Agents of Shield S7 E4, E5, E6, E7

Spoilers

“Out of the Past”

“A Trout in the Milk”

“Adapt or Die”

“The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D”

This continues to be my favorite season so far, and the show has been taking some gigantic swings.

How about a whole black and white, noir episode? Coulson with the monologue over the scenes (which is an internal monologue), the cool mystery and the saving of Sousa, sort of.

Daniel Sousa was supposed to die in 1955 after he delivered an object to Howard Stark. Coulson said that he was a hero and that he was taught in SHIELD history. The team decided to save Sousa, fake his death (by using Coulson) and bring him with them in the Zephyr.

All in black and white.

Turned out, the black and white came from a malfunction of the Coulson LMD.

The next episode was into the 1970s and the show had a seventies style opening theme, with voice over introducing the cast.

It was clear that the writers had a freedom to come up with remarkable situations over the time stream and that they were having a hoot. There is drama, comedic moments and some great action.

Mack goes through a lot as his parents are killed and replaced by Chronicoms. He gets left behind with Deke in 1982. He spends a year mourning in isolation as Deke tries unsuccessfully to help him. Deke created a cover band…as a cover. The Deke Squad was his covert Shield group filled with weirdos and losers. Deke shows some real character development during these episodes and Jeff Ward is just remarkably funny. His dialogue is some of the series’ best.

Coulson destroyed his body in an explosion that killed the Chronicoms. Coulson wound up a Max Headroom-type character in 1983 with Deke.

Sousa and Daisy are growing closer as Daisy was getting tortured and experimented on by Nathanial Malick, who wanted Daisy’s powers transferred to him. He was able to do it, but he could not handle the new power.

It was awesome to have General Rick Stoner, played by Patrick Warburton, in his real body in the 1970s. Warburton played Stoner as a hologram when the Lighthouse closed up a few seasons ago. That hologram was based on a past Shield executive, and now we got to meet him.

Again though, Shield and the Chronicoms were playing havoc with the Sacred Timeline and I wonder what the TVA was doing.

Agents of Shield S6 E11, E12, E13

Spoilers

“From the Ashes”

“The Sign”

“New Life”

The shorter season six finished off with some awesome action and a bunch of subverting of expectations.

The main expectation that is subverted is something that they teased throughout the season. The fact that Sarge was created as part of Coulson made everyone think that he would turn out to be saved by the team and we would get Coulson back yet again.

However, he turned out to be the villain after all.

I talked about Deke’s hero moment in the last block of episodes, and he has one here as well. He does disappoint his grandparents (Fitz & Simmons) with some of his motives, or at least they way the way they saw it. I loved how Mack appreciated him, he thanked Agent Shaw, for the sort of rescue. Deke is a great character with a lot of contradiction within him. He is one to show silliness on the outside, only to hide the pain inside.

The end episode sets up season 7 big time, including the time travel aspect, the Hunters chasing them, and LMD Coulson. It was an intriguing choice to do it this way and not just use Sarge, which would have been an easy choice. I like how they kept the character of Sarge in the manner in which he was.

Thinking back, whatever happened to Flint? They created him with the Monoliths and then had Piper take him to get help for his broken leg, but we never see him again and they head back into the past right away. We also never see them rescue Benson from the pod that he was dropped in. I do not recall if these are threads that are picked up again in season seven or if these are just dangling threads never to be considered again.

I do think this was a strong season, but the final few episodes felt a little messy. There were still solid results from them and I love the set up for season 7.

Rick & Morty S1 E3, E4, E5

Spoilers

“Anatomy Park”

M. Night Shaym-Aliens!”

“Meeseeks and Destroy”

Rick & Morty continue along in their first season, showing how different it is than any other animated show. The humor is hilarious, even if it could tend towards sophomoric humor at times.

Rick sends Morty inside a body of an old man, dressed as Santa, to an amusement park he had constructed inside. This episode was a lot of fun, especially with the all-star cast of voice actors including John Oliver, Dana Carvey, Kari Wahlgren and Gary Anthony Williams.

This is a parody of both Jurassic Park and Fantastic Voyage.

Another example of Rick getting Morty into trouble comes in the next episode as he is inside a simulation as aliens are attempting to steal Rick’s recipe for the Concentrated Dark Matter. The girl with Morty tells him that he can put his fingers anywhere he wants as they makeout.

In the fifth episode, it is Morty’s turn to plan the adventure. This is an example of how the show pushes limits as Morty comes across a humanoid Jellybean in the restroom at a pub and the Jellybean attempts to rape Morty. Rick later murders Jellybean, who was revealed as the King of the village Rick and Morty were working for.

Meanwhile, Morty’s parents were using an invention of Rick’s called the Meeseeks Box. Meeseeks would po into existence and help you with a problems, only to then pop out of existence. However, taking two strokes off Jerry’s golf game. Finding it impossible, more Meeseeks are summoned until they go wild with their failure to improve the golf game, trying to murder Jerry.

Again, this is not your child’s animated show. The adult themes and jokes are all over the place, but they make Rick & Morty very funny to watch.

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #1

#1

Yoda

Title: “Yoda”

Album: Dare to Be Stupid

Released: 1985

Originally Recorded: 1980

Written: Raymond Davies/Al Yankovic

Parody: “Lola” by the Kinks

Genre: Folky-rock

And so, we have reached #1 on the Top 100 Weird Al Songs, and it is Yoda. Yoda was played on the Doctor Demento Show for years prior to being released on Dare to Be Stupid because of the troubles Al had in securing the permission he always looked for from the label of the Kinks. According to Wikipedia, Al had a chance meeting with “Lola” writer, Ray Davies, and he asked him why he refused to approve the parody. Davies said that no one had asked him, which finally led to Yoda being released on Al’s third album.

I loved this song so much as a youngster. In my Speech class in high school, we were assigned to do a lip synch, and I chose to do Yoda. I received a perfect score from Mrs. Tilton (RIP).

