ModestGeniusXL

The Year in Television 2008

This was overall a pretty sub-par year for television.  If there was ever a year for new shows to break new ground, 2008 would have been it.  Unfortunately, it seemed like every other new show was the same format geared towards the MTV demographic.  At least that's where all the marketing money appeared to be spent since about every other commercial looked like another "Beverly Hills 90210" spin-off.

Shows that should have easily been floating around the top ten found themselves on the outs.  It was because too many of them tried to get cute this year.  For some reason, they started flirting with the time-jumping thing.  Either that or they thought focusing on a storyline of having one of their characters get it on with a ghost would be a good idea.  But I digress...

15. Mobsters

This Bio Channel show was the perfect food for my everything-mafia appetite.  Every week showcases the life of a different famous mobster and some I had never even heard of.  I didn't realize that "Casino" was based on real-life gangster Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro until his life was one of the "Mobsters" episodes.  You think some of the stuff they put in those gangster movies are just too out there to have really happened yet it ends up it was all true.

14. Nip/Tuck

I was a little skeptical how this season would end up with them moving out to California away from the Florida scene.  Wouldn't it affect the show chemistry a little?  Not so much.  It made it even better.  Having them flirt with careers in Hollywood fit in perfectly with the egos of their characters.  They even had a nice little cliffhanger to make us look forward to this upcoming season premiere

13. Heroes

They should consider themselves lucky they even made the list.  This season had quite a few things that worked against them.  They were getting dangerously close to going the "Lost" route with having WAY too many characters being introduced.  Their first few episodes got too confusing with all the jumping around to different moments in time.  Then they decided to implement a storyline that was WAY too close to "The Fly" which was proof they were struggling for ideas.  They started to come around towards the end of the season and salvaged their spot in the countdown.

12. My Name is Earl

What helped the show last season was its plethora of guest appearances from known actors that increased the show's appeal.  This time around, they focused more on the other characters of the show.  Giving more shine to Crab Man (Eddie Steeples), Joy (Jamie Pressly) and Randy (Ethan Suplee) is going to help keep giving that show more legs.  

11. 30 Rock

The same thing that helped "Earl" last year is what helped "30 Rock" this year.  Their guest appearances added more spice to show.  Jennifer Aniston as an obsessive stalker after Jack (Alec Baldwin)?!  Classic.  Then again, they probably had to get more guest stars involved with Tina Fey concentrating so much of her time to her flawless Palin impressions this year.

10. Boston Legal 

It had its last farewell their final season this year.  The least they could have done is brought back some of my favorites from past seasons.  Why not have Jeffrey Coho (Craig Bierko) square off in a case against Clarence (Gary Anthony Williams)?  The emergence of Jerry Espenson (Christian Clemenson) and frequent visits by "hoot" attorney Melvin Palmer (Christopher Rich) were very nice.  However, the continuing borderline homo-erotic relationship between Denny Crane (William Shatner) and Alan Shore (James Spader)...not so much.

9. Saturday Night Live

This show is like the Jason Voorhees of television.  You keep thinking its dead when  it is sometimes unbearable to watch for a while and then blow up once the right combination of cast-members start clicking.  This season is one where they started hitting an upswing again.  The departure of Tina Fey hurt for a little bit, but thanks to Palin coming on the scene, Fey was able to blow up in some guest spots.  Fey's departure also created a greater appreciation for Amy Poehler's talent, but now this was her last season.  We'll see how they recover from that loss.  As long as they keep putting out classic cuts like these, they'll be just fine.

8. South Park

They may keep killing Kenny, but there is no killing this show.  I can appreciate how folks fawn all over mainstream animated series like "The Simpsons" and "The Family Guy".  However, "South Park" remains the king of all of them.  Cartman keeps saying the things that our inner voice is thinking but doesn't want to say because it wouldn't be politically correct.  Okay, maybe that's just my inner voice.  Which is why this show remains one of my favorites.

7. Little People, Big World

I can't believe family friend Mike Detjen died.  Maybe I should have included in him in the year-end wrap-up of famous passings.  I would except he wasn't THAT famous.  I also can't believe that Matt got acquitted of that drunk-driving charge.  Moreover, I can't believe how they're always complaining about money but we always see the flying all over the world to family trips and Little People seminars.  All of those are some of the reasons why the show fascinates me and why I keep tuning in.

