Tuesday Time Wasters

With the NHL playoffs starting, an all hockey Tuesday Time Wasters...

• NHL.com has a complete history of the Stanley Cup complete with a list of winners and fun facts.
• Canoe has a quiz to see if your ready for the playoffs.
• Here is a photo layout of every Stanley Cup winning Montreal Canadiens team (Sorry Leafs Fans!!!)
• A fan has put together a video tribute to one of the most exciting players in the playoffs, Alexander Ovechkin.
  
  

Improv Everywhere Strikes Again

Improv Everywhere has performed a number of mass improvs from freezing time in Grand Central Station to a musical in a food court. Here the group turns an average little league game into a major league game. Enjoy!

What That Stink...Oh, it's the 80's!

In the 1980's, Canada produced many great New Wave bands like Images in Vogue and Men Without Hats but for me the band that has really come symbolize this era is Platinum Blonde. The band founded in 1982, consisted of Mark Holmes (vocals/bass and attitude), Sergio Galli (guitar), and Chris Steffler (drums). Later Kenny Maclean (keyboards) joined the band. They had big hair, makeup, clothes that you couldn't find at your local Thrifty's, and screaming fans. For more information on the band, check out this very in-depth fansite

The band had a number of big hits in Canada including; "Standing In the Dark","Crying Over You", and this hit "Doesn't Really Matter"

Friday Morning Funny

In honour of his surviving a potentially serious car crash, Mr. Jerry Seinfeld.

Did You Catch This...

• Newfoundland is featured on Canoe today with gallery of the scenes of my home province.
• With the baseball season underway, Mental Floss has a look at the ballpark promotions that awry.
• Funtasicus has a look at the top ten most ridiculous dining experiences.
• Alec Baldwin and his Schwetty Balls turn 50 today...

American Idol Top 9

OK, I'll admit I'm not much of a country or Dolly fan but I was really impressed at the quality of her music last night. When you look at Dolly's work you really have to be impressed and concede that she is a living legend. She has published over 600 songs!!! The Idols as a whole were bringing their 'A' game last night, setting the stage for a very tight competition over the next couple of weeks. One miss step...and curtains.

Top 3 Performers

1. Michael Johns - Starting to hit his stride and is picking the right songs to woo his strong female fan base but I have to deduct 2 points for rocking the ascot.
2. David Archuleta - The boy can sing and emote when he has the right song.
3. Brooke White - Even though the judges didn't like it, I thought it was great start to the show and she looks like a star on the stage.

Bottom 3 Performers

1. Ramiele Malubay - She is just being outclassed by the other Idols.
2. Jason Castro - It was just alright for me. Needs to make an emotional connection with the song he is singing. I liked how Idol skipped over the fact that this song was from a movie about a transgender individual.
3. Syesha - Idol women have to learn that nobody compares to Whitney. Sure, there is big reward if you can pull it off but the road to Idol is littered with booted contestants who tried and failed miserably.
   

Free Music Download of The Week

The Counting Crows are back with a new album "Saturday Nights & Sunday Morning". The Crows are very aware of the importance of the web in building an audience as evident of their music being available throughout the web on such sites as SpiralFrog and Download.com. On their website Counting Crows.com they have made available two songs from their new album; 1492 and When I Dream of Michelangelo (download link can be found the right - Digital 45).

The Fast and The Creamy?

From the people who brought you the drumming gorilla...

Monday Morning Box Office

Following are the top 10 films at the North American box office for the three-day weekend beginning on March 28, led by the new release "21," according to studio estimates compiled on Sunday by Reuters.

1 (*) 21 ............... $ 23.7 million
2 (1) Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! .. $ 17.4 million
3 (*) Superhero Movie .. $ 9.5 million
4 (2) Meet the Browns .. $ 7.8 million
5 (4) Drillbit Taylor .. $ 5.8 million
6 (3) Shutter .......... $ 5.3 million
7 (5) 10,000 BC ........ $ 4.9 million
8 (*) Stop-Loss ........ $ 4.5 million
9 (7) College Road Trip ............... $ 3.5 million
10 (8) The Bank Job ..... $ 2.8 million
NOTE: Last weekend's ranking in parentheses. * = new release.

TOTALS TO DATE
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! .. $117.3 million
10,000 BC ........ $ 84.9 million
College Road Trip ............... $ 38.4 million
Meet the Browns .. $ 32.8 million
The Bank Job ..... $ 24.1 million
21 ............... $ 23.7 million
Drillbit Taylor .. $ 20.6 million
Shutter .......... $ 19.1 million
Superhero Movie .. $ 9.5 million
Stop-Loss ........ $ 4.5 million

Friday Funny

Today featuring Russell Peters (WARNING LANGUAGE-NSFW!)

What That Stink...Oh, it's the 80's!

The 80's had many wonderful one-hit wonders but "The Politics of Dancing" by The Re-Flex had to be my fave. The Band was formed in 1981 and featured John Baxter (vocals/guitar), Paul Fishman(keyboards/vocals), Nigel Ross-Scott (bass) and Roland Kerridge (drums). Politics was a big international hit but they were never able to follow-up on that success.
The band's entire music catalog is either out of print or unreleased but there is word of the albums being re-released in the future.
For more information on The Re-Flex click on this.

