Timberlake joins the Star-Studded 5-Timers Club on SNL

One thing SNL does best is welcoming back old friends.  Last night was Justin Timberlake's fifth time hosting the show.  This puts him into an exclusive club of hosts that includes Christopher Walken, Tom Hanks, John Goodman, and others.  Basically all of the hosts who were funny enough to have been cast members themselves.

It also brought back the traditional Five-Timers Club skit, and the stars that come with it.  Check it out:



The returning stars were:  Paul Simon, Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Martin Short, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, and Candice Bergen.  Steve Martin in particular always cracks me up in these.  He plays the pretentious club member all too well.  Also coming back for an iteration of the "Dick in a Box" skit was Andy Samberg, his first appearance back since he left the show last season.

I look forward to Jon Hamm's future induction.

The SimCIty Fiasco

I'm not going to rehash all of the problems with the release so far.  I'm just going to post this perfect in-game representation of Sim fans' opinion of EA.

What a well-designed city.  I think we'll name it EA

Apparently the single-player gaming experience is dead and buried for AAA titles.  From now on it'll just be forced online social integration.  And if you think this is just and isolated thing, check out the Facebook integration planned for the PS4. (Kotaku)  I can't believe people actually want these kind of features

'The Hold Steady' to Perform Song in 'Game of Thrones' Season 3

A Battle-Scarred Tyrion Lannister

Indie Rock band 'The Hold Steady' will perform a song with lyrics by George RR Martin himself this season on 'Game of Thrones'.  The band will perform the jaunty tavern tune "The Bear and Maiden Fair", lyrics penned by Martin and music composed by the show's composer Ramin Djawadi.

This isn't new territory for the show as another indie band, 'The National' performed the somber "The Rains of Castemere" during season 2.  Pretty cool for the showrunners to do stuff like this, although I'm sure there was no shortage of talent willing to participate.  But it really lends depth and character to the world created for the show.  I love the touches like this, especially for "The Rains of Castemere" which plays a big role in such a pivotal scene in the books.

Lyrics to "The Bear and the Maiden Fair":

A bear there was,

A bear, A BEAR!

All black and brown,

And covered with hair 

Oh come they said,

Oh come to the fair!

The fair? said he,

But I’m a bear!

All black and brown,

And covered in hair! 

And down the road,

From here to there,

From here!To there!

Three boys, a goat,

And a dancing bear!

They danced and spun,

All the way to the fair! 

Oh! sweet she was,

And pure and fair,

The maid with honey,

In her hair! Her hair,

The maid with honey,

in her hair! 

The bear smelled the scent,

On the summer air!

The Bear! The Bear!

All black and brown,

And covered with hair!

He smelled the scent,

On the summer air,

He sniffed and roared,

And smelled it there!

Honey on the summer air! 

Oh I’m a maid,

And I’m pure and fair,

I’ll never dance,

With a hairy bear,

A bear! A bear!

I’ll never dance,

With a hairy bear! 

The bear,the bear!

Lifted her high,

into the air!

The bear, the bear! 

I called for a knight!

But you’re a bear!

A bear! A bear,

All black and brown,

And cover in hair! 

She kicked and wailed,

The maid so fair,

But he licked the honey,

From her hair!

Her hair! Her hair!

He licked the honey,

From her hair! 

Then she sighed and squealed,

And kicked the air,

She sang: My bear so fair,

And off they went,

The bear! The bear!

And the maiden fair!

So get hyped, because season 3 starts March 31st at 9pm EST on HBO. Which means more of the enchanting Rose Leslie as Ygritte.

Rose Leslie as Ygritte

 Can't wait until then?  Check out this Season 3 extended trailer: