Tag / Mad About You

by admin

Prolific Authors – Two Books

It is time once again to take a look at the authors I have read the most, dating back to high school.  This year, I’m once again on pace to set a new record for books read in a year, so I thought it would be nice to take a deeper dive into those books I’ve read through August of this year. Since our last check-in, I’ve read an additional 114 books, so there should be some movement over the past two years.  Without further ado, it’s time to take another look and see if my “favorite” authors have changed much over the years.  We begin today with the 40 authors I’ve read two times, one fewer than two years ago.

Laura Caldwell

I have no idea how I came across the work of this local author, but I must have enjoyed it enough to go back for seconds.  Unfortunately, she passed away in 2020, leaving behind a back catalog of fourteen novels and two non-fiction books.

Michael Chabon

Winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, the most recent of the two works of his I’ve read.  I have another, Wonder Boys, waiting in the to read pile, so he rise up some day.

Matthew V. Clemens

The co-author, with Max Allan Collins, of the final two chapters of the Reeder and Rogers trilogy.

Ready Player Two – Ernest Cline

Ernest Cline

The man responsible for both Ready Player One and Ready Player Two.

Bill Clinton

The former president has co-written two novels with James Patterson.

Michael Connelly

The creator of Harry Bosch makes his first appearance thanks to his Renée Ballard spin-off series.

Laura Dave

I read my second novel from her, The Night We Lost Him, earlier this year.

Felicia Day

The first author here that I’ve happened to meet in person.

Cameron Dokey

She makes the list based on two entries in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.

Warren Ellis

The comic writer, currently in exile after being called out for abusing women, makes the list thanks to two prose novels.

David Fisher Continue reading →

by admin

Prolific Authors – 2 Books

Way back in December of 2011 (and again every other December since), we’ve taken a look at the authors I have read the most, dating back to high school.  This year, since I’ve far surpassed my reading output of any year on record, I thought it would be nice to take a deeper dive into those books I’ve read through October. Since our last check-in, I’ve read an additional 118 books, so there could be some movement over the past two years, but it’s time to take another look and see if my “favorite” authors have changed much in that time span.  Today, we start things off with the now 41 authors I’ve read twice, an increase of six over two years ago.

Max Barry

An Australian author, I’ve enjoyed the two novels of his I’ve read, Jennifer Government and Company.

Laura Caldwell

I have no idea how I came across the work of this local author, but I must have enjoyed it enough to go back for seconds.  Unfortunately, she passed away in 2020.

Michael Chabon

Winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, the most recent of the two works of his I’ve read.  I have another, Wonder Boys, waiting in the to read pile, so he rise up some day.

Fate Of The Union – Max Allan Collins with Matthew V. Clemens

Matthew V. Clemens

The co-author, with Max Allan Collins, of the final two chapters of the Reeder and Rogers trilogy.

Ernest Cline

The man responsible for both Ready Player One and Ready Player Two.

Bill Clinton

The former president has co-written two novels with James Patterson.

Felicia Day

The first author here that I’ve happened to meet in person.

Cameron Dokey

She makes the list based on two entries in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.

Diane Duane

Living in Ireland, she is responsible for a Star Trek: The Next Generation book and a Spider-Man novel, of all things.

Warren Ellis

The comic writer, currently in exile after being called out for abusing women, makes the list thanks to two prose novels.

David Fisher Continue reading →

by admin

Top 200 Albums: #11 – 20

itunes_imageWe last counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library four years ago. Since that time, the world has literally changed, and my commute has decreased from 1+ hours each way to 25 steps. So, despite the decrease in potential listening time, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through the morning of January 1, 2022.

It is our penultimate look at the albums I have listened to the most over the last 15 years. including three compilations, two comedy albums, two greatest hits collections, and a bootleg live performance.

#20: AC/DC – The Razors Edge
iTunes stats: 283 plays
Previous Ranking: 12

An eight-spot drop in the rankings, most likely thanks to a pandemic-shortened 2020 baseball season without crowds and the subsequent lack of playing my White Sox playlists.

