5. The Shining- Although I'm saddened by Stephen King's dislike over Kubrick's adaptation I gotta say,"Get over it man!" My god the book is great but the second hour of Kubrick's masterpiece always has me shaking. It's also Shelly Duvall's second best performance next to her Olive Oil in Altman's Popeye. Man good director's really had a hard on for miss Shelly.
4. Young Frankenstein- Okay not really scary but still a black and white comedy masterpiece. This is Mel Brooks at his finest and the cast is flawless. Hard to believe that The Monster would turn out to be a sitcom star some 35 years later.
3. The Exorcist- Yet another movie I got to dissect in college. From the real life story it's based on, to the terrifying events that besieged the cast and crew this movie maintains an air of mystery. Some of the effects haven't aged that well but the imagery still haunts you.
2. Alien- If you think Ridley Scott's masterpiece is a sci-fi flick you're just plain wrong. The four Alien flicks all differ in terms of genre but the original is pure horror. From the female in danger, to the evil scientists, to the house or in this case ship that the characters have no business going into. The HR Geiger design of the Alien ship and the aliens themselves was groundbreaking as well.
1. Halloween- I'm not a big slasher guy if you couldn't tell from the rest of the list. Except for a brief love of the Nightmare on Elm Street series (who didn't love Dokken's Dream Warrior's theme?) the only classic slasher film that's even kept my interest is Halloween. Why? Well mainly because it's actually a good movie. The music as simple as it is, sticks with you. The acting is more then passable. The thrills equal the the spills. And most importantly you have a heroine who John Carpenter actually gets you too cheer for because you like her not just because you're supposed to in this type of film.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Saturday Scrubs Fix
Okay so like I posted Thursday, Scrubs is coming back November 30th, thus we only have five more Saturday Scrubs Fixes. In honor of the good news here's a little celebratory musical number with some physical comedy and interpretive dance thrown in.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Top 10 Halloween Movies: 10-6
There was a time where I lived for scary movies but somehow that has passed me by much like my long term memory. I have no desire to see Saw or Hostel or The Grudge and when I actually took the time to watch The Ring I found myself bored or laughing most of the time. Nevertheless, I do believe there are some great movies you can cozy up to leading up to All Hallows Eve so of course I will now share them. Boo!
10. Shaun of the Dead- Okay so it's not a classic horror movie but it is a classic. If you haven't seen it imagine if George Romero had a British sensibility and a slightly sunnier outlook on humanity (only slightly). Simon Pegg is a great anti hero and his ragtag group of zombie fighters make the movie. Oh and the zombies will crack you up too. This has quickly become one of my favorite movies of the last few years.
9. Scream- By now the self referential horror movie has become so cliched that most people remember Scream as the unfortunate movie that started that trend. However if you go back and just remember your first experience watching Scream I'm pretty sure you'll smile. Wes Craven made me believe writer Kevin Williamson was the next great American writer, Drew Barrymore was not annoying, Skeet Ulrich had a career, and David Arquette still had some self respect. On top of all that you got a audience stumping who done it combined with some decent gore, a killer soundtrack, and some genuinely scary moments. Two lackluster sequels and a series of ripoffs may have tarnished the original but it still deserves some props.
8. The Blair Witch Project- Very similar to Scream. Go back to the first time you saw Blair Witch and let the flood gates open. For me it was being scared out of my seat for the majority of the film while simultaneously being amazed by the entire audience reacting in unison. Then of course I remember leaving the theater and the ushers offering us Dramamine to help with the motion sickness. The movie doesn't really hold up to multiple viewings but thanks to that amazing first time it's unforgettable.
7. The Omen- Why oh why did they need to remake this? The original has one of the scariest child actors since Jodi from Family Affair. Gregory Peck gets all Gregory Peck on every one's ass and Lee Remick is the sexiest terrified mom I've ever seen. Plus like all good scary flicks the music kicks it!
6. Seven- Again not a horror flick but still it's a gore fest that's guaranteed to make you jump out of your seat. Plus it has an amazing cast, a director in his prime and a look that completely immerses you in the depressing world of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. The buddy cop movie has never been so scary except for Turner and Hooch but then again I don't think that was intentional.
I'll throw out the top 5 later this weekend after tomorrow's Saturday Scrubs Fix. Peace out you ghosts and goblins!
10. Shaun of the Dead- Okay so it's not a classic horror movie but it is a classic. If you haven't seen it imagine if George Romero had a British sensibility and a slightly sunnier outlook on humanity (only slightly). Simon Pegg is a great anti hero and his ragtag group of zombie fighters make the movie. Oh and the zombies will crack you up too. This has quickly become one of my favorite movies of the last few years.
9. Scream- By now the self referential horror movie has become so cliched that most people remember Scream as the unfortunate movie that started that trend. However if you go back and just remember your first experience watching Scream I'm pretty sure you'll smile. Wes Craven made me believe writer Kevin Williamson was the next great American writer, Drew Barrymore was not annoying, Skeet Ulrich had a career, and David Arquette still had some self respect. On top of all that you got a audience stumping who done it combined with some decent gore, a killer soundtrack, and some genuinely scary moments. Two lackluster sequels and a series of ripoffs may have tarnished the original but it still deserves some props.
8. The Blair Witch Project- Very similar to Scream. Go back to the first time you saw Blair Witch and let the flood gates open. For me it was being scared out of my seat for the majority of the film while simultaneously being amazed by the entire audience reacting in unison. Then of course I remember leaving the theater and the ushers offering us Dramamine to help with the motion sickness. The movie doesn't really hold up to multiple viewings but thanks to that amazing first time it's unforgettable.
7. The Omen- Why oh why did they need to remake this? The original has one of the scariest child actors since Jodi from Family Affair. Gregory Peck gets all Gregory Peck on every one's ass and Lee Remick is the sexiest terrified mom I've ever seen. Plus like all good scary flicks the music kicks it!
6. Seven- Again not a horror flick but still it's a gore fest that's guaranteed to make you jump out of your seat. Plus it has an amazing cast, a director in his prime and a look that completely immerses you in the depressing world of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. The buddy cop movie has never been so scary except for Turner and Hooch but then again I don't think that was intentional.
I'll throw out the top 5 later this weekend after tomorrow's Saturday Scrubs Fix. Peace out you ghosts and goblins!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
NBC is my hero...NBC is the devil
Just a quick note today as I believe on I'm death bed with sickness. NBC announced todday that Scrubs is coming back Thursday November 30th and 8pm CST. It will follow My Name is Earl and The Office and then be follwed by 30 Rock. That sounds like an old fashioned Must See TV Thursday except for the fact that it's 2006. Scrubs will be facing off against the #1 and #2 shows on TV Grey's Anatomy and CSI. So the long and short of it is be happy it's back but don't be surprised if it's moved or shelved completely by the New Year.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
I'm not cut out for politics
Every major election year I get a little fired up. Sometimes more then others. I always like to believe that my civic pride and rampant liberalism will take hold of me but the fact is I usually end up annoyed. We've still got two weeks until election day and I already want to smash my TV and coming from me, that's like committing suicide. Living in a battleground state like Minnesota (god that pains me to write that) we've seen a ton of national money flood our races and our airwaves. In addition to numerous close house races, we've got a Senate seat and a Governor race going on and that's like spanish fly to the RNC and DNC. It strikes me as odd that so much money is spent since only about 3 out of 10 US citizens actually take the time to vote and I honestly believe that half of them already have their mind made up months before election time.
Sometimes political advertisements can be both entertaining and informative. At the risk of invoking his name too often on this blog the late great Senator Paul Wellstone was a master at this. In fact it was a huge factor in transforming him from a little known college professor to a legitimate challenger against a long time incumbent. He then used it again to get re-elected in '96. Take a look.
These days there is no creativity or information in these ads and it goes to both sides of the aisle. Take our current race for Senator. Democrat Amy Klobuchar seems nice enough but when you come off with personality of a wet sponge you might want to spice it up a bit and actually tell us something other then you want to stand up for people. Isn't that what representing your constituence means Amy?
Then you've got her opponent Satan spawn Mark Kennedy who offers us this little bit of DISINFORMATION.
How some people can still keep a straight face and associate Iraq with the "war" on terror is amazing to me. My friend and I busted out laughing when we saw it on Sunday especially for the closing line. Unfortunately, this is seen as effective advertising. Honestly I'm to the point where I just want to wake up on November 8th and have my airwaves back. Of course this could all be fixed if we publicly funded campaigns with set limits. Each candidate with an equal budget? Wow then we might actually get a real representative government.
Sometimes political advertisements can be both entertaining and informative. At the risk of invoking his name too often on this blog the late great Senator Paul Wellstone was a master at this. In fact it was a huge factor in transforming him from a little known college professor to a legitimate challenger against a long time incumbent. He then used it again to get re-elected in '96. Take a look.
