MOG

Well, we've just about reached another landmark in the world of TV. On Sunday, HBO will air the final episode of the critically-acclaimed drama series The Sopranos.

Being of Italian-American lineage, I never was really all that bothered by the stereotypes used in the show, as it wasn't the first time I had seen Italian-Americans portrayed in a less than glorious light in a Hollywood production and there's no reason to deny the existence of the real mob (see here).

My late father's branch of the family is more akin to the zany family members in My Big Fat Greek Wedding than to many of the characters in The Sopranos, with all their unredeemable characteristics. My family members are regularly gathering together, talking at at top volume (something a friend of mine defined as "Pacino Throat") and stuffing you with food. I don't say this in a disparaging way, as I am sure there are readers out there that love this about their families. And it's not that I don't enjoy being around these family members; I just grew up in the South and take more after my mom's side of the family. My late father was a Type-A personality, always on-the-go and trying to get stuff done. I'm more like my mom. I enjoy the quieter aspects of life and usually have a fairly relaxed nature about me.

Anyway, the whole point of this post was not so that I could bore you with family details and dynamics, but rather to share this hilarious video, in honor of The Sopranos many enjoyable or crazy moments over the last 8 years and 6 seasons:

(The following video does feature strong language at times, so it may be NSFW depending on your work environment).

I also wanted to share this great, live, acoustic version of "Woke Up This Morning," which became popular for being the show's theme song. It is performed by the original group, Alabama 3 (or A3 as they're marketed in the U.S. to avoid confusion with the long famous country band, Alabama), though I don't know if it's been released on an album, as I just happened to find it by sheer luck whilst googling in preparation for this posting.

Also, I wanted to highly recommend the soundtracks released in conjunction with the first two seasons of the show. There's some superb music to be found on these 3 discs.

The Sopranos: Music From the HBO Original Series

The Sopranos - Peppers and Eggs: Music From the HBO Series

Finally, if you're a fan of the series and are watching it, I ask that you please refrain from posting any plot details about the show thus far or following the series finale, as that might ruin it for others who have not yet seen the more recent episodes... like me (I plan to catch up very soon).

Salud'!