Ok, I'm officially now a big fan of The Wire; and yes, that is my main reason for featuring this video, but Wire or not, Tom Waits is a god amongst men and this video is amazing.

So for your enjoyment here's Mr. Waits with Down in the Hole (which, for all those as yet uninitiated, is the theme tune for The Wire):

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Just so you know, South Park started back again last night with a new episode "Tonsil Trouble" where Cartman contracts HIV from a bad tonsil operation.

Because I love you so much you can click below to watch it.



Go here to watch it all in one part or you can watch it in three parts right here

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Bad news first which a lot of you have probably heard is that Terry Pratchett has alzheimers. Actually that wasn't the news because that was announced a few months ago but he's given £1 Million to the research fund to try and find a cure.

The good news is that they've made his first two Discworld novels into a TV movie.



The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic follow Rincewind the (worst) wizard (ever) and Treeflower the (hapless) tourist on a series of misadventures through the disc. They've combined the two books together to make one big TV movie and David Jason and Sean Astin will be playing the leads.

Think of it. Del-Boy. Sam-Wise Gamgee. Together. Its almost as good as Swayze vs Norris.

Its being aired on Sky over Easter.

Teaser trailer


Brief clip with Jeremy Irons cameo:

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Vonnegut (or indeed Sammy Davis) fans might find this article on 10 Zen Monkeys interesting. I'd love to get a hold of the show in question, if anyone has any ideas.

Click for article

Thanks to Fusco for the heads up!

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Having promised this rant I have now decided to deliver albeit several weeks later than any of the other previews of the year that are out there. So here are just a couple of things that you can take for granted are going to suck significant amounts of balls this year.


THE NEW U2 ALBUM

I’m not even 100% sure if they are bringing out a new album but going on the previous pattern of album every four years it seems pretty assured. The trouble is that it will no doubt be as bland as Weetabix without sugar just like the last two have been. Shame really. You show U2 how to use technology and they come out with three albums of funkiness in Achtung Baby, Zooropa and Pop and then when people ignore the latter they decided to do this back-to-basics shit they've been vomiting up since the year 2000.

Anyway towards the end of this year be prepared to hear a high energy rock and roll single with inane lyrics to be played everywhere followed by a slowed down ballady number called “Sometimes you can’t make it get stuck in a moment you can’t get out of” or some such shit.

The ensuing world tour the following summer will however be unmissable as, naysayer or not, there are few live bands better than U2 just for sheer spectacle.

OXEGEN

Put simply:

'Nuff said?

U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS


Finally eight years have gone and we can look forward to many long years without Bush. This will create absolutely no difference for a lot of my friends but bad puns aside we are looking forward to a time of great hope and prosperity. People will throw up their arms and rejoice because world peace has finally come. People of all ethnicities will dance and sing in the street and throw all their differences aside and look ahead to a bright future.

The above fantasy is really what most people on the planet have in their heads regarding the end of Dubya’s reign in the White house. I hate to be the one to drop the Atom bomb of truth on you all but the fact is that the appointment of a new president in the US will make little to no fucking difference as far as world policy is concerned. True, there might be just that little bit less concern about starting wars for oil and the literacy standards might rise somewhat throughout Washington but there hasn’t been a US president yet who hasn’t pissed off people in quite a large way and the damage that was done by Bush will last for some considerable time.

No no my friends, a pessimist I may be but as the mighty Bill Hicks said, the rules of American politics dictate that there be two puppets. One on each of the arms of the same puppet master. I might also remind you that a pessimist is never disappointed. So this Autumn be prepared for a loud unenthusiastic chorus of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss". Unfortunately it will not be preceeded by one of the greatest Rock N' Roll screams of all time (Ref: "Won't get fooled again" by The Who; watch the vid and check out about 7.30 for fucking awesomeness)



SUMMER






See my earlier point about pessimism.



TELEVISION


I’m all for unions, and the members of the WGA, for the most part, have been particularly fucked with the previous deals they’ve had with studios but at the same time I do quite like a few of the shows on TV. What this writers strike has meant is that Heroes is already finished after 11 (poor) episodes. Prison break will only last 13 episodes. 24 Season 7 is indefinitely postponed. Lost will only run for 8 episodes and the worst of all………………Scrubs and Battlestar Galactica may not get the mighty sendings off they deserve as their final seasons will most likely either be seriously shortened or cancelled outright.

Naturally there are other shows affected but these are just the ones that I watch so Desperate Housewives can kiss my ass.

The fact that all the scripts for films released in 2008 have long since been finalised will mean that this year will see the usual batch of movies of varying quality but come 2009 if the strike persists and with absolutely fuck all scripts written it could be a bad bad year for people who give a bollocks about films in general.



EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS



Three reasons why this is a bad thing and all of them contradictory.

1. The fact that it’s on, full stop.
2. Ireland aren’t in it.
3. England aren’t in it.

Now the first two might be self-explanatory. I’m one of those sad fuckers who will only watch sports events if I can cheer for a team that I have a connection with so if Ireland aren't in it I'm not going to transfer my loyalty to Croatia.

You might think it strange that I’m disappointed by the fact that England aren’t part of Euro ’08 but which would you prefer, them not playing at all or them playing and losing terribly to some team that should be far inferior to them considering they invented the fucking game. Would you really deny the whole of Ireland the chance to laugh in unison just like that wonderful day when they played Portugal 20 months ago. I wouldn't and that is why the month of June will be a dull dull month punctuated by a week in Glastonbury, which is something that should really go on a list of Good things in 2008.....

