...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: 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: Fox News is your new source for all Tea Party information, Zuckerberg could sue movie makers and the U.S. goes down hard

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Roger. What the hell do you think you are doing? Lies, lies and more lies, and we see how far this gets you. With only two episodes left, "Mad Men" has left nothing but doom and gloom talk to be had as this fourth season winds down. For really the first time this season (or at least, that's how it feels), we finally get to see Don Draper work as the boat his company resides in keeps sinking further and further into the sea. I was shocked (shocked!) to see Peggy end up with that creep she dismissed a couple weeks ago. That was...disappointing. We saw the beginnings of a youth movement, though, as Ms. Olson went into a meeting and got a deal done in quintessential Don Draper fashion. And speaking of Mr. Draper: Oh the humanity! What are you thinking, my man? You see what sleeping with secretaries does to your life, so why turn down that road again? That said, I still don't support his relationship with Faye. Don't know why, either. Just can't get behind that. In some odd, inexplicable way, I root for things to actually progress with this new secretary. But man, does she have some messed up teeth, or what? And that answer isn't what. Bold prediction: Pete leaves by the end of the season, Roger finds some way out of the company, and everything becomes all blown up. They have to do that, right? After last year's dog and pony show of a season finale. Good day, Week 28. Let's see what you can offer.

The Europeans won the Ryder Cup this morning. It was the first time in almost 20 years the competition came down to the final match. So, so sad. (ESPN)

Did anyone catch “Saturday Night Live” this weekend? Kanye West thanks any and everyone around for the success of his performance. Bigger story: “What Up With That” returned. (MTV)

Terry Gross, who, if you remember correctly, I love and ran into at a record store in Philly last May, sits down with Jon Stewart. (NPR)

People StyleWatch is the magazine of the year. Or so says these guys. (Ad Age)

Fox News: The official television network of the Tea Party. (New York Times)

First movies. Then television. And now music is going to have a stab at 3-D. (Pollstar)

Zuckerberg and the thought of suing the producers of “The Social Network.” T-minus 18 hours until I finally sit down with what Rolling Stone says is the best movie of the year. (The Hollywood Reporter)

A “Mad Men” recap. Only two episodes left! Frown face. (Entertainment Weekly)

...For The Ride Home: Doc's kid makes John Wall look silly, Emmys fashion and movies you may want to check out this month

To begin Week 23, we offer a picture of both Jan Jones and Christina Hendricks at last year's Emmy Awards ceremony. And that, naturally, segues us into Monday's official "Mad Men" recap (as always, any and all suggestions/comments are welcome in the forum below). Before I begin - and because this was brought to my attention by the better half of this blog - keep in mind these recaps will contain spoilers. If you don't want to know what's going on with the show, kindly scroll to the links. You there yet? OK. Good. So last night, we got to relive when Don and Roger first met, and this, to me, provided some of the greatest moments of the entire series. To see how eager and wide-eyed Don was initially, and to see how dismissive Sterling was to him, was simply fantastic. Now to the award. Oddly enough, I felt this was the first real time we got to see Don's drinking (kind of) get in the way of his professional life. When he rushes back from the awards ceremony to pitch ideas to LIFE, all you can do is cringe as he mindlessly throws ideas against the wall to have nothing turn out well. And yes, the writers are way too smart for you to even begin to think that showing that kind of episode on the same night as the Emmys wasn't done on purpose. Peggy continues her "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore" moments, but - and I honestly hate to say this - there are times when she simply becomes more annoying than confident or empowering. For as bad as she treated Don's former secretary when she "needed to get over" the fact that Don slept with her and she wasn't happy with the fallout from that, Peggy needs to consider getting over a few things herself instead of pouting all the time. Still love her, though. And finally, Pete stood up for himself and laid a little bit of the law down. "He always looks like he's over-acting," my roommate said. He's right, but at this point, you have to think it's done on purpose. Have to. Whew. That was a lot. As you digest that, take some time to click on a few links and enjoy the second to last day of August. Be happy, friends.

John Wall gets crossed the eff up by Doc’s kid. Remember when I talked about ooking a kid a bunch of months ago? Yeah, watch this video. (The Big Lead)

A look at the best movies September will offer. Mildly excited for the new Clooney movie. (Popmatters)

Ooohhhh. ESPN travels to high school and treats everyone and the town like poo. You HAVE to read this. (Sacramento Bee)

So, exactly how many people turned out to that rally in D.C. over the weekend again? Depends on who you talk to, really. (Yahoo)

Emmys fashion. The young girl from “Modern Family” looked fab. Absolutely. (NBC)

It’s a Monday tradition. Your “Mad Men” recap. (Entertainment Weekly)

And speaking of both of those above things, Ms. Christina Hendricks talks about how hard it is for her to find dresses these days. (New York Daily News)

Tiger stumbled back to assure himself another week on the tour Sunday afternoon. Here’s a recap of the People article that his ex-wife granted. (Bleacher Report)

...For The Ride Home: M.I.A. is the best, yet another no-hitter is thrown, U.S. media is the devil and fall fashion is here!

Found myself up unusually early Sunday morning. It finally, after a week's worth of stalling my Netflix que, gave me the opportunity to sit down and watch this movie. Remind me again why I like Jake Gyllenhaal? Oh, yes. It was "Zodiac," wasn't it? I don't know. It's hard for me to not like movies, but this one came up a bit short. Mr. Spiderman was pretty good here (especially toward the end), but as a whole, there was something inherently uninteresting about it. And Natalie Portman isn't all that attractive. Anybody out there who agrees with me? Didn't think so. Anyways, welcome to Tuesday, or, as July-lovers may call it, the final Tuesday of July. Beautiful day today, and even found the time to play a little tennis. Always good to get out and feel as though you weren't a particularly pathetic slob for all of the day by spending time in the sun and moving semi-quickly around a tennis court. Need to get some work done tonight, and if I manage to achieve such a goal, you can rest assured that a happy man I will be, if even for a few minutes. Before tonight comes around, though, I must offer up these links, remind you all to be nice to those you enjoy being around, and consider having pizza for dinner. Why? Because it just seems right. Be good, now.

A power ranking for “Mad Men” characters. A bit obnoxious at times, but interesting nonetheless. (Lisanti Quarterly)

Reason No. 361 to love M.I.A.: She blasts Lady Gaga in this interview. Fabulous. (Time Out)

Please, please don’t do this, beloved New York Jets. (ESPN)

Matt Garza threw the 250th no-hitter in Major League Baseball this season last night. A pie was thrown. (St. Petersburg Times)

Whoa. A new way to track newspaper circulation. One step? Counting one subscriber multiple times. This seems like one step forward, five steps backward. (Editor & Publisher)

And speaking of newspapers. According to this brand new, Earth shattering WikiLeaks device, the United States pays Afghan media to write nice stories. Something tells me this WikiLeaks thing is going to end up being much more important than people predict. (Yahoo)

Aretha Franklin and Condi Rice: Making lovely music together. (Christian Science Monitor)

$15,000 for porta-potties? Honestly? (TMZ)

Ten things you’ll need to consider when getting your fall wardrobe together. Hey, it’s never too soon to consider seasonal fashion. Besides, it’s almost August already. (Esquire)

...For The Ride Home: Steve Nash to work for World Cup, Tom Cruise is likable again and Anna Kendrick

Hello, hello. We kick off week 11 with a short ride. Going to spend the majority of the day on the road, so we needed to make sure we were still able to provide you with a proper send off into the rest of the day. Up top, you will see a commercial for MTV's movie awards that were held last night. The beginning of the show had Tom Cruise recreate his impossibly funny character from "Tropic Thunder," as you will see if you follow a link below. And if you don't want to click the link below, you can play the video above and laugh until you puke. In any case, enjoy the following tidbits, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for one of the last signs of summer. Be good, now.

