Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Now, this is a holiday special I can appreciate!

At last! The Great Prophet of Disdain has his own Christmas Special. That's right, folks, Denis Leary finally gets to let loose on all of you cheer mongers. I say it's a long time coming. I can only hope the real Grinch will make an appearance.

Cry merry and let slip the contempt!

SQL> Select * From ComedyCentralListings Where Appeal="Freakin' Bad Ass";

Monday, November 21, 2005

No, I'm not "...all ready for the )(*&^)(*&@)#$(*^!@()*^%)(*&#$ holidays..." !!!!

STOP ASKING THIS QUESTION! What is WRONG with you people?! This is one of the most grating post 10/31 icebreakers in the history of... well... anyfreakingthing!

1. Do you really care, if I'm ready for the holidays?
2. Do you really want to hear me express my disdain for all the commercial, superflous fluff scattered around and so ridiculously admired?
3. Do you really want me to just roll my eyes and tune you out while you drone on and on and on about how wonderful this will be or how fabulous that will be?

Get over it, people. I don't like the holidays and I don't want to talk about it. I certainly don't want to defend my position on the matter to someone I'll never see or speak to again in my lifetime. So don't get up on your mighty horse and call me a freakin' scrooge. It wasn't your business to begin with, nor is it any more your business when I tell you I could give a discarded candy wrapper about it.

The next doughhead who poses this inquiry to me, will likely be trying to wash down their Rudolph the Inedbriated Reindeer's jingle bell socks with their Christmas tree water. Because I'm going to stuff the goddamned things down their throat!

Not everyone likes the holidays, dammit! We keep that to ourselves! Why don't you keep your dicontent with my personal feelings to yourself as well. If you don't ask me, I don't have to tell you.

Monday, October 31, 2005

More Movies

After such a lengthy hiatus from movie going, I choose to return to a weekly venture rounded out by... hold steady... Saw II and That Other Zorro Movie

Saw II was easily the squirmiest thing I've ever seen in a theater. But, I didn't see Jaws in a theater. The opening scene was the only time I've ever actually closed my eyes at a movie. For good reason though. Anyone who knows me can attest to my inability to allow simple eye drops into my eyes. This scene played on every aspect of that aversion. On the whole, I can say the movie was "o.k.". But, I haven't seen the first one and don't particularly care for fare such as this.

That Other Zorro Movie was awful. Don't waste your time or money. Members of my family are obligated to see Zorro on television and in film for reasons known only to us. I wish I'd stayed home. Zorro wasn't about saving the world or even just the United States, people. He certainly wasn't indirectly involved with the American Civil War. Horrid. Horrid. Horrid. Zorro the Gay Blade did the overall story more justice than this tripe.

The good news is:

1. Harry Potter IV shall be released soon. It's sure to be an enjoyable romp through a world that doesn't exist. Children need more fantasy and escape, as far as I'm concerned.

2. Likewise The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe will follow shortly thereafter. Yes, Lewis's stories are frequently allegory for Christianity, but I didn't read them that way when I was a child, nor did I hear them that way when they were read to me. They were simply a story of a wonderful place where children could be heroes. And that is what imagination is all about.

3. Finally King Kong. Peter Jackson is the man. At least, we hope he stays the man and doesn't become George "I'll Sell Out For Any Buck" Lucas or Stephen "I'm the Greatest Director Ever So I Can Change Any Writer's Story To My Heart's Content" Spielberg. But, I digress. King Kong looks impressive. Surprisingly, Jack Black seems to be walking into the film director's role quite well, without playing "himself". And Naomi Watts actually seems to suit the leading lady's role a bit better even than Faye Wray did. Blasphemy, I know. But, it just seems to work so well.

Granted, Jackson has an entire warehouse full of computers capable of more stunning effects than the original. But, his choice to be faithful to the setting and time of the original is simply awesome.


SQL> Select * From Movies Where Suck = False;

Friday, October 28, 2005

The Pitter Patter...

My teammate and his wife welcomed their second child at 0219, this morning. Miranda Ivy will leave the hospital this weekend and we're all looking forward to meeting her. Congratulations Agro and AgroGirl on AgroGirl V2.0!!!!

SQL> Select * From Mom Where Birthday <= Date( );

Monday, October 24, 2005

"DOOM"

Somebody's got a lot of explaining to do.

The game and it's 'plot' are very simple:

You're a Marine. You're stationed on Mars. Something goes wrong. Hell literally breaks loose. Everyone else becomes hellspawn. Here's a gun. Shoot a lot of stuff.

No one expected anything more than this from the movie. Really. We didn't have high expectations. We didn't want or need plot or character development. Much less the weak ass excuse for what was happening. We just wanted to see a lot of horrible looking things get shot. A lot. And then some more.

Let me just emphasize this point "a lot". Just do everything a lot.

Granted, the one thing I felt needed to happen, did happen. At the very end. Not at the beginning, like it should have happened, dammit. And it involved the obligatory lame ass hand to hand fight. BLAH.

GUNS

It's simple. Very simple. DOOM is credited with creating the "Big Fucking Gun". What more do we need?! Just shoot a lot of stuff a lot with a lot of cool guns!

*grrrrr*

SQL> Select Guns From PlotDevices Where Volume = 1,000,000,000;

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

The Greatest Generation and I

My great-uncle George was the type of uncle, no matter the generation, every kid should have in their adolescence. Along with my other uncles, he managed to lighten and liven things up during family gatherings. He told jokes, ruffled our hair, let us watch television late, all while aiding and abetting our myriad delinquencies (cookie smuggling).

I remember him best as the family's chocolate-icing-bandit. It was a simple ploy, actually, nothing very clever, unique or, quite honestly, fresh. See, there's a gene in my family that compells many of us to flop chocolate cake on its side and eat the cake out from in between the icing with extreme care. Given our gene for obsessive compulsion, this becomes a very pains taking task, in which we ensure the icing does not collapse on itself and that all the cake is neatly picked away from the icing. Doing so leaves a carefully crafted "F" of sorts on your plate.

There are those, however, who did not receive this gene. My brother, who was known to shovel entire cakes into his maw, did not receive it. Nor did great-uncle George.

George would sit patiently at the dinner table watching my other uncles and those of us with the gene complete our task. Then, quite simply, he'd go for the lamest distraction technique known to man:

"Look! A dead bird flying!"

That's right, a dead bird flying. D-E-A-D dead. Croaked. Shuffled its mortal coil. No longer with us. Incapable of flight. Corpse. Worm food.

My uncle always looked in the direction indicated by George's left index finger. And without hesitation, George's right hand and fork always swooped down to the dupe's plate, scooped up the icing and delivered it to his mouth before said dupe discovered his fateful error. I'm not sure why my uncle let him get away with this silly trick so many times. Maybe he was just being kind. Maybe he was the witting straightman to George's comedy routine. I don't think I'll ever know.

The other thing I really know about my great-uncle George is that he fought in World War II. The story of his service has never been very clear to me. I know that he fought in the Pacific theater. I know that he was severely injured in the left hand. But I know little else. I was simply too young to be very aware of what he had done. I never asked him any questions, mostly because I didn't know what to ask.

He passed away thirteen years ago.

It wasn't until last week, that I fully appreciated the breadth of who this man was. I had the good fortune to meet a gentleman who had served with the famed Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Being more familiar, now, with veterans, his modesty and humility seemed commonplace. But what really struck me was when we discussed how fame for Easy Company may be diminishing the sacrifices and great deeds of others from The Greatest Generation. Be they in the war, at home or after the war.

Grasping that I know so very little about my own family, contrasted by how much I know of a man I spoke with for two hours. For that reason, I write today of George and not the man I met at Baltimore Washington International.

Thank you for everything you did for us, George.

Friday, October 07, 2005

An Open Letter, to an Old Friend...

Dear Cyberdemon,

We've known each other quite some time, haven't we? I thought we had some great times in The Tower of Babel as well as in Tricks and Traps. You've always proven a worthy adversary, if not an intimidating one.

I'm sure you've been doing well, over the years. What with your ability to remanifest yourself in numerous and sundry realms or dimensions. How are the kids doing? They seemed in good spirit last night, when my fellow Marine and I decided to pay ya'll a visit.

We thought it very gracious of you to experiment with us, while we tested the new weapons the UAC has provided. That was quite a surprise. You see, we travelled down a lift, inside the Mars mines. At the bottom, we found a room filled to the brim with UAC weaponry and ammunition. Imagine our surprise, at this bounty from the corporation. Usually the suits are so stingy, when providing for those of us not in their direct employ. My counterpart was a bit suspicious of their motives, but I knew exactly what to expect.

I said, "We're going to visit our old friend! The Cyberdemon! Wow, I haven't seen him, since, well, since I played DOOM 2 last weekend!" I was elated. The thought of spending some time with such a good old friend was tremendous.

I do recall, however, you predilection for rough housing, so I spent a moment checking the status of each of the UAC provisions. I wanted to make sure I was prepared for a pleasant bout with you. Pleasant, indeed. Your new home has a great view and the fireplace was really cozy! Things had gotten so chilly on Mars, it was wonderful to warm up by the fire.

The children were excited to see us, that's fore sure. I really got a kick out of them, clambering up the chimney like that! You should be proud, they're really taking after you!

I hope you had as much fun as we did. I'm sorry the dimensional rift, by which you'd entered our continuum, was sealed up when we were done rough housing. You're such a clever demon, though, I have no doubt you'll need little time to find a new means by which to visit!

Say "Hello!" to the Spidermastermind for me. I hope she's doing well. I haven't seen her since ya'll married!

See ya in hell,

LiteraryAlchemist

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Monsters from the id...

...software anyway.

I cranked up cooperative DOOM 3 for the first time tonight on XBox Live. Now here's a different experience. Not only was it kinda cool to have some help in the game - "I'll keep my flashlight on, you blow the hell out of anything it lights up." - but it was odd playing with someone who thinks DOOM is properly referred to as "Classic Doom" and doesn't understand that DOOM 2 was a sequel released shortly after the original game, utilizing the same engine. heh. I felt old. Anyway, the guy who joined my game (call him "Night", gamertag edited to protect the innocent) was a pretty cool kid. No trash talking, no bashing me for wanting to play coop and he was pretty patient with my old ass.

Shortly after I picked up the rocket launcher (dumb luck, that), we started to hear something that sounded vaguely familiar. An odd sort of moaning, grunting roar. As we listened to it, the following conversation took place (I'll paraphrase):

:Night: "Dude, do you hear that?"

:Lit: "Yeah. And it sounds familiar."

:Night: "What do you mean?"

:Lit: "Sounds like a Chet."

:Night: "A Chet? What's that?"

[we're slowly and I do mean slowly picking our way through a series of narrow corridors at this point]

:Lit: "I'm not really sure how to describe him and I can't recall the proper name. Most of the names I use for the foul creatures in DOOM are the nicknames I used for them in game play back in the day. Like calling the Pinky Demon a Pink Meanie. Anyway, Chet was this big thing with a pair of cannons or something that spat high speed trios of unpleasantness at you. They're big, bulky and ugly. Have you seen Weird Science?"

:Night: "Yeah."

:Lit: "Remember when Lisa turned Chet into that thing at the end when he swallowed the bug?"

:Night: "Yeah."

:Lit: "The creature that sounded like this in DOOM looked like Chet. Hence, the name."

[About this point, we come into a large corridor with pillars in it, which looks painfully familiar... it reminds me of the level Dead Simple in DOOM 2, more moaning]

:Night: "Whoa, what is that?!"

[He's getting pummeled by a Chet, as I round a corner]

:Lit: "Yeah. Chet." [rocket, rocket, rocket, rocket, rocket, lousy thing dies]

:Night: "What was that thing?"

[I can hear another one]

:Lit: "Definitely a Chet. I'll look up the name for you. I hate those things. They pretty much have to be beat down with a plasma rifle, rocket launcher or double barrelled shotgun." [I'm eating crow as I destroy the second one with my chaingun]

:Night: "Ugh."

:Lit: "Yeah, I never liked them, either."

As we left the courtyard full of Chets, he asked me what I thought the toughest demon in the game is. Without hesitation, I replied "Cyberdemon".

:Night: "What's a Cyberdemon?"

:Lit: "Pretty much the worst thing you can imagine. Big bastard. He fills up a room when he's in it. Got ugly horns, the face from hell... no pun intended... a rocket launcher on one arm and a robotic leg. He flings rockets like there's no tomorrow, basically killing you in a heartbeat. You'll know you're about to encounter one by the sound he makes pacing around." [I then proceeded to imitated the mechanical hum and thump of the monster's left leg, followed by the thump of his "natural" right leg.]

:Night: "Oh. Ok."


I was annoyed with myself, because I forgot Chet's proper name, so I looked it up... There's a monster roster on Planet DOOM. Chet is the Mancubus about halfway down.


When it's all said and done, I had a good time. I look forward to playing some more DOOM 3 coop soon. Now, if I can just find some shells for the shotgun...

SQL> Select * From tblAmmoCrate Where Type = 'Shotgun';

And I was excited about that movie I went to twice last weekend...

Wow. Just wow.

News about stuff

In personal news...

I have to go to Maryland next week, for business. My boss would like my team and I to be more proficient on a system we've not yet been able to practice with. That's cool, I guess. I'm just not a big fan of driving in the great frozen north (yeah, I said it ya'll, anything north of Austin is the great frozen north, IMO). It'll be cool to meet my coworkers and get some good pointers from the gang (coding in a silo is somewhat impractical). My flight departing SA is at O-Dark-Thirty, of course. I seem incapable of finding a flight at any time which doesn't necessitate massive amounts of caffeine. Oh well. I sleep well on airliners.

Next up, :rose: asked me to be his notreallyabestmanbutnotjustamoronholdingonto ringsathisnot soveryformalweddingceremonyattheranchinmarch I'll have to find a way to shorten that. It was fun to type, once.

Anyway. He said something to the effect of "I'm probably going to wear jeans and a Guayabera," which means it "is" formal dress, for those of us of the pseudo-Spanish persuasion. He also said I could wear whatever I want... so... I'm gonna order this TShirt from a custom shop:

Front: "Always a groomsman, never a groom..."
Back: "THANK GOD!"

That would be too cruel, even for me. I think I'll just get a nice Guayabera, too. But I'll wear the TShirt to the rehearsal dinner!

Anyway... There's some other stuff I want to get on the blog today... but I've got my hands full. Maybe later.

SQL> Select * From Weddings Where LiteraryAlchemist <> Groom;

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

When did my generation become the old people?

I'm sure you've heard it a lot, lately, too. It's bandied about on the airwaves and on television. You'll hear someone mention it in conversation from time to time. Often you'll mention it to someone talking about regular programming. I heard it twice on the radio this morning, during my very brief drive to work.

From the perspective of most people I know, between my age and fifty or so, it's something of a statement of contempt. A lingering frustration with a glorious new media that burned itself out in the first fifteen, or so, years it existed. In some ways it is a cry of desperation "What happened to my youth?!" or "What happened to this thing which used to be so, so anti-establishment?!"

I can't imagine how it sounds to today's younger generations. You know, the kids who grew up watching thirty to sixty minute shows. "Yeah, shut up old man," or "Dude, I'm sick of hearing all you old people talk about that."

Do they believe us? Can they possibly conceive of it? Or do they simply perceive us as the old fuddy-duddies whining about "...the good ole days..."? I bet they think that I walked to school every day. Up hill. Both ways. In four feet of snow. And that I used to have to fend off grizzly bears with my loose leaf notebook.

My revelation this morning, simply is this: we're really approaching the age in which a generation will absolutely not believe that MTV, in its youth, actually ran music videos. I can just picture some kid telling me "Prove it!"

That's just too weird for me.
In other news:

1. I ordered a belt two weeks ago and it has not yet arrived. This distresses me.2. Serenity still comes out this Friday.

3. I left my corporate card at home again, today, and I'm supposed to book travel arrangements to Maryland for 10/10 through 10/12.

4. I also left my badge at home (again) and had to go back for it.

5. I still left my corporate card at home after turning around to get my badge.

6. I keep forgetting to deal with my new lease paperwork. I have, oh, one day to do so.

7. How do we feel about the DOOM movie, fellow geeks? Frankly, I think The Rock is gonna turn into a zombie bad guy. That'll be all "Steven Seagall gets sucked out of the airplane cool". He is Sarge, afterall.

Monday, September 26, 2005

I hereby declare: GEEK WEEK!

Yes, that's right, fine readers. Tis geek week. No more shall geek week be recognized in the last ten days of May. George Lucas has fallen from his pillar of geeky righteousness and Joss Whedon has stepped forward to claim the throne. Yes. It is true. Serenity shall open in wide release this Friday and the world shall be right.

Thus, order your homage to the great master. Don it for your Serenity party on Friday night. And scoff at the one who once was.

I'm freakin' excited, man.

SQL> Select * From tblGeekMovies Where GeekCool <> 'Suck Like Crapisodes I-III';



In other news, we went to the Dodging Duck, yesterday. Alas, the beers currently on tap were something of a disappointment. Entirely too sweet on the front end for my tastes and they all tasted nearly identical. I'd like to venture out there again, however, in cooler times to sit on the patio and perhaps try a different brew. They do deserve that much effort.


Finally, I'm really digging on listening to the MechWarrior II soundtracks this morning. It's freakin' great. I loved this music. I'm awed, a bit, how much some of it sounds like Rainbow 6 and Ghost Recon. I'll need to see if the same composer worked on all the projects.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Another Update from the Lit is a Geek Department

I just spent an hour downloading the MechWarrior II soundtrack, in its entirety, in MP3 format. I so can't wait to play it at work!

Get it here

Friday, September 23, 2005

HEY! Another update!

I'm blogging this...

Am I abusing my blog, yet? hee hee

STOP! FOAMY TIME! I haven't checked out the new Foamies yet. I'm told I need to do so. I'm doing so, now.

Beer induced venom...

1. With regard to my earlier post about that media outlet I hate. Let it be known, officially, henceforth, forever and eternity:

I shall not, at any time, for any reason, link, redirect, or suggest that you visit that site.
Also, for the record, let it be known that I feel thus:

May the fleas of a thousand rabid camels infest the crotch of your Victoria's Secret thong for a thousand years, mister media outlet I detest with all my soul!
2. Alien Resurrection is on. I'm sending instant messages to :rose: as I type this. He pointed that movie out to me...

:rose: : one of the alien movies is on TBS
literaryalchemist: It's the BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD one.
:rose: : I never saw it
literaryalchemist: Oh god.
literaryalchemist: Watch it and commit suicide.
literaryalchemist: Then I won't have to go to your wedding.
That was mean. I suppose. Maybe. But, oh well. It's still frackin' funny. I'm not sure I'm comfortable cussing on someone else's webspace. Yet. Let's see how I feel in five more beers...

3. Why is it: whenever I go to the convenience store, there's some dimwit in front of me trying to open a trust fund via lotto tickets?
  • This is no longer convenient
  • Lotto is not a retirement plan
  • No matter what the marketers say
  • All I want is my goddamned beer
4. The chick from the parallel universe on Stargate: Atlantis reminds me of Ali Larter. And we all know what that means, now, don't we?

5. Brigade Quartermasters charges too freakin' much money for shipping and they take entirely too long to deliver products. This really chaps my ass considering they're the only means by which I can purchase an Under Armour tactical stretch fit cap. At least, for the time being.

6. Thanks to :rose: this has put my "spewing" into persepctive. See how I snuck that in? Isn't it great?
SQL> Select * From tblStuffToPickon Where Mood = 'Stabby';

...stay tuned, next, for a Sci Fi Friday special message...

Man, I just freakin' knew it! I freakin' hate cliffhangers. Immensely. The last time I felt like this after a cliffhanger was in 2002... for... yeah... you guessed it... Firefly. At least in this case, I know when the cliffhanger ends. Noteably, this is the first time "the next season" of a show has been announced right after the cliffhanger episode, that's right "New episodes of Sci Fi Friday will air in January, 2006". Ok. That's only three months away. It's not so bad. I kinda dig the cycle and at least I don't feel betrayed for months on end waiting to see what happens next. And, hey, if the cycle repeats as it did this year, perhaps next summer's Sci Fi Friday will host another premier show at Comic Con. That'll be cool, right? Right?! Yeah. After I have to wait three months to see how the situation with that wacko bitch Caine gets resolved.

Is it me, or is this a little too much like Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which every Admiral who ever appeared was a psycho hosebeast bent on wanton destruction?

Oh. By the way. The last time this really sucked so much, Firefly got cancelled without so much as a notification to the fans. Thanks, Fox, you can kiss my ass, too. Sci Fi rules, you drool. They've at least reassured me for three more months. NYAH!




:rose: just pointed out my first comment... I need a beer... in fact... I need a six pack... goddammit... I'm getting drunk tonight!

SQL> Select Impatience From tblNewEpisodes Where WaitTime = 220;

Add to the list of bad ideas...

The Sandlot 2

What the HELL is this? This straight to video debacle, nay horror, is currently airing on ABC Family or some such nonsense (they should have their FAA license revoked). How do you make a sequel to the 1993 classic? Apparently, it's easier than I would have expected. I guess you dupe some dumbass producer and distributer in Hollywood with your "original" script. This piece of crap is simply a retelling of the original story. Only, it's set in 1972; the dog is referred to as "The Great Fear", and the story of his background is no where near as plausible or terrifying (the new fence is "plaid"); and the new "baseball" is a girl's father's mockup of the Space Shuttle. Only, it's 1972 and the freakin' external fuel tank appears orange in color. Which wasn't the case until the third shuttle mission when NASA discovered it was cheaper and lighter not to paint the tank's foam. This allowed the orange color, to which we're now accustomed, to remain visible.

The ultimate sin, though, is the fact that I can now hear James Earl Jones on the movie. Ugh. Joss Whedon is my master now. Joss Whedon is my master now. Joss Whedon is my master now.

HOLY CRAP! IT EVEN ENDS THE SAME WAY! "Over the years I stayed in touch with the gang and I learned that so and so did such and such and who'sy whatsits became a this and that."

GRRRRRRR... show some creativity, Hollywood!



One last bit of venom spewing. I hate "ain't it cool news". I always have. I always will. And no matter how much I like Firefly and look forward to Serenity, I absolutely will not endure that tub of lard, just to see the movie early, alongside cast members. bleh

It's Friday...

And that means GREEK BUFFET! I don't know why this still excites me so much, four months after we discovered it. I guess I just dig a buffet in a kinda down home place. Especially one that serves pita bread in mass quantities.

Oh, and we're going to "Dodging Ducks" (if I find their website, I'll link it, but so far, I don't think they have one) on Sunday. It's a microbrewery in Boerne. My mother recently discovered it while meeting with a client. Sounds kinda cool. The prospect of a pubbish setting in the countryside appeals to me. I still seek, though, a "Green Dragon". Where I can eat fresh bread, cheese and beer. Much crockery must be involved. No one serves flagons of beer in crockery anymore. Which, alas, is very distressing to me.

I've a screening call at 1100 this morning. I'm thirty years old, now, and this still gives me the heebie jeebies. It freaks me out. But, thinking about it in excrutiating detail has given me an excuse to desperately cling to my youth. If, at thirty, I still freak out like I'm twenty, then I must still be young at heart. Right? Well, that's what I'm telling myself, anyway.




New on my list of cool things to observe every week...
"My name is Earl"
"Everybody Hates Chris"

Jason Lee seems very capable of "Earl". There's something believeable about him with that really screwed up hair, unshaven face, El Camino and, well, slower than molasses brother. The premise is, at least, refreshing and somewhat positive, given all the trend toward rehashing the same show over and over and over again (I like CSI, but, how many versions of it do we really need?).

I'm pretty sure this show was on NBC. But, I could be wrong. I don't pay attention to which network broadcasts which show. Hopefully, I'm correct. And hopefully that's the same network which airs "Scrubs". And, hopefully, they'll pair "Scrubs" up with "Earl". Because...

Alas, as "Earl" leaves the air, the abomination that is "The Office" is foisted upon the unobservant. How did this show manage to complete its first season?! Someone has seen fit to bring it back? Just because Mister Forty Year Old Virgin Man had a successful, albeit probably predictably unentertaining, movie this summer? Wake up, folks, this show sucks on an order of magnitude that can only be measured using scientific notation! It's not funny. It's insulting. The comic timing is dreadful. The setting lacks character (half of this week's episode was set in a Chili's, thank you for that product placement). And with the exception of the receptionist and the dude that has a crush on her, none of the cast or characters are appealing. These two characters manage to suffer through the show delivering the one (that's UNO, EIN, SINGLE, SOLITARY, ALONE, THERE ARE NO MORE) entertaining and/or humorous moment the writers managed to fart into each script.

Thank you, but no thanks. This show needs to be put out of my misery. Now. Before it airs again. Dilbert is funny. The BBC's "The Office" is terrific. But, just like that "Friends meets the highly successful UK version of itself and is translated (poorly) back into American", this show needed to die after the first episode was rammed down our throats!

Oh, and, for the record, "Friends" sucked on an order of magnitude only slightly lower than "The Office". I cringe in a way I cannot describe, every time I think of that retard who found a way to get himself cast in "Band of Brothers". Sir, you a horrible, whiny, turd of a performer. Please find some lackwit off-Broadway show to shackle yourself to, so I no longer have to endure your "performances".

Now that I've spewed venom for a few moments...

"Everybody Hates Chris" was just freakin' hilarious. I kept wanting to call my friends to remind them to watch, but just as I'd reach for the phone, it got too funny to dial.

This dude playing young master Rock's father is freakin' great. His delivery is perfect (though a little over used once or twice in the pilot) and there's something squirrely about his face. Honestly, is his eye naturally screwed up, or has he found a way to simply twist it out of place like that to make the character seem more ominous?!

I also found the woman playing his mother to be the perfect counter to him. There was something very charming about the way she was very stern with young Chris, yet still a mom who cared very much for her children. Likewise, the role reversal between the parents was terrific. It felt very much like home, to me.

In an era where everyone is making excuses for their behavior, blaming their upbringing, it's refreshing to see a comic as harsh as Chris Rock admit that he really had a great childhood.




On tap for films, right now...

This week: "A History of Violence". I admire Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. The story seems intriguing, has gotten good reviews. I'm intrigued by the character Harris has taken on. Gonna try to catch it tonight or tomorrow.

Next week, of course: "Serenity". Thank god Joss Whedon found a way to bring Firefly back to us. "Joss Whedon is my master, now"!!! George Lucas, behold your undoing!




Ok. Geek time.

Battlestar Galactica's second season ends tonight. The producer and writer told us, at Comic Con, that the Pegasus and Commander Caine would appear this season. Unfortunately, they're doing so right at the end of the season. Much cliffhanger action is predicted. I certainly hope I don't have to wait until NEXT JUNE for the conclusion of this story line.

hmmm

SQL> Select * From tblTVGuide Where WhinyActor = False And Humor = 'Intelligent';

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Further proof of my geekiness...

In case you needed further evidence. The JLoD is the brainchild of a good friend of mine.

This actually has nothing to do with my earlier post. Just an interesting coincidence.

Passing of a man... But not history.

Simon Wiesenthal has passed. Was he a great man? Perhaps. I'm not sure. All I know is that he is someone I've long respected for his objectivity, perseverance and dignity.

Perhaps I'll write more of him later. For now, rest knowing that you have achieved your peace and that none shall forget, Simon Wiesenthal.