Paul McCartney doesn't have to release new music. He's set for life and can sell out stadiums forever with a back catalogue of The Beatles, Wings, & countless solo work.Which makes the fact that he can still release such a fantastic new song capable of standing with his best music all the more impressive. He clearly put forth a good effort in crafting his newest gem.
His new song, titled 'New', sounds like something that could fit on a Beatles album. Take 'Got To Get You Into My Life', mix in some 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da', add a dash of 'Penny Lane' and you get 'New'. If you aren't in a happy mood while listening to this song, then I'm not sure what will put you in that magical place. Listen to it in the video below.
The song is is off his upcoming album, also titled 'New', which is out October 14th [UK] and October 15 [USA]. If this track is any indication, the album should continue the impressive streak of recent McCartney albums that have all been well received since 'Flaming Pie' in 1997.
Mtv held its annual Video Music Awards (VMA's), because they haven't started giving them out to Teen Moms yet. During a performance of "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus basically had sex with a foam finger on stage after twerking against Thicke (dressed like Beetlejuice), and subsequently killed the sports stadium tradition for children around the world.
If you missed it, you may be in luck, as anyone watching this catastrophic event needs to go out and get checked for crabs. Why couldn't she defile a Vuvuzela instead? Those are way more annoying than foam fingers, i'd rather those be burnt for all eternity than the foam finger. Oh, she also humped a giant Teddy Bear before that performing her own song. After watching her with the Foam Finger, you almost forget about that part, which is saying something. Though I'm still wondering whether its real or if Al Qaeda dropped acid into our water supply and we imagined it all.
Some other "highlights":
-Lil Kim morphed into LaToya Jackson.
-Jared Leto somehow compared Kanye West to Jimi Hendrix, which led me to change the channel in protest. Comparing them is like comparing getting those aforementioned crabs to getting a billion dollars. There is none.
-Justin Timberlake and Nsync performed together, minus the "sun in" bleached 1998 hair. It was the worst kept secret of the summer.
-Will Smith and his kids Jaden & Willow were just as confused as the rest of us during Miley's performance, which was a far cry from the "Carlton Dance".
Orange is the new black, and former Daredevil Ben Affleck is the new Batman (or Batfleck). 'The Dark Knight Rises' just came out 13 months ago, but Warner Bros. has already found a new Bruce Wayne/Batman to follow Christian Bale. He'll be joining the follow up to 'Man of Steel' which starred Henry Cavill as Superman, a Batman/Superman film which is on schedule to come out in 2015. No word on plot details or any other characters. I'm hoping for a scene where Batman yells "Argo fuck yourself!" at Superman. Doubtful on that happening though. The Internet has been set ablaze since the news, and for some reason many have voiced displeasure...even though the movie hasn't even started filming yet. Geeze people, give Ben a chance.
Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy drew rave reviews as it sent these famous characters into a realistic setting following the the more fantasy based Batman films of the 1990s. You also have to wonder whether they will soon look to showcase some other recently portrayed Batman characters, like the Joker & Catwoman, which had stand out performances by the late Heath Ledger & Anne Hathaway. It might be a gamble to try and re-create them so soon after two of the biggest movies of all time. Of course they may wait to bring in those characters for a singular Batman film starring Affleck, which is probably on the horizon as well. Another option would be to use characters that weren't in the Nolan films. It would be hard to resist the two most popular ones (Joker & Catwoman) though.
Affleck previously played Daredevil in 2003, which got mixed reviews. The movie gets an unfair bad rap though, especially if you watch the Director's Cut, which featured an entire subplot cut from the film and an R-rating. Jennifer Garner also kicked some major ass as Elektra.
ESPN films finally tackled "The '99ers" with their Nine for IX/30 for 30 documentary series, and it was a glorious presentation featuring behind the scenes footage from the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup thanks to Julie Foudy and her trusty camera that she took around to document the history making event. Eight members of the team also got together at the Rose Bowl (site of the famous final), looking back and giving charming, funny and serious stories about their experience at the tournament.
They captivated the nation thanks not only to their skill, but they were like the girls next door, with personalities as big as the stadiums they filled. The footage shown in the excellent documentary gave even more proof of that, while showcasing how they won the United States' last World Cup as a team. Mia Hamm was the face, with Brandi Chastain, Michelle Akers, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy, Carla Overbeck & Briana Scurry all making names for themselves as well. However, the whole team contributed to make the summer of 1999 a special one in our history. None of those players even scored in the USA's 3-0 victory against North Korea (goals came from Tisha Venturini & Shannon MacMillan). You could see these players were incredibly united, and it rubbed off on the nation as a whole.
I'll always remember being glued to the TV for it. The final against China was a nail-biter as expected, in front of over 90,000 people at the Rose Bowl, with an estimated 40 million watching on TV. In "The '99ers", Chastain explained that she took the game winning penalty kick with her less preferred left foot in addition to not realizing that she was the fifth kicker until before going up. The tournament elevated the Women's World Cup & Olympics to events that fill large stadiums and garner the attention of millions to this day. If you didn't watch "The '99ers" on ESPN, be sure to look for a replay and reminisce on that magical summer.