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This car really exposes the gulf between what was 'cool' in the 80s and what's 'cool' now.


Fanboys & techies click here for in-depth comparison between new & old.

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The Jamie Lynn Spears pregnancy fallout begins here: Kids TV network Nickelodeon are working on a show designed to teach sex-ed to kids.

Can't see that going down too well with parents etc.

Click

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Here's the full version of what may just be the coolest ad ever:



Click here if the player isn't working.

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The Mighty Boosh live show is coming to Dublin. Don't get your coat just yet, it's not til September 08.

The Boosh guys are playing three nights in the Olympia (16th-18th) as part of the Bulmers Comedy Festival. This should be hella fun. I haven't seen the live DVD of the last tour yet, but I'll definitly be checking it out now. Tickets are on pre-sale now (you have to be a member of the Boosh Website) and go properly on sale on Monday, priced from 28 euro to 33.60.

Sweet.

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season 5 of the wire starts in America in January (if you don't know what im talking about its in my opinion the best tv show ever)a few promos and prequels have been popping up on youtube.(there more of them on youtube im just gonna post two)
McNulty Season 5 Promo


When Bunk Met McNulty (2000)


also in January see two Wire albums being released the first "...and all the pieces matter" - Five Years of Music From The Wire,is a pick and mix of all the music thats been in the show over the four seasons it includes several takes on the shows theme-- the Tom Waits-penned "Down in the Hole"-- by the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Neville Brothers, and DoMaJe, also on the track listing is Steve Earle, Paul Weller, Solomon Burke, the Pogues, and others, all interspersed with dialogue culled from the show.The booklet for Five Years includes essays from series writer George Pelecanos and hip-hop journalist Jeff Chang, and an interview between the show's creator David Simon and novelist Nick Hornby that originally appeared in The Believer.
The second cd is called Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Club Tracks From The Wire and as the name suggests is club tracks that would not seem out of place in the baltimore clubs.

"...and all the pieces matter."- Five Years of Music from The Wire:

01 "This America, man." (dialogue)
02 The Blind Boys of Alabama: "Way Down in the Hole"
03 "Why would anyone ever wanna leave Baltimore?" (dialogue)
04 Michael Franti & Spearhead: "Oh My God"
05 Rod Lee: "Dance My Pain Away"
06 DJ Technics: "My Life Extra"
07 "The king stay the king." (dialogue)
08 The Neville Brothers: "Way Down in the Hole"
09 "We used to make shit in this country." (dialogue)
10 The Nighthawks: "Sixteen Tons"
11 Lafayette Gilchrist: "Assume the Position"
12 "What the fuck did I do?" (dialogue)
13 Jesse Winchester: "Step by Step"
14 Paul Weller: "I Walk on Gilded Splinters"
15 Solomon Burke: "Fast Train"
16 The Pogues: "The Body of an American"
17 "All the pieces matter." (dialogue)
18 Stelios Kazantzidis: "Efuge Efuge"
19 "Omar comin'!" (dialogue)
20 DoMaJe: "Way Down in the Hole"
21 "If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie."
22 Tyree Colion: "Projects"
23 "Later for that gangsta bullshit." (dialogue)
24 Bossman: "Ayo"
25 Sharpshooters: "Analyze"
26 "Wars end." (dialogue)
27 Masta Ace: "Unfriendly Game [ft. Stricklin]"
28 Ogun: "What You Know About Baltimore [ft. Phathead]"
29 Diablo: "Jail Flick"
30 Mullyman: "The Life, the Hood, the Streetz"
31 "An act of daily journalism." (dialogue)
32 Steve Earle: "I Feel Alright"
33 Tom Waits: "Way Down in the Hole"
34 "You remember that one day summer past?" (dialogue)
35 Blake Leyh: "The Fall"

Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks From the Wire

01 DoMaJe: "Way Down in the Hole"
02 Tyree Colion: "Projects"
03 Rod Lee: "Dance My Pain Away"
04 DJ Technics: "My Life Extra"
05 Ogun: "What You Know About Baltimore [ft. Phathead]"
06 Diablo: "Jail Flick"
07 The Get 'em Mamis: "When You See Us [ft. L. Cash]"
08 Dirty Hartz: "That's Da Sound [ft. Verb]"
09 Bossman: "Ayo"
10 Mullyman: "The Life, the Hood, the Streetz"
11 Lafayette Gilchrist: "Assume the Position"

oh and season 4 is out on dvd this week

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Just saw an episode of this show for the first time and it's rather good. Judging by the people involved that should have been rather obvious- Chris Morris, Noel Feilding, Grahem Lineham etc etc.

What's really odd is that one of the characters struck me as uncannily reminiscent of my friend Egg, both in looks (except Egg is obviously much better looking...) and in sligo accent. I looked up the actor on imdb and- weird Jungian moment- his name is Chris O'Dowd- which is Egg's name! What the hell? OK the spelling is slightly different, but still... strange. Has Egg got a double life acting in a popular sitcom? Maybe, maybe...

Here's a quick Chris Morris-y taster (thanks to Cathy for the heads up):

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The band aren't too impressed with Showtime's new David Duchovny vehicle. Not that they're discerning drama critics or anything, the show has taken the title 'Californication' from the Chili's 1999 album.

This irks Anthony Kiedis. So in great American tradition, he's taking the network to court seeking damages.

I hope he is successful, as he clearly needs the money to buy shirts.

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Just watched the first episode, and glad to report it's as good as anything from the previous two seasons.

You can watch new episodes & clips on the BBC3 website here.

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