Whoever picks the music for those iPod commercials does a pretty damn good job. Of appealing to my tastes anyway. Hell, I even liked the dirty French song by “Prototypes” that was kicking around a couple of months ago. The song in the new ad (go here for the Quicktime version) pretty much kicked my ass. “Flathead” by the Fratellis. I’m looking up the CD in hopes that the whole thing is good and not just the one song.

YouTube version for those who don’t mind a little blocky-ness:

Digital Orville Redenbacher freaks me right out. He is dead. Let’s let him be dead. Because Zombie Orville is just wrong, wrong, wrong.

Commercial is currently here. View at your peril.

Today’s “Conversation with an Idiot”:

Customer – “How much is the estimate?”

Me – “$160″

Customer – ‘Well, I’ll be able to pay most of it and I’ll just make arrangements to pay the rest later.”

Me – “Uh, no. We’ll need full payment from you before we can release the machine.”

Customer – “Really? Oh. Hmph.”

This is what I deal with. Everyday. I fully support Logan’s Run-style executions for everyone with an IQ below 70. Who’s with me?

The Macworld keynote was today. iPhone, Apple TV, etc. My favorite part? John Mayer. I’ll let Macworld.com take it from here:

“Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. just make life more fun,” said Mayer in between songs. “It’s the exact opposite of terrorism.”

What? What was that? What did he just say? What the hell–terrorism? It’s a PHONE. Where the hell does terrorism come into play? What an idiot!

It would appear that Mayer hanging out with / dating Jessica Simpson is either taking it’s toll, or now makes perfect sense. He now takes his place beside Bono in the Self-Important Jackass Hall of Fame.

Apologies for the glaring omission from my list, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. I probably should have bumped one of the BBC shows for this one, but frankly it slipped by me somehow. So Mr. Tony gets his own post.

Anthony Bourdain is one of the great degenerates of our time. That is a compliment. Never without a drink or cigarette in hand, he journeys across the globe and dives into the destination. He scoffs at tour buses, shakes his fist at cruise ships. He travels to experience, not to just see. I dig that he gives the proper due to cultures or ceremonies that most of us would wrinkle our nose at. But not Tony, he gives people and places their proper respect. And I just admire the hell out of him for it.

Plus, it is just plain fun to watch him sit in a kitchen with an Inuit family while they butcher and eat a seal:

Since this has evolved into a quasi-TV blog, I figured I’d drop my top-10 list for 2006:

10 – Heroes (NBC)
Flawed but oh so fun, I’ll admit I’m hooked.

9 – House (FOX)
Keep Hugh Laurie crackin’ wise, and I’ll keep watching. I could do without the extra dramatic middle season arcs, but I guess the writers get tired of the paint-by-numbers episodes.

8 – Life On Mars (BBC)
I loved the hell out of this show. A detective is thrown into the past, and we don’t know how or why or even whether it is really happening. DCI Gene Hunt is one of my favorite characters on TV.

7 – Doctor Who (BBC)
I was furious about the Christopher Eccleston regeneration and assumed the new Doctor would pale in comparison. I was wrong. David Tennant has been tremendous, bringing a manic energy to the role. There were a couple of clunker episodes in the 2nd half of the season, but I assume that was intentional because of the budgetary concerns for the finale. If they need a couple of clunkers to save enough money for a finale like that, well that’s ok with me.

6 – How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
The only 1/2 hour comedy I’m watching. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s the new Seinfeld.

5 – The Shield (F/X)
Throw Forest Whitaker into the mix and give him room to roar. Recipe for success.

4 – The Venture Bros (Cartoon)
The best comedy on TV, animated or not.

3 – Battlestar Galactica (SciFi)
Has steadily climbed up my TV ladder and ranks as one of my favorites in season 3.

2 – Veronica Mars (CW)
Surprise! VM comes in at #2 this year, though I still dearly love the “little show that could.” Our spunky protagonist hasn’t lost a step, and the mini-arc format looks to be a much better method of storytelling.

1 – Dexter (Showtime)
Dark, funny, compelling and full of suspense. Took a good premise from the book and punched it up like crazy. Emmy worthy performance from Michael C. Hall.

Honorable Mention:
Boondocks (Cartoon)
Criminal Minds (CBS)
Robin Hood (BBC)
Bones (FOX)
The Unit (CBS)
Smallville (CW)
Psych (USA)
Frisky Dingo (Cartoon)

Most Disappointing shows of 2006:
Gilmore Girls (CW)
The Dead Zone (USA)
Lost (ABC)
Torchwood (BBC)
The 4400 (USA)
Nip/Tuck (F/X)