So, where I live they are BIG on putting out cards and fliers on your car when you are at the grocery store or places like that. And it annoys me so much. I mean you already get junk mail, telemarketers, junk E-mail, recently I've been getting junk text messages, and now they have to hit the last bastion of solitude, the car.
Some of the time they put a card or flier on your door window or on your door handle. Though annoying, at least it is less so. The ones that REALLY get me going are when they put it on your windshield under the wiper. I mean, who checks the windshield before getting in the car? So you unlock the door, put all your crap on the other seat, sit down, shut the door, get yourself situated, get your seat belt on, start up the car, adjust the radio, and THEN you look up and there is that little [expletive] flier on your window, staring you in the face, mocking your very existence. And it isn't like you can just reach out your window and grab the cussed thing off. No, you have to:
Take off your seat belt.
Open the door.
Get out of the car.
Shut the door ('cause you can't get the right angle on it with the door open).
Use one hand to lift the wiper.
Use other hand to get crappy ad.
Open door again.
Sit down.
Shut door.
Adjust your person.
Continue on your way.
Now, imagine it is wintery weather, then of course you have the added burden of winter clothing.
I swear, one day I will go and collect every single one of those ads off the cars, take it to the business and plaster them all over the windows. And then write a very tastefully worded letter basically telling them their paid advertising scheme was for naught. And maybe end it with one of these guys... :P
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Backfire of the healthcare overhaul
No, this is not going to be about how the healthcare reform was ruled to be unconstitutional.
This is going to be about how great certain law- and policymakers (we all know who they are) thought the reform was going to be. I thought the point of this all was to make healthcare affordable to all. Well, let me tell you how affordable it is going to be for me starting next year: my monthly premium is going up more than $200 per month. That is right, I already have the highest deductible plan available ($10000 out of pocket before insurance is going to kick in) and it costs me just shy of $300 per month right now. Starting in January, it will be over $500 per month. And before you can get carried away with all sorts of explanations, I am a healthy young adult male with no pre-existing conditions... kind of the cheapest and lowest risk type of person... the ones insurance companies love to insure because it just ends up being money in their pockets.
Thanks a lot. Way to make things a lot better for the citizens.
This is going to be about how great certain law- and policymakers (we all know who they are) thought the reform was going to be. I thought the point of this all was to make healthcare affordable to all. Well, let me tell you how affordable it is going to be for me starting next year: my monthly premium is going up more than $200 per month. That is right, I already have the highest deductible plan available ($10000 out of pocket before insurance is going to kick in) and it costs me just shy of $300 per month right now. Starting in January, it will be over $500 per month. And before you can get carried away with all sorts of explanations, I am a healthy young adult male with no pre-existing conditions... kind of the cheapest and lowest risk type of person... the ones insurance companies love to insure because it just ends up being money in their pockets.
Thanks a lot. Way to make things a lot better for the citizens.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Completely unscripted, only partly understandable.
I've been meaning to get this little project up and running for a while. We're big board game players, and we love to play with friends, but it seems it always falls to me to explain how to play the game. (During this time, my wife usually falls asleep since I guess I am pretty dull.) Not that I expect anyone will hop on here and start to learn to play the game before coming over, I just thought it would be fun and a nice way to use all my free time which I somehow have now.
A couple thoughts before continuing: I have a slight cold, so you might hear me sniffle once or twice in the video. This is due to my cold, not from any kind of emotional reaction I get that triggers tearing up. Completely from my cold. Second off, I guess I cannot count well because in my "second turn", I don't count my moves correctly. I actually make 4 moves, not 3. But that is why it is important to make sure you count moves to catch your opponent cheating. Final thought: this video was made in HD, so enjoy those amazing screens... except youtube scales it down. And to be honest, the load times required are not worth the 720p res.
Anyway, here's the video. Watch it to learn about a fun new game or to cure insomnia-- your choice.
A couple thoughts before continuing: I have a slight cold, so you might hear me sniffle once or twice in the video. This is due to my cold, not from any kind of emotional reaction I get that triggers tearing up. Completely from my cold. Second off, I guess I cannot count well because in my "second turn", I don't count my moves correctly. I actually make 4 moves, not 3. But that is why it is important to make sure you count moves to catch your opponent cheating. Final thought: this video was made in HD, so enjoy those amazing screens... except youtube scales it down. And to be honest, the load times required are not worth the 720p res.
Anyway, here's the video. Watch it to learn about a fun new game or to cure insomnia-- your choice.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Happy Inception Day
Yes, it is out today. Get the Blu-Ray, even if you don't have a player. It is worth it. Amazon has it on sale for $17.99 today only I suppose. DVD version (do people still have those things?!?) is only $16.99. Check it.
A release of this magnitude reminds me of way back in the day I used to hang out at Wal-Mart on Tuesday nights at midnight to get the newest movies. Some weeks, like when extended Lord of the Rings were released, there would be mobs. Other times, I was the only one waiting around for a film like Big Fish (excellent, BTW). It wasn't so much the caliber of the movie that got me out at night, it was more often than not just the chance to be out late goofing off with friends at a place that would put up with us college losers. Sometimes I miss stuff like this. I don't do much crazy anymore, I just stay at home and stuff. Which is cool too. I think if I actually tried to do a midnight release again, it would just end up being lame, like the time I went for Starcraft 2, granted that *was* for a video game, and we know what kind of people hang out for midnight releases of video games. At times like those, I like to scan the crowd for the other dudes like me, husbands, maybe a dad with daytime a job who once in a great while will do something stupid like this (as if I would have actually played the game at midnight, seriously). We all have the same sheepish look on our faces, the one that says "I can't believe I am doing this, how lame. I should be home at bed or reading a bedtime story or reading the WSJ like a real adult would do. Instead I am here with a bunch of people who probably are a little *too* excited to be here, and they are all coveting the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood poster I just won for knowing old movie quotes from classics that are probably too old for them." I know, that says a lot for one look on a face, but believe me, when you see it, you know it.
Well, I guess it is time to move on, to grow up and stuff. It's like high school reunions. Conveniently, I had a good excuse to not go to mine, but even if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have gone anyway. I keep in touch with my friends still through other grown-up mediums like Facebook or Twitter.
I realize that that last paragraph has nothing to do with my previous paragraph.
Also, not to steal the thunder from Inception Day, but I was the only one at my office to remember to bring up the happenings at Pearl Harbor today, the 69th anniversary. Well, maybe not the only one, but no one mentioned it to me before I mentioned it to them today. Take a moment to reflect on what that means and ponder America's greatness and fallen heroes. I was surprised at how little fanfare was made over the historical significance of the day.
A release of this magnitude reminds me of way back in the day I used to hang out at Wal-Mart on Tuesday nights at midnight to get the newest movies. Some weeks, like when extended Lord of the Rings were released, there would be mobs. Other times, I was the only one waiting around for a film like Big Fish (excellent, BTW). It wasn't so much the caliber of the movie that got me out at night, it was more often than not just the chance to be out late goofing off with friends at a place that would put up with us college losers. Sometimes I miss stuff like this. I don't do much crazy anymore, I just stay at home and stuff. Which is cool too. I think if I actually tried to do a midnight release again, it would just end up being lame, like the time I went for Starcraft 2, granted that *was* for a video game, and we know what kind of people hang out for midnight releases of video games. At times like those, I like to scan the crowd for the other dudes like me, husbands, maybe a dad with daytime a job who once in a great while will do something stupid like this (as if I would have actually played the game at midnight, seriously). We all have the same sheepish look on our faces, the one that says "I can't believe I am doing this, how lame. I should be home at bed or reading a bedtime story or reading the WSJ like a real adult would do. Instead I am here with a bunch of people who probably are a little *too* excited to be here, and they are all coveting the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood poster I just won for knowing old movie quotes from classics that are probably too old for them." I know, that says a lot for one look on a face, but believe me, when you see it, you know it.
Well, I guess it is time to move on, to grow up and stuff. It's like high school reunions. Conveniently, I had a good excuse to not go to mine, but even if I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have gone anyway. I keep in touch with my friends still through other grown-up mediums like Facebook or Twitter.
I realize that that last paragraph has nothing to do with my previous paragraph.
Also, not to steal the thunder from Inception Day, but I was the only one at my office to remember to bring up the happenings at Pearl Harbor today, the 69th anniversary. Well, maybe not the only one, but no one mentioned it to me before I mentioned it to them today. Take a moment to reflect on what that means and ponder America's greatness and fallen heroes. I was surprised at how little fanfare was made over the historical significance of the day.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
If it looks and smells like espionage...
So there has been a lot said over this whole "Wikileaks" issue and I thought I would through in my opinion, as worthless as it may be. As a disclaimer, a lot of what I have to say might be because I am reading Romney's "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness". But I'm just gonna put this out there:
I love America.
You know, the great America we had back in the day, the one where we still hunted down socialists and stuff. I loved visiting the old historical sites like Fort McHenry, Independence Hall, the nation's capital and all those monuments, Gettysburg, etc. I love hearing the national anthem play, especially when people sing along and get the words right. I even love to hear this song.
It irks me to no end what has happened with all the leaked confidential material. Sure, I may not like the leaders of our nation right now, but it paints my entire nation in a negative light. And quite frankly, what right does a foreign national have to air our dirty laundry before the world?
And to be honest, part of me wants to shout, "Yeah, so what if we said that? So what if we investigated that? So what if we asked that? We're the freaking United States of America."
It is my opinion that this nation has been spending the last 2 years apologizing to everyone in the world, and it has got to stop. (Side note-- so you know all those pictures of Obama bowing to foreign leaders? Well, maybe you don't if you don't go to the drudgereport.com like me. But anyway, yeah, I don't think it is necessarily him bowing out of deference or anything, but I do find it comical that he keeps making the same motions over and over even after all the stink about it is raised time and time again. But whatever.) I know, it makes other nations feel good about themselves that we put ourselves at their level. But screw them, I say. You talk bad about us when you don't like us, and when you need help, you expect us to come help you. And you know what, we do.
It is like when I lived in Costa Rica and how people would come up to me and say, "You gringos are so terrible, look at your nation's army, it is so big and attacks people and makes war. Costa Rica has no army, we are so peaceful and great because we don't attack anyone." Yeah, because all of the time in US history we are just flying out or planes and sailing our destroyers to attack others, always unprovoked.
Good luck finding that one in the history books.
And why should we care if other nations don't like the way we do business? We do things that will be of benefit to our own nation. Every nation does that. And it can realistically be argued that what we do for our benefit isn't evil or bad, that it isn't to knock down other countries any more than any other country would do the same.
In any case, I read an interesting article today about how the State department is contemplating prosecuting Assange under Espionage Law, but how it might have difficulty doing so because of complications regarding the First Amendment. But isn't this guy Australian or something like that? I don't know everything about the law, as no one really does, but do our Constitutional Amendments even apply to people who are not citizens of this nation? And isn't it dictated that espionage is improperly obtaining intelligence with the intend to distribute or willfully denying the return of said intelligence even after specifically being asked to, much how Assange continued to release the classified documents after he was specifically asked not to by the State department? I'm just saying, yeah, that sounds like a little spy-work to me. Think about this: would people defend the man if it was their own information put out there for everyone to see?
I love America.
You know, the great America we had back in the day, the one where we still hunted down socialists and stuff. I loved visiting the old historical sites like Fort McHenry, Independence Hall, the nation's capital and all those monuments, Gettysburg, etc. I love hearing the national anthem play, especially when people sing along and get the words right. I even love to hear this song.
It irks me to no end what has happened with all the leaked confidential material. Sure, I may not like the leaders of our nation right now, but it paints my entire nation in a negative light. And quite frankly, what right does a foreign national have to air our dirty laundry before the world?
And to be honest, part of me wants to shout, "Yeah, so what if we said that? So what if we investigated that? So what if we asked that? We're the freaking United States of America."
It is my opinion that this nation has been spending the last 2 years apologizing to everyone in the world, and it has got to stop. (Side note-- so you know all those pictures of Obama bowing to foreign leaders? Well, maybe you don't if you don't go to the drudgereport.com like me. But anyway, yeah, I don't think it is necessarily him bowing out of deference or anything, but I do find it comical that he keeps making the same motions over and over even after all the stink about it is raised time and time again. But whatever.) I know, it makes other nations feel good about themselves that we put ourselves at their level. But screw them, I say. You talk bad about us when you don't like us, and when you need help, you expect us to come help you. And you know what, we do.
It is like when I lived in Costa Rica and how people would come up to me and say, "You gringos are so terrible, look at your nation's army, it is so big and attacks people and makes war. Costa Rica has no army, we are so peaceful and great because we don't attack anyone." Yeah, because all of the time in US history we are just flying out or planes and sailing our destroyers to attack others, always unprovoked.
Good luck finding that one in the history books.
And why should we care if other nations don't like the way we do business? We do things that will be of benefit to our own nation. Every nation does that. And it can realistically be argued that what we do for our benefit isn't evil or bad, that it isn't to knock down other countries any more than any other country would do the same.
In any case, I read an interesting article today about how the State department is contemplating prosecuting Assange under Espionage Law, but how it might have difficulty doing so because of complications regarding the First Amendment. But isn't this guy Australian or something like that? I don't know everything about the law, as no one really does, but do our Constitutional Amendments even apply to people who are not citizens of this nation? And isn't it dictated that espionage is improperly obtaining intelligence with the intend to distribute or willfully denying the return of said intelligence even after specifically being asked to, much how Assange continued to release the classified documents after he was specifically asked not to by the State department? I'm just saying, yeah, that sounds like a little spy-work to me. Think about this: would people defend the man if it was their own information put out there for everyone to see?
Monday, November 29, 2010
This blog will feature this video as a favor.
Pretty awesome. Posted at the request of my close personal friend, Zachary Levi.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
DJ Roomba FTW... and other stuff.
Possibly the most anticipated show to return in January? Just maybe...
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The TNB: I'm still here, in case you forgot about me.
Judging from the lack of responses from last Tuesday's blog, I am going to assume that no one watches TV anymore. Either that, or I am incredibly boring, and I try not to think of myself that way.
I've checked out a few books from the library. I like to read, but lately I've been in a rut. Most of the series I have enjoyed in the past are all finished up and so I am branching out into new series to start. I've been dipping my toes a bit in the "Forgotten Realms" series, and the first book I read was okay, but kind of a chore to get into. The second is more tedious to get involved in than the first. I decided to get the second book because I figured the first was just kind of an opening, something that "had to be done" in order to move on to the next book. You know, kind of how The Empire Strikes Back was loads better than A New Hope, only because they got all the baselines established in ANH and didn't have to waste time introducing characters central to the plotline.
Anyway, my point is this: I checked out the second book like 2 weeks ago, and I am barely pushing the halfway mark. I ordered the 3rd, only because I thought there would be a wait, but it came much quicker than anticipated. I've also gotten No Apology again because I didn't get to finish it the first time I checked it out, but that is also probably going to have to be returned before I can read it due to this second book. And Decision Points will be coming any day now, and not to mention the next "Robert Jordan" book is ordered, but may take a while before I can pick it up. To sum it all up, I am in a rut for reading, which is highly unusual, and I don't like it.
Chuck was excellent this week, which I think was the last episode in the "front 13", which makes it interesting to see how things will go for the "back 11". I swore up and down all week that this whole "mission to restore the intersect" was just a setup, but I guess it really happened and I was all wrong. Which, consequently is highly unusual, but I don't mind it so much in this manner.
And what is it with Blu-Ray movies? Why do they have to cost $40 for a new movie? Um, yeah, not gonna pay that, not even for the highly desirable and delicious Inception (December 7th, y'all).
Tried to get my buds together for a little Goldeneye:Source tonight, but that kind of fell through... so that was not cool.
I just got some new board games, so that might be a topic of conversation in the near-ish future.
I've checked out a few books from the library. I like to read, but lately I've been in a rut. Most of the series I have enjoyed in the past are all finished up and so I am branching out into new series to start. I've been dipping my toes a bit in the "Forgotten Realms" series, and the first book I read was okay, but kind of a chore to get into. The second is more tedious to get involved in than the first. I decided to get the second book because I figured the first was just kind of an opening, something that "had to be done" in order to move on to the next book. You know, kind of how The Empire Strikes Back was loads better than A New Hope, only because they got all the baselines established in ANH and didn't have to waste time introducing characters central to the plotline.
Anyway, my point is this: I checked out the second book like 2 weeks ago, and I am barely pushing the halfway mark. I ordered the 3rd, only because I thought there would be a wait, but it came much quicker than anticipated. I've also gotten No Apology again because I didn't get to finish it the first time I checked it out, but that is also probably going to have to be returned before I can read it due to this second book. And Decision Points will be coming any day now, and not to mention the next "Robert Jordan" book is ordered, but may take a while before I can pick it up. To sum it all up, I am in a rut for reading, which is highly unusual, and I don't like it.
Chuck was excellent this week, which I think was the last episode in the "front 13", which makes it interesting to see how things will go for the "back 11". I swore up and down all week that this whole "mission to restore the intersect" was just a setup, but I guess it really happened and I was all wrong. Which, consequently is highly unusual, but I don't mind it so much in this manner.
And what is it with Blu-Ray movies? Why do they have to cost $40 for a new movie? Um, yeah, not gonna pay that, not even for the highly desirable and delicious Inception (December 7th, y'all).
Tried to get my buds together for a little Goldeneye:Source tonight, but that kind of fell through... so that was not cool.
I just got some new board games, so that might be a topic of conversation in the near-ish future.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The TNB: TV Weekly Wrap-up
You know, it is hard to wrap up a week of TV when you are only on Tuesday. I guess it will also be some review of last week's shows, too. I watch a pretty hefty chunk of TV, which I was kind of surprised by since, you know, we don't have cable... Can you call it "watching internet"? Anyway, here's a rundown of shows I currently watch and may or may not have a review featured here. And by review, I mostly mean musing.
Mondays: Chuck, Castle, Lie To Me.
Tuesdays: Glee, Running Wilde, Raising Hope
Wednesdays: Modern Family
Thursdays: Community, Outsourced, Nikita, Vampire Diaries.
Friday- Sunday: No TV shows worth watching
Other shows worth noting which are not on air right now: Parks and Recreation, V.
Do me a favor and leave a comment below to tell me which of the reviewed shows you watch. This is going to be quite lengthy and if no one watches a show below, there is no need to review it.
Anyway, let's start this up... of course, last week's stuff is all kind of blurred now...
Of course, with any kind of reviews, there are OBVIOUS SPOILERS BELOW. So if you haven't seen the show yet and don't want it ruined, then don't read.
*****************************
MODERN FAMILY:
Best Modern Family in a while. I am kind of tired of the show featuring Jay and his family so much and also spending a nice chunk of time on Mitch and Cam. I mean, it is all funny and stuff, but the STAR of the show is definitely Phil. It was hilarious to see Phil start to question his manliness when he couldn't find the smoke detector which needed to be changed. The best part was when he talked to the guy from Claire's gym and commented about how he burned his Lady Fingers. This was a good episode, reminiscent of season 1.
COMMUNITY:
You know, I love this show. I still laugh quite a bit when I watch it, but it has been kind of drifting lately. And you know what? I don't even know what I mean by that. While it was funny to see them blow the whole "missing pen" thing out of proportion, I was somewhat annoyed by how far it was carried, with even Winger getting sucked into the whole deal. Usually he is the clear-headed one, which is obviously why he is the cool one of the group, but yeah... whatever. Still good. Not "Paintball" good, but still good.
OUTSOURCED:
I know lots of people who say that they don't like this show. And by "lots of people" I mean one website. But as for me, I find it quite enjoyable. I don't know what it is, but there is something about this show that I really find fresh. I mean, the premise isn't; it's just another workplace show. Maybe I like it because it isn't trying so much to be politically correct, heavily stereotyping Indians (the real kind) and stuff like that. It just seems to me that there never is a lot of "drama" in it, which is kind of nice. Like stuff happens, the Character A is totally getting a ton of attention from the girl that Character B likes, and B knows it, but doesn't resent A for it. Stuff like that. Like everything is always good and well in India, and you know what, maybe it is. And the main character is genuinely a nice guy and tries to be cool with his employees and they are mostly all cool with him.
Anyway, this last episode was fun. A national holiday in India means no one wants to work, so the boss says he'll cover for them, and then all sorts of hilarity and intrigue ensues. It was more light-hearted fun and easy TV to watch, which is always nice. The humor isn't hidden in double meanings, just easy laughs and that is always good in my book.
NIKITA:
My wife hates this show solely based on the name of the show. Go figure. This episode was pretty good, showing a little more interaction and relationship between Michael and Nikita. And everyone loves a good relationship, especially in spy shows (which I love! Spy shows, that is). However, it always bothers me how the show is called Nikita, yet they spend so much time featuring Alex. Not only is she a terribly boring and predictable character, the actress herself just really isn't that believable. ALMOST Michelle Rodriguez quality acting here, and we all know that Michelle Rodriguez is anything BUT quality. Seriously, she is like the worst actress in the world.
Anyway, Micheal having more backstory is great, shows a bit more where he is coming from. It also explains why he sticks with Percy and Division when he was having so many doubts before. And if anything, this episode further cemented Michael's relationship with Division even more. Should be interesting to see where they go from here.
VAMPIRE DIARIES:
Don't you dare mock, if you know me at all, you know I am a sucker for vampire shows. And besides all the teenage drama (come on, you know you all like Twilight too) the actual vampire story here is pretty good. It was nice to see them bringing Klaus more into this episode, seeing as how he was a big part of the actual novels... well, the 4th novel anyway. Actually he kind of got washed over in the novel, so I guess it is nice for the TV show, they can do pretty much whatever the heck they want with the character. And to be honest, the show has strayed a LOT from where the books went (SPOILER FOR THE BOOK-- Elena died in like the second novel, making Bonnie the main heroine, which I am glad they did not do in the show) The new warlocks in town where pretty predictable. Of course I can see them playing the whole father vs. son good vs. evil angle, especially if Luca or whatever his name was ends up falling for Bonnie. And poor Jeremy, the guy just cannot get a break with the ladies. First his girl is turned into a vampire, then he falls for another vampire only for her to be killed, then he is all moon-eyed for the witch who will probably end up going for the warlock (for better or worse, really). Elena and Stephan are kind of blah... as always, Damon stole the show, showing great character growth as well as kind of getting his own kind of angle and part to play instead of just second fiddle to Stephan for Elena's attention, which, seriously man, she's not worth it. Anyway, his new possible angle with Rose could play out nicely, and it was cool to see the more vampire underground (which, surprisingly is NOT underground). I find it lame that... shoot, what was his name? The lackey for the Originals is who I mean. It is lame he was killed, stake through the heart, but he can come back to life? Um, yeah. Try not to mess up the whole vampire mythology there.
CHUCK:
Alright readers, if you made it to here, it is because YOU actually care about Chuck, and frankly, this is the big show for me. Chuck is the first show of the calendar week and the first show I wait for. Without blathering on more about it (seriously, I love Chuck) here we go.
This week was AWESOME. Pun intended, etc. Last week I was left all "who what wha????" when I thought his mom had erased the Intersect. To see that it was only blocked was a relief, with the promise of getting it back. Agent Rye was a nice addition and was interesting to see how he tried to help Chuck get it back through all the dangerous situations. I will admit, at times it was kind of annoying when he got all psychiatristic on Chuck ("Sarah is your rock, Chuck. Why do you call for her in times of trouble?") but it was necessary. To see him killed at the end was a complete shocker.
It was also awesome to see Chuck still trying his hardest to be a spy, even without the intersect. I think, through these 4 seasons, it has been believable to watch Chuck go from a complete nerd who wanted the intersect out of his head, to a willing participant, albeit behind the scenes. Season 3 moved him into a more active role, one where he had to learn how to be a spy, and now in this season he is actually a pretty well-versed spy and can literally do things on his own without his team having to hold his hand. I have very much enjoyed this season and we all know Chuck will get the Intersect back, but how and when it will happen is going to be a surprise.
Summer Glau (geek moment!) was fun to have, especially in the scenes with John Casey (come on, Firefly!). And it was funny, I was saying before the episode began that I was kind of bothered at how minimally they have used the Gretas up to this point, and I thought it was a shame. This time around though, there was quite a bit of Greta involvement, which was awesome. I don't know why they keep getting NEW Gretas rotating through the Buy More, but at least this time, thanks to Jeff and Lester, there was a reason the Greta had to leave. A well done episode, all in all.
CASTLE:
Castle is just more light-hearted fun, this time in a crime semi-drama format. I started watching this show purely out of loyalty to Nathan Fillion, star of Firefly. Surprisingly it is excellent. The show is hardly serious in nature, the crime is always solved at the end, and it is almost predictable how it happens. Castle always figures out the key piece of information right at the end due to a somewhat paralleled situation at home with his daughter or mother. But you know what, that doesn't matter. The humor is quite good, the characters are believable and likable, and the will they, won't they between Castle and Beckett is fun to watch, yet gut-wrenching at the same time (see last season's finale). In this episode, the alien abduction thing was obviously not the real answer, but it was funny to see Castle beleaguer the point to Beckett. I knew there would be an explanation in the end that was plain and simple, but it is always a fun ride anyway.
LIE TO ME:
This show is also kind of the same thing over and over, but it is still fun to watch. Lightman always seems to be kind of a jerk in solving his cases, and you know he is always going to get the last word, but it is HOW it plays out that makes the show more fun to watch. Loker is also getting a bit more "real world experience" which is nice to see Lightman finally acknowledge him in a way and at least try to point out that he has real talent there. Loker is by far the most underused character on the show, and it is nice to see him get a bit more of the spotlight. As far as this episode, it was standard fare, Lightman very boisterously pointing out how the man villain is a scumbag.
GLEE:
Man, is Schuester ever going to get over his acting so stupidly and actually get back to being a cool guy like he was in season 1 (first 13 episodes anyway)? I feel like since the second half of season 1, they are just trying to make him be all conflicted and annoying, and really just plain old whiny. The Glee kids themselves were not much of a focus point in this episode, but I did like the Schuester/Mike Chang number they did in Will's dream. And ugh, if I have to have more Kurt-focused Glee, I am going to vomit. His dad is awesome, Kurt is not. This episode seemed to feature Gwyneth Paltrow a but more heavily than they have in episodes passed that were "character" episodes. She was alright, but I just wish they would get back to WMHS story more. And Beist was just awesome how she shut down Sue.
RUNNING WILDE:
Stupid Fox, stop screwing around with this show like you did with Arrested Development AND Firefly.
RAISING HOPE:
Dead Tooth Girl is no longer. Sad too. I wonder if she got a crown or had an endo with internal bleaching? Most likely some kind of crown work... bleaching wouldn't be that effective.
Anyway, pretty funny, not as much as last week's episode, but still solid. I love Burt Chance, and it had me snickering at him going around to his neighbors to tell of his sex-offender charge from years prior. He's gotta be the most interesting character in the show. A solid effort, but not the best yet. But certainly not the worst.
***********************
Whew.
Mondays: Chuck, Castle, Lie To Me.
Tuesdays: Glee, Running Wilde, Raising Hope
Wednesdays: Modern Family
Thursdays: Community, Outsourced, Nikita, Vampire Diaries.
Friday- Sunday: No TV shows worth watching
Other shows worth noting which are not on air right now: Parks and Recreation, V.
Do me a favor and leave a comment below to tell me which of the reviewed shows you watch. This is going to be quite lengthy and if no one watches a show below, there is no need to review it.
Anyway, let's start this up... of course, last week's stuff is all kind of blurred now...
Of course, with any kind of reviews, there are OBVIOUS SPOILERS BELOW. So if you haven't seen the show yet and don't want it ruined, then don't read.
*****************************
MODERN FAMILY:
Best Modern Family in a while. I am kind of tired of the show featuring Jay and his family so much and also spending a nice chunk of time on Mitch and Cam. I mean, it is all funny and stuff, but the STAR of the show is definitely Phil. It was hilarious to see Phil start to question his manliness when he couldn't find the smoke detector which needed to be changed. The best part was when he talked to the guy from Claire's gym and commented about how he burned his Lady Fingers. This was a good episode, reminiscent of season 1.
COMMUNITY:
You know, I love this show. I still laugh quite a bit when I watch it, but it has been kind of drifting lately. And you know what? I don't even know what I mean by that. While it was funny to see them blow the whole "missing pen" thing out of proportion, I was somewhat annoyed by how far it was carried, with even Winger getting sucked into the whole deal. Usually he is the clear-headed one, which is obviously why he is the cool one of the group, but yeah... whatever. Still good. Not "Paintball" good, but still good.
OUTSOURCED:
I know lots of people who say that they don't like this show. And by "lots of people" I mean one website. But as for me, I find it quite enjoyable. I don't know what it is, but there is something about this show that I really find fresh. I mean, the premise isn't; it's just another workplace show. Maybe I like it because it isn't trying so much to be politically correct, heavily stereotyping Indians (the real kind) and stuff like that. It just seems to me that there never is a lot of "drama" in it, which is kind of nice. Like stuff happens, the Character A is totally getting a ton of attention from the girl that Character B likes, and B knows it, but doesn't resent A for it. Stuff like that. Like everything is always good and well in India, and you know what, maybe it is. And the main character is genuinely a nice guy and tries to be cool with his employees and they are mostly all cool with him.
Anyway, this last episode was fun. A national holiday in India means no one wants to work, so the boss says he'll cover for them, and then all sorts of hilarity and intrigue ensues. It was more light-hearted fun and easy TV to watch, which is always nice. The humor isn't hidden in double meanings, just easy laughs and that is always good in my book.
NIKITA:
My wife hates this show solely based on the name of the show. Go figure. This episode was pretty good, showing a little more interaction and relationship between Michael and Nikita. And everyone loves a good relationship, especially in spy shows (which I love! Spy shows, that is). However, it always bothers me how the show is called Nikita, yet they spend so much time featuring Alex. Not only is she a terribly boring and predictable character, the actress herself just really isn't that believable. ALMOST Michelle Rodriguez quality acting here, and we all know that Michelle Rodriguez is anything BUT quality. Seriously, she is like the worst actress in the world.
Anyway, Micheal having more backstory is great, shows a bit more where he is coming from. It also explains why he sticks with Percy and Division when he was having so many doubts before. And if anything, this episode further cemented Michael's relationship with Division even more. Should be interesting to see where they go from here.
VAMPIRE DIARIES:
Don't you dare mock, if you know me at all, you know I am a sucker for vampire shows. And besides all the teenage drama (come on, you know you all like Twilight too) the actual vampire story here is pretty good. It was nice to see them bringing Klaus more into this episode, seeing as how he was a big part of the actual novels... well, the 4th novel anyway. Actually he kind of got washed over in the novel, so I guess it is nice for the TV show, they can do pretty much whatever the heck they want with the character. And to be honest, the show has strayed a LOT from where the books went (SPOILER FOR THE BOOK-- Elena died in like the second novel, making Bonnie the main heroine, which I am glad they did not do in the show) The new warlocks in town where pretty predictable. Of course I can see them playing the whole father vs. son good vs. evil angle, especially if Luca or whatever his name was ends up falling for Bonnie. And poor Jeremy, the guy just cannot get a break with the ladies. First his girl is turned into a vampire, then he falls for another vampire only for her to be killed, then he is all moon-eyed for the witch who will probably end up going for the warlock (for better or worse, really). Elena and Stephan are kind of blah... as always, Damon stole the show, showing great character growth as well as kind of getting his own kind of angle and part to play instead of just second fiddle to Stephan for Elena's attention, which, seriously man, she's not worth it. Anyway, his new possible angle with Rose could play out nicely, and it was cool to see the more vampire underground (which, surprisingly is NOT underground). I find it lame that... shoot, what was his name? The lackey for the Originals is who I mean. It is lame he was killed, stake through the heart, but he can come back to life? Um, yeah. Try not to mess up the whole vampire mythology there.
CHUCK:
Alright readers, if you made it to here, it is because YOU actually care about Chuck, and frankly, this is the big show for me. Chuck is the first show of the calendar week and the first show I wait for. Without blathering on more about it (seriously, I love Chuck) here we go.
This week was AWESOME. Pun intended, etc. Last week I was left all "who what wha????" when I thought his mom had erased the Intersect. To see that it was only blocked was a relief, with the promise of getting it back. Agent Rye was a nice addition and was interesting to see how he tried to help Chuck get it back through all the dangerous situations. I will admit, at times it was kind of annoying when he got all psychiatristic on Chuck ("Sarah is your rock, Chuck. Why do you call for her in times of trouble?") but it was necessary. To see him killed at the end was a complete shocker.
It was also awesome to see Chuck still trying his hardest to be a spy, even without the intersect. I think, through these 4 seasons, it has been believable to watch Chuck go from a complete nerd who wanted the intersect out of his head, to a willing participant, albeit behind the scenes. Season 3 moved him into a more active role, one where he had to learn how to be a spy, and now in this season he is actually a pretty well-versed spy and can literally do things on his own without his team having to hold his hand. I have very much enjoyed this season and we all know Chuck will get the Intersect back, but how and when it will happen is going to be a surprise.
Summer Glau (geek moment!) was fun to have, especially in the scenes with John Casey (come on, Firefly!). And it was funny, I was saying before the episode began that I was kind of bothered at how minimally they have used the Gretas up to this point, and I thought it was a shame. This time around though, there was quite a bit of Greta involvement, which was awesome. I don't know why they keep getting NEW Gretas rotating through the Buy More, but at least this time, thanks to Jeff and Lester, there was a reason the Greta had to leave. A well done episode, all in all.
CASTLE:
Castle is just more light-hearted fun, this time in a crime semi-drama format. I started watching this show purely out of loyalty to Nathan Fillion, star of Firefly. Surprisingly it is excellent. The show is hardly serious in nature, the crime is always solved at the end, and it is almost predictable how it happens. Castle always figures out the key piece of information right at the end due to a somewhat paralleled situation at home with his daughter or mother. But you know what, that doesn't matter. The humor is quite good, the characters are believable and likable, and the will they, won't they between Castle and Beckett is fun to watch, yet gut-wrenching at the same time (see last season's finale). In this episode, the alien abduction thing was obviously not the real answer, but it was funny to see Castle beleaguer the point to Beckett. I knew there would be an explanation in the end that was plain and simple, but it is always a fun ride anyway.
LIE TO ME:
This show is also kind of the same thing over and over, but it is still fun to watch. Lightman always seems to be kind of a jerk in solving his cases, and you know he is always going to get the last word, but it is HOW it plays out that makes the show more fun to watch. Loker is also getting a bit more "real world experience" which is nice to see Lightman finally acknowledge him in a way and at least try to point out that he has real talent there. Loker is by far the most underused character on the show, and it is nice to see him get a bit more of the spotlight. As far as this episode, it was standard fare, Lightman very boisterously pointing out how the man villain is a scumbag.
GLEE:
Man, is Schuester ever going to get over his acting so stupidly and actually get back to being a cool guy like he was in season 1 (first 13 episodes anyway)? I feel like since the second half of season 1, they are just trying to make him be all conflicted and annoying, and really just plain old whiny. The Glee kids themselves were not much of a focus point in this episode, but I did like the Schuester/Mike Chang number they did in Will's dream. And ugh, if I have to have more Kurt-focused Glee, I am going to vomit. His dad is awesome, Kurt is not. This episode seemed to feature Gwyneth Paltrow a but more heavily than they have in episodes passed that were "character" episodes. She was alright, but I just wish they would get back to WMHS story more. And Beist was just awesome how she shut down Sue.
RUNNING WILDE:
Stupid Fox, stop screwing around with this show like you did with Arrested Development AND Firefly.
RAISING HOPE:
Dead Tooth Girl is no longer. Sad too. I wonder if she got a crown or had an endo with internal bleaching? Most likely some kind of crown work... bleaching wouldn't be that effective.
Anyway, pretty funny, not as much as last week's episode, but still solid. I love Burt Chance, and it had me snickering at him going around to his neighbors to tell of his sex-offender charge from years prior. He's gotta be the most interesting character in the show. A solid effort, but not the best yet. But certainly not the worst.
***********************
Whew.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Bonus: Pre- TNB Part Deux: The Sequel
I've been searching for this for a long time. And now... I HAVE FOUND IT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcoe3PboY_Y&feature=player_embedded
Watch it.
Seriously, I would love that ringtone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcoe3PboY_Y&feature=player_embedded
Watch it.
Seriously, I would love that ringtone.
A reflection on underwears.
Some underwear is meant to be seen. Not trying to be crass or anything, but it is true. Just ask Victoria, she'll tell you. Unless it is a secret.
I don't know how more blunt I can be with that.
Some underwear you don't necessarily mean for it to be seen, but you just like them. Like a certain four-leaf clover design or something like that. And maybe this falls into that category for some people.
Anyway, some underwear, I think, you just would be a bit embarrassed by. And no matter what it looks like, it is still embarrassing. So when my wife was clipping coupons and came across this gem, I couldn't help but post it on the internets. So, if you find yourself in need of some of these, at least now, you got options.
Colors AND prints, baby!
I don't know how more blunt I can be with that.
Some underwear you don't necessarily mean for it to be seen, but you just like them. Like a certain four-leaf clover design or something like that. And maybe this falls into that category for some people.
Anyway, some underwear, I think, you just would be a bit embarrassed by. And no matter what it looks like, it is still embarrassing. So when my wife was clipping coupons and came across this gem, I couldn't help but post it on the internets. So, if you find yourself in need of some of these, at least now, you got options.
Colors AND prints, baby!Sunday, November 14, 2010
Tuesday Night Blog Revival v3.00
Welcome back... again. For the third time. Seriously, these revival attempts are getting kind of ridiculous. For those of you who are returning customers, you know what this is all about. For those new users out there, you'll soon catch on. As an introduction, here's a little story on how the TNB came to be.
Back when I was in undergrad, I used to work late on Tuesday nights at the library. Things at the reference desk used to get kind of slow, so I would help pass the time by reading the lively opinions section of our university's newspaper (The Daily UniFarce) and forming my own opinions. Naturally I would want to share them with anyone who would listen, so I posted them all to my MySpace page (haha, MySpace... does anyone even use that anymore?) And thus the Tuesday Night Blog was created.
I hope that story wasn't as lame as it seemed.
But seriously, MySpace. I am pretty sure the only users left on MySpace are creepy old people looking to pick up younger kids... and other creepy old people pretending to be the young kids.
Anyway, read and comment as you feel inclined. I am going to TRY and make sure to post a blog once a week, which may or may not actually happen on Tuesdays, but TNB is a brand name that people recognize, so I am going with it. You can expect the content to be based on politics, strange stories, fabricated stories from my own life, board game reviews, movie reviews, TV show reviews, video game reviews and opinions, food, crocheting, etc. Kind of a mixed bag sort of thing. Dig.
Back when I was in undergrad, I used to work late on Tuesday nights at the library. Things at the reference desk used to get kind of slow, so I would help pass the time by reading the lively opinions section of our university's newspaper (The Daily UniFarce) and forming my own opinions. Naturally I would want to share them with anyone who would listen, so I posted them all to my MySpace page (haha, MySpace... does anyone even use that anymore?) And thus the Tuesday Night Blog was created.
I hope that story wasn't as lame as it seemed.
But seriously, MySpace. I am pretty sure the only users left on MySpace are creepy old people looking to pick up younger kids... and other creepy old people pretending to be the young kids.
Anyway, read and comment as you feel inclined. I am going to TRY and make sure to post a blog once a week, which may or may not actually happen on Tuesdays, but TNB is a brand name that people recognize, so I am going with it. You can expect the content to be based on politics, strange stories, fabricated stories from my own life, board game reviews, movie reviews, TV show reviews, video game reviews and opinions, food, crocheting, etc. Kind of a mixed bag sort of thing. Dig.
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