Lyrics

I met him in a swamp down in Dagobah
Where it bubbles all the time like a giant carbonated soda
S O D A, soda

I saw the little runt sitting there on a log
I asked him his name and in a raspy voice he said “Yoda”
Y O D A, Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda

Well, I’ve been around, but I ain’t never seen
A guy who looks like a muppet, but he’s wrinkled and green
Oh, my Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda

Well, I’m not dumb, but I can’t understand
How he can lift me in the air just by raising his hand
Oh, my Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda

Well, I left home just a week before
And I’ve never ever been a Jedi before
But Obi Wan, he set me straight, of course
He said, “Go to Yoda and he’ll show you the Force”

Well I’m not the kind that would argue with Ben
So it looks like I’m gonna start all over again
With my Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda

So I used the Force
I picked up a box
I lifted some rocks
While I stood on my head
Well, I won’t forget what Yoda said

He said, “Luke, stay away from the darker side
And if you start to go astray, let the Force be your guide”
Oh, my Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda

“I know Darth Vader’s really got you annoyed
But remember, if you kill him, then you’ll be unemployed”
Oh, my Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda

Well, I heard my friends really got in a mess
So I’m gonna have to leave Yoda I guess
But I know that I’ll be coming back some day
I’ll be playing this part ’till I’m old and gray

The long-term contract I had to sign
Says I’ll be making these movies till the end of time
With my Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yoda Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda
Yo-yo-yo-yo Yoda

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/weirdalyankovic/yoda.html

In concert, Weird Al has done something special in the middle of the song. Dubbed the “Yoda Chant”, Al and his band slow down the music and begin a rhymical, a cappella chant that included a series of both mnemonic devices and bits from songs. Some of the pieces included in the Yoda Chant was “Frère Jacques,” “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” “Surfin’ Bird,” the “Hawaiian War Chant,” the “Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi,” and “Grim Grinning Ghosts” among others.

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #2

#2

White & Nerdy

Title: “White & Nerdy”

Album: Straight Outta Lynwood

Released: 2006

Parody: “Ridin'” by Chamillionaire

Written: Hakeem T. Seriki / Anthony Henderson / Oscar Edward Salinas / Juan Carlos Jr. Salinas/Al Yankovic

Style: Rap/Hip Hop

Topic: Nerd culture

Fact: This was Yankovic’s first-ever top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and his first single to be certified platinum.

We are down to two. I loved this song so much. I had never heard the original, and the parody is one of the greatest of all time.

Lyrics

They see me mowin’
My front lawn
I know they’re all thinking
I’m so white ‘n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
Can’t you see I’m white ‘n’ nerdy?
Look at me, I’m white ‘n’ nerdy!

I wanna roll with
The gangsters
But so far they all think
I’m too white ‘n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
Really, really white ‘n’ nerdy

First in my class here at M.I.T
Got skills, I’m a champion at D&D
MC Escher, that’s my favorite MC
Keep your 40, I’ll just have an Earl Grey tea
My rims never spin to the contrary
You’ll find that they’re quite stationary
All of my action figures are cherry
Stephen Hawking’s in my library

My-MySpace page is all totally pimped out
I got people begging for my topic spaces
Yo, I know Pi out to a thousand places
Ain’t got no grills but I still wear braces
I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise
I’m a whiz at Minesweeper, I can play for days
Once you see my sweet moves you’re gonna stay amazed
My fingers movin’ so fast I’ll set the place ablaze

There’s no killer app I haven’t run
At Pascal well I’m number one
Do vector calculus just for fun
I ain’t got a gat but I gotta soldering gun
Happy Days is my favorite theme song
I can sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong
I’ll ace any trivia quiz you bring on
I’m fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon

They see me roll on my Segway
I know in my heart they think I’m
White ‘n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
Can’t you see I’m white ‘n’ nerdy?
Look at me, I’m white ‘n’ nerdy!

I’d like to roll with
The gangsters
Although it’s apparent I’m too
White n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
How’d I get so white ‘n’ nerdy?

I’ve been browsing, inspectin’
X-Men comics you know I collect ’em
The pens in my pocket, I must protect ’em
My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored
Shopping online for deals on some writable media
I edit Wikipedia
I memorized the Holy Grail really well
I can recite it right now and have you “ROTFLOL”

I got a business doing websites
When my friends need some code who do they call?
I do HTML for them all
Even made a homepage for my dog
Yo, I got myself a fanny pack
They were having a sale down at the GAP
Spend my nights with a roll of bubble wrap
Pop pop! Hope no one sees me get freaky!

I’m nerdy in the extreme
And whiter than sour cream
I was in AV club and Glee club
And even the chess team!
Only question I ever thought was hard
Was do I like Kirk or do I like Picard?
I spend every weekend at the Renaissance Faire
I got my name on my underwear!

They see me strollin’
They laughin’
And rollin’ their eyes ’cause
I’m so white ‘n’ nerdy
Just because I’m white ‘n’ nerdy
Just because I’m white ‘n’ nerdy
All because I’m white ‘n’ nerdy
Holy cow, I’m white ‘n’ nerdy!

I wanna bowl with
The gangsters
But oh well it’s obvious I’m
White ‘n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
Think I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
I’m just too white ‘n’ nerdy
Look at me, I’m white ‘n’ nerdy!

Source: Musixmatch

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #3

#3

Dare to Be Stupid

Title: “One More Minute”

Album: Dare to Be Stupid

Released: 1985

Written: Al Yankovic

Style parody: A doo-wop parody of artists like Elvis Presley and The Platters.

Style: Doo-Wop

This is the highest rated original song on this list. One More Minute is one of the greatest break up songs of all time.

Lyrics

Well I heard that you’re leavin’
Gonna leave me far behind
‘Cause you found a brand new lover
You decided that I’m not your kind

So I pulled your name out of my Rolodex
And I tore all your pictures in two
And I burned down the malt shop where we used to go
Just because it reminds me of you

That’s right, you ain’t gonna see me cryin’
I’m glad that you found somebody new
‘Cause I’d rather spend eternity eating shards of broken glass
Than spend one more minute with you

I guess I might seem kinda bitter
You got me feelin’ down in the dumps
‘Cause I’m stranded all alone in the gas station of love
And I have to use the self service pumps

Oh, so honey, let me help you with that suitcase
You ain’t gonna break my heart in two
‘Cause I’d rather get a hundred thousand paper cuts on my face
Than spend one more minute with you

I’d rather rip out my intestines with a fork
Than watch you going out with other men
I’d rather slam my fingers in a door

Again and again and again and again and again
Oh, can’t you see what I’m tryin’ to say, darlin’

I’d rather have my blood sucked out by leeches
Shove an icepick under a toenail or two
I’d rather clean all the bathrooms
In Grand Central Station with my tongue
Than spend one more minute with you

Yes, I’d rather jump naked on a huge pile of thumbtacks
Or stick my nostrils together with crazy glue
I’d rather dive into a swimming pool filled
With double edged razor blades
Than spend one more minute with you

I’d rather rip my heart right out of my ribcage
With my bare hands and then throw it on the floor
And stomp on it ’till I die

Than spend one more minute with you

Source: Musixmatch

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #4

#4

Amish Paradise

Title: “Amish Paradise”

Album: Bad Hair Day

Release: 1996

Parody: “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio

Written: Douglas B. Rasheed / Stevie Wonder / Larry James Sanders / Artis L. Jr. Ivey/Al Yankovic

Style: Rap/Hip-Hop

Top: Amish life

Lyrics

As I walk through the valley where I harvest my grain
I take a look at my wife and realize she’s very plain
But that’s just perfect for an Amish like me
You know, I shun fancy things like electricity
At 4:30 in the morning, I’m milkin’ cows
Jebediah feeds the chickens and Jacob plows, fool

And I’ve been milkin’ and plowin’ so long that
Even Ezekiel thinks that my mind is gone
I’m a man of the land, I’m into discipline
Got a Bible in my hand and a beard on my chin
But if I finish all of my chores, and you finish thine
Then tonight, we’re gonna party like it’s 1699

We been spending most our lives
Livin’ in an Amish paradise
I churned butter once or twice
Livin’ in an Amish paradise
It’s hard work and sacrifice
Livin’ in an Amish paradise
We sell quilts at discount price
Livin’ in an Amish paradise

A local boy kicked me in the butt last week
I just smiled at him and I turned the other cheek
I really don’t care, in fact I wish him well
‘Cause I’ll be laughing my head off when he’s burning in Hell
But I ain’t never punched a tourist even if he deserved it
An Amish with a ‘tude?
You know that’s unheard of

I never wear buttons but I got a cool hat
And my homies agree I really look good in black, fool
If you come to visit, you’ll be bored to tears
We haven’t even paid the phone bill in 300 years
But we ain’t really quaint, so please don’t point and stare
We’re just technologically impaired

There’s no phone, no lights, no motorcar
Not a single luxury
Like Robinson Crusoe
It’s as primitive as can be

We been spending most our lives
Livin’ in an Amish paradise
We’re just plain and simple guys
Livin’ in an Amish paradise
There’s no time for sin and vice
Livin’ in an Amish paradise
We don’t fight, we all play nice
Livin’ in an Amish paradise

Hitchin’ up the buggy, churnin’ lots of butter
Raised a barn on Monday, soon I’ll raise another
Think you’re really righteous?
Think you’re pure in heart?
Well, I know I’m a million times as humble as thou art
I’m the pious guy the little Amlettes wanna be like
On my knees day and night, scorin’ points for the afterlife
So don’t be vain and don’t be whiny
Or else, my brother, I might have to get medieval on your Heine

We been spending most our lives
Livin’ in an Amish paradise
We’re all crazy Mennonites
Livin’ in an Amish paradise
There’s no cops or traffic lights
Livin’ in an Amish paradise
But you’d probably think it bites
Livin’ in an Amish paradise

Source: Musixmatch

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #5

#5

Word Crimes

Title: “Word Crimes”

Album: Mandatory Fun

Released: 2014

Parody: “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke

Written: Clifford Harris / Jr. / Pharrell Williams / Robin Thicke/Al Yankovic

Genre: Rap/Disco/R&B

Topic: Your bad grammar (NOT YOU’RE BAD GRAMMAR!)

I have shown this to my 7th grade literacy class since the release in 2014. It has all kinds of my personal gripes over grammar and the people who just do not know how important grammar is.

Lyrics

Everybody shut up, woo!
Everyone listen up!
Hey, hey, hey, uh
Hey, hey, hey

If you can’t write in the proper way
If you don’t know how to conjugate
Maybe you flunked that class
And maybe now you find
That people mock you online

Okay, now here’s the deal
I’ll try to educate ya
Gonna familiarize
You with the nomenclature
You’ll learn the definitions
Of nouns and prepositions
Literacy’s your mission
And that’s why I think it’s a

Good time
To learn some grammar
Now, did I stammer
Work on that grammar
You should know when
It’s “less” or it’s “fewer”
Like people who were
Never raised in a sewer

I hate these word crimes
Like I could care less
That means you do care
At least a little
Don’t be a moron
You’d better slow down
And use the right pronoun
Show the world you’re no clown
Everybody wise up!

