I had grand plans to do a post a day about my favorite 2007 things starting about 2 weeks ago but life got in the way. It's hard to write when grandma's in town and a Felicia returns and you're stuffing your face all the daggone time.

So, here's what I would've gone into more depth about.

Best Albums of 2007

1. Untrue - Burial (Yeah, it creeped on up)
2. Play With The Changes - 4Hero
3. Version - Mark Ronson
4. The Reminder - Feist
5. American Gangster - Jay-Z
6. Kala - M.I.A.
7. Our Earthly Pleasures - Maximo Park
8. Koop Islands - Koop
9. Writer's Block - Peter, Bjorn & John
10. Ear Drum - Talib Kweli
11. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
12. Introducing... - Joss Stone
13. Under The Black Light - Rilo Kiley
14. The Fragile Army - The Polyphonic Spree
15. The Undisputed Truth - Brother Ali
16. Desire - Pharoahe Monch
17. The Weatherman LP - Evidence
18. Those Things - Miguel Migs
19. Proof of Youth - The Go! Team
20. Volta - Bjork

Best Record Label of 2007 - The Numero Group

Best Hip-Hop Album of 2007 that you probably don't have

Below the Heavens

Blu & Exile

Best Albums of 2007 that didn't come out in 2007

1. Bees + Things + Flowers - Incognito
2. Keep Reachin' Up - Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators
   
3. The Only Thing I Ever Wanted - Psapp
4. Set Yourself On Fire - Stars
5. Best Kept Secrets: The Best of Lam 1996-2004 - Lamb

Best Songs of 2007 (based on actual spins)

1. Innocence - Bjork
2. Black Mirror - Arcade Fire
3. Unlike Me - Kate Havnevik
4. Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) (featuring Outkast) - UGK
5. Give It To Me (f/ Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake) - Timbaland
6. The Show - Talib Kweli & Madlib
7. Don't Act (F/ Freeway) - Skillz
8. I Still Love H.E.R. - Kanye West
9. Ancient Curse - Peter, Bjorn & John
10. Lookin' At Me Sideways - Brother Ali

1. Innocence - Bjork
2. Paper Planes - M.I.A.
   
3. Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) (featuring Outkast) - UGK
4. I'm A Flirt (Remix ft. T.I & T-Pain) - R.Kelly
5. He Can Only Hold Her - Amy Winehouse
6. 1 2 3 4 - Feist
7. Champion - Kanye West
8. Young Folks - Peter, Bjorn & John
9. Look Inside - 4Hero
10. Roc Boys (And The Winner Is...) - Jay-Z
    

Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction

1. Michael Clayton
2. Ratatouille
3. No Country For Old Men
4. Superbad
5. Lars and The Real Girl

1. The Heart of the Game
2. Who Killed The Electric Car?
3. Dixie Chicks: Shut Up & Sing
4. An Unreasonable Man

Best Read of 2007 - The Race Beat: The Press, The Civil Rights Struggle, and The Awakening of a Nation

Best Website of 2007 - Last.fm

Best Website of 2007 to hate to sorta like - Facebook

Best Blog Podcast Vlog Content Site of 2007 - Undercover Black Man

Best New (to me) Content Site of 2007 - Away with Words

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With the first of my Summer series premiering this week -- So You Think You Can Dance -- and being in this weird in-between time on television where the departing Heroes and LOST may find my Tivo Top Ten looking incredibly odd (The Sopranos may be battling Celebrity Fit Club for the #1 slot), I'm curious: What are you going to be watching this Summer?

(I'm also curious about how I will justify to myself the use of so many grammar gimmicks in that opening sentence but since I'm getting all parenthetical right now, obviously, I'm going with it.)

So, of course, The Closer returns soon and, despite my frustrations with last season, I'll be back on board with The 4400 but when The Sopranos, The Shield and Entourage start wrapping up in June, what else is there?

And, sure, this is a great opportunity to turn off the telly and focus on learning how to DJ or what neighborhood I might choose in San Francisco or get to the bulk of the work in writing my family history (and I will be doing those things) but, come on, I'm a proud TV Junkie.

I sleep with the Squawk Box on so pony up and give me your Summer Must-See-TV.

Thanks.

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In my continuing series of posts about television that allow me to invest emotionally in fantasy realms instead of deal with my current real world sturm und drang, I just have one thing to say about Grey's Anatomy:

While I would never advocate or support violence against anyone, I really wanted George to slap Izzy across the face with a white dueling glove during her terribly obnoxious speech in which she totally bashed his brand new marriage and his awesome wife. In the immortal words of Whitney Houston, "Izzy Stephens...kissmyass!"

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I usually wait two or three days before posting about TV shows to give the slow-movers time to catch up but since I seem to need to write today and I was supposed to be on a plane tonight instead of waiting for Grey's Anatomy to get sucked into the Tivo, I'm not waiting.

This week, Lost attempts to explain Desmond's premonitions without actually explaining it. I don't believe Desmond turned the key and went back in time. I believe he was concussed and had a seriously deep dream. The clues: we get the countdown beep from the microwave, the numbers are repeated, phrases are repeated, the song playing on the jukebox is the same song that was playing when we first met Desmond in the hatch, the jeweler's name is Ms. Hawking as in Stephen Hawking as in the author of "A Brief History of Time" (a book that was also featured in last week's episode), he's aware that things aren't quite right, the sequence is treated like our standard show flashbacks but it is the first flashback when elements of the Island are presented in "the real world".

And, it still doesn't explain why he woke wearing no clothes and well above ground of the exploded hatch or how and when he sees these flashes of the future.

Lost is currently exploring the concept of Time on the Island. The Lost Time anagram for Mittelos Science last week is an example as is the knowledge that Juliet and Desmond have been on the Island for approximately the same time, and so on and so forth. They just haven't gone at it head on. I still get the feeling that the show is too busy winking at the audience obsessives to actually move the plot along.

Also, does everyone have to have Daddy issues? Shannon and Boone had Mommy issues but they are both dead so what does that say? Fathers may piss you off but mothers kill you? Ugh.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Desmond episodes and anytime Charlie gets his ass kicked is a plus in my book but, sigh, give me something juicy or appropriately mysterious. Nothing in these first two episodes has been overly compelling.

At least those two new kids whose names I can't remember didn't show up to the drinking party.

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Short-Term Memory Loss.

As Anna and I discussed on the phone tonight and as wikipedia confirms...

Mohinder is spooked by Bennet in the first episodes of the series but can't be bothered to remember him when Bennet returns later in the season. Mohinder knows Sylar is out there killing those with powers but takes everyone with powers he meets at face value including the incredibly creepy "Zane". His father and Eden have both been murdered, his apartment has been tapped, and he's found a serial killer's apartment that has been mysteriously cleaned after he visits it, yet he seems to care very little for his own safety.

Dumbest Scientist Ever.

Update: And speaking of "Zane" why did Sylar feel the need to put on the Ramones tee? And does that mean that Zane was bloody and shirtless in the kitchen? I'm pretty sure that tea he made the dumbest scientist ever wasn't very hygenic.

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Video: Show us a clip from your current favorite TV show.

the office- E02 Diversity Day- 3 of 3

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After three months off the air, the much ballyhooed return of "Lost" logged a lousy 14.5 million viewers, the smallest audience ever for an original episode.

It's a shame, really, because it was one of the better episodes this season and addressed a lot of the general issues I have with the show of late. So, let's do the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good: more "Deadwood" stunt casting (Juliet's sister). "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" stunt casting (The guard that fell for the Wookie trick). Characters asking the right questions. Characters making smart decisions. Alex (we need more Alex). Sawyer kicking Danny's ass. Kate being as determined as Juliet was. Tom trying for small talk with Jack. Juliet's little skip in her step (or cock in her walk, if you will) as she bounded out of the surgery room in the final scene. And, the Parralax View-esque re-programming chamber Karl was in.

The Bad: While I chuckled at "underdog" and "Cheech," Sawyer's shtick is getting old and feels forced. Juliet being Dr. Burke while Jack is Dr. Shepard. There are only so many times you can wink at the audience. Mittelos (Lost time) science. That's a little too on the nose for me. Learning more about The Others de-mystifies the Island a bit and breaks a lot of the mythology of the show and I'm not sure I like that.

The Ugly: Dues ex machina. Say Bus. See Bus. Get hit by Bus. Blech. Whatevs. Okay, Final Destination and every freakin' show with any semblance of an effects budget. Let's officially retire that as a non-shlocky on-screen death. And, most ugly, I didn't leave this episode with new questions or any truly intriguing revelations. I'm not clamoring to know more like I once was.

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Lincolnheights

It's just the teaser site, we'll have a full launch in a couple weeks but you can get a feel for the show - the grittiest show abc family has ever run and it features a predominantly black cast.

In another case of "it's a small world, after all" - this is the show my sister very nearly got cast in (as Cassie) the summer before her freshman year at NYU and just about a year before I started producing the site.

The Toney family is nothing if not synergistic.

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Moving up:

With Lost going on winter hiatus, Heroes moves into the Top 5. And to think I was really bored with the first episode. Also on the move? Veronica Mars is up to #8 and Breaking Bonaduce is #9, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and the Saturday repeats have moved back into the top 10.

Moved on Out:

The Nine. I wanted to love it. I really did. I'm still curious about what happened in the bank but the PTSD drama of the characters after the hostage situation is just really, really boring.

Nip/Tuck. Two weeks with no interest in watching your episodes and you gotta go.

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Books, movies, music; what's in your top 5 right now?

Stakes Is High

according to last.fm:

1. De La Soul - Stakes is High
2. Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio
3. Dilated Peoples - 20/20
4. Pharrell - In My Mind
5. The Futureheads - News and Tributes

Theprestige

according to allconsuming & netflix:

1. The Prestige
2. Coffy
3. Layer Cake
4. The Devil's Playground

Ep44_thewire

according to tivo

1. The Wire
2. Battlestar Galactica
3. Lost
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. The Office
   

according to allconsuming & amazon.com:

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence

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