2012 Year End Countdown!

Well, here's the THIRD Year End Countdown. It's hard to believe I'm ending my third year of doing this podcast. Pretty nuts.

I'm super stoked to see the results of all the year-end polls I've been voting in. That's my excitement for the week. What's yours?

I hope you enjoy this YEC and that you'll join me next week for the Artists of the Year Countdown.

Oh, also, in the last seconds of the last intro, please enjoy the sound of my dog vigorously scratching herself.

2012 Year End Countdown

***Featuring***
The Black Keys
fun. featuring Janelle Monae
Gotye featuring Kimbra
Grouplove
Imagine Dragons
Linkin Park
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse

New Countdown: Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

If I knew someone named Eve, she might write that I forgot a comma and also that I don't know what day it is. But I don't and I didn't and I do!

Yikes. It's late, but I'll be posting this ON TIME, dammit :)

NOTE: At the beginning of the episode, I say that it's Episode 133. Which is wrong. I just didn't do the crucial "save as" step in my podcast creation process. And I didn't realize that until I tried to export the podcast as an mp3 and was told that the mp3 already existed. Sigh. I wish this was only a "tonight I'm tired" problem, but it's more of a "it's been a busy week" problem.

I'm very excited to record the Year End countdown (#3!) this week and that will go up next Sunday! Surprises abound.

Countdown #134

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
The Cure
Imagine Dragons
Jimmy Eat World
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men
Passion Pit
Youngblood Hawke

New Countdown: Earlier Than The Last Late One!

So that means it's an improvement, right?

Things are all culminating. The year of music, the festive fifty, the holiday season, family visits. All of it. I'm not sure if I'm going to do a "Best Of the Year" post this year. Last year the top 10 were very clear to me. This year it would be a top 5 (so that it wouldn't just be the 10 albums I've heard this year) and I'm just  not sure that's worth it...

And I have a lot of musical irons in the fire. So I probably will pass this year.

Anyway...here's the show!

Countdown #133

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men
Passion Pit
Third Eye Blind
Youngblood Hawke

Another Late Podcast: I Swear It's Not a Regular Thing

We have family visiting and they've decided to watch SNL and I've decided to watch, too.

I will get the podcast up tomorrow, and it'll be back on track the following week.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Video: Bush feat. Gwen Stefani "Glycerine"

This video brightened up my morning so much when I saw it on Pigeons & Plans:

It's great to hear him sounding so great, it's wonderful to see them sing this song that I love together, it's beautiful to see them so into each other, it's awesome to see them rock out at the end, and I just love this whole thing

New Countdown!...Only 15 Hours late!

Hey guys, I hope you weren't too heartbroken when you saw my post this morning. And then I hope you didn't wait around all day, clicking refresh to see if I posted the new countdown. I mean, if you did, I'm very flattered and I thank you very much for your kind and much appreciated devotion....but I really do hope you did something more with your day...

Anyway, it's kind of a two-for-one countdown this week and you'll see what I mean when you listen to the episode! See you next week, guys!

Countdown #132

***Featuring***
Atlas Genius
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Grouplove
The Hold Steady
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Passion Pit
Youngblood Hawke

Delayed Podcast

I have had a very busy couple of days and haven't had time to record the podcast for this week. I will try to record it today and get it published. ASAP. My sincerest of apologies. It doesn't happen often and it will continue not to happen often.

New Countdown: Posting from The Beech Tree Inn

My wife and child are sleeping as I type this up. We're all in the same room and I'm super happy that my computer doesn't make loud noise like a typewriter. Wouldn't that be horrible? It would be completely unreasonable for me to be typing this with two people trying to sleep.

But that's not the case, so here we are.

It's a good, fun episode this week and I hope you enjoy it!

Countdown #131

***Featuring***

Atlas Genius

AWOLNATION

The Black Keys

Grouplove

Imagine Dragons

The Lumineers

Mumford & Sons

Muse
Passion Pit
Pearl Jam
Youngblood Hawke

December 2012 Media Update

I'm typing this in Brookline, Massachusetts where we are visiting my Dad and Stepmom and showing off our awesome daughter, etc. But it's December 1st and I haven't forgotten all you Media Updateheads out there!


Last Song/MP3 I listened to: We were listening to some of the songs on the Festive Fifty that I'm putting together. So, the last song I listened to was with my Dad and Stepmom before they walked me back to where we're staying and it was "Hold On" by Alabama Shakes from the AMAZING Boys & Girls album. Seriously, this is a band to check out!

Last TV show I watched: This morning, my daughter and I were watching Disney Junior while we waited for my folks to arrive and so the last tv show I watched was definitely an episode of Doc McStuffins. Cute show. Kind of Toy Story-y, but with a human in on the secret.

Last Movie I watched: The FIRST thing that we watched on tv this morning was the end of Lady and the Tramp and that's the only movie I've watched in some time, actually. So we'll count it. Very enjoyable movie. Plus lots of dogs for my daughter to adore :)

Last Written Work I read: Haha this is a very Lila-centric post this month, isn't it? The very last written work I read was her first book in the Wrapped-Book-a-Day Advent thing (it's not a calendar, it's a basket) that my mom sent her. Very cool and very thoughtful. It was a book called Little Quack's ABC's and it was pretty enjoyable except for one of Little Quack's siblings was named Piddle. And that's not cool, Mama Duck.

I guess I'll do a wrap up at the end of the month/year in some way, shape, or form.

Newb...I mean NEW Countdown

I realized when recording this one that there are a lot of bands that are either touring in support of, or in the process of making, their debut albums. It'd be fun to see a show with all of them together. And I think it would work, genre-ically. If I win the lottery, I will host an annual year end concert with all of the bands that made the countdown, but have only released one album (LP) at most. What would I call it?

ANYways....

Countdown #130

***Featuring***
Alex Clare
Atlas Genius
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford and Sons
Muse
Passion Pit
R.E.M.
Youngblood Hawke

Festive Fifty 2011 Top Ten

Each day this week, in anticipation of the deadline for voting on the Festive Fifty 2012 Shortlist, I'll be listening to the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifties of yore (2012's will be the 6th!) and trying to track down the videos of the Top 5!

The big drama of last year was the battle for the #1 spot between the HUGE POP HIT and the underground indie rocker. It worked out the way these things usually do, but it was so close for most of the voting period. We have something similar going on this year. It's a real nailbiter. :)

You can listen to the 2011 Festive Fifty here: (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

10. Wilco - I Might
9. M83 - Midnight City
8. Half Man Half Biscuit - Fun Day in the Park
7. Wooden Shjips - Lazy Bones
6. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

5. Dawes - A Little Bit of Everything

4. Radiohead - Lotus Flower

3. Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks

2. The Lovely Eggs - Don't Look at Me (I Don't Like It)

1. Adele - Rolling in the Deep

Festive Fifty 2010 Top Ten

Each day this week, in anticipation of the deadline for voting on the Festive Fifty 2012 Shortlist, I'll be listening to the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifties of yore (2012's will be the 6th!) and trying to track down the videos of the Top 5!

This was a big year for me. It was the first year that I assumed my role as "Statman". I was so stoked to do this one and it came out pretty well. It's absolutely a coincidence that both of the years that I've done the stats, the winner has been a mainstream pop hit... :-D Seriously, though. It's a coincidence.

Oh! Also, definitely listen to the intro for #1. It's, in my mind, a CP classic.

You can listen to the 2010 Festive Fifty here: (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

10. Caribou - Odessa
9. Broken Bells - The High Road
8. LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
7. Kings of Leon - Radioactive
6. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home

5. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man

4. Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land

3. Arcade Fire - Ready to Start

2. The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio

1. Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You

Festive Fifty 2009 Top Ten

Each day this week, in anticipation of the deadline for voting on the Festive Fifty 2012 Shortlist, I'll be listening to the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifties of yore (2012's will be the 6th!) and trying to track down the videos of the Top 5!

The 3rd year was the first year where I had a guess for what would be #1. My pick made it to #4 and I got to introduce it! This was also the beginning of the several years where there were lots of songs from 1 or 2 albums. Oh! And my wife made her CP debut introducing #10!

You can listen to the 2009 Festive Fifty here: (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

10. Lily Allen - The Fear
9. Phoenix - 1901
8. Morrissey - Something Is Squeezing My Skull
7. Fanfarlo - I'm a Pilot
6. Meursault - William Henry Miller, Part 1

5. Camera Obscura - French Navy

4. The Decemberists - The Rake's Song

3. Withered Hand - Religious Songs

2. Animal Collective - My Girls

1. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

One More Shortlist song!

This is a song that was nominated and made it to the shortlist....BEFORE IT WAS RELEASED! The person who nominated it heard the band play it in concert this summer and was so confident that it would translate to the studio version that he put it on his list. So here it is, to complete your research of the songs on the list.

The North Sea Scrolls - Witches in the Water

Festive Fifty 2008 Top Ten

Each day this week, in anticipation of the deadline for voting on the Festive Fifty 2012 Shortlist, I'll be listening to the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifties of yore (2012's will be the 6th!) and trying to track down the videos of the Top 5!


By the 2nd year of the Festive Fifty, I was ready. I had my list set to go before the call came for submissions and I even knew a lot of the songs on the shortlist! This was the year when I actually found new bands to love having only heard them on the Festive Fifty. I'm thinking specifically of Frightened Rabbit.


You can listen to the 2008 Festive Fifty here: (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

10. Portishead - The Rip
9. MGMT - Electric Feel
8. British Sea Power - No Lucifer
7. Flight of the Conchords - Business Time
6. British Sea Power - Waving Flags

5. Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma

4. Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines

3. Elbow - Grounds for Divorce

2. MGMT - Time to Pretend

1. Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

Festive Fifty 2007 Top Ten

Each day this week, in anticipation of the deadline for voting on the Festive Fifty 2012 Shortlist, I'll be listening to the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifties of yore (2012's will be the 6th!) and trying to track down the videos of the Top 5!

My snapshot impression of this inaugural edition of the Festive Fifty was that I hadn't paid ANY attention to what had come out in 2007 and I was also very unfamiliar with a lot of the nominees on the shortlist, so I just voted for names I knew! Oh, how times have changed....sort of. ;-)

You can listen to the 2007 Festive Fifty Here: (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

10. Bjork - Earth Intruders
9. Wilco - Impossible Germany
8. Okkervil River - Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe
7. Arcade Fire - Intervention
6. Iron & Wine - Boy With a Coin

5. PJ Harvey - When Under Ether

4. LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

3. The National - Fake Empire

2. Spoon - The Underdog

1. Los Campesinos! - You, Me, Dancing!

Super-nerdy-link-post. Not worth reading :)

This post is to serve as a link to the post that I just made with this week's countdown. There were bonus songs I wanted to label, but I blew past the character limit. So, here's a link to that post. More content to come soon :)

New Countdown: Thanksgiving Bonus Edition!

Yeah I went kind of crazy on the bonus songs, but I'm very thankful for all of you listeners and I will not apologize! I'm sorry, but that's just who I am ;-)

I'm very interested to see if I can remember all of the artists featured on this episode. Let's find out together, shall we?

Countdown #129

***FEATURING***
Alex Clare
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
The Deep Vibration
Descendents
Grouplove
Imagine Dragons
Led Zeppelin
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
My Morning Jacket
Passion Pit
Sly and the Family Stone
Third Eye Blind
Youngblood Hawke

New Countdown: Strong Start. And then it was after midnight :)

Yeah, I really shouldn't do these podcasts so late. I really let myself spool out the ramble on this one. But I think it's actually ok. Just make sure you listen to it at like 12:30 am. :)

Countdown #128

***Featuring***
Alex Clare
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
Grouplove
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Passion Pit
R.E.M.
Youngblood Hawke

What We Did During the Storm: A Podcast

So, last Monday (not LAST Monday, the LAST last Monday...the Monday when....it was October 29th) Sandy was hitting the east coast and my sister and I were bored. So we decided to make a podcast over the phone. I think it went pretty well. We had a very eclectic mix of songs and had a fun time talking about lots of different things related and unrelated to music!

Off the Charts #6: Sister/Rain

***Featuring***
Beach House
The Beatles
Gogol Bordello
No Use For a Name
P.O.S
Panda Bear
Smashing Pumpkins
Sufjan Stevens
Wu Tang Clan

Festive Fifty Shortlist Voting

It's that time of year again. Time to vote for the Contrast Podcast Festive Fifty!!! Rather than trying to find new words to explain what to do, here's an email I sent out last night:

Alright everyone! Here's the shortlist. We're 1/3 of the way there and the steps only get easier! 

Here's what's next:

1. From the list below, pick your 10 favorite songs

2. Arrange them in order from 1-10 with 1 being your most favorite.

3. If you choose to, you can give a negative vote to any one song.

4. Share the list! Get more people to vote! Facebook! Blog! Twitter! Tumblr!

Please do all of the above by Sunday, November 25th

Thanks,

Happy Voting!

James

A.C. Newman - I'm Not Talking

Adele - Skyfall

Alabama Shakes - Be Mine

Alabama Shakes - Hold On

Amy Cook - Getting to You

Anais Mitchell - Young Man in America

Antlers - Drift Dive

Bat For Lashes - Laura

Beach House - Myth

Beach House - Other People

Ben Folds Five - Do It Anyway

Bill Fay - Cosmic Concerto

Bright Light Bright Light - Cry at Films

Brother Ali - Mourning in America

Bruce Springsteen - Land of Hope & Dreams

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe

Cat Power - Ruin

Chromatics - Kill For Love

Chuck Prophet - Play That Song Again

Crocodiles - Endless Flowers

Curtis Stigers - Things Have Changed

Daughter - Candles

David Byrne & St. Vincent - Who

Dexy's - Free

Dexy's - Nowhere is Home

Divine Fits - Would That Not Be Nice

Django Django - Default

Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings

Field Music - A New Town

Fiona Apple - Every Single Night

First Aid Kit - Emmylou

First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

Frank Ocean - Thinkin Bout You

fun. - Some Nights

fun. - We Are Young

Giant Giant Sand - Forever and a Day

Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Never Go Back

Grimes - Genesis

Grimes - Oblivion

Grizzly Bear - Sleeping Ute

Grizzly Bear - Yet Again

Harmed Brothers - A Letter to Lisa

Isaiah Toothtaker - LA Nights

Jack White - I'm Shakin

Japandroids - Continuous Thunder

Japandroids - The House That Heaven Built

Jason Lytle - Department of Disappearance

Kanye West et al - Clique

Kendrick Lamar - Backseat Freestyle

Killers - Runaways

Lana Del Rey - Video Games

Linden - If I Had Wings

Lumineers - Ho Hey

Magnetic Fields - Andrew in Drag

Metric - Breathing Underwater

METZ - Wet Blanket

Meursault - Flittin'

Meursault - Settling

Muse - Madness

Muse - Survival

Mynabirds - Generals

North Sea Scrolls - Witches in the Water

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

Offspring - Secrets From the Underground

Offspring - The Future is Now

P.O.S - Fuck Your Stuff

P.O.S - Get Down

Passion Pit - Constant Conversations

Perfume Genius - Hood

Phantom Limb - The Pines

Ponderosa - For Here I Am Born

Psyched - Cut the Chord

Purity Ring - Fineshrine

Purity Ring - Obedear

Raul Midon - Sunshine "I can fly" (Live)

Richard Hawley - Leave Your Body Behind You

Santigold - Disparate Youth

School of Seven Bells - The Night

Sharon Van Etten - Serpents

Shearwater - Dread Sovereign

Shins - Simple Song

Sigur Ros - Ekki Mukk

Sigur Ros - Varud

Tallest Man on Earth - 1904

Tame Impala - Elephant

Tender Trap - Love is Hard Enough

Ting Tings - Hit Me Down Sonny

TNGHT - Higher Ground

Trampled By Turtles - Alone

Triggerfinger - I Will Follow (live)

Twilight Sad - Another Bed

Underworld - And I Will Kiss

Very Best - We Ok

Vespers - Better Now

Walkmen - Heaven

Wedding Present - Deer Caught in the Headlights

White Rabbits - Heavy Metal

xx - Angels

New Countdown: Hey! I can't find nothin on the radio!

So. Now it's November, huh? Well that means we have a new Best Alternative Album Grammy Winner to start poring over. And it's a good one. You'll see :)

This is a fun one, you guys.

Countdown #127

***Featuring***
Alex Clare
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Passion Pit
R.E.M.
Youngblood Hawke

November 2012 Media Update

Ok! I'm not late! Hooray! I am tired, though so I'm just going to get right into it.

Last Song/MP3 I listened to: On my drive home I put on the My Chemical Romance album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. And my daughter and I listened to it all the way home. I think she enjoyed it! We stopped in the middle of Track 10...which is...."Hang 'em High". A very enjoyable song from a very enjoyable album!

Last TV show I watched: I wanted to make sure that my last show that I watched WASN'T Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. So I watched last night's Halloween episode of The New Girl which was funny and touching as usual :)

Last Movie I watched: Last night, K and I watched PART (a very small part) of Hocus Pocus (because it was Halloween) but the last full movie we watched was Aladdin which we showed to L. She paid attention almost through the whole thing which was sweet.

Last Written Work I read: I'm about 3/4 thorough a book recommended to me via Twitter. It's called So Much Pretty by Cara Hoffman. It's like a whodunit and a psychological thriller and a portrait of a rural town all in one. Very much enjoying it!

I can't believe I only have one more of these! It may be that I'll do a 2012 wrap-up post, too. We'll see.

New Countdown: A Little Shilling, A Lot of Rock

Yeah, I ask for money for a cause on this one. But only like twice, so it's like you barely notice! :)

It's a fun episode (as usual!) and I think you're going to enjoy it.

Countdown #126

***Featuring***
Alex Clare
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford and Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men
P.O.S
Passion Pit

New Countdown! 1/8 of the way to 1000!

Haha it's the little milestones in life, isn't it?

Whoa. Here's a weird thought. When I started this podcast, Matthew from Song by Toad was where I was, podcast-count-wise. That's pretty amazing to me, even if it means absolutely nothing to you :)

Hope your Fall is going well and that you're enjoying the countdowns!

Countdown #125

***Featuring***
Alex Clare
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Lumineers
Mumford and Sons
Muse
Of Monsters and Men
Passion Pit
Sinéad O'Connor

New Countdown! On Time! Woohoo!

Well, we're back on track this week and so I'm feeling very good about that :)

Man, I love doing this countdown. Every time I listen to the American Top 40 reruns from the 70's, I feel like I'm listening to a colleague.

By the way, a great birthday/Christmas gift for me would be a copy of the AT40 from my birthweek. Or something. I would love to have on demand access to them. But maybe they would lose some of their luster.

Anyways, here's the show!

Countdown #124

***Featuring***
Alex Clare
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Killers
The Lumineers
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Passion Pit

New Countdown: Sometimes Not As Easy As 1, 2, 3

Sometimes, family comes first, you guys.....and, of course, it shouldn't come down to that if I was planning well....which I wasn't. But we all slip sometimes, right? .....Right?

Anywho, the fall weather has taken a chilly turn and I am just LOVING it!

Countdown #123 (see why the title?)

***Featuring***
Alex Clare
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
fun.
Imagine Dragons
The Killers
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Passion Pit
Sinéad O'Connor

October 2012 Media Update

Oh no! I forgot to do this today! Haha, usually I remember before the clock has struck midnight, but no dice today. Oh well. Most of you probably aren't awake yet and it's still the 1st on the west coast!

Last Song/MP3 I listened to: Well the good thing is that I spent much of tonight listening to music, so I know EXACTLY what I was just listening to. It was The Hood Internet - Passion Pit x Juvenile "Back that Sleepyhead Up" from The Mixtape Volume Four. ALTHOUGH, let's see what the last thing I listened to on the 1st was...Ok. Right at midnight, I finished "Black Dice" from the new Death Grips album. It's appropriate because today (meaning Oct 1) they leaked their own album to spite Columbia, who they recently signed with. The scuttlebutt is that Columbia shut down their website, so they released a whole bunch of links all over the place to get it. Here's one (you can stream it to check it out first. Then click on the down arrows on the right of each song to DL them). Oh, and the cover is WAY NSFW (I don't use that phrase that often, so just so we're clear, it means NOT SAFE FOR WORK). 

Last TV show I watched: TV premiere week was two weeks ago and we're still catching up from that. The last show I watched SHOULD have been the Season 1 Finale of MacGyver for MacGyver Mondays, but it wasn't. I need to get my butt in gear on that front. It was the second episode of the current season of Parks and Recreation. And it was lovely. As usual. :)

Last Movie I watched: This past weekend, we were in VA Beach visiting grandparents and attending Disney on Ice which my daughter loved. It was a pretty good production. But, after that, we went home and watched That Thing You Do! which is one of my all-time favorites. So many great aspects. From the music, to the comedy, to the romantic story. Love love love it.

Last Written Work I read: The last thing I read was a poem in this week's issue of The New Yorker. It's called "A Short History of Communism and the Enigma of Surplus Value" and it's by Thomas Sleigh. It's a pretty intense, thick poem, but I liked the parts about the tractor that he learned how to use. Haha. There was a lot more to it than just that, though :)

Ok. Next month, I PROMISE not to be late :)

New Countdown! Goodbye September!

Autumn is being kind of a tease this week, but I am anticipating blustery chilly days and it's going to be soooo nice. :)

I'm down in Virginia Beach this weekend and, boy, it sure is nice to have a laptop that doesn't need to be attached to a power cord (aka not a laptop). You guys, I think laptops might be the future of business on the go. Spread the word. ;-)

Countdown #122

***Featuring***
Alex Clare
AWOLNATION
The Black Keys
fun.
Green Day
Imagine Dragons
The Killers
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Nirvana

Happy Fangs

It's always really cool when members of a band you really liked start new projects.

I was super bummed when My First Earthquake announced that they were going to be taking a break (indefinite hiatus, hanging up their hats, etc. (basically not making music for a while as MFE) and so it was very cool to get an email announcing that Rebecca (sometimes I call her Rob-ecca, because she can do a killer (as in good, not deadly....well, maybe both) from MFE had started a new band with a guy named Mike Cobra from the band King Loses Crown. 

The band sent this teaser video:

Happy Fangs will be playing on October 1st (that's THIS Monday) at the Rickshaw Stop with Blood Red Shoes and Starskate. You can buy tickets here

When I asked them on Twitter (@happyfangs) about any tracks that they might have to release, they told me that they're mixing their first demo on Friday. So maybe they'll send me a track or two to post soon!

I've said it before, but it is always REALLY exciting to get news of a band like this. I'm very excited to hear more from them!

MacGyver Mondays: Off Week! Season 1 Catch Up!

So, I'm going to do the season finale next week instead of this week. It's a purely procrastinational change, but I thought I could do something semi-fun/quick this week.

So, here are the five MacGyver Monday episodes that, if Google Stats are any indication,  you may not have seen. I'm going to give them a quick little synopsis and then link you to them so that you can check them out if you haven't already, or check them out again if you have!

To up the already miniscule odds slightly, I will be doing the synopses from memory!


Hellfire - Things begin to heat up when MacGyver visits some old friends and helps them battle the forces of nature and thermodynamics so that they might be able to live out their dream of being rich off of black gold, Texas tea.

Every Time She Smiles - MacGyver is on his way home with some very important microfilm when he meets the lovely Penny Parker (Teri Hatcher) and things take a series of unexpected twists and hilarious (and dangerous!) turns.

Slow Death - It's a case of whodunit on a train that has been stopped by bandits on the wild plains of India! Can MacGyver keep the peace AND discover the culprits so that the bandits allow him to get his information across the border?!

The Enemy Within - A former Soviet agent has defected and Pete is using her to identify the traitor in their midst. MacGyver, with the help of a fellow agent and friend, must protect her while they attempt to unmask this deadly mole!

Nightmares - MacGyver must race against the clock and use all the help he can get from a new friend before the poison in his bloodstream kills him! Will he tell his captors where he stashed the microfilm or die trying to get the antidote??

New Countdown: Loving This Fall Weather

Happy Fall Everyone! Hope your Equinox was spectacularly Autumnal!

It's another great countdown this week. We say goodbye to a feature that we've been doing for around 2 years now and we prepare for a feature we'll be doing for just about 2 years! It's past, present and future around here, folks!

Countdown #121

***Featuring***
Alex Clare
The Black Keys
fun.
Green Day
Imagine Dragons
The Killers
Linkin Park
The Lumineers
Mumford & Sons
Muse

MacGyver Mondays: "A Prisoner of Conscience" (Season 1, Episode 21)

Pay no attention to the man in the reflection (my first "screen shot" which is an actual shot of the screen :) )

Title: A Prisoner of Conscience
Airdate: 4/30/1986
My Age at Airdate: 2 years, 9 months, 14 days
Episode Type: Prison Break

The menu for the last disc of the First Season has a picture of MacGyver in a priest's collar. I can only assume that that is either from THIS episode or the Season Finale. It just seems to me that "A Prisoner of Conscience" stands much more of a chance for this kind of thing than "The Assassin" does, you know?

OPENING CREDITS

We open on the Kremlin in Moscow. Looks to be a pretty nice city. A motorboat is pulling up to a beach. And MacGyver is sitting on a bench eating an apple. Pete runs up to him and asks why he's there, Mac asks why Pete is there.  Pete left without notice and took a map of Russia, so of course MacGyver tracked him down. Pete is investigating the death of this Russian scientist guy who was killed because of being in contact with an American agent....Pete. 

Pete was helping this Russian guy deliver letters of political prisoners but the Russian guy got caught. And now Pete has heard that the Russians are after this guy (Let's call him The Postman)'s daughter.

So Mac asks how they're going to do it and Pete tells Mac that he doesn't want to endanger another friend.

MacGyver, of course, stubbornly refuses to be brushed off. Pete acquiesces but says that the Postman's daughter is going to be nervous about meeting new people so he should go by himself to make contact.

Mac lets him go for a couple seconds and then follows.

Pete goes to PD's house and she greets him warmly. Pete says that he's sorry, but she says that she has to be strong because the Russians are evicting her.

MacGyver walks up the path to the house and sees some potatoes. And then he moves on.

Then a car pulls up. MacGyver's voiceover tells us that this can only be the secret police and it looks like Pete has come to the same conclusion. Mac has hidden and Pete is preparing to help PD. 

She opens the door, they tell her to come with them, she refuses and Pete slams the door. Then, somehow, the police men (including the one that looks like the black-haired guy in Hall and Oates that was standing nowhere near the door, but I guess he was standing behind the guy that looks like EVERY RUSSIAN YOU'VE SEEN IN ANY MOVIE WHERE RUSSIANS ARE THE BAD GUYS) fall into the lake on which the house that PD lives in is located.

Pete and PD run for it. Mac breaks cover, grabs one of the potatoes and shoves it in the tailpipe of the police car. 




AFTER. So, that means that MacGyver is basically cribbing a trick from Axel Foley. Amazing

Pete, PD, and MacGyver run off. The soaking wet policemen try to chase in their car, but, of course, they break their car.

Our heroes run to the beach that we saw at the beginning, hop in a motorboat and take off. The policemen apparently have a boat on that same beach, so they get in that and take chase, occasionally firing a shotgun at their prey (stormtrooper aim, natch).

They need to get these guys off their tail. Mac and Pete start to tear up a blanket, ripping it to shreds. Hopefully that wasn't an heirloom.

Is Moscow really as much like Louisiana as it looks in this chase scene?

MacGyver ties the blanket to a gas can to jam the intake of their jet...thing on their boat. Oh and some lifeboats. He tosses all of that in the water and they run over it and then their boat goes ashore, the policemen get out and the boat blows up. Blows up? Really? Hmm

Well, it looks like everyone's safe and sound.....

WAIT. PD tells them that her father is not dead! He's incarcerated in like a mental hospital. Near Leningrad. She plans to get her father out. And Pete says he's going to help. And MacGyver says he will too.

So now we're in Leningrad. They have secured lots of official paperwork.

So now they're going to execute this plan. We don't know what it is. It's kind of like Ocean's Eleven.

Pete is posing as a doctor. MacGyver is playing crazy.

We also have Man Doctor (Bad) and Woman Doctor (I'm not sure if she's bad or not. Maybe not.)

Man Doctor takes MacGyver to the room with all the other crazy people (but there are political prisoners and actual crazy people)

We've got Big Guy, Room Leader, and Chess Guy.

Man Doctor takes Chess Guy's chessboard and Chess Guy kind of freaks out, but Mac puts on a crazy show where he snatches the board and starts making a scene. A guard runs in and Big Guy clotheslines him. Then more guards run in and MacGyver surrenders, but they beat him anyway. But Chess Guy gets his board back. 

Oh, I don't remember if it's important, but Room Leader had a little altercation with Man Doctor right before this, where he claimed that he was political and insulted Man Doctor, but then MD (hehe. MD) threatened to quiet him down and so he immediately withdrew his statement and acted crazy as a demonstration that he wasn't political.

Anyways. So Dr. Pete and Woman Doctor are touring the grounds. She's kind of old-school good, so that's good.

A guy comes and tells Dr. Pete that "his patient became violent".

So now Pete is with MacGyver who has been like, straight-blanketed. It's like he's swaddled. In fact, that's EXACTLY what he is, and I bet it's for the same reason. He had an outburst and swaddling is designed to calm you down. 

Mac and Pete have a brief exchange where Pete tells Mac that he only brought one set of lockpicks, even though they both need lockpicks. Pete needs them to get into the medicine cabinet to get the psychotropic drugs (for the after party) and Mac needs them to...well, break out of the whole place. Macgyver tells Pete that he'll take care of his own lockpicking needs.

MacGyver is talking to Room Leader. Trying to find The Postman. Room Leader doesn't have any information, but Chess Guy does. He tells MacGyver where The Postman is and then Room Leader decides to trust MacGyver because an impostor wouldn't take a beating just to save Chess Guy's chess set.