6. The Game

They are one of the folks guilty of the time-jump thing.  We're all getting into the season seeing how Melanie (Tia Mowry) and Malik (Hosea Chanchez) are handling his upcoming illegitimate child.  We're even enjoying the yo-yo divorce proceedings of Jason (Coby Bell) and Kelly Pitts (Brittany Daniel) then they inexplicably jump ahead a few months.  Are they trying to rush things along in fear of being canceled and we will never see how it pans out?  Stay on track, WB.  

5. The Best Week Ever

It's like "The Soup" on steroids.  I once tried to half-watch this show while being on the lappy at the same time and it's impossible.  They throw so many hilarious clips at you from the various happenings of the past week that if you don't blink, you may miss one.  Funny thing is thanks to shows like these, VH1 is quickly becoming much better at MTV at producing non-video programming for a music channel.  Of course, this is also the same channel that keeps giving us those awful "{Insert has-been celebrity name here or trite adjective or both} of Love" shows.

4. The Soup

Most of the past "Talk Soup" hosts all went on to bigger and better things.  Okay...maybe it was only Greg Kinnear who went on to blow up.  Whatever the case may be, I hope current host Joel McHale sticks around for a while.  Even though he himself will be quick to remind you that it's not the same show because this one is "The Soup" and those were "Talk Soup".  Little inside jokes like that one helps to make this show consistently funny. 

   3. Chuck

I was watching the terrible "Big Momma's House 2" on cable the other day and was thinking that one of those FBI agents looked real familiar.  Sure enough, it was Churk Bartowski (Zachary Levi).  Boy did they ever under-use him in that flick.  Then again, who knew he would be such a natural for a sitcom?  And just maybe he is one of those actors who was destined to be more successful on the small screen than in movies.  As long as the product continues to be as hilarious as this past season of "Chuck" was, then I'm okay with that.

2. The Office

I love how Steve Carell has already proven that he can make good Hollywood comedies yet he keeps remaining faithful to "The Office".  At least for now.  However, the show producers have wisely chosen to develop other storylines and characters to compensate for his absences to do Hollywood.  This whole love triangle they got going between Dwight (Rainn Wilson), Andy (Ed Helms) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) has taken on a life of its own.  I'm still trying to figure out if Andy is really that naive or if he has some ulterior motive himself.

1. Friday Night Lights

For the second year in a row, it sits atop the throne.  So fitting that the phrase "returning champion" would pertain to a football-themed show.  I'm not going to give any particulars about this past season because I know not everyone had the same benefit that I did.  Unless you had Directv, you didn't get the chance to see the entire season commercial-free.  Suffice to say, when the season debuts on NBC in January, you won't be disappointed.  I can even see it getting some new fans.  Maybe then it won't have to worry about NBC talking that nonsense of canceling one of the best dramas it has had on its network in years.

A Year in Passing Thoughts 2008

Boy, was this one heck of a year for the disappearance of some heavyweights.  And what a way to end with the legendary Eartha Kitt leaving us.  Even with as many celebrity passings as there were, it still seems so surreal that Bernie Mac is no longer with us.

At any rate, take a look at the losses we saw in this past year.  Each one is again its own link that will take you to my own personal eulogy I did for each one.  Hopefully, most of them are in a better place where most of them belong.  Just makes you even more grateful for each day we are given.

May they all rest in peace...

Bobby Fischer, 64 (chess legend)

Allan Melvin, 84 (Sam from "The Brady Bunch")

Heath Ledger, 28, (Actor)

Roy Scheider, 75 (Actor)

Buddy Miles, 60 (voice of the California Raisins)

Ivan Dixon, 76, (U.S. Staff Sgt. James Kincheloe from "Hogan's Heroes")

Herb Peterson, 89 (creator of the McMuffin sammich)

Sean Levert, 39 (singer)

Charlton Heston, 84 (actor)

Stanley Kamel, 65 (actor)

Mary Vandross, 82 (mother of Luther Vandross)

Jeff Healey, 41 (singer/guitarist)

Sydney Pollack, 73 (actor/director/producer)

