suggestions for the summer, the oh-so-important five dollar movie bins and Harry Potter even made an appearance. As we understand, most people will be off Monday in celebration of the quintessential summer holiday, so we plan to meet you back here Tuesday morning, ready and eager for provocative, intelligent discussion that will probably include more silly things. Until then, check out a few links, remember to use sun block this weekend and most of all, celebrate the holiday with good food. Good food is essential to any good time, you know. As always, friends, love you, miss you.

It keeps coming and there’s nothing anybody can do about it. Lilith Fair forced to cancel 10 dates because of ticket sales. And yes, this is now the official concert industry doom and gloom site. (Billboard)

ESPN The Magazine is moving its operations to Bristol. Get those resumes ready, sportswriters. (Deadspin)

Very interesting: The origin of drawings (as opposed to actual pictures) coming out of courtrooms. Why the ban of cameras? (Wall Street Journal)

Cussing and NPR. Honestly. (NPR)

Somebody thinks Katie Couric will, in fact, succeed Larry King at CNN. Hey. At least it’s not the “Today” show. (Denver Post)

A guide to upcoming music releases offered from none other than your favorite indie music Web site, Pitchfork. Nice to see The Hives are still making music. (Pitchfork)

The “Twilight” kids want Betty White in the next installment of the series. We love Betty White, but come on. When is all this kind of stuff going to finally come to a halt. Maybe the woman wants a break now and then. (E!Online)

As a life-long Atlanta Hawks fan, this completely breaks my heart. Joe Johnson is set to sign quite possibly the worst, most damaging deal in NBA history. Goodbye, the next five years. (Yahoo)

Lindsay Lohan was punched by a waitress on her 24th birthday. Wait. She’s only 24? (MSNBC)

...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)

...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)