American Idol Top 10

The Idols this week choose songs from the year they were born, so for the most part it turned into an 80's night and Paula tried to dress accordingly with her gloves and faux-torn dress. BTW, for some straight insight into an Idol's life check out Amanda Overmyer's interveiw package over at EW.com.

Top 3 Performers

1. David Cook - sure he took Chris Cornell's version but he did it extremely well and hit that big note. He is a lot like Daughtry at this stage, but he is a better singer.
2. Michael Johns - finally found that right song(s) and got to showcase his strut.
3. Syesha Mercado - I wasn't a fan of the song but she is getting stronger every week so watch out.

Bottom 3 Performers

1. Ramiele Malubay - she has run her course and it is time to walk out that door and await the tour before obscurity hits.
2. Cary Smithson - it pains me to put her here because I'm a fan but she is faltering and almost trying to hard. She actually looks pained to be on stage.
3. David Archuleta - he got a bit of a free ride from the judges last night because it was a mess from the choice of song to the opening moments to the dancing.

Before my prediction, kudos to Kristy Lee for picking a song that Simon couldn't criticize unless he wanted to be run out of the good ol' US of A. Prediction - Ramiele should and must go.

Tuesday Time Wasters

Links to get you through a dreary Tuesday

• The best free stuff on the Web is highlighted here
• Check out these pics of Darvaza (The Burning Gates), a natural gas well that has been burning for 35 years
• And probably the biggest Time Waster, the entire South Park
  world is now available for viewing free online (of course, anything from South Park may be considered NSFW so be careful!).
  

Butters' Surprise!

It Was 35 Years Ago Today...

Back in March 24th in 1973 Pink Floyd released Dark Side of The Moon on this date in the UK. The album has sold over 35 million copies to date. For other interesting facts (30 in total) go to the official website.

In honour of this celebration, Bigger Pants presents part 4 ("Money") of the Dark Side of The Rainbow. This is the mashup of the Wizard of Oz and Dark Side of The Moon that works but all members of Pink Floyd say it's a coincidence.

Monday Morning Box Office

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who," $25.1 million.
2. "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns," $20 million.
3. "Shutter," $10.7 million.
4. "Drillbit Taylor," $10.2 million.
5. "10,000 B.C.," $8.7 million.
6. "Never Back Down," $4.9 million.
7. "College Road Trip," $4.6 million.
8. "The Bank Job," $4.1 million.
9. "Vantage Point," $3.8 million.
10. "Under the Same Moon," $2.6 million

Did You Catch This....

• A fan has put together his personal Top Ten Jackie Chan stunts.
• Youtube has announced the winner of the 2007Youtube Awards.
• Mentalfloss has the 5 Greatest Bank Robberies in history.
• And from Yahoo!, the 10 Most Historically Inaccurate Movies.
  

The winner in the Adorable catergory - Baby Laughing (I dare you not to smile while watching this!)

Friday Funny

Today from Ed Bryne.

Free Music Download of The Week

This week's download from Download.com is Mr. David Gray. The song "You Mean The World To Me" can be found on his greatest hits package released in November. Gray's biggest hit was "Babylon" which was released in 2000.

Stalingrad 2 - A Tower Defense Game

A very challenging tower defense game where you must continually upgrade your defenses. Good luck!

American Idol Top 11

So last night, the producers of American Idol decided that the Lennon McCartney thing went over so well, let's follow that up with a Beatles night. Good in theory...bad in practice. These kids for the most part are completely unfamiliar with the work of the Fab Four (should be taught in schools!!) and didn't or couldn't connect with the songs. Me thinks, Idol needs to fast forward about three decades and quick.

Top 3 Performers

1. David Cook - Performer is a good title for Mr. Cook. He made his 90 seconds seem like a little concert and he rocked!
2. Cary Smithson - Great voice, horrible wardrobe choices. Do they not have a mirror backstage?
3. Syesha - Sounded good, looked OMG amazing!

Bottom 3 Performers

1. Kristy Lee Cook - Chose her song based on title and then proceeded to destroy another Beatles classic.
2. Ramiele Malubay - She seems more than a little lost. Ramiele looks very small on the big stage.
3. Michael Johns - Bad song choice but at least he didn't seem so sweaty.

Please, I begging you the American voting public, please send Kristy Lee Cook home before she creates anymore havoc in the music industry.

80's Metal Lives

Forget about drinking Diet Pepsi too feel young. Instead watch the video below from Airbourne, a quartet of rockers from Australia who bring the hair, sneer, and head-banging from the 80's to 2008.

Tuesday Time Wasters

After three plus hours of shoveling I'm almost too tired to post these but I will for the greater good.

EW.com has an interview with George Lucas on the future of Star Wars

Candystand has a challenging tower defense game and other games here

If you like reading books on-line Neil Gaiman's American Gods is available from Harper Collins

Watching Wild Bill on AMC reminded what an under-rated actor Jeff Bridges is. His website is perhaps one of the most unique and visually gratifying sites owned by a "movie star".

