You're doing what?!?!

My wife has been passively watching the Gilmore Girls over the last couple of seasons. I would usually find something else to do. Well, with the new season she has been recording and watching it. So have I, passively.

The unthinkable has happened. Someone my wife works with let her borrow Seasons 1 & 2 of the GG. I resisted at first, but I’ve been sucked in. I spent the weekend on a Gilmore Girls marathon. We watched almost the entire first season, and I loved every minute of it.

Now, before you think I must be having an estrogen flair up, I find the dynamic between the characters great. The dialog is smart and witty; the interactions between Rori and Lorelai leave me exhausted it is so rapid fire. The strained family relationships remind many of us all too much of real life, therefore we can sympathize when Emily and Lorelai get into a scrap. It’s about life in a small town.

I had to kicking and screaming, or else I wouldn’t be fulfilling my manly duties. But, I am so glad I went.

We’re almost ready for Season 2!

Narnia First Look

Newsweek has a first look at what might well be the movie of the year (at least for me), The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.

I know where I’ll be on December 9th.

She really does love me!!!!

My wife bought me a Darth Tater!!!!!!!

Now to find a place of prominence to display my new gift in the office…

Tempus Fugit

I want to apologize for the lack of posting of late. But, and as it has been said before by many, life is busy. Of course, this isn’t helping.

I hope to post at least a couple times a week. This is the goal.

This doesn’t help either.

My Top 25 Books List

if Time can come up with their top 100 picks, why can’t I formulate a list? I just finished reading Lord of the Flies from the Top 100 list, so I thought I would compile my own list. Here we go.

My criteria is not based upon “a classic” status, how well it is written, or format, but solely on whether I enjoy the book enough to reread it. The books making my list are usually read yearly or at least often enough for me to own a copy, and not just borrow it from the library or someone I know. These are in no particular order, just know that Tolkien and Rowling are read more than the others are.


The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Necroscope Series (Necroscope, Necroscope II: Vamphyri!, Necroscope III: The Source, Necroscope IV: Deadspeak, Necroscope V: Deadspawn) by Brian Lumley
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Gotham by Gaslight by Mike Mignola
Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
The Stand by Steven King

Update: Add Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs to the list. Great book by who I would consider an under-appreciated author.

TV’s Top 10 Scariest Characters

From MSNBC:

1. Charles Montgomery Burns, “The Simpsons”
2. Eric Cartman, “South Park”
3. Arvin Sloan, “Alias”
4. John Locke, “Lost”
5. T-Bag, “Prison Break”
6. Emily Gilmore, “Gilmore Girls”
7. The monkey in Chris Griffin's closet, ‘Family Guy’
8. Silvio Dante, ‘The Sopranos’
9. Mandy, ‘24’
10. The entire supporting cast of ‘Desperate Housewives’

There you have it, and I agree with every one of them. Emily Gilmore scares the pants off me, too! Burns is definitely creepy. Sloan is the epitome of evil. Locke isn’t quite right. T- Bag sounds like a real nice guy. And everyone living around our four heroines has some skeletons in their closets, if not still living in them.

The Top 100 Book List

Time compiles their list of the top 100 books since 1923. I have only read a few, namely The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Lord of the Rings, but there seems like there are a few missing that I would have had on my list.

Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers is a classic (forget the lame movie of the same title). So isn’t Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War.

However, Time had their criteria for picking, so it’s beyond me.

Oh, I did read Catcher in the Rye, too.

No others though. Maybe I need to read more.

Update: Upon closer inspection of the list, I was surprised and impressed to see that a graphic novel (comic) made the list. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's Watchmen made the list. I have started reading this, but haven't gotten far yet. I just finished reading Jeph Loeb/Tim Sales' Batman: A Long Halloween. More on this later.

Something to look forward to

Steven Spielberg and EA Games are joining up to develop three new video games. There is no word on what types of games they will be, but I’m sure we can assume that they are going to be good.

Desperate Housewives

MSNBC’s wrap up of the latest episode about the happenings on Wisteria Lane.

Bree is so blindly gullible it is pathetic.

Makes for good TV, though.

Get Lost

Great article summing up the newest happenings on Lost this season. The new stuff is all here.

Who will be the next Bond?

There has been quite a lot of speculation about who the next Bond will be. My vote was for Hugh Jackman (X-2), but it looks like it is going to be Daniel Craig getting the nod. I’m not crazy about this choice, but I’ll go see the next Bond film anyway.

It’s Bond. How can they go wrong?

About Time

Fox finally cancelled The Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie.

Unfortunately, 20th Century Fox, who owns the rights to the show, are shopping around for a new network. They think it is a “valuable” franchise.

Uh-huh.

iPod Video?

Apple does it again. The newest addition to the iPod family will now play video. Miss an episode of Lost? Download it to your computer and then sync it with your video-playing iPod. Genius on Apple’s part.

Now, I just bought a Mini a few months ago, so no new pod for me. But, I can now download my favorite TV episodes (Desperate Housewives and Lost) to watch.

When talking with someone at work this morning, the comment was made, “Why would you want to watch a video on a 2 ½” screen?”

Simply because you can. It is the digital revolution. Let’s embrace it.

TV Guide’s BBD

I got my first issue of the new format TV Guide, and it is awesome! A new size, new features, more photos and a streamlined new TV listings guide.

TV’s coolest magazine just got a lot cooler.

CSI: New York- Grand Murder at Central Station

Well, the mystery is over, and the CSI leaving New York is Aiden. Fired for tampering with evidence. I was so hoping that it would be Danny Messer.

Obviously, I am disappointed that it wasn't Messer, but am also let down by how the Aiden character leaves the show. No tragic murder, shoot out or anything dramatic. Being ticked about Regina getting raped a second time by her previous attacker, she can find no evidence to convinct the guy, so she toys with the idea of planting evidence. Bad idea.

Mac, well, was Mac, but Aiden simply apologizes as she is fired. That's it. No tears. No plea for a second chance. No nothing. It left me feeling kinda flat. So was her acting.

So, now that I am stuck with Danny, the rest of the show was great. Murder at Grand Central and the rooftop case were both good story lines. I am really enjoying Doctor Hawkes being in the field.

Update: Just found an interview with Vanessa Ferlito on why she left CSI: NY.

Sweet Serenity

I caught a late night showing of Serenity last night, and me being one who usually doesn't go out late, it was so worth it.

I have to say that "Serenity" is the best movie I have seen this year (Sorry, Batman). Matt Roush over at TV Guide thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but thinks Whedon's storytelling is better showcased on the small screen (Link via Whedonesque). I disagree.

Whedon's unique Western/Sci-Fi blend was amazing on the big screen. While I enjoyed watching the "Firefly" series, the movie had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Now, some have said that there is no appeal for anyone that was not a fan of the show. Here again I disagree. Whedon's script gives first timers plenty of background so they are up to speed on what has transpired. But, I have to say, that as a fan of the show, I was way more invested in the characters, actually cared what happened to them, then a first time viewer might be.

The cast, which included everyone from the TV series, was amazing. The transition from the small screen to the big screen was seamless. Once again, Whedon went against the norm casting all the actors from the TV show, no big names, just good actors. Summer Glau, who plays the troubled teen River Tam, was the focal point of the story, and was awesome in action. The few glimpses of killer instinct we saw in the "Firefly" series really comes to life in this film. At one point she clears out a bar, and even puts Jayne (Adam Baldwin), the resident tough guy aboard Serenity, down for the count several times.

Visually, the film was stunning. Everything about it was awesome. The space scenes were epic. The fight scenes were intense and well choreographed. The acting was great and Whedon infused plenty of humor into a very serious story. There were even a few surprises which I won't elaborate on here so as not to spoil the film for any fans out there that haven't seen it yet. Definitely some surprises.

Joss Whedon is a genius, and I look forward to more adventures with the crew of the Serenity, whether it be on TV or at the Theater.

Worth the full price of admission.

iTunes Rankings

My buddy Peter over at Slublog found an interesting little tidbit over at the "The Corner": listing your top 5 most played songs in iTunes. And on my Mac the winner is: Big & Rich. They get the top five songs.

1- Rollin'
2- Wild West Show
3- Real World
4- Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)
5- Drinkin' 'Bout You

Now you have to understand, I am not a country music fan. Actually, I really can't stand the stuff. But, Big & Rich are just so unique. They blend country with rock and believe it or not, rap, for a musical journey unlike any other. The harmonies that these guys sing are unbelievable. It's like nothing I have ever heard, therefore getting a lot of play and the top five spots.

Smallville's Aquaman-Alan Ritchson

Freshly scanned from the newest issue of TV Guide. A first look at Aquaman, played by Alan Ritchson (American Idol).

Looks like they did a good job casting this one. Arthur Curry, aka, Aquaman, makes his Smallville debut October 20th.

Supernatural-Dead in the Water

This show continues to impress me. It’s just downright creepy. Well written scripts and some decent acting helps this show shine. The effects are nothing to sneeze at either. Sometimes with a TV show they can be cheesy, but not so here. Last week’s episode, Wendigo, was just down right cool. Not all hairy like Marvel’s, but a skinny, drawn human that has eaten way too much of his kin.

I look forward to this one each week. I don’t know what kind of viewership its getting, but I hope it is enough to keep it on the air.

Suspense at its best.

Desperate Housewives- Season Premiere

The kickoff of Season Two did not dissappoint, as 28 million other viewers thought.

Rex is dead, Lynette is back to work, Bree is OCD to the extreme even at her husband’s funeral, Gabby and Carlos actually come to the conclusion that “they really aren’t good people”, the new neighbors have someone held hostage in their basement, and Mike and Susan are off again when she learns that Zach might be his son.

Personally, I am kinda getting tired of the Mike/Susan on again off again thing. Either get it done or split them up for good.

Looks like this is shaping up to be an excellent sophomore season for the girls of Wisteria Lane.

Threshold

I taped Threshold on Friday night, thinking I'd watch it, and if it was okay I would catch it in reruns next summer.

Not so. It was so good that I will add it to the already packed TV schedule. Sure, it is just another show about aliens, but the effects were well done, and the characters are likeable enough to care about. There was a scene where the cockroaches aboard the U.S. research vessel were scurring about making the alien pattern that was burned into the ship's radar. A dream sequence gave us a brief glance at the aliens themselves.

Very cool and worth a peek this week.

Friday nights at 9:00 right before another CBS favorite, Numb3rs.

Jeph Loeb on Superman Returns

Here is a brief interview with the quitessential Superman writer, Jeph Loeb, with his thoughts on the upcoming "Superman Returns". Link via the Superman Hompage.


What do you think about “Superman Returns”?

JL: I think it's fantastic. The more I hear about it, the more excited I get.
But, I have to be honest -- I don't know how anybody can give you a REAL
assessment of the film before it's come out! I've seen little bits and pieces--
I believe in Singer and his passion. Bring the movie on!

(About Brandon Routh’s costume in “Superman Returns”) What do you think of it?

JL: It's different. But then again Tim Sale's Superman is different from Ed McGuinness' Superman which is vastly different from Alex Ross' Superman. And I love all three versions of the character. That's the power of an icon -- that you can tweak here and there. So, his "S" is smaller and the colors are darker -- you have to remember that at one time it was going to be a black trench coat and Nick Cage!

Smallville’s Al Gough Interview

TV Guide Insider features an interview with "Smallville" Executive Producer, Al Gough.

There will be more guest appearances on "Smallville" in an attempt to bolster ratings in the Thursday night slot. In addition to Tom Wopat and James Marsters, Carrie Fisher will make an appearance. All should be great additions to the show.

Also, watch for Aquaman to surface this season as well.

What to watch this Fall at the theater

Great roundup of the Fall movies at MSNBC. For the full run down, read the article. Here are the ones that I am going to shell out the big bucks to see.

A History of Violence- Loosely based on a DC comic, so you know I'll see it. Viggo Mortenson, Ed Harris and William Hurt also add to its viewability.

Serenity- Joss Whedon's Sci-Fi/Western masterpiece. I watched the entire DVD collection and was left wanting more. Now I'll get it on the big screen.

Doom- I've owned a Doom game or two. Video game movies usually stink at the theater, but Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will make it watchable.

Chicken Little- I'll go see this one, if only to see if Disney can pull off a CGI feature without Pixar.

Walk the Line- A film about Johnny Cash, "The Man in Black"? I'll be there.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- Harry Potter Book 4. Even with an aging Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, this will be one not to miss. Thankfully some of the side stories were taken out of the film to keep it to a viewable time limit. No Hermione and S.P.E.W. trying to save House Elves. Good.

More Fall TV Previews

Want to know what is going to happen on your favorite TV show when it returns this fall? MSNBC has a good round up, but beware, spoilers abound. If you want to be surprised (and how many of us really do want to be surprised?), stop reading now. I'm just gonna hit the highlights. If you want all the dirt, read the whole thing.

Desperate Housewives: Make no mistake or hold out any hope, Rex is dead. Bree wrangles with her mother-in-law (Shirley Knight) over funeral arrangements.

Lost: Everyone on the raft survives, we find out what is in the hatch (and the producers are sure people aren't going to like it), two new characters are added to a desert island (Michelle Rodriguez and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and we are supposed to find out why the plane crashed by the end of season two. Should be a wild ride. And a good one.

Alias: I'm pegging this one as the disappointment of the season. Producers say this probably be the last season. Jen is going to be in every episode, which will probably result in a long break mid-season for maternity leave. And if the horrible writing of season three didn't kill it, scheduling the show to play on Thursday night will. There is only one reigning king on Thursday, and it isn't going to be Alias.

Smallville: Smallville is usually pretty guarded when it comes to giving away any spoilers about an upcoming season, but here are a few things to look forward to. James Marsters of "Buffy" (Spike) fame comes on board as Braniac. That should be way cool. Ex-Duke Tom Wopat makes an appearance, and the show is currently negotiating to bring former Superman Dean Cain onboard. Still the super hero show to watch.

Other shows the article covers are Boston Legal, Veronica Mars, House, That 70's Show, and a few others. Check it out.

Superman Returns

Newsweek online has an article on the upcoming triumphant (hopefully) return of Superman to the big screen. Bryan Singer (X-Men) is directing the Man of Steel, so this should be a good one.

It's only taken 11 years and multiple directors and writers. Here is a pic to tide you over.

I personally would like to see an ultra-buff, pumped up Supes, but I think Routh is going to do a good job portraying the Man of Tomorrow. No Ed McGuiness physique here.

Word of the Day: Farrago

farrago \fuh-RAH-go; fuh-RAY-go\, noun;
plural farragoes:

A confused mixture; an assortment; a medley.

Ivan Illich writes "a farrago of sub-Marxist cliches, false analogies, non sequiturs, false or bent facts and weird prophesies."
--"The Paul Johnson Enemies List," New York Times, September 18, 1977

Roy Hattersley will upset much of Scotland by calling Walter Scott's lvanhoe "a farrago of historical nonsense combined with maudlin romance."
--"Literary classics panned by critics," Independent, January 18, 1999

From the moment the story of the Countess of Wessex and the Sheikh of Wapping broke, there has been a farrago of rumour, speculation and fantasy of which virtually every newspaper should be ashamed.
--Roy Greenslade, "A sting in the tale," The Guardian, April 9, 2001


Farrago comes from the Latin farrago, "a mixed fodder for cattle," hence "a medley, a hodgepodge," from far, a kind of grain.

This Day in History

This Day in History: September 7, 2005

Courtesy of the NY Times’ On this Day:

1533 England's Queen Elizabeth I was born in Greenwich.

1822 Brazil declared its independence from Portugal.

1901 The Peace of Beijing ended the Boxer Rebellion in China.

1927 TV pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth succeeded in transmitting an image through purely electronic means by using a device called an image dissector.

1936 Rock musician Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas.

1963 The Pro Football Hall of Fame was dedicated in Canton, Ohio.

1969 Senate Republican leader Everett M. Dirksen died at age 73.

1977 The Panama Canal treaties, calling for the U.S. to turn over control of the waterway to Panama, were signed in Washington.

1977 Convicted Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy was released after serving more than four years in prison.

1979 The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) made its cable TV debut.

1986 Desmond Tutu was installed as the first black to lead the Anglican Church in southern Africa.

1990 Kimberly Bergalis of Fort Pierce, Fla., came forward to identify herself as the young woman who had been infected with AIDS, apparently by her late dentist. Bergalis died the following year.

1996 Rapper Tupac Shakur was shot on the Las Vegas Strip; he died six days later.

1997 Former Zairian dictator Mobutu Sese Seko died in exile in Morocco at age 66.

1998 St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire equaled Roger Maris' single-season home run record as he hit No. 61 in a game against the Chicago Cubs.

2003 Yasser Arafat tapped the Palestinian parliament speaker, Ahmed Qureia, to take over as prime minister following the resignation of Mahmoud Abbas.

Fall TV Premiere Dates

I was about to begin the laborious task of looking through all the listings to find out when all my favorite shows start, but TV Guide has saved me the trouble. Here is a link to their premiere guide and here is the list itself:

Sunday, August 28 9 pm | Rome (HBO) Monday, August 29 8 pm | Prison Break (Fox) Thursday, September 8 8 pm | The O.C. (Fox) 9 pm | Reunion (Fox) Friday, September 9 8 pm | WWE Smackdown (UPN) Saturday, September 10 8 pm | Cops (Fox) 9 pm | America's Most Wanted (Fox) Sunday, September 11 8 pm | The Simpsons (Fox) 8:30 pm | The War at Home (Fox) 9 pm | Family Guy (Fox) 9:30 pm | American Dad (Fox) Monday, September 12 8 pm | Wife Swap (ABC) Tuesday, September 13 8 pm | The Biggest Loser (NBC) Bones (Fox) Gilmore Girls (WB) 9 pm | House (Fox) Supernatural (WB) Wednesday, September 14 9 pm | Head Cases (Fox) Thursday, September 15 8 pm | Survivor: Guatemala (CBS) Friday, September 16 8 pm | What I Like About You (WB) 8:30 pm | Twins (WB) 9 pm | Reba (WB) Threshold (CBS) 9:30 pm | Living With Fran (WB) Saturday, September 17 11 pm | MADtv (Fox) Sunday, September 18 7:30 pm | King of the Hill (Fox) Monday, September 19 8 pm | Arrested Development (Fox) The King of Queens (CBS) One on One (UPN) 7th Heaven (WB) Surface (NBC) 8:30 pm | All of Us (UPN) How I Met Your Mother (CBS) Kitchen Confidential (Fox) 9 pm | Girlfriends (UPN) Just Legal (WB) Las Vegas (NBC) Two and a Half Men (CBS) 9:30 pm | Half & Half (UPN) Out of Practice (CBS) 10 pm | CSI: Miami (CBS) Medium (NBC) Tuesday, September 20 8 pm | According to Jim (ABC) NCIS (CBS) 9 pm | My Name Is Earl (NBC) 9:30 pm | The Office (NBC) 10 pm | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Nip/Tuck (FX)

Wednesday, September 21 8 pm | America's Next Top Model (UPN) The Apprentice: Martha Stewart (NBC) Still Standing (CBS) 8:30 pm | Yes, Dear (CBS) 9 pm | E-Ring (NBC) Lost (ABC) 10 pm | CSI: NY (CBS) Invasion (ABC) Law & Order (NBC) Thursday, September 22 8 pm | Everybody Hates Chris (UPN) Joey (NBC) 8:30 pm | Eve (UPN) 9 pm | The Apprentice (NBC) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS) Cuts (UPN) 9:30 pm | Love, Inc. (UPN) 10 pm | Criminal Minds (CBS) ER (NBC) Friday, September 23 8 pm | The Bernie Mac Show (Fox) Dateline NBC (NBC) Ghost Whisperer (CBS) Supernanny (ABC) 8:30 pm | Malcolm in the Middle (Fox) 9 pm | Hope & Faith (ABC) Killer Instinct (Fox) Three Wishes (NBC) 10 pm | Inconceivable (NBC) Numbers (CBS) Saturday, September 24 8 pm | NBC Movie (NBC) 10 pm | 48 Hours Mystery (CBS) Sunday, September 25 7 pm | Dateline NBC (NBC) Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC) 60 Minutes (CBS) 8 pm | Charmed (WB) Cold Case (CBS) The West Wing (NBC) 9 pm | Blue Collar TV (WB) CBS Sunday Movie: Martha Behind Bars (CBS) Desperate Housewives (ABC) Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC) 10 pm | Crossing Jordan (NBC) Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) Grey's Anatomy (ABC) 10:30 pm | Extras (HBO) Tuesday, September 27 9 pm | The Amazing Race: Family Edition (CBS) Commander in Chief (ABC) Sex, Love & Secrets (UPN) 10 pm | Boston Legal (ABC) Wednesday, September 28 8 pm | George Lopez (ABC) 9 pm | Veronica Mars (UPN) Thursday, September 29 8 pm | Alias (ABC) Smallville (WB) 8:30 pm | Will & Grace (NBC) 9 pm | Everwood (WB) Night Stalker (ABC) 10 pm | Without a Trace (CBS) Sunday, October 2 7 pm | America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC) Tuesday, October 4 8:30 pm | Rodney (ABC) 10 pm | Close to Home (CBS) Wednesday, October 5 8 pm | One Tree Hill (WB) 8:30 pm | Freddie (ABC) 9 pm | Related (WB) Friday, October 7 9:30 pm | Hot Properties (ABC) Wednesday, November 2 8 pm | That '70s Show (Fox)

Cry Out To Jesus

In response to the disaster that has struck the Gulf States, Third Day has released the song "Cry Out To Jesus" earlier than anticipated in an attempt to give people stength and hope during this time of suffering. The song is available to download free from the group's website. Very timely and appropriate.

The lyrics:

Cry Out To Jesus

Words by Mac Powell / Music by Third Day

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who struggles with being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

(c) 2005 Consuming Fire Music / ASCAP. All rights administered by EMI
CMG Publishing. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Third Day also links to World Vision, a Christian organization collecting donations to aid the residents of Hurricane Katrina.

You can donate to the Red Cross here.