These days there is no creativity or information in these ads and it goes to both sides of the aisle. Take our current race for Senator. Democrat Amy Klobuchar seems nice enough but when you come off with personality of a wet sponge you might want to spice it up a bit and actually tell us something other then you want to stand up for people. Isn't that what representing your constituence means Amy?
Then you've got her opponent Satan spawn Mark Kennedy who offers us this little bit of DISINFORMATION.
How some people can still keep a straight face and associate Iraq with the "war" on terror is amazing to me. My friend and I busted out laughing when we saw it on Sunday especially for the closing line. Unfortunately, this is seen as effective advertising. Honestly I'm to the point where I just want to wake up on November 8th and have my airwaves back. Of course this could all be fixed if we publicly funded campaigns with set limits. Each candidate with an equal budget? Wow then we might actually get a real representative government.
Monday, October 23, 2006
What I'm...
...Reading
King Dork by Frank Portman- Here's another, "I'm not done with it but it's so good so far that I must recommend it now" recommendation. Portman who's part of the band The Mr. T Experience really captures teen angst in a post Judy Blume society. Hell I think he's captured the human experience more so then the teen one. The storytelling tells you there is a plot that will be intricate and complex but it's the observations about high school and growing up that make this book. It may be in the Young Adult section of your local bookstore but I promise it's worth it.
...Renting
Da Ali G Show: Season 1- I'm really excited about the Borat movie but that's been totally motivated by the incredible word of mouth and the great trailer. I actually had never seen Sasha Baron Cohen except for the occasional talk show or Madonna video so I figured before the movie I'd check out the show that started it all. Overall I think it's a bit of a mixed bag. The Borat segments are great and only further hyped me up for the movie but the Ali G stuff is rather hit or miss. Perhaps the surprise for me were the great segments of Cohen's 3rd alter ego Bruno the voice of Austrian youth TV. His trip to Alabama on the second disc of the season is worth renting alone.
...Listening To
Top 5 on My iPod
1. On the Radio- Regina Spektor (Here's another I'm behind the times deal as I've heard great things about this album for a while but it took a track popping up on the radio (coincidence?) for me to check it out. I figure any song that references November Rain by Axl and the boys can't be half bad.)
2. Sleeping In- The Postal Service (Yeah I know these guys can lull you to sleep but lyrically this song will grab you attention and hold it. Not bad for a band that's a side project of the Death Cab dude.)
3. The Kill- 30 Seconds to Mars (Ah yes I'm still loving the Jordan Catalono experience as Jared Leto gets all screamy on this track. Plus it fits one of my latest musical criteria in that it feels like you could write a movie around it. Speaking of which check out the video and it's Shinning references...or are they Shining references...no beer make Homer something something.
4. Welcome to the Black Parade- My Chemical Romance (I bought a couple of songs from these guys in the past. Sure they wear a lot of make up but they kind of rocked. Well now we've got this first single of their rock opera album The Black Parade and after seeing them play a couple tracks at the MTV Awards and SNL it's quickly becoming my most anticipated album of the year. It comes out tomorrow but in the meantime I'm happy with this track that has alot of Queen overtones.)
5. Ridiculous-Norm MacDonald (I've always loved Norm. I thought his Weekend Update was one of the best in the history of Saturday Night Live and I was devastated when he got shipped out because his boss played golf with OJ. Now, like David Hasselhoff, he's back in the public eye after a couple of failed TV shows. This new album is not standup but rather a series of audio sketches. My favorite track has to be The World's First Two Gay Guys which features Will Ferrell channeling his Harry Carrey voice even though he's not playing Harry Carrey. It may not be politically correct but you'll laugh.)
King Dork by Frank Portman- Here's another, "I'm not done with it but it's so good so far that I must recommend it now" recommendation. Portman who's part of the band The Mr. T Experience really captures teen angst in a post Judy Blume society. Hell I think he's captured the human experience more so then the teen one. The storytelling tells you there is a plot that will be intricate and complex but it's the observations about high school and growing up that make this book. It may be in the Young Adult section of your local bookstore but I promise it's worth it.
...Renting
Da Ali G Show: Season 1- I'm really excited about the Borat movie but that's been totally motivated by the incredible word of mouth and the great trailer. I actually had never seen Sasha Baron Cohen except for the occasional talk show or Madonna video so I figured before the movie I'd check out the show that started it all. Overall I think it's a bit of a mixed bag. The Borat segments are great and only further hyped me up for the movie but the Ali G stuff is rather hit or miss. Perhaps the surprise for me were the great segments of Cohen's 3rd alter ego Bruno the voice of Austrian youth TV. His trip to Alabama on the second disc of the season is worth renting alone.
...Listening To
Top 5 on My iPod
1. On the Radio- Regina Spektor (Here's another I'm behind the times deal as I've heard great things about this album for a while but it took a track popping up on the radio (coincidence?) for me to check it out. I figure any song that references November Rain by Axl and the boys can't be half bad.)
2. Sleeping In- The Postal Service (Yeah I know these guys can lull you to sleep but lyrically this song will grab you attention and hold it. Not bad for a band that's a side project of the Death Cab dude.)
3. The Kill- 30 Seconds to Mars (Ah yes I'm still loving the Jordan Catalono experience as Jared Leto gets all screamy on this track. Plus it fits one of my latest musical criteria in that it feels like you could write a movie around it. Speaking of which check out the video and it's Shinning references...or are they Shining references...no beer make Homer something something.
4. Welcome to the Black Parade- My Chemical Romance (I bought a couple of songs from these guys in the past. Sure they wear a lot of make up but they kind of rocked. Well now we've got this first single of their rock opera album The Black Parade and after seeing them play a couple tracks at the MTV Awards and SNL it's quickly becoming my most anticipated album of the year. It comes out tomorrow but in the meantime I'm happy with this track that has alot of Queen overtones.)
5. Ridiculous-Norm MacDonald (I've always loved Norm. I thought his Weekend Update was one of the best in the history of Saturday Night Live and I was devastated when he got shipped out because his boss played golf with OJ. Now, like David Hasselhoff, he's back in the public eye after a couple of failed TV shows. This new album is not standup but rather a series of audio sketches. My favorite track has to be The World's First Two Gay Guys which features Will Ferrell channeling his Harry Carrey voice even though he's not playing Harry Carrey. It may not be politically correct but you'll laugh.)
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Saturday Scrubs Fix
This week's Scrubs fix highlights the Janitor. Fun fact, originally the creator thought that he'd just be an imaginary figure in JD's head but then since the character became such a hit he allowed him to interact with the rest of the cast thus making him a real janitor.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Ruway Roundup The Finale' For Now
Quick thoughts on last night's season final ep of Project Runway.
* First of all a big screw you to the producers. Make the show a two hour ep instead of breaking it up over two nights.
* Another screw you to the producers for the previews throwing that red herring at us that Jeffrey was going to get the ax. There's no way they could prove him wrong and kick him out.
Now on to the show, again keep in mind I'm not a fashion expert.
* Obviously big belts are in because every designer had at least one.
* After watching an entire season I feel like I know walking and none of those models could walk to save their life.
* Why did Laura get a voice over during her show when no one else did? Speaking of the designers...
* Laura- Enough with the flapper evening looks. If I wanted to see that I'd build a time machine and go back to the 30's and hang with Gatsby. Seriously think about all the birds that had to die to create your line. Still the judges obviously liked your stuff for the most part which created many moments of anxiety for those folks in my living room.
* Michael- Oh man you were the crowd favorite and you had the best individual designs throughout the season but boy did you choke last night. Uli also had a safari theme but none of her girls came out in blazing tiger motiff. Obviously you have a future in fashion though so good luck.
* Uli- Ah my little German anti-Heidi you were great by breaking out of the patterns and showing some nice looks. As a man I especially liked the swimsuit (reveal). I thought you were going to win but the judges had a point about the flow of your outfits.
* Jeffrey- Congrats man. I loved most of the stuff you did this season and except for the blue dress and the evening gown I thought your stuff was solid. Now don't go driving around your new car picking up heroin. Oh and did your eyebrows grow 5 times bigger since the first part wrapped?
So that's it for season 3. I'm sure we'll have a season 4 if Heidi can teach Seal to use protection. Until then Auf Veed A Zen!
* First of all a big screw you to the producers. Make the show a two hour ep instead of breaking it up over two nights.
* Another screw you to the producers for the previews throwing that red herring at us that Jeffrey was going to get the ax. There's no way they could prove him wrong and kick him out.
Now on to the show, again keep in mind I'm not a fashion expert.
* Obviously big belts are in because every designer had at least one.
* After watching an entire season I feel like I know walking and none of those models could walk to save their life.
* Why did Laura get a voice over during her show when no one else did? Speaking of the designers...
* Laura- Enough with the flapper evening looks. If I wanted to see that I'd build a time machine and go back to the 30's and hang with Gatsby. Seriously think about all the birds that had to die to create your line. Still the judges obviously liked your stuff for the most part which created many moments of anxiety for those folks in my living room.
* Michael- Oh man you were the crowd favorite and you had the best individual designs throughout the season but boy did you choke last night. Uli also had a safari theme but none of her girls came out in blazing tiger motiff. Obviously you have a future in fashion though so good luck.
* Uli- Ah my little German anti-Heidi you were great by breaking out of the patterns and showing some nice looks. As a man I especially liked the swimsuit (reveal). I thought you were going to win but the judges had a point about the flow of your outfits.
* Jeffrey- Congrats man. I loved most of the stuff you did this season and except for the blue dress and the evening gown I thought your stuff was solid. Now don't go driving around your new car picking up heroin. Oh and did your eyebrows grow 5 times bigger since the first part wrapped?
So that's it for season 3. I'm sure we'll have a season 4 if Heidi can teach Seal to use protection. Until then Auf Veed A Zen!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Thank God for Wrestling?????
It's about 9:45pm CST and wrestling just made my night. First of all after watching a two hour block of Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars there's nothing more manly then watching a bunch of oiled up men in tights grappling with each other. Wait this isn't working let's try again. After watching two shows that certainly could be classified as nightime soaps there's nothing better then watching a soap opera for men. Wait that doesn't work either. Okay now I've got it, there's nothing better then watching guys beat the piss out of each other especially when the one taking the punishment is none other then Mrs. Spears. Don't you love how these things work out. One day I'm lamenting the loss of Brit to white trashdom and the next I'm watching K-Fed's white trash amigos cheer for him getting slammed to the ground. Click on the vid if you need a smile today because this isn't just for Britney fans that hate K-Fed this is for every American, because I'm pretty sure everyone hates K-Fed.
UPDATE!!!!-Vince McMahon in all his hateful ways has had YouTube remove all video of the K-Fed thrashing so enjoy this and just imagine it's him. Sorry folks, maybe MTV will replay it on TRL.
UPDATE!!!!-Vince McMahon in all his hateful ways has had YouTube remove all video of the K-Fed thrashing so enjoy this and just imagine it's him. Sorry folks, maybe MTV will replay it on TRL.
Monday, October 16, 2006
RIP: The Britney Spears Dance 1998-2006
I know that most of you who frequent the blog will see that headline and either cheer or shed a single tear.
Yes the time has come for this 32 year old man to stop performing his dance routine to Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time." Most of you are probably thinking, "Thank God, he's come to his senses and moved on." Actually the retirement of the dance has more to do with Britney then myself. Like many guys when Britney came on the scene I stopped and took notice for a second. Sure her music was bubble gum pop and I listened to mostly rap and punk at the time but somehow I was able to look past that and see her true talent...to fool all of us into thinking she had talent.
Over time Britney and I developed a fan/superstar relationship. Around Xmas 1998 I took the time to pick up the "Hit Me..." single. Inside the single was a trading card which revealed that Britney and I shared the same birthday (although we were a few years apart) which only strengthened our bond. I don't remember when I broke out the dance for the first time but pretty soon a regular part of my Friday-Sunday drink-a-thon was performing a dance based on the "Hit Me.." video with a few improvisations thrown in. My friends thought it was the stupidest thing they'd ever seen and thus encouraged it. At one point the dance was even videotaped which captured one of the few duet performances of the song (much to the regret of my overzealous dance partner).
Eventually the dance became less of a ritual and was only pulled out for special occasions like wedding or karaoke. In the mean time Britney grew up and had a slew of other singles. Sure there was a brief dalliance with "OOPS I Did It Again", but by the time "Toxic" came out, I knew there was only one dance for me. Honestly at this point it was like second nature despite the fact it was usually only done 2 or 3 times a year.
Since Britney began career and personal suicide by embracing her white trash side, I've held out hope that she'll return to her previous role as an entertaining untalented superstar but unfortunately she seems committed to live out her life as a fat trailer park lady (even though she'll live in the nicest trailer ever).
Saturday night I pulled out the dance at my best friend's wedding. There were a fair amount of folks that had seen it before and many who had not. As usual the dance reached out to everyone's desire to laugh and cheer my hopeless yet committed performance. Sunday morning came and I got many compliments and word that yet again I've been videotaped. On the drive home I reflected on the evening, particularly the dancing. I'm no one trick pony and on this night I danced my literal ass off (it's 2 days later and I still can't sit down or stand up without some pain). So I've decided that until Britney comes back, which I realize may be never, I am retiring the dance as a form of silent or my aptly still protest.
What's next for me? Well there's always the dance routine from the final scene of Footloose, plus I'm still trying to embrace my inner Beyonce so that's a possibility. In the meantime, if you come across a video of a handsome devil in a tux crawling across a ball room floor, take a moment and reflect on the loss not only of my dance but of Britney the non-talented entertainer extraordinare.
Yes the time has come for this 32 year old man to stop performing his dance routine to Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time." Most of you are probably thinking, "Thank God, he's come to his senses and moved on." Actually the retirement of the dance has more to do with Britney then myself. Like many guys when Britney came on the scene I stopped and took notice for a second. Sure her music was bubble gum pop and I listened to mostly rap and punk at the time but somehow I was able to look past that and see her true talent...to fool all of us into thinking she had talent.
Over time Britney and I developed a fan/superstar relationship. Around Xmas 1998 I took the time to pick up the "Hit Me..." single. Inside the single was a trading card which revealed that Britney and I shared the same birthday (although we were a few years apart) which only strengthened our bond. I don't remember when I broke out the dance for the first time but pretty soon a regular part of my Friday-Sunday drink-a-thon was performing a dance based on the "Hit Me.." video with a few improvisations thrown in. My friends thought it was the stupidest thing they'd ever seen and thus encouraged it. At one point the dance was even videotaped which captured one of the few duet performances of the song (much to the regret of my overzealous dance partner).
Eventually the dance became less of a ritual and was only pulled out for special occasions like wedding or karaoke. In the mean time Britney grew up and had a slew of other singles. Sure there was a brief dalliance with "OOPS I Did It Again", but by the time "Toxic" came out, I knew there was only one dance for me. Honestly at this point it was like second nature despite the fact it was usually only done 2 or 3 times a year.
Since Britney began career and personal suicide by embracing her white trash side, I've held out hope that she'll return to her previous role as an entertaining untalented superstar but unfortunately she seems committed to live out her life as a fat trailer park lady (even though she'll live in the nicest trailer ever).
Saturday night I pulled out the dance at my best friend's wedding. There were a fair amount of folks that had seen it before and many who had not. As usual the dance reached out to everyone's desire to laugh and cheer my hopeless yet committed performance. Sunday morning came and I got many compliments and word that yet again I've been videotaped. On the drive home I reflected on the evening, particularly the dancing. I'm no one trick pony and on this night I danced my literal ass off (it's 2 days later and I still can't sit down or stand up without some pain). So I've decided that until Britney comes back, which I realize may be never, I am retiring the dance as a form of silent or my aptly still protest.
What's next for me? Well there's always the dance routine from the final scene of Footloose, plus I'm still trying to embrace my inner Beyonce so that's a possibility. In the meantime, if you come across a video of a handsome devil in a tux crawling across a ball room floor, take a moment and reflect on the loss not only of my dance but of Britney the non-talented entertainer extraordinare.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
What I’m... Now with Bonus Saturday Scrubs Fix
What I’m...Renting
Angels in America- Last Saturday I watched Saturday Night Live which featured a very funny Al Pacino skit. I thought to myself that I’ve come to enjoy Al Pacino impressions almost as much as the actor himself. Thankfully Angels in America reminds us all why Pacino is one of our finest actors. Here he plays Roy Cohen, a neo-con closeted gay with AIDS and while the character is over the top Pacino actually dials it back a notch. Overall Mike Nichols does a wonderful job making the adaptation from a play to miniseries but part of me can’t help but wonder how this played out on stage.
What I’m...Watching
Friday Night Lights- I believe I actually omitted this from my fall TV preview. Mostly I was afraid of what would happen when a TV show is based on a movie which was based on a book. Mostly I figured we’d get a watered down version of the movie. Well, the pilot has come and gone and I’m giving it a big thumbs up. Aside from the telegraphed Hollywood ending, the show seemed to capture the spirit of the first two incarnations of the story. When you throw in some of the human drama you get a mix of Varsity Blues and Friday Night Lights which is fine by me.
What I’m...Loving!!!!
Battlestar Galactica- It’s Saturday morning as I type this and I have not slept much because I got home late last night and started watching the season premiere of the best show on TV. I met up with a friend last night who had watched it before meeting us out and he put it perfectly when he said, “I watched the first season and it got me then I figured the second season would be okay but it was better. Tonight I was pretty sure the show would turn the corner and start going downhill but it’s even better.” So true so true. Lost could learn something from these guys when it comes to making a season premiere that exceeds expectations. Unfortunately Sci Fi learned from ABC and really brought the fraking commercials. Thank the Gods for TiVo!
What I’m...Listening To.
Top 5 on My iPod
1. Bizarre Love Triangle- Frente! (Finally I have downloaded one of my favorite songs of all time. The New Order original is classic but this acoustic version has a scope and grandeur that I find cinematic.)
2. Bones-The Killers (Saw these guys perform this last week and was instantly grabbed. By the way is it just me or does every Killers song have a fast part a slow part and then another fast part? I guess if the formula works why change it.)
3. Goodbye Earl- Me First & The Gimme Gimmes (Finally my favorite Dixie Chicks song covered by my favorite punk cover band.)
4. Faint- Linkin Park (Maybe it’s the awesome Mark Romanik video but I love this song.)
5. Ring The Alarm- Beyonce (Yep I’ve got a problem.)
SATURDAY SCRUBS FIX-Dr. Acula
Angels in America- Last Saturday I watched Saturday Night Live which featured a very funny Al Pacino skit. I thought to myself that I’ve come to enjoy Al Pacino impressions almost as much as the actor himself. Thankfully Angels in America reminds us all why Pacino is one of our finest actors. Here he plays Roy Cohen, a neo-con closeted gay with AIDS and while the character is over the top Pacino actually dials it back a notch. Overall Mike Nichols does a wonderful job making the adaptation from a play to miniseries but part of me can’t help but wonder how this played out on stage.
What I’m...Watching
Friday Night Lights- I believe I actually omitted this from my fall TV preview. Mostly I was afraid of what would happen when a TV show is based on a movie which was based on a book. Mostly I figured we’d get a watered down version of the movie. Well, the pilot has come and gone and I’m giving it a big thumbs up. Aside from the telegraphed Hollywood ending, the show seemed to capture the spirit of the first two incarnations of the story. When you throw in some of the human drama you get a mix of Varsity Blues and Friday Night Lights which is fine by me.
What I’m...Loving!!!!
Battlestar Galactica- It’s Saturday morning as I type this and I have not slept much because I got home late last night and started watching the season premiere of the best show on TV. I met up with a friend last night who had watched it before meeting us out and he put it perfectly when he said, “I watched the first season and it got me then I figured the second season would be okay but it was better. Tonight I was pretty sure the show would turn the corner and start going downhill but it’s even better.” So true so true. Lost could learn something from these guys when it comes to making a season premiere that exceeds expectations. Unfortunately Sci Fi learned from ABC and really brought the fraking commercials. Thank the Gods for TiVo!
What I’m...Listening To.
Top 5 on My iPod
1. Bizarre Love Triangle- Frente! (Finally I have downloaded one of my favorite songs of all time. The New Order original is classic but this acoustic version has a scope and grandeur that I find cinematic.)
2. Bones-The Killers (Saw these guys perform this last week and was instantly grabbed. By the way is it just me or does every Killers song have a fast part a slow part and then another fast part? I guess if the formula works why change it.)
3. Goodbye Earl- Me First & The Gimme Gimmes (Finally my favorite Dixie Chicks song covered by my favorite punk cover band.)
4. Faint- Linkin Park (Maybe it’s the awesome Mark Romanik video but I love this song.)
5. Ring The Alarm- Beyonce (Yep I’ve got a problem.)
SATURDAY SCRUBS FIX-Dr. Acula
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Wednesday Night TV Extravaganza: Runway, Lost and other stuff (no not the Lost kind of other)
*****************SPOILERS ABOUT WEDNESDAY NIGHTS TV BELOW****************************
PROJECT RUNWAY:
My original title for today's post was going to be; "Tim Gunn Set to Dull", but that's not really fair because last night's reunion was dull thanks to everyone but Tim. In fact the little video they put together of Tim's vocabulary was the the highlight of my Wednesday night TV extravaganza. Heidi is just grating on my last nerve. Maybe it's her German accent, maybe it's her laugh, but whatever it is I'm sick of her. Glad she's going off to spawn another Seal baby so I can regroup. After all this is the first Runway I've watched from beginning to end every Wednesday. The biggest disappointment however, must be that Bradley was seen and not heard. Clearly his early departure had something to do with this but in my mind Bradley was the breakout star of this season. At least we got some new footage of him making weird noises and we got to see his new crazy buzz cut look to offset his crazy hippie look from the season. Other points of interest? Well Michael took home the fan prize which probably means we shouldn't bet on him in the finals. Good for him though, I'm solidly behind Michael or Jeffrey to win it all but I'm betting Uli pulls it out. Oh and don't get me started on Jan Michael Vincent. That's right either the guy from Airwolf or the guy that got kicked off for cheating was back last night and despite the drama Bravo tried to induce it turned into a big wine and cheese fest between the guy and Heidi. Really who am I supposed to cheer for in that epic struggle? Anyway the whole reunion just seemed to be kind of blah but perhaps that's because I just got done watching...
LOST:
Let me start off by saying after sleeping on it I really liked last night's season 3 opener, however there were some pretty glaring negatives. First off, ABC am I watching Lost or a preview of The Nine. There were more breaks last night then in Evil Knevil's bones. Seriously give us 5 more minutes or cut down on the ads. Also the pacing just seemed odd. One of the first commercial breaks just came out of nowhere and made no sense dramatically or timing wise. Lastly I'm sick of Jack. I used to write “Kate and Jack Forever” on my notebook but now I'm squarely behind Sawyer or even Henry hooking up with Kate. We get it Jack's a stubborn asshole who drove his wife away and his father back to the bottle. Unless we have a flashback where Jack's in southeast Asia getting his tats then give it a rest. Now the good. I loved the symmetry to last year's opening with both the song and the focus on just one group of the Losties. I like the introduction of Juliet and I'm crazy for the Other's camp. Big 3 questions from last night:
1. Which Stephen King book was the Other's book club reading?- TiVo freeze frame clearly shows a C as the first letter so I'm guessing Carrie which makes me think of psychic Walt. Does he have a female counterpart? Check out image 33 on the official Lost gallery for more on this idea. (Credit Pink is the New blog for reporting this one and note that after you get to season 3 episode 1 you might have to click to picture 33 twice to see the "real" deal).
2. What happened between the time Kate was with Henry and when she saw Sawyer?- Her wrists looked awfully hurt for having cuffs on for breakfast. Also why did she eat Sawyer's fish biscuit when she just had eggs and bacon? Me thinks we've got a gap here that may be filled in later with some rather unpleasant stuff.
3. How did the Other's get all the info on Jack?- Psychic or could it be the theory that Jack's dad is some kind of recruiter for Dharma or Hanso or could it simply be the Others have an internet connection and pulled up Jack's obit plus some other stuff.
Scenes from next week look top notch so I'm already jonesing and willing to let the negatives slide except for the god damn commercials.
THE NINE Vs. KIDNAPPED:
I've really enjoyed the first two eps of Kidnapped. Probably one of my favorite new shows next to Studio 60. However last night I could either tape the third ep or tape the premiere of The Nine. I opted for The Nine just in case my TiVo was lying and Lost went a little long. As of now I haven't watched it yet and I just might not. After the incredible onslaught of ads I'm Nined out. To top it off there have been some lukewarm reviews so I think that's a good reason to stick to Kidnapped. Except NBC is run by a bunch of idiot Howie Mandel loving children. The Hollywood Reporter has broken the story that NBC is halting production on Kidnapped as of episode 13. Supposedly they will air all 13 but for a show that was designed to be 24 like and last the whole year, I'm guessing we'll either be given a clumsy ending or none at all. Damn you NBC keep your finger off the cancel button. I hear Studio 60 has lost about 30% of it's initial viewers so I'm worried that will be next.
JERICHO:
This was a show I was willing to give a chance and so far I'm sort of digging it. The concept of a small town dealing with a post apocalyptic US is the kind of thing that greases my rail and so far there has been enough of that to keep my attention. The dialogue is horrible though and the majority of the characters have one note personalities and back stories. For now I'll keep my eye on it but interest is beginning to wander.
SOUTH PARK:
Finally last night brought the season premiere of South Park. The ep was okay which is pretty much what I expect from the show. Like The Simpsons, South Park has now been around so long that I'm satisfied with a good effort. I do want to take the time though and acknowledge the fact that SP is still on the air and how remarkable that is. Matt and Trey still run South Park with a commitment and tenacity that most creators would have run out of by now. Credit must also go to Comedy Central for sticking with the guys (for the most part) through all the controversy and protests. I honestly never thought that 10 seasons ago when me and my friends were just discovering Santa vs. Jesus that we'd still have a South Park on Wednesdays and to be honest we're still lucky to have them.
PROJECT RUNWAY:
My original title for today's post was going to be; "Tim Gunn Set to Dull", but that's not really fair because last night's reunion was dull thanks to everyone but Tim. In fact the little video they put together of Tim's vocabulary was the the highlight of my Wednesday night TV extravaganza. Heidi is just grating on my last nerve. Maybe it's her German accent, maybe it's her laugh, but whatever it is I'm sick of her. Glad she's going off to spawn another Seal baby so I can regroup. After all this is the first Runway I've watched from beginning to end every Wednesday. The biggest disappointment however, must be that Bradley was seen and not heard. Clearly his early departure had something to do with this but in my mind Bradley was the breakout star of this season. At least we got some new footage of him making weird noises and we got to see his new crazy buzz cut look to offset his crazy hippie look from the season. Other points of interest? Well Michael took home the fan prize which probably means we shouldn't bet on him in the finals. Good for him though, I'm solidly behind Michael or Jeffrey to win it all but I'm betting Uli pulls it out. Oh and don't get me started on Jan Michael Vincent. That's right either the guy from Airwolf or the guy that got kicked off for cheating was back last night and despite the drama Bravo tried to induce it turned into a big wine and cheese fest between the guy and Heidi. Really who am I supposed to cheer for in that epic struggle? Anyway the whole reunion just seemed to be kind of blah but perhaps that's because I just got done watching...
LOST:
Let me start off by saying after sleeping on it I really liked last night's season 3 opener, however there were some pretty glaring negatives. First off, ABC am I watching Lost or a preview of The Nine. There were more breaks last night then in Evil Knevil's bones. Seriously give us 5 more minutes or cut down on the ads. Also the pacing just seemed odd. One of the first commercial breaks just came out of nowhere and made no sense dramatically or timing wise. Lastly I'm sick of Jack. I used to write “Kate and Jack Forever” on my notebook but now I'm squarely behind Sawyer or even Henry hooking up with Kate. We get it Jack's a stubborn asshole who drove his wife away and his father back to the bottle. Unless we have a flashback where Jack's in southeast Asia getting his tats then give it a rest. Now the good. I loved the symmetry to last year's opening with both the song and the focus on just one group of the Losties. I like the introduction of Juliet and I'm crazy for the Other's camp. Big 3 questions from last night:
1. Which Stephen King book was the Other's book club reading?- TiVo freeze frame clearly shows a C as the first letter so I'm guessing Carrie which makes me think of psychic Walt. Does he have a female counterpart? Check out image 33 on the official Lost gallery for more on this idea. (Credit Pink is the New blog for reporting this one and note that after you get to season 3 episode 1 you might have to click to picture 33 twice to see the "real" deal).
2. What happened between the time Kate was with Henry and when she saw Sawyer?- Her wrists looked awfully hurt for having cuffs on for breakfast. Also why did she eat Sawyer's fish biscuit when she just had eggs and bacon? Me thinks we've got a gap here that may be filled in later with some rather unpleasant stuff.
3. How did the Other's get all the info on Jack?- Psychic or could it be the theory that Jack's dad is some kind of recruiter for Dharma or Hanso or could it simply be the Others have an internet connection and pulled up Jack's obit plus some other stuff.
Scenes from next week look top notch so I'm already jonesing and willing to let the negatives slide except for the god damn commercials.
THE NINE Vs. KIDNAPPED:
I've really enjoyed the first two eps of Kidnapped. Probably one of my favorite new shows next to Studio 60. However last night I could either tape the third ep or tape the premiere of The Nine. I opted for The Nine just in case my TiVo was lying and Lost went a little long. As of now I haven't watched it yet and I just might not. After the incredible onslaught of ads I'm Nined out. To top it off there have been some lukewarm reviews so I think that's a good reason to stick to Kidnapped. Except NBC is run by a bunch of idiot Howie Mandel loving children. The Hollywood Reporter has broken the story that NBC is halting production on Kidnapped as of episode 13. Supposedly they will air all 13 but for a show that was designed to be 24 like and last the whole year, I'm guessing we'll either be given a clumsy ending or none at all. Damn you NBC keep your finger off the cancel button. I hear Studio 60 has lost about 30% of it's initial viewers so I'm worried that will be next.
JERICHO:
This was a show I was willing to give a chance and so far I'm sort of digging it. The concept of a small town dealing with a post apocalyptic US is the kind of thing that greases my rail and so far there has been enough of that to keep my attention. The dialogue is horrible though and the majority of the characters have one note personalities and back stories. For now I'll keep my eye on it but interest is beginning to wander.
SOUTH PARK:
Finally last night brought the season premiere of South Park. The ep was okay which is pretty much what I expect from the show. Like The Simpsons, South Park has now been around so long that I'm satisfied with a good effort. I do want to take the time though and acknowledge the fact that SP is still on the air and how remarkable that is. Matt and Trey still run South Park with a commitment and tenacity that most creators would have run out of by now. Credit must also go to Comedy Central for sticking with the guys (for the most part) through all the controversy and protests. I honestly never thought that 10 seasons ago when me and my friends were just discovering Santa vs. Jesus that we'd still have a South Park on Wednesdays and to be honest we're still lucky to have them.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Extra Extra! Job kills blogging!
Most of you know that I’ve been working a series of temp jobs lately after enjoying a glorious month of unemployment. So far the temp life has been pretty good. Sure the money sucks but it’s been kind of fun moving from project to project and company to company. That is, until today.
Today I started a new assignment with a company that will remain nameless. I’m here to warn you folks the blog won’t be seeing as many updates anymore. Nope this is a job that after only one day has sucked my soul dry. Here are just a few rules that this place enforces:
1. No visible tattoos- Ok I can live with that.
2. No perfumes, colognes, or scented lotions- I don’t know about you folks but I like to smell a little better then what mother nature gave me and yes scented lotions include after shave.
3. No cell phones are allowed to have power in the office- The place is filled with some confidential stuff but come on. It’s not like I’m going to sit and chit chat all day. I just like to know if someone needs me I can be reached.
4. No internet access period- I can understand the no internet thing during work hours but on breaks and lunch too? My god this job lasts a month and I might just be a blathering idiot by the end.
5. No talking to coworkers- Does that include asking them to break rule number 2 because my nose is twitching?
There are many more where those come from and honestly I could probably deal with just that but wait there is more. You know those sarcastic bosses who love to play up the ridiculousness of the American office environment? Well my temp boss is not one of them. After we went around the room today and introduced ourselves she said “I’ll forget your names anyway.” That’s no big deal but she followed it up with “And I don’t care.” Take it from me there was no humor in that delivery.
Looking at the tally so far we’ve got annoying rules and a bitchy boss and for me that’s pretty bad but still not horrible. Then I got to see my cube. When you’re thinking the folks in Gitmo have more space then you know you’ve got it bad. Not only is it the worlds smallest cube but the nearest ever loving florescent light bank is actually a row away so me and my temp amigos get left over light. I’d take a pic of it for you but see rule number 3.
The upshot of this bitch fest is two fold. Obviously it’s a warning about temp jobs. Only a week ago I was in temp heaven at a place that gave out free donuts and didn’t give two shits about what I did on break. Also I’m sad to say the blogging will be a little less frequent in the next month. I needs me some me time at work to search the sites and to formulate thoughts. Hell they don’t even give me scratch paper at this place so when I nugget of blogging glory jumps into my head I can’t even write it down.
Oh woe is me. Turns out I should’ve been a congressional page all those years ago. At least then I’d be able to live of the sexual harassment lawsuit.
Today I started a new assignment with a company that will remain nameless. I’m here to warn you folks the blog won’t be seeing as many updates anymore. Nope this is a job that after only one day has sucked my soul dry. Here are just a few rules that this place enforces:
1. No visible tattoos- Ok I can live with that.
2. No perfumes, colognes, or scented lotions- I don’t know about you folks but I like to smell a little better then what mother nature gave me and yes scented lotions include after shave.
3. No cell phones are allowed to have power in the office- The place is filled with some confidential stuff but come on. It’s not like I’m going to sit and chit chat all day. I just like to know if someone needs me I can be reached.
4. No internet access period- I can understand the no internet thing during work hours but on breaks and lunch too? My god this job lasts a month and I might just be a blathering idiot by the end.
5. No talking to coworkers- Does that include asking them to break rule number 2 because my nose is twitching?
There are many more where those come from and honestly I could probably deal with just that but wait there is more. You know those sarcastic bosses who love to play up the ridiculousness of the American office environment? Well my temp boss is not one of them. After we went around the room today and introduced ourselves she said “I’ll forget your names anyway.” That’s no big deal but she followed it up with “And I don’t care.” Take it from me there was no humor in that delivery.
Looking at the tally so far we’ve got annoying rules and a bitchy boss and for me that’s pretty bad but still not horrible. Then I got to see my cube. When you’re thinking the folks in Gitmo have more space then you know you’ve got it bad. Not only is it the worlds smallest cube but the nearest ever loving florescent light bank is actually a row away so me and my temp amigos get left over light. I’d take a pic of it for you but see rule number 3.
The upshot of this bitch fest is two fold. Obviously it’s a warning about temp jobs. Only a week ago I was in temp heaven at a place that gave out free donuts and didn’t give two shits about what I did on break. Also I’m sad to say the blogging will be a little less frequent in the next month. I needs me some me time at work to search the sites and to formulate thoughts. Hell they don’t even give me scratch paper at this place so when I nugget of blogging glory jumps into my head I can’t even write it down.
Oh woe is me. Turns out I should’ve been a congressional page all those years ago. At least then I’d be able to live of the sexual harassment lawsuit.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Saturday Scrubs Fix
Now that I've commited to showing a Scrubs clip every Saturday until it premieres I'm wondering if there will truly be enough quality clips on YouTube to last until NBC deems us worthy for the new season. I promise you now that I will put quality over quantity but thankfully I found another one of my favorites today. YouTube is the bomb yo!
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Runway Roundup: Week Ditto?
Project Runway returned to us Wednesday after a week off and I can't believe what happened…nothing.
In an exercise of absolute stupidity the producers and judges decided to take the last elimination and eliminate it. That's right our group of four is still four. Now the fan in me is happy because one of my favorites would have been out if they'd gone ahead with the normal format but the reality show fan in me is pissed because this is the kind of twist that just doesn't work. Pretty much Bravo said not only will we take a week off, but then we'll show pretty much a place holder episode and then another place holder episode next week when we have the reunion show. Maybe next week they'll fool us again and not have an actual reunion on the reunion show.
I guess I should be happy that my favorite designers Michael and Jeffrey are still heading to fashion week. Shockingly Laura not only made it but wasn't even in the final two (I was so sure that outfit would get her the boot). I was NOT surprised however to hear Heidi say she'd wear everyone of Laura's outfits so far. Heidi, I know you're a supermodel and can make pretty much anything look good but seriously if you think Laura's outfits are nice then that must mean you pick out the outfits you wear during the runway portion of the show. I found it extra funny that someone who wore a milk maid outfit just a few weeks ago criticized Jeffrey for his. Seriously Heidi you sit next to Michael Korrs and Nina Garcia every week, you should ask one of them for some help.
Speaking of Jeffrey, I rather liked his outfit but I agree the word provocative did not come to mind even when worn in a rickshaw.
Michael's dress looked bad but not bad enough to leave. The gang got it right when they told him to stick to sportswear.
Uli deserved the win but an evil part of me really wanted her to stick to the muumuu design she had going on early. I think if she had shown that the judges would've decided to give the Elle photo shoot to no one.
We've got 3 more episodes:
The Reunion which looks like it will be a war of words between Heidi and Anthony Michael Hall or whatever his name was who got booted for cheating. (How quickly we forget)
The first part of the finale which if history tells us anything will be filled with Tim Gunn making his way across the country to visit the designers in their home environment. I can't wait until Laura's five maniac children act out in front of Tim and he offers Laura some parenting advice.
Then the big finale at Fashion Week. I must admit I did see 4 pics from the designers shows in my EW this week but I'm going to try and stay away from the blogs that have the whole shows. My money is still on Michael or Jeffrey. I can't believe that either Uli or Laura will be able to create a variety of looks at their show.
So try and wash the taste of last night out of your mouth and enjoy these last 3 weeks because then you're Runway free for a few months, at least until Heidi pops out her latest kid.
In an exercise of absolute stupidity the producers and judges decided to take the last elimination and eliminate it. That's right our group of four is still four. Now the fan in me is happy because one of my favorites would have been out if they'd gone ahead with the normal format but the reality show fan in me is pissed because this is the kind of twist that just doesn't work. Pretty much Bravo said not only will we take a week off, but then we'll show pretty much a place holder episode and then another place holder episode next week when we have the reunion show. Maybe next week they'll fool us again and not have an actual reunion on the reunion show.
I guess I should be happy that my favorite designers Michael and Jeffrey are still heading to fashion week. Shockingly Laura not only made it but wasn't even in the final two (I was so sure that outfit would get her the boot). I was NOT surprised however to hear Heidi say she'd wear everyone of Laura's outfits so far. Heidi, I know you're a supermodel and can make pretty much anything look good but seriously if you think Laura's outfits are nice then that must mean you pick out the outfits you wear during the runway portion of the show. I found it extra funny that someone who wore a milk maid outfit just a few weeks ago criticized Jeffrey for his. Seriously Heidi you sit next to Michael Korrs and Nina Garcia every week, you should ask one of them for some help.
Speaking of Jeffrey, I rather liked his outfit but I agree the word provocative did not come to mind even when worn in a rickshaw.
Michael's dress looked bad but not bad enough to leave. The gang got it right when they told him to stick to sportswear.
Uli deserved the win but an evil part of me really wanted her to stick to the muumuu design she had going on early. I think if she had shown that the judges would've decided to give the Elle photo shoot to no one.
We've got 3 more episodes:
The Reunion which looks like it will be a war of words between Heidi and Anthony Michael Hall or whatever his name was who got booted for cheating. (How quickly we forget)
The first part of the finale which if history tells us anything will be filled with Tim Gunn making his way across the country to visit the designers in their home environment. I can't wait until Laura's five maniac children act out in front of Tim and he offers Laura some parenting advice.
Then the big finale at Fashion Week. I must admit I did see 4 pics from the designers shows in my EW this week but I'm going to try and stay away from the blogs that have the whole shows. My money is still on Michael or Jeffrey. I can't believe that either Uli or Laura will be able to create a variety of looks at their show.
So try and wash the taste of last night out of your mouth and enjoy these last 3 weeks because then you're Runway free for a few months, at least until Heidi pops out her latest kid.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
I thought I moved North not South or Help I Now Live In a Red State
Those of you who are frequent readers know I’m a Daily Show viewer. Tonight my fellow Minnesotan Al Franken was the guest. I like Al. He’s funny...like me. He worked for the late great Paul Wellstone...like me. He’s a bleeding heart liberal with an overly sarcastic wit... like me. He’s Jewish...well not like me but people ask me if I am sometimes when my hair gets long.
I didn’t make it past the first 30 seconds of the interview though because Jon Stewart’s first question was about the 2008 Republican National Convention being held in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa? I knew MY Twin Cities were in the running for both parties conventions but come on we neither have the hotel space or adequate convention space to really lure these things, right? Immediately I paused the ol’ TiVo and went running to the news sites and sure enough we’re slated to be overrun by inbred wealthy rednecks in August 2008.
My first thought was shit, this fucking sucks.
My second thought was, have there been advancements in rubber bullet technology since the last time I protested.
This will obviously be a financial boon to my hometown but I could care less. It’s not like I’ll see any of it. Instead I’ll be forced out of my restaurants, bars, highways, and stores while all the fat honkeys from Alabama wander aimlessly around downtown.
But after a few minutes, I guess I’m beginning to see this as an opportunity, for me. Always thinking of myself, this could be something to get me off my ass. After the 2004 election I was full of piss and vinegar. I declared to anyone who would listen that my next job was going to be in the political/non profit arena and I was going to work to get America right or in my case left. Instead I spent the next 2 years prepping for a move to Minneapolis where I’m currently working for a temp agency. It’s not like the country has gotten better, in fact it’s gotten worse, it’s that like most people I tend to talk loud but act little.
Tonight I’m not saying I’m recommitting myself to my 2004 goal because honestly in a few days I’d probably be back to normal. No, tonight I can honestly say that I do plan on being an active dissenter when that week in August 2008 rolls around. Sure I may not accomplish much in the big picture but at the very least I can feel like I’m doing something (again, me=selfish). Perhaps it will be protesting at the protest zone the city will set up 30 miles away for the convention. Perhaps it will be not holding an elevator for a 90 year old delegate from Florida. Perhaps it will sneezing on the buffet table at our local casino as a line of high rollers from Texas line up behind me. Or maybe just maybe it will be finding a candidate for US Senate or President that I can actually believe in and going out everyday to make sure my once proud state doesn’t become synonymous with Utah, Indiana and Ohio. Maybe a candidate like Al Franken.
I didn’t make it past the first 30 seconds of the interview though because Jon Stewart’s first question was about the 2008 Republican National Convention being held in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa? I knew MY Twin Cities were in the running for both parties conventions but come on we neither have the hotel space or adequate convention space to really lure these things, right? Immediately I paused the ol’ TiVo and went running to the news sites and sure enough we’re slated to be overrun by inbred wealthy rednecks in August 2008.
My first thought was shit, this fucking sucks.
My second thought was, have there been advancements in rubber bullet technology since the last time I protested.
This will obviously be a financial boon to my hometown but I could care less. It’s not like I’ll see any of it. Instead I’ll be forced out of my restaurants, bars, highways, and stores while all the fat honkeys from Alabama wander aimlessly around downtown.
But after a few minutes, I guess I’m beginning to see this as an opportunity, for me. Always thinking of myself, this could be something to get me off my ass. After the 2004 election I was full of piss and vinegar. I declared to anyone who would listen that my next job was going to be in the political/non profit arena and I was going to work to get America right or in my case left. Instead I spent the next 2 years prepping for a move to Minneapolis where I’m currently working for a temp agency. It’s not like the country has gotten better, in fact it’s gotten worse, it’s that like most people I tend to talk loud but act little.
Tonight I’m not saying I’m recommitting myself to my 2004 goal because honestly in a few days I’d probably be back to normal. No, tonight I can honestly say that I do plan on being an active dissenter when that week in August 2008 rolls around. Sure I may not accomplish much in the big picture but at the very least I can feel like I’m doing something (again, me=selfish). Perhaps it will be protesting at the protest zone the city will set up 30 miles away for the convention. Perhaps it will be not holding an elevator for a 90 year old delegate from Florida. Perhaps it will sneezing on the buffet table at our local casino as a line of high rollers from Texas line up behind me. Or maybe just maybe it will be finding a candidate for US Senate or President that I can actually believe in and going out everyday to make sure my once proud state doesn’t become synonymous with Utah, Indiana and Ohio. Maybe a candidate like Al Franken.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
The Return of the Point Game
Just because we haven't done this for awhile let me remind you how it works. In my infinite wisdom I award points to places, people and things that have made a positive or negative impact on me. (In other words, it's a great excuse when I don't have a lengthy topic to write on.)
-4: USA International Athletes- I swear I just deducted points a few months ago for this very same thing. Not to be outdone by the Olympic, World Baseball Classic, and World Cup teams, the US Ryder Cup, Davis Cup, and men and women's World Basketball Championship teams all fell short in the last month. The most recent failure was the Ryder Cup, where on Sunday the Us finished with it's 3rd consecutive loss while also failing to score double digits. For those unfamiliar with the format not scoring double digits is the equivalent of being swept in the baseball playoffs and being outscored 32-1. I'm not usually one for flag waving but there is something about cheering on your nation in these events that can spur even me to chant USA, USA, USA! However if this keeps up soccer won't be the only sport were I adopt another country's team.
+2: KFC- After my brief affair with the KFC Mashed Potato Bowl this summer I decided to swear off KFC for a while. My will power is being strongly tested by their new Cheesy Snacker. It's just their 99 cent mini chicken sandwich with a cheddar jack cheese sauce but good god I'm fascinated. During Sunday football my friend and I reached the conclusion that KFC is the best fast food advertiser because they spend all their time focusing on the food in their commercials. Hell I almost wanted to run out and buy a "choose your own bucket" at one point on Sunday. Thankfully I haven't identified where my local KFC is since I moved so my arteries are safe…for now.
-1: Jay Z- Usually I'd rip into someone for announcing their unretirement but was J ever really gone? You knew he'd be back but my worry is that he'll be more like Jordan on the Wizards then Jordan on the Bulls part 2. He's faced with topping the perfect goodbye CD (The Black Album) while proving he still belongs on top. I'm not going to bet against him but I'm anxious none the less.
-7: Fox Movie Studio- In a move to change their name to Irony Studios, Fox execs have acted like idiots and shelved the movie Idiocracy (unless you lived in 3 towns for one weekend). This is the long awaited second live action film from Mike Judge (Office Space). It's a basic "modern man gets frozen by army and wakes up many years in the future" story with the twist being that the future is dominated by a society that is even dumber then ours today. Now I haven't seen the film but I've been jonesing for it ever since word started to leak out about it. It could be horrible but it's one I'd like to find out about for myself. Judge made Fox truckloads of cash when Office Space became a cult hit (not to mention his King of the Hill TV show) so you'd think they'd give him a little better treatment. Now, like Office Space before it, Idiocracy will have to find it's voice on DVD.
-5: John Madden- Dear John, not only are you way past your prime as an announcer but your video game has become the bane of my fantasy football season. I'm not usually one for curses but it's getting to be ridiculous when it comes to the players that adorn the cover of your video game box. Look at the list of players you've harmed: Barry Sanders, Daunte Culpepper, Eddie George, Marshall Faulk, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb, and now Shaun Alexander. In the last 4 years the only time I lost my fantasy football league was when Vick went down in '03. Now I've lost Alexander thanks to your curse and that's not cool man.
+5: The Madden Video Game Curse- Dear Curse, thank you for providing me with ready made excuses whenever I fail to win my fantasy football league. Love, Elliot
-4: USA International Athletes- I swear I just deducted points a few months ago for this very same thing. Not to be outdone by the Olympic, World Baseball Classic, and World Cup teams, the US Ryder Cup, Davis Cup, and men and women's World Basketball Championship teams all fell short in the last month. The most recent failure was the Ryder Cup, where on Sunday the Us finished with it's 3rd consecutive loss while also failing to score double digits. For those unfamiliar with the format not scoring double digits is the equivalent of being swept in the baseball playoffs and being outscored 32-1. I'm not usually one for flag waving but there is something about cheering on your nation in these events that can spur even me to chant USA, USA, USA! However if this keeps up soccer won't be the only sport were I adopt another country's team.
+2: KFC- After my brief affair with the KFC Mashed Potato Bowl this summer I decided to swear off KFC for a while. My will power is being strongly tested by their new Cheesy Snacker. It's just their 99 cent mini chicken sandwich with a cheddar jack cheese sauce but good god I'm fascinated. During Sunday football my friend and I reached the conclusion that KFC is the best fast food advertiser because they spend all their time focusing on the food in their commercials. Hell I almost wanted to run out and buy a "choose your own bucket" at one point on Sunday. Thankfully I haven't identified where my local KFC is since I moved so my arteries are safe…for now.
-1: Jay Z- Usually I'd rip into someone for announcing their unretirement but was J ever really gone? You knew he'd be back but my worry is that he'll be more like Jordan on the Wizards then Jordan on the Bulls part 2. He's faced with topping the perfect goodbye CD (The Black Album) while proving he still belongs on top. I'm not going to bet against him but I'm anxious none the less.
-7: Fox Movie Studio- In a move to change their name to Irony Studios, Fox execs have acted like idiots and shelved the movie Idiocracy (unless you lived in 3 towns for one weekend). This is the long awaited second live action film from Mike Judge (Office Space). It's a basic "modern man gets frozen by army and wakes up many years in the future" story with the twist being that the future is dominated by a society that is even dumber then ours today. Now I haven't seen the film but I've been jonesing for it ever since word started to leak out about it. It could be horrible but it's one I'd like to find out about for myself. Judge made Fox truckloads of cash when Office Space became a cult hit (not to mention his King of the Hill TV show) so you'd think they'd give him a little better treatment. Now, like Office Space before it, Idiocracy will have to find it's voice on DVD.
-5: John Madden- Dear John, not only are you way past your prime as an announcer but your video game has become the bane of my fantasy football season. I'm not usually one for curses but it's getting to be ridiculous when it comes to the players that adorn the cover of your video game box. Look at the list of players you've harmed: Barry Sanders, Daunte Culpepper, Eddie George, Marshall Faulk, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb, and now Shaun Alexander. In the last 4 years the only time I lost my fantasy football league was when Vick went down in '03. Now I've lost Alexander thanks to your curse and that's not cool man.
+5: The Madden Video Game Curse- Dear Curse, thank you for providing me with ready made excuses whenever I fail to win my fantasy football league. Love, Elliot
Friday, September 22, 2006
Saturday Scrub Fix
I know a lot of you are as sad as me about Scrubs not coming back until mid season so I'm going to give all you scrubbies or scrubheads or whatever you call yourselves a weekly fix thanks to the magic of YouTube. This week my favorite musical clip of all time from a comedy that uses music better then anyone. I give you Men at Works' Colin Hay.
Fall TV Preview: Friday Plus Your TiVo Ready Guide
So I couldn't find anything for Saturday but I did find 2 returning Friday night shows, all be it on cable, that I'd classify as required viewing:
Doctor Who- 7pm CST/Sci-Fi: This is the beginning of the second season that has already wrapped up on the BBC. I must say this new series captures a lot of the humor I loved from the original series as a kid but it's also stepped up the special effects which even as a kid where laughable on the original. There's a new Doctor this season but the rest of the supporting cast remains so it should be worth checking out…if you're a supergeek.
Battlestar Galactica- 8pm CST/ Sci-Fi: On a slightly less geeky point you've got Battlestar. A critics top 5 the last two years the show enters season 3 after finishing last year with an Alias like fast forward. The fact that this is a sci fi show is completely secondary to the character drama. If you haven't checked out this show do it…now.
All right with that said I've but together my own viewing schedule for the prime time viewing hours. In cases where the show is TiVo'd you'll find a notation.
Sunday:7pm: Sunday Night Football
8pm: Sunday Night Football
9pm: Sunday Night Football
Monday:7pm: The Amazing Race (TiVo)
8pm: The Simpsons (TiVo)
8:30pm: Family Guy (TiVo)
9pm: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Tuesday:7pm Gilmore Girls
8pm: Veronica Mars
9pm: Nip/Tuck
Wednesday:7pm: Jericho
8pm: Lost
9pm: The Nine
Thursday: 7pm: Survivor
8pm: My Name is Earl (TiVo)
8:30pm: The Office (TiVo)
9pm: The OC (TiVo)
Friday: 7pm: Doctor Who
8pm: Battlestar Galactica
9pm: Heroes (TiVo)
Saturday: 7pm: 30 Rock (TiVo)
7:30pm Notes From the Underbelly (TiVo)
8pm: Kidnapped (TiVo)
Now I'm not that anal that I'll stick to this, and some of the shows you'll notice are ones that I simply said are worth checking out so they might not last long plus who has all the time to watch all this and Runway, Laguna, Two a Days etc.
Makes me miss the unemployed days.
Doctor Who- 7pm CST/Sci-Fi: This is the beginning of the second season that has already wrapped up on the BBC. I must say this new series captures a lot of the humor I loved from the original series as a kid but it's also stepped up the special effects which even as a kid where laughable on the original. There's a new Doctor this season but the rest of the supporting cast remains so it should be worth checking out…if you're a supergeek.
Battlestar Galactica- 8pm CST/ Sci-Fi: On a slightly less geeky point you've got Battlestar. A critics top 5 the last two years the show enters season 3 after finishing last year with an Alias like fast forward. The fact that this is a sci fi show is completely secondary to the character drama. If you haven't checked out this show do it…now.
All right with that said I've but together my own viewing schedule for the prime time viewing hours. In cases where the show is TiVo'd you'll find a notation.
Sunday:7pm: Sunday Night Football
8pm: Sunday Night Football
9pm: Sunday Night Football
Monday:7pm: The Amazing Race (TiVo)
8pm: The Simpsons (TiVo)
8:30pm: Family Guy (TiVo)
9pm: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Tuesday:7pm Gilmore Girls
8pm: Veronica Mars
9pm: Nip/Tuck
Wednesday:7pm: Jericho
8pm: Lost
9pm: The Nine
Thursday: 7pm: Survivor
8pm: My Name is Earl (TiVo)
8:30pm: The Office (TiVo)
9pm: The OC (TiVo)
Friday: 7pm: Doctor Who
8pm: Battlestar Galactica
9pm: Heroes (TiVo)
Saturday: 7pm: 30 Rock (TiVo)
7:30pm Notes From the Underbelly (TiVo)
8pm: Kidnapped (TiVo)
Now I'm not that anal that I'll stick to this, and some of the shows you'll notice are ones that I simply said are worth checking out so they might not last long plus who has all the time to watch all this and Runway, Laguna, Two a Days etc.
Makes me miss the unemployed days.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Fall TV Preview: Thursday
Thursday is still Must See TV for me, so there’s nothing in the Worth Checking Out category just some high quality shows that demand your viewing.
Survivor- 7pm CST/CBS: Okay I’m not that big of a fan of Survivor Race War but as I’ve said time and again, somehow Survivor always finds a way to make these new wrinkles work. Based on the first episode I’m slightly encouraged by the contestants attitudes about the whole thing. Plus did anyone else notice that we started off with 20 contestants and only 1 was eliminated week 1. This makes it the biggest cast yet but since they’re still only out there for 39 days I’m guessing we’ve got some multiple vote offs in our future.
My Name is Earl- 7pm CST/NBC: When I heard about Earl last year I thought I’d check it out solely on my man crush for Jason Lee. The guy is one of the most under appreciated actors out there from his work in Kevin Smith’s films to his quality performances in crap like Vanilla Sky. Still I thought a new show from the creator of Yes Dear didn’t exactly sound like a good vehicle. One season down and I’m a believer. Earl is the kind of comedy that should last for years. It’s a classic sitcom in that you are basically watching the same episode every week and you don’t even care or notice. Hopefully they’ll keep the quality this season but I hope they watch the guest stars so they don’t become the new Will & Grace.
The Office- 7:30pm CST/NBC: While Earl is classic sitcom, The Office is another trailblazer. First for it’s doc style and second for the fact that it successfully took an English concept and translated it to the USA. Now entering its 3rd season the US Office has already produced more episodes then their British counterparts so the question begs where do we go from here. Personally I’d love to see a jump ahead in time much like the Brits did in between season 2 and the X-Mas special. Everyone knows if you put Jim and Pam together and happy right now the show will struggle so they need some angst.
The O.C.-8pm CST/FOX: I was ready to give up on Ryan and the gang this time last year but surprise, surprise they pulled out a great season. Of course they could have done shit and I still would have given the show a thumbs up thanks to killing off Marissa in the finale. So now the show enters college. This has derailed shows like 90210, Saved by the Bell and other high school shows in the past so it will be interesting to see how they handle it. Obviously I’m expecting Marissa’s less annoying little sister to hang around and probably introduce some new kids but everyone else in the cast is back so it will be interesting to see how everyone’s doing spread around the country. Of course I’m sure they’ll all end up in the OC by episode 4 but still worth watching.
That’s it for Thursday, I’ll see if I can scrape together any Friday or Saturday shows and then I’ll give you my ideal line up for your TiVo.
Survivor- 7pm CST/CBS: Okay I’m not that big of a fan of Survivor Race War but as I’ve said time and again, somehow Survivor always finds a way to make these new wrinkles work. Based on the first episode I’m slightly encouraged by the contestants attitudes about the whole thing. Plus did anyone else notice that we started off with 20 contestants and only 1 was eliminated week 1. This makes it the biggest cast yet but since they’re still only out there for 39 days I’m guessing we’ve got some multiple vote offs in our future.
My Name is Earl- 7pm CST/NBC: When I heard about Earl last year I thought I’d check it out solely on my man crush for Jason Lee. The guy is one of the most under appreciated actors out there from his work in Kevin Smith’s films to his quality performances in crap like Vanilla Sky. Still I thought a new show from the creator of Yes Dear didn’t exactly sound like a good vehicle. One season down and I’m a believer. Earl is the kind of comedy that should last for years. It’s a classic sitcom in that you are basically watching the same episode every week and you don’t even care or notice. Hopefully they’ll keep the quality this season but I hope they watch the guest stars so they don’t become the new Will & Grace.
The Office- 7:30pm CST/NBC: While Earl is classic sitcom, The Office is another trailblazer. First for it’s doc style and second for the fact that it successfully took an English concept and translated it to the USA. Now entering its 3rd season the US Office has already produced more episodes then their British counterparts so the question begs where do we go from here. Personally I’d love to see a jump ahead in time much like the Brits did in between season 2 and the X-Mas special. Everyone knows if you put Jim and Pam together and happy right now the show will struggle so they need some angst.
The O.C.-8pm CST/FOX: I was ready to give up on Ryan and the gang this time last year but surprise, surprise they pulled out a great season. Of course they could have done shit and I still would have given the show a thumbs up thanks to killing off Marissa in the finale. So now the show enters college. This has derailed shows like 90210, Saved by the Bell and other high school shows in the past so it will be interesting to see how they handle it. Obviously I’m expecting Marissa’s less annoying little sister to hang around and probably introduce some new kids but everyone else in the cast is back so it will be interesting to see how everyone’s doing spread around the country. Of course I’m sure they’ll all end up in the OC by episode 4 but still worth watching.
That’s it for Thursday, I’ll see if I can scrape together any Friday or Saturday shows and then I’ll give you my ideal line up for your TiVo.
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