TV, part 5

Notice the change? No more comics... or movies for that matter... just the good ol' boob-tube!

I'll still be talking about all that other jazz from time to time, but this "column" is 100% TV from here on in...


Scrubs (NBC) -- first of 2 this week... new rule: when multiple eps occur in a given week(or whatever time frame I happen to be dealing with), I'm just gonna cover 'em all under the last ep... as that's the one I'm likely to remember best anyhow...

Las Vegas (NBC) -- Dean Cain guest-star's as Sam's hubby! This was another awesome episode... from all the breast talk to Ed in a jury to the regular hilarity that this show is... #1 guilty pleasure.

Simpsons (Fox) -- Which Simpsons character comes out of the closet, you ask? That would be telling. It's not overly shocking, but still an excellent episode. Only this show can get away with doing whatever they please with this subject matter... Homer rocks!

Boston Legal (ABC) -- Denny's son is back, portrayed by Freddie Prinze Jr. Another good episode... a good mix of continuing storylines and case-of-the-week. Shatner rocks forever!!

Scrubs (NBC) -- actually, watched 3 episodes of this... playing catch-up -- and it was well worth it. This show is so superbly written... switching from over-the-top humor to emotional drama to plain ol' fashioned good fun... all at the drop of a hat. Another stellar ensemble. Gotta love 'The Todd'. Banana Hammocks ;-)

24 (Fox) -- I knew sonny-boy would get the one-up on his pops... a bit predictable on the whole "gotta leave CTU to get the job done" set-up... but if it was necessary to advance the plot, I can forgive it -- Season 4 Theme: torture first, realize you guessed wrong later...

CSI (CBS) -- Catherine is having a rough go of it this week... feeling the pressure? Anywho, another solid hour of TV's #1 rated drama... just go's to show you, $$$ may buy you lots o' stuff, but if you are fucked up early on, chances are it's not gonna change... whacked ep

Medium (NBC) -- times 4!! With sis home, got caught up a bit on this show... perfect mix of cases and family here... her brother rocked... he should return soon... before season's end for sure... ensemble is the theme of good TV this year... well, it probably always has been, but it just seems more prominent than in recent years (Friends excepted)

This Is Wonderland (CBC) -- double-dose for me this week... the ADD lawyer is just great. I think that's what I'd be like if I was a lawyer. A few re-curring cases make for a nice twist on the typical lawyer-show approach... quirkiest show out there right now... and of course, it's 100% Canadian!

SVU (NBC) -- the first ADA is back from teh grave... woooo... :-) This was a decent episode... clearly a ratings stunt... not necessary with this show... I very much doubt it impacted the ratings, as they are quite stellar to begin with... had to feel for the little fellow... that would be quite the scary shit... is the new detective gonna become a regular??

Smallville (WB, via ASN) -- first half hour : awesome. Then Lana merged with one of the chica's from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and we were witness to the absolute worst fight scene in the history of television... and this is the same week that Josh and Toby are scheduled to go at it on West Wing... presumably this is the plot thread focus leading through to season's end... not sure I'm gonna be much of a fan, but I'll watch regardless (it's Superman... c'mon) -- nice touch with the Christopher Reeve stuff...

LOST (ABC) -- cheesy that Walt set the fire, but otherwise another excellent episode. Everyone saw Hurley on the big-screen TV, right? The montage to music joke at the end was spot on. This show is spot on. Next week is Hurley's background... can't wait (I've, unfortunately, seen a few spoilers on this one... not gonna spoil it for the rest of ya though... and I haven't heard much, and it could be wrong anyways... meh -- I'll still love it regardless!)

Alias (ABC) -- Sark is back. As is one of Sydney's arch-nemesis from season 1... you know, the smooth talking, tough-fighting chica who will soon be on the big screen as part of Joss Whedon's excellent ensemble for "Serenity"... some Rambaldi here, which I dig... but I thought they were going away from that this season... oh well... big ratings dive this week, which sucks, but it could be the second lowest rated show on TV and I'd still watch (if it was lowest, I'd have to have my brain checked or something, because that would be insane...)

Desperate Housewives (ABC) -- the twists and turns keep coming, and coming, and coming... didn't see the first gay swerve at all... figured out the second one just moments before the reveal... and what is up with Mike?!?

West Wing (NBC) -- the afore-mentioned fight... cheesy stuff. I much prefered the blouse-accident cover-up, the "appreciation for being appreciated" moment and sexy military babe... Charlie' faux-pau(sp?) was hilarious... he's one of the few characters that has maintained his excellence through all the ups and downs...

Joey (NBC) -- two eps... first was the award show ep, which was quite good... then came the Christina Ricci guest-star ep, which was equally bad... and that sums up this show in a nutshell.

Survivor (CBS) -- I was a bit surprised at who went home (nice editing) ... impressed the older tribe managed to get their fire back... tattoo chick came to play! Fireman dude is worth his weight in gold at this point... but he needs to be a bit careful not to paint the X to big on his own back... 2 eps in and we've seen 3 ladies leave and only 1 dude... interesting.

Apprentice (NBC) -- also known as "NBC markets for the Fortune 500" -- this week: Sony Playstation 2, and the launch of GT4. The correct person got the boot. The fist idea was golden... as was the common sense approach of asking the kids what they though... duh! That one dude on the street smarts team is getting a bit too arrogant... he'd best be careful or his number could be up before he realizes it... things can shift on a dime in this show... but by the final episode or two, just as it was last season, I'm sure it won't be too hard to pick the winner...

That 70's Show (Fox) -- I am Eric Foreman. Except I don't have a Donna. Or a bunch of slacker friends who hang around my parent's house... but otherwise, I'm him. I rock? Slut Or Not? Lovin' it.

King Of Queens (CBS) -- some of the Arthur jokes either get old or tend to go too far... Jerry Stiller is funny most of the time... he doesn't need over the top cheese-ball stories to do his magic... great Burt Reynolds cameo. Doug and Carrie back in high-school was perfect. I love this show.

The OC (Fox) -- 2 episodes... I'll focus on the second one, as it was the best episode of the season! Seth & Summer, back together, a la Peter & MJ... was wondering why he kept wearing that stupid mask ;-) Poor Ryan... but storylines need advancing... does it seem like it's now a challenge to see how many lesbo make-out sessions can be fit into an episode? Not that there is anything wrong with that! Is the "other woman" story over now? The "rainy day" was put to great thematic use... looks like Julie's "youthful experimentation" took some interesting twists... can't wait to see where they go next!

Law & Order (NBC) -- Jack is one stubborn bastard, eh! I like when they send the city cops out to the sticks some... and I like how they're developing a character for the newest cop... he's already more fleshed out than his partner (and almost as much as Lenny... but Lenny didn't need fleshing out -- He Was Lenny!) I think this episode is another "ripped from the headlines"(but tweaked for dramatic purposes), as I recall a similar incident in all the papers not too long ago...

Cold Case (CBS) -- whatever the back story is between the lead character and her sister, it better deliver... otherwise, what is the point of all this? Another good story, but I figured it out, mostly, too early... and I know why. They, and many other PD's, need to resolve this issue or face an audience that quickly will become too smart for them...

151: fun, fun, fun...

I am drunk. Or close to it. And I'm not stopping now. :-P

How sad is this... I have almost as much, and sometimes more, fun boozin' and surfin' as I do boozin' and hangin'... ugh?

I got a web cam for my b-day today, amongst other things ... (all very nice gifts -- mucho thanks) -- so I'm gonna try and get that on the go tomorrow... see if I can't interface it with this website somehow... which means I'll need that personal stylist ASAP so I look my best for my online audience ;-) (me=cam-whore?!?)

I <3 KFC! So bad for you, but sooooooooo good!!!

Bought my folks a couple telescopes... thought it might give them something interesting to do... something that could even become a hobby, perish the thought... and I'm sure the rest of the fam can partake and enjoy as well.

Here's a really vulgar joke for y'all:

What did the Native American say when she was being raped?

Get off me Dad, you're crushing my smokes! (if you can't find humor in that, sorry).

Oscars, tomorrow night -- I'll be watching... is it on tape delay?

MNIC ... taped it... does CBC modify before broadcasting?? I hope not.

I am so smart... SMRT!

Buh-bye. (gay v. emo... you decide)

random thoughts, part 6

Well, this daily updating thing has lost it's appeal... as I've said before, anything you have to do daily will eventually... yadda, yadda, yadda... so here, because YOU asked for it, are more...

Random Thoughts

- big storm coming today... so gotta get my online time now in case we lose power (and the 151 is primed and ready if the power does fail us)

- a potential up-spike on the "permanent" job front... don't want to get my hopes up just to be dashed, but I've got a meeting set for next week that may be fruitful... I'll keep ya posted

- I turn 29 next week... but I still have the sensibilities of a 13~14 year old most days... growing up is for poopy-heads and it give you cooties

- check out my wishlist for a few affordable gift-giving ideas if you wanna show your love on March 3rd...

- this may be out there already(god knows I say it enough) but I hate a lot of celebs... JT always gets a nod... another deserved ass-hat is Martha Stewart... I think Martha and Mike Tyson would make a great pairing!

- the beard is gone... for now... several sources informed me the look just wasn't condusive(is that a word -- it's obviously not the one they used, but I think it's appropriate) to landing a job... so I'm back to the chin-strap/van-dyke combo... an RDP original?!?

- FYI, the beard was not a fashion statement... I have not seen 'The Notebook'... the beard was pure laziness... No Shaving = Happy Rick

- Subway is not fast food. Well, maybe if you get Cold Cut or Rib... but not the "7 Under 6" menu... with light mayo...

- Tim has moved home... to save money(primarily)... understandable... considering I'm doing the exact same thing!

- Atkins v. South Beach -- discuss. I'm gonna stick with "eat what I want, do what I want, and fuck this diet obsessed world" for now...

- I started using my calendar... yes, it's no longer a bonafide mini-poster... it's actually got important dates marked... is that a sign I'm doing something moderately useful with my life? Doubtful.

- That Ebay listing I put up the other day has finally been removed... ask if you want details, but it was a pretty fucking evil thing to see on such a renowned website... imho (that's kinda redundant, don't you think? -- pretty much everything here is imho... maybe without the h at times... meh)

- ever jot down a word and not remember why? "Theatre". Does that mean 'I want to go see a movie', 'I want to experience the real thing', 'I want a home based one'... I have no idea... but there it is, on a scrap of paper... starring back at me, basically grinning an evil grin and about to give me the finger.

- I'm not watching(yet?) but the front runners in my eyes(and obviously others) are Bo and Carrie... I like them both. I don't like Mario.

- charity may be spiritually rewarding, but it pays fuck all...

- I think I'm funnier on paper than in person... though I can be funny in person too... is any of this even close to true?

- I could be the TVGuy... those of you who understand that, do something about it... those of you who don't, ask or bugger off

- TV 'In-Jokes' seem to be going to far of late... in fact, the same can be said of all media... y'all are not as smart as you'd like to believe you are... ass-hats

- What are "summer teeth"? Whatever they are, they sound gross...

- Avoid drugs when feeling sick folks... they often do more harm than good... unless they're illicit drugs, of course... then they ALWAYS do more harm than good... but that's an argument I can never win, since I can be proven a hypocrite a thousand times over when the A-word is brought into the discussion...

- here's a little computer tip I learned recently(probably been around for ages though) -- open a blank NotePad document... then press F5 ... neat, eh!

- in what can only be described as a wise move(but I don't know the $$$ involved, so it may not have been as smart as it seems), ABC has obtained the rights to broadcasting the Oscars through 2014.

- anybody wanna go to Brazil for Carnival with me? FYI: If I go, I might not come back...

- does the "Blockbuster Game Pass" exist in Canada? I'm just curious... there is not enough time in the day to play video games I find... I try, but something else always takes precedence it seems... :-(


Well, the power is still on... I guess I'll go do something else now... ah, who am I kidding! I'm just gonna go surf the net or do something else in front of this evil contraption... hook it up to my veins!!! (logistically, made no sense, as Simpson's appreciation, c'mon...)

how fucked is eBay...

How a supposedly reputable website can let shit like this get through the filters, I'll never understand... (and don't give me none of that "seller responsibility" BS)

Spam the fuckers now! This needs to be taken down pronto!!!

stories, part 4

Books (all Marvel this week)

Black Panther #1 -- awesome. See my brief comments at TJNR for more. I'm not gonna ruin it for anyone beyond that. Just go buy it. Give something new a chance!

Exiles #59 -- seems like they're going somewhere with this 5-year(to date project)... like I've stated previously, the formula is getting a bit tired so mixing it up some sounds like a good idea. Being set up to overlap with the AoA anniversary stuff too... should help sales.

X-Men Unlimited #7 -- these always just seem like excuses to get a few more X-Men stories out there. This time, Nightcrawler and Shadowcat, two characters featured in core titles, are the focus. I'd rather see stories on other X-Men that are not necessarily being used right now... especially in Nightcrawler's case where he's got his own title out there right now too.

Daredevil: Redemption #1 -- ok, I guess. A seemingly decent story with DD wrapped into it... could have been done, with a few tweaks, using just about any character. Feels like one of those "been sittin' on the shelves waiting for a release date" sort of projects to me. Again, I'm getting enough DD in other titles, I don't really need this on top of all that.

Spider-Girl #83 -- I'd still like to back issue this and get up to speed, as their is quite a universe of characters here that are explored only in this title. I remember back when there was a universe of titles related to this alternate future... anyone else remember J2?

Captain America #3 -- second most awesome read this week behind Black Panther. The writing continues to shine. The ending was shocking(sure, you need to know the context somewhat, but since I do, it works). Not as strong as issues 1 & 2, but they were stellar, so I'm not complaining at all... keep it coming.

Captain America & The Falcon #12 -- compared to the above work, this was very disappointing. Cap is literally just a guest-star in a book where his name adorns the cover(before "The Falcon", I might add). Rumor has it this may be relaunched as just "The Falcon" and I suppor that idea. Cap is busy enough elsewhere. But it's also not burning up the charts saleswise, and loosing Cap's name from the cover ain't likely to help that. I hear the writer of Black Panther might be gonna use Falcon some... maybe this title isn't necessary?

Alpha Flight #12 -- horrible ending. I was enjoying this run. The mix of super-heroics and humor was a nice diversion from the regular diatribe tossed against the wall. I don't know if I missed one to many of the in-jokes or if the writer was just trying to wrap too much up in too little space, but this finale fell flat (not to mention leaving me quite confused).

Jubilee #6 -- ok ending to a title that was killed before it began in my humble opinion by being saddled under the "Marvel Age" banner. Similar to Alpha Flight, a lot of dangling plot-lines were resolved quite quickly. What I did like was the twist ending. What I didn't like was most of the rest of it. At least Jubes is heading back to the X-Men (or so I'm presuming).

Movies

"Hero" -- again, go to TJNR for details (find the foreign films thread). In a nut shell, it was very good. If your into this sort of thing. The excellent story saved it from being just another SFX laden crazy fighting chinese picture. The art is also quite impressive. I'm not used to being overwhelmed by the artistic quality of movies...

