I was super excited (and not at all surprised) to hear that a concept for Avengers 2 is already in the works. I saw the movie opening weekend along with millions of fans, and for all the hype and anticipation and waiting... It was totally and completely worth it!

I plan to see it in theaters again at least one more time (though I would like to watch Captain America once more first because I seem to have forgotten most of that movie). My problem is I don't retain anything the first time around, which is why I think I enjoy watching movies over and over. There are bits and pieces that stick in my mind, but until I see it two or three times I feel like I haven't fully embraced it.

So putting my own personal feelings on the awesomeness that is the Avengers aside, even the statistics show that talk of the Avengers sequel is no surprise:

• Avengers brought in $207 million its opening weekend in the United States alone
• It set a new record, surpassing the $169 million from Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2's opening weekend
• It is officially the fastest movie to reach the $200 million mark domestically
• Opening day (May 4th) brought in $80.5 million, making it the second-highest single day at the box office
• The following day (May 5th) marked the highest Saturday take of all time with $69.7 million
• The second weekend brought in over $100 million
• Its world-wide total reaches over $1 billion

I'm anxious to hear more about the sequel, but for now I'm just going to enjoy the moment and be happy with this Avengers movie - as well as the knowledge of Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2, The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man on their way! I just can't get enough of these superheroes... Who's with me?!

     Well folks, the news I have been dreading to hear is upon us. For those of you who haven't heard by now, the TV show "Alcatraz" has been cancelled by FOX. Much like the real inmates of the prison for which the show is named after, the show was unable to escape the harsh scrutiny of the network.

     In case you were frozen in carbonite for the past six months, "Alcatraz" was about the supposed closing of the Alcatraz prison on March 21, 1963. The premise of the show is that it wasn't closed due to unsafe conditions, but due to the fact that all the prisoners and guards have vanished without a trace. You find out that the disappearance was a government operation, and a special agency was developed to handle the prisoners when they returned to modern day San Francisco. However, the prisoners return with no recollection of where they were, along compulsions to find certain objects and to continue their criminal habits. The show started out strong with 10 million viewers, and it had renewed the public's interest in the actual Alcatraz prison. It got to the point that the National Park Service has had to install warning signs for its public tours. Fans of the show had broken away from tours in an attempt to find the "nerve center" that is shown underneath the prison.

     While the show started out high viewership, unfortunately it did not last. It aired on Monday nights, and once other shows on other networks started their new seasons, people left "Alcatraz" to go back to their shows. After that happened, the ratings fell. If FOX just put the show on Wednesdays at eight, when NOTHING is on, Alcatraz would have done just fine. I find it unfair that a TV show suffers because all networks are clamoring to be the Monday night king. So because of the unwillingness to change the time slot, they decided to cancel the show, and piss off plenty of viewers who will never know why these prisoners have come back. I just wonder what they will do with all those left over "Alcatraz" promotional t-shirts they won't be able to sell.

     Let's face it, Lady Gaga is HUGE. Her music is widely popular, and her likeness is easily marketable and profitable. She is a power house in the music industry, and everyone knows who she is. She is known for her outlandish acts and wardrobe, but also uses that notoriety to push a message that it's OK to be different. A message like that resonates well with all, especially a younger generation that has been hit hard with bully epidemic. So with a personality that encompasses so much, it should come as no surprise that Lady Gaga will be a guest on "The Simpsons".

     For those you living under a rock for the last 25 years, The Simpsons is an animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for FOX. The series is a parody of a middle class American lifestyle as animated through family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield and parodies American culture, society, television and many aspects of the human condition. The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American animated program. The Simpsons has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 27 Primetime Emmy Awards, 30 Annie Awards and a Peabody Award. So as you can see, being a part of this show is an honor.

     Gaga is set to appear in this season's finale of the Simpsons, airing Sunday, May 20th. In typical Gaga fashion, she will have 18 outfit changes in the show, as well as a song a song that teaches Lisa that individuality beats conformity. I feel this is a great way to end this season, and I cannot wait to see how this turns out. Who knows, maybe she will make it into the annual Simpsons promotional calendar?

