Very nice song

So, I love hearing Robbie Williams sing. I even get Google Alerts to keep up with his shenanigans. Occasionally, I'll get a reference to a site that provides a song or video clip of his. Today was one of those days. The song is "No Regrets" with Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys (you know, the guys who did "West End Girls"; yes, you do). The link for that particular page is here.

Looking at some other pages for recent "Songs of the Day", I came across this gem entitled "Throw Your Arms Around Me" by a group called Doug Antony Allstars (for more background info about who and what, click here):



I rather enjoyed it, and I hope you did, too!

Sci-Fi and Science Fiction

A short post after a Merry Christmas!

Being at home in Mississippi where my parents have cable, I get to see the Sci-Fi Channel, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, etc. All week, Sci-Fi has been advertising that they're showing Elf Friday night, which is tonight. What does Elf have to do with science fiction? Really, what?

Not that they ever mentioned they were going to show The Nutty Professor beforehand. This has a slight (and I mean very slight) science fiction bent with the development of "flubber", but who really thinks this is anything other than just an out-and-out comedy?

Miracles Never Cease

I went to Wal-Mart tonight. And I left the store without buying anything!

Speed Racer

Speed Racer is a show I used to love watching as a child. I especially loved the Mach 5. I used to dream about being able to drive it, racing around town, hitting whichever button dropped the stilts that made the car jump through the air. Nice, fun escapist fantasy; isn't that what cartoons are supposed to do/be?

Then I heard a couple of years ago that the Wachowski brothers wanted to do a big-screen version of it. I figured it might be okay, or at least I wanted it to be okay. It doesn't have to be the greatest, but I would hope for pretty good.

Here's a link to the trailer-selection page. Lots of people think this looks great. I think I'm in the opposite camp.

Current Favorite Commercial

My current favorite commercial is one of the ones where the cell phone blanks out during a very inopportune time. You know the series, even if you don't know the company (I know the company, but I'm not advertising it. They do happen to provide my DSL.)

This one is about the guy who asks his butcher for 50 lbs of beef. The butcher tells him he doesn't have any. The guy then asks (roughly), "What, did your wife eat it all for breakfast this morning?" The butcher then proceeds to laugh extremely heartily, but his phone has cut out, so the guy thinks he's offended his butcher. He then proceeds to say (again, roughly), "well, look at me. I mean, we're practically the same si...".

So classic.

Shakabuku — Not Finished but Better

So, the day after I wrote my previous post, of course, I went to church. And God spoke to me.

In the sermon Sunday morning, Dr. Brooks (our pastor, natch) said roughly, "In the darkness, we have to remember the promise spoken to us in the light". The darkness is not the definition of my life (or anyone's life), and even if it's extended over a lifetime, God can still work and bring many blessings.

The second thing was during Bible study. We were talking about God calling Abram out of Ur and calling him to a land he did not know, and giving him a promise that he wouldn't necessarily see in his lifetime. But Abram had to have faith that God would fulfill His promise.

So, I need to remember the promises of God, and have faith that He will work in my life to my benefit, but more importantly, to His glory.

Shakabuku

Debi: You know what you need?
Marty: What?
Debi: Shakabuku.
Marty: You wanna tell me what that means?
Debi: It's a swift, spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.
Marty: Oh, that'd be good. I think.

This is from my favorite movie ever, Grosse Pointe Blank. It came to mind while pondering this depression that has set in upon me. It rolled in like a wave as I was leaving work last night, and it was all I could do to keep from just breaking down into tears. Nothing in particular and everything was making me sad, both bad and good.

I've never felt the sadness of Christmas before. I've read about it, and I know it's a very real phenomenon for many people. What should be the most joyous of times for people is anything but a chance of seeing any bright side of life; that's why the suicide rate climbs during Christmas-time. For the first time, though, I can sense that deep sense of being on the dark side. Not the hopelessness, but just the awareness that things aren't what they should be, or at least not what I wanted them to be. Which is fueled by my own sense of inadequacy, worthlessness, and irrelevance. It's a twisted mess and self-fueling quagmire.

I have to remind myself that I have friends who love me, my parents love me, that I haven't destroyed my life with all of my bad decisions, that God loves me and has a future and a hope for me, that Jesus Christ gave His very life so that I might live eternally with Him, and that my current circumstances are not the totality of my existence.

But one day, it would be really nice to not have to remind myself of these things, that they are just a part of my life naturally.

And we thank you, thank you, Lord

21) Today (on Wednesday), I'm thankful for our company's annual traditional Thanksgiving duck lunch. Yummy food, good times, etc. (even if we did have to go back to work afterwards)

22) I've been thinking over the past couple of weeks what would be the good wrap-up for the big Thanksgiving Day. I hit many of the highlights (with no explanation on the first nine, just a listing), with my parents and Jesus Christ being the top 2.

But overall, I think I have to be thankful for my life. As much as I despise the things I do (or don't do), I recognize that I am God's creation, and, like it or not, He loves me and wants the best for me. I still don't know exactly what's to come, but I won't be alone.

On with the Thanks

a tiny bit of catch-up

19) I'm thankful for creativity. Movies, art, television shows (! — at least now), books, programming, commercials, music, graphic design, architecture, etc. Yes, there are hacks out there, but there are lots of people using their God-given talents to the best of their ability, and I appreciate all of these things. It's such a reflection of God in the world; you only need to look at nature to see His handiwork, and then see what people do (not that we've designed and created a world or anything). Like the proud parent who takes joy when a child demonstrates some new talent or skill he or she has been working on, so too must God take joy at our creativity.

20) My Trailblazer. When my car died back in February, I was kind of stuck for getting a new vehicle. The Buick Regal replacement, the LaCrosse, was a no-go due to short seats, and everything I looked at just wasn't right. When the salesman suggested maybe a truck of some kind, I wasn't sure. And because of my bum knee, I have to be extremely careful with it. Fortunately, I grew fairly accustomed to the truck/suv, and I really like it now. I miss my Buick (ultimate comfort and luxury without being over the top), and I wish my Trailblazer had some things (moon roof, cassette player, thermometer), I am so grateful to have a good and comfortable-enough vehicle.

Le Chat

18) Clark Kent isn't just a secret identity. He's my cat. He's helped me get through some pretty tough times, and he brings me great enjoyment (even if it's from a selfish motive, but why shouldn't a cat want food, water, and a clean box?). And, yes, I know he's "just" an animal. But if you've never had a pet, you wouldn't understand. So, thank You, God, for my pet, Clark.

Merci

16) I'm thankful for all the little things we take for granted: breath, safety in the small things (and large), health, etc.

17) As an only child, I'm grateful for my nieces and nephews. They have such a joy for life and help remind me that life isn't all about watching TV/movies.

On the 15th Day of Thanksgiving...

15) A few days "late", but it's never too late to honor and express thanks for all of our veterans and their sacrifices for this country and its citizens. For their sacrifice and dedication, we live in one of the greatest nations this world has ever known. If we only knew what freedoms we enjoyed and didn't take for granted...

Give Thanks with a Thankful Heart

another installment on things I'm thankful for

14) I'm thankful for times of celebration, recognizing milestones in someone's life and getting together to mark that time, letting them know they are considered special.

Lend me some Thankfulness

O Lord that lends me life. Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.

—William Shakespeare

13) I'm thankful for Starbucks — not for the coffee, but for having a low-pressure place my friends and I can get together and just chill for a while.

O Come, All Ye Thankful

continuing my days of thanks

12) Understanding co-workers who recognize the sacrifice you've made on a project for them and don't panic when you think you've made a horrible mistake.

Giving Thanks- 10 & 11

continuing my days of thanks

10) Blade Runner — one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever. (odd that it's not my favorite movie nor even my favorite sci-fi movie)

11) Music — it can speak from my soul even if I didn't write it (like I could write a song or a musical composition). It bares my soul to a deeper intimacy with God. And sometimes, it's just plain fun!

I'm Thankful For...

Besides movies, I've been trying to think of other things to write about that are manageable by me. And it hit me while going through my backlog of emails tonight and coming across one about my Thanksgiving plans. I had also mentioned doing something like this at church, but that's apparently fallen through.

So, without too much further ado, I'm going to post daily (as long as I remember) through Turkey Day something I'm thankful for. I think I'll catch up from Nov. 1.

1) My Parents
2) Jesus Christ
3) My friends
4) My job
5) Food & shelter in ample supply
6) My cat
7) Running water/Indoor plumbing
8) DVDs/movies
9) This great big wonderful world full of people, all of whom are loved by God.

Safe

I like movies. I like watching them, discussing them, and, apparently collecting them on DVD. For blogging purposes, movies are the safest thing for me to talk about. If I were motivated to write more, you would read a lot more about movies. I'd go through my list of owned (and watched) movies, telling you why it appeals to me.

(Some of these choices would fall far from the norm of "acceptable" or "good" movies. EG, Sid & Nancy is about the ultimate death by OD of Sid Vicious, the bassist (according to IMDb) from The S*x Pistols. Apart from the effect it had on me, it's an okay movie, not spectacular, and it is not an "enjoyable" movie. But while watching it, God revealed to me how much it hurts Him to see someone throw their life away, wasting their talents. That thought profoundly moved me. I'm sure I've discussed this before, though probably not in much greater depth. One day...)

But movies are safe because I actually tend to remember them sometimes. I do have lots of thoughts about other topics, but by the time I get some place where I can write, I've completely forgotten what I wanted to say. That's probably a plus for the three or four of you readers (I've got mad estimation skills). Movies are safe for me to speak on because they're the basis of my most cohesive thoughts (with "most" being a relative term).

The Equalizer

Finally, the TV show The Equalizer is coming to DVD! I am so excited about this (no, really!)! Okay, enough with the exclamation marks (but I'm really excited about this). JamesEdward Woodward plays the titular character, a man seeking to make restitution for lives taken and evils done by helping others who are having trouble. Slum lords, bullies, loan sharks, etc., should all beware The Equalizer.

As much as I idolize Superman (bear with me), I recognize that he is a fictional character . I will never be able to fly except in a plane or by jumping off a tall building, cliff, or other large object. In the immortal words of The Tick, "Gravity is a harsh mistress." I'll never have x-ray vision no matter what the ads in comic books claim. No, the most I can do is kind of look like him (or one depiction of him, anyway) if I lose ## pounds and start working out fairly hard.

The Equalizer is also a fictional character, a much more realistic one, however. I would love to have his connections, money, and force of will in order to do the types of things he did in the show. The average person needs a champion, someone who will stand up for them, someone who will defend them and protect them. This is something I feel like I could manage. And I've actually prayed about this. God's response to me is that I do have that power available to me: it's called "prayer".

And really, who better to know what's needed in any particular case? The best I can do is seek vengeance and be punitive and retributive. But God can speak to the hearts of all involved, touching them where they need it the most, bringing true healing and freedom. Eventually, even Pharaoh let the Hebrew people go. Sure, he regretted his decision, changed his mind, and paid for it with his life, but that was his choice.

Really, how exciting is that? We have the power of God available to us to accomplish things and help improve people's lives. Not that we make things happen according to our whims, but opening our hearts to the truth of God's desires can change us from the inside out and maybe lead us to become part of the solution rather than running away in hopes the problem(s) will just disappear.

Continued Assault

Why are we hearing every nuance of Britney Spears' inability to provide even merely competent parenting to her two sons? "Normal" people would have had their kids yanked by now. And Paris Hilton? I'm glad she's not going to Rwanda (or maybe she is). But she was someone in Europe for some fashion show. And maybe Lindsay Lohan is actually cleaning up her life. I hope she is.

But this is not news. In fact, very much of what's shown on "legitimate news" shows is actually news. It's histrionics designed to turn one's focus away from "real" news. No, we're constantly being assaulted by these immaterial stories as though they matter. If only I could figure out how to convince the powers that be that these things are truly unimportant to the public at large, and the harping/hyping of these irrelevancies drags the reporting source down to that level or lower.

To Record or Not To Record, How do you do both at once?

I likes my Saturday morning cartoons. I likes 'em a lot. But not enough to actually get up and watch them. Oh no, there's sleep and stuff. So I record them. Silly, I know, but all in all, not a bad vice to have.

I've also discovered that I can't record multiple tapes worth of shows. I never get to watching them. That's why, as discussed in a previous post, I limit the shows I watch and tend not to watch the serial shows, even as good as they might be (I'm not looking at you 24, Lost, Prison Break). All that to say I have one tape I use for recording cartoons, House, Bones, Pushing Daisies, and Life. And I don't set VCR to record weekly, just one week at a time. I don't know why.

Two weeks ago, I recorded cartoons from Fox rather than CW (Fox has horrible cartoons, and I'm sad that they're going to do the programming for The CW starting fall 2008 or 2009 — I guess my Saturday mornings will be completely free). So I didn't have to watch all of those. Bones and House were preempted by baseball, so all of my shows were a miss last week.

This afternoon, I watched Pushing Daisies (I really really like this show), and two minutes into watching Life, my cartoons started. Apparently I had rewound to watch Life at one point, fallen asleep, and didn't fast forward to record the cartoons.

My life is so hard (as my mother is fond of reminding me).

Sci-Fi Geekiness

I took a little quiz (I'm sure the link is down below somewhere). I really would have liked to be on Babylon 5, but I don't think I'm distrustful of the government enough, nor do I really believe in psychics. (And yes, I know these are all made-up shows, that none of it is real. But if I could chose...)

Which sci-fi crew would you best fit in with? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Moya (Farscape) You are surrounded by muppets. But that is okay because they are your friends and have shown many times that they can be trusted. Now if only you could stop being bothered about wormholes. Moya (Farscape) 94% Enterprise D (Star Trek) 81% Serenity (Firefly) 75% Heart of Gold (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) 69% SG-1 (Stargate) 63% Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) 63% FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) 50% Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) 50% Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) 44% Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) 44% Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) 38% Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 31% Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) 25%

Cinema Paradiso

Another stunning Italian masterpiece. I need to stop watching these Italian films because invariably they make me cry. (Yes, I'll admit it.) Except for Fellini films—I just don't get them at all. (Yes, I'll admit that, too.)

The version I saw was the Director's Cut, meaning it was 174 minutes (that's nearly 3 hours) rather than 123 minutes as stated on the sleeve. Imagine my surprise when the movie didn't seem about to conclude at 118 minutes. I mean, there must be several minutes of credits at the end, right? And there were several minutes of credits at the real end of the movie. Kind of a funny thing: in film where bits have been snipped due to damage or censorship (prominent in this movie), you know how the film just kind of jumps? well, the credits were done this way, too. You'd be reading along and then Bam! (sorry, Emeril)

I really liked the first two hours of the movie. The first hour was about the main character, Toto, and his relationship to the Cinema Paradiso, the local theater. Or, more correctly, his relationship to Alfredo, the theater's projectionist. The kid playing Toto (short for Salvatore—I didn't make it up; I'm just telling you) is absolutely adorable and does a great job. I thought it odd that he looks like he's six but then talks about now being in fifth or sixth grade (which means he's about 11 or 12).

The next hour was about a teenaged Toto and his continued relationship with Alfredo and his budding romance with Elena. Alas, it's not to be. Very Romeo & Juliet with out the death part. Except for Alfredo. But don't worry, you find out Alfredo died in the first few minutes of the movie. The next two hours (the first two) are then a flashback to all that Alfredo meant to Toto growing up. And how important movies were/are to him, too.

The third hour was a little less intriguing. Toto sees a young girl who is the spitting image of Elena and follows her. It sounds creepy but never sinks into creepiness, even when imminent. I'll just say in conclusion for the third act, that once something is over, it should be over without you trying to make it something it's not or can't be (this statement is relative to the story, not the movie). I guess with the greatness of the first two hours, the mediocrity of the third hour is a real letdown.

Watching

Previous post was started this past weekend, and I just decided to finish it up rather quickly. Yahoo! sucks; that's all there is to it.

Exhaustion set in and took its toll. I stayed home from work. So I caught up on my taped shows (Pushing Daisies and Life—I love both of them). Then I watched a Netflix movie, Swimming Upstream. It's a pretty good movie based on a true story about an Australian swimmer named Tony Fingleton and the battle he has with his dad. His dad was a total 100% jerk, and that's being very kind. Very kind indeed.

Watching Velvet Goldmine again, after several years since the last viewing, primarily because I now know Christian Bale is in it (along with Ewan MaGregor and Jonathan Rhys Meyers). I gave it 3 stars before; I wonder if my opinion will change?

Musicmatch Jukebox versus Yahoo!

For years, I've used Musicmatch Jukebox (MMJB) for my main listening pleasure. I even paid(!) for an upgraded version to be able to rip my CDs at higher rates, burn better, etc. Yahoo! bought MMJB in 2004 in order to become a major player in the music market. And that was the beginning of the end.

To be fair, the features of MMJB were amped up. If you paid for it, that is.

Long story made short: Yahoo! has now ended the life of MMJB and thinks MMJB users should be quite happy to use Yahoo! jukebox. Everything I've read says this program is worse than even the free version of MMJB. And they're slowly killing off capabilities of MMJB (because they can't force you to delete it), abilities like doing auto-CD lookup when you insert a disc so you don't have to type in all the information. Who would find that useful?

Why kill a good thing? It does nothing to win people over. And I certainly don't want to pay for trash programming. Grrrr!!!!!

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi)

I finished watching Spirited Away last night. It's one of the most amazing movies I've ever seen. I might even have to say it's better than Akira, and I never thought that would happen.

Basic Story: Chihiro is moving to a new house with her parents. Her dad takes a detour. Eventually, they find themselves at what appears to be an abandoned carnival. Except there's plenty of cooked food, which the parents start gobbling. After many plates, they turn into pigs. Chihiro did not eat any of the food, but she cannot leave, either, and certainly not without her parents. She eventually winds up an indentured servant to the "owner" of the establishment in order to eventually free her parents from the curse. She meets some unbelievable characters along the way and has some wild adventures. Wackiness, tenderness, morality, and just plain fun are all very much in evidence throughout the film.

How can I explain how great this movie is? On Netflix, I rated it 5 stars because I couldn't rate it higher. Stunning animation; great, fleshed-out characters; jaw-dropping ideas. There is nothing wasted in this movie. In one scene, Chihiro is putting on her shoes just like a 10-year-old girl would. Considering that Chihiro is supposed to be a 10-year-old girl, that actually works. Her running down the stairs (with no handrail) on the outside of the building reminds me of some very serious "dreams" I've had.

What a great movie!

One more before the month ends

Thought I would post again to get one more post in September. Which doesn't really matter, but hey, three posts in a one-week period should be a record for me. Maybe not, but of late, it's pretty good.

I'm watching Spirited Away right now. Well, not right this minute. I'm watching the ABC lineup of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and Brothers & Sisters. It is premier night, after all.

There's so much I could watch on TV of late. I don't know that it's ever been as good as it is now (over the past 5 years), and I'm talking about broadcast TV: ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and CW, not Showtime, HBO, etc. To give credit where due, however, HBO & Showtime really started this trend of making decent shows worth watching. The networks took notice that decent writing, complex stories, etc. were drawing people. Even though the Networks do have limits imposed upon them as to language and certain adult situations (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), they took these lessons to heart and started making shows people really wanted to see rather shows that people watched by default.

The downside, of course, is that some shows don't find their audience because there is so much good stuff from which to choose. Ten years ago, these canceled shows would have been top 10 for sure (for the most part — there are still turkeys that come out, but by and large less so now than a decade ago). Two shows I'm thinking of in particular are Invasion and Night Stalker. Well, I liked them, anyway. Ten years ago, I'm fairly confident they would have been five-season shows for sure (lasting five years).

For the current season, I'm most looking forward to Pushing Daisies on ABC on Wednesday nights. It starts this next Wednesday. The premise: this guy, Ned, has a gift of being able to bring people (and creatures) back from the dead. He makes a living using this gift to bring back murder victims, find out who killed them, and collect the reward money. Not bad work if you can find it.

With great power, however, comes a great curse: Ned's second touch sends the person back to the Great Beyond (perhaps permanently, I suppose; otherwise, there's no tension to hold one's interest). One of the people he resurrects is a young lady with whom he comes to hold great affection; the feeling is mutual. And they can never hold hands, kiss, or have any physical contact whatsoever. Otherwise, it's curtains for her.

What a great premise! I hope this show makes it. I think it provides a great deal to explore. At least, I can think of a bit they could do. Fortunately, in this day and age, even if it gets canceled after 13 shows, it most assuredly will be released on DVD (just a little cynical there), and one can always wonder what could have been.

Another show (on NBC) that looks intriguing is Life (I watched the premier free on Amazon Unbox video service). Premise: a cop is (wrongly) convicted of murder (framed, even), serves 12 years, and is then freed. As part of his deal, he receives an untold amount of money and is made a detective. I hope this show makes it, too, but I have my doubts. The main guy is far too eccentric to make a connection to a wide audience (or even a sustainable narrow one) methinks. It's a shame because the very last scene really changes what the show has made itself out to be so far (for motivation and purpose).

If I watched everything I wanted to, this would be my list:

Will Watch	ABC	CBS
House Bones Life Extreme Makeover HE Desparate Housewives Brothers & Sisters Cops	Carpoolers Lost Ugly Betty Women's Murder Club	CSI CSI: Miami. CSI: New York Big Bang Theory Criminal Minds Jericho Kid Nation NCIS Numb3rs Without A Trace
NBC	Fox	CW
Heroes Bionic Woman Journeyman The Office My Name is Earl	24 Prison Break Back to You K-Ville New Amsterdam	Smallville Supernatural

Life could be full. Or overcrowded.

Random Thoughts

So much of the time, I don't write here because I think of great things to write about but never at a time that I can write about them. It seems like a laptop and a trip on the bus could solve some of that since driving to/from work are the usual times I come up with ideas. I tried keeping a tape recorder around, but it scared the thoughts right out of my mind.

Hey, James Blunt just climbed on top of the piano during his performance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live". That suddenly made a somewhat uninteresting song ("1973"?) more palatable. [And, hey, I don't dislike the James, but this song on first listen doesn't do much for me, even live.]

I've thought of many story ideas and conversation snippets; I'm sorry I've forgotten the vast majority of them. Though none of them are as interesting as the idea I read in a Swamp Thing comic (or maybe Sandman) about trees that lure people into their thick to torture them (or something — it's been a few years since I read that particularly story.)

And now, I've forgotten about everything else I was going to write here, even if just a sentence or two.

Meow. Mrow. What's that, Clark? mmrowww laptop? Oh, laptop!

Every November, there is an endeavor undertaken by an increasing number of people. The endeavor is National Novel Writing Month. I'd like to write a novel one day, but motivation escapes me. Oh yeah, an idea, too. Well, I still have lots of ideas that I do remember, but making a whole novel out of some/most of them doesn't seem to plausible at this point. I really think I'd like to have a laptop, too; I could take the bus to work and write for about 30-45 minutes a day, and I could go anywhere and write.

How lame and lascivious: On the next "Inside Edition", are cheerleaders purposefully used to distract the opposing team's players?

A Fine Example

This morning, I read an article on NYTimes.com that really exemplifies a dichotomy between personal beliefs and the Constitution. I don't normally get political or address much social issues here. In fact, it seems I don't address much of anything of late. I get so much I want to write about that I'm frozen into non-activity, which is much like the rest of my life, it seems. Perhaps that's a problem.

Meanwhile, back at the article front of the state of disarray of Jack's brain...

The gist of the article is that Verizon Wireless has so far refused to carry text messages from NARAL, a pro-death "abortion rights" group, on the grounds that it

does not accept programs from any group “that seeks to promote an agenda or distribute content that, in its discretion, may be seen as controversial or unsavory to any of our users.”

I'm pretty much against abortion — except in the very small number of "special cases" of i*cest, r*pe, and endangering the mother's life; in no case do I think it should be the automatic "Solution" (what is the problem when this is the solution?). Note: I'm not against anyone who has had an abortion for whatever reason, nor do I advocate violence against the doctors who perform them or the clinics where they are performed. People will be won over by truth and love, not violence and dogma and demonstration. The "other" side also loses by attrition &mdash more abortions = fewer people to be raised in that environment and continue raising the banner (see Idiocracy for an example of this.

But what is controversial or unsavory? Who determines this? Looney Tunes are controversial for some people because the cartoons advocate violence toward others and instill a sense that hurting someone doesn't really hurt. These people want big fluffy creatures sitting around doing nothing as what children should watch. We have demonstrated controversy; therefore, Verizon Wireless will not carry any messages promoting Looney Tunes. As a result and via its own policy, Verizon Wireless cannot allow anything against Looney Tunes to be sent, either, as that would be pushing a differen agenda.

As distasteful as it is, and as much as I would like that movement to be thwarted completely, the free speech guaranteed to us in the Constitution (not prevailing wisdom from leading nations, and not by fiat of the Court) really takes precedence here. I hate what they're promoting, but I will defend their right to promote it. Only when it is determined and established by the government as detrimental (like crying "Fire!" in a crowded theater) should it then be restricted speech.

From Bad to Worse

I recently wrote about unfunny Spike Feresten show. Apparently, the new season started tonight. (Why there was a second season is beyond my ken.)

The show opening credits were better. And Ryan Seacrest is the guest tonight. (Must be because of the Fox in common.)

But, not only does Spike hoover in a most major way, he's really moving into downright nastiness and vulgarity. I really detest this show vehemently. I might even write to Fox about it.

[Edit 9/30: small number misalignment in second para]

TMZ

For the fall season, a new TV show has started entitled, TMZ. This is a video production based on the website, tmz.com. Essentially, this is a celebrity gossip show/site. Their idea is that most anything a celebrity says or does is worthy of plastering all over the world. They are the ones that "broke" the story of Mel Gibson's drunken raving about the Jews. I guess my big question is, "So, what?" These people decided that this was so important that they got people to at least break confidence (from the police department) and leak this info to be publicized.

What purpose does this serve other than to drag someone through the muck and trash their name? Did this serve the public good? Was some massive cover-up exposed or some criminal mastermind brought to justice?

No, it is merely salacious judgmental GOSSIP.

As much as I could be interested in the show, I have decided not to participate. I will not contribute to that part of belittling our society. Certainly in the interest of fair play, who would want to live life under a microscope, with every misstep, idiotic action, and misspoken word broadcast for all the world to see and pass judgment? Would you be willing to accept such scrutiny? How would you feel if it were forced upon you anyway?

So your printer mangles your paper?

If your printer is shredding, spindling, and mutilating your paper, what could the problem be?

Check out this link for a possible cause:

Paper Shredding

Why is this show still on?

One of the shows I enjoy watching is Stargate SG-1. Not having access to the Sci-Fi channel, I can only watch it in syndication (and a season behind -- though my most recent purchase from Amazon will bring me the 10th and final season of the show in the next couple of weeks. But I digress.)

Locally, Stargate regularly shows on Saturday night at 11:30, which helps contribute to my night-owl-ism, I'm sure. Prior to this past year (which is almost a pun if you know the 9th season storyline), IIRC, Stargate came on at 11:00 right after Mad TV. All in all, a good night of TV watching.

This past year, though, Fox decided to air a show, Talk Show with Spike Feresten. I'm all for giving new shows a try; one never knows when something decent will come along, and a comedic vehicle is always appreciated. I watched the first episode. And the second show. And the third. I didn't even crack a smile, not even inwardly. This show is not funny in any way that makes sense to me. This guy's big claim to fame? He used to be a writer on Seinfeld.

Oh, I tried flipping over to CW (formerly WB) for the 30 minutes the decidedly unfunny Mr. Feresten continued in his lame attempt at entertainment, but watching TV while reading email and/or web surfing remove my focus enough (at least for a show I'm not all that interested in) that I would forget to turn back to Stargate.

So now, I suffer through this unfunny show so that I can watch Stargate. (Note: I have laughed exactly ONE (1) time during this show -- a 40ish gentleman donning rave gear, including pacifier, glow sticks, etc. takes a hit of E (aka Extasy) and goes wild. Whoever said I was normal or traditional in my tastes?) I look forward to the end of this tragedy of a comedy (but not the end of Stargate).

Michael W. Smith - Stand

I recently purchased the latest album, Stand, by Michael W. Smith. After listening a couple of times through, I have reached my verdict. Other than the first three songs, this release is a real disappointment for me. I am greatly saddened in writing this, as I have been a fan of his since his Project album.

The first three songs were kind of catchy, leading me to have higher hopes for the rest of the album. It quickly sank into a mishmash of lack of direction, simple songs, and lack of any cohesion.

I'm not sad that I didn't like the album. I'm sad that it wasn't better.

My thoughts on the impending TV season will be coming soon. Does anyone have any chocolate?

The Future of Animation?

Perhaps the future of animation is in safe hands. This is some pretty cool stuff (except for the bologna bit — you'll know it when you see it).

Animation Winter Showcase

Ask not for Whom the Bell Polls

Hey, if you've missed it, there's a poll over to the right. No, your other right. Yeah, over there.

You can select more than one movie you're looking forward to. Or not. I won't be crushed...horribly.

Upping the Count

Sometimes, you just want to have fun. That last word is "family". My curve didn't come out quite right, and I didn't feel like updating it.

New Futurama

TV Shows on DVD posted a news item about a direct-to-DVD movie of Futurama, the first of four planned through 2008. I'm kind of looking forward to it, as I enjoyed the rather short-lived series. The only thing is, mention is made of a promo for An Inconvenient Truth, with commentary by Al Gore. Why?

WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?

Why do I have to be bludgeoned with this tripe? I guess I have the option of not watching it, but I'd much rather not have the option available to me.

A Rise

I got a rise today (well, yesterday), and it wasn't because someone kicked me in the seat of my pants. For those of you who only speak American English, this means I got a raise at work. I'm excited. More money to throw at my debt :::sigh::: Remember, debt is the gift that keeps on taking. Every little bit helps, I guess.

Why the English term rather than the American term? Well, I've been watching a BBC TV show, Chancer, from 1990, on DVD. It's the first major role for Clive Owen, the guy you may have seen in films such as Children of Men, Croupier, The Bourne Identity (the assassin in the field at the farm house), and my personal favorite, Greenfingers (which virtually none of you have seen — ah, the joys of Netflix).

What is Chancer about? Steven Crane (Owen) is some kind of young business analyst (maybe some kind of investment banker?) who's never made a mistake in his recommendations. He becomes intrigued by a failing car manufacturer (the Douglas Leopard line, all hand-made) and finagles nearly £500K from his boss to bail out the nearly-bankrupt Douglas family. There is the intrigue of a missing/ runaway son, a wild daughter, a clueless daughter, some irate, unhappy bankers, and, of course, the machinations of Mr. Crane. What does he have up his sleeve? What does he intend to do?

This serialized drama, after only two episodes, has some answers, but only in the form of deeper questions raised (rised?) in the midst of the answers. The first episode had me hooked, and the second one did nothing to disabuse me of this notion. Sadly, there are only 19 episodes of the series. Mr. Owen decided to jump ship so as not to be typecast. Nineteen episodes doesn't seem enough time to typecast someone, but no one asked me.

Movies of Late

Hey, here's a post less than a week after the previous one.

I went to see The Simpsons Movie yesterday. It is truly a laugh riot through and through, marred only by two things that really weren't appropriate or necessary and wouldn't show up on the tv show. But overall, lots of fun.
Spider-Pig. Spider-Pig. Does whatever a spider-pig does.

I finished watching Il Postino last night. Very enjoyable yet truly a European film. The movie is about a man, Mario, who delivers mail for the exiled (Communist) poet Pablo Narudo. The poet teaches Mario a little about poetry so that he might win the heart of local beauty Beatrice (the name sounds much more beautiful in Italian: Bay-a-treez-a). I am saddened to learn that the actor portraying Mario, Phillippe Noiret, died from an untreated heart condition the day after shooting completed, untreated so he could complete the film. Art imitates life. The film has a very poetical feel to it, quite appropriate considering its story. Beautiful scenery, beautifully shot, this is just a lovely movie to watch. Don't let its simplicity fool you; much like poetry, the surface hides a greater story, a greater attraction, a greater feeling.

Having read too many times about the greatness of Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal, I added it to the top of my Netflix queue. I've watched the first 20 minutes of it and will continue in a few minutes. All I can say so far is that it's interesting. I'm more than likely not smart enough to catch every subtle nuance or determine the full meaning of every symbol (or even catch most of them). We'll see how it goes.

It's not a movie, but I've been watching The Dick Van Dyke Show season one this week. It's so much fun. It is a shame that there really is nothing of this caliber out now. I do laugh at the separated twin beds for a married couple (so exactly how did Ritchie come along). But this is so smart and witty. Gilmore Girls and Will & Grace are the only recent shows that capture that style. C'est la vie.

War

I found this movie, War, looking for Lionsgate's web page for 3:10 to Yuma, starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, but the link I followed was incorrect, so I saw the default movies at lionsgatefilms.com, featuring Bratz (rental in a few years), War, and Good Luck Chuck (nopers).

War stars Jason Statham and Jet Li, and is about an FBI agent (Statham) seeking revenge for the brutal slaying of his partner, perpetrated by an Asian mob guy (Li). It's probably pretty run of the mill, but Statham just rocks in everything he's in, and coupled with Jet Li, should prove very entertaining.

I want to believe it's true

Yay on my 200th post!

I receive an inspirational email several times a week. Sometimes they're drivel, good for nothing, hardly worth taking the time to read. Usually, they're thought provoking. Today's actually inspired a post. This is not the first time I've seen this story, but today it hit me differently.

The basic story (non-inspirational synopsis) is about a "challenged" boy named Shay whose dad asked some boys playing baseball if his son could play. The team of the boy asked was losing, so the boy said, "Sure". They caught up to tie the other team and still they allowed Shay to bat. Someone helped him bat, and both teams worked to allow Shay to run (the opposing team throwing the ball in the wrong direction, overthrowing, etc.) and finally make it home to score the winning run.

Having seen this story so many times and in slightly different forms, it's probably an urban legend and didn't really happen. Yet, I want to believe that a man hoped against hope that some random boys would be big enough to allow his son to have an experience he would not otherwise have, and I want to believe not only that the boys let him play, but they willingly gave up their own chance to win to enable this one kid to have an experience of a lifetime for him.

Isn't this what the Bible teaches us: That all of us have importance regardless of our ability to perform or contribute, that our existence is contribution enough and worth being loved. That we are to put aside our own selfish ambition and conceit to help build others up, to help make winners out of those the world deems losers. That we are to stand for the downtrodden and down-and-outs, to not just protect the same, but to embrace them.

I want to believe that I am there, that I am one who stands in the gap for those that others scorn. I know I'm not. Slowly, though, I can see my heart changing, not of my own volition, but by the working of the Holy Spirit. As I allow myself to be more open to God's leading, I can see my attitudes changing and the scope of my life shifting to become that person. Who knows where I'll wind up and what it will look like. I know, though, whatever it becomes, it is because of God working in me.

Fantastic Four

I went to see Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer tonight. Superior to its predecessor in about every way imaginable, this was a joy to watch. Jessica Alba is still a very bad choice for Sue Storm, but there were a couple of spots where she was okay, namely when she was acting like Max from Dark Angel. Sue Storm is a blonde white female with blue eyes. The contacts they used to make her eyes blue in the movie were rather distracting. The Silver Surfer was way cool, as cool in a silvery shimmery kind of way as Johnny Storm is in a fiery kind of way. Yes, Chris Evans rocked again as the Human Torch.

This is Crazy!!!!

Check out this little kid doing DDR (Dance Dance Revolution). I think I might break my leg...

Three Articles

I read three articles on MSNBC that really got me going this morning.

• Stay-At-Home Dads

  What do you know: men are found to be somewhat competent at something women normally do, even though the moms are reluctant to admit it. Equality goes both ways. Women, please remember this: You get to choose one and only one of these options: 1) What needs to be done, or 2) How to do it. Do you like to be nagged or nitpicked at every turn? Even if you call it "helping", it's still interpreted as nagging, and we men do not appreciate it. I do like how the article tells us that we need both moms and dads in raising the children. Men are not irrelevant and unneeded (though some act in ways that lead one to think so).

  
  
• Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome

  Bob Woodward, please, do a report on this: Iraq war veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and their not receiving proper—or receiving incorrect— care. How dare we as a country ask these men and women to serve our country and then slap them down because they're just not "tough enough". What is tough enough? Could these same paper pushers serve even one week and not be changed by what they had seen or done?
  

• Nifong disbarred

  At long last, justice is finally served in the Duke non-rape-or-even-attack case. Pretty early on, it was clearly evident to even a layman that there was no evidence against the accused lacrosse players, and that one even had an alibi. (It seems only the contingent that believes that accusation = prosecution felt Nifong was correct in his now clearly-shown political pandering.) Even now, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, he is still trying to convict those boys with his words (check out the end of the article about "getting out of there quickly"). Nifong wanted to make a name for himself. He has managed to do so. It only cost the reputations of three boys and the integrity of an entire state's judicial system to do so.

  
  

The past two episodes of Bones I've watched have also caused me to think about the way we treat our children and live our lives. I'll write about that at some point. Maybe.

Silly lawsuits, stop clogging up our justice system

One of the key things about my personality that I found out many years ago is that I have a very strong sense of justice. Things can be apparent to you without you realizing what it is at a conscious level, but when expressed to you, it suddenly makes sense, and you think, "Oh, yeah!! That makes so much sense."

This hasn't translated to me being some social crusader or even being particularly outspoken about bad things happening. Possibly, there's so much injustice that I wonder what I could possibly do, or who would listen to me (which is a common theme in other areas of my life).

Anyway, I'm against frivolous law suits, especially when caused by one's own stupidity or by some wrong-headed idea that bad things automatically incur monetary recompense from somebody (or downright fraud, like the people who boarded a bus involved in an accident after the accident and then claimed injuries from said accident).

There is a web site that brings such cases to light, and you've probably heard of the yearly awards for the most egregious examples of these lawsuits, the True Stella Awards. Here's a link to the "winners" for 2006: True Stella Awards 2006. Enjoy reading!

A funny

I found this quite humorous...

The Most Annoying TV Character

I've been watching Brothers & Sisters pretty much since the beginning (it's easier for me to be home on Sunday nights to catch it, unlike Lost on Wednesdays or 24 on Mondays). I think the show is pretty good, well-written with good characterizations, though a bit much in the Republican-bashing (not that they don't deserve it, but those in glass towers and all that). For the most part, I really like the interaction of the people in the family; it rings true, or at least it does in my mind.

Sally Field plays the matriarch, Nora Walker, in this menagerie. She loves her family oh-so-very much. Which is great. She's wielded the momma bear protecting her cubs extremely well. I would certainly not dare to cross her path.

But, at least to my eye, she's not learned to draw a boundary. I've been in support groups; I've read a lot. Sometimes, she's so wrapped up in what she wants or thinks that she fails to do what her (grown adult) children need for her to do. For example, Justin, the baby of the family, is a drug addict. He was at a treatment center, and through the magic of TV, is quickly having relative day. Being a tight-knit family, the whole brood shows up. Justin starts making his confession/apology. Before he's gotten a sentence out, Mrs. Walker is leaping in trying to excuse everything, simplify what has gone on, basically thwarting everything Justin needs to do in order to progress.

In tonight's episode, however, I have to give her kudos. She rose to the occasion admirably (after exhibiting the intrusive behavior early on). Only because Sally Field plays the character so sympathetically and so well can find here merely annoying and not just a shrew.

28 Weeks Later

I just read the New York Times review of 28 Weeks Later. Amazingly, Mr. A. O. Scott seems to like the film, which, in my scatter shot reading of his reviews, largely seem to be negative. Who pays attention to critics?

I've been looking forward to this movie ever since I learned of its existence a couple of months ago. I'm not particularly a fan of zombie movies, though I did like Night of the Living Dead and 28 Days Later . This latter movie (now series?) had such an interesting look to it, and I had heard so many good things about it, I finally bought it sight unseen. (Unlike with comedies, viewing the trailer does not tell you the entire movie.) I was very impressed once I did watch it (though I was a tad unnerved when I began watching it late at night, so much so that I waited until the morning to finish it — should I admit this?).

I had a point when I began this post, but lack of sleep last night (in bed at 5:30 am) and this late time (though earlier) is clouding my ... fingers.

The Next Wednesday

Watched American Idol results show tonight. I figured Phil and Chris were going tonight. Now it's just Blake and the Girls. I'm rooting for you, Blake!

Still haven't seen Hot Fuzz :::sigh:::

Spider-Man 3 starts this weekend. I'm not sure when I'll get to see it. I might have to relent and go Friday night.

My boss is gone for two weeks. Yay! I imagine he'll still manage to wreak havoc from afar.

Finally saw Road to El Dorado. I was fairly let down, especially since the first disc from Netflix I received had a big old crack and wouldn't play. Then, I watched Rome, Season 1 Disc 2. Great series. Listening to the commentary for ep. 5, the producers really went out of their way to do something great.

Last week, I watched The Matador. It was a lot different than what I was expecting, but it was quite okay. I wound up getting it at Hollywood's half-price sale for $5.00. I started watching After the Thin Man, but at the 3:12 mark, the disc futzed out: it went to massive pixellation and then just froze. I cleaned it to no avail, and while there are a few scratches, I've seen discs in much worse condition play with no problem. I'll have to try it in the other DVD player.

I need to hurry up and watch the movies I got from Blockbuster's sale. They only provide a 30-day warranty. How Hooverage is that? I won't necessarily be upset when Blockbuster goes belly-up.

Second Post of 2007

I'm on a roll... Or I just look like one.

• Finished watching Season 1 Disc 1 of "Ben 10". Cute cartoon. One scene inspired a story that I might or might not finish, but at least I started it.
  
• Saw Dream Girls Saturday night. Very good movie, but I don't think it's in Best Picture territory.
  
• Went to see Bicycle Thief last night (Tuesday). It was showing as part of World Fest Houston Film Festival, the nations third-longest running film festival at 40 years. Excellent movie, but this presentation made me appreciate tremendously how much work Criterion puts into restoring and updating movies. On DVD, it's very clear, and the sound doesn't have glitches, pops, hisses, or much of anything else. I highly recommend this movie.
  
• watching my recorded version of American Idol's Wednesday night results show. Looking forward to Annie Lennox.
  

I love movies.

Back for the nonce

wow! it's been a while, but here I am. Until I fall off the face of the earth again, I'll post somewhat irregularly.

Richard Gere's faux pas with the Indian girl: he should lose his career. For a comment that was only tangentially racist (but still inappropriate, I agree), Don Imus lost his job, perhaps even his career. Richard Gere clearly overstepped his bounds, especially in light of the woman trying to push him away. So, he should lose his job, too.

Saw Fracture tonight on a sneak peek (thanks Kelle). Decent movie, worth seeing. I'm not sure Ryan Gosling pulled off the serious prosecutor all that well, and the very end I thought was unnecessary, but overall, a thumbs up.

I'm getting to redesign one of our systems at work. Finally, we're getting to make this system work like someone would be proud to use.

Okay, enough for tonight. Don't need to set impossible standards or anything.