My Sick Mind

For the third year in a row, American Idol , Fox's ratings winner, will command the highest advertising prices on television, with a 30-second spot going for $500,000 to $700,000 , Advertising Age reported Thursday. The network will charge the most during Tuesday night's performance show, with Wednesday night's results show remaining the second-most pricey hour of TV. This estimate doesn't include, of course, what advertisers will end up paying for 30 seconds of commercial time during Idol 's finale. Companies ponied up $1.3 million for spots this year. It's hard for me to imagine that marketers are getting their money's worth out of a half million dollars for an advertisement. During the commercials, I'm imagining most people on the phone to their friends complaining about the one who didn't advance or cheering about the one who did. Watching a Gap ad may be the last on the list of priorities that may include: A bathroom break (for pur...

So, enjoy this little video from the good (free) folks at YouTube.

In addition to this being the first day of autumn, today also marks the first full day that Christmas cards are available at my local shopping mall, and I suppose yours, too. The card clerks at the little Hallmark shop were stocking the shelves yesterday. Hurry and get them - they'll be gone by Hallowe'en . The mall was empty Thursday night, and walking around gets me to thinking. Not just about Ruth's Hallmark and the Yankee Candle Company , but also about Aeropostale . How can they have a 50% off clearance sale? Apparently, we are paying way too much for that stuff to begin with. There are lots of people on the phone, and at least five stores selling them. Important calls are being made in front of the Borders book store. "Should I pick up that McGreevey book for ya? ... hello ... hello ... hello?" I suppose the answer was "no". The Auntie Anne's pretzel may be the ultimate comfort food. THEIR SLOGAN: SPOILING DINNER SINCE 1988. I THINK...

My 13 Favorite TV Shows Rules: No sports, no reruns and only national shows qualify. The list may change during the new season, since it looks like there are some good shows coming. Since there are fewer sitcoms than ever, and I'm not a fan of the reality shows, this list was harder to compile than I thought. 1. My Name is Earl . The best ensemble cast on TV. Each one perfectly suited to their character. Jaime Pressly plays the best drunk in the history of television. If you're a Survivor viewer, time-shift Earl and soon, you'll be time-shifting Survivor. 2. The Late Show with David Letterman . The first half-hour is just about the funniest thing on TV. I've always preferred Dave over Jay. Jay strikes me as too phony-show biz, and belongs in L.A. 3. The Simpson's. It's slipped a little recently, but still shines. 4. Curb Your Enthusiasm. I don't have HBO, so I have to catch up with this by buying the DVDs. I'm always a year behind, but it doesn't...

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens, who broke his hand in Sunday night's game against Washington, had a plate screwed into the bone attached to his right ring finger during an operation Monday evening. A plate? I think he'd be better off having a knife and fork screwed in there. Meanwhile , Pete Rose is signing balls like the one pictured above. They are being auctioned off by one of these grubbing auction houses. Originally, they were signed for Pete's buddies, who were supposed to be collectors, but found a way to cash in. If only he had signed the Dowd Report that way, he'd be in the Hall of Fame by now. Maybe some other high-profile goofball celebrities could start signing stuff, too: DICK CHENEY - I'm sorry I shot that guy in the face. And, stop by the house, I'll reimburse you for the gasoline. PARIS HILTON - I apologize for being so famous and not really having any discernable skills. GEORGE W. BUSH - I apologize for being president and not re...

Hopelessly addicted, and at such a (relatively) young age. I spend countless minutes in front of the You Tube, gazing and searching. On Saturday, I found a rare (or, not so rare now) video of the complete "Supper's Ready" - the 23 minute opus that appeared on side 2 of the Genesis album Foxtrot , circa 1972. An epic masterpiece from my young-adulthood, and there it was in all its glory. I understand that it probably means little to you, but I got a little misty-eyed. I tried to post a couple of videos on the blog and found that there is some compatibility issue between the You Tube and the Blogger Beta A problem with Beta - what else is new? Having seen You Tube videos on others' Blogs, naturally I inquired. What could the matter be? My buddy (and recently annointed Blogger Superhero) Pam clued me in on the proper approach. So, here's the little ditty I was going to post on Saturday. It's no Genesis, but it's pretty damned funny, and about 20 minutes shor...

I’m not your typical football fan. I’m not your typical anything , but football in particular. I don’t take the games as anything more than entertainment. When my team loses, it’s a story with a bad ending, nothing more. However, folks around here view a loss as a personal attack, and yesterday was a Giant kick in the stomach. The Eagles blew a 17-point lead with 14:40 left in the game as the New York Giants snatched out an improbable 30-24 win in front of 69,241 fans Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Some fans leaving the game were interviewed by our local newspaper. "Absolutely disgraceful," said Mary Agnes Sullivan , 74, of Blackwood . "I've never been embarrassed to be an Eagles fan until today. My great-grandson could have coached better in the third quarter than that arrogant (Eagles head coach) Andy Reid . He should apologize to the fans for what he did today." "It's not (expletive deleted) fair," said Ashley Colina...

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