MacGyver breaks the light bulb of the lamp in the room and uses the filament as a lockpick. It is literally THE easiest lock picking I've ever seen in my life. Easy damn peasy.

Room Leader will create a diversion while MacGyver gets The Postman out. Only, when MacGyver gets up to the ward where The Postman should be, there are a bunch of rooms and a guard. 

So he goes into the janitor's closet (and inspirational "You Can Do It" music starts playing) he gets a bucket, stops up the sink and smears caulking compound on the side and rim of the bucket. He's making "Russian Crazy Glue". He pours another liquid all over it and then puts a mop handle through the bucket. He lures the guard into the janitor's closet. The guard grabs the bucket and his hands are immediately stuck to the bucket.

MacGyver sneaks by, but the guard sees him and hits the alarm. But Big Guy grabs him and holds him tight. The guards and doctors are on high alert, but I think they're all heading for the wing where Room Leader, Chess Guy and the others are making a huge hubbub. 

MacGyver meets The Postman. He tells TP that PD sent him. He picks the lock to TP's door. Just as easily. But the guards are on their way to the Ward where TP is being kept. TP tells MacGyver that he is the only prisoner in the ward and that his room will certainly be searched.

So MacGyver decides to take him out of there. He relocks the cell door.

The guards get to the Ward (It's called Ward Zero) and find the first guard hanging from a door by his toes. They open the door and he falls and Big Guy attacks them. 

Down in Ward K (the other ward), guards are arriving.

Meanwhile, Pete has snuck into Woman Doctor's office. He picks the lock to the drug cabinet and take some stuff, but then he hears a rustling at the door. It's a cleaning woman. Pete hides in a closet.

The guards have subdued Big Guy and Man Doctor is going to inject BG with something, but Chess Guy starts rattling off side effects that the drug will have. So MD threatens to burn the chess set. He tells CG not to touch the chess set until he gave him permission. CG is upset.

Mac sneaks TP down the hall.

The cleaning lady leaves and Pete sneaks out of the room. He drops something on the ground, but doesn't notice. He walks into the hall the MD is coming down. MD calls out to him, but he just walks across the hall into another room. MD looks in the first room and see the bag of drugs that Pete dropped.

The guard is asking MacGyver where he's been. MacGyver takes him over to the window while Room Leader sneaks TP into the room. Then RL asks the guard for some medicine and the guard leaves to get it.

TP and MacGyver talk about why Mac, Pete and PD are there.

Mac lets TP (and us) in on the second and third phases of the plan.  PD will pose as a local girl and work in the hospital's cafeteria. She'll somehow take out the guards (I'm thinking with the drugs, perhaps?) and then Pete will kick of Phase III somehow.

Pete and Woman Doctor are talking when Man Doctor casually bursts in. He accuses her and Pete of trying to steal drugs and sell them on the black market. He places the both of them under house arrest.

PD meets with the cafeteria manager. He tells her how to set the table and tells her she only has 20 minutes before the staff arrives to eat breakfast.

Big Guy is doing some Tai Chi. Man Doctor walks in and indicates the MacGyver is involved with the drug thing.

MacGyver starts to act like he's been investigating the same crime, but MD stops him and tells him he plans to subject the three of them (I guess Chess Guy, MacGyver, and Room Leader? to chemical interrogation.

Chess Guy snaps. He breaks his chessboard over MD's head. MacGyver kicks the gun out of the guard's hand and punches him. Then Room Leader breaks a chair over that guard's head. Mac runs for the door and double fist-punches the guard outside it.

Big Guy gags MD and wraps him tight in a blanket and holds him. Chess Guy gets his broken board and chess pieces and walks contentedly over to the table. Room Leader takes one of the guard's guns and tells Mac that he knows where WD and Pete will be. TP leads two prisoners we haven't met out to follow RL and MacGyver.

MacGyver gets Pete and WD. RL locks the guard he has at gunpoint in WD's office closet.

PD meets with Pete and MacGyver to get the drugs to drug the guards and the Cafeteria Manager comes out and asks what's going on. There's a tense moment, but then MacGyver just says

MacGyver: We're breaking out.
Manager: Oh
Pete: We wouldn't LIKE it if you interfered.
Manager: No no no. You can lock me in the closet, or the supply room, or the basement...
MacGyver: Closet will do fine.
--badass. It's important to know your adversary.

PD spikes the tea of the guards.

Chess Guy is playing both sides of a game with MD who is gagged and bound and trying to yell through his gag. It's a pretty delightful scene to see this mousy guy (CG) get the upper hand.

So now all the guards are slumping over and TP and PD are reunited. Right in front of the guards and orderlies.

WD agrees to help them. They all run off. They bag the guards in front of the building and all the patients escape.

TP says that he is now too big to kill. He will stay in Russia and continue his good work.

Now it's later. Pete has spread the word the TP is still alive. PD is going to go to America at her father's insistence so that she can't be used against him. 

There's lots of handshaking and stuff.

I'm not sure if WD is staying in Russia or not. I think not. But I don't know.

TP walks off and an excited crowd forms around him, thrilled that he's alive.

THE END.

So, I have a question. Who was the title "Prisoner of Conscience"? Is a prisoner of conscience the same thing as a political prisoner?

Anyways, I'll see you next week for the SEASON FINALE!!!! I guess that's when we'll see MacGyver in the priest's collar. Interesting :)

NEXT WEEK: THE ASSASSIN

New Countdown! Feeling SO good!

It's getting to be Fall again, folks, and I couldn't be more stoked. The possible cold I was feeling never actually materialized and that is such a nice little gift.

And we have another debut on the chart this week! And we're keeping the rundown of the bottom 10 that I've been doing! Everything's coming up Milhouse!

Countdown #120

***Featuring***

Alex Clare

The Black Keys

fun.

Green Day

Imagine Dragons

The Killers

Kings of Leon

Linkin Park

The Lumineers

Mumford & Sons

Muse

Toad Tuesdays: Jesus H. Foxx - Endless Knocking

Jesus H. Foxx are one of the other flagship bands on Song, By Toad Records and, they're also one of the other bands that I hadn't listened to very much of before now. And that's something I very much regret.

I always imagined that when I finally got to college, they are exactly the kind of thing I would be listening to. They have a little bit smoother sound than Meursault, though if you told me you heard similarities between the two, I wouldn't disagree with you.

There's a comparison that I came up with while listening to the album (It's called Endless Knocking, by the way. I am literally the worst. Who waits until the THIRD paragraph to mention the name of the album?? I suppose this is also a post to talk about the band in general. Ok, I feel better.) at the grocery story and I feel like it's apt. Here's where I make the disclaimer that I recognize that making this kind of comparison is a bit lazy, but this comparison really helps me wrap my head around the band and so I'm going to say it. In a separate paragraph. Ready?

Jesus H. Foxx (on this album, at least) sound like what the Talking Heads would have sounded like if Matt Berninger (lead singer of The National) were the singer.

And I think that's not only a good comparison, but it's a very good thing to sound like. I am looking forward to exploring this album more as the weeks and months go by.

Here's a taste of the album. I feel like it gives a good idea of the range that these guys are capable of. There are other songs that make the Talking Heads/National thing make more sense, but I think you'll be able to get the gist of what I mean.

Jesus H. Foxx - I'm Half the Man You Were from Endless Knocking

(buy it from Song, By Toad Records!)
(or Amazon!)
(or iTunes!)

New P.O.S video! "Fuck Your Stuff" + Tour Dates!

Here's the link to the new P.O.S video. It's for an amazing song called "Fuck Your Stuff" and the video is just as incendiary. I saw him perform this on the Doomtree tour this spring. It was. Amazing.

Fuck Your Stuff (Video)

Enjoy this and then pre-order the album here!

And I just checked my email. And I have P.O.S tour dates!!

10/26/12 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
11/01/12 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
11/02/12 Chicago, IL - The Bottom Lounge
11/03/12 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
11/04/12 Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop
11/05/12 Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar
11/07/12 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
11/08/12 Boston, MA - Royale
11/09/12 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
11/10/12 Washington, D.C. - Rock and Roll Hotel
11/11/12 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
11/13/12 Orlando, FL - The Social
11/14/12 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
11/15/12 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
11/16/12 Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's Downstairs 
11/17/12 Austin, TX - Mohawk
11/18/12 Dallas, TX - The Loft

Go to doomtree.net/events for more info!

MacGyver Mondays: "The Escape" (Season 1, Episode 20)

Title: The Escape

Airdate: 4/16/1986

My Age at Airdate: 2 years, 9 months

Episode Type: Prison Break, Arms Dealing

It's the last episode of Disc 5 and then we only have 2 more before the end of the first season!! So let's see what or whom MacGyver has to escape from.

OPENING CREDITS

We open on North Africa. A bustling cityscape. Mac is playing soccer with some North African kids at some sort of convent or something. There are nuns. 

A truck pulls up with a bunch of metal. And then this Blonde walks up with some clothing. The romantic theme music plays. MacGyver is smitten.

Whoa. She needs him to break her brother out of prison. Things just got real. Her brother is a medical missionary. He brought in some supplies. The government tried to take them because they're valuable, so he hid them and they locked him away.

HAHA. So she finishes telling him this and Mac's like, Ok let's get him out. And Blondie's like, But it's a maximum security prison! If she thought it was impossible, why is she asking Mac to do it?

So MacGyver is going to go in, see where things are. I guess he's going to get himself arrested. Two soldiers are picking on a storekeeper. Mac goes over there, and sprays them in the face with soda and boom he's arrested. Easy peasy.

Now he's in a truck with a bunch of other people.

And now he's talking to the Warden. The guy is a sleaze ball. Mac needs to get money or he won't be fed or have shelter. Such a corrupt place.

The helpful janitor takes him out of the room and they have some bonding time.

So now the prisoners are playing soccer. It's like a theme.

Mac asks Janitor who lives in this nice swanky section of the prison. Janitor tells him that Baldy, and his henchman, Mustache live there. Baldy owns the prison. Mustache is his enforcer.

While Mac is noticing Baldy and Mustache, and Baldy and Mustache are noticing him! Baldy tells Mustache to found out all he can about MacGyver.

Janitor takes MacGyver to his cell. He gives Mac the top bunk. Is that good or bad?

Janitor tells Mac that escape is impossible. Mac takes Janitor's soccer ball and his olive oil. It looks like he's making a papier mache something with the soccer ball as the mold. He's made a hot air balloon! He lights some cotton balls that he has attached to the wire at the bottom of the balloon and off it sails. One of the coolest things I've seen on this show.

Blondie sees the signal. She smiles and drives off.

MacGyver asks Janitor if he wants to come with him when he escapes, but Janitor says that he only has six months until he's released. And then Janitor realizes that not trying to escape basically means the prison has taken away his humanity and so he will help.

Blondie's Brother is being held in a special wing of the prison designated for political prisoners. Heavy security, extra guards, etc.

Mustache tells MacGyver that Baldy wants to see him. When MacGyver asks why, Mustache attacks him. Then MacGyver briefly gets the upper hand and Baldy sends two prisoners in to hold MacGyver while Mustache beats on him a little bit. Before Mustache can land the final blow, Baldy stops him and the three of them go back to Baldy's pad.

Mustache deposits Mac on the floor and Baldy gives Mac a towel to wipe himself up (so that he doesn't dirty Baldy's carpet).

Right off the bat, both men's attentions are drawn to a radio that sounds awful. MacGyver sets to fixing it. Haha right after he fixes it, he tells Baldy that he could also fix the refrigerator in his PCP (angel dust) lab. Which he says hilariously nonchalantly. Apparently the easiest drug to make in prison is PCP. Mac tells Baldy that he can double the PCP output if Baldy will get him in to see Blondie's Brother. Baldy agrees.

Hilariously, and bafflingly, they're going to do the visitation first. If I was Baldy, I'd have Mac do the drug stuff first and then, once I saw that he wasn't trying to blow up my operation or something, I'd hold up my end. 

