Billy Mays

I like Billy Mays. Is it me or was his death the most shocking of the week? Ed was old, Farrah was sick, and Michael Jackson was Michael Jackson. Billy Mays was this second-tier pseudo celebrity. He was kind of annoying, but you totally bought into whatever he was selling. You genuinely liked him. And the spots he did recently for ESPN360.com were great.

Yesterday morning I had caught his new show "Pitchmen" on Discovery Channel and loved it. It seemed like this show was a platform that could elevate Billy's celebrity to a whole new level. And then mere minutes later, I heard the news of his death. A shock. Out of all of the celebrities who passed away in the recent week, he had the most upside at the here-and-now for a promising career. The others had had their time to shine like a countertop cleaned with Orange Glo.

RIP Billy Mays, we hardly knew thee.

The King of Pop

I like The King of Pop. Let's for the moment set aside the Michael Jackson of the past 15 or so years, and remember the influential artist of music and dance. There were few others who even came close to being as popular on a global level as The King of Pop. In my mind, he was long gone before last night. The musician we all knew disappeared behind a veil of weirdness and scandal many years ago, but his music continued to live on.

There's no better way to wrap up Top 5 Week here than with my Top 5 Favorite Michael Jackson Songs--and it's tough to only pick 5, but I'll do my best. Share your favorites in the comment section. Have a great weekend!

Top 5 Favorite Michael Jackson Songs
(In no particular order)

Thriller


Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough



Man In The Mirror



Beat It


Billie Jean

So You Think You Can Dance

I like So You Think You Can Dance. It's June and on a whole, TV sucks. The great shows that keep us glued to the tube on a habitually in the Fall, Winter and Spring are on hiatus. Plus, we're outside more, hitting the bars, the park and other outdoorsy type activities. So needless to say, when Wednesday and Thursday evenings come about, I have nothing to watch. Or should I say, I HAD nothing to watch. Because now I'm hooked on So You Think You Can Dance.

You might think that this is just another lame reality competition show on Fox. And, in some ways it is, but overall its much more. In my opinion, and even though the ratings don't back it up, So You Think You Can Dance is a better show than American Idol. It comes down to singing vs. dancing and the popularity of singing styles vs. dancing styles.

As part off Top 5 Week, here are my Top 5 Reasons So You Think Can Dance is Better Than American Idol. And really, there were no witty remarks yesterday about Organization, so step up to the plate and make a comment.

Top 5 Reasons So You Think Can Dance is Better Than American Idol

1. The HOT ladies -- American Idol's singers don't have the sculpted, toned, amazingly hot bods of the girls on So You Think You Can Dance. PLUS--they dance around in next to nothing.
2. The Judges -- No condescending, snarkiness with the So You Think You Can Dance judges. Nygel Lithgoe and Mary Murphy, two well-decorated dancers in their own right, provide helpful, courteous, fair and honest feedback to al lthe dancers. At no point are they ever making fun of the contestants--something that seems to happen on American Idol anytime Randy Jackson opens his mouth. Th only downfall is Mary Murphy kind of loud and obnoxious, but at least you can understand what she is saying, unlike her counterpart on Idol.
3. Voting -- While fans choose which couples are in the bottom three, it is the judges who ultimately decide who is going home. Not only that, but the dancers must perform a solo routine for the judges as a last ditch effort to stay. This process gives the viewers some control, but keeps the judging in the hands of the professionals.
4. Music -- Yes, yes, So You Think You Can Dance is not a music show, that's American Idol. Well, you're wrong. The music makes the performances, sometimes. From Pop to Indie Rock, Rap, Country, Classical, Hip Hop, Bollywood, whatever. The tracks are the originals and almost always addd to the emotions being exerted by the dancers.
5. Talent -- Only a handful of the Idol finalists can actually sing well. ALL of these finalists can dance well, in my opinion. Of course, that's not saying much if you've ever actually seen me dance.
   

Organization

I like Organization. Growing up, I was the kid with the messy room, the doodled notebook, the paper-filled locker, and the wrinkly clothes. No where did I have any context of organization in my life. I had hints of it when applying to colleges, a little more when I was actually in college (especially when applying for internships and jobs) and really fell into a great organized lifestyle in my post-college years. Nowadays I keep my finances in order with a nice Google Doc, and on the job I am in love with To Do lists and Excel. It's actually a rather unhealthy relationship with Excel.

As we continue the Top 5 Week, I shall list my Top 5 methods for organization. Feel free to list your thoughts in the comment section, or just use the space to make fun of me with a witty joke. But it better be witty, or so help me...

