My Favorite Songs of 2025

Full disclosure. I'm not sure if I'm going to have a best and worst of the year post for 2025. I have a selection for both the best and worst song of the year, so I can share that the best is in the post. By the way, I highly recommend the posts by Josh on his favorites of the year (this is his favorite songs post).

Here are my 11 favorite songs of the year in no particular order.

Alex Warren - Ordinary

What a voice. And this song just explodes in the chorus. 

Taylor Swift - Fate of Ophelia

All she does is write hit song after hit song.

Role Model - Sally, When The Wine Runs Out

Will Role Model be a one-hit wonder? If he is, this is a really good hit. Enough that I wrote about him twice now this year.

Sydney Sprague - Flat Circle

I learn of most music these days from listening to the Hits1 station on SiriusXM. I learned of this song from The Tony Kornheiser Show podcast which regularly features music shared by listeners or their family/friends. This is one such song. I love the guitar riff.

Raye - Where Is My Husband

And this song is one that I love for the drums.

Ragga Holm - Liour Vel 

A song I heard several times on Icelandic radio. Still have no idea what it's about or any of the lyrics.

K-Pop Demon Hunters (Huntrix) - Golden

Only the biggest song in the world. We're all going up, up, up.

AJR - The Big Goodbye

I want to see AJR in concert with my kids. Think it would be a great show. And while this probably isn't even in my top 5 AJR songs, I just like it.

Tame Impala - Dracula

The video has a bad word in it so NSFW. I've seen or heard Tame Impala's name for several years but this seems to be the first song that's getting "pop" airplay. It's really good.

Ravyn Lenae - Love Me Not 

Another song that I just like.

5 Seconds of Summer - Not OK

Spoiler. This is my favorite song of the year. If I write a best of 2025 post, I'll explain more then.

Spelling Words in Songs

I recently submitted an application for virtual media access to the 67th annual Grammy Awards in February 2025. Unfortunately, the Sean's Ramblings budget does not allow me to travel to and attend the red carpet and ceremony in Los Angeles (assuming that I get accepted), but I think it would be fun to cover the Grammy Awards remotely and provide interesting and informative information to you. To demonstrate my music credentials to the Recording Academy, I am writing this blog post to show a trend in music history maybe not known to many. And my finding/theory is this: 

Spelling a word in a song = H-I-T

Seems simple, right? Like A-B-C (though ABC isn't an actual word), easy as 1-2-3!

While I acknowledge that this is not an exhaustive review of every song with words spelled out, I think this is a pretty thorough list. The idea of this post/theory stemmed from the current Chappell Roan song, HOT TO GO! where the artist spells out H-O-T-T-O-G-O 14 times. It's a really catchy song and Target agreed by featuring it in a commercial. HOT TO GO reached #15 on the Billboard HOT 100 chart, but would easily have reached #1 if Billboard had a HOT TO GO 100 chart. Let's take a look at other songs that help make my argument.

Respect by Aretha Franklin

This is simply one of the greatest songs of all time. Not much more to write except that it went to #1 in 1967.

Saturday Night by Bay City Rollers

BCR (did anyone ever call them BCR?) just comes right out with a spelling lesson. It’s right there at the start of the song. S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night! Saturday Night hit the top spot in 1976.

Jump Jump by Kris Kross 

Two different words spelled in the same song. First, you have the D-A-double D-Y-M-A-C. (Yeah, you know me!) Later, either the Mack Daddy or the Daddy Mack spells out J-U-M-P. Next, wear your clothes backwards, and you get a 1992 #1 song.

Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani

You never realized how much fun it was/is to spell bananas until Gwen Stefani told us. This song was #1 in 2005, or nearly 20 years ago which is B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

U.N.I.T.Y by Queen Latifah

Although this song didn't reach the top 20 like the others above (#23 in 1995), this is Queen Latifah's biggest song and won a Grammy for best rap solo performance.

Gloria - Them

Until I started writing this post, I thought this was a Van Morrison song. Turns out, the song was released by Morrison's band Them in 1964. This is the rare song in this post that didn't chart very highly. Sort of. While Them's original Gloria only peaked at #75, a cover version released around the same time by The Shadows of Knight  reached #10. Patti Smith and The Doors both had their own versions of the song. This song received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award and made multiple greatest songs and rock songs of all time lists. While I can't prove it, I don't think this happens without Morrison spelling out G-L-O-R-I-A. (The audience shots in the video below are fantastic.) Thanks to Wikipedia for all of this information.

P.I.M.P. by 50 Cent

Let's go back to 2003. 50 Cent was the biggest artist in the country. His Get Rich or Die Tryin' album sold over 9 million copies. Although P.I.M.P. didn't reach the top spot like 50's first two singles from this album, it made it to #3. Not too shabby.

Safety Dance by Men Without Hats

After being told that you can dance if you want to, this song went to #3 in 1983. I also danced to this song with friends at an 80s dance party in college.

Fergalicious by Fergie featuring will.i.am

Glamorous by Fergie featuring Ludacris

While Fergie may not be a pioneer in spelling words in songs, if you had a spelling contest, she would be the bee champion. Fergie released these songs back-to-back with Fergalicious reaching #2 in January 2007 and Glamorous going to #1 in March of the same year. The former somewhat indirectly spells multiple words like the D-A- double D-Y-M-A-C did 15 years earlier. First, you have "T to the A, to the S-T-E-Y girl, you tasty" followed by D to the E, to the L-I-C-I-O-U-S. Glamorous has none of the "to the" in the middle of a word. That's probably why the latter went all the way to the top of the chart! 

First Class by Jack Harlow

Harlow sampled Glamorous in 2022 and kept the spelling of Fergie's title in his version. The result was another #1 song. 

Lola by The Kinks

Spelling out C-O-L-A and L-O-L-A is just brilliant. This song reached the top 10 by going to #9 in 1970.

R.O.C.K In the U.S.A. by John Mellencamp

#2 in 1986. Maybe this would have gone to #1 if Mellancamp went by John Cougar Mellencamp at the time.

Steal My Sunshine by Len

Although it’s not prominent, Len sneaks in the spelling of L-A-T-E-R early in the second verse. Steal My Sunshine went to #9 in the US in 1999 and is Len's only charting song.

Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton

The winner of the longest spelled word goes to Macklemore for I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T.  No record label is going to sign him. He's not going to sell out! Can't Hold Us went to #1 in 2013 and was the most streamed song on Spotify that year.

O.P.P. by Naughty by Nature

Y.M.C.A. by Village People

Technically, these are abbreviations and not words. O is for other, P is for people. The last P , hmm, stands for property. This song reached #6 in 1991 and was played at every single homecoming dance in America that fall.

Not much to write about Y.M.C.A. Amazingly, it never reached #1 in the US, peaking at #2, though it went #1 in 15 other countries. If someone finds this blog in 100 years and looks through the songs in this post, this is the one that will still be known.

Finally, I'll give an honorable mention to Taylor Swift for her song Me with Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco where she says "Spelling is fun." I agree with Taylor (though apparently there was some controversy with this line), and spelling words in songs is a key to success!

A Taylor Swift Post That's Not About Taylor Swift

You may have heard of a singer named Taylor Swift. She is currently taking her talents to Australia as part of her Eras Tour. Singer Rita Ora, her husband filmmaker Taika Waititi, and singer (and Sean's Ramblings favorite) Katy Perry attended Swift's Sydney concert which took place yesterday/today/tomorrow (I don't know the time difference between Sydney and the Eastern time zone of the US). So why I am writing about this? Check out Rita Ora's hat for the show.

Clearly, Rita Ora is excited about the Pirates signing Mitch Keller to an extension!

For more Celebrities in Pittsburgh Gear posts (this is my second this week!), please click here.

Photos from The Era Tour Twitter page (here and here), the Taylor Swift Updates Twitter page, and a screenshot of a brief video of Ora and Perry by Cooper.

A Message For Anti-Taylor Swift Pittsburgh Sports Fans

Taylor Swift is arguably the biggest current musician in the world. Travis Kelce is a future Hall-of Famer football player who just won his third Super Bowl in the last five years. Naturally, the relationship between these talented individuals has garnered some attention. Too much attention? Maybe. Is that the fault of Swift and Kelce? Again, maybe. 

 

Surrounding the Super Bowl, I have seen numerous mentions of Taylor Swift from Pittsburgh sports fans critical of the attention she has received, and the amount of screen time she gets during football games. Swift ended up appearing on screen for 55 seconds during the Super Bowl. That's less than the amount of time that Tom Brady appeared on screen during commercials. While that number increased during the post-game celebration, 55 seconds of a 3+ hour telecast is insiginificant. So to those Pittsburgh sports fans mad about Swift, why are you upset? Do you think she takes attention from the game, or do you just want to admit that you don't like her?

Now if a Pittsburgh sports fan says that they hate how the attention on Swift takes away from the game, they clearly forgot about the Cole Tucker-Vanessa Hudgens relationship. Maybe Hudgens didn't get much (or any) screen time during Pirates games, but that had more to do with Tucker only playing 43 games with the team after the relationship started.

 

Maybe Hudgens-Tucker is a bad example. So what about all of the media coverage and camera shots of Evgeni Malkin's parents during the Penguins' Stanley Cup runs? Did you find that distracted you from the games? How dare the cameras cut to Geno's parents celebrating after he scored a big playoff goal! The focus needs to be on the game, right?

 

Let's not act like Pittsburghers are immune from being starstruck. Joshua Axelrod of the Post-Gazette, who I like and enjoy his work, regularly writes about television and movies being filmed in Pittsburgh. My guess is these are some of his most-read pieces. There are countless stories about where Tom Hanks had dinner or what gym Emma Watson visited or Ed Sheeran making pizzas during their time in Pittsburgh.

 

The same people critical of the screen time Taylor Swift receives during football games didn't complain about Jay-Z attending a Pitt-Duke game at The Pete. They don't scream about in-game interviews of Steelers players attending Pirates or Penguins games. How many times did Ben Roethlisberger get on TV during Pens games? Where was the outrage then? What about the many celebrities (such as Wiz Khalifa and Michael Keaton) who throw out the first pitch of a Pirates game and then are shown during the telecast? The Pirates even had a K-Pop superstar throw out the first pitch of a 2015 game. Never seen any complaints about in-game interviews with or television shots of Joe Manganiello or Billy Gardell. I remember people celebrating Sofia Vergara becoming a Steelers fan after she started dating Manganiello. 

Admit it. You're mad about Taylor Swift. Maybe it's her politics or her music or the attention, but it’s about you not liking Swift. Now if you're consistent in your belief that players' significant others, parents, or kids or any other celebrity should never appear on screen during sporting events, feel free to share. Show me receipts as the kids say. (Do kids say this?) And if you don't have any, start now with the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

 

Pitcher Paul Skenes was baseball's #1 draft pick in 2023. If he lives up to his potential, Skenes will be an all-star and one of the best pitchers in the National League. Assuming (and I know it's a big assumption) that the Pirates make the playoffs thanks to great performances by Skenes, Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, etc., Skenes' girlfriend Olivia "Livvy" Dunne might appear at playoff games. Although she doesn't sell out stadiums like Swift, Dunne is a big deal. She is a gymnast at LSU, appears in TV commercials and magazine covers, and has nearly 5 million followers on Instagram and more on other social media sites. 

 

If it’s not about Taylor Swift, start posting on social media everyday how you hope that Dunne is never shown during Pirates games. Start telling all your friends that any Pirates loss or Skenes bad start is because Dunne is a distraction. Let’s see the videos about how Dunne was hired by Pirates owner Bob Nutting to help Joe Biden get re-elected (or something). If the Pirates make the playoffs, please complain about how Dunne is attracting more people including young women to become Pirates fans. I’ll be here to read all about it!

* Photo of Taylor and Travis from AFP via Getty Images. Not 100% certain, but I think it was taken by Patrick T. Fallon.

* Photo of Vanessa and Cole from Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty.

* Photo of Olivia and Paul from her Instagram page.

Random Ramblings

* The Moose just started his second semester of 7th grade and is taking Family & Consumer Science. Part of this class is a cooking unit, and after watching the first two seasons of The Bear, I fully expect him to swear a lot and start yelling "Yes Chef" at all times. 

* I started wearing contact lenses in 9th grade and while I don't wear them everyday like I used to in my teens and 20s, I still wear them more than my glasses. That ended recently. I started getting headaches if I wore them too long, so I haven't worn my contacts since January 1st. That needs to change. 

* While The Moose doesn't do this, there is a high percentage of middle schoolers (both boys and girls) that wear pajama pants to school. I don't get it.

* We won at trivia a few weeks ago, and one of the prizes was the socks pictured below. Most of my socks are black or brown or your standard Nike or Adidas socks. I want to become a fun sock guy. These socks will start it all!

* When I look at myself in the mirror, I see only brown hair. I mean, I'm mostly bald at this point, but the hair that I have is brown. However, at a recent haircut, there seemed to be a lot of gray on the cape.I think (or at least hope) that all the gray is from my sideburns.

* I didn't shave for several days, and I only shaved my neck so I didn't look like former quarterback Kyle Orton. When I picked up Pedro Tulo and Luigi, the after-school teacher complimented me on my beard. While I already shaved and aren't planning on growing a beard soon, it's nice to know I can grow a good-looking beard almost instantly.

* Over the last few months, I've binge-watched Yellowstone. While I'm almost done with season 4 and overall enjoyed the show, I'm getting a little tired of the messaging that cities, government, environmentalism, and in some cases education (for Jamie but not Beth) are bad and just living as a cowboy and vigilante justice solves everything.

* The other show I'm watching is Only Murders In The Building. I'm in the middle of season two and love it. So much fun!

* Finally, Pedro Tulo and Luigi wanted to watch the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday, so I watched it with them. Anyone complaining about the amount of airtime Taylor Swift gets during Kansas City football games must also be going crazy about how much Peyton and Eli Manning appeared on the ESPN telecast. Yes, they were the coaches in the game, but ESPN showed one or both of them after EVERY SINGLE PLAY and sometimes even during the play on a split-screen. When they weren't on the screen, ESPN showed Ray Lewis instead. Would have been nice to spend more time with current players.

An MTV Station Showing Music Videos

There was a free preview of several television stations last week including HDNET Movies, Sony Movies, and the Smithsonian Channel. There really wasn't anything on any of these channels worth watching or recording, but I decided to check out the station MTV Live. This station had a novel concept. It showed music videos.

For those of you under 25 (who am I kidding? No one under 25 is reading this!), MTV, short for Music Television, launched in 1981 and played music videos. The station added other shows over the years and pretty much abandoned showing videos. VH1, or Video Hits 1, emerged a few years after MTV and still played videos after MTV stopped, but they also chose other programming over videos. (RIP VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown). So I was excited to see a station showing music videos again.

Over about 30 minutes or so, I saw videos by Taylor Swift, several K-Pop bands, and other bands/artists I've never heard of. There was a new video by Limp Bizkit that wasn't terrible. Please don't consider that last sentence an endorsement. There was also this cool looking video by Julian Lennon, WHO is ROLLING like STONES as the son of a famous British musician. (See what I did there?)

I checked out the station the next night and saw some of the same videos again. And commercials. I quickly realized that MTV made the right decision not airing music videos anymore. While I still think there is value to a video countdown show, few people are going to sit and watch random videos with commercials breaks as long as YouTube is around. Or just about anything else airing or streaming.

Dancing and Life

For many years, I've wanted to be part of a campaign and to be an influencer. I get occasional offers from companies to subtly or not-so-subtly include a link to a website in a post. Some are fine and I accept. Others seem a little sketchy, so I decline. These have always been one-time posts and are designed to feel organic though that's not always the case.

So this is very cool. For the first time, an organization picked me / Sean's Ramblings to be an influencer for their campaign. And that organization is Dancing and Life, which provides free and premium training and coaching to help you overcome crises and live your best life. I think we can agree that we can all use that right now. Dancing and Life teaches you the power of movement and dance to help you feel better. This is rather simplistic, but in my mind, when I hear It Takes Two by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock or Groove Is In the Heart by Dee-Lite, I want to dance, and I immediately feel better.

Obviously, Dancing and Life is much more than this. The first step is to take a 3-minute quiz about what inner strength will help you through a crisis. It sounds much more intimidating than it is. In case you're wondering, I am a strong inner healer. According to the quiz results, the traits that make me great in a crisis is that I'm relationship-oriented, empathetic, committed, selfless, and tolerant. This is right on the money. Famous people that are also strong inner healers include Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, William Shakespeare, and Taylor Swift. I also say how much Oprah, Taylor, and I have in common, and this proves it!

Then, join the free Dancing Through Crisis 7-Day Challenge led by Saje Flow. What an awesome name. By the way, Saje did a monster livestream to kick off this initiative on Monday. If you're interested, you can check out my appearance at the 9:52 mark. Not 9 minutes and 52 seconds. The 9 hour and 52 minute mark!

Saje has so much energy. I'm jealous of his flowing hair too. I might be getting off topic. Check out the videos on the 7-day challenge. This is all free. There is some premium content after this, which is completely optional. The website also has plenty of information and can answer any questions you may have.

Plus, Saje is doing a 30-day New Year New You Transformation. Please check out my Facebook page to see what this entails each day.

I think that's it. I'm doing this, and I'm being an influencer, so I hope that you've been influenced. 

Update 1/17: I mentioned this just briefly in this blog post, but I am posting a new challenge or message every day during the 30-day New Year New You Transformation on my Twitter and Facebook pages. For example, on Thursday, the challenge was to share your wish for the year. (I included that it should be something personal to you and not the end of COVID or a safe and peaceful inauguration since everyone wants there.) You can share it with everyone else on my or your social media or just keep it to yourself. 

Update 1/28: The day #18 challenge was to share a brief video of you "raising the roof" and proclaiming to the world one thing you've learned this week or that you achieved today. I guess I'll pick the what I achieved today option. I finished writing a blog post, finished something I needed to get done for work, helped my older kids with math, and participated in a dance challenge (more on this in a separate post). Plus, I get to include this gif.

Update 2/5: The day #26 challenge was to share a video of yourself looking into the mirror when you wake up in the morning, and saying, "Thank you and I love you." All I could think of was the picture of Alex Rodriguez about to kiss himself in the mirror. 

Update 2/7: One of the challenges is have "me time" by going somewhere into nature like a beach, park, or even your backyard and sit in silence for 5 minutes with your phone off. Then, you should write what came up for you. Unfortunately, this is one that I can't do. Just too much going on in my life. There is not any time for me time. 

Cole Tucker and The Jonas Brothers

It’s been quite a good run for the Jonas Brothers. I mean, sure, they’re on a seemingly highly successful tour, performed on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, appeared on their own episode of Carpool Karaoke, and earned a Grammy nomination (though many thought they deserved more). More importantly, however, they golfed with Jerome Bettis and recently met Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Cole Tucker.

In the Pittsburgh sports world, it seems like they’re only missing out on hanging out with a Pittsburgh Penguins player. I think Brandon Tanev may be available!

Until that time, the Jonas Brothers are no Taylor Swift!

Sean Analyzes Song Lyrics - Summer 2019

The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards took place on Monday night. This isn't a post about how I'm too old for MTV or me complaining about how MTV doesn't play videos anymore. Instead, this is the return of Sean analyzing song lyrics featuring some of the songs from Monday night. Please note that I'm including videos of the songs below. Some of them may not be suitable for work.

Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello - "Señorita"

Land in Miami

Before I talk about the first line of the first verse, let's look at some other Shawn Mendes songs.

Shawn Mendes - "If I Can't Have You"

I'm in Toronto and I got this view

Shawn Mendes - "Lost in Japan"

Do you got plans tonight?
I'm a couple hundred miles from Japan, and I
I was thinking I could fly to your hotel tonight

Okay we get it. Shawn Mendes is a successful 21 year-old pop star who gets to travel the world. I'm happy for you Shawn. Really I am. Now, correct the spelling of your first name.



Lizzo - "Truth Hurts"

New man on the Minnesota Vikings

I actually thought that this line was "No man" which would have been quite a shot at Kirk Cousins, Stefon Diggs, and their teammates. Oprah Magazine has a thorough break-down of this entire song, and while there was some debate about whether or not Lizzo is/was dating someone on the Vikings, it appears that she is/was not. Therefore, let's take a look at some other options about the meaning.

Terence Newman played in the NFL for 15 years most notably for the Dallas Cowboys. Now, he's the nickel/defensive backs coach for the...Minnesota Vikings! So yes, (Terence) Newman on the Minnesota Vikings.

Another possibility is that Lizzo is a Vikings fan and does some PR for the team. After every draft pick or free agent signing, she announces "New man on the Minnesota Vikings."

Lizzo may also be involved in player personnel. Perhaps she's trying to recruit Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman to the Vikings, or, no. She couldn't do this. No way. It's not possible!

Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus - "Old Town Road"

Can't nobody tell me nothin'

A triple negative in a 5-word sentence. This is really impressive!



Taylor Swift featured Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco - "Me"

And you can't spell "awesome" without "me"

I actually originally thought that this was "can't spell us without me" which makes no sense at all. So let's take another line from this song.

Hey kids, spelling is fun.

This reminds me of a post I did, um, several years ago where I looked into the Britney Spears song, "3." In that song, counting was fun. Now, spelling is fun. What a world!



Taylor Swift - "Delicate"

Oh damn, never seen that color blue.

This song is a few years old, but this line really jumps out. Apparently, Swift has never been to the paint section of Home Depot or to Sherwin Williams.



Please click here to see other posts where I look at song lyrics. Some of them go back, um, several years.

Friday Video: Taylor Swift

In the Taylor Swift-Katy Perry rivalry, I'm Team Katy. Despite the fact that she was awful hosting Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards (we can blame the writers, right?), I think we can all agree that it would be much more fun to hang out with Perry over Swift. Plus, Perry has a car named Kitty Purry. How adorable!

With that written, I really, really like several of Taylor Swift's songs. I've actually written about them once or twice. While I've now heard Swift's new song, Look What You Made Me Do, several times and it's starting to grow on me, this is definitely not her best work. Hearing it the first time, I didn't think it was good at all.



A few years ago, Swift wrote an amazingly catchy and fun song, Shake It Off. How did she go from that mindset to Look What You Made Me Do, where she is now no longer able to, well, shake it off? If she isn't the biggest pop star in America, Taylor is in the top 2. (Hi Beyoncé!) She has plenty of money and fame filled with commercial and critical success. Look what you made me do? No one is making her do anything. Yet, she still holds these grudges against Perry and/or Kanye West.

As a tangent, the new song features a line that the old Taylor is dead. Upon hearing this on the radio, The Moose (age 6) asked how old she was when she died and how old is the new Taylor. (He is obsessed with people's ages. During every song, he asks the age of the singer. I think I tell him that every current pop star is about 25 with the exception of Shawn Mendes who is probably 13.) Anyway, I tried to explain that Swift didn't really die and that this is her new mindset or something. I don't get it and he clearly doesn't either.

It's a holiday weekend, so I'll leave you with something happy. Here's Shake It Off:

Sean Analyzes Current Song Lyrics (With 80s Movies!)

Welcome to a brand new edition of Sean analyzing current song lyrics. The songs below are all near the top of the charts and all used lyrics that are inspired by 80s movies.

Zayn and Taylor Swift - I Don't Want To Live Forever

I don’t wanna live forever
‘Cause I know I’ll be living in vain
And I don’t wanna fit wherever
I just wanna keep calling your name, until you come back home

I picture Zayn just sitting on a couch saying "Taylor" over and over again until she returns home. Just like this:



Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj - Side to Side

I'm talkin' to ya
See you standing over there with your body

Standing over there with your body? Someone watched Weekend at Bernie's recently!

Hailee Steinfeld - Starving

I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted you

This is exactly how it started for one Dr. Hannibal Lecter.



Please click here to see past editions of Sean Analyzes Song Lyrics.

11th Annual State Of The Ramblings

President Obama may have had his final State of the Union on Tuesday, but the State of the Ramblings continues! 11 years is a long time to write a blog. When I mentioned on Twitter that January 8th marked this anniversary, Kip replied that I was "blogging when 95% of people didn't even know what a Blog was!" Now, I'm writing as people prefer to read everything in 140 characters or less. (Although, if Twitter starts allowing for 10K characters, blogs could be back, baby!)

Long-time readers probably noticed that I don't write nearly as often as I used to. The number of blog posts has decreased annually. Honestly, I just don't have the time to write as I once did. My prime writing time is after the kids go to sleep, but even then, there are things to do around the house, or I just want to sit on the couch and watch TV. Actually, I partially blame TV for my lack of productivity. You just can't concentrate on writing when incredible shows like Fargo, Game of Thrones, or Better Call Saul are on television. I'll blame the Pittsburgh Pirates too. They've been really good the past three seasons, so I find myself trying to follow them as much as possible during the baseball season. (It seems like every Pirates game last summer was a 1-run game!) Of course, I still manage to fall asleep watching television several times a week, so writing while napping isn't possible (at least, not yet!).

With all of that written, I still managed to write 123 posts in 2015. That's a post every three days. Not too shabby if you look at it that way. I had several big ideas for blog posts last year, but many of these fell through for various reasons. One that succeeded was my fascinating interview with Sean Guillory of Sean's Russia Blog. It's very long (part 1 & part 2) but much deeper than what is usually on Sean's Ramblings.

I also wrote a piece where I blasted VH1's decision not to renew Jim Shearer's contract. This turned out to be my most read and most-commented on post in 2015. Oh, check out Jim's latest project Stillers Cabin (a new version of the fantastic Yinz Luv Da Stillers)



I could write more about my kids, but I'm not sure how interesting that is to anyone outside my immediate family. Here are two recent stories:

1. The preschool teacher for my four year old (The Moose) read a story about a child with an imaginary friend. At the end of the story, she asked the class if any of the kids have an imaginary friend. The Moose was the only one to raise his hand. When the teacher asked the name of The Moose's imaginary friend, he gave the name of his brother, my 1.5 year old child (Pedro Tulo). My younger son is quite real and certainly not imaginary.

2. Pedro Tulo had a bad case of diaper rash not too long ago. Our doctor recommended a homemade recipe of mixing equal parts Desitin, Vaseline, and corn starch. It worked, but this is definitely not Kosher for Passover.

So is this stuff worthy of its own blog post? I don't know.

For 2016, I still have a few big ideas. I want to apply for media credentials for the 2017 Academy Awards. (I need more likes on my Facebook page for this to happen.) I also really, really, really need a fashion makeover. My pants, jeans, and some of my shirts are too big, and even the clothes that fit aren't all that stylish. Basically, unlike Taylor Swift, I do go out of style. Anyway, my dream is for a fashion blogger and/or clothing store to help me while I document the experience. Ideally, the store with donate these clothes to me (or reduce the prices significantly) for the exposure. I'm basically a pro-bono case for them!

So thanks to all of you for reading over the past 11 years. Cheers!

Friday Links

- In honor of Josh of Josh's World getting married, he asked several bloggers to write guest posts while he is away on his honeymoon. I guess this serves as a better gift than towels. Anyway, here are the posts:

- Are You Married or Happy by Nicky D.
- Cards of Love by Alex
- A Piece of Cake by me.

- Check out this amazing goal by Marco Matias of my favorite British soccer team, Sheffield Wednesday.



- A cool story about the Biloxi Shuckers, a minor league baseball team that had a 54-game, 2800-mile road trip. [ESPN]

- Did you know the Steelers have a team chaplain? Did you know his name is Ocho Cinco? Well, actually it's Chad Johnson, but not that Chad Johnson. Here's a fun quote for those of you upset about the Steelers signing Michael Vick.

Winning is important and the NFL is a business, but the Steelers have values beyond that. "It is part of the Steelers' core values. Coach Tomlin is such a phenomenal person beyond football and such a caring man. He is about the business in raising young men. That is the rarity in him. He really cares about these guys beyond football and they can feel that." Johnson said. Johnson's work is an extension of the Steelers mission.

"We care about people. It is not just a mantra or slogan or idea in theory," he said. "This is a service-oriented organization." [Behind the Steel Curtain]

- Congratulations to Ithaca College on being named one of the 25 healthiest colleges in the U.S. Clearly this is a recent ranking as there is no mention of people eating Rogan's pizza 2-3 times a week (or everyday during Finals Week also known as "Week of Rogan's"). [Greatist.com]

- Mike Tunison aka Christmas Ape among many others left Kissing Suzy Kolber. The site is basically dead now. [KSK]

- Finally, Lisa Kudrow joined Taylor Swift to perform "Smelly Cat."

Trivia Tuesday

There hasn't been a Trivia Tuesday here in a while, and this one is unique. Your challenge is to answer these very random questions.

1. There's a singer-songwriter named George Ezra who has a hit song out now titled Budapest. This leads to an important question: Is Better Than Ezra better than George Ezra?

2. Not counting Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar (since it's their song), how many people can you identify in the Bad Blood video? I got two.



3. For (fantasy) baseball fans, who got the better of this deal? Owner A traded Mike Trout, Colin McHugh & Phil Hughes to Owner B for Clayton Kershaw, Starling Marte, Joakim Soria & James Shields.

4. Sporcle quiz time - Part I: Can you pick the 10 most populous US states in order from most populous to least? (I got an 8 out of 10.)

5. Sporcle quiz time - Part II: Can you name the Pittsburgh Pirates innings pitched leaders from 1985-2014? (I got a 17 out of 30).

6. Finally, what would be the perfect caption to this Getty picture of Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli? (via DK on Pittsburgh Sports)

As always please do not use the internet for assistance and leave any answers in the comments section below. Good luck!

Sean Analyzes Song Lyrics (Yes Again)

Do you listen to songs on the radio and think to yourself, I would love to know Sean's thoughts about various lyrics? Well, I'm back again to analyze lyrics from some of the biggest current pop songs.

FourFiveSeconds by Rihanna & Kanye West & Paul McCartney

Now I'm FourFiveSeconds from wildin'
And we got three more days 'til Friday

McCartney is one of the greatest songwriters ever. However, this is just a fancy way of staying that it's Tuesday.

I'm just tryna make it back home by Monday, mornin'

So, you have 6 more days to get home and you're singing about this now? Can you at least wait until Friday to start telling everyone that you need to be home by Monday?

Style by Taylor Swift

Midnight, you come and pick me up
No headlights

Even The Wallflowers had one headlight.

(and later)

So it goes
He can't keep his wild eyes on the road

Taylor, this guy is a terrible driver. Stay away!

I Don't Mind by Usher

Shawty, I don’t mind If you dance on a pole
That don’t make you a ho
Shawty, I don’t mind when you work until three
If you’re leaving with me
Go make that money, money, money
Your money, money, money
Cause I know how it is, go and handle your biz
And get that money, money, money
Your money, money, money
You can take off your clothes
Long as you coming home, girl, I don’t mind

Usher, you're 36 years old and have two kids. Why are you singing a song like this?

Centuries by Fall Out Boy

Some legends are told
Some turn to dust or to gold
But you will remember me, remember me for centuries

No, Fall Out Boy, we will not remember you for centuries. Think about it. How many musicians can you name from the 1700s? Mozart. Beethoven. Anyone else? Well, Fall Out Boy, you are no Mozart or Beethoven. In 200 years, maybe folks will know McCartney, but they're not going to know you. (Wow, this sounds really mean. Sorry.)

Click here for previous installments of me analyzing song lyrics.

History Made

On Sunday afternoon, at 4:12 PM in Arlington, Virginia, I turned on the car radio and pressed scan on the FM dial. I arrived at my destination at 4:26 PM. The radio scanned the entire 14 minutes, and despite stopping on probably 20 stations several hundred times collectively, I did not hear one Taylor Swift song.

I'll let Washington Wizards announcer Steve Buckhantz call this historic moment.



I sincerely did not think it was possible to go more than 5 minutes in a metropolitan area without hearing a Taylor Swift song. The next time you're driving, I challenge you to try to match this achievement.

Photo by Larry Busacca, Getty Images

Happy Hanukkah, Chanukah, Chattanooga!

Although the holiday completely snuck up on me this year, Hanukkah begins this evening. While you light the Menorah and eat potato latkes, don't forget to celebrate the Hanukkah tradition of pickle tasting. This tradition of eating pickles is now 16 years old! I think this counts as multiple generations!

Here are some videos to celebrate the holiday:

Six13 - Chanukah (Shake It Off)



There are way too many Hanukkah songs based on Taylor Swift lyrics this year (though this one is probably the best).

Maccabeats - All About That Neis



Is there some type of rivalry between Six13 and the Maccabeats? I envision this like the Hatfields-McCoys or the Sharks-Jets.

Hanukkah Song Mashup - Dance Spectacular! - Elliot Dvorin | Key Tov Orchestra



Finally, these are kittens celebrating.



Happy Hanukah, Hanukkah, Chanukah, Chanukkah!

Sean's Best & Worst of 2013

Many television shows, magazines, websites and newspapers have best and worst of 2013 lists. What makes my list different is that I'm posting this in January 2014, well after everyone else.

Best Movie I Saw In The Theater: Most lists will have 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, American Hustle or Captain Phillips at the top of the list. Unfortunately, I only saw two movies in the theater in 2013. Therefore, my vote goes to This Is The End starring Seth Rogan, James Franco and Jonah Hill.

Worst Movie I Saw In The Theater: The Heat. I enjoyed this movie, but not as much as This Is The End.

If you think my list so far is a bit ridiculous, I encourage you to stay here. It gets better.

Best Sports Moment: Pirates Wild Card win over the Reds

The first Pirates playoff game since 1992 was incredible. My brother and I drove to Pittsburgh on the evening of the Wild Card game for a funeral the following day. We listened to the first few innings in the car including hearing the "Cueto" chant, him dropping the ball, and Russell Martin's home run. Then, we watched most of the rest of the game with my parents at a Quaker Steak & Lube by the airport and saw the 9th inning and highlights in a small hotel room that we shared as an entire family.





I still get goosebumps watching these videos.

Worst Sports Moment: The entire Penguins-Bruins Eastern conference finals.

Best TV Show: Breaking Bad. In other news, the Earth is round. Honorable mention to Orphan Black, Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Happy Endings.

Worst TV Show: Oh Sit! CW still hasn't cancelled this show!

Best Book I Read: While Midnight Rising: John Brown and The Raid That Sparked The Civil War by Tony Horwitz was fascinating and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was captivating and had the most unexpected twist I experienced in a book in years, I'm going with Someone Could Get Hurt: A Memoir of Twenty-First Century Parenthood by Drew Magary. I really enjoy Magary's writing, and I guess this book seemed to speak to me at this point in my life.

Worst Book I Read: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Okay, this may not be the worst book I read, but it definitely did not live up to my expectations. The Great Gatsby is supposed to be known as an American classic, but I didn't get it. I disliked every character, who had no redeeming values, and really don't understand why the book has the status that it does. I already know that Mr. Brame is going to completely disagree with my choice.

Best Song: I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift. Yes, I've lost any street cred I may have had. I listen to pop music regularly as background noise, and I never got tired of this song. In the middle of writing this, I found that I first wrote a blog post about this song in December 2012. I guess this song isn't eligible for 2013. In that case, I'll go with Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for Thrift Shop and Can't Hold Us.



Worst Song: This was a tough decision. We Can't Stop by Miley Cyrus get an honorable mention, but the winner goes to Perfume by Britney Spears. I just think this is a terrible song.



Best Blog Post: I'm cheating and going with every post of the Pittsburgh Sports Blogger Interview Series.

Worst Blog Post: So many choices. Let's go with Sisqo Coming to Fairfax.

The Curse Of Taylor Swift

Take a look at this picture:

From left to right, you have Max Talbot, Jordan Staal, Taylor Swift, Alex Goligoski & Tyler Kennedy. I'm not sure when this picture took place, but it was at a time when the four guys pictured all played for the Pittsburgh Penguins while Taylor Swift wasn't feeling 22 yet. Anyway, all four of the players are no longer part of the Penguins organization, and while they have each done well financially, they have not achieved the level of professional success they did as members of the Penguins. So is there a Taylor Swift curse?

From yesterday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interview with Tyler Kennedy:

It’s pretty crazy, but that’s hockey. Not too many guys stay with the same team their whole career. Maybe it was that Taylor Swift [jinx] thing. I don’t think I’ll be going to any concerts in San Jose with Taylor Swift, that’s for sure. But I thought we really came together as a line, and I think we had a great two, three years. We really became close as friends. Maybe that’s why we did so well on the ice. The biggest thing was, we just played well together.

(emphasis added)

Did they know she was trouble when she walked in? I wonder if there are teardrops on guitars somewhere.

TMI Thursday: I Knew You Were Trouble

Taylor Swift has a new single out titled I Knew You Were Trouble, and I can't get the song out of my head. And I'm okay with this. I only first heard this song a few days ago, but I really, really like the chorus. I don't know if it's the way that Taylor sings "I knew you were trouble when you walked in" or just that melody. Regardless I approve.



I just realized that this is the second time I've written that I enjoy a Taylor Swift song. I also liked the first few episodes of the new TV show Nashville. Apparently, I'm turning into a pop country fan!

Although I haven't done a TMI Thursday in some time, feel free to click here for some truly amazing or not-so-amazing stories.