#19: Various Artists – TV’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 7: Cable Ready
iTunes stats: 289 plays
Previous Ranking: 16

A 98-play increase for this collection of TV theme songs from shows like Mad About You, Saved By The Bell, and Blossom, among others.

#17: The Monkees – The Monkees Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 292 plays
Previous Ranking: 18

19 different tracks from the made-for-TV band, which is now down to just Mickey Dolenz following Michael Nesmith’s December death, saw a nearly 65% increase in listens over the past four years.

#17: Patton Oswalt– Feelin’ Kinda Patton
iTunes stats: 292 plays
Previous Ranking: 20

The first comedy album from Patton Oswalt sees an impressive 73% increase, which would be significantly higher if I were to ever sync my old iPhone 4s again.

#16: Elvis Presley – Elv1s 30 #1 Hits
iTunes stats: 312 plays
Previous Ranking: 15

This greatest hits package from the King of Rock & Roll uses 14 tracks to add an additional 119 listens over the past four years.

Continue reading →

by admin

2021: The Year In Television

Now that I am home full time, I have plenty of time to catch up on the streaming shows I may have missed in years past or that were newly released. Since we cover the network and cable shows that I watch elsewhere, let’s take a look at the 34 seasons of the 24 shows I streamed on 8 different platforms this year.

13 Reasons Why Seasons 1-2 (Netflix)
When a high school girl commits suicide, she sends a series of confessional tapes to the people she deems responsible.

The Blacklist Season 8 (Netflix)
Having missed an episode or two along the way, I had to wait for the season to hit Netflix to combine with what was on my DVR to come up to date as the story of Elizabeth Keen wraps up.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 4 (Netflix)
The final installment of the darker interpretation of Archie Comics character somehow found a way to crossover with the 90s ABC version before ending its run.

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol (Peacock)
A very unfaithful adaptation of the novel which I probably should not have watched right after reading the book.

Devs (Hulu)
A woman keeps digging into the death of her boyfriend, running afoul of his employer, who is up to some sketchy stuff.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+)
Burdened by the legacy of Captain America, both the Falcon and the Winter Soldier try to find their way in a post-blip world.  When the government’s replacement Cap goes bad, the Falcon finally decides he is ready to take on the legacy Steve Rogers left for him.

The Flash Season 7 (Netflix)
I used a combination of Netflix and my DVR to catch up on the goings on from last season.

Hawkeye (Disney+)
Hawkeye takes on a new apprentice when the re-emergence of his old Ronin costume causes an uprising in New York’s underworld.

The History of Swear Words (Netflix)
Nicholas Cage hosts this look at some of our culture’s favorite words, including their etymology and most popular uses.

Loki Season 1 (Disney+)
Loki teams up with many different versions of himself to find out who is behind the TVA.

Love Life Season 1 (HBO Max)
An anthology series that follows one person’s romantic history per season.  The first season focused on Anna Kendrick’s Darby Carter as she learns to love herself and let herself be loved.

Mad About You Season 8 (Amazon Prime)
The 12-episode revival, released in 2019 on something called Spectrum Originals, finds the Buchmans rediscovering themselves after their daughter leaves for college.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation Season 1 (Netflix)
I wasn’t originally planning on watching Kevin Smith’s revival of the old He-Man cartoons, but when fandom acted all butthurt by them, I needed to see what the fuss was all about. Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 200: #125

itunes_image4 years ago, we last counted down the Top 200 songs in my iTunes library. Since my iTunes stats are still intact, across multiple PCs, iPods, iPads, and iPhones, I figured it was time to take another look at my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2020.

Today, we continue on with the next group of songs tied for 125th place with 32 listens since my iTunes stats began in late 2007.

#125: Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
iTunes stats: 32 plays, most recently on 9/30/2019
Previous ranking: #167

The track peaked at number two on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 and appeared on Volume 14 of my mix tapes.