TV

Marketplace (CBC) -- off the top of my head I don't remember what it was about. Maybe a "bad" house-works developer in Halifax? If that was it, it was ok(mainly because of it's local flavour)... show continues to slide in my books... I might be done with it.

Simpsons (Fox) -- only average. I'd rather watch something else. But I keep tuning in because they're is usually at least a joke or two that make me laugh/smile, and every so often an episode blows you away. They'd really have to screw this show up to make me stop watching.

Desperate Housewives (ABC) -- dude got shot! Didn't see that coming... things appear to go from bad to worse next week. Various plots continue to develop nicely... I was kind of expecting a bit more for sweeps, but I'm not complaining ... yet! (This show started so strong I have quite high expectations going forward).

Boston Legal (ABC) -- I can't believe I'm saying this but... maybe a little less focus on Spader and Shatner wouldn't hurt... develop Monica Potter's character more... and Odo's! Hunk dude guy could use some character development too... but maybe his role is to be what he is... Murhpy Brown fits in PERFECTLY!

Law and Order (NBC) -- first of two this week. I know the second one is the basketball one. Can't remember what this one was... I'm sure it was good though... like Simpson's, this show would really need to fuck up to lose me.

Law & Order: SVU (NBC) -- again, first of two. I'm getting lazy. I'll say the same applies as above. Anything where your watching two episodes in one week(unless they're on back to back) usually means you just watch too much TV :-)

24 (Fox) -- was a little disappointed a few storylines fell to the way-side in order to fit in "Edgar's Mom lives where one of the meltdowns occurs" crap-fest. But it's 24... I can't stay mad forever... I can't even stay mad for 10 seconds!! Best ending episode line EVAR -- "Did you get that?" ... here's hoping kiddo gets one-up on the ol' man next week... and the CTU mole gets some well-deserved shock therapy of her own!!

Law & Order: SVU(NBC) -- pretty sure this was the underage hooker/porn episode. Damn, this show will go ANYWHERE. Poor Stabler, he's heading for a serious meltdown. I watch episodes like this and always think "that shit doesn't really happen, does it?" ... ah, the benefits of living in a small town (though the city's and their crap continue to edge closer and closer it seems).

Alias (ABC) -- fun episode. Nice to see the sisters working together in the field. The "high society" persona's we're hilarious(especially Nadia's) ... big dude is soooo smitten with her. You just know that's probably not gonna end well. Looks like Sark is back next week -- woohoo!!

Smallville (WB via ASN) -- I was impressed that this episode didn't go to the dogs(pardon the extremely lame pun). They pulled off what, on paper, sounded like a ridiculous episode. The chica playing Lois is extremely HOTT. The fact I used two T's to spell hot is EXTREMELY gay. I've said too much...

LOST (ABC) -- mostly aftermath of last week's shooting. More Sawyer flashbacks. Sure, the guy is a grade A prick, but he's also one of the most entertaining characters on the show. I wonder if there is more to the Sawyer/Jack's Dad connection? Something tells me the answer is "Oh Hell Yes!". Can't wait for the Hurley flashback. Can hardly wait for each week to pass.

West Wing (NBC) -- another "on the campaign trail" episode. They're still good, but my argument of tying the two together still stands. Looks like that happens next week, in what was the funniest looking brawl between two grown men I've ever seen... and I've just seen the clips. Ha! Wrestlers can become Politicians, not vice-versa!!

That 70's Show (Fox) -- this show knows what it's target audience is looking for. It's all about titilation. Teh Dushku guest stars! I <3 teh Dushku! Quite possibly the funniest comedy on TV. Enjoy it while it's still available (next season appears to be a lock, but beyond that...)

King Of Queens (CBS) -- another great comedy. I don't really need the extra character development of Doug's friends... I'm fine with them just being on the scene when it involves Doug, Carrie and Arthur. KJ is my hero.

Yes, Dear (CBS) -- season premiere. I think this show is about done. The smaller of the two sisters is very nice to look at. Both the dad's are pretty funny at times. But I'm just not a big fan of this sort o' comedy much anymore. And this episode was just soooo cliche.

Survivor (CBS) -- the grand-daddy is back!! Best reality show EVAR (sorry TAR). Last season wasn't the best, that's for sure... this season looks like it has more potential. They definitely threw out some new twists last night. Fireman dude is an idiot for saying they should go for what is behind curtain #2. Glad Amazon chick got the boot before Tattoo chick. Yes, I will be referring to all characters this way until I get a better grasp on names(and likely until the #'s dwindle somewhat -- even with 3 players gone, the contestant count is still above what it always was before "All Star"). I don't think I'm gonna like the gay dude. The dude with the country hick voice will likely get into trouble by not thinking much before he speaks... the asshole lawyer sorts will think they can play that kind o' shit to their advantage. Why are most lawyers such assholes?? (that's an eternal question that we don't find out til we pass through the pearly gates I'm thinking).

Apprentice (NBC) -- lazy dude gets booted. Had to happen. After week 2, I thought "this dude has potential". Then everything went to his head and his true personality emerged. He's a douche. I don't think any of the dudes left on team "book smarts" have a snowball's chance in hell of winning this thing. Odd's are heavily in favour of "street smarts" at this point, and as I've stated before, I'm giving the non-white/non-male contestants the odds until something sways me otherwise. Will Trump mix up the teams soon?

Without A Trace (CBS) -- this episode was really good. Too bad I watched it at 11PM and was sleepy as hell trying to get through it. I can't really do it justice here. Try and find it and watch it if you can -- it's the "kidnapping the heiress and conduct an online poll as to whether she should live or die" episode. Something tells me it's the only one they've done like that(unlike the descriptions I could give you for a lot of PD's).

Law & Order (NBC) -- this is the basketball one I mentioned before. If I didn't already think NBA stars were pricks who didn't deserve most of what they gots, I would after this episode. Although you'd think something could've been done about this fanatic fan beyond the measures that we're taken before the night in question. But it is TV, so we suspend disbelief and enjoy. I enjoyed very much. New lawyer lady is fitting in quite well. Lenny will never be replaced.

Enterprise (UPN, via ASN) -- the Klingon forehead debate is resolved. Was it necessary? No. Is it a decent explanation? Yes. But none of that was key to me as far as this episode was concerned. Nope, it was all about Lt. Reed. WTF! I'm guessing this is a "Section 31" connected thing going on here, but I was completely taken by surprise. I wonder if this was pre-planned much and if any past actions of the character don't make sense with this episodes revelations. Probably not an issue, as his character is amongst many who have recieved very little development to date. Can't wait to see what happens with this... and every chance to see more of Hoshi is quite welcome ;-) Best season yet I'm still thinking -- to bad it's gonna be the last...

Cold Case (CBS) -- average episode. Some character development continues. Typical PD stuff. I like the characters, and wish they'd do more on that front(they do seem to be going in that direction -- I guess every episode can't be those kind...) -- like I said, average episode -- but that ain't gonna stop me from watching.

Numb3rs (CBS) -- another 11PM viewing... I should just tape 'em and watch 'em later, but I digress. Doogie Howser guest-stars! (I preferred him in Harold & Kumar Go To WhiteCastle). Getting into typical PD stuff... still doing the family life development stuff too though.. and the concept is far from tiresome... they need to use the O.C. hottie more!

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC) -- 2 episodes! First is the return of Detective Logan(he of early L&O seasons fame). Excellent episode. His joining the cast next year will be a great addition to what was quickly becoming a blah PD. The prison scenes reminded me a bit of Oz, though obviously tamer. Second episode was about Horse-Jumping. Very competitive apparently. Detective Goran is the cornerstone of this show, but he can't do it all on his own, and the rest of the cast doesn't impress me that much. Like I said, can't wait for Chris Noth to appear again!


5 less books, 1 less movie, but more TV shows... oh well, maybe next week that'll go down some(but don't count on it!). In fact, Laura is home this week so there is probably a bunch of stuff on her computer I gotta watch so she can delete it... it's a hard life folks.

random thoughts, part 5

Been a while, I know. Caught up doing whatever. Been throwing A LOT of pics up lately just so the site wasn't completely blank of new material. Anyways, here's some more topics to brainstorm... or ignore -- you decide!

Random Thoughts

- what is the future of organized religion? I'm really up in the air on this. I think religion has an important role to play in society. I'm just not sure the typical, or what some people would call old, approach can still work in the 21st century. Too emotionally charged an issue? Maybe. But interesting, that's for sure (as are many political situations ... seperation of church and state, while a lofty goal, is quite ludicrous to enforce uniformly outside of a utopian society... I'm rambling).

- I've placed my New Year's resolutions on the back burner and replaced them with Valentine's Day resolutions -- some have carried over, some are new. Just something different I thought I'd try.

- Life is a beauty pageant and I'm not winning. How's that for emo :-)

- to clarify, I'm not losing either -- although some philosophies state everyone but the winner are losers... I choose to believe whoever said that was an asshole. I'm comfortable in my middle of the pack status. I would have been quite happy being 3rd tree from the left ;-)

- except for special occassions, I'm cutting fast food from my life. Just because I don't really need it. I'd add that to my Valentine's Day resolutions, but I've had fast food since then. Starting... NOW!

- NO TAX ON HOME HEATING FUEL!!! It's a necessity of life issue -- therefore, it shouldn't be an issue.

- something tells me I'm gonna be watching a lot more baseball than usual this spring.

- does D-12 drag Eminem down? I'm leaning towards yes...

- I don't believe nothing good can come from free stuff -- so feel free to send me money!! (Didn't want anyone thinking they shouldn't send me $$$ because of that foolish notion some folks have...)

- Hooded sweatshirts are very comfortable.

- The "Fam" is all here... let's see how long the smiles last :-)

- one of the dude's from Mark Burnett's new reality offering, The Contender, took his own life this week... guess he didn't win :-0

- I don't condone suicide. I know fucked up shit happens... still don't condone it. Will diss you on this page if you do it. Well, I might not diss you, but I definitely won't say nice things about you.

- I'm becoming a bit of a recluse... and I kinda like it... creepy, eh!

- LOST v. 24 ... nah, I'm not going there.

- Saw Million Dollar Baby -- and now I do have someone(well, more than 1 someone) to route for Oscar night -- not saying I'll cheer for every award they're up for... but I'm pretty damn sure Morgan Freeman should win.

- Just because he dropped by ... http://tomthedog.blogspot.com

- Anchorman quotes rule!

- Marvel kicked DC's ass in January... but Countdown is coming (amongst other things)

- TJNR posting inconsistencies(amongst other things?) have led me to other avenues of mouthing off... some good, some not so good

- took the snowmobile for a rip finally... got stuck 3 times ... now that, that is a workout! (Made me think about those stories where old dudes take heart-attack's from shovelling snow...)

- I may pretend, but don't be fooled -- I know almost nothing about music ... much less than the average person I'm sure...

- I plan to elaborate on those "Evil's of Society" -- someday... well, not JT -- less said about him, the better... in fact, I'm saying too much now... we'll focus on the top 4 ... quick example : I just got my car insurance fiasco figured out(or so I thought) and voila!, it appears they are trying to screw me out of more money... I'm shocked, I tells ya!!

- yes, I'm sure I could post pics without having a seperate entry for each... but I'm not gonna any time soon I'd bet

- anything you have to do on a daily(or more frequent) basis can become a nuisance... trust me on this

- nearing 100 pics... when i hit 1000, I'll do a "best of"/review (or maybe sooner?) -- I'm thinking the first is still the best though...

- I'm hearing "Ben Folds" and/or "Ben Folds Five" = Very Good Music... I should check it out.

- I could go on, but this is probably more than enough for now

random pics, part 75

didn't take long...

random pics, part 74

What ever happened with this kid? Every time some kid blows audiences away, folks talk about how awesome he/she is and how they're gonna be making great movies for years to come... then, poof! ... they drop back into obscurity as quick as they made their splash... meh.

stories, part 3

Books

Marvel Team-Up #5 (Marvel) -- we're not off to a good start... can't remember much... although I vaguely recall liking it... oh yeah, X-23 and Spidey... purely done for the mass rush of wolvie fans out there, but since I'm enjoying the overall storyline, I'm not complaining... It'll be interesting to see how this all wraps up next issue, and whether they can maintain the complex-web of character interactions going forward... it truly is MTU for the 21st century :-)

JLA Classified #3 (DC) -- my rookie-DC-status (copywrite, me, 2005) rears it's ugly head here... I'd probably be better able to appreciate the overall story here if I had a better understanding of the universe it's set in... had it's moments, but nothing that made me go "WOW!" -- word has it the next arc could be a doozy...

Legion Of Super-Heroes #2 (DC) -- loved it. Mark Waid can write comics very, VERY well (note how I capitalized the second "very"... emoting online is a PITA). Such a large, vibrant world Waid has in his hands here, and he pretty much has cart blanche to do with it as he pleases... sounds like(and has been, thus far) lots o' fun!!

Spider-Man Unlimited #7 (Marvel) -- another one I'm having trouble recalling... see, the problem is I read most everything Marvel puts out, so a lot of the medicore just goes into hiding somewhere in my mind... even the great stuff can get lost in the mush... still nothing coming to me, so I'm assuming it was average at best. Correct me if I'm wrong ;-)

The Pulse #7 (Marvel) -- I downloaded this, and the copy I got was kind of fucked (pages out of order) ... once I realised this, I had to re-read it... nothing is as good on a second viewing imho, and this was quite good... so I'll have to give it an "A". Seems to be being used to maintain interest in the "Secret War" title at this point, but I can live with that. I still need to back-issue Alias...

Excalibur #9 (Marvel...) -- a lot of folks are dissing this title -- I for one enjoy it. It feels like 80's Claremont to me, and no one can say that's a bad thing. Is "Dark Beast" really dead, or was he just soliloquising(sp? -- cuz that can't be right :-)) as he is prone to do??? This title will clearly benefit from the whole "House Of M" project coming up...

X-Men Phoenix Endsong #2 -- before getting to the story, I have to say, the art was SPECTACULAR!! I was, quite honestly, blown away... whoever this is needs to be put on retainer, stat! (maybe he already is??) -- as for the story, I'm digging it... some Morrison stuff is being touched on, which is nice(some writers have gone the "ignore those stories" route -- I'm never a fan of that -- be creative and explain it or leave it as a mystery) ... I look forward to the next issue

X-Men/FF #3 -- meh. The only some-what cool thing out of all this for me is their finally dealing with the "elemental" aspects of the FF powers... this has cropped up from time to time but I don't think it's ever been heavily dealt with -- sure, seing X-Men with FF-type powers is nifty, but it's nothing ground-breaking and will clearly be ret-conned(I know I'm using that term incorrectly, but I think y'all get what I mean) by the series end, or I'll eat my hat(well, not this one... one of my old ones).

Uncanny X-Men #455 -- I enjoyed this as well. Maybe Claremont doesn't need to be put out to pasture after all. He's got the "soap" aspects down pat, and on top of that this was a good read too... Psylocke is back!! Not nearly the fan-fare of Colossus' return, but then again I never thought her death was that great either (just a shock value thing) ... what impact will this have on Warren? (or that 'new thunderbird' dude... I never really got into his character though...)