Happy St. Patricks Day

The Irish Rover by The Dubliners and The Pogues

Pot of Stew

Here is St. John's, NL we are expecting 50cm snow to fall in the next 24 hours and that is on top of the dumping we received yesterday. But what we really gets to me is the freaks who get some kind of sick, tormented, perverse joy of telling everyone about the coming storm with the biggest smile they can muster. WHAP! Shovel to the head....As a dog owner I firmly believe that I should clean-up after my dog but why do the supermarkets have to provide such flimsy bags. I'm lucky if 20% of the bags are reusable for that purpose...CBC's new show Sophie is actually kinda funny, what the hell is it doing on the CBC?....Right now, I am approximately 1 winner for 100 cups in Roll Up The Rim!!! Arrgggghhhhhh!!!....This season of Lost has been terrific....Good for you Daniel Cleary on your contract extension with the Red Wings....Ummmm, is anyone making a Tims run?

Monday Morning Box Office

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!", $45.1 million.

2. "10,000 B.C.," $16.4 million.

3. "Never Back Down," $8.6 million.

4. "College Road Trip," $7.9 million.

5. "Vantage Point," $5.4 million.

6. "The Bank Job," $4.9 million.

7. "Doomsday," $4.7 million.

8. "Semi-Pro," $3 million.

9. "The Other Boleyn Girl," $2.9 million.

10. "The Spiderwick Chronicles," $2.4 million.

Bravo! Bravo!

She may be a little off center and eccentric would be a kind word to describe her style, but she is also very courageous. During her concert in Shanghai last weekend Bjork shouted "Tibet! Tibet!" after her song "Declare Independence". China's response was of course to crack down on future performers and to state that Tibet is a part of China. The story from Reuters can be read here. Bravo! Bravo! Bjork!

Happy Birthday!!!

Today, is the birthday of such "legendary" music singers as Dee Snider (53) of Twisted Sister, Terence Trent D'Arby (46), Brett Michaels of Poison (45), and Mark McGrath (40) of Sugar Ray. But I think that the biggest music star born on this day has to be Berry Gordy's little boy, Rockwell who turns 44 today and unfortunately for him, I don't think anybody is watching anymore.

Bring Me Dilbert's Head

As you may have read in your local paper this week, Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip, has been running a series called "Pronouced Hay-Soos" about a new employee whose name is Jesus. As a Roman Catholic (not devout mind you...do they still say Mass in Latin?) I think they are a riot. You can judge for yourself at Dilbert.com.

Of course, some people have taken offense and you can read Adams' response to one such complaint here.

He Has Better Moves Than Me!

Friday Morning Funny

This morning...Game show and TV bloopers

Link This...

While surfing the web on this miserable day I found these...

• 15 cool Indiana Jones facts from EW.com
• Really cute pics of Flocke the baby Polar Bear from Funtasticus
• From Just a Guy Thing 10 Guy Movies You've Probably Never Seen
• The trailer for the new Incredible Hulk movie starring Edward Norton was unveiled yesterday. You can check it out here
  
  

Adam Clayton from U2 is 48 Today

Theme from Mission Impossible

He Did What Now?

On this day in 1781 Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus! While Uranus does make some people giggle at merely the mention of it's name, it is indeed a planet in our solar system. To find out more about Uranus go to the Nasa website or to read some infantile but funny jokes about Uranus click here.

It Was 35 Years Ago Today...

Back in March 24th in 1973 Pink Floyd released Dark Side of The Moon on this date in the UK. The album has sold over 35 million copies to date. For other interesting facts (30 in total) go to the official website.

In honour of this celebration, Bigger Pants presents part 4 ("Money") of the Dark Side of The Rainbow. This is the mashup of the Wizard of Oz and Dark Side of The Moon that works but all members of Pink Floyd say it's a coincidence.

Sweet Baby James is 60

James Taylor is 60 today. Enjoy!

American Idol Top 12

Finally after weeks of bad auditions, followed by the whittling down of contestants on the small stage we get the payoff. The top 12 hit the new Idol stage last night singing for the first time the songs of Lennon-McCartney. A couple of notes before I divulge my top and bottom 3 from last night. I like that they are making the singers the centerpiece of the stage and moved the band to the Idol attic, and the whole hatin' on Simon bit is getting really old. Every singer respects most what Simon has to say (and want to have his seal approval more than Randy or Paula's) so Paula needs to stop babbling after she has spoken so that we the audience and the Idol, can hear Simon's usually on-point observations. Also, I thought that at some point last night that Ryan and Simon were going to get into the mother of all cat fights!!!

Top 3 Performances

1. Chikezie - the biggest risk of the night followed by the biggest payoff of the night (and I am not talking about that argyle sweater vest). He made me say "Wha....that rocked!!"
2. Carly Smithson - or as Simon called her that Irish girl (when he couldn't remember her name), she is the true rocker of the group even if her outfit looked like a blue garbage bag pulled over her head with her stuck her arms out.
3. Brooke White - it was a toss-up between her and David Cook but her performance was so heartfelt that the lack of power in her voice and wonky notes can be overlooked. She should teach the others (yes, Ramiele I mean you) how to inject emotion into your song.

Bottom 3 Performances

1. Kristy Lee Cook - there is taking advice and running with it and then there is the Kristy's school of thought. Taking some advice and beating it into a bloody pulp and then taking a Beatles classic and pummeling so badly that not even Doc Robbins and David are able to identify the body.
2. Ramiele - no emotion, no wow, no chance.
3. David Archuleta - I know he is not going home and won't even be in the bottom 3 tonight but his performance was awful. Forgotten lines, flubbed lines, and no confidence. Did he peak too early and set the bar for himself too high? I guess we will find out next week.

Prediction - Kristy should and must go home before she becomes a song serial killer!

Hmmmmm...Will I be a clown or a drug dealer?

Let's ask Ricky Gervais...

Free Music Download of The Week

The B-52's have returned!!! That other band from Georgia are back with a new album "Funplex" that is set to be released on March 25, 2008. But you can download the song "Hot Corner" from that album here today.

You'll find glimpses of the band's Athens, GA roots in the lyrics of "Hot Corner," too. "That was a real corner by our old studio, in the Morton Building, where a lot of hot action took place," Kate recalls. "Like 'Love Shack,' the song is a mix of all things Athens: the bus station where Keith and Ricky worked, the dance parties we crashed, the crazy outfits we wore."

Tuesday Time Wasters

Monday is done but there are still four days left of the work week. Here are some sites to get you through today.

• Follow the exploits of that randy Gov. Spitzer in the NY Times
• Check out the pics at Funtasticus (Warning: some pics are NSFW but you are usually pre-warned)
• Play the sequel to the number search game, Mysteriez!, here
• Patrol through the Marvel Universe and read up on your favorite heroes and villains

Monday Morning Box Office

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. “10,000 B.C.,” $35.7-million.

2. “College Road Trip,” $14-million.

3. “Vantage Point,” $7.5-million.

4. “Semi-Pro,” $5.8-million.

5. “The Bank Job,” $5.7-million.

6. “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” $4.8-million.

7. “The Other Boleyn Girl,” $4-million.

8. “Jumper,” $3.8-million.

9. “Step Up 2 the Streets,” $3-million.

10. “Fool's Gold,” $2.8-million.

Righteous Kill - Teaser Trailer

New movie starring Donnie Wahlberg, 50 Cent, Carla Gugino and directed by Jon Avnet. Oh yeah, it also stars Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro working as partners tracking a killer!! Pacino and DeNiro working side by side is what movie goers have wanted for years. Heat gave us a tease but this is the real thing. Watch the trailer over at Yahoo.

An Inspirational Story from The Onion News Network

Fat Kid Successfully Avoids Ridicule By Swimming With Shirt On

It works great for fat adults as well!!!

Spam, Lovely Spam

Now that Monty Python has wet your appetite for Spam, Metal Floss has some tasty tidbits about our favorite meat in a can.

American Idol Season One - Where'd They Go?

In honour of the top 12 being named for American Idol, Season 7 we thought we would check up on the top 10 from season one (called American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, btw) to see if indeed the journey was just beginning for them as the judges are so fond of saying on elimination night.

EJay Day - was the first to be eliminated and has been very quiet since his departure from the show. According to Wikipedia, he is currently performing on cruise ships. Enough said.

Jim Verraros- was the next to be sent home. Jim has been busy since he left the show putting out an indie CD and an album for Koch Records as well as starring in the gay-themed romantic comedy Eating Out and the sequel, the cleverly named (or maybe not), Eating Out 2, Sloppy Seconds. More information on Jim is available on his website


AJ Gil - apparently has taken to calling himself Juda, according to his MySpace page. His website states that AJ or if you prefer Juda has taken on many new exciting projects and that the site will be soon updated (yeah, and I'm still waiting for that restaurant to re-open that closed for renovations two years ago). Checkout his MySpace page for Juda's latest music.


Ryan Starr - voted second sexiest female in Idol history behind Katherine McPhee. Her single "My Religion" has sold over 360,000 copies on iTunes but has yet to release a full album. Starr has also appeared in such TV shows as CSI, That 70's Show, and The Surreal Life. More info can be found on her site


Christina Christian - has continued in the business with various acting and hosting gigs. She will portray a young Celia Cruz in an upcoming documentary. Her songs and bio can be found on her MySpace page.

RJ Helton - what was it with all the "J"s that season. RJ put out a Christian album in 2004 which according to Wikipedia sold over 21,000 copies. His website states that RJ was in the Jan.08/07 US Weekly magazine and they are working on a RJ book. Yes, a book!?!?


Tamyra Gray - considered by many to be the second best talent to come out of season one. But for all her singing talent she has been more successful in acting. Appearing in Boston Public, Tru Calling, and Las Vegas. She also married Sam Watters, from the 90's group Color Me Bad (he was the odd looking one).


Nikki McKibbin - released an album in 2007 called Unleashed on Chenoa Records. Her videos can be seen at her website and more music can be heard on her MySpace page. Nikki also appeared on Fear Factor and Battle of the Network Reality Stars.

Justin Guarini - the runner-up with the "hair" has had a rough go of it. From the failure of "From Justin to Kelly" movie to disappointing album sales. But he is still performing around the US and has acted in a couple of independent films. Justin put out a jazz album in 2006 called Stranger Things Can Happen and is recording a new album. His website and MySpace page is very well maintained and updated, unlike the other finalists. I always felt he should have been more successful.

Kelly Clarkson - let's see; the most successful idol winner ever, over 18 million albums sold worldwide, multiple awards, worldwide tours, and thousands of adoring fans. Yeah, I think she's done all right with this whole idol thing.

Friday Morning Funny

Laughs courtesy of the Animal Kingdom.

The Watchmen Cometh

The Watchmen movie being directed by Zack Synder based on Alan Moore graphic novel is one year away and the first official pictures of the main characters have just been released. For more pictures click here. I'm starting to get a little excited!!!

American Idol Top 8 Women

Well, the salute to the 80's continued on Idol last night as well as Paula's flashback freak-out but only this time she passed it on to Randy and Simon. The top and bottom for last night were:

Top 3 Women

1. Carly Smithson - The girl can flat out sing and perhaps drink most men under the table.
2. Brooke White - She is the darkhorse of the competition. Her take on "Love is a Battlefield" was superb.
3. Asia'h Epperson - the best of the rest. Besides Carly and Brooke nobody really stood out.

Bottom 3 Women

1. Kady Malloy - She's fighting for her Idol life so she decides to come out and sing a Queen song that needs to have Freddie Mercury's persona to pull off. As Simon would say "Sorry!! I didn't get it!"
2. Amanda Overmyer - She's a one trick pony.
3. Ramiele Malubuy - She had a tough week with racy pics of her hitting the net but unlike David Hernandez she didn't rise above it. Her phrasing of "Against All Odds" didn't work but kudos to the way she handled her mini interview with Ryan.

What's That Stink....Oh, it's the 80's

If we had to name the greatest German hitmaker of the 80's of course we name Falco. Or Nena. Or Opus. They would be the greatest that's for sure. Hey, we gave them Hassleoff so I think we got the better end of the deal. But for my money I'll take Falco (but Nena was cute)!

Falco - Der Kommissar




Or if you like the remake (Yes! There was a remake that was a top 5 hit) by After The Fire better, here it is.

Free Music Download of The Week

The download this week is from Band of Horses, one of the hottest bands that you haven't heard of. Or have you? Their song "Funeral" is playing during the Ford Edge commercial where the girl is staring out the sun-roof and hasn't noticed her friends have gotten out. That song plus three others are available here and of course, it is free and legal.

American Idol Top 8 Men

Last night was 80's night and judging by Paula Abdul's weirder than usual behaviour it was causing some serious flashbacks for her. Also, we learned that Randy Jackson doesn't know the difference between INXS and Simple Minds, and that Simon Cowell and Lionel Ritchie shop at the same supermarket. On to the top and bottom 3 according to Stew...

Top 3 Males

1. David Cook - Rocked out with "Hello" and provided the night's best performance.
2. Jason Castro - Knows to keep it simple and sweet. Hallelujah!
3. David Hernandez - David stripped it down (See what I did there, LOL! I kill me sometimes.) and performed "Its All Coming Back to Me Now"

Bottom 3 Males

1. Luke Menard - The man with the weak voice decided to perform "Wake Me Up" by Wham, which featured George Michael's strong vocals, in other words it sucked.
2. Chikezie - Performance was bland and because Whitney Houston performed it, Simon declared it was not worthy.
3. Danny Noriega - His "Tainted Love" was OK, but if he goes I think what we will really miss is his attitude, because the dude can strut with the best.

Couple of quick other notes; have we seen a chink in David Archuleta's armour. He's got to realize that not every week can have this big dramatic number and he has to come across, even a little bit, as a seventeen-year old kid who is having fun and not being programmed. Also Michael John's performance was very so-so for me. This guy seems like he is losing steam every week and needs to find the perfect song that suits him soon.

Tuesday Time Wasters

• Check out these 25 animated shorts from Smashing Magazine.
• Great games are available at MiniClip
• With spring training in baseball underway why not spend some time going through baseball history with the Baseball Almanac
• And finally, from PC World the Best 15 Places to Waste Time on The Web

Mike Myers is The Love Guru

A couple of quick points about this trailer. It looks like Mike Myers is continuing to recycle old material, you gotta like when they say he is coming to America to help a player on the Toronto Maple Leafs (still in Canada, last time I checked) and Justin Timberlake as a French-Canadian hockey player looks hilarious.

Monday Morning Box Office

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Semi-Pro," $15.3 million.

2. "Vantage Point," $13 million.

3. "Spiderwick Chronicles," $8.8 million.

4. "The Other Boleyn Girl," $8.3 million

5. "Jumper," $7.6 million.

6. "Step Up 2 The Streets," $5.7 million.

7. "Fool's Gold," $4.7 million.

8. "Penelope," $4 million.

9. "No Country For Old Men," $4 million.

10. "Juno," $3.4 million.

On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com

Jeff Healey March 25,1966 - March 2,2008

Canadian musician Jeff Healey passed away yesterday after a long struggle with cancer. Healey's musical tastes ran from Jazz to Blues to Rock. He was refreshing talent during the synth heavy days of the 80's. Not to mention he was in the awesome movie Roadhouse which starred Patrick Swayze. His biggest hit was "Angel Eyes".

Evolution of Dance!!

It's a Transformer tribute to the popular Evolution of Dance youtube clip!

Indiana Jones and the Lego Video Game Empire

The people behind the highly successful Star Wars Lego video games have now adapted the Indiana Jones saga to the format and it looks great. Get a sneak peek here.

Friday Morning Funny

Father Ted sets out to prove he is not racist.

American Idol Top 10 Women

Between my hectic day and the horrible showing by the women last night, here is the quick version of the top and bottom 3.

Top 3 Women

1. Cary Smithson
2. Brook White
3. Kristy Lee Cook

Bottom 3 Women

1. Kady Malloy
2. Amanda Overmyer
3. Alaina Whitaker

Science is Fun for Everyone!!!!

They say the children are the future but if these students are the leaders of tomorrow we might be wishing for the days of Harper and Bush again. More great science projects here.

American Idol Top 10 Men

The search for the next American Idol continued last night with the men singing the hits of the 70's. I'm not a fan of theme nights during this section of the show. I'd rather get a cross section and let the singers pick their own song regardless of era. Anyway, enough of my blathering and time for the top and bottom 3 from last night.

TOP THREE (in no particular order)

1. David Archuleta - sweet, innocent David with a voice straight from heaven. Some are already anointing him. It's a tad early for that and besides this guy is no newcomer to performing (just enter his name on youtube) and his post-performance interviews feel a bit too Doolittleish for me.
2. David Hernandez - the voice, the looks, and the stage presence. A strong performance last night pushed him back into the frontrunner race.
3. David Cook - what is this...the year of David. Rocked out last night but his downfall could be that awful haircut and his attitude especially towards Simon. Simon may be the mean judge but he is the most popular thing about the show and his opinion is the one everybody wants to hear.

BOTTOM THREE (in no particular order)

1. Jason Yeager - Just plain gawd awful! They way he smiled throughout the song kinda freaked me out and his entire look and act was just dreadful! BTW, what was with that belt!
2. Luke Menard - His voice is just too weak to compete with the big boys.
3. Michael Johns - Even though the judges thought it was alright, it felt very strained to me. He'll need to do a love song next week to get the girls swooning and voting for him again.

New Music

The Black Crowes have a new album coming out next week. I wonder if their brand of southern blues rock has a place in today's music scene or are they irrelevant and destined for the bargain bin? Listen to a preview of the new album on their website and decide for yourself.

Pot of Stew

Every now and then I like to step onto the soapbox and ramble about different topics that are roaming around the cranium. So here comes the spew....

It's telling that after 30 years of service to St. John's, Andy Wells' proudest moment was when he raised the Tibetan flag and received attention from the international press. One would think it would be something that he has done for the greater good of the city like lowering crime rates, developing neighbourhoods, or innovative tax structures but with Andy it has always been about Andy. I think the PUB will be much to tame for him and he will be back sooner rather than later.... How come Tim Horton's don't have express lanes for coffee only orders....Hey want a good lunchtime meal deal. Quiznos is selling their new Sammie sandwich for $2 each or two for $3.99. I know I can hardly believe it myself!!! After 200 Sammies I will have saved enough for another one....What received more attention from the Canadian public today, the NHL trade deadline or the federal budget? Let's just say I don't think Peter Mansbridge was on the air @ 7:30 am EST talking about what could be in the budget....Who's more annoying on the airwaves Mark Roberts or Leanne Sharpe? By shear volume of airtime, the title would have to go to Mark Roberts. Can't OZ FM give part of his shift to anyone? How about Andy? He's never at loss for words!!!!

Photo Journalism Awards

It's the second annual Photography Masters Cup. Some terrific photos can be found here!!

Free Music Download of the Week

Here at Bigger Pants, we like to give back, so follow the link to this weeks's free music download, "To The Dogs or Whoever" by Josh Ritter (download link on Ritter's website on the left just below album cover). This song is from Ritter's latest album "The Historical Conquest of Josh Ritter". If you haven't listened to Josh Ritter before, you are in for a treat! A tremendous songwriter in the vain of Dylan or Neil Young. For more Josh Ritter songs follow this link.

Weekend Box Office Results

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Vantage Point," $24 million.

2. "Jumper," $12.7 million.

3. "Spiderwick Chronicles," $12.6 million.

4. "Step Up 2 the Streets," $9.8 million.

5. "Fool's Gold," $6.3 million.

6. "Definitely, Maybe," $5.2 million.

7. "Juno," $4.1 million.

7. "Be Kind Rewind," $4.1 million.

9. "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," $4 million.

10. "There Will Be Blood," $2.6 million.

On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com

Jimmy Kimmel Moves On After Sarah Silverman

ULTIMATE MOVIE MONTAGE

Oscar Links

With the Oscar's coming up this Sunday, here are some links that may be of interest:

• Best Picture Movie Posters for the last 79 years.
• Top Ten Oscar snubs according to Ask Men
• Top Five Memorable Oscar Speeches from MSNBC
• Oscars Worst Dressed according to US Magazine
• Finally, the official home of this years Oscar telecast
  

Hey it's better than Sass

Paula Abdul is back with a new single off Randy Jackson's new album Music Club. That's right Randy has new album coming out!!??!!!
This song sounds like it belongs back in 1988 and I mean that in a good way. Pauls looks good in the video and the song sounds like it could come from the Forever Your Girl Album.
Hey if Sass Jordan can use Candian Idol to pimp her career, why can't Paula and Randy. Seriously....Randy Jackson now has a new show and a new album besides Idol!!??!!??!!!

Friday Morning Funny

Warning!!! Some language is NSFW!!

American Idol Top 12 Women

Last night it was the ladies turn to sing for their supper.

Here are the top 3 females as judged by Stew
1. Amanda Overmyer - she who rocked harder than any of the boys
2. Alexandrea Lushington - she who looked and sounded like star
3. Ramiele Malubay - she who will prove Simon Cowell wrong

Here are the bottom 3 females as judged by Stew
1. Kady Malloy - she of the killer Britney impression and evil eye for Simon and the judges who were not digging her. Don't get her mad!!!
2. Amy Davis - she who did nothing to stand out from the crowd
3. Joanne Borgella - she who also did nothing to stand out and was forgettable

What's That Stink....Oh, it's the 80's

Time for an 80's whack up side of the head.



The System consisted on Mic Murphy on vocals / guitar and David Frank on keyboards. Their biggest hit was "Don't Disturb the Groove". Murphy went on to a solo career but Frank has found success working as a producer/songwriter working with artists look Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, and Christina Aguilera on her breakout hit "Genie in a Bottle".

American Idol Top 12 Men

Last night the top 12 males as picked by Randy, Simon, and Paula performed for America's votes.

Here are the top 3 males by Stew:
1. David Archuleta - he of the puppy dog eyes and big dog's voice
2. Jason Castro - he of the Bob Marley hair and laid back style
3. David Hernandez - he of the good pipes and according to my wife good looks

Here are the bottom 3 males by Stew:
1. Chikezie - he of the great name, was kinda bland
2. Jason Yeager - he of the game show host smile and vanilla personality
3. Garrett Haley - he of the Rex Smith locks and voice as wimpy as Rex Smith himself

Also, I send a double snap out to Danny Noriega for his decent rendition of Jailhouse Rock and three snaps for his attitude. Danny's snap will make him or break him. I vote to break him!!!!

Elmo's Back...Who Needs Chuckie!!!!

Every year Elmo gets a little more creepier!!!

Music Download of the Week

Once a week I'll try to give you a music download that is free and legal. This week's download is "Into the Night" by Basia Bulat. This song is featured in the commercial for AMC's February Movies. The download can be found here.

New design for The Independent website

The Independent has updated their website. In my humble opinion, it looks pretty darn good. The typeface is easy to read and the pics look great. It is definitely an improvement over their old site, which is what you want to achieve when your overall your site.

Monday Morning Box Office

Following are the top 10 films at the North American boxoffice for the three-day weekend beginning Feb. 15, led by the new release "Jumper," according to studio estimates compiled on Sunday by Reuters.

1. "Jumper" ($27.2 million)
2. "Step Up 2 the Streets" ($19.7 million)
3. "The Spiderwick Chronicles" ($19.1 million)
4. "Fool's Gold" ($13.1 million)
5. "Definitely, Maybe" ($9.7 million)
6. "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" ($8.8 million)
7. "Juno" ($4.6 million)
8. "The Bucket List" ($4.1 million)
9. "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" ($3.3 million)
10. "27 Dresses" ($3.2 million)

OMG!!!!!

Ok, for those of you that don't follow basketball. I'm going to implore you to watch the following clip of Dwight Howard at the Slam Dunk competition last night. OMG!!!!

To be truly appreciated you must watch the slow motion replays!!!!

It's been a long week!

A Weighty Issue

OK, I'm flipping through my dripping wet copy of "The Telegram" last night and I come across the article where some people were shocked by the comments of our Deputy Mayor Denis O'Keefe towards Councillor Ron Ellsworth (a man of large stature) about his weight. My mind starts to race about what the Deputy Mayor could have said and have caused people to be shocked!!!! Did he call him Fatty or Jabba the Hut? And why did he say it within a public meeting?
But it turns out all he said was something along the lines of ...your a big man but not big enough to apologise. This was in reference to Ellsworth's claim that some councillors had been in contact with AHL about a new hockey team which he has since backtracked on.
So what is so shocking!!! I sure Councillor Ellsworth realizes he not Jared from Subway, and even if he was, he would still be a big man because of his height. So does O'Keefe has anything to be sorry about, I think not. And if he does have to apologise, does he also have to apologise for referring to Ellsworth as man and not a human being of a male gender!!!! I suppose next they won't be allowed to ask for a light to repositioned so the glare will stop shining on Coucillor Coombs head!!!! SHEESSSSSH!

Indiana Jones!!!

The teaser trailer for the new Indiana Jones has arrived!!! It looks great!! Check it out!!!

New Star Wars Movie

Thats right a new Star Wars movie is headed to theaters. It is a computer animated film that is meant to fill in the time between episode two and three. Check out ther trailer here.

It looks great and provides a prelude to the television series coming soon.

Nah Nah Bye Bye

Danny Williams has just asked Andy Wells to step down as mayor before assuming his role at the PUB. One controversy down...how long till Andy creates another one in his new role? I have a feeling it will be sooner rather than later!

More Valentine Movie Suggestions

Here a couple more suggestions for movie to watch get you into the romantic frame of mind

• "Jerry Maguire",1996. Starring Tom Cruise and Rene Zellweger. This movie is responsible for a few lines that have made it into our everyday conversations including "Show me the money!" and "You had me at hello." But it is also a sweet story about finding what you didn't know was missing...true love. Plus it has sports for the guys!!!


• "Bridges of Madison County", 1995. Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep star in this tearjerker. I doubt anyone can keep from tearing up when Steep has her hand on the door handle on the truck during the rainstorm and is thinking about going to Eastwood. Keep the tissue box close for this one.

Tomorrow is the big day (if your in love, otherwise it just sucks!) so I'll try to put up a couple of more suggestions later.

Andy and Danny

Our good mayor, Andy Wells, is making waves yet again. His views on global warming are being brought into the debate about his appointment to the PUB. Wells has stated "I think there's a lot of junk science out there that's masquerading as true science,'' the Mayor told CanWest News Service, "and I think as a consequence public agencies and organizations such as municipal councils are making stupid decisions."

But on the other hand when the city rolled out their new hybrid vehicles the Mayor stated "While the initial purchase price of each vehicle may range from $5,000 to $8,000 more than a comparably equipped conventional gas vehicle, the returns from the fuel savings over the life of the vehicle should provide a cost neutral impact and, of course, we will be using a more environmentally friendly vehicle."

I guess if a photo opportunity is a photo opportunity!

Now last night on the evening news when Premier Williams was asked about Mayor Wells views on global warming he replied that he hadn't talked to Andy about his personal views on the subject. Whaaaa...????? One would think that would have come up in the interview process. Wait...was there an interview process? I think this is where the U.S. has it right (something they don't do often) and there should be a a review process for appointed officials.

The mission statement of the PUB states "Through our skilled staff and an investigative and monitoring process that invites full public participation, we ensure that the public of Newfoundland and Labrador are well served in a changing environment by achieving an equitable balance between the interests of consumers and service providers in the electric utility, automobile insurance and motor carrier industries". Seems to me appointing Andy Wells to the PUB is akin to appointing Charlton Heston to the Coalition for Gun Control.

Valentines Movies

Over the next few days I give you some Valentine Movie suggestions:

• "Crossing Delancey", 1988. Starring Amy Irving and Peter Riegert in a romantic comedy about two people falling in love in New York with the help of matchmaker. It is just a feel good movie.
• "Return to Me", 2000. Starring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver. Duchovny plays a widower who is mourning the loss of his wife and falls for Driver who has received a special gift from Duchovny's dead wife.

I'll be back with more suggestions tomorrow.

Monday News Update

Good morning...I hope you had a more restful weekend than I. A birthday party for my six year old and 24 of his closest friends, and a dog with a wonky stomach at 2 and 4 am Sunday morning does not make for a well-rested Stew.



The Grammys (click link for winners) were on last night and some highlights for me included Kayne West's performance and Tina Turner showing she has still got it at 68, performing Proud Mary with Beyonce. The Grammy's are famous for their WTF moments and last night was no exception. How about Rihanna and Prince sharing the same hairstyle or the fact that Herbie Hancock won album of the year. Hancock's win ranks up their with Jethro Tull winning for best Heavy Metal or 'Smells like Teen Spirit" (one of the must influential songs of all time) losing Best Rock Song to Eric Clapton acoustic version of Layla (a song that first came out twenty plus years earlier!!!).



Another music awards show took place last night, the ECMA's (click link for list of winners). I know that an awful lot of work goes into planning this event and it is always a top notch show but why would they put it up against the Grammy's!!! Why not have it the same weekend but put it off on Saturday or move it to another weekend all together. Any buzz that was generated is being swallowed up by the Grammy's. Add to the fact that this year's ECMA's was not televised you would have to call thsi years event a washout. This does not even take into account that Newfoundland (my home province) was shut out of the awards for the first time in a number of years!! Time for the ECMA's to get innovative and figure out a way to make their showcase event more than just a regional news story.



And some sad new this morning Roy Scheider died at the age of 75. The star of Jaws to me was one of the actors who I thought should have been a bigger star. Some of my favorite Scheider movies included Blue Thunder and All That Jazz.



Your weekend Box Office Results are:



1. "Fools Gold," $22 million.

2. "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins," $17.1 million.

3. "Hannah Montanna and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds," $10.5 million.

4. "The Eye," $6.6 million.

5. "Juno," $5.73 million.

6. "27 Dresses," $5.7 million.

7. "The Bucket List," $5.3 million.

8. "Rambo," $4.1 million.

9. "Meet the Spartans," $4.075 million.

10. "There Will Be Blood," $4.073 million.

Friday Afternoon Shoot 'em Up!!!

Direct Hits...

• Lost. The new season has me on the edge of my seat. Conflict, mystery, answers and new questions, and action. What more can you want from a show!


• Online music site Finetune. This site lets up pick up to three songs from an artist and add them to a playlist. The only drawback is that playlists must have at least 45 songs before they play. But once you get into it, it's better than radio. I have setup six different playlists including movie songs, guitar rock, and the 80's. Better than radio.


• The trading of Shaq from the Heat to the Suns. Anytime a star of his magnitude gets traded it always makes for great fodder for the sports page.

Misses...

• Andy Wells using public opinion to justify staying in office. He didn't listen to public opinion when he was championing supermarkets or turning down crosswalks.
• Jonny Fairplay's quick exit from Survivor. I thought he was really going to stir up some trouble but babbled on about his daughter-to-be and how he wants to go home. Keep in mind even though he is kicked out of the tribe he cannot go home for the next 39 days anyway!

• Old man winter. I am so sick of this winter. I feel like I am living that Expedia commercial.