#125: Tommy James & The Shondells – Crimson and Clover
iTunes stats: 32 plays, most recently on 11/5/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

An impressive debut for the song that hit #1 on the charts in February 1969.

#125: Andrew Gold – Final Frontier (TV Theme)
iTunes stats: 32 plays, most recently on 6/26/2019
Previous ranking: #96

The theme song from Mad About You, the mid-90s NBC hit about the Buchman clan that recently returned for a new run on some streaming platform nobody has ever heard of.

#125: Saved By The Bell Theme
iTunes stats: 32 plays, most recently on 4/4/2019
Previous ranking: #56

A big drop for the theme song from NBC’s Saturday morning staple.

#125: Snoop Dogg – Who Am I (What’s My Name)?
iTunes stats: 32 plays, most recently on 9/13/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

An impressive debut for the solo debut from Snoop, the 62nd biggest single of 1994 and member of Volume 11 of my mix tapes.

#125: Motley Crue – Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Continue reading →

by admin

Top 200 Albums – #11 – 20

itunes_imageNearly 4 years ago, we first counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2018.

The penultimate grouping has the nearly final batch of 10 albums, ranked between #11 and 20, including 3 compilations, 2 comedy albums, 2 studio albums, 2 greatest hits package, and, finally, 1 bootleg live performance.

#20: Patton Oswalt – Feelin’ Kinda Patton
iTunes stats: 169 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

This total for Patton Oswalt’s standup set would be significantly higher if I were to ever sync my old iPhone 4s again.

#19: Garfunkel and Oates – All Over Your Face
iTunes stats: 170 plays
Previous Ranking: 27

10 tunes from the musical comedy duo contribute to this total.

#18: The Monkees – The Monkees Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 177 plays
Previous Ranking: 14

19 different tracks from the made-for-TV band make up this total.

#17: Garbage – One Mile High… Live
iTunes stats: 184 plays
Previous Ranking: 63

The audio rip of the band’s live video release makes the list thanks to 21 different tracks.

#16: Various Artists – TV’s Hits Vol. 7: Cable Ready
iTunes stats: 191 plays
Previous Ranking: 12

This collection of TV theme songs, mostly from the early to mid 90s, uses 13 different tunes, from shows like Mad About You, Saved By The Bell, and Blossom.

Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 200: #96 – 118

itunes_image3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 songs in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2016.

Today, we finish off the final grouping of songs tied for 118th place with 19 plays apiece and start the first group of songs tied for 96th place with 20 plays since late 2007.

#118: The Beatles – Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 12/16/2015
Previous ranking: #96

Recorded for the White Album in 1968, the song didn’t chart in the US until 1976.

#118: Afroman – Because I Got High
iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 9/7/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

A goofy song picked up off the scrap heap by Kevin Smith for inclusion on the Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack.

#118: Aerosmith – Crazy
iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 9/27/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

The third and final entry of the band’s Alicia Silverstone video trilogy, also featuring a teenage Liv Tyler.

#96: 10,000 Maniacs – These Are Days
iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 11/6/2015
Previous ranking: #76

The song hit number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in November 1992.

#96: Young MC – Bust A Move
iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 11/23/2013
Previous ranking: #70

This Grammy winning hit also appeared on Volume 1 of my mix tapes.

#96: Van Halen – Jump
Continue reading →

by admin

Top 200 Albums – #11 – 20

itunes_imageMy latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 iPhones, and an iPad later, that computer is still my main repository of music, with iTunes updating its stats every time I listen to something.

Having already gone through cassette tapes and CDs, and digital music, it’s time to roll everything up with the Top 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today we near the end of the list and look at the bottom half of the top 20 albums, breaking the 100 listen mark.

#11: Garbage – Absolute Garbage
iTunes stats: 123 plays
The greatest hits package from Garbage uses 17 songs to make up this total.

#12: Various Artists – TV’s Hits Vol. 7: Cable Ready
iTunes stats: 119 plays
This collection of TV theme songs, mostly from the early to mid 90s, uses 13 different tunes, from shows like Mad About You. Saved By The Bell, and Blossom.

#13: Patton Oswalt – Werewolves And Lollipops
iTunes stats: 114 plays
This total for Patton Oswalt’s standup set would be significantly higher if I were to sync my old phone again.

#14: The Monkees – The Monkees Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 110 plays
19 different tracks from the made-for-TV band make up this total.

#14: Journey – Journey’s Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 110 plays
4 different tunes make up this total, although 1 of them contributes 106 of the listens.

#16: Queen – Queen: Greatest Hits I & II
Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 100: #96 – 118

itunes_image

My latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop.  2 iPods, 2 iPhones, and an iPad later, that computer is still my main repository of music, with iTunes updating its stats every time I listen to something.

Having already gone through cassette tapes and CDs, it is now time to look at digital music with the Top 100 songs that I’ve listened to as of 6/2/2013, according to iTunes.  Today we look at the 23 songs tied for #96 with 15 overall plays.

#96: Aerosmith – Dude (Looks Like A Lady)

This 1987 hit from Aerosmith also appeared on Volume 2 of my mix tapes, and has been listened to twice since then.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 7/25/2012

#96: The Beatles – Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Recorded for the White Album in 1968, the song didn’t chart in the US until 1976.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 4/27/2013

#96: The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night

From 1964, the song is the title track to both the album and the movie.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 4/27/2013

#96: Bloodhound Gang – Bad Touch

Ranked at No. 49 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever released in 2010 by AOL Radio.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 3/19/2013

#96: The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer – The Parking Ticket

Writer and producer Marti Noxon protests a parking ticket through song from the musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 11/1/2012

#96: Coolio featuring LV – Gangsta’s Paradise

This 1995 hit from Coolio also appeared on Volume 19 of my mix tapes, and has been listened to four times since then.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 5/31/2013

#96: Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance

This 1990 smash climbed all the way to #11 on the pop charts, #7 on the R&B charts, and #1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 4/27/2013

#96: Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin’

This 1995 hit from the Friday soundtrack also appeared on Volume 17 of my mix tapes, and has been listened to three times since then.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 3/13/2013

#96: Dr. Dre – Forgot About Dre

Winner of the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2001 Grammy Awards.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 10/8/2012

#96: Elvis Presley – An American Trilogy

A medley of three 19th century songs: Dixie, a blackface minstrel song that became the unofficial anthem of the Confederacy since the Civil War; All My Trials, originally a Bahamian lullaby, but closely related to African American spirituals; and The Battle Hymn of the Republic, the marching song of the Union Army during the Civil War.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 5/8/2013

#96: Foo Fighters – Best Of You

This live version was recorded over the course of three shows in late August, 2006 at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 6/11/2012

#96: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – Big Girls Don’t Cry

Spent 5 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1962.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 3/25/2012

Continue reading →

by admin

Friday’s Tunes

Between the commute to work, a lunch time trip to Best Buy to pick up some essential office supplies, CD burning, and the commute home with a stop off at the Weber Grill for dinner, I spent a lot of time in the car on Friday listening to music. Here’s the selection that helped get me through the day.

Hash Pipe Weezer Weezer (Green Album) 11/9/2012 6:52 AM
Time Bomb Rancid …And Out Come The Wolves 11/9/2012 6:54 AM
Help! The Beatles Help! [2009 Stereo Remaster] 11/9/2012 6:57 AM
The Mustard The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Once More, With Feeling 11/9/2012 6:58 AM
REALLY Silly Religious Crazies. I Mean, Double, Triple Crazy!! David Cross Bigger and Blackerer 11/9/2012 11:39 AM
If I Had $1000000 Barenaked Ladies All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001 11/9/2012 11:44 AM
Page Off Intro / Theme From 30 Rock / Kenneth Chokes Jeff Richmond 30 Rock Original TV Soundtrack 11/9/2012 11:44 AM
Continue reading →