Say you got an “I”, “T”
Followed by apostrophe, “s”
Now what does that mean?
You would not use “it’s” in this case
As a possessive
It’s a contraction
What’s a contraction?
Well, it’s the shortening of a word, or a group of words
By the omission of a sound or letter

Okay, now here’s some notes
Syntax you’re always mangling
No “x” in “espresso”
Your participle’s danglin’
But I don’t want your drama
If you really wanna
Leave out that Oxford comma
Just keep in mind

That “be”, “see”, “are”, “you”
Are words, not letters
Get it together
Use your spellchecker
You should never
Write words using numbers
Unless you’re seven
Or your name is Prince

I hate these word crimes
You really need a
Full time proofreader
You dumb mouth-breather
Well, you should hire
Some cunning linguist
To help you distinguish
What is proper English

One thing I ask of you
Time to learn your homophones is past due
Learn to diagram a sentence too
Always say “to whom”
Don’t ever say “to who”
And listen up when I tell you this
I hope you never use quotation marks for emphasis
You finished second grade
I hope you can tell
If you’re doing good or doing well
About better figure out the difference
Irony is not coincidence
And I thought that you’d gotten it through your skull
What’s figurative and what’s literal
Oh but, just now, you said
You literally couldn’t get out of bed
That really makes me want to literally
Smack a crowbar upside your stupid head

I read your e-mail
It’s quite apparent
Your grammar’s errant
You’re incoherent
Saw your blog post
It’s really fantastic
That was sarcastic (Oh, psych!)
‘Cause you write like a spastic

I hate these Word Crimes
Your prose is dopey
Think you should only
Write in emoji
Oh, you’re a lost cause
Go back to pre-school
Get out of the gene pool
Try your best to not drool

Never mind I give up
Really now I give up
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Go away!

Source: LyricFind

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #6

#6

The Hamilton Polka

Title: “The Hamilton Polka”

Released: 2018

Genre: Polka

Included in: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s monthly “#Hamildrops” project

Written by Albert Johnson / Osten Harvey / Christopher Wallace / Roger Troutman / Kejuan Muchita / Lin-Manuel Miranda/Al Yankovic

Songs: “Alexander Hamilton,” “Wait For It,” “The Schuyler Sisters,” “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down),” “Dear Theodosia,” “You’ll Be Back,” “The Room Where It Happens,” “Right Hand Man,” “Guns and Ships,” “Washington on Your Side,” “Helpless,” “Non-Stop,” “History Has Its Eyes on You,” and “My Shot.”

This is Weird Al’s Polka Opus, taking the Broadway sensation Hamilton and turning it into a polka. There was a video of Lin-Manuel Miranda listening to The Hamilton Polka for the first time, and he had tears of joy running down his face. Miranda is a huge fan of Weird Al and you could tell how honored he was with Al using his work as a polka.

Lyrics

How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten
Spot in the Caribbean by providence, impoverished, in squalor
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?

The ten-dollar Founding Father without a father
Got a lot farther by working a lot harder
By being a lot smarter
By being a self-starter

By fourteen, they placed him in charge of the trading charter
Alexander Hamilton
My name is Alexander Hamilton
And there’s a million things I haven’t done

But just you wait, just you wait
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it

I am the one thing in life I can control
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it
Wait for it

I am inimitable
I am an original
And if there’s a reason I’m still alive
When so many have died
Then I’m willin’ to—

I’m willing to
Work, work!
Angelica!
Work, work!

Eliza!
And Peggy—

Look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now!
History is happening in Manhattan and we just happen to be
In the greatest city
In the greatest city in the world!
The world turned upside down
The world turned upside down
The world turned upside down
The world turned upside down

Yeah you’ll blow us all away
Oceans rise, empires fall
We have seen each other through it all
And when push comes to shove

I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love!
Da da da dat da dat da da da da ya da
Da da dat dat da da ya da!

No one else was in
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
No one else was in

The room where it happened
The room where it happened
The room where it happened
No one really knows how the game is played

The art of the trade
How the sausage gets made
We just assume that it happens
But no one else is in the room where it happens

We are outgunned (What?)
Outmanned (What?)
Outnumbered
Outplanned

We gotta make an all out stand
Ayo, I’m gonna need a right-hand man
Hamilton!
Sir, he knows what to do in a trench
Ingenuitive and fluent in French, I mean—

Hamilton!
Sir, you’re gonna have to use him eventually
What’s he gonna do on the bench? I mean—
Hamilton!
No one has more resilience
Or matches my practical tactical brilliance—

Hamilton!
You wanna fight for your land back?
Hamilton!
I need my right hand man back!
Uh, get ya right hand man back

You know you gotta get ya right hand man back
I mean you gotta put some thought
Into the letter but the sooner the better
To get your right hand man back!

It must be nice, it must be nice
To have Washington on your side
It must be nice, it must be nice
To have Washington on your side
Look back at the Bill of Rights (Which I wrote!)

The ink hasn’t dried
It must be nice, it must be nice
To have Washington on your side—
Somebody has to stand up for the South!
Somebody has to stand up to his mouth!

If there’s a fire you’re trying to douse
You can’t put it out from inside the house
I’m in the cabinet, I am complicit in
Watching him grabbin’ at power and kiss it
If Washington isn’t gon’ listen
To disciplined dissidents, this is the difference:
This kid is out

In New York you can be a new man
How do you write like you’re running out of time?
Write day and night like you’re running out of time?
Ev’ry day you fight like you’re running out of time
Like you’re running out of time

Are you running out of time?
Let me tell you what I wish I’d known
When I was young and dreamed of glory
You have no control
Who lives, who dies, who tells your story
I know that we can win
I know that greatness lies in you
But remember from here on in
History has its eyes on you (Whoa…)

And I am not throwing away my shot
I am not throwing away my shot
Hey yo, I’m just like my country
I’m young, scrappy and hungry
And I’m not throwing away my shot
We gonna rise up, time to take a shot (Not throwing away my shot)
We gonna rise up, time to take a shot (Not throwing away my shot)
We’re gonna rise up, rise up! (It’s time to take a shot!)
Rise up, rise up!
And I am not throwing away my
Not throwing away my shot
There’s a million things I haven’t done
But just you wait (Just wait)
What’s your name, man?
Alexander (Hamilton)
Alexander (Hamilton)
Alexander (Hamilton)
Alexander

Source: Musixmatch

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #7

#7

Dare to Be Stupid

Title: “Dare to Be Stupid”

Album: Dare to Be Stupid

Release: 1985

Written: Al Yankovic

Style Pastiche: Devo

Genre: New Wave/Comedy

Topic: encourage listeners to embrace absurdity, let go of common idioms, and be playful.

Title track to Weird Al’s third studio album, Dare to Be Stupid is one of the greatest original songs Weird Al has ever written. The silliness involved is epic and his Devo style pastiche is brilliant.

Lyrics

Put down that chainsaw and listen to me
It’s time for us to join in the fight
It’s time to let your babies grow up to be cowboys
It’s time to let the bedbugs bite

You better put all your eggs in one basket
You better count your chickens before they hatch
You better sell some wine before it’s time
You better find yourself an itch to scratch

You better squeeze all the Charmin you can
While Mr. Wipple’s not around
Stick your head in the microwave and get yourself a tan

Talk with your mouth full
Bite the hand that feeds you
Bite off more than you chew
What can you do?
Dare to be stupid

Take some wooden nickels
Look for Mr. Goodbar
Get your mojo working now
I’ll show you how
You can dare to be stupid

You can turn the other cheek
You can just give up the ship
You can eat a bunch of sushi then forget to leave a tip

Dare to be stupid
Come on and dare to be stupid
It’s so easy to do
Dare to be stupid
We’re all waiting for you
Let’s go

It’s time to make a mountain out of a molehill
So can I have a volunteer?
There’s no more time for crying over spilled milk
Now it’s time for crying in your beer

Settle down, raise a family, join the PTA
Buy some sensible shoes and a Chevrolet
And party ’til you’re broke and they drive you away
It’s okay, you can dare to be stupid

It’s like spitting on a fish
It’s like barking up a tree
It’s like I said you gotta buy one if you wanna get one free

Dare to be stupid
(Yes)
Why don’t you dare to be stupid?
It’s so easy to do

Dare to be stupid
We’re all waiting for you
Dare to be stupid

Burn your candle at both ends
Look a gift horse in the mouth
Mashed potatoes can be your friends

You can be a coffee achiever
You can sit around the house and watch “Leave It To Beaver”
The future’s up to you
So what you gonna do?

Dare to be stupid, dare to be stupid
What did I say?
Dare to be stupid

Tell me, what did I say?
Dare to be stupid
It’s alright
Dare to be stupid
We can be stupid all night

Dare to be stupid
Come on, join the crowd
Dare to be stupid
Shout it out loud

Dare to be stupid
I can’t hear you
Dare to be stupid
Okay, I can hear you now

Dare to be stupid
Let’s go, dare to be stupid
Dare to be stupid
Dare to be stupid

Dare to be stupid
Dare to be stupid
Dare to be stupid
Dare to be stupid
Dare to be stupid

Source: Musixmatch

Sunday Morning Sidewalk #74

Spoilers

The Boroughs

“The Mourning After”

Last week, in episode one of The Boroughs, I commented that I had hoped that Jack survived the attack of whatever that thing was. Sadly, as this week started, we learned that jack did not.

RIP Jack.

Sam, who discovered the creature “feeding” on Jack, became obsession (as one would) with trying to figure out what was going on. A trip to see Edward at the care facility gave Sam a clue… “The key is in the lights and the owls are in the wall.”

So Sam started tearing out the light fixtures in his house.

Jack’s death affected more than just Sam as we learned that Judy had been having an affair with Jack, and his death was causing her serious grief. Judy’s partner Art apparently knew about the affair but never confronted her in fear that she would leave him.

It led Art to a bizarre occurrence with a murder of crows. A huge murder of crows that circled the sky above him and like kamikazed themselves into the ground. Weird scene.

Renee pushed for an investigation when more quartz items turned up missing. Hank came back with a fake report from Albuquerque PD saying that they caught a guy with the missing items.

F- Hank.

Clearly, Hank has some kind of inside knowledge of what is going on in the Boroughs, and he is going out of his way to cover it up. He is easily the biggest piece of crap on this show.

Only Blaine Shaw comes close. Shaw showed up at Jack’s memorial and dropped some lies about how much Jack meant to him. It was sadly obvious how insincere he was being, but Shaw knows more than he is letting on too.

Wally got more bad news about his cancer, which has made its way into Wally’s liver. It left Wally searching for a miracle. Maybe Sam has found it.

The Boroughs has had two exceptional episodes filled with great actors and a captivating supernatural mystery. I know that there will be only one season as Netflix has cancelled season two of the show. I sure how the show did not leave off on a massive cliffhanger at the end of season one, because this is a show that I am fully engrossed in.

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #8

#8

Albuquerque

Title: “Albuquerque”

Album: Running With Scissors

Release: 1999

Style Pastiche: The Rugburns’ track “Dick’s Automotive.”

Genre: Hard-driving rock narrative

Length: 11 minutes and 23 sec.- longest song Weird Al ever officially released.

Topic: Albuquerque is the best place… and Weird Al hates sauerkraut.

This epic song is one of my absolute favorite songs. It is an absurdist piece of music with so much insanity squeezed into it. I saw Weird Al perform this life once and, during it, he came across the line where he said he “…lost his train of thought.” He then proceeded to restart the song to try and remember what he wanted to say. Absolutely hilarious. Of course, what he wanted to say was that “I HATE SAUERKRAUT!”

Lyrics

Way back when I was just a little bitty boy
Living in a box under the stairs
In the corner of the basement of the house
Half a block down the street from Jerry’s Bait shop
You know the place
Well anyway, back then life was going swell and everything was just peachy

Except, of course, for the undeniable fact that every single morning
My mother would make me a big ol’ bowl of sauerkraut for breakfast

Daww, big bowl of sauerkraut
Every single morning
It was driving me crazy

I said to my mom
I said “Hey, mom, what’s up with all the sauerkraut?”
And my dear, sweet mother
She just looked at me like a cow looks at an oncoming train
And she leaned right down next to me
And she said “It’s good for you”
And then she tied me to the wall and stuck a funnel in my mouth
And force fed me nothing but sauerkraut
Until I was twenty six and a half years old

That’s when I swore that someday
Someday I would get outta that basement and travel to a magical, far away place
Where the sun is always shining and the air smells like warm root beer
And the towels are oh so fluffy
Where the Shriners and the lepers play their ukuleles all day long
And anyone on the street will gladly shave your back for a nickel

Wacka wacka doo-doo yeah

Well, let me tell you, people, it wasn’t long at all before my dream came true
Because the very next day, a local radio station had this contest
To see who could correctly guess the number of molecules in Leonard Nimoy’s butt
I was off by three, but I still won the grand prize
That’s right, a first class one-way ticket to

Albuquerque
Albuquerque

Oh yeah
You know, I’d never been on a real airplane before
And I gotta tell ya, it was really great
Except that I had to sit between two large Albanian women
With excruciatingly severe body odor
And the little kid in back of me kept throwin’ up the whole time
The flight attendants ran out of Dr. Pepper and salted peanuts
And the in-flight movie was Bio-Dome with Pauly Shore
And, oh yeah, three of the airplane engines burned out
And we went into a tailspin and crashed into a hillside
And the plane exploded in a giant fireball and everybody died
Except for me
You know why?

‘Cause I had my tray table up
And my seat back in the full upright position
Had my tray table up
And my seat back in the full upright position
Had my tray table up
And my seat back in the full upright position

Ah ha ha ha
Ah ha ha
Ah

So I crawled from the twisted, burnin’ wreckage
I crawled on my hands and knees for three full days
Draggin’ along my big leather suitcase and my garment bag
And my tenor saxophone and my twelve-pound bowling ball
And my lucky, lucky autographed glow-in-the-dark snorkel
But finally I arrived at the world famous Albuquerque Holiday Inn
Where the towels are oh so fluffy
And you can eat your soup right out of the ashtrays if you wanna
It’s OK, they’re clean

Well, I checked into my room and I turned down the A/C
And I turned on the SpectraVision
And I’m just about to eat that little chocolate mint on my pillow
That I love so very, very much when suddenly, there’s a knock on the door

Well now, who could that be?
I say “Who is it?”
No answer
“Who is it?”
There’s no answer
“Who is it?”
They’re not sayin’ anything

So, finally I go over and I open the door and just as I suspected
It’s some big fat hermaphrodite with a Flock-Of-Seagulls haircut and only one nostril
Oh man, I hate it when I’m right
So anyway, he bursts into my room and he grabs my lucky snorkel
And I’m like “Hey, you can’t have that”
“That snorkel’s been just like a snorkel to me”
And he’s like “Tough”
And I’m like “Give it”
And he’s like “Make me”
And I’m like “‘Kay”
So I grabbed his leg and he grabbed my esophagus
And I bit off his ear and he chewed off my eyebrows
And I took out his appendix and he gave me a colonic irrigation
Yes indeed, you better believe it
And somehow in the middle of it all, the phone got knocked off the hook
And twenty seconds later, I heard a familiar voice
And you know what it said?
I’ll tell you what it said

It said
“If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and try again”
“If you need help, hang up and then dial your operator”
“If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and try again”
“If you need help, hang up and then dial your operator”

In Albuquerque
Albuquerque

Well, to cut a long story short, he got away with my snorkel
But I made a solemn vow right then and there that I would not rest
I would not sleep for an instant until the one-nostrilled man was brought to justice
But first, I decided to buy some donuts

So I got in my car and I drove over to the donuts shop
And I walked on up to the guy behind the counter
And he says “Yeah, what do ya want?”
I said “You got any glazed donuts?”
He said “No, we’re outta glazed donuts”
I said “Well, you got any jelly donuts?”
He said “No, we’re outta jelly donuts”
I said “You got any Bavarian cream-filled donuts?”
He said “No, we’re outta Bavarian cream-filled donuts”
I said “You got any cinnamon rolls?”
He said “No, we’re outta cinnamon rolls”
I said “You got any apple fritters?”
He said “No, we’re outta apple fritters”
I said “You got any bear claws?”
He said “Wait a minute, I’ll go check”

“No, we’re outta bear claws”
I said “Well, in that case, in that case, what do you have?”
He says “All I got right now is this box of one dozen starving, crazed weasels”
I said “OK, I’ll take that”

So he hands me the box and I open up the lid and the weasels jump out
And they immediately latch onto my face and start bitin’ me all over
Oh man, they were just going nuts
They were tearin’ me apart
You know, I think it was just about that time
That a little ditty started goin’ through my head
I believe it went a little something like this

Doh
Get ’em off me
Get ’em off me
Oh
No, get ’em off, get ’em off
Oh, oh God, oh God
Oh, get ’em off me
Oh, oh God
Ah, aah, aah

I ran out into the street with these flesh-eating weasels all over my face
Wavin’ my arms all around and just runnin’, runnin’, runnin’
Like a constipated wiener dog
And as luck would have it
That’s exactly when I ran into the girl of my dreams
Her name was Zelda
She was a calligraphy enthusiast
With a slight overbite and hair the color of strained peaches
I’ll never forget the very first thing she said to me
She said “Hey, you’ve got weasels on your face”

That’s when I knew it was true love
We were inseparable after that
Aw, we ate together, we bathed together
We even shared the same piece of mint-flavored dental floss
The world was our burrito
So we got married and we bought us a house
And had two beautiful children, Nathaniel and Superfly
Oh, we were so very very very happy, aw yeah

But then one fateful night, Zelda said to me
She said “Sweetie pumpkin? Do you wanna join the Columbia Record Club?”
I said “Whoa, hold on now, baby”
“I’m just not ready for that kind of a commitment”
So we broke up and I never saw her again
But that’s just the way things go