Top 5 Methods for Organization

1. Excel -- love it or hate it, you know it's great. And if you're like me, you haven't even scratched the surface of what it is capable of doing.
2. To Do List -- I recommend a legal pad. The larger format and flip-over pages allows for not only enough space to chronicle notes for each item, but a history of your past days as well (great for when it's time to enter time sheets). And who doesn't love crossing off tasks with a big red pen?
3. Post-It Notes -- You laugh and scoff, and call it a mess, but you know what? It's my mess and there's a method to the madness. Post-it notes are the best for taking quick notes and organizing them later. Especially when your thoughts are in sequential order to start.
4. Manila Folders -- Yes, there are still those of us who print out papers. It's not often at my interactive shop that we print out items, but when you do, having a folder (typically per Client) is the best way to go.
5. Binders -- I once quipped that I had a Minor from Penn State in Binder making. I gave my old boss so much crap for all the Binders I had to make (sorry Dina). But, it wasn't long before I found the value in perfectly organized three-ring slice of heaven.
   

CBS Shows

I like CBS Shows. There was a time in the not too far off past that CBS had some of the crappiest shows on television. ABC dominated Fridays, NBC Thursdays and Fox was just Fox. For the past 10 years or so, however, CBS sitcoms and dramas have been nothing but stellar. They basically raised from the dead the traditional sitcom, removing the schlockiness of the 80s and 90s, and creating sitcoms made for Generations X and Y. Not to mention how shows like JAG and CSI took the crime-drama to new heights.

Continuing Top 5 week, I am going to list my Top 5 favorite CBS Shows. Feel free to list your fav's in the comments below.

Top 5 Favorite CBS Shows

1. How I Met Your Mother


2. Numb3rs (thanks Kim)


3. Two and a Half Men


4. NCIS (looking forward to the LA version in the fall)


5. The Big Bang Theory (best show on TV right now)



Honorable mention: Letterman, Price is Right (original) and CSI:NY and Vegas

Amusement Parks

I like Amusement Parks. Recently, news broke that Six Flags was filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. They aren't closing, just re-organizing their books. Perhaps they finally succumb to their incredibly outrageous ticket prices. What is up to now? $40? $60 per ticket? It's just way too much for the everyday family to include in their annual vacation budgets in 2009. And they're not the only ones. Almost all amusement and theme parks are expensive.

But you know what? No matter what the future may hold for these types of parks, and I am sure they will be fine post-recession, my personal past and memories of times at amusement parks will always be joyful. I love roller-coasters and spending all day riding them. I love walking around the park, with family or friends, on a beautiful summer day--catching a show, getting soaked on the log flume, relaxing on the ferris wheel--I love it all.

All this week I am taking a page out of High Fidelity, and will give you a Top 5 List related to what I like. For today, here are my Top 5 Memories At Amusement Parks.

Top 5 Memories at Amusement Parks

1. During a trip to Dorney Park, an old co-worker of mine from my job at Wood River Village retirement home found a doppleganger for multiple colleagues and residents from the home. It was outrageous. At one point, we even found my look-a-like standing in line for a ride. Of course, I had to kill him. There can be only one.


2. At Epcot Center one night on my Senior Class Trip, we were enjoying ourselves somewhere halfway around the world. Well, the final bus of the evening as leaving in the next five minutes and we had to run around the world to catch it. Well, that's what we did. I think we may have even lost one in China.


3. While on a ferris wheel at Dorney Park with my family, we noticed that we could see our car in the parking lot from the very top. Testing out the range of his remote key device, my dad hit the lock button twice to see if it would make the car beep. It did. So what did we do? That's right, we waited for some poor schmuck to walk by it and made them jump by hitting the button. High-class hilarity.


4. In high school, we spent a day, also at Great Adventure, for "Physics Day". Let's just say I did what I had to do and had a very astute group member who excelled at all things science and math. So during one of the moments of down time, my buddies and I recorded a song at one of those Karaoke shops. Five of us banded together to sing one of time's most classic hit singles, a song that will certainly live on for generations to come and will be revered by the scholars of the future. We sang, "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. And yes, I still have the tape.


5. The Dumbo Ride at Magic Kingdom when I was four-years-old. 'Nuff said.

What are some of you favorite Amusement Park memories? Leave them in the comment section!

Joseph Thomas Meginley

I like love Joseph Thomas Meginley. That's the name of my new nephew! He was born yesterday morning weighing in at 8 lbs. 2 oz. and a long 20.5 inches. Congratulations to my sister, brother-in-law and the new big sister, my niece. A very happy day for my family! Have a great weekend!

JOSEPH THOMAS MEGINLEY
Born June 18, 2009