Swimming with sharks saves lives. There is something inherently wrong with that headline. (CNN)

Can't decide on this outfit from Anna Kendrick. Love her times a gabillion, though. Lifetime pass for "Up In The Air." (TMZ)

Hey, this is neat. Steve Nash will work the World Cup for CBS. (Bleacher Report)

Know we are late on this, but it happened Friday night, and it can't be ignored. The greatest basketball coach to ever live, John Wooden, died. Here is Michael Wilbon's take on the Wizard. (Washington Post)

"Tropic Thunder" is the funniest movie of the last three years. Can't say that enough. Tom Cruise brought his brilliantly funny character to last night's movie awards. Why does he have to be so hatable? (Popeater)

How great is this? Kobe doesn't give a "bleep" about where LeBron James ends up. Fabulous. (Fox Sports)

Signs of Summer: Shorts and flip flops

Despite the agonizing fact that the official start date of summer isn’t until June 23, we’ve already had a few waves of summer-like weather in my neck of the woods. Its days like these that energize and invigorate the lion’s share of us who live in areas with over 225 days a year of “gray” weather, and these nice days deserve their due.

With that said, every Tuesday and Thursday until the official start of summer we’ll bring you an ode to the signs of summer, one marvelous item at a time. And PS - we would love it if you would pepper in your thoughts as well.

Today we pay homage to wearing shorts and flip flops.

*Please disregard the well dressed portion of the Zach Efron picture above.

As a somewhat style-impaired, slightly apathetic and overbearingly thrifty (cheap) twenty-something, purchasing new, fashionable clothing is not the highest priority once the bills are paid every two weeks. Come to think of it, I’m actually getting to the point where I have “good” and “bad” undergarments, which is a clear sign that I need to bite the bullet and hit me up some Kohls, TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less (I told you I was cheap, right?).

Anyways, summer provides a fantastic three month window where I can rotate two pairs of shorts and a pair or two of flip-flops and never think twice about it. It’s almost like summer gives many people (mostly guys - but I believe ladies can get in on the fun as well) a free ticket to lazy, comfortable apparel.

Now, some who know me might argue that lazy, comfortable clothing is my modus operandi regardless of season. I am, in fact, a jeans and tee shirt (or polo shirt) kind of guy - but shorts and flip flops feel different for some reason. Shorts and flip flops = carefree relaxation… unless it rains really hard… then they = wet feet and and a sour look on my face.

My favorite pair of shorts has to be these tan cargo shorts I bought at Goodwill like five years ago. They have a drawstring even though I prefer to wear a belt, but I still let the drawstring hang out to give it an even more casual look. Flip flops come and go every summer for the most part, which I love. I buy a cheap pair in early June and just wear the crap out of them until September or so. Perfect.

I’m sure this shorts and flip flops summer fascination is entirely in my head, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the laid back vibe it provides any less. Good times.

But man, have you ever tried to run in flip flops? Dangerous and embarrassing.

We’ll see you at 4 p.m. for your Ride Home links. Take care.

...For The Ride Home: Mike Brown's players liked him, cougar trend is on its way out and goodbye "24" and "Law & Order"

Got really, really drunk this weekend. It's odd, kids. When you hit a certain age, you don't really get to do that as much. Then when you do, you are reminded of why you don't anymore the next morning. So weird. Used to be able to hang, but I couldn't even move for the first four hours of yesterday. Need to get my game up with all that's going on this summer, though. Goodness, that was rough. Anyways, we kick off week nine with a bang, or, well, Jimmie's Chicken Shack. Why? Well, during my run this morning, this song came through on the shuffle, and it reminded me of the last time I saw the band perform this song, and how pleasantly surprised I was to hear it live. It's just so much more reggae-y with the electric guitars. We plan to unveil a new feature Friday, so be sure to check it out. It promises to be even better than the "Lost" finale. Wait, "Lost" people, is was indeed good, right? Had to have been. If they would have shown a blank screen for three hours, you would have loved it. Be honest, now. We love you, but come on. I digress. We can speak of this new feature more as it grows nearer. Today is Monday, so we begin the week right with some neat links. Oh. And once you are done with those, you can check out how fabulous the pretty people looked at Cannes this year. You have to dig at least one of those things, right?

Let the shaking begin in Cleveland: Mike Brown was fired today as head coach. Surprisingly (and we mean that) most of his former players have gone to bat for him. One conspicuous absence? That’s right. Mr. James himself is “on vacation.” (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

This is weird. Brittany Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack, died over the weekend. The entire thing feels icky. (People)

Last night, “Lost.” Tonight, “24” and “Law & Order.” (Entertainment Weekly, The Daily Record)

Was going to post a Champions league final piece today instead of the Cannes fashion write-up, but knew none of you would care. In honor of that, though, an all-star team for the year that was international football. (The Big Lead)

Taking a good, in depth look at the work the National Enquirer puts in to some of its pieces. Scoff all you want, but the effort put into the John Edwards stuff was pretty damn good. (GQ)

NPR ombudsman sounds off on NPR, like all good ombudsmen should. (NPR)

Wait, the cougar trend is over?! No way. Not on the same week “Sex And The City 2” is set to hit theaters. (Popeater)

A little late, but we weren’t here yesterday: Chicago is going to the Stanley Cup finals. (Yahoo)

Cannes 2010: The fashion that was

So, "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" won the top honor at the Cannes film festival Sunday, consequently wrapping up the 2010 edition of the French film festival (and, for the record, Javier Bardem shared the best actor award as well. This is only noted because of the brilliance of "Vicky, Christina, Barcelona," and how great he is in that particular film.) Because the festival came to an official end Sunday, it's now time to take a look at the most important aspect of the event: Fashion.

That's right. Cannes is traditionally a realm for celebrities and movie stars alike to start new trends, flaunt excessive outfits and display an unparalleled sense of elegance that is only really mirrored at fashion weeks in big cities. In terms of red-carpet and movies, Cannes reigns high above all other similar festivals in terms of relevance to the fashion world.

This year? The aforementioned "No Country For Old Men" star seemed to have an edge on every other male individual who took in the pomp-filled festival (and that even includes the cast of this new Wall Street movie that seems to be everywhere). As you can see from the above photo, he looks great with his shaggy facial hair and the always wonderful black over white look. Keeping it simple can go a long way, don't forget. (Plus, goodness, you have to root for him and Penelope, right?) Johnny Depp also came out on top, according to those who know far more than I ever will. Sure, he seemed to return to his "Pirates" look, but, as you can see here, it's way better than his clean-cut attempt in the awful "Public Enemies."

As for the females, you can't turn anywhere without hearing about how fabulous Kate Beckinsale looked. Harper's Bazaar gave her two photos. These guys also thought the actress reigned tall over everyone else throughout the entire week. That said, Carey Mulligan, an actress who we clearly love, got killed for her attire, an outfit you can see here. Totally dig what she's continuing to do with her hair, and though we are admittedly biased, what's wrong with how she looked?! Come on, now. She's a doll. Finishing out the noteworthy females (and from the "biggest pleasant surprise" category), is Michelle Williams. Don't know too much about her, but every time I see her pop up, she looks absolutely stunning. Her heels with this dress go spectacularly well with the dress, too. Something about her just screams beauty.

And finally, here's a recap of what fashion trends may have kicked off at Cannes this year. Summer dresses are hard to come by, but, as the Guardian pointed out, if you can find one worthwhile, it can make an entire season. Still can't get on board with short-sleve button-ups and the skin-tight jump suit, though. Sparkly or not, it's way too much of a risk if you haven't kept those muscles toned. Need more? The video below gives a nice recap of who wore what, what worked and, as always, what didn't....



Phew. Tried to keep that as short as possible, even though it seemed like a lot. Hopefully, you, the already wonderfully pretty reader, picked up a few things about what to try out this summer. And if you didn't, well, at least come back for The Ride to see what neat links you should look up.

...For The Ride Home: NBA Jam contest, Onyewu says he'll play for free and the death of Ronnie James Dio

Ahh, yes. I'm back, friends. Need to extend a big thank you to the other, better half of this particular blog for picking up The Ride Friday afternoon as we said goodbye to week seven (and I couldn't even remind you all that we love you and miss you, either. So sad). We hope you had a good weekend. Managed to stay awake for the underwhelming season finale of "Saturday Night Live" and caught the above performance from Tom Petty. Wow, it's good. Damn good, actually. He looks so much better without being strapped to an instrument, doesn't he? This track far outweighed the second performance of the night, and if this song is any indication of how the rest of this new record is going to be, sign me up. Can't wait to catch him this summer. In any case, we begin week eight with some pizza and links. Still doesn't feel quite like spring/summer yet, so let's hope that changes. As for now, read on and be good.

This is sort of neat: They are going to hold a contest for the new catch phrase in the upcoming NBA Jam game. Unfortunately, it’s run through Facebook. (MTV)

Sarah Palin once wore a leather jacket. And it caused an awful lot of outrage. (Chicago Sun Times)

NBC isn’t happy that its fall lineup was leaked. Glanced over it a few days ago, and was it me, or was there no “Parks & Recreation” anywhere in sight? Please don’t say that show is done. Please. (The Wrap)

Wow. U.S. standout Oguchi Onyewu asks for AC Milan to extend his contract for a year. His going rate? Free. No, seriously. He said he’ll play for free. (Yahoo)

R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio. (The Star-Ledger)

Christina Aguilera does not hate Lady Gaga. In fact, she thinks she's beautiful...in every single way. (US Weekly)

Bill Simmons is going to stay at ESPN. Bummer. (Deadspin)

Meredith Vieira (who is so easy to like, and who is still gettin’ it done) is not sleeping with Matt Lauer. And she wants you to know. (TMZ)

...For The Ride Home: The Pens go down (and go down hard), Jay-Z & Eminem and Matt Lauer is cheating?

Jenna Fischer is in a movie that looks mildly interesting, and she's been making the rounds. The movie's called "Solitary Man," and for more on it, well, check the "Double Feature" post, silly. Seems like it would be the type of movie I would like. Don't know much about Michael Douglas, though. We shall see. Either way, it's Thursday, which means "The Office" will be on your television tonight. Moving forward, it's Thursday and it's the middle of May (but it certainly doesn't feel like it). We have some surprises in store for you lovely, lovely readers, which we will get to in a couple of weeks. Different features. More offerings. Only because we love you. Unrelated: Pink just came on the radio. Recently saw her "Behind The Music" again. Really like it. Like all the "Behind The Music's" actually. They could put Yanni on one and somehow it'd be interesting. OK, that's all. Be good, and don't do anything your mother wouldn't allow...

Alluded to this last night, but the Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins from the NHL playoffs. The league will be lucky if they get eight people to watch their product from now until a champion is crowned. (Post-Gazette)

Instead of an “Idol” wrap-up, take a look at this awfully interesting piece on how the show’s producers will not name a replacement for Simon Cowell before the final show this season. Also, it takes a look at a mighty neat survey found on the “American Idol” Web site. (Washington Post)

The Little Orphan Annie comic strip will be discontinued June 13. (Chicago Tribune)

Jay-Z and Eminem are going to do two shows with each other. One in Detroit. One in New York. If a performance of “Renegade” doesn’t occur, refunds should be distributed. (Spin)

The Sarah Silverman Show will not return for another season. Feels odd. Seems like a lot of people liked that show. (Yahoo)

First Jim Nantz and now this: Matt Lauer is cheating?! Say it ain’t so, Matt. (The New York Daily News)

The Mayweather-Mosley fight earned $78 million dollars. Just imagine what Mayweather-Pacquiao would be able to pull in. (USA Today)

25 rules that will make you a better dressed man. (GQ)

...For The Ride Home: A legend dies, a perfect game is thrown and a Hot 100 list that has Katy Perry at the top

Took some time and settled in to this Academy Award winning movie (the great Herbie Hancock won for original score in 1987, I believe, and the lead role, played by Dexter Gordon, was up for best actor, and damnit, he should have won) last night. Taken from the lives of two jazz greats, Lester Young and Bud Powell, if you claim to have any interest in good jazz music, this is a complete must-see. Hell, even if you would like to see a pretty good movie, it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. It may run a bit long, but it's definitely worth it. In any case, moving forward, we begin week seven on a sad note. As you will see, Lena Horne passed away last night, and keeping with the jazz theme, we highly suggest you take a look at the woman's obituary, linked below. The Pens, Magic, Lakers and Bruins go for sweep tonight in playoff sports. Though I clearly had some time to catch up on the best reality television out there this weekend, I did squeeze in Real Madrid's late attempt at trying to overcome Barcelona's lead in the Primera Division. They cut it to a point, but we can all agree it's highly unlikely the club moves into first by season's end. Lionel Messi is far too good. Wow, we touched on a lot here, didn't we? Anyways, onward and upward...

One of the 20 most important women in music/film/Hollywood/life of the last 100 years died last night. If you follow one link today, make sure it’s this. Educate yourselves, friends. (Philly.com)

Dallas Braden threw the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history yesterday. Like any good man would, he turned to his grandmother for a hug afterward. Great read. (San Francisco Chronicle)

It’s Maxim Hot 100 time. Completely, utterly, maddening-ly disagree with Katy Perry as No. 1. (Maxim)

Really, really neat idea: 48 Hours magazine created over the weekend. It’s like bringing the Internet to print. (Wall Street Journal)

That was the funniest “Saturday Night Live” in years. The only thing missing was a "What Up With That." And, as the headline so elegantly proclaims: Jay-Z crushed it. (Pitchfork)

Interesting: After pulling out of The Players’ Championship yesterday, a vote for Tiger to shut it down for the rest of the year. (The Big Lead)

Piracy caused “Iron Man 2” to not do as well as some may have thought during its opening weekend. Guess $133 million isn’t enough. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Yeah, what’s this all about? (Twitter)

...For The Ride Home: What can dreams do for you, great 'Fresh Prince' news and this LeBron's elbow thing is pretty funny

Some people consider a great start to a day rolling over to hug and kiss your loved one. Others may feel it great to start a day walking home from that very good but not great one-night stand, ready to get a shower, some breakfast and a desire to hit the night life once again that night. Some other people may enjoy coffee (though I prefer and demand a cup of tea each morning). And then there are some who stare at an immensely powerful white light to make sure they are completely awake for their forthcoming day. Us? That would be finding out that something called "Old Christine Quotes" is following us on Twitter now. Fabulous. A lot has been surrounding the show this week (will it move to ABC, and when will CBS pull the plug?), but for all the negativity seemingly making its swirl in and out of the program's orbit, it's hard not to love the show once you give it a chance. The hard part? Giving it a chance, of course. Be honest. "The New Adventures Of Old Christine" goes more unnoticed than census forms. It's criminal, too. Because for those who enjoy a nice throwback to '90s sitcoms featuring somewhat obvious humor and a laugh track, but aren't giving the show a shot, boy, you are missing out. In any case, follow the links and begin your preparation for the weekend. Well, that or read about how unlikable Elisabeth Hasselbeck has become. It's your choice. Be good, friends.

Dreams are fascinating. And they freak us out. For instance, had a dream last night about buying "Casablanca." Made me very happy in the dream. Woke up realizing it wasn't anywhere near and became sad. (CNN)

Been waiting for this day for years. “The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air” season five is coming out on DVD. And it’s this Tuesday! (Amazon)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Like we said up top, “The New Adventures Of Old Christine” is one of the most fun shows to watch on television. When that and "Ugly Betty" goes, tears will be shed. (Monsters And Critics)

LeBron’s elbow is worse than what people thought. Maybe. Has anyone seen this? That’s just so funny. Cheap, but funny. (Ballin Europe)

Saw this piece this morning and just had to link it: CBS was losing so much money on the NCAA basketball tournament, the company considered paying ESPN to take it off its hands. (New York Times)

Be a man. Wear jewelry. Love bracelets, but don’t know if we can get on board with this. (GQ)

Your weekly “Idol” recap, this time from Slezak as he likens the ending of this season sputtering like a wind-up toy. Who has money on Big Mike? (Entertainment Weekly)

The star of “Weeds” is leaving. Always heard it was worth checking out, but never got around to it. (The Hollywood Reporter)

...For The Ride Home: How much would you pay to work at The Huffington Post, Derby ratings are great, Primus is touring and Mr. West, Mr. West

Well, you knew this was coming. Fantastically wonderful weekend (even with the unfortunate Derby result, as we will speak of below), and the highlights came from two movies. First, Carey Mulligan is a doll. An absolute doll. Craig Ferguson even agrees, as you will see above. If "Up In The Air" is 1A in 2009, then "An Education" is 1B. It exceeded all expectations and now a complete crush is in full effect (though don't worry, we won't dedicate an entire week to her. It was tempting, though. Awfully tempting.) The second movie? Easily the funniest movie of 2009, "In The Loop." The most comedic, laugh-out-loud sentence was uttered, though I will not repeat it in this particular post in fear that it will be spoiled for those who venture out to rent it. Because really, you should rent it. Like, tonight. And stop with your proclimations regarding "The Hangover." It wasn't even the funniest movie Zach Galifianakis was in...last year. In any case, I now begin my task in finding a version of Carey Mulligan I can trick into thinking I'm cool. Say a prayer. In the meantime, check out these links, and prepare yourself for what some say is the best month out there.

The funniest author of all time thinks the Beach Boys made the greatest album in the history of music. And Cheez-its are essential to life. Great, fun read. (Popmatters)

Wow, a lot is being made about Tim Tebow going to Denver. Stress the wow. (The Big Lead)

Primus is touring. Neat. Side: Once saw them in a theater and the power to the room went out for over 15 minutes. Drummer Tim Alexander offered up an incredible acoustic drum solo and, as expected, Les Claypool cracked a thousand brilliant one-line jokes into no microphone. Oh. And “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver” is one of the greatest funk-rock jams ever. Ever. (Pollstar)

Lost money on the Derby this weekend. But the ratings were great, so at least somebody won. (USA Today)

The price of an internship at The Huffington Post? Nine grand. (Yahoo)

Alluded to this last night, and the wonderful Robin Givhan agrees with us: The fashion at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner took a turn for the better. (Washington Post)

What? You didn’t hear Limp Bizkit is making a comeback?! (Limp Bizkit)

“Limpy, chunky, boogie-eating chump, B/Acting out of place like Hootie singing country.” Came across this weeks ago, but didn’t link it. The episode aired last night. Say what you want about Kanye, but it’s stuff like this that makes you not entirely despise him. (MTV)

Clothing with Looney Tunes characters makes a comeback... PSYCHE!

Why have certain people always had a collection of oversized clothing with Looney Tunes characters on them? It’s like the Tazmanian Devil somehow, unbeknownst to him/her/itself, became the family crest of white trash America. And does the popularity of the character somehow determine class rank among these individuals? Does Billy-Bob, who proudly sports a bright yellow Tweety Bird poly blend, scoff at the sight of Ricky, in his faded, two sizes too large Marvin the Martian pullover? When Bobby shows up to the party in his Bugs Bunny/Michael Jordan Space Jam hoody does he have his pick of the buck toothed females in Daffy Duck boy shorts?

Just go to Wal-Mart, you’ll see them everywhere… except, oddly enough, on the racks… which begs another question: where are these people getting these shirts? Who owns the rights to these atrocious articles of clothing and why do they continue to manufacture them? I have never once since the 5th or 6th grade thought to myself “How am I going to express myself through fashion today? Wait a minute… I’ve got it. Looney Tunes, bitch.”

Full disclosure here, I had a couple of these shirts in my day. I wore the crap out of my “Taz Plays Basketball” shirt in the second grade… until it was replaced by my sky blue Super Mario Bros. t-shirt. If I had to guess though, I would say I moved on from Looney Tunes apparel by 1994 (which coincidentally was two years too late…).

Either way, the only thing worse than the clothes… the tattoos. See you at 4 p.m. for the Ride.


- TS