In last night's episode of Mad Men, there was no fist fight between Pete and Lane. We didn't watch Megan's mother cheat on her dad.  No characters experimented with drugs.  In fact, few, if any, significant events occurred.  But the show's characters are heating up; we're just waiting for them to reach their boiling points.

Much of the focus was on Don and Megan in this episode.  Megan's finally realized that while she may have a knack for copywriting, it's just not her passion. She will never stop wanting to be an actress.  Did her father's comments last week really have that much of an impact on her?

Megan sneaks behind Don's back to attend a callback for an audition, but soon the guilt eats away at her. She wakes him up in the middle of the night to tell him she's done at SCDP.  It's hard to gauge Don's reaction -- he knows that as her husband he must be supportive -- but there's disappointment in his eyes.  Megan is more than his wife; she's his student, his protégé.

Furthermore, Don needs Megan to seal the deal with a new client:  Cool Whip.  SCDP has come to rely on the couple's charming banter to win over new accounts.  And when Megan steps down to focus on a career in acting, who will take her place?  Can anyone really fill that void?

On Megan's final day at the office, Don kisses her good-bye before she rides the elevator down to the lobby and exits the building one last time.  As the doors close, Don hits the button again in what appears to be more of a reaction than a conscious decision.  But it begs the question:  Can he function at SCDP without her? The next set of elevator doors open and Don desperately runs toward it only to realize the elevator shaft is empty.  There's a hole in his heart as Megan makes her final departure. And although he'll see her at home, it's as if she's gone forever.

To make matters worse, Peggy, who doesn't quite possess the charisma that Megan has, fills in for the Cool Whip pitch. She doesn't have nearly enough time to practice, and the meeting can only be described as an epic fail.

It seems as if everyone is judging Megan's decision to leave. Don feels betrayed; after all, he helped build her career.  And Peggy just can't understand why anyone would willingly leave her job as a copywriter.

I can't help but feel they're all being a bit condescending. Who's to say Megan won't succeed as an actress? Sure, she showed potential as a copywriter, but she's got to do what's right for her. Of course it helps that she's now married to a wealthy man who will financially support her new career path, but I don't for one second think that was her plan all along.

While Don does his best to fake his happiness for Megan, we all see that look on his face.  He's uncertain about the future.  The Megan that turns him on, the Megan that makes him feel like he's in love, is a woman who is not only beautiful and kind, but also a great pitching partner. Now that she's not the "complete package," I can't help but notice Don seems dissatisfied. He wants to be glad for her, but feelings are already beginning to fade.

We're rooting for the supposedly new and improved Don, but his actions in Sunday night's episode have us questioning whether or not he's real.

Meanwhile, Pete Campbell is forcing change of his own. Looking for a little excitement in his life, he cheats on his wife with a woman who lives a few houses away. What's worse, he's friends with the woman's husband!  Pete's so bored of his suburban existence that it seems like he actually hopes he gets caught.

We're just waiting for these characters to reach their limits.  Will Don be able to adjust to his wife's new lifestyle? Can Pete get away with cheating for much longer? I'll be on the edge of my seat until episode nine!

     I must confess something. I have an addiction...to the Sunday night programming on HBO. It started with Sopranos, but then it just snowballed with Entourage, How to Make It in America, Bored to Death, Boardwalk Empire and Eastbound and Down. As you may have noticed, all but one of these shows have run their course, which means I am now going cold turkey trying to find something to quench my Sunday night fix until the new season of Boardwalk Empire kicks up in the fall. Some of you are probably saying "But Dan, one of HBO's top rated shows True Blood is coming on soon. Why don't you watch that?" Sorry folks, but I am not into all the vampire crap out there, and unless you are under 10 years old, neither should you. The only other show that was getting me by was Luck, but as many of you know, that was cancelled just over a month ago during production of its second season, and I feel it was unwarranted.

     The show Luck was about Chester "Ace" Bernstein, a career mobster, has just been released from a three-year prison sentence. Gus, his long-time friend and driver, has become the owner of "Pint of Plain," a promising Irish racehorse. Ace immediately begins making plans to take control of the Santa Anita racetrack in Los Angeles, while simultaneously plotting revenge against the ones he holds responsible for sending him to prison. They show had a lot of drama, and plenty of side stories involving other unique characters. In regards to ratings, the official series premiere, which was shown on January 29, 2012, generated 1.06 million viewers. The viewership reached its second lowest mark with the seventh episode at 474,000 viewers. Now I chalk this up to the fact that the show started off very slowly, with a lot of verbiage, character And plot development. This went on for a few episodes longer what most people would tolerate. Also, a few of the characters had accents, or spoke with a harsh tone, that was sometimes difficult to understand. Aside from those criticisms, the show was really good and started to get much more interesting toward the end of the season. In fact, HBO had such good faith in the show; they renewed it for a second season early in the first season. Then two episodes into filming the second season, they cancel it.

     It wasn't the criticisms that I stated that got the show cancelled. They had some unfortunate accidents with the horses during filming of the show. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Luck over the injury and euthanization of two horses during filming for the pilot and the seventh episode. Both horses received injuries to their legs during racing scenes that were deemed inoperable by several of the onsite veterinarians. Now, this wasn't  something that was HBO's fault. These things do happen in the racing world, and HBO even took precautionary lengths to ensure horse safety, like limiting the amount of runs any one horse would do in a day to 3, followed by plenty of rest, plus they had a full veterinary staff on site. However, with ratings sliding toward the end of the season, and a third horse being injured and euthanized during filming of the second season, HBO decided to cease all production of the show. After paying off the show’s production contracts and talent among other things, HBO and parent company Time Warner ended losing 35 million dollars on the show.

     Now I know Luck had it's share of bad luck (no pun intended), but it should not have been cancelled. Now that it has, I am not quite sure what to do until Boardwalk Empire comes back. They do have another show that looks promising called The Newsroom which is set behind the scenes of the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) and centers around anchor Will, his new executive producer Mackenzie MacHale, newsroom staff Maggie, Jim, Sloan, Neal, Don, and their boss Charlie Skinner, but that doesn't come out until June 24th. So until then, I guess I will wait anxiously, chewing on one of my promotional pens, looking for the next show to keep me entertained.

When Don Draper's daughter Sally is on the phone after spending a weekend with her dad in New York, her friend asks, "How's the city?" Sally responds with just one word that not only describes the streets of New York City as compared to her suburban home, but also everything she'd witnessed during her stay:  "Dirty."

The little girl saw a lot during her visit with dad.  She watched Megan Draper's parents fight loudly in a foreign language.  She sat in the audience as her chain-smoking father won an (ironic) award from the American Cancer Society.  Sally even accidentally walked in on Megan's mom cheating on her dad.

Sally's mood is obviously tainted by the weekend's events.  It's as if she's seen first-hand how immoral life in the city (or life as a grown up) can be.  But she's not the only one whose otherwise exciting weekend has been dampened; Megan's father expresses disapproval about her new life. "I always saw you were single-minded about your dreams and that would help you ... Don't let your love for this man stop you from doing what you want to do," he said.

Peggy's also having a weekend filled with mixed emotions. When her boyfriend Abe calls her at work and insists on seeing her that night, she instantly thinks the worst:  He's going to break up with me.  After confiding in Joan, she realizes Abe might not have bad news, but rather may plan on proposing to her.  Peggy's all excited about the possibility, and shows up to dinner in a new dress expecting to leave with a shiny engagement ring.  But Abe doesn't want to get married; he just wants to "shack up."  After some hesitation, she agrees (and Joan later congratulates her, reinforcing the fact that it might be a good idea).

When Peggy invites her mother over for dinner to share the happy news, her mom is less than pleased.  In fact, she leaves dinner, clearly disapproving of Peggy's decision. I think it's fair to say that the theme of the episode is "the wrath of the dissatisfied parents." Sigh.

But Sunday night's episode of "Mad Men" wasn't all raunchy and nasty.  I can't be the only person who was both excited and impressed by Megan's performance during dinner with Raymond, the Heinz rep (yep, he's still around).  During a trip to the bathroom with Raymond's wife, Megan learns he's about ready to fire SCDP because he's unhappy with their ideas for promoting Heinz. When the girls return to the table, Megan whispers the new information into Don's ear, and the two immediately turn on the charm.  They win Raymond over, and open up a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

What does the future hold for SCDP? Yes, they finally won Heinz over, but that's not enough to keep them afloat.  After Don learns that no one wants to work with him anymore since he published his hypocritical anti-smoking letter, he's visibly concerned.  Playing dirty might make for great revenge, but it can sure come back to bite you in the butt.

Yesterday the NBA basketball team formerly known as the New Jersey Nets officially released their new logo, taking a crucial step in the process of re-branding this franchise as it moves its home base from New Jersey to Brooklyn.

The now Brooklyn Nets have been a fairly well traveled basketball club since their inception in 1967 as a member of the American Basketball Association. In '67 the team played in New Jersey, but were called the New Jersey Americans for one season until they moved to Long Island in 1968 and began calling themselves the New York Nets. These New York Nets then merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976 and would end up moving back to New Jersey in 1977, presumably because the NBA already had a basketball team in New York called the Knickerbockers. The franchise was then appropriately re-named the New Jersey Nets and would remain in the Garden State until now.

Now the Nets will make their home in the brand new Barclay's Center being built in Brooklyn and it will be the first major professional sports team to represent Brooklyn since the storied and highly celebrated Brooklyn Dodgers played baseball there in the late 1950's. The Dodgers' departure from Brooklyn in 1957 devastated the city and according to some, even influenced the general decline of the area in the 60's and 70's.

Thus, there is a lot of pressure on the Nets to bring back sports excitement and a new tradition of winning to a place that enjoyed one of the most famous franchises in the history of American professional sports. That will be easier said than done, but the Nets have been diligently planning and strategizing for their new future. Each change has slowly but surely lent credibility to the Nets efforts to sell an "All New" franchise. Their new ownership group includes rapper/producer Jay-Z and is led by a rugged and outspoken Russian billionaire whom already predicted a championship for this franchise in the very near future. In 2010, the Nets hired an up and coming head coach with a great basketball mind, championship experience and a passion for the game and winning. Shortly after the head coaching hire, the team's long time president resigned and was replaced by an experienced former general manager with a fresh perspective.

Despite some recent failed efforts to lure superstar free agents or broker a trade for an all-star franchise player, the current Nets roster is equipped with young, high-potential talent. In 2011 the team pulled the trigger on a trade to acquire floor leader and point guard, Deron Williams. Williams is a talented and versatile player that can score almost at will when needed and runs an efficient offense that make his teammates better when he is on the court. Unfortunately, the question surrounding Deron Williams is if he will still be a part of the team when the Nets take the court in Brooklyn for the first time. When this season is officially over Williams becomes a free agent, which grants him the freedom to choose which team he wants to play for. Being the face of a rejuvenated franchise in a large and popular new market may sound enticing and I am sure there is a boat load of money that will come with that, but most players want to win championships and without some additional help for Williams, the Brooklyn Nets are likely to once again find themselves in the basement of the Eastern Conference standings, just as they have for the past five seasons.

For the past several years, in spite of losing seasons the Nets have been positioning some of their proverbial chess pieces to help create a new culture and tradition for the ballclub as they prepared for the big move. The beautiful, brand new state of the art sports complex is being finished as we speak, leaving only a few major milestones to accomplish before the concept of the Brooklyn Nets feels like it has come to fruition. One of those milestones was the official release of the new logo and with that we got to see the overall picture come into clearer focus. We have not yet seen the official uniforms, but various merchandise donning the new brand and color scheme is already for sale and early reaction seems to suggest that it will be a hit and potentially even a fashion trend thanks to the likelihood that Jay-Z will be promoting and sporting the apparel himself.

In my opinion, the new logo is bold in more ways than one. It is strong, deliberate and straight to the point. It's lack of color is perhaps the strongest statement not only because it strays so far from almost any other team logo, but because it's colorless and simplistic appearance gives it a more classic or traditional feel. At first I wasn't very impressed with it, especially when I found out that Jay-Z basically developed it on his own. In fact, I can still understand the point of view of those that felt it leaves something to be desired. At first glance I can even see how one would think it looks very amateur as far as design is concerned. However to be fair, I think I was more surprised initially because of how different it was from most typical new logo designs. Now that I have had the chance to absorb it and collect my thoughts, I not only like it more, but all things considered I think it was actually a smart marketing decision.

Whether you personally like it or not, it is hard to deny that it looks like a throwback logo from the late 1950's and 60's. It possesses none of the modern day design conventions that we have become accustomed to seeing; no drop shadows, no three-dimensional perspective elements, no glossy finishes or fancy fonts. The fact that there is no color may even be a nod to a time in our country when televisions did not broadcast in color, which also coincides with the last time there was a pro sports team in Brooklyn. That may be overly conceptualizing the reason behind the minimalist color scheme, but the new Brooklyn logo certainly looks older than the Nets' last one and I believe this was done purposely to express an 'old school' or classic look because it honors and acknowledges the rich sports history of Brooklyn while still being fresh and new at the same time. In fact, for something 'fresh and new', it even manages to maintain the general shape and feel of their last logo since after all, they're still the Nets. The only thing I think I would have liked even better, is if the 'B' in the basketball was closer to the font used to create the 'B' on the old Dodger caps. Either way, exciting times are on the horizon for the NBA, the Nets and their fans. So while New York gets another team, unfortunately for New Jersey, the state has now been left with only the Devils of the NHL for professional sports teams. Don't worry New Jersey, I'll continue to call the football Giants and Jets your teams until they start playing their home games in the state they claim to represent.

     Summers are a huge time for the movie and entertainment industry, and there tends to be one blockbuster movie and a few others that just get by. Every once in a while comes a summer filled with a lot of movies that people want to see, and this summer appears to be one of them. With releases coming out like "The Dark Knight Rises", "The Amazing Spiderman", "The Avengers", "The Expendables II", etc., I will surely be spending a lot of my time and money at the local theater.  However, I think there is a movie coming out that will do better than most people think, and that movie is called "Ted."

     Ted is a comedy about a man named John (Mark Wahlberg) makes a Christmas miracle happen by bringing his one and only friend to life, his teddy bear that is small enough to fit in a personalized tote bag. The two grow up together and John must then choose to stay with his girlfriend (Mila Kunis) or keep his friendship with his crude and extremely inappropriate teddy bear, Ted (voiced by Seth McFarlane). Seth, (who is the creator of almost the entire Sunday night lineup on FOX with Family Guy, The Cleveland Show and American Dad), is also the writer and director of this movie, which is his first theatrical work.

     I was skeptical at first, until I saw the trailer online. After that, I cannot wait until mid-July to see this movie. It looks so funny. Plus, the humor is an adult humor, which is raunchy at times, and is something that has been missing for the past year or two. The comedies that have been released are more for a younger crowd that may not be able to see a rated "R" movie, which is the rating that "Ted" has.  I am glad that the creator of Family Guy is also the creator of this gem of a movie. I am a fan of his work and it seems to translate well from a cartoon to a feature movie. I know it will do well, and I recommend anyone who is a fan of his work or has a sense of humor to see this movie. 

In advertising, the consumer doesn't necessarily want to hear the truth.  For example, we all know that if you want to slim down, no magic product is going to make it happen.  You've got to eat right, exercise, and work hard.  Yet if you turn on the TV, open up a magazine, or sign onto the Internet, you're quickly introduced to dozens of supposed quick fixes including fad diets and weight-loss pills.  People want what's good, and unfortunately that's not always what's real.

At some point in last night's episode, Peggy, Megan, Don, Roger and Jane all face a similar inner conflict:  How can I be honest when nobody, including myself, wants to hear it? The episode's narration and structure are confusing to say the least, but that just adds to the evidence of this struggle.

Throughout season five, Peggy's been fighting with herself over the same issue.  Will she ever be trusted and respected as much as her mentor Don is?  At a second meeting with Heinz, she proudly unveils a new ad she thinks the company's rep will love. She argues that it delivers exactly what he asked for, and yet because Don's not there to back Peggy up, another one of her pitches gets rejected.  In Don's absence, Peggy decides to act how he would:  She's brutally honest.  But she's not Don, and the rep doesn't want to hear the painful truth from a woman.  Peggy's taken off the account.

Megan, Don's wife, is facing a similar battle.  While she and Don are certainly still in the "honeymoon phase" of their life together, she can't seem to stand up for herself.  Her judgment is clouded because he is, after all, not just her husband but also her boss.  Each time Don drags her away from work to have some fun, deep down she knows what's right -- she should remain at the office until her assignments are complete.  But she can't seem to bring herself to be up-front with him.  That is, until all the built-up tension culminates during a vacation-gone-wrong.  Their fighting comes down to one thing:  Megan can't be everything that Don wants her to be -- a good mom, a fun toy, a loyal employee and more -- and it's eating away at her.

When Megan does finally snap at her new husband, he can't handle the truth.  He plays the victim, when in reality his controlling attitude is what's bothering Megan to begin with.  After several agaonizing hours, the two seem to make up.  Don holds her closely and whispers sadly, "I thought I lost you."  But if this happens every time Megan and Don have to confront reality, I can't see their relationship lasting.

If you've tuned into season five, you already know that Roger's bored with his wife Jane.  But what the audience didn't understand until last night is how Jane feels.  The two attend a dinner party that's being hosted by some of Jane's friends including her psychiatrist.  Roger grudgingly agrees to experiment with drugs at the party after Jane pleads with him, claiming that it may help repair their relationship.  But what actually happens is something nobody expected:  They both acknowledge that their marriage is over.

The next morning, after the drug has left her system, Jane's hurt.  Despite the fact that she and Roger mutually agreed that their relationship is a disaster, once the reality sinks in for Jane, it's awful.  Meanwhile, Roger acts as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders; he clearly never cared about her.

The truth is a strange thing.  Generally, we have trouble being honest with ourselves and with the people we love.  We'd like to believe that being honest is always best, but in the end, most people aren't willing to accept reality.  Now that Peggy, Megan, Don, Roger and Jane have confronted how things really are, can their characters continue to grow and develop? Or will the nasty side of truth keep them stuck?

     Well California, you're doomed. I know you guys were hit hard with the state of the nation's economy, but I did have hope for you guys. However, that all changed when I heard the most damaging news to your great state; "Kim Kardashian plans to run for mayor of Glendale California." I know folks; it sent shivers down my spine as well.

     It pains me to think that someone of that "caliber" would want to ruin a town like that. She is not someone who is fit to run a hot dog stand, let alone a town. Now I am sure some of are saying, "Well Dan, she is very successful and cofounded a company, she must be smart and business savvy...right?" Well, my theory is that she is pretty and rich, so smart and savvy are not as necessary. Her beauty and booty got her the notoriety she embraces today, and her money gets her the people she needs to run a company. Kim is merely the mascot. The only thing scarier about her running for mayor is any person out there willing to vote for her. But don't worry Glendale, there's a city out there that is trying to out-shine you.

     Not to be out-done, in my neck of the woods, Alec Baldwin announced that he is still considering a run for mayor of New York City. How great! Someone who is completely full of himself from the suburbs and not the city, dictating his policies, which I am sure will be "so beneficial" to residents of NYC. If he were on the ballot in 2017, I think I might do something as drastic as vote current Mayor Michael Bloomberg for a fourth term. However I would take Baldwin over Kardashian as mayor any day.

     Maybe I am judging these television stars too soon. Perhaps Kim will use her charm an appeal to make the town a more beautiful place, or Alec may use his influence and strong or forceful personality to change things for the better. After all, I am only basing my opinion and what I see on television, and not on the actual people themselves. All I know is, it won't be long before we all start seeing people wearing promotional t-shirts showing their support for the potential candidates.