In the late 80s and 90s, women's soccer was dominated by China, USA, Norway, Germany, Brazil & Sweden. Since then we've seen the additions of Japan, France, Canada, England, North Korea & Australia to that list, which is still growing as more nations want to boost their programs. When the 2015 Women's World Cup rolls around, I wouldn't be surprised if Netherlands, South Korea, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Mexico or Iceland make the leap. Much of that can be contributed to the massive success of 1999.
Watch a great recap of the 1999 Women's World Cup:
I'm surprised people are still saying the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics are being held in Russia, because from now on I'm going to be calling it the Soviet Union. It feels as if they've slowly turned back into the Soviet Union, led by an oppressive government and a dictator/former KGB officer named Vladimir Putin that seeks to deny people rights simply for being born different. I'm surprised they haven't opened up concentration camps for gays yet. Though who knows, that could be on the horizon from Comrade Putin and his cronies. People who think gays "choose" to be gay are both mental and stupid. The Russian Government fits the bill, seeking to snuff out any gay Russians who would dare come out. Lady Gaga recently lashed out at the Russian government, for seeking to ban her under their "anti-gay propaganda" stance. That is a law they enacted after artists like her started expressing support for gay rights on Russian soil at concerts.
We all know what happened to Pussy Riot (the female Russian punk rock band, jailed on "hooliganism" charges) when they dared to do something their government didn't like. They were jailed for going to an Russian Orthodox Church and performing an anti-Putin song to protest. Wait...I thought communism was gone? Guess again, its just in a shiny new package. And yes, "hooliganism" and "blasphemy" are both things you can be jailed for in Russia. In 2013.
Yet Russia, aka the Soviet Union 2.0, is supposed to be opening their arms to the world with the Winter Olympics. Fat chance of that happening. Boycotting would be pointless, it is far better to go there and make some noise. Some people say you shouldn't get political at a sporting event. However, the Russian government is doing exactly that by trying to push their ignorant laws on athletes and fans. USA runner Nick Symmonds dedicated his silver medal to gay friends, right on Russian soil. Emma Green Tregaro, a Swedish high jumper, painted her nails rainbow colors and was then sadly forced to paint over them by the IAAF.
Keep up the protests everyone. It should be interesting to see what goes on when the big stage of the Sochi 2014 Olympics rolls around.
'Homeland' returns with the highly anticipated Season Three premiere on September 29th, and Showtime has released the official trailer! It starts with a scene from the end of Season Two with Brody (Damian Lewis) & Carrie (Claire Danes) going their separate ways before taking us into a look at the upcoming season.
We see interspersed scenes that give a hint at the action, but not many spoilers. We know Carrie and Saul (Mandy Patinkin) are going to be questioned about what happened with the bombing in Season Two, as we see in the clip. Brody also seems to have gotten himself in yet another predicament, being captured yet again. And they shaved his head this time. Can't he ever just enjoy a quiet night alone? Carrie was spotted in a hospital gown, because it wouldn't be a season of 'Homeland' without two things: 1. Carrie in a hospital at some point and 2. Carrie having an epic crying scene, which we also see.
Brody's daughter Dana (Morgan Saylor) up to no good seemingly taking a nude cell phone pic, and then looking like she might be doing a Muslim prayer. Those two things clearly don't mesh well...poor girl doesn't know what to do. Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend) is shown looking as serious as ever, building a bomb and carrying a gun. Just like Brody needs a quiet night, Quinn really needs some laughter in his life.
This video has to be seen to be believed. An unknown woman was caught stealing rhubarbs from under a fence, and then confronted by the lady who owns the rhubarbs that grew under her fence. She also has a voice that can only be described as a cross between Roz from Disney/Pixar's "Monsters Inc." and Linda Blair while she was possessed in "The Exorcist". Crazy Rhubarb Lady's response while confronted? "This is alley property bitch!" She also took a shot at the "pigs who stole her lawn mower". I love that as she keeps cursing and arguing, she goes about continuing to pick the rhubarbs. Enjoy!
If you want to feel awkward and confused, all you have to do is watch this Amanda Bynes interview on Rachael Ray from 2007. Ray talks about how normal Bynes is at various points in the interview. What happened?
After finally getting some (forced) help for starting a fire in someones driveway and then running through the streets to a liquor store to wash gasoline off her poor little dog (which has hopefully been given to her parents), police placed her in a mental institution where she is now getting extended help. Her mom is seeking conservatorship, which she should get. We all remember the infamous Britney Spears meltdown of 2007 when she attacked a car with an umbrella after shaving her head. She seems on a better path now since getting help.
It's clear what happened to Bynes isn't just someone wanting to drink and party and act stupid, she has a real issue that may be helped by being in a hospital. Hopefully it helps other people with problems as well to realize they can get help also.