In Albuquerque
Albuquerque

Anyway, things really started lookin’ up for me
Because about a week later, I finally achieved my lifelong dream
That’s right, I got me a part-time job at The Sizzler
I even made employee of the month after I put out that grease fire with my face
Aw yeah, everybody was pretty jealous of me after that
I was gettin’ a lot of attitude

Ok, like one time, I was out in the parking lot
Tryin’ to remove my excess earwax with a golf pencil
When I see this guy Marty
Tryin’ to carry a big ol’ sofa up the stairs all by himself
So I, I say to him, I say “Hey, you want me to help you with that?”
And Marty, he just rolls his eyes and goes
“No, I want you to cut off my arms and legs with a chainsaw”

So I did

And then he gets all indignant on me
He’s like “Hey man, I was just being sarcastic”
Well, that’s just great
How was I supposed to know that?
I’m not a mind reader for cryin’ out loud
Besides, now he’s got a really cute nickname, Torso-Boy
So what’s he complaining about?

Say, that reminds me of another amusing anecdote
This guy comes up to me on the street
And he tells he hasn’t had a bite in three days
Well, I knew what he meant
But just to be funny, I took a big bite out of his jugular vein
And he’s yellin’ and screamin’ and bleeding all over
And I’m like “Hey, come on, don’t you get it?”
But he just keeps rolling around on the sidewalk, bleeding, and screaming
You know, completely missing the irony of the whole situation
Man, some people just can’t take a joke, you know?

Anyway, um, um, where was I?
Kinda lost my train of thought

Uh, well, uh, OK
Anyway I, I know it’s kinda been a roundabout way of saying it
But I guess the whole point I’m tryin’ to make here is

I hate sauerkraut

That’s all I’m really tryin’ to say
And, by the way, if one day you happen to wake up
And find yourself in an existential quandary
Full of loathing and self-doubt
And wracked with the pain and isolation of your pitiful meaningless existence
At least you can take a small bit of comfort in knowing that
Somewhere out there in this crazy ol’ mixed-up universe of ours
There’s still a little place called

Albuquerque
Albuquerque
Albuquerque, Albuquerque
Albuquerque, Albuquerque
Albuquerque, Albuquerque
Albuquerque, Albuquerque

I said “A” (A)
“L” (L)
“B” (B)
“U” (U)
“Querque” (querque)

Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Albuquerque
Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Albuquerque
Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Albuquerque
Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Albuquerque, Albuquerque

Albuquerque

Source: LyricFind

Weird Al had lyrics on the inside of his albums, but for “Albuquerque” he said that there wasn’t enough room left for the lyrics.

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #12

#12

Hardware Store

Title: “Hardware Store”

Album: Poodle Hat

Released: 2003

Written: Al Yankovic

Genre: Speed-metal comedy

Style: Originally intended as a pastiche of The Presidents of the United States

Topic: The excitement of a new Hardware Store opening

Hardware Store is one of Weird Al’s originals that everyone is incredibly impressed by because it features one of the fastest rap sections imaginable. It was something that, when recorded, nearly caused Al to go unconscious. He has never performed this live because of the near impossibility of the riff.

Lyrics

Nothin’ ever (ever) happens in this town
Feelin’ low down (down), not a lot to do around here
I thought that I would go right out of my mind
Until a friend told me the news
He said, “Hey, you know that vacant lot
Right beside the gas station? Well, somebody bought it
And on that spot they’re gonna build a shop
Where we can go buy bolts and screws”

Since then I’ve been walking on air (air)
I can barely brush my teeth or comb my hair
‘Cause I’m so excited and I really don’t care
I’ve been waiting since last June
For this day to finally arrive
I’m so happy (happy) now just to be alive
‘Cause any minute now I’m gonna be inside
Well, I hope they open soon

I can’t wait, no, I can’t wait (oh, when)
When are they gonna open up that door?
I’m goin’ (yes, I’m) goin’, I’m a-goin’ to the
Goin’ to the (hard) ware, I’m goin’, really goin’ to the
Goin’ (hard), I’m goin’ to the (hard), oh, yes, I’m goin’ to the
Hardware store

In my sleeping bag I camped out overnight
Right in front of the store, then as soon as it was light out
I pressed my nose right up against the glass
You know, I had to be first in line
Gonna get me a flashlight and a broom
Want a pair of pliers for every single room of my house
See those hacksaws? Very, very soon
One of them will be all mine

Guys with nametags walking down the aisles
Rows of garden hoses that go on for miles and miles
Brand new socket wrenches in a plethora of styles
All arranged alphabetically
And they’re doing a promotional stunt
There’s a great big purple sign out front
That says every 27th customer
Will get a ball peen hammer free

I can’t wait, no, I can’t wait (oh, when)
When are they gonna open up that door?
I’m goin’ (yes, I’m) goin’, I’m a-goin’ to the
Goin’ to the (hard) ware, I’m goin’, really goin’ to the
Goin’ (hard), I’m goin’ to the (hard), oh, yes, I’m goin’ to the
Hardware store
I’m goin’ (yes, I’m) goin’, I’m a-goin’ to the
Goin’ to the (hard) ware, I’m goin’, really goin’ to the
Goin’ (hard), I’m goin’ to the (hard), oh, yes, I’m goin’ to the
Hardware store

They’ve got allen wrenches, gerbil feeders, toilet seats, electric heaters
Trash compactors, juice extractor, shower rods, and water meters
Walkie-talkies, copper wires safety goggles, radial tires
BB pellets, rubber mallets, fans and dehumidifiers
Picture hangers, paper cutters, waffle irons, window shutters
Paint removers, window louvres, masking tape and plastic gutters
Kitchen faucets, folding tables, weather stripping, jumper cables
Hooks and tackle, grout and spackle, power foggers, spoons and ladles

Pesticides for fumigation, high-performance lubrication
Metal roofing, water proofing, multi-purpose insulation
Air compressors, brass connectors, wrecking chisels, smoke detectors
Tire guages, hamster cages, thermostats, and bug deflectors
Trailer hitch demagnetizers, automatic circumcisers
Tennis rackets, angle brackets, Duracells and Energizers
Soffit panels, circuit brakers, vacuum cleaners, coffee makers
Calculators, generators, matching salt and pepper shakers

I can’t wait, no, I can’t wait (oh, when)
When are they gonna open the door?
I’m goin’ (yes, I’m) goin’, I’m a-goin’ to the
Goin’ to the (hard) ware, I’m goin’, really goin’ to the
Goin’ (hard), I’m goin’ to the (hard), oh, yes, I’m goin’ to the
Hardware store

I’m goin’ (yes, I’m) goin’, I’m a-goin’ to the
Goin’ to the (hard) ware, I’m goin’, really goin’ to the
Goin’ (hard), I’m goin’ to the (hard), oh, yes, I’m goin’ to the
Hardware store
I’m goin’ (yes, I’m) goin’, I’m a-goin’ to the
Goin’ to the (hard) ware, I’m goin’, really goin’ to the
Goin’ (hard), I’m goin’ to the (hard), oh, yes, I’m goin’ to the
Hardware store

Source: Musixmatch

Daily Countdown: Weird Al Songs #14

#14

The Night Santa Went Crazy

Title: “The Night Santa Went Crazy”

Album: Bad Hair Day

Released: 1996

Style Pastiche: “Black Gold” by Soul Asylum

Written: Al Yankovic

Genre: Christmas Music

Topic: Santa snaps and goes on a North Pole murder spree

I love this song. The idea of a disgruntled Santa flipping out is great. There is a really funny “Extra Gory Version” that I heard for the first time on Dr. Demento Show.

Lyrics

Down in the workshop all the elves were makin’ toys
For the good gentile girls and the good gentile boys
When the boss busted in, nearly scared ’em half to death
Had a rifle in his hands and cheap whiskey on his breath
From his beard to his boots he was covered with ammo
Like a big fat drunk disgruntled Yuletide Rambo
And he smiled as he said with a twinkle in his eye
“Merry Christmas to all, now you’re all gonna die”

The night Santa went crazy
The night St. Nick went insane
Realized he’d been gettin’ a raw deal
Something finally must have snapped in his brain

Well, the workshop is gone now, he decided to bomb it
Everywhere you’ll find pieces of Cupid and Comet
And he tied up his helpers and he held the elves hostage
And he ground up poor Rudolph into reindeer sausage
He got Dancer and Prancer with an old German Luger
And he slashed up Dasher just like Freddy Krueger
And he picked up a flamethrower and he barbequed Blitzen
And he took a big bite and said, “It tastes just like chicken”

The night Santa went crazy
The night Kris Kringle went nuts
Now you can’t hardly walk around the North Pole
Without steppin’ in reindeer guts

There’s the National Guard and the FBI
There’s a van from the Eyewitness News
And helicopters circlin’ ’round in the sky
And the bullets are flyin’, the body count’s risin’
And everyone’s dyin’ to know, oh Santa, why?
My my my my my my
You used to be such a jolly guy

Yes, Virginia, now Santa’s doing time
In a Federal prison for his infamous crime
Hey little friend now, don’t you cry no more tears
He’ll be out with good behavior in seven hundred more years
But now Vixen’s in therapy and Donner’s still nervous
And the elves all got jobs working for the Postal Service
And they say Mrs. Clause, she’s on the phone every night
With her lawyer negotiating the movie rights

They’re talkin’ bout, the night Santa went crazy
The night St. Nicholas flipped
Broke his back for some milk and cookies
Sounds to me like he was tired of gettin’ gypped

Whoa oh, the night Santa went crazy
The night St. Nick went insane
Realized he’d gettin’ a raw deal
Something finally must have snapped in his brain
Whoa oh, something finally must have snapped in his brain
Tell ya, something finally must have snapped in his brain

Source: LyricFind

Lyrics from Extra Gory version

Yes Virginia, Now Santa is dead Some guy
From the swat team blew a hole through his head
Yes little friend now, that’s his brains on the floor,
I guess they wont have the fat guy kicking around anymore
But now there’s no more presents for children’s enjoyment
And the Elves have to wait in the line and file for unemployment
And they say Mrs. Clause, she’s on the phone every night
With her lawyer negotiating the movie rights

Agents of Shield S5 E8. E9, E10, E11, E12

Spoilers

“The Last Day”

“Best Laid Plans”

“Past Life”

“All the Comforts of Home”

“The Real Deal”

The Agents of Shield finished up their adventure in the future with some major battling, found Robin, the little girl (now older woman) who could see the future, killed the Kree, including Kasius and Sinara and had Flint create a monolith so they could return to their own time.

Very busy.

I was not 100% in love with the future stuff, but it did provide us with some major storyline bits including:

  • Yo Yo meeting herself (without arms) and she revealed about Coulson’s sickness.
  • Deke, who seemed to sacrifice himself, arrived back in the present with Shield- and had a surprising familial connection.
  • The Lighthouse is one awesome HQ.

Once back, things got wild as the team learned of Coulson’s impending death, and they got made that he did not tell them about it. Deke was taking in all of the wonders of the earth he had never seen…including Zema. Fitz and Simmons gets married.

The Fitz and Simmons wedding led to a major reveal… that Deke is their grandchild, though no one is aware.

Deathlok came back for back up to close a dimensional riff in a lower level of the Lighthouse. It was manifesting fears from a “Fear Dimension” that was trying to kill them.

General Hale is a horrendous character. She was a clear antagonist for our team, but it does get a little old to have the generals always being the antagonists. Plus, her daughter is a weird assassin of some sort who cut off Yo Yo’s arms.

The whole earth gets blown up plotline is still active and unsolved as of yet, but I know that the series does deal with that story before the end of season 5.