I should write an instruction manual for MacGyver villains. It would be called Lock The Doors To Your Cars and Trucks: A Tutorial for Enemies of MacGyver and it'd go to the TOP OF THE CHARTS (the villainy advice hardcover charts)

So, Mac gets to see Blondie's Brother. It's the guy who plays Q on Star Trek: TNG. Everything's bugged and the Warden is listening, but Mac knows that he's not alone with the guy so they start improvising a little scene about gunships and huey choppers and stuff to throw the Warden off. 

The Warden hears the lie that BBQ (Blondie's Brother: Q) and Mac cook up about a whole bunch of money that BBQ hid and tells Baldy to find out everything about that and then kill MacGyver.

Janitor and MacGyver are talking. About friendship and freedom. Like Frenchmen and Americans of old. Mac asks Janitor if he knows how to run the PA system, but then a guard comes in before Janitor can answer. The guard tells Mac that his wife is here and they take him to meet her.

Of course it's Blondie. They kiss (kiss slut) and kiss and kiss. The Warden is listening to more false information, but he's slyly smiling. I wonder what that's about.

The next morning, MacGyver is peppy like he had a very enjoyable evening and he makes his way over to Baldy's place to work on the drug lab. He swipes a tape recorder under his jacket right away. And then Baldy leads him to the PCP lab.

Baldy begins to "casually" ask Mac about his meeting with BBQ. And then he leaves him alone. (Chapter 4 of the book: DON'T LEAVE YOUR ENEMY ALONE)

MacGyver starts to do something with a fan while Warden and Baldy have a weird, vaguely romantic moment.

Mac has hooked up a...like...those things that have rubber blades that you would use if you were making a cake but didn't have an electric mixer? You know? He hooks that up to the fan and gets the tape recorder going. 

Then he grabs some PCP (they're in nice little blocks!) and puts it in his jacket pocket. He pours some "volatile liquid" on the pocket and has made "a bomb you can wear anywhere".

Warden is preparing for the helicopter/gunship attacks. He's basically putting the prison on full alert.

Now he's fashioning a PCP bomb with a good old-fashioned ice timer. He's hooking wires up so that they'll touch the metal of this washbasin when the ice melts. And then the PCP will blow up.

Janitor brings BBQ's guard some food he likes and slyly tells BBQ to be ready to escape today at noon.

Mac almost forgets to take the tape recorder and take down the cake thing. Then he knocks on the door to be let out. Mustache leads him into the room where Baldy confronts him. About all the phony information. Mac gives him some more hogwash. And leads them out of the cell.

Blondie pulls up in a funky old-looking taxi, gets out and makes like she's having car trouble right in front of the prison gates. The guards at the door look interested.

Mac passes the coat with the PCP bomb and the tape recorder to Janitor.

He leads Baldy and Mustache to the fire pit and tells them that the information about the Swiss bank account where all the money was going to be deposited was buried under that fire.

Janitor sets a timer and sets up the tape recorder in the Warden's office. Then he takes the jacket down to BBQ's cell and tells him to light the pocket of the jacket in 3 minutes.

The timer in the Warden's office hits zero and the tape recorder (which has been switched to a faster speed) starts and plays over the PA. It sounds like approaching helicopters. The guards start to go nuts. They sound the alarm.

Mac throws ash in Mustache's face and punches Baldy. He runs off.

BBQ's guard gets a call and leaves.

BBQ lights the pocket and ducks out of the way. An explosion busts the lock and BBQ runs with Janitor down the darkened hallway.

The ice melts and the wire touches metal and the PCP lab explodes. The guards think that the choppers are doing all this.

Blondie gets her car and smashes the gate in. Mac quickly hugs Janitor goodbye and MacGyver and BBQ escape.

Warden tells Baldy that he will be in an isolation cell for the rest of his sentence. I guess Baldy's lucky Warden didn't kill him.

Blondie pulls the car in crooked and they all get out. BBQ goes and stands by another car, Blondie shoots the engine of the first car. And Mac is confused. BBQ says that they don't need MacGyver anymore and now they can kill him.

Blondie points the gun at him.

The story unravels. Mac has been played. Blondie is a Soviet agent. She's delivering weapons to the third-world. BBQ is an arms dealer.

BBQ: Must we have all this maudlin revelations? Just kill him and get it over with before the Gendarmes show up.
--Now THIS is a proper villain. Perhaps he can write my book.

Blondie is having a change of heart. She points the gun at BBQ and tells him that she won't be killing anyone. BBQ gets in the car and Blondie slowly backs towards the car. BBQ grabs her gun hand and fires at MacGyver (stormtrooper aim, but really you can't fault him for his poor aim with someone else holding the gun and him firing backwards and all) and drives off, leaving Blondie with Mac.

She says that if she doesn't get the weapons, BBQ will sell them to terrorists.

BBQ is driving up to a dock. Presumably it's where the weapons are. Mac and Blondie are following on foot.

Mac agrees to help Blondie if she'll agree to destroy the weapons if they find them.

BBQ is meeting with some terrorists.

Mac and Blondie find BBQ's car. They sneak in to where BBQ is showing the terrorists the weapons. Mac sends Blondie to go get the car, the terrorists are haggling.

MacGyver grabs a box of grenades that still use gunpowder (they're very old) and he's going to leave a trail of gunpowder that leads to the pile of the other grenades and the rest of the weapons.

He tosses one grenade near to BBQ and the terrorists, they duck for cover. And he lights the trail.

Blondie pulls up....in BBQ's car?! He left the keys in the car?! Sigh. I was so hopeful for him.

She pulls up right next to the lit gunpowder trail, but the wind raised by her arrival didn't disturb any of the loose powder and cause the flame to run out of fuel. So that was lucky....

Mac snatches the briefcase of money and hops in the backseat and they speed off.

BBQ's whole stash blows up.

Now we're back at the mission. Mac has turned the pile of scrap metal into a jungle gym. Blondie and Mac give the briefcase of money to the nun. (If she's a Mother Superior, it's still ok to call her a nun, right?)

And that's it!

THE END

Hope you enjoyed the episode as much as I did!

NEXT WEEK: A PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE