On The Precipice of Mediocrity, Teetering
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| I Am John's Stomach Pains. On The Precipice of Mediocrity, Teetering |
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Wednesday, September 24, 2008 The ABCs of My Summer '08 Hiatus As you may have noticed, I've been pretty lax when it comes to blogging lately. Plenty of reasons (although Kris would say there's really only one... found below, under 'B'). Here's a mix of things I've been up to, been thinking about, liking, hating, and pretty much experiencing. Atonement - Caught the movie for the first time this weekend, and... I think I liked it. Honestly, it's not a very easy movie. Thematically, I was quite lost. I took a very nihilistic message from the movie... in light of thousands upon thousands of death, the lives, lies, and misunderstandings of a family really amount to nothing. Of course, the message might have been the exact opposite. I didn't find it worthy of the praise from the Oscars last year, but it was interesting at least. Pretty hot sex scene, too. Barenaked Ladies Mafia - After playing a bunch of Mafia games over at HCRealms for the past few months (thanks Stan!), I'm in the middle of moderating my first mafia game, based on the music of Barenaked Ladies. Yeah, kinda weird, but I'm having fun with it. Already looking forward to running my next one, based on either Stephen King's Dark Tower series or the music of Jonatan Coulton. Of course, it depends on how the players feel this one went come end-game. I already feel I've made it too mysterious. Oh well, I'm having tons of fn with it, and it's getting my writer's juices flowing Chrome - I've been an avid fan of Firefox for a while now, but over the past week, I've been using the new browser, Google's Chrome, and I have to say I like it. Some definite problems in comparison to Firefox (Ctrl-B doesn't bold things, it takes your Bookmarks toolbar away; no drop-downs across the top is confusing). Still, it's never crashed on me (like FF does often), and I like the windows that come up on a new tab. Day of Sharing - Did some community service last week at a food bank in Sonoma called Food For Thought, a foodbank for those afflicted with HIV. We spent a few hours cleaning out a garage, then another hour picking vegetables in an organic garden. Fun time. My company sets up a day or two a year that we can take off and give back to the community, which is quite nice. Feels good to give back. Election '08 - Us Democrats have been in a bit of a tailspin these last few weeks, but thankfully we appeared to have recovered. The Palin nod certainly threw the campaign for a loop, but seeing as it gave some of fence-sitting donors (like me) a quick kick in the ass, triggering $66+ million last month, I think it's a short run play that will lead to an even bigger margin of victory come November. Now, it's not to say I'm not a bit worried... the American people can deeply stupid sometimes, and there will be a certain portion of the population that will be snowed in my what's been happening. They're not sheep... they're ostriches, sticking their heads in the sand, ignoring everything going on around them (and to them), as they stick with the long held beliefs that Republican economic policy is better for them (and America) than Democratic policy (which, surprise, surprise, is utterly false). These final weeks are gonna be exciting and scary... Fantasy Football - Ugh, I am in 4 leagues this year, which I'll never do again. Simply impossible to keeps things straight. One benefit though is I only had Tom Brady in one league... and Colston in another. Week one I only won 1, and it was close. Sadly, I'm just not feeling it at the moment... maybe if Carson Palmer starts MAKING SOME FUCKING COMPLETIONS... *sigh*... there's always next year. Golf - As a sure sign that I'm getting older, I can officially say I've become a golfer. I was given a full set of clubs for my birthday by the Outlaws, and went on my first full 18 hole excursion with Captain Awesome (my brother-in-law) and others the day before his wedding. I'll say this... I beat my weight. Still, I had a great time (actually getting 3 or 4 bogeys, which I was happy with), and I've already had an actual training session, and hit the driving range on numerous occassions. What can I say, I've been bitten by the bug. Now if I can just get rid of this slice. It's wicked. Hurricanes - I truly hate this time of year. With nearly all my family down Florida, I have to keep an eye out daily on the weather, as to whether (okay: hee!) I need to be worrying alot, or just my normal worrying. They got off lucky with Ike... but damn, was Texas spanked. Holy hell, just scary as hell. Indignation - More posts to come, I'm sure, but can I just say how disgusted I've become with John McCain? I used to have respect for the guy, but jeez, has he become the ultimate sell-out. I have tons of problems with the man's policies, but the selection of the worst Vice Presidential nomination in modern history, simply made it clear to me the man has lost any right to the presidency. And the lie after lie the campaign is vomiting out into the ether day after day is disgusting. McCain should have held a press conference apologizing for that "sex ed" advertisement alone, it was the ugliest thing I've seen since Willie Horton. Jogging - For the first time ever, I participated in a 5K run last week... I wanted to beat 45 mintues, and actually came in at 39 minutes... not even close to stellar, but really, at least I finished period. I may have lost some weight, but I haven't been exercising that much lately, and I've lost what little endurance I have been building up. Next year, I hhope to be able to come in under 30 minutes. Kristine: Political Junkie - It's official: I've created a monster. Maybe it was overhearing hours upon hours of rants from Olbermann in the background as I watched Countdown each night. Maybe it was the constant flipping of AM stations while in the car. Whatever caused it though, my wife has officially become a political junkie. You know how I called Palin the worst Veep candidate in modern history? Well multiply that feeling by 5 for Night Nurse. She's dove head first into this thing, guns blazing. It's fun to answer her questions on things ranging from tax policy to Israel to the Supreme Court to just who Karl Rove is. I just hope others are getting as fired up as her. I told her this weekend she had her Howard Beales moment, and that she's mad as hell, and not gonna take it anymore. She stared blankly. Gotta watch Network, now. Loki - Puppy is getting big... she's 7 months old now, pushing 45 lbs, and has learned how to talk. And by talk, of course, I mean bark. And bark loud. She barks when there's a noise outside. She barks at her toys. She barks at her sister when Chloe is chewing on something Loki wants. And she likes to get right up to my head when I'm on the computer or watching TV and bark right in my ear, making me deaf for a good few minutes. But... still love her. She's cute as hell, and she's great with strangers. Aside from a growing case of the poopy-foot (she steps in her pile while shitting, then tracks it in), she's perfect. Marriage - Married life is treating me well, after more than a month... I recommend it :-) In case you couldn't tell from the pictures, the wedding day went off absolutely perfect. My wife was stunning... and even I cleaned up pretty good. As I hinted at earlier, my groomsmen and I entered to the Star Wars Imperial March; the table assignments were all comic book/fantasy locations (head table was Asgard, natch); we entered the reception to Metallica's Enter Sandman (frakkin' awesome); and my girl played White & Nerdy for me, giving me a chance to show my kick-ass white-guy dance moves. I pulled out the lawnmower, the sprinkler head, and the running man. Yeah, I went there. Netflix - Night Nurse finally got me to cave, and we're now Netflix subscribers. And we're loving it... so much easier to put crappy movies on a list and not feel guilty. Plus, get to see flicks I probably never would have (see: Atonement, above). For anyone like me, who had a habit of buying movies because they thought they'd like them (I'm still apologizing to Night Nurse - and myself - for spending $20 on Ghost Rider) it's worth the investment. One Hundred Five - That's how many days until Night Nurse and I head out for our actual honeymoon in St. Lucia. It can't get here soon enough. I am really glad we waited to go on our honeymoon though, as if we had headed out right after our wedding, I think we would have slept during half of it. Plus, it gives us something to look forward to. Philly Cheesesteaks - It's finally arrived: a cheesesteak shop worthy of the name "Philly". The Cheesesteak Shop opened up 20 minutes away last month, and it is everything I've been waiting for: thin steak, great toppings, Whiz optional, and most important, Amoroso rolls. When Kris heard about the grand opening on the radio, she surprised me with a trip, and it was sheer heaving. My 15" over-stuffed King of Philly was gone in under 2 minutes. And the best part? Tastycakes for dessert. Simply awesome. Quick & Dirty - This was my first season coaching a softball team, and while I think we did well, we took third, getting spanked 20-1 in the final loser's bracket game, while I was on a business trip in Minnesota and our star first basewoman was out sick. Not fun there. But as we lost our entire infield - save me - from last year, this was a bit of a rebuilding year, and the team actually meshed really well. Rachel Maddow - The liberal-radio talk show host I can listen to has been given her own show, following Keith at 6, and as expected, I'm a fan. Rachel avoids the pitfalls that plague many left-wing editorialists, in that while she does have a righteous anger, she tried to back it up with a clear set of facts, and does not allow herself to get blustered. I also appreciate that she's already had people on from the right, especially her interactions with Pat Buchanan, which always is a good back and forth between the two. The only problem with the show? They really need a new sound engineer, because I can hear cell phone rings and things dropping on the floor in the background constantly. Secret Invasion - Brian Michael Bendis' grand opus he's been planning since Avengers Disassembled is in full gear, and in my opinion it's come off amazingly well. The Skrulls have always been a bit of a joke in Marvel comics, but Bendis and the entire Marvel crew have really brought the fear-of-the-other full force. The main book is stunning to look at, and jam-packed with excellent dialogue, and the "flashback" stories taking place in New & Mighty Avengers give a great foundation to the house being built. Even sidebooks like Avengers: Initiative (they made 3D Man cool!) and the Young Avengers/Runaways mini were a great read. In comparison to the shitfest Grant Morrison is spewing out in Final Crisis, this is how you orchestrate an epic masterpiece. Three-Ply Toilet Paper - Got this link from my boy Lushy... but I had already bought a 24 pack a week ago. And yeah... it's as good as it sounds. Two-ply? That's like saying I'd only use a two-blade razor (mine has 5, bitches!). And I don't care if that article says it's aimed at 45 year old women. It's my sanctuary, too Ultimatum - Even with Secret Invasion going full force, Marvel and Bendis are setting up a truly intriguing storyline in their separate Ultimate Universe. While I've never been a huge fan of the Ultimate X-Men book, the Spider-Man and Fantastic Four core books have proven to be some of the most original comic book stories out there. I was afraid Ultimate Spider-Man was going to be hurt with the departure Mark Bagley (one of my personal faves), however Stuart Immonen has stepped up to the plate. I can't wait for the "end of the Ultimate Universe"... the foundation book Ultimate Origins has been quite mysterious. Vampires - Finished reading Book One of the teen-romance vampire novel, Twilight on Night Nurse's urging. It actually wasn't half bad. The author has taken some unique liberties with the notion of vampires, and its actually intriguing. Although I'm usually not a fan of first-person narrative books (Koontz has burned me on 'em), I actually find the protagonist well fleshed out and believable. Really looking forward to how they do the movie in a few months. Weddings - This seemed to be the Summer of Marriage, and Night Nurse and I found ourselves sandwiched in between friends and family, all outdoors. First was Michael Scott and Ms. Teacher, who had a great ceremony in Calistoga, then us, and finally Night Nurse's brother, Captain Awesome to his beautiful bride Blondberry (although Kris says she needs a new nickname now). Anyway, their wedding was simply awesome, taking place in Reno at the Montreaux golf course. I was a groomsman (had to returnn the favor for him doing me the solid of being one of mine!), and after a ceremony that had an appearance by a mini-horse (I kept my composure, don't worry), we had a great time at the reception. I'm not saying there's video of me making an ass out of myself doing the epitome of white-boy dancing... but I'm also not saying there isn't. X-Factor: Layla Miller - I've said before I stopped reading the X-books a while ago, however I still read Peter David's run of X-Factor which has been spectacular. Honestly, I don't think there's a cooler character in the Marvel universe today than Jamie Madrox. That being said, there was a recent one-shot focusing on the Bendis-created character Layla Miller that was simply phenomenal. If you're a comic book fan, I highly recommend picking it up, it could quite possibly be the best Layla Miller book you'll ever see. Plus, you get to finally see what The Summers Rebellion is that was hinted at dozens of time after Bishop hit the funny books in the 90s. You know what... it's not easy coming up with a Y. Let's skip it. Zombies - I recently read the latest trade paperback of the stellar zombie-epic, The Walking Dead, volume 8: Made To Suffer. For fans of horror, I don't think you'll read a better presentation of a world infested with zombies than Robert Kirkman's genius opera. I will have to say, the latest trade - which takes the story up to issue #50 - has some of the most gut-wrenching panels in it. Characters die in ways that you won't easily shake, and Kirkman does things you won't see coming from a mile away. 2 pages in particular (Stan will know the two I'm talking about) still make me queasy. Labels: comics, ff, golf, life, mafia, movies, review, TV posted by Holz | 9:49 AM | Rant & Rave, Bitches! (9)Tuesday, October 02, 2007 The Alien Sitting In My Home V: The HD-DVR Revolution It's finally happened. I have succumbed to the masses, and am now a DVR-aholic. Mix that in with HD television, and I don't think I've loved my TV time more. Night Nurse and I rarely watch live TV anymore, constantly catching up on the previous days shows, while seeing the occasional earlier airing of a must-see together. As much of her time is spent working at night or studying for classes though, Kris has been able to cut back on most new shows... not me. As expected, the new season of geek-chic fare has my DVR box working on overload. But I will say one thing... I've gone out of my way not to use VCRs anymore, and that means no nights of three separate shows being watched/taped/taped... so I suppose one can say I'm maturing...? Current list is interesting as it doesn't take into account alot of my faves that are coming back midyear, like Lost and 24... thank God for small favors... Sunday: James Woods is Everywhere! 9:00 - Family Guy / American Dad - I know that there are tons of haters out there, but I can't help but love the hell out of these shows. The Star Wars parody FG did to start out the season the year was inspired... and the Chris/Seth Green argument at the end in regards to Robot Chicken doing it 3 months earlier was just hilarious. 10:00 - Shark - One of last year's surprises for Kris and me. There are problems with the show (mostly centering around the insufferable daughter), but the cases can get interesting, and James Woods totally owns this character. Hope Kevin Pollack stays for a while, as he's a favorite of mine. Monday: Is NBC the best network of the season... yeah. DVR One 8:00 - Chuck - Show seems interesting, but I wasn't as wowed by the premiere as I thought I'd be. And the idea that the premise has more than a season in it is stretch. Add in the fact that I think Jake 2.0 did it better a few years ago, I don' see it surviving for a second season. But the show has Adam Baldwin and Sarah Lancaster in it, so it's got a season pass at the moment. 9:00 - Heroes - Despite a lackluster finale, Kris and I loved last season, and the murder mystery starting this season has us engrossed, so this i still up there as my favorite show on TV. Can't wait for Kristen Bell to show up, and David Anders always elevates anything he's in. Still, I'm a bit disappointed at some favorites not getting any screentime yet (like NikiJessica), but it looks like we'll be seeing them shortly. 10:00 - Journeyman - I wasn't that interested in this show, as I saw it as a poor man's Quantum Leap, but I thoroughly loved the pilot episode, and there were some serious what-the-huh moments. Looking forward to some paradox moments, cause I think the show is ripe for the picking in that department. If you were like me and considered this show a lost cause, I highly recommend it... if only for the fact it's based in San Fran (and unlike Monk, it looks like it actually films there sometimes) DVR Two 8:00 - Prison Break - Most reviewers are writing off this show do to the unbelievable fact of a new prison to break out of, but seeing as that's what the show is about, I'll take it. Last season's on-the-run theme worked, but with Michael back in a new Satan's-Asshole prison, there's some intense storylines they can do for a while. I hope it's not the entire season though, I'm guessing sometime around episode 13 they'll need to break out, but for now, the new characters have me interested, and as long as one can ignore the sheer improbableness, it's enjoyable 10:00 - CSI: Miami - Total guilty pleasure. To be watched whenever Kris heads off to the hospital. Tuesday: DVR One 8:00 - NCIS - Guess I should've realized what the finale of last year represented, but amazingly just didn't put it together. Still, the show has quickly become a must-see for me, mainly for the excellent camaraderie of the actors on the show. Nice mix of procedurals and arcs, something alot of shows can't find a balance of. 9:00 - Reaper - Amazingly, the only show on The CW I'll be watching this season. I was a huge fan of The Loop, so glad to Bret Harrison in a show that gives him room to grow and utilizes his awkward comedy style. The rest of the cast works just as well... I'm a big fan of Tyler Labine, and his role here (along with the show in general) reminds me of the show from a few years ago Dead Last, which also incorporated a nice blend of horror and comedy. 10:00 - Boston Legal - Yet another huge cast overhaul... honestly can't imagine what it's like for the actor's on this show to not have job security. Still, I love the show just as much as ever, if only for the Shatner/Spader scenes. Not much more I can say on this show that I haven't commented on over the years DVR Two 8:00 - Bones - Truly amazed this show has lasted as long as it has, but I will say the characters do grow on you. And as I was saying to Kris last night, it's trule amazing to see the acting growth David Boreanaz has made over the years... honestly, watch that first season of Buffy... wow, just amazing he got cast. Since then, though, he's become a great television drama/comedy actor. Emily Deschanel? Eh, not so much, but I think that's more of the character itself intentionally being completely socially retarded/ 10:00 - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Still the best. I'm saying this is the season Stabler and Benson finally get together... and it's about time. 11:00 - Damages - Haven't talked about this show too much over the past few weeks, but it's quickly become a favorite. FX has created a show with two engrossing mysteries working in tandem, and as we get to the end of the season, I'm still in the dark on both of them (although I totally called the evil lawyer as having a gay-crush on Mr. Jennie Garth). I'm wondering whether this show can even go a second season, as the setup here seems to drawing to a finite conclusion. Glenn Close does a great job with her character, but I just can't imagine a new case/mystery working for a second season. Wednesday: DVR One 8:00 - Pushing Daisies - Yes, the show hasn't even aired yet, but I have a feeling I'm gonna love it, if all the glowing reviews are any indication. Add in the fact it's by Brian Fuller, who created one of my favorite dead-to-soon shows in Wonderfalls, it's a must see. Of course, seeing as it looks too wacky for the the Desperate Housewives/Grey's Anatomy audience, I doubt it lasts more than 6 episodes. Although, it isn't on Fox, so it does have a shot. 9:00 - Bionic Woman - It's not blowing me away like Battlestar Galactica, but it shows promise. Being the geek I am, it'd almost be sacrilegious not to watch this show, but I just don't see it taking hold with the public. Heroes works because of the ensemble, and putting a newbie actor in charge of carrying a superhero show... gonna be tough. 10:00 - Dirty Sexy Money - Great cast, but really, I have a feeling the poor-me lives of the rich and powerful will get old after a while. Still, it has potential in becoming a guilty pleasure. DVR Two 8:30 - Til' Death - Didn't really watch the first season too much, but what little we did see, Kris and I liked. It's a pretty by-the-numbers sitcom, but it's got actors that can carry a scene that doesn't seem forced like some sitcoms (see: Two and a Half Men). 9:00 - Criminal Minds - I doubt I'll watch after Patinkin leaves. The show was always just something to watch to pass the time, but I'll give it a chance with Joe Mantegna. Thursday: Not a chance everything can be watched... sometimes I hate networks. DVR One 8:00 - Survivor - Last season's haves vs. have-nots kinds sucked, but I've dug the first few episodes of this season, and will most likely watch til' the end. Sucks that Boobs McChesty is already gone, but man, she really did suck at the game 9:00 - The Office - Still the funniest comedy on TV, with the best characters, best one-liners, best background comedy... doesn't get much better. DVR Two 8:00 - Smallville - Staying with this show til' the end... and the addition of Supergirl can only help the show. I think this season has to include flying... it's just getting unbelievable that Clark isn't flying yet. As Chloe said in the premiere, "it's time to get on that". Looking forward to the guest stars this season, especially Dean Cain as Vandal Savage... 9:00 - Grey's Anatomy - I didn't think I'd ever hate a character as much as I hate Meredith Grey. Oh, but then her sister, Lexie, shows up! Way to go Grey writers, you achieved the impossible! Oh and the George/Izzie storyline? Still The Hate. But for some reason the show still keeps me interested... no clue why The Lost... Shows that are on this night that I wish I could watch, but can't? 30 Rock, one of the funniest shows ever, and Supernatural, which has really become a great horror/comedy show. Thankfully, CSI can be watched On Demand... So there you have it. Amazingly at the moment, there's nothing airing on Friday or Saturday at the moment, so that good. Sunday has some BBC shows that I'll watch occasionally in Doctor Who and Torchwood, but from the list above, that's under 22 hours at the moment, which is only about 16 hours without commercials... which come on, you have to admit is a huge improvement for me. Of course that doesn't include football... or The Daily Show/Colbert... or Countdown with Keith Olbermann... But it's a huge improvement! Right? Labels: TV posted by Holz | 1:07 PM | Rant & Rave, Bitches! (5)Tuesday, September 04, 2007 The ABC's of My Summer Hiatus While I have put in the occasional entry, this summer has been fairly light in regards to my blogging, and Kris has recommended me putting in another alphabet entry similar to the one I put in a year ago. So here goes... warning, could be alot of movies and comic book discussion... gotta love the summer TV hiatus... Annihilation: Conquest - I haven't done too much comic book reviewing lately, but I gotta say the sequel to last year's surprise sci-fi event is already surpassing the original. Consider this the Godfather II of comics... unless of course you're like me and have never seen the Godfather flicks... then consider it The Empire Strikes Back of comics. Just as the universe is calming down after the horrendous Annihilation War that decimated the Skrull homeworld, the Kree are attacked by The Phalanx and conquered in just a few hours. Nova has become more than a second-rate Green Lantern, the new Quasar is bringing renewed life to two second-tier female characters (plus the lesbian relationship is being handled well), and in Starlord we get a walking tree and the return of Rocket Raccoon! Add in the fact this is an awesome story that utilizes the Borg-knockoffs to the ultimate extreme (for those who loved The Phalanx Convenant from the 90s, it's a cool return to the scary villains), honestly the best comics of the year. Bourne Ultimatum - Although I think I dig At World's End more from a three-quel standpoint, Bourne brings the goods with a non-stop action flick that is *almost* as good as Casino Royale. Blame it on the fact the romantic lead here is snaggle-toothed Julia Styles. Greengrass somehow tops the action and chase scenes from the previous flicks with an intense foot-race that puts the chase in M:I3 to shame. The only complaint I have is that it was almost too intense... I literally left the theater with a headache from the over-use of shaky-cam. 4 out 5 stars Countdown - The last time I did the alphabet thing, I glowed over the weekly comic 52 that DC was putting out. Here I come not to praise the weekly comic, but to bury it. Wow is this comic shitty. Stupid characters, incoherent action (sorry, I can't pick up 19 other comics to understand what's going on off-panel), and an over-reliance on knowledge of Kirby's Fourth World. Yeah, I understand there are some that have a love for that stuff, but there's a reason anything that involves those characters (sans Darkseid) always fails. It's because those characters suck balls. I'll be dropping this within the next few weeks if something, anything, cool doesn't happen. D'oh! - Caught The Simpsons Movie a few weeks ago, and overall enjoyed it, of course. Laughs were quite constant, and the "full frontal Bart" scene had me cracking up... the way they blocked it all up to the point of exposure was hilarious. Best line of the flick goes to, of course, Ralph, with the still-makes-me-laugh "I like men now". Definitely a good rental, but I don't think we need a sequel anytime soon. 3 out of 5 Stars. Emo Hair -  My hair is getting a bit long at the moment, and I'm currently working an Emo mop-top with my hair brushed forward. Probably stems from watching a My Chemical Romance concert on HD this past weekend. On the one hand, it works for my cowlick as it weighs it down, and it's really easy to set up in the morning. But on the other hand... well, Night Nurse hates it. So I imagine I'll be cutting it off soon. Fantasy Football - (that's a double in Scattegories!) Yes, it's that time again. I'm involved in two leagues this year, one of which I'm commissioner. I'm happy with both my teams at the moment, even though I was on the bottom rung in the draft order in both. Got Peyton in one, and a Maroney/Alexander double-team for RBs in another. Only crossover in both leagues? My boy Wes Welker, who absolutely dominated last year because of fluke in return yardage points, and newbie Jerious Norwood, who I'm thinking is gonna be a dark horse this season... I'm predicting Warrick Dunn is gonna get shelved by week 4. Good Luck, L.T. - This happened a while ago, but I had to mention the celebrity golf tournament Night Nurse, Robin Hood, Blondberry and I went to a few months ago up in Tahoe. This was my first time at a live golf game, and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I gotta say it was a really fun time. We walked around to half the course or so, then settled on (I think) the 17th hole as most of the celebrities passed by. Some of the coolest moments? From a golf standpoint: seeing Al Michaels sink an amazing 50 ft chip shot for par was awesome. From a never thought I'd see it standpoint: John Elway throwing a pass caught by a stogie-smoking Lawrence Taylor as they walked past us. And from an OMG-HE-ACKNOWLEDGED-ME standpoint: getting within 2 feet of Michael Jordan and Ladainian Tomlinson, and as they pass, giving a "Good Luck, L.T.", and he responded with a "Thanks". I don't know why, but that just made my day. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Really should do an entry by itself on this, but I just don't think I'll get around to it. Anyway, Night Nurse and I were part of the crowd that bought our books at midnight, and thanks to her we were out of there by 12:05 with the book. The drive home consisted of me reading the first 4 or 5 pages to her. I crashed around 1:30, but Kris pushed on to 4am or so, finishing the book the next night. As a finale to a truly amazing series, it was perfect: great character work, some surprisingly emotional deaths, a final action scene that did the magic war justice, and an epilogue that - while a tad sappy - is really the best way to've ended it (I say this because I predicted the flash-forward epilogue months ago). I'm not ashamed to admit that JK actually had me tearing up at one point, as Harry is undergoing his Death Walk in the forest... damn that was great writing. The book had some surprising redemption themes that resonated well. Kreacher obviously comes off much better, Draco improves - slightly - and while I wish it was Lucius who inspected Harry towards the end instead of Draco's mother, the entire Malfoy clan turns out to have some heart. Probably more later, but I'll end this by saying the book lived up to and exceeded all my expectations... and somehow washed the poor taste The Dark Tower left in my mouth a few years ago. iPhone - Still loving it, but also still annoyed at the volume for both the regular phone call, as well as a call on speaker phone. My old phone, on speaker could be heard rooms away. The iPhone speaker can barely be heard sometimes when it's literally in the palm of my hand. Which makes no sense really, because I can play iPod songs and YouTube videos at a fairly high volume through the speaker without any problems. Anyway, aside from that, I love having my personal email back (for those who don't know, my email has changed from Drozy... just highlight the HOLZ at the bottom of this post and you'll find my new one). The YouTube videos work really well when a Wi-Fi is accessible, but that's really the only time I'd recommend using it. Also, for anyone who was worried about the battery life, I've had absolutely no trouble. At the end of the day, it almost looks like I still have a near full charge. Jeffrey & James (Donovan & Roday) - Yeah, it's a cheat, but I gotta talk about two of USA's summer programming, Burn Notice and Psych. First, I've been a fan of Jeffrey Donovan since his early Pretender appearances, and then became a huge fan when his short-lived - but awesome - Touching Evil was on the air. Combine him with cult-fav Bruce Campbell and still-uber-hottie Gabrielle Anwar, and it was a given I'd become addicted to this show. It's a great blend of the action-comedy, almost with a MacGuyver-like feel. On a similar vein, the procedural-comedy blend of Psych has easily been the funniest thing on TV this summer. The chemistry of Roday and Dule Hill rivals my appreciation for Spader/Shatner during the regular TV season. The one liners thrown throughout each episode often has Kris asking from upstairs just-what-is-so-funny. I'll tell what... both these shows. Kristine: Wedding Planner - Last time I did the ABCs, I said wedding bells weren't in my future... cut to a year later, and obviously that's changed. As we come to the end of the summer, our wedding is 11 months away... but Kris being the amazing bride-zilla she is (and I mean that in the nicest way), it's nearly all done. I swear she's finalized everything aside from the clothes. She's busy hand making the invitations and response cards; our save dates arrived yesterday and will be going out in November; addresses have been gotten for all but 4 people, and that's because I, myself, haven't gotten those last one's yet; ceremony/reception has been finalized; and the cake's been designed and ordered. She's a wedding machine. Lisa Lampinelli - This is more of advance hype entry, but I'm so excited to see LL on the 21st with Kris... hope she can appreciate the humor. I doubt that our viewing, which was an awesome birthday gift from the Outlaws, is going to live up to the experience from the Punchline, but I'm sure it's going to be hilarious. Mafia - Taking a cue from Stan, I've been playing in some online games called Mafia. It's basically Murder In The Dark, if you ever played that in school/camp, but it's done in an online discussion forum over a few days. Sadly, I was killed nearly immediately in the first one by the mafia (my character was a Judge, so I had fun trying to 'be fair'), and the second one I was strung up by the townspeople immediately basically because I got investigated the first night and got unlucky (in that one I was Boba Fett, and I just got singled out immediately before I could even do anything... oh well). Still the game is pretty interesting, and it's cool to be able to be involved in some type of strategic online game that doesn't involve me spending hundreds of hours building up characters. Nutrisystem - So two weeks in on my diet, and I'm down 16 pounds. Yep, my second week goal of 6 pounds was exceeded, as I stepped on the scale Labor Day morning and read 226.6, capping a 9 lb week loss with a 7 lb week loss. Just awesome. I'm definitely noticing a difference, as my belly doesn't have that squishy feeling anymore. I mean, I'm still way overweight, but it's a nice start. I'm starting to feel better, my stomach has more good days than bad days, and even when I cheat, or "go off-plan" as the forum boys dub it, I'm learning to control the intake. I've said it before, I really see this plan as honest-to-God lifestyle change, that after two weeks, I really think will stick with me. Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the - Still have yet to see this on IMAX, but the regular version was awesome, and certainly exceeded my expectations after the very talky-book. The final action scene was everything and more I expected out of a true magical battle, and for the first time, you can really see Daniel Radcliffe coming into his own as an actor. True standout of the show though was Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge. A character that had the possibility of coming off cartoon-y over-the-top was brought to life as one of the coolest villains in years. There were a few problems with the movie though... it is over way too quick. For the longest book in the series, the movie skims over so much, at times it feels like a rush to get to the end, and some of the tension is lost. Also, the supporting cast has very little to do this go-around. Maggie Smith is relegated to a single - still awesome - scene, and while I understand Dumbledore is supposed to be in the background this time, it was depressing not getting more Michael Gambon. 3.5 out of 5 Stars. Password - Kris and I have a near weekly game of Password we play with the Outlaws, and while the game initially started with the couple of 40+ years together kicking our butt, in recent weeks Night Nurse and I have won our fair share of heads up matches. It's a fun game that really works best when you are teamed up with someone with similar experiences you can call on. Quick(sand) and Dirty - I've been wary to discuss my softball season this summer, mainly because I didn't want to jinx anything. Sadly it was all for naught, as for the third season in a row, Quick & Dirty entered the playoffs in first place, with a 9-1 record, but ended the seaosn without the trophy. On the pathway there, I had arguably my best pitching season, with a four game no-walk streak, and an ERA that is just unheard of in slow-pitch softball. My batting average was a little weak, hovering around .400-.450 (which for our team is low), though I can say I led the team in doubles this year. But anyway, back to the playoffs. Historically, our team falls apart in the playoffs for some reason, but this time we actually got to the championship game in a double-elimination bracket without a loss... then we faced a team we'd beaten twice in regular season, and once in the playoffs. And we fell apart. Game one, we were missing our star 1st baseman, and the shuffling of the fielders led to over a dozen fielding errors, which carried over to weak bats and pathetic base running... and still we only lost 11-10. Then comes game two, and this time, we just can't hit at all when needed, as in 7 innings we left 15 runners on base, losing 9-7. Oh well, as they say, there's always next year. Redwoods - I didn't mention that my parents came out in July for a weekend visit. It was a great time, that was over too soon, but my Dad & Stef were able to meet the Outlaws, and the families got along great. The highlight of the trip for me was that we all went up for a nice little hike in the NorCal Redwoods. I'd seen them before on a short little jaunt, but this time we were able to walk the full path, and can I just say the sight of some of these trees is truly awe-inspiring. If you ever get out to the left coast, it's quite a sight. Stardust & Superbad - Short little blurbs, on two truly awesome movies. First, I've been looking forward to Superbad for months, and it did not disappoint at all. It's no secret that these high-school teen sex comedies are a favorite of mine, and this is up there with the best of them. Cera and Hill were simply the best comic duo in years. And the McLovin storyline with the cops had me cracking up the entire time. 4 out of 5 Stars. On a completely different movie vibe, Stardust is easily one of my favorite movies of the year, and seeing as I hated the book so much I couldn't finish reading it, that's saying something. I'm amazed the flick isn't doing better, because there wasn't a single thing wrong with it. It had a great story, very funny throughout, stellar cast, and just an overall great time. I think the only knock it gets is that the male lead is so unrecognizable, but I think it actually works in its favor to get that Everyman appeal. And trust me, Robert Di Nero steals the show... possibly the funniest performance of the year. 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Training - Probably the biggest reason I haven't felt like blogging has been my constant regional training for my company. We finished deploying our new system around May, but all summer I've been having to visit different parts of the country for additional on-the-spot training that the field has requested. It's really gotten to be a pain, because now it's just like the people don't *want* to learn the system. I mean, I understand that there are troubles with any new tool, but jeezus, it's almost like these people have never seen a hyperlink before... which sadly, is true in some cases. Thankfully, I think we're finally done, especially seeing as my last "visit" I couldn't' even hide my disdain for some people. I mean when you are helping the same people over and over again... ugh. Fingers crossed that's over. Umpiring - This summer, I took a more active role in the umpiring aspect of the softball league, umpiring more than a dozen games. At $25 a pop, it was a nice little side job, and since our league isn't technically supported by the ASA, I didn't need any accreditation. It was a great training ground for a rookie umpire, and though I blew some calls (biggest: for some reason I always thought a ball hit into the plate was a foul), overall it was really fun, and I'm definitely doing it again next year. Plus, it gave me the bug, and over the next year, I'm going to look into actually getting certified and maybe doing some real games outside of the work league. And since my dad has been doing basketball refereeing for the past few years, I guess you could say its in the blood. Vapid Sluts - I'm gonna keep this short, but holy hell, what the hell is going on with celebri-sluts these days? Was it like this when we were kids, and if so, did we think it was cool? I think Drew Barrymore needs to go to the houses of Lindsay, Britney, Paris, and Nicole, and just slap the living shit out of each of them. I think Joel McHale, Keith Olbermann and The Soup hit it on the head last weekend... this used to be funny, but now it's just sad. Walking - I never thought I'd be one of those people who considered walking half an hour a day to be viable exercise, but my daily excursion out of the office at lunch time has been a nice break from the monotony of cubicle work, and being able to go out with various coworkers each day, and pushing eachother to beat the previous day's time is great encouragement. Today CK and I pushed hard and broke the 20 minute barrier for around our campus by a full minute (it's about 1.2 miles, so it's not a bad jaunt). I'm ary to move my walking up to actual jogging just yet, but I'm getting there. Xkcd - I'm amazed I haven't mentioned this site before, but for those who love online cartoons, xkcd.com has some of the most simplistic but hilarious weekly comics out there. Some of the math/computer stuff goes over my head, but alot of the time, the majority of the laughs come not only from the picture itself, but the image tag that pops up when you hover your mouse over it. Alot of the time's, you really have to get some geek reference... for instance, this recent one, Nighttime Stories. If you've never heard of Orson Scott Card, that'll go right over your head... but trust me, it's on point and hilarious. Spend a few minutes... hours... just scrolling through, you won't regret it. Yoga - One of the activities I'm trying to incorporate into my workout routine. I've followed Yoga and Pilates DVDs, but the former just makes me feel better afterwards. Plus, I'm amazed sometimes just how far my body will stretch. I'll still do both in the future, but I honestly see myself getting into harder routines in regards to Yoga... as long as do it in the confines of my own home. I'm just not that cruel to subject the public to my noisy bowels. Zeros - Now, I'm not the best when it comes to grammar or spelling, but when Kris put that down in a Scrabble game of ours a few weeks ago, I immediately challenged, simply assuming the proper pluralization is 'zeroes', same way as Hero to Heroes. But no, I was wrong, and the original was correct. Actually, both are considered correct, but I don't know why. Sometimes I hate the English language. Anyway, our Scrabble games are going strong, with Kris beating me quite often now... looks like I need to start studying the three-letter words, now that we've both got most of the twos down. Labels: comics, diet, holz on the internets, iPhone, movies, review, TV posted by Holz | 9:45 AM | Rant & Rave, Bitches! (5)Tuesday, February 27, 2007 Mathametics of Spawn of Kiefer 2.0 The last time I can remember doing a post on the show 24, it involved the Mathematics of a nuclear explosion not harming Jack Bauer, since he was behind a rock. So even though that was, jeez, four years ago, let's go with the theme. This post comes out of a discussion with my mother on whether or not the kid of Back! Show Killer! Rena Sofer, dubbed Spawn of Kiefer 2.0 by some, could actually be Jack's kid. While I thought it was possible (especially how they went outta their way to find an actor who looked exactly like Elisha Cuthbert), I just didn't think the math would've added up, seeing as I thought he was together with Teri, during a good part of their marriage. Au contraire... let's see. Using Wikipedia's 24 articles, I've put together a rough timeline as to how much has passed since that day Spawn of Kiefer 1.0 and the wifey were kidnapped. S2 over S1: 18 months S3 over S2: 3 yrs S4 over S3: 18 months S5 over S4: 18 months S6 over S5: 20 months So add on another 9 months of pregnancy, and we have to have a starting point of about 10 yrs. The kid obviously is supposed to be about 13 or 14 on the show, and we know that Jack and Teri were having trouble in there marriage, so it's definitely possible that it coulda happened during a time they were split up. My only problem with this is that I thought DirtyMoleNina was Jack's only "infidelity" at this time, and according to my mom, it was two years before the start of season 1. I thought they had just gotten back together at the start of the show, and I'd have a hard time believing that they were separated for 3 years and got back together. Sadly, I can't find any corroborating mention of the timeline for this. Oh well, if it turns out he is Jack's kid, at least it could be plausible... posted by Holz | 11:21 AM | Rant & Rave, Bitches! (0) Monday, February 05, 2007 It's A DVR World, I'm Just Livin' In It Yes, it's true. The man who prided himself on a blank tape for every day of the week, and at one point had to utilize two VCRs and a third TV just to watch my shows some nights, has finally caved and gotten a DVR through my cable. Well, to be more precise, after hearing me going on and on about how I was gonna get one "eventually", Night Nurse went to Comcast and picked it up herself. She's too sweet. Anyway, as expected, within the first week I got the hardrive filled to over 50% capacity. To be fair though, we had some pay channels for free for the first two days, so we recorded a bunch of movies in HD, and since a 60 hour DVR can only handle 15 hours of HD, it filled up quick. Since then though, we've gotten a handle on it, and I am loving it! I've literally told Kris "I love our DVR" at least 20 times since getting it. And it's not the recording aspect (although I'm loving that, too), it's the pausing of live TV and rewinding to catch dialogue we didn't understand. For someone who's known as having to run to the bathroom on occasion (but less now that I'm on Imodium AD, woo-hoo!), this has become a godsend. Especially yesterday, as literally 8 minutes before the Superbowl, Kris's dad ran into a a serious problem with a TV/satellite dish that I had to run over and help with. So it turned out I missed the first 3 minutes of the game, and for everyone who caught it, the first three minutes were really the only time someone rooting for the Bears - like me - had something to cheer for. Thankfully though, my friends had paused the game for me, and we were able to watch it all, playing catchup to the live broadcast all the way up to halftime. Speaking of, my thoughts on the game... pretty weak. It looked like a high school game, on both sides. I know it sucks playing in the rain, but you guys are professional football players, it's not like you've never done it before. So many turnovers in the first half, I thought it was the advertising done by Enteman's for the day... ...wow... that joke sucked... I am so so sorry... Anyway, I had some money on the Bears winning, because I really thought Rex was gonna break outta his shell, but man did he have a horrible game. Hester has to be feeling pretty good though, scaring the bejesus outta the Colts that they'd squib every single kick. Oh well, congrats to Peyton on finally getting a ring, maybe now he'll get some advertising endorsements. Commercials wise, I thought the day sucked even more. Nothing really break-out. Goulet for Emerald Nuts was the weirdest one that I enjoyed; the GM machine committing suicide was the weirdest one that mad me cringe; really liked the Coke GTA-spoof, but I liked it the other 15 times I've seen it in the theaters over the last 3 months; and the biggest fuck up by an advertising company I thought was Prudential, who continuously mentioned "a rock", but what I thought subconsciously translated to "Iraq". The best of the day though was for Jack in the Box, their new "Vegetarian" spot, which I was surprised to find out was a regional thing, and not everyone got it. That's too bad, 'cause it was hilarious. Can't even find it on YouTube yet. Finally, we also caught Puppy Bowl III throughout the day, and it was probably the best coutner programming I'd seen during the Superbowl in years. Just three hours of puppies playing together on a mini-football field. So f'n cute. ...ETA: posted by Holz | 9:21 AM | Rant & Rave, Bitches! (0) Wednesday, January 31, 2007 Holz For President! Since it seems nearly every other member of the Democratic Party has entered the race, I thought I'd throw my hat in. Sadly, seeing as I'm only 27, the rules say I can't. Oh well. But anyway, what the hell is up with the Dems? Every day there seems to be another one announcing his/her... well, announcing they are planning to annouce they'll be running for president. I'm all for the primary season, it's good to get *some* different ideas out there, but this early, it just clearly shows the American people that the Democratic Party are in a word, splintered. The fact is, it's gonna come down to Obama, Hillary, and Edwards (and in a long shot, Gore). Anyone else in the race this early is simply diluting the discussion. Me, I'm currently backing Edwards, and will be joining his campaign shortly. I like Obama and Hillary, but Edwards' beliefs have always been fairly close to mine, so I'm starting from there. Thankfully though, hacktacular of all hacks, Joe Biden, appears to have just had the shortest presidential run of all time. posted by Holz | 12:23 PM | Rant & Rave, Bitches! (1) Thursday, October 19, 2006 The Alien Sitting In My Home IV: Geek In Love When last we left our hero, he had no TiVo, lofty goals for cutting his TV watching, and no girlfriend. I still have no TiVo. The goals I placed really didn't pan out. But I do have a girlfriend, so all those worries about me not meeting someone when I'm stuck in front of my master were for naught! What does this mean for this season of TV viewing? By some chance, will I be able to cut-down my load to under 24 hours per week? Let us see... Sunday... The calm before the storm, as our hero stocks up on the comedy-carbs needed for the journey ahead Prologue: A Night At Home 8:30 - American Dad & Family Guy - Still some of the funniest 22 minutes on TV, and it's good to see American Dad actually beginning to surpass it's predecessor at times. BTW, if you are a fan of the shows and you haven't picked up the album Family Guy in Las Vegas, you are seriously missing out. Monday... to the surprise of our hero, he is faced with three arc-heavy shows immediately... will he (and they) survive? Plus, the subplots begin! Arc Overload! 8:00 - Prison Break - The first season may have lagged a bit after the mid-year hiatus, but it ended strong, and the first couple episodes have kept me glued every week. As it's looking like the show is pretty much cornered into 2 seasons, I'm afraid they won't be able to get around to bringing down President Patricia Wettig, which is too bad. 9:00 - Heroes - Let's see, a TV show that's basically X-Men: Before They Were Stars? Yeah, as you can imagine, this is my new favorite show on TV at the moment. The Hiro character is easily the best, and I like how they've slowly been leaking the connections between everyone, and unlike Lost, I think they creators have a clear plan on how they connect to eachother. 10:00 - Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - A show I had high hopes for, and one I'm still watching, but at the moment, I'm unimpressed. Perry and Whitford steal the show, with Nate Corddry surprising the hell outta me. But the problem is the "comedy" just isn't funny at all. I'll stick with it, but I have a feeling it won't last the rest of the season... maybe I'll just watch my Sports Night DVDs after the show is cancelled, it's far superior. Tape - Laughing at The Eye 8:30 - How I Met Your Mother - Only reason I watch this show is 'cause of Barney, and even then, it's starting to lose it's appeal. Oh well, not a must-watch for me, but always good for a laugh or two. 10:00 - CSI: Miami - The funniest thing about this show is how much they try and differentiate themselves from Las Vegas. This show isn't just bright, it's hyper-bright, with constant sun shots and reflections that come close to blinding the viewer. Still, I do like to watch because the murderers are so embarrassingly flamboyant in their exploits. And it's good to know that nearly every person in Miami has their DNA in a computer system that can match be matched to in less than an hour. Tuesday... In the face of a plague of 5 stations, our hero says goodbye to a past love... but is it for good? Dramedies Make Me Laugh Tears 8:00 - NCIS - Still missing Sasha Alexander, but Cote de Pablo's Ziva has stepped up to the plate of a good foil for Tony. The show has the ability of making me laugh without it feeling forced, and the team camaraderie feels pretty genuine. Lauren Holly still isn't doing much for me, but I can deal... the only problem I have so far this season is the unexplained (at least in my mind) animosity between Gibbs and Ducky. And for a 'season of secrets', there hasn't been much in the way of shocks so far 9:00 - Veronica Mars - Still one of the best shows on TV and y'all are still idiots for not watching *sigh*. Oh well, the show is starting strong, utilizing the college setting well off the bat, much better than Joss & Co did with Buffy S4. I find it a bit cliche that almost everyone is going to the same college, but really, that's a problem for all shows that start in high school and have to move on. Keep putting out great product Kristen Bell, and I'll forgive you for Pulse. 10:00 - Boston Legal -Spader & Shatner are still the best comedy duo on TV, and it was utter crap that neither was nominated this year. Anyway, the new additions to the cast are impressive, especially Craig Bierko, who I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to take seriously after Scary Movie 4. The show might be a bit too liberal at times for some viewers, but oh well, they can suck it. One of the coolest things about this season though is seeing multiple Star Trek actors appear on one show... Shatner, Odo, Neelix, Quark... can Brent Spiner be far behind? Procedurals Are Good For Taping 8:00 - House - One of the few shows I can miss and not freak out, but it's always good for watch late at night. Nothing jaw-droppingly impressive about the show, but also rarely disappointing. Consider it a pallete cleanser for the arc-heavy shows to come for the rest of the week/ 9:00 - L&O: Criminal Intent - Got into this Law & Order spinoff late, and it's still not a must-see, but I've come to really like the leads on the show, and the back-and-forth style of leads is unique for the viewer. 10:00 - L&O: Special Victims Unit - Still the best of all of the L&O's, and while I was afraid that the loss of Mariska for the beginning of the season would prove hard to get over, Connie Nielsen's run has been fun to follow, if a bit heavy-handed at times. Noticing an absence of Ice T that's hurting a bit, but we'll see if he gets to shine soon. You may notice that my past love, Gilmore Girls is not included on this list. I told myself at the end of last season that I had an out because it had fallen apart so much, and I could stop watching, and it looks like I need to take it... the question is whether I'll be able to resist the temptress... so far, I have. Wednesday... after the brutal battle with Tuesday, our hero comes faces to face with old foes, surrounded by new faces Characterisplosion! 8:00 - Jericho - Life in a small town after a nuclear holocaust... interesting premise, but I was afraid it wouldn't be able to live up to it's potential. Thankfully, the first few eps have kept me coming back, with the cliffhanger of the U.S. retaliation of this week hooking me in for good. As with any ensemble show, there are certainly characters I could do without (Ashley Scott, you haven't made me feel any regret for Birds of Prey's cancellation), but overall it shows serious promise. I'm betting on Hawkins' evilness being a red herring, but we'll have to see. It'd be weird if the *one* minority on the show was evil. 9:00 - Lost - Still a huge fan, still addicted to every story, still completely confuzzled every Wednesday at 10:02. The premiere this season made me question many of my theories, reinforced others, and made me make up new ones (my latest: The Others are actually the descendants of the Survivors, sent back in time, ala the ST: Deep Space Nine episode Children of Time. We'll see if it will hold any credence. 10:00 - The Nine - Hasn't completely sunk it's nails into me yet, but it has me intrigued. A great cast of C-listers that I recognize from nearly every show I've ever watched also helps. I'm worried that they'll keep the events from the bank secret for too long though... I think the more interesting story to follow is the post-traumatic stress they'll feel for the next few years... Clinging To Life 8:00 - 30 Rock - Funny so far, but on a bad night... not much more to say, other than the funny is already better than Studio 60... 10:00 - Kidnapped - Cancelled already, so wary to include it here, but Night Nurse & I both enjoyed the show alot, and will miss it... hopefully they'll air the first 13 episodes sometime. Thursday... we come to our climax, as our hero comes to a crossroads as a sacrifice may be needed, all for the love of a woman. The Choice will be hard... which will he take? Watch - For The Boy 8:00 - Smallville - I think the amazing thing about this show is that while there are bad episodes, the show has never lost the appeal for me... I love the story of young Superman, and the cameos of future DC characters (so far this season Jimmy Olson & Green Arrow) makes the geek in me squeal with delight. And if you've never read a recap of the show on TWoP, you are missing out on some of the funniest (not to mention Gayest) writing on the web. 9:00 - Supernatural - I've missed a few eps form this season already because of softball, but oh well, it's still a fun watch, with some impressive scares. I still think the show is missing something without a permanent female lead, but the continuous revolving door of hotties under 25 seems to work for them. Tape 1 - For The Girl 8:30 - The Office - The funniest show on the air, hands down. I'm missing the PamiJ interaction, but hope they'll have remedied the problem by November sweeps (if they wait until February - or God forbid May - I'll be seriously pissed). 9:00 - Grey's Anatomy - Liked it, didn't like it, then got back into it when Kris and I started dating. I still hate Meredith, but I will admit she is *finally* starting to grow on me. I can do without all the McStorylines, but otherwise the show is still a good watch with my girl. 10:00 - Six Degrees - I have no idea why I'm watching this show. I do like it, but I don't know why. It doesn't seem as if it's going anywhere, and the writing is... not boring, per se, but meandering. Oh well, I won't be surprised when it's cancelled, but I'll be sad to see it go. Tape 2 - For Both 8:00 - Survivor - ALL OUT RACE WAR! Tracey Morgan called for it on SNL years ago, and it is here! Okay, not really, but the first few eps were damn fun to watch with a group. Anyway, I haven't watched Survivor in a while, but I can say I'm enjoying this season... my pick... probably Yul, he really seems to be playing the best gate there, as does Nate... 9:00 - CSI - So last we left the show, they had given us the cliffhanger Gil & Sarah were a couple. And since then? Not a mention, aside from some little pepperings... interesting choice. There seems to be some cool character bits this season that we haven't seen too much from the show, and I hope they return to the diorama murder-mystery from the premiere. Friday... just when our hero thinks he's done, he comes face to face with the two Wolves (Bad & Dick), and the battle for all humanity The Wolves at The Door 8:00 - Doctor Who - Amazingly haven't been able to catch this season yet, just too busy, still, I'm looking forward to catching up. 9:00 - Battlestar Galactica - The best show on TV? Possibly. The best sci-fi show of the past decade? Easily. This show is producing some of the most visually stunning, and thematically challenging drama on TV, and their doing it on a Sci-Fi channel budget. Is the show pro-terrorism? Obviously not, but it certainly is presenting a thoughtful look at the Iraqi insurgency that many people won't like. No wonder the show won a Peabody... 10:00 - Law & Order - Almost an also-ran, I can't see the show ever ending... there are millionaires on TV now who don't even know of a world without Law & Order. Just weird. Anyway, it's always good to watch on tape while cleaning... Saturday... in which our hero returns home, for a well-needed rest. So what is that... just under 27 hours? That's less than 20 hours if you take out commercials. We'll just ignore Comedy Central's additional 4 hours of Stewart & Colbert... Not bad! And the good thing is that only 17 hours of that are must-see (and yes, if you're wondering, I've color-coded which in a spreadsheet). ...amazingly I spelled the word season wrong three times above, in the same fashion, as 'seanos'... funny. Labels: TV posted by Holz | 5:20 PM | Rant & Rave, Bitches! (6)Monday, December 31, 2001 Archiving The Pyre: The Sitting Alien Prequel Every year, I seem to put together a list of shows that I'll be watching by day of the week. The title of the "series" is The Alien Sitting In MyHome. I think it stems from a postcard I once saw at The Crowbar in State College. Anyway, this is technically the first one I did for the 99-00 season. You think I'm bad now... you can't imagine how I was in college. *** TV Is The Alien Sitting In Our Home November 16, 2000 "I'm not happy, 'cause I'm unhappy. I'm unhappy 'cause I'm not happy. I'm not happy 'cause I'm unhappy... I'm not happy... but I got TV." ---Bruce McCullouch I am the perfect example of the Media-Obsessed American. I am Mr. Pop Culture. I go to the movies frequently. I read books whenever I have the time. I enjoy listening to modern music. I'm a video game junkie. Oh, and I also watch a little TV. Okay, some TV... okay, alot of TV! Okay, okay, twist my arm already, I always watch TV. You might know people that watch alot of TV, but I probably blow them out of the water. I watch everything: game shows, prime time shows, syndicated shit, sitcoms, MTV, hell, even the news sometimes. And if I can't find anything on, I'll probably watch an infomercial. It can get pretty bad. But anyway, I thought I'd give a *short* list of my favorite shows currently running on television. If I wrote about all my favorite shows of all time, my page would run out of space... Now, instead of having like a top ten list, I'll do this a little differently. Since I watch TV all week, I'll discuss all my shows in regards to the day they air... makes it much easier to remember anyhow :-) Wrestling Over Monday The problem with Monday is that there are too many good things on, and my VCR can't handle it all!!! Hence, I must wrestle over what I watch... Raw is War ... Stonecold Steve Austin is back ladies and gentlemen! Kurt Angle is the champ! HHH is just as evil as ever, if not moreso! Steven Richards finally has a cool angle! Lita, Trish, Tori, Steph... va-va-va-voom! And best of all? Vinnie Mac is back! Sneering, catch phrases, the over use of the term XFL... welcome back Vin-Man! Boston Public ... David E. Kelley sure has a hit on his hands here. Every teacher on this show has already gotten me engrossed, and the little use of the students in the show has been done beautifully. The principal is amazing, and any show with Fyvush Finkel in it is gonna be great. However, this show does have one thing going wrong with it... it's by David E. Kelley. The thing about Kelley is that his freshman seasons (save Snoops) are always great. I loved the first seasons of Picket Fences and even liked Ally McBeal... but after that, it goes into the shitter. Let's hope this show can stray away from that little curse Roswell ... Who could have ever guessed a show about aliens posing as teenagers would consistently be one of the most entetaining shows ever on television. The best show of last season was thankfully ripped back from the brink of oblivion (Nowhere Man, where art thou?) and thankfully has been keeing it's viewership. I have to say I was disappointed with the first few episodes, but once they got into the groove of not focusing so much on the sci-fi aspect, they got back into what made the show so great. The Summer of '47 was a great episode, and ever since then, it's all delivered. And if you missed the episode "The End of the World" with future Max, you missed one of the most emotional shows ever... Vampirific Tuesday Tuesday has quickly become the best night of television, hands down. Sadly, I can only watch one thing, and that is the WB. What this means is that I must miss the great shows Fox has on at the same time... ugh. Buffy: The Vampire Slayer ... when people ask me what some of my favorite shows of all time are, Buffy is always in that list. I can never remember a bad season, let alone a bad episode. Every episode is entertaing, the writing is the best on television, the acting is surprisingly great for a science fiction/fantasy show, and the comedy is high class. The villains have a fantastic personality (you can't tell me you don't love Spike), and when you don't think they can come up with a better episode, they hit you with a double shot of two great episodes. Although I was afraid of the show slipping in ability with the loss of Angel and Oz, I have been greatly relieved that it has actually gotten better. Riley is a great character with promise, and Willow's new "friend" is being done extremely tastefully. This is a show I never miss... Angel ... as my friend so eloquently put it, Batman meets Early Edition. It had been a while since we've had great, dark detective show, but Joss Whedon and the WB have succeeded with Angel. There have been great fight scenes, and the make-up is actually better than Buffy. Cordelia has quickly grown on me as a likable, albeit annoying, character, and I've come to thoroughly enjoy every scene Wesley is in. Major props to Charisma and Alexis for creating such wonderful charatcers.. My biggest gripe, as is every Angel fan's gripe, was the death of Doyle. How they could do such a cruel thing, I have no idea. The fans loved him. He was the best part of the show, and what does he have to do? Go and be a hero? Damn sidekicks. Thankfully they've come up with a cool character from the streets, Gunn... J. August Richards is gonna be a star. Generation Y Wednesday Are these shows great television? In my eyes, yes. Will they ever win any big awards? No. But the thing about these shows is the guilty pleasure one gets when watching them. These shows are made specifically for me... and I guess a few others :-) Dawson's Creek ... I can proudly say I've been with the this show since day one! This entire cast has their whole career ahead of them, and they are truly honing their art on the wonder that is Dawson's Creek... last year had it's problems, but since abut halfway through last seaosn, it's been delivering. I was a little disappointed by "The Storm", but I think that's just because I had my expections set too high. Felicity ... no jokes, this is probably one of the funniest shows on TV, that also can deal with serious topics such as testicular cancer and alcohol abuse. I will go out on a limb here and say, after Buffy, this show has the best ensemble cast on TV. The only problem with the show is that it is not always consistent in its delivery. One week you'll have a great episode, and the following week it'll fall all it's face. South Park ... Back on track! If anyone thought this show was going to go the way of Beavis and Butthead (i.e. oblivion after their movie) they are thankfully mistaken. Trey and Matt have taken the show even further than I would ever have imagined. The new season has started out strong with a hilairous episode, and the following ones look to be just as appealing. Long live South Park! And I have one word for you: TIMMMMMYYYYYYYY! BattleBots! ... Man, who would've ever thought this show would quickly become one of my favorites. This show combines the brutality of pro wrestling, but without anyone really getting hurt... except maybe the players egos. I was kinda worried it was going to be boring with only three 3-minute "fights" a show, but every single minute is entertaining, from the running commentary, to Donna D'Errico standing there looking pretty, and Bill Nye giving us the scientific background, this show is really fun to watch, and I gotta admit, I'm cheering during those matches. I'm pissed though, my favorite battlebot, Mauler, got robbed!!! Thursday's are Ladies Night This night used to belong to NBC, but no longer! I just can't get into sitcoms anymore... weird but true. Thankfully, the WB, TV gods that they are have given us salvation Gilmore Girls ... This is a show I probably never would have watched, but I thought the mom on the show was really hot, so I decided to catch the first episode. Am I glad I did! This show is very similar to Felicity in that it's a comedy that passes itself off as a drama. Sure, there are the serious undertones, but they're barely there, and most of the time it's just two girls who like to be goofy with one another... and hey, and show that gives Susan Struthers a job must have heart! Charmed ... This is probably my least favorite show of all the shows I watch, but I watch for three reasons. Okay... six reasons. Truthfully, this is a show that gets most of its ideas from older episodes of Buffy, and doesn't really improve upon them. However, it is a guilty pleasure. Three chicks with super powers? Hey, I don't have Charlie's Angels, so I have to settle for the three sisters. Sci-Fi Friday Ahhh!!! I don't have Sci-Fi, so I'm missing the best science fiction shows out there, The Invisible Man, Farscape, and Lexx! And they're gonna be showing Babylon 5 in widescreen... argh! You do not know how much that pisses me off... Syndicated Saturday Ah, the WB... they truly put the sin in syndication. These are the types of shows few know about... it's where the stars of the future will come from *snicker... Earth: Final Conflict ... Probably the only reason I continue to watch this show is becuase I want to see the end of it. This show started off really strong, and I thought, hey, a new great scifi show! Even when they killed off the main character and introduced us to the human/Taelon hybrid that was Liam, I still loved it. But then... well Captain Lily Marquette had to leave... then Doors died... and now the best character on the show, Augur has up and left. But, the basic plot is still intriguing me, so I wanna see how exactly they'll wrap everything up. I doubt it'll last any more than 2 more seasons. Andromeda ... Why oh why do I watch this utter crap? Is it out of respect of Gene Roddenberry? There was a reason this show never got off the ground when he was alive... but of course, I watch. But of course, the show isn't all bad, just the first few episodes. The ast two I've seen have actually been pretty impressive, but the fact is, I just can't take much more of these cliched characters. Don't be surprised if this show disappears from the list after my next update Xena: Warrior Princess ... How did Kate Winslet put it... "I'll never let go Jack, I'll never let go". That's pretty much how I am with Xena... I am still remaining loyal to this show... it's great no matter what anyone else says. I'm sad to say though, this is the last season of one of the most underrated shows ever... it will deeply be missed. Sunday... Bloody Sunday... Leave it to Fox to give us three of probably the best shows on television, and what do they do? Put them all on the same night. Smart Fox execs, smart... The Simpsons ... I'm not the biggest Simpsons fan, but if it's on, I always laugh my ass off. I think Matt Groening put it best, when he said The Simpsons may not be the funniest show on televiion, but it's the most consistent. In every episode, there are at least 10 laugh out loud scenes... not many shows can tout that... Malcolm in the Middle ... Easily the funniest show on television. Okay, one of two, I find Titus pretty damn funny too. The face of comedy is finally changing... no more do we have to be subjected to mushy canned laughter sitcoms, Fox has the balls to put comedies on television that are the pure antithesis of say, Full House. Sure the families love eachother... deep down... somewhere, but they also treat eachother like real human beings... The X-Files ... I have my fingers crossed that this season will go down in the annals of X-Files history as one of the best. Robert Patrick is amazing, and having a main character on the show that we aren't too sure whether we can trust is always good. I love the idea of Scully as a believer now, after everything that she has seen, it would be impossible for her to ignore anything now. I hope they keep giving Skinner more airtime, he's the coolest character on the show... Labels: pyre archive, TV posted by Holz | 10:51 AM | Rant & Rave, Bitches! (0) |
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"Let a man get away with fuckin' you once, you stay bent over so's he can fuck you again whenever he damn well pleases. An' if one man can do it? Another will too. An' another, an' another still. So's being fucked, that's yer life. 'Til who you were, you ain't. 'Cause all you are is an asshole." 100 Bullets #42 | |||||
