John McCain Picks for His Vice President, Wait, Who?

Every Friday on Race for the White House, the panel picks the winner of the week. And after all the hoopla of the Democratic National Convention that on Friday, the only thing people were asking about was not Barack Obama’s speech but Sarah Palen. Will that turn into a win in November? We will have to wait and see.

But the pick works for this reason, no one vote for a Vice President, but when over twenty percent of Hilary Clinton supporter have switched their support to John McCain, obviously some women are voting with their hearts not their minds as Clinton and Obama are the same people politically, I cannot count the amount of time either of them said I agree during their debate. It should be noted that when Palin name dropped Clinton in her speech yesterday it got a loud cheer and not a single voice was in baritone.

And as a women, Sarah Palen is much more of one than Clinton, a self described hockey mom with five kids, one still in diapers (and I am not referring to John McCain) with down syndrome. In fact Palin was still pregnant when McCain was already the presumptive nominee. And in turns of stories, Palin’s rivals that of Barack Obama, and Palin’s youngest bot in curls rivals the Obama children in terms of cuteness.

Of course the negatives is that Palen could turn out to be Dan Quayle in a pantsuit. There are some ethics questions, but that could end up being a net positive for that important women demographic because that ethics stemmed from firing her ex-brother in law who was accused of beating her sister. But you can’t talk Alaskan ethics without bring up senator Ted Stevens. But not so fun fact: Palin is one of those gun nuts.

Another negative is the former mayor whose residents were half of the number of the people in the arena she was introduced in is that she will be crushed in the debate against Joe Biden in their debate in every category. But keep in mind that of everyone on the presidential tickets, the one with the most executive experience is Palin. And with the Congress, which McCain, Obama, and Biden are part of, and their eight percent approval rating, Palin has an eighty percent approval rating as governor.

Just how much of an outsider is Sarah Palin, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell admitted see had to look up Wikipedia just to have something to say about her, where you can learn such nuggets that unlike Bill Clinton, she did inhale when it was legal to smoke week in Alaska. And if you missed it in her speech, her five kids are named Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trip. Oh those wacky Alaskan.

But it was the Democrats that dominated the news cycle the first four days of the week. Going back to Clinton, her actions spoke much more than her words. In fact I have a shirt the same color as as the pantsuit Clinton wore of which only comes out of the closet on Halloween and whenever I want to annoy people. I wonder if Clinton does the same things. But it is times like this that I am glad that I don't have HD.

One more fun fact about Palin, when pregnant with her most recent child, here water broke at a convention in Texas. She then gave her speech and then flew back to Alaska because, really, who wants to have their kid born a Texan. No offence to Jo. Okay, that was meant to offend Jo because she is my week one opponent in my fantasy football league and I plan to beat her like a red headed step child.

Previewing Raising the Bar

Checking out the cast photo for the latest TNT show Raising the Bar there is one thing that sticks out more than anything else, not one, but two Saved by the Bell alums smiling back at you. Yep that is Zack Morris and Lindsay Wagner, who never actually passed through the halls of Bayside High at the same time, sharing screen time on Raising the Bar. Granted it is neither of Mr. Belding’s favorite students that gets mention in ads for the shows but creator Steven Bochco who also created LA Law, NYPD Blue. Although conspicuously missing in those ads was his involvement with Commander In Chief and Cop Rock.

Zack and Lindsay play public defenders in New York City who routinely go against district attorneys whom happened to be their classmates in law school. Their boss happens to be Gloria Reuben (ER). On the other side of the courtroom include Melissa Sagemiller (Sorority Boys) and J. August Richards (Angel) yet they still get together at the watering hole when the final gavel is hit. Of course every court needs a judge and the young lawyers routinely run into Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle) who is a little off kilter.

There is something to say that in the first two episodes each main court cases included a African American and a Hispanic. Then the first Caucasian defendant just happens to have a mental illness and his actual crime was a non violent robbery. Of course one of those African Americans on trial is one Wallace Fennel who beat up the boyfriend of the spiky hair chick Landry Clarke dropped when he hooked up with Tyra. And of course it is nice to see Wallace in something other than a Hot Pocket commercial.

The cases are your run of the mill procedurals you have seen in every other lawyer show before except when Kaczmarek pulls some absurd rulings in her case. Where the show tries to set itself apart is the after hours aspect that was also tried on the short lived Conviction (that Richards also starred in) and the pilot ends in some plot twist with two character who may or may not be shacking up together and one character who may or may not be gay and may or may not hook up with another nineties afterthought in the second episode. And I may or may not be overdoing it on saying may or may not.

If there is a reason to stick with Raising the Bar is to see if any other Bayside graduates show up like Lisa Turtle as a welfare mother or Mr. Belding as someone who gets caught up in a Chris Hansen sting after trying to solicit one of the Chinese gymnast. Personally I cannot wait. Although Zack needs to cut his hair because follicles have not been this distracting since Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code. Raising the Bar premieres this Monday, September 1, Labor Day, at 10:00 on TNT.

Love Is These Blues that I'm Singing Again

You know the story: a band tolls around in obscurity for a decade, becomes an overnight success then collapses under the weight of its own ego. Then has one of two endings: reunited after anyone stopped caring for a tour of state fairs or hope that VH1 lets them be on one of their celebreality show. Then there is The Verve who managed to make an album as good as before the original break up, almost a decade after the band ended with a broken hand and a sore jaw.

For their reunion album Forth, The Verve expands on their space rock set up on the previous three album. And expand being the key word as only one song on the album clock in at under five minutes with the album as a whole comes in at just over an hour for the ten track set. But where some band make long songs in hopes to be epic, very few notes are wasted on any of these songs, from the sweeping Judas to the melancholy closer Appalachian Song or the slow burning I See Houses. Unless you are looking at the clock, you won't even notice the length of the song.

The band really comes together on Love Is Noise with its wall of sound that fills your ears from the start with eerily oooh's and aaah's that haunt you throughout the song and rivals Bittersweet Symphony in terms of sonic brilliance. No matter what Vegas sets the line for another fist o' cuffs, hopefully manages the over or at least until there is a Fifth.

Song to Download - Love Is Noise

(You can currently download Love Is Noise for free at Amazon MP3)

Forth gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I’m Like a Fly Malcolm X, Buy Any Jeans Necessary

Previewing Greek Season Two

Greek put on a surprisingly good first season by flipping stereotype on the ear by including a engineering nerd and a gay homosexual into the rush family. Through in the Confederate flag loving evangelical roommate the round out the third musketeer who is willing to put aside their differences even if he doesn’t agree with them. That is not to say there is plenty of soap opera moments including the initial love triangle of Cappie/Cassie/Evan that ballooned into a pentagon swallowing up Rebecca and Frannie in the process.

All you need to know about the new season of Greek that debuts tonight at 9:00 is that Frannie appears in almost nothing but knee high socks.

If you are interested in a little more information, the premiere takes part during Greek Week for those going through Olympics withdrawal with those classic Greek events dude cheerleading, powder-puff football and lip syncing. All the competition flares up the males segments of the previously mentioned love pentagon.

And despite the old adage of what happens at Spring Break stays at Spring Break, naturally someone caught Rebecca’s attempted strip tease on their camera phone and posted it on the intertube. This leads to an appearance from someone who made a cameo in the first season. And after the events of the episode, it is safe to say we may see another appearance from the guest again this season.

You can catch up with Greek on iTunes.

Beijing Olympics Update #4

- Since I have been asked multiple time, the Nike commercial that repeats the chorus, "I got soul but I'm not a soldier" that uses throughout the Olympics is All These Things That I've Done by the Killers.

- For all the lead up to the first ever BMX race in the Olympics, it was pretty short. And it was won by a Latvian of all people.

- In case you missed it, it should be noted that the USA Woman's Soccer gold medal was America's 1000th medal ever.

- I cannot believe the interviewed the nut job priest who disrupted the marathon in Athens for years ago. Another thing I cannot believe, on a perfect August Saturday night, I stayed indoors to watch a two hour Marathon.

- Possibly my favorite human interest story of the games is of Shannon Rowbury, a Irish Dancing turned 1500 meter runner.

- After two weeks of doing everything short of anointing Michael Phelps new dictator of the Olympics, I was surprised that they still called the decathlon the competition for the title World's Greatest Athlete. Which begs the question, why isn't the aquatic version of the decathlon?

- The best thing about the closing ceremonies is that it seems like the host counties do not care anymore. It all seems so lax and is more about the next host than the current. But leave it to the Chinese to insert some more pomp and circumstance in before the games leave their nation.

- I would say Jimmy Paige playing with Leona Lewis is a low point in Led Zeppelin history, but nothing can touch Paige okaying the Puff Daddy sampling of Kashmir.

- Jackie Chan singing? What?

- For those keeping score, eighteen months until the start of the Winter Olympics, and to those over at NBC, if you need a correspondent, I am sure I can clear my schedule. And I promise not to call any of my female co-workers a word you are not supposed to say on television.

Cleaning Out My Inbox vol. VI

A plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on The Closer, America’s Toughest Jobs, World’s Funniest Commercials, The Office, Dexter, and Valerie Bertinelli

- Tomorrow on the latest episode of The Closer Lyra Sedgwick will be directed by her husband Kevin Bacon, his third time behind the camera for the show. The episode focuses on Det. Julio Sanchez who brother is fatally shot at the beginning of the powerful episode. Look out for that at its regular time on TNT.

- Also tomorrow is the start of NBC’s fall season with the premiere of America’s Toughest Jobs from the guys that have brought you Ice Truck Truckers, Deadliest Catch and Black Gold. Here is a preview of what you will see if you turn in at 9:00:



- Then on Tuesday there is the latest installment of TBS’s World’s Funniest Commercials at 9:00. This show is hosted by Kevin Nelson (Weeds) and Susan Yeagley (Coyote Ugly). Keeping with the Olympics spirt, Scott Hamilton will be announcing the gold medal ad.

- Just over a month until the season premiere of The Office on September 25 at 9:00 on NBC. To tide the fans over, here is the newest clip of Adventures with Angela when she visits Oscar’s house:



- The second season of Dexter was released last Tuesday and if you head over to DexterTherapy.com where users can take inkblot tests to find out if they have a serial killer instinct.

- Valerie Bertinelli is coming back to television sometime soon on TBS. The show will feature the former One Day at a Time actess will play a single mother running a business and will be produced by Dave Caplan whose credits include The Drew Carey Show, The George Lopez Show and The Bill Engvall Show. Even though it is currently untilted, one can assume The Valerie Bertinelli Show is a frontrrunner.