Shanna, The She-Devil #1 -- I've seen some of the original art, and I wish it had made it into the book, but that's semantics at this point. I enjoyed this. Not typical Marvel fair, and I'm not even sure they'll definitively tie it into Marvel continuity(more like an "Elseworlds" project, if this were DC -- or so it appears thus far) ... Jurassic Park influence is quite obvious... but it works. Another book on my "must read" list.

Superman #213 (DC) -- ok, I now understand what was going on (I think), but I'm not overly impressed. I'm interested in how it will all be wrapped up, but I fear it's gonna be one of those "has little impact going forward" storylines... and for something so hyped up(I know, it was for the artist, not the writer), I expect more, gawd-dammit! General Zod was a nice touch though... again, I may have seen this coming if I was a more long-term DC fan... but I watched the movies, so I at least know that Zod is an A-List Supes baddy!!

Supreme Power #15 (Marvel) -- this is starting to drag on too much imho, but it's been so good thus far that I'm sticking with it. JMS loves to rip at DC, eh! I can enjoy a good fight club as much as the next I guess, but JMS seems to love it a bit too much. Nice twist with the psycho here. Hopefully we'll get to see more of "Wonder Woman" soon... yeah, I know, I just jinxed everything :-(

Detective Comics #803 (DC...) -- I like the Penguin more than Mr. Freeze -- i think that's because of the Bat-Movies, but whatever... ok issue... not as good as the last few, but still decent. Secondary story is getting a bit dull, but that's not why I'm reading this title, so no real complaints there. Being "Pre-War Games", this title is a bit tricky for me to follow from a character development standpoint (example: Robin), but the dark 'n' gritty story is worth coming back for...

Superman/Batman #17 -- not nearly as good as the first 2 arcs on this title. NO WHERE NEAR. Wraps up next issue, so that's something positive. Did the writer just run out of juice after producing a year or more's worth of great stuff??

I think that's it from a reading standpoint... although I almost forgot about those last 2, so I may have missed others... meh.

Movies

"The Forgotten" -- starring Julianne Moore. She's just a great actress. Equally hot and talented. And this movie, which I've heard panned from other sources, was quite good in my books. I was constantly being lead in different directions as to what might be going on, and while some might see the ending as a cop out (there's an alternate on the DVD that is worse...), I personally didn't watch the movie just for the ending -- I watched it for the whole thing, which, when looked at as a whole, is pretty damn good. I'd recommend it -- but go into it with an open mind or you'll likely be disappointed...

"Million Dollar Baby" -- had to see an "Oscar Movie" so I'd have something to cheer for come Oscar night... and this definitely fit the bill. Morgan, Clint and Hilary all rocked. Skinny dude who couldn't figure out how they got ice in the bottle was pure comedy gold. I highly recomend this. It's worthy of it's nominations. Morgan Freeman is one of the best actors EVAR (and definitely the best African-American -- puts Denzel to shame...)

TV

Simspons (Fox) -- after the SuperBowl -- average episode, geared towards the football fans with all the cameos. The "Passion Of The Christ" swipes were funny, but no better than most Simpson's episodes (no worse either, I guess).

American Dad (Fox) -- I laughed out loud numerous times. Sure, it's ripping off Family Guy, Simpsons, Futurama and a half-dozen or more other things, but it's still funny... so live with it! Shitty thing is, the next episode isn't til May?! WTF!! Fox, get your heads out of your collective asses!!! That is just sad marketing imho...

Numb3rs (CBS) -- I saw two eps of this, this week, so what was this one about (don't get me wrong, I like this show, just watch too much TV ;-)) -- oh yes, "JJJ" guest-stars as psycho-chemist re-releasing the Spanish Flu or some derivative of... good episode... good show... it'll be renewed just like Medium was. Networks are getting smarter about they're procedural dramas... or at least about the one's that are not spin-offs!

24 (Fox) -- I ::heart:: Tony! I hope he's around for a while. They never like to make it easy for Jack, do they ;-) Good on Edgar!! Got the bitch... now her turn for some torture(damn, did I feel for other chica) ... 2nd Best Show On TV. Period.

The O.C. (Fox) -- another where I've seen two eps this week... this was better than the previous episode -- the heart attack was unexpected... story's progressed nicely, but with some good self-contained stuff as well... Seth and Summer look like they're leaning towards a re-union of sorts here... (yeah, I'm setting you up for it :-))

CSI (CBS) -- great episode. With so many other procedural drama's out there, not to mention CSI spin-off's (we don't like to mention them -- blech), what gets me with CSI, on top of the original concept, is the characters. Great Sara scenes here... definitely a contender for episode of the season...

This Is Wonderland (CBC) -- if you ain't Canadian, download this shit!! It's funny, thought-provoking and just plain entertaining. There were at least 4 seperate storylines going on here, and they all rocked! Oh yeah, and Alice is really HOT!!!

The Amazing Race (CBS) -- 2 hour finale. The wrong team won. That happens. At least she was hot. Meh. Rob, Amber and a bunch of other whacko's are up soon... I'll be watching... at least for a little while.

