The Daily Sampler

Just to get you caught up in the entertainment world:

While You Were Working (The Marquee Blog) – Plus Seth Meyers is taking over for Jimmy Fallon when he leaves Late Night.  Also, Barbara Walters is going to retire after next year, like I already warned you about.  It’s about time, in my opinion.

MONDAY HELPINGS: Hello, loves.  Welp, we survived Monday.  I’m surviving even better with a glass of red and a penchant for finding new music.  There was a time in my life where I made a new “mix” every month; a collaboration of mostly new music with some less-heard classics folded in.  I usually named them by month and year, and even now, I still listen and am immediately transported to whatever I was doing in life at that moment.  And interestingly enough, I seemed to be attracted to the exact right tunes that fit my life perfectly at that moment, even if I didn’t know an artist or song when I decided to take the chance and download it.  The last 2-3 years, I’ve hardly refreshed my music collection, and I think a large part of my disconnect from things has been my inability to find new songs I love.  I like upbeat stuff.  I’m not going through a breakup or the regular types of heartbreak, so I’m not really interested in soulful melodies or folksy longing.  I still can’t do country, and have a hard time connecting with rap these days.  That being said, I feel like I may be turning a leaf into some new inspiration.  It might really happen for me tonight.  I’m so damn philosophical with a glass of wine in hand.

‘The Great Gatsby’ Soundtrack: A Track-by-Track Review (Moviefone) – It’s quite typical, I know, that I might jump on something like this.  You’ve got your epic movie, you’ve got Baz Luhrmann and all his Aussie inspirado, you’ve got Jay Z and Beyonce… that’s pretty much an “L.Hyatt approved combination” if I’ve ever heard one.  So I sampled it.  And shit, I like it.  I’m sorry.  You’ve also got a little Lana Del Ray, Will.I.Am, and a party anthem by Fergie.  It’s the perfect pre-summer compilation.

Will you just go listen, already?

Broadcast Ax: Cancelled Shows 2013 (InsideTV/EW) – Soooo many shows got hurt so badly.  Ouchies.  It will be a relief to not have 4 episodes of Smash on my DVR anymore, I’m not going to lie.  Such promise, really lost its way.  I actually feel like there’s more casualties than this list illustrates.  I’ll get back to you, but in the meantime, see if your show survived.

How I Learned a Language in 90 Days (Lifehacker) - This time a month from now, I’ll be days from leaving for Italy, and I can’t yet order my ideal pasta dish.  I’m in real trouble on this one, folks.  Ciao.

11 Diseases Coffee Can Prevent (The Daily Meal) – Don’t let any self-righteous person try and take your coffee.  They will die early.  They are in the wrong.

The 50 Cutest Things That Ever Happened (Buzzfeed) – Because it’s Monday.

Spread the love. Tomorrow is Tuesday.