Harvey Korman, 81 (actor)

Bo Diddley, 79 (singer)

Tim Russert, 58 (journalist)

Stan Winston, 62 (special effects pioneer)

George Carlin, 71 (comedian/actor)

Dody Goodman, 93 (actress)

Lt. Col. Charles "Chuck" Dryden, 87 (former Tuskegee Airman)

Larry Harmon, 83 (Bozo the Clown)

Estelle Getty, 84 (actress)

Bernie Mac, 50 (comedian/actor)

Isaac Hayes, 65 (singer/actor)

LeRoi Moore, 46 (saxophonist for Dave Matthews Band)

Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, 58 (first Black woman to represent Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives)

Gene Upshaw, 63 (NFL Players Association executive director)

Julius Carry, 56 (actor)

Kevin Duckworth, 44 (former NBA baller)

Jerry Reed, 71 (country singer / actor)

Don LaFontaine, 68 (movie trailer voice)

Bill Melendez, 91 (Peanuts animator)

Don Haskins, 78 (former University of Texas-El Paso basketball coach)

Norman Whitfield, 67 (songwriter / composer)

Paul Newman, 83 (actor)

Levi Stubbs, 72 (lead singer of the Four Tops)

Rudy Ray Moore, 81 (Dolemite)

Estelle Reiner, 94 (mother of Rob Reiner)

Madelyn Payne Dunham, 86 (President Barack Obama's grandmother)

Michael Crichton, 66 (author)

Shiloh, 3 (rat)

MC Breed, 37 (rapper)

Stevie Hicks, 25 (former ISU runningback)

Eartha Kitt, 81 (actress / singer)

The Year in Photos 2008, pt 2

Well I told you that there would be a sequel and you're getting a little earlier than expected.  Mainly because G pointed out that he wasn't in that many pics in the first one.  I took care of that this time around...

The Year in Music 2008

I was surprised a couple of the normally reliables didn't make the list this year.  At least not with their own solo joints.  Folks like Mary J. Blige and Beyonce had new cds come out in 2008; however, the material on there wasn't as good as what they contributed as guests on other tracks.  Such is the way of the music world...

15.    Yes We Can -     will.i.am featuring President Barack Obama
This will probably be the first and only time that a President of the United States will be featured in a song that gets heavy rotation on my Zen.  It also helps that will.i.am picked the one speech Obama gave which was so powerfully moving that it sounds good set to right lyrics.  I'm sure other artists will try to capitalize on this monumental historical moment (those that haven't already, that is), but I doubt their efforts will ever be as good as this one.

14.    Love in this Club, pt. 2 - Usher featuring Beyonce
Thank goodness he changed up the lyrics for this remix.  The original version dealt with Usher meeting some hottie in the club and then getting it on right there in the club.  Okay....um....Ew.  I haven't been in the club scene in a while, but I can't imagine they have cleaned up much since I was last going.  Anyway, this slow jam remix is a much better alternative.

13.    Smokestack Lightnin'
You all didn't believe me when I told you it would make the list this year, did you?  Or didn't care.  It's all good either way.  Of course I was going to have it on here.  As I said, I could care less if the cut is over fifty years old.  Sad thing is as old as it is, it still holds up against most of the shabby music that people are putting out these days. 

12.    Yesterday - Mary Mary
The only gospel song to make the list.  Some folks may have been thinking that Marvin Sapp's "Never Would Have Made It" would have made it instead.  I liked that the first time I heard it but not nearly as much as it got pub for.  That wasn't even the best Marvin Sapp song.  Now this Mary Mary song on the other hand is clearly one of their best cuts yet.  They went away from their normal pop-like style and gave us some good down-home gospel.

11.    All Summer Long - Kid Rock
I know...I know...radio played this song to death.  Fortunately, the stations I listened to didn't play it at all so I didn't get a chance to hear it so much that I got sick of it.  When I first heard it, I mistakingly thought he had remade "Sweet Home Alabama" instead of just incorporating its sound.  Glad I was wrong.  Plus, this song showcases my cousin Stephanie's (drummer for Kid Rock) talent so of course I'm going to give it some shine.

10.    Superwoman -     Alicia Keys
It's one of those rare songs where a dude feels a little emasculated by singing along to it.  I'm not no Superwoman...come on!  However, Alicia has a knack for making catchy tunes that you just can't help but at least hum along to.  I love it when she gets to the chorus and runs off that "Even when I'm a mess...I still put on a vest...with an S on my chest...oh yes...I'm a super...woman".  Sang
it, Alicia!

9.    Cool - Anthony Hamilton featuring David Banner
This song probably would have gotten even higher were it not for the appearance of rapper David Banner.  It has Anthony's trademark laidback sound that just makes you bob your head as its playing.  Then in comes David Banner to mess up the entire flow.  Its like biting into a delicious tuna sammich then tasting a nasty onion someone tried to slide up in there.  Leave the rappers out of it next time, Anthony.

8.  If You Leave - Musiq f/ Mary J. Blige
Musiq worried me a bit with the first single released from his new cd.  It was very much unlike his sound and not in a good way.  It was what kept me from getting his cd even though I've been a fan of his since the beginning.  Then this song came out and I knew Musiq hadn't lost his way afterall.  It never even dawned on me that Mary had the perfect voice for a duet with him until I heard this one. 

7.  Heaven Sent - Keyshia Cole
She is quickly starting to come into her own with each cut she puts out.  I keep hearing about this ghettofied reality show she has but refuse to watch it so I won't have a stigma towards her music.  She doesn't need stunts like that to give her more appeal.  She just needs to keep working on her sound and product and by the looks of this cut, she's heading in the right direction.

6.    I Need You - Jazmine Sullivan
When I first heard this song, I got so geeked thinking that Lauryn Hill was finally back!  Don't front like I'm not the only one who thought it.  Then I found out it was this young gal instead.  It will probably be the closest we will ever get to getting the old Lauryn Hill back so I'll take what I can get.

5.    Never Too Late - Three Days Grace
I couldn't pick these guys out of a line-up if someone paid me.  I could name that sound though.  It's the Nickelback/Hinder/Classic rock growl that I like so much.  Maybe because it sounds me of the days when I first got hooked thanks to the days of Nirvana.  Thanks again to my LB Duonne hippin' me to it in the first place.

4.      Another Again - John Legend
While other artists are always trying to re-invent themselves and putting out pure crap in the process (...cough...Kanye...cough...), there's always Mr. Consistent.  All Legend knows how to do is keep churning out cuts that exemplify the neo-Soul sound.  I'm starting to think he doesn't have a bad song in him.

3.    She Got Her Own - Ne-Yo featuring Jamie Foxx and Fabolous
Ne-Yo is one of the few cats out there his age that know how to make some good grown folk music.  So of course he would solicit some other grown folks to make a remix.  Hopefully, Ne-Yo will keep surrounding himself with good producers so he can keep putting out cuts that sets him apart from his peers.  And hopefully McDonalds will stop biting his look and sound in the process.

2.    Honey - Erykah Badu
The best thing about this song was that Badu knew how to tie in the video perfectly with it.  The cut has that nostalgic feel to it that has you rockin' your body as you think about those late 70s, early 80s.  It was only fitting that the video feature classic album cover after classic cover from back in our days.  Everytime this cut comes on, I find myself groovin' like I had never heard it before. 

1.    Nothing Left to Say - Mint Condition
Lead singer Stokely Williams has got such a distinctive sound that there are few songs he can't make sound good.  He could have very easily went solo by now and blew up with no problem at all.  However, he's stuck with Mint Condition and they have yet again made a classic slow jam.  They need to just stick to making this kind of music and don't even worry about making club-bangers.  A good slow jam like this will trump a dance song any day of the week.

Best Movies of 2008

Before I started compiling a list of contenders, I thought this was going to be a difficult year to find enough that qualified.  The guidelines are the movie had to have been rated A- or better for me to even consider it.  I guess I had seen so many flicks that I didn't realize how many had scored that high.  27 in all.

Cutting the list down to 15 was not an easy task.  I know there are some now missing that folks may question, but I had to draw the line somewhere.  Each film below is its own link that can take you to my original review.  In order to show appreciation for so many worthy candidates, there are no "honorable mentions".  Just 15 films that made 2008 a very memorable year for cinema...

15.    The Ruins
It may have been the leg amputation scene that put this one over the top.  That didn't do it by itself though.  It is always refreshing to see a scary movie that bucks the trend with the object of terror.  No big bad boogiemonster...no psychopathic killer...just some Venus flytrap-like vines on steroids.  What makes it a good horror picture though is the deterioration of sanity depicted amongst the group of college kids that are forced to try to survive under strange circumstances.

14.    Quarantine 
If you still haven't seen a trailer/preview for this movie, make sure you still don't.  For some reason, they gave away the ending in that spot and that still irritates me.  However, I continue to give them mad props for bringing a concept to scary movies that should have been done much sooner.  Having it shot in a real-time, documentary-like setting is extremely effective for a horror film.  Even if it was done first with the Spanish version "[REC]".

13.    Role Models
I knew it would only be a matter of time before Sean William Scott would return to form by having another classic comedy.  He just needed the right material.  He was actually pretty close to having two this year with "The Promotion" coming dangerously close to cracking the top 15 also.  Be that as it may, "Role Models" is one of the few films where the laughs keep coming non-stop.  Plus, any film that finds a way to combine the 70s fascination of KISS with grown men doing medieval role-playing is destined for greatness.

 12.    The Bucket List
Although Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson are definitely two of the best veteran actors out there, it would have initially seemed to me like an odd choice to have them teamed up in a comedy movie.  After seeing this flick, it is clear that someone out there knew something that I didn't.  And a good thing too.  Besides the stellar performances from Freeman and Nicholson, there were two big reasons this one struck a chord with me:  the fact that the two characters reminded me of myself and E and the three things to remember when you get older.

11.    WALL*E
Disney and Pixar took a huge chance when they went with a movie that had very little conversation.  It paid off.  Not enough for it to crack the top ten but REAL close.  There is very little wrong that Pixar can do at this point so they can afford to take chances like this. 

10.    Tropic Thunder
I thought for a minute that Tom Cruise was going to reinvent himself with his role in this one.  That maybe he would start winning back over some folks who thought he took himself too seriously.  Then he went and made a WWII movie where he's playing a German with no accent whatsoever.  But we're supposed to be focusing on how he helped make this film a classic.  Of course Cruise couldn't do it by himself, but Les Grossman was a HUGE reason why this film continues to crack me up.

9.    The Family That Preys
Tyler Perry had it in him all along to make a great film.  I knew he could do it if we just gave him enough time.  He was right on the verge of accomplishing that last year with "Why Did I Get Married?", but just tried to cram too much in and had it drag on too long.  He managed to fix those mistakes with this September release.  What worries me is the previews they've been showing for "Madea Goes to Jail".  If he follows up "The Family That Preys" with another dud AND it's one that showcases Madea...I will be one unhappy brotha

8.    Cadillac Records
It may take a minute to get used to seeing Beyonce being so foul-mouthed.  But it is based on true events so apparently, that's how Etta James really was.  It got knocked for being similar to many other movies about record companies from the old days and the shady dealings that went on.  So what if the story has been told before?  It wasn't done with amazing talents such as Jeffrey Wright and Eamonn Walker.

7.    Cloverfield
It's no surprise that "Quarantine" took a cue from the success of this film.  "Cloverfield" was the first one in the modern era (for American films, at least) to give us a movie shown from the vantage point of people living the experience.  They also picked a most capable character to do it with T.J. Miller as Hud.  It's no wonder he was one of the best parts of the short-lived show "Carpoolers".

6.    Gone Baby Gone

This is the first film on the list that was technically released on 2007 yet still made the list.  As I've said before though, it only counts during the year that I actually saw it.  As you watch it, you keep finding it hard to believe that it was directed by Ben Affleck.  If he can make movies as powerful as this one, maybe that should be his true calling.  And folks can say he was playing favoritism by having his own brother be the star, but when the performance is that compelling then more power to the both of them.  Best scene in the movie:  the very last one.  Nearly gives me chills just thinking about it.

5.    Juno

This was released in select theaters just before the end of the year in 2007.  Of course Des Moines was not fortunate enough to get it until it went into wide release just after the first of the year.  Thanks to that timing, it ended up being the best way to start the year off right for movies.  Did you the screenplay was written by a former stripper?!  That would explain why the Juno (Ellen Page) has such a smart alec mouth for a high schooler.  But the fact of the matter is that several kids of her age group are like that these days.  In more ways than one, which is why "Juno" is so ironically funny.

4.    Burn After Reading

I had mentioned something before when I first saw this trailer that definitely warrants repeating after actually seeing the film.  This version of Brad Pitt is the one that I thought was gone for good once he hooked up with Angelina.  Thankfully for us, that wasn't the case at all.  Maybe he was just waiting for the right script to come along to unleash the quirkiness on us again.  Leave it up to the Coen Brothers to make that possible.  This movie reminds me of a Seinfeld episode gone awry.  That alone seems like an oxymoron, but after you check it out you will see just what I mean.

3.    Iron Man

Out of all the superheroes I used to follow when I was a shortie, this would have been the last one I thought would get his own movie.  Then it turns out it was the one who ended up having one of the best movies.  I also never would have thought that John Favreau, who was known for his comedic roles, would have it in him to make a movie of this caliber.  It certainly helped that he was able to get Robert Downey, Jr. who was absolutely perfect as Tony Stark. 

2.    The Great Debaters

January turned out to be a pretty good month for movies.  That fallout from the late December releases and the ones that genuinely hit theaters that month produced some great flicks and "The Great Debaters" was further proof of that.  Denzel's greatest strength as a director seems to be his ability to find just the right actors for his vehicles.  His crowning achievement with this film is pulling out phenomenal performances from all of the kids who made up the HBCU debaters.  Who would have thought that film with debating as the premise could be so enamoring?  Leave it up to Denzel to make that possible.

1.    The Dark Knight

There's a first for everything.  At one point, it seemed unlikely that a sci-fi/fantasy film could ever be a contender for the Best Picture of the Year Academy Award.  Then along comes "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy to disprove that theory.  Heath Ledger may be able to break down another wall by being the first person from a superhero movie to be nominated for an Oscar.  His chilling performance as the Joker transcended that movie to the point where all his prior work seems inconsequential in comparison.  They might as well have  named the movie "The Joker" because he pretty much carried the film.  Even the great Morgan Freeman had no choice to but to bask in Ledger's shadow.  It's rare that a sequel outshines the original, but that's just what director Christopher Nolan accomplished with "The Dark Knight".  If they were to stop making Batman movies right now, they would already made the perfect swan song.

The Year in Photos 2008

Many of you may remember that this year was abundantly blessed with tons of photos.  Definitely too many to squeeze into just one slideshow.  Therefore, the sequel will be coming before the end of the year, but this is a good way to get it started...

The Year in Websites

Last year, I started my year-end wrap-up lists on December 26th instead of Christmas Day.  I decided to get an early start this time around.  The reason being that I wanted to add one more to the list.  I felt it was only fair that I give a shout out to my favorite websites of 2008.  Some are ones that you commonly know and others not so much.  Please note that all of them are clickable so you can be directed to the site.  I have mentioned all of them in at least some form or fashion throughout the year so I thought I would give them a little more shine...

Honorable mention:    Watch-movies.net
No longer does anyone have to feel guilty about downloading bootleg movies.  Now you can just watch them online at this website.  They have a pretty expansive collection that ranges more than must recent releases.  It was there that I was able to check out "Otis" and other flicks that I had trouble finding in video stores.  Plus, if there is ever a movie that I'm on the fence about, I can watch it there first to see if it's worth spending money on.

10.    MySpace
I know some of you reading this may have this joker a lot higher on your lists, if you had lists.  While it is a good tool to keep in touch with people, it can be a bit much at times.  I got fed up with all the spam I continued to get on there so I don't use it nearly as much.  In fact, the only reason it's even on this list is because of one of the popular Apps they have attached to it known as Mobsters.  I play that game on a regular basis.  However, even that is stating to get old.  And I imagine with the emergence of a couple of other websites on this list, MySpace will be falling by the wayside for me in the near future.

9.    TalulaZoeApple
Even though I have this on the list, I still have yet to figure out where the name came from.  I'm sure I probably read it in one of the posts somewhere and just spaced it off.  You all know how my memory is.  At any rate, this Chi-Town native regularly puts out some pretty good writings about her general observations of news, pop culture and what-have-you.  I've heard that some of her viewpoints make some people uneasy, but you know what?  So do mine so I ain't the least bit mad.  You can't please everybody all the time.

8.  Rantings of a Creole Princess
Her blog is a juggernaut compared to mine.  I think I'm doing good when I have a day of even close to 100 hits.  She probably averages that about every ten minutes.  Her place has a good variety of everything as well.  In addition, she even does quick little posts that will be just one question where it solicits responses from the readers.  It's for that reason that the comments section there can often get even juicier than the blog itself.  I'll probably never crack the inner circle of the Tribe on there, but I'm content with just admiring the content.

7.    The Modest Thoughts of a Jive Sucka
Found this site entirely by random one day.  I just happened to be checking the feature on Typepad where they show their recently updated blogs and this one showed up on the list.  The name was cracking me up so I had to check out the blog itself.  This New England cat seems to be even more into vintage things than I am.  And like my man E, I'm always fascinated with how Andy comes across these arbitrary websites that he will showcase in some of his "Quick Hits" features.

6.     Iowa State University African American Alumni
I was just sitting there the other day wondering whatever happened to some of the brothas and sistas I went to school with.  Especially some of the frat brothers I lost touch with.  Then I got this invite from my former classmate Kraig Gregory.  This networking site is a Facebook facsimile with a more African American focus.  More than that though, it has allowed me to connect with folks that I haven't seen in years. 

5.    Facebook
Mariah is quick to remind me that while I slam MySpace for being too immature, it was Facebook that was initially intended to be for only students.  That may be, but once they opened its parameters, it became a huge networking tool for us older folks.  It is much more scaled back than MySpace and not near as ghetto.  I'm still getting use to all of the features that it has, but I am already a huge fan of the "Status Update" option, being able to comment immediately to other people's statuses and of course, the IM function.  If I rated things like Billboard, this one would be sitting at #5 with a bullet.

4.    Ain't It Cool News
If it wasn't for this place, I wouldn't have known about some of the movies that I review on here.  That's not always necessarily a good thing as I don't see eye to eye on some of their reviews.  Nevertheless, it's thanks to them breaking some of their titles that I am able to slightly broaden my palate.  It does seem like their main writer guy seems to be oddly obsessed with B-movie softcore porn though.  I look past that and use the site to get the lowdown on upcoming theater releases, dvd releases and reviews as well as clarification on Hollywood gossip.

3.    IMDb (The Internet Movie Database)
For a bonafide movie geek like me, this is the closest thing you can get to the movie Bible.  Have you ever wondered how many flicks Samuel Jackson has played in total and what character he was in each and every movie?  And maybe you even wanted to know what year they were released, who directed them and every single one of his co-stars?  IMDb has all that information and then some.  It's a must when I do my reviews because there are often times I can't remember what a character's name was. Or maybe what was that name of that other movie I remember a certain actor from.  Plus, I particularly love their Trivia section they have on several different movies.  How else would I have known a little tidbit like Jack Nicholson was originally considered for the role of Santa that Billy Bob Thornton aced in "Bad Santa"?

2.  CNN
They have done some things in the past that I don't particularly agree with like their somewhat slanted view of Black America in that special they had a while back.  Still, for the most part, their news is right on and they are on breaking news items QUICK.  They added a new feature this past year where they list some of the blogs that link to their news stories and mine has been featured there a few times now.  That helped me get some national exposure on a few different occasions.  Even if it meant saying some unpopular things that ruffled a few feathers.  But hey...if they don't like it, they can always click elsewhere.

1.  Life in the Mind of a Modest Genius
 Now come on...what else did you really think was going to take this spot?  With as much time and effort as I put into this joint, of course it is going to take the top spot.  This is my baby.  It has evolved tremendously over the past 2 1/2 years that I have been running it.  It has afforded me opportunities that I would not have otherwise had.  It has allowed me to make networking contacts that I would have never known existed.  Most importantly, it gives me the chance to get things off my chest thru the therapy of writing.  If I manage to entertain a few people out there in the process then that's even all the better.