Smallville (WB, via ASN) -- time for a rant. WTF!! Dude's girlfriend just died, but it's as if it never even happened?!? This show is getting way too sketchy for me. Sure, they wan't to progress various storylines, but you gotta do it with some tact. End result here: Lois is back at the Clark family homestead so she can interact on a weekly basis with the rest of the crew... and the somewhat(ok, very) ridiculous Lana/Witch angle continues to move forward... I fear this show has gone too far downhill to recover -- is it gonna be back in the fall??

LOST (ABC) -- BEST SHOW ON TV!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn, I love LOST!! And really, what's not to love. Claire's back... Charlie "grows" once again(I honestly didn't see it coming -- thought something was gonna happen with that gun, but not that)... Ethan is EVIL (all we need now is a hand from the grave scene :-))... Jack kicks ass!! ... Sawyer is trusted with a gun?!? ... and then gives ANOTHER GUN to the uber-hottie!! ... oh, i could go on, and on, and on... and I should... but my fingers hurt a bit... and I'm lazy -- so just watch the fuckin' show already!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alias (ABC) -- average ep., very episodic in nature with one glaring exception. I enjoyed the "comments" various characters made to Syd while she was hallucinating... but vampires?! Not sure if I like that element being brought into Alias... oh well. Loved the scene between Dixon and "the boss" at the end... Dixon rocks!

The Apprentice (NBC) -- glad to see that bitch gone. Lot's more to go. I hope certain folks don't fuck up and get tossed before others who don't deserve to be there in the first place. The commercials did suck, didn't they? (If it were me, I'd have gone back to the dude giving them they're assignment and dug for specifics... not just film the first goofy idea tossed out by the team that seemed "cool").

Joey (NBC) -- Valentine's ep. The "next door neighbour" chick is growing on me. I wished I was her in one scene (you know which one I mean). The dancing shit must've been embarrasing as hell for Drea... but she is on a pretty much guaranteed hit show, so she gots to do what she gots to do...

Enterprise (UPN, via ASN) -- nice twist with the Andorian sub-species... and crazy twist at the end -- I knew Trip was gonna be on another ship in coming eps due to damn online spoilers, but I didn't realize this is why... very interesting -- but now they gotta focus on going out with a bang -- is there any chance of this being brought back in first-run syndication??

Numb3rs (CBS) -- second ep of the week... another good one, this one developing the romantic angle between the 2 lead FBI agents a bit... but how many stories can they come up with where one(or both) of the brothers have a personal stake in?? Like Medium, a great new procedural drama, but you have to wonder if they can keep it up... til they start proving they can't, I'll be tuning in -- and Peter McNichol(sp?) from Ally McBeal is just an added bonus :-)

The OC (Fox) -- second ep of the week -- the lesbo kiss!! Very hyped, and yeah, hot(all hetero-men will likely agree... as well as a number of non-hetero and/or female), but not enough to put this show back where it was last year. Seth/Summer takes another wrong turn this week, but I'm sure it'll happen given time... most interesting story right now is with the 'rents... is Sandy gonna push his luck too far? Is the "gold-digger" gonna take her pimp-daddy to the cleaners?? This show is just great "soap" fun for the 21st century. Me likey.

Law and Order : Criminal Intent (NBC) -- last new ep before the return of the original(and greatest?) L&O cop ... who supposedly this fall will be a regular. This was a good episode, even if it did rip on geeks a bit... a few nice twists, and seeing as how I didn't overly recognize any of the guest-stars, it wasn't as easy to peice together as many eps are...

CSI (CBS) -- hard to follow next weeks episode and one-up it, and this didn't, but it was still a good ep -- hard to take the youngest CSI seriously when he tries to play tough cop though... with the spiky hair and all, I just don't buy it. But he's still a good character... maybe they're playing him that way on purpose? Character development continues, which is good... show-makers must realize that to truly get the mileage out of this they want, they gotta make some new steps along the way... Warrick must get a lot o' ladies I figure... I'm a straight dude(yes, I am, gawd-dammit) and even i think he's a stud (I did not just say that -- it's someone else at my keyboard, I swear :-))

West Wing (NBC) -- back to the oval office. A lot of long-running storylines here... Toby still rocks though... a lot of the rest I could take or leave... they gotta start bringing the 2 storylines together here, rather than this one ep on, one off stuff... love the British Ambassador though -- always funny!

King Of Queens (CBS) -- back 2 back eps. I love this show. Shows like "Still Standing", "Listen Up" and numerous others all use the "Fat Guy with Hottie" concept to some degree, and I'm not saying KOQ originated this, but they do it best in my books. I laugh out loud all the time when watching this show -- KJ is spot-on and Leah is great too. So is Arthur, all Doug's friends... the whole cast rocks! They're writing Leah's weight-gain post-pregnancy into the show quite well I might add. Anyone who wants to chat about KOQ, message me... it's a fun, quirky show. As close to a "real life" Simpsons as is out there imho (try matching characters up... it's fun!)

That 70's Show (Fox) -- they can survive loosing Kelso, but not Eric(have I said this before?). He's the heart of the show... comic gold. This was a great episode. Another awesome ensemble cast. The Fez/Kelso dimwit show is getting old, but other than that I'm quite entertained week in and week out. Eric buying a Bears jersey was classic. I was recently told, while donning a pair of Johnny Knoxville shades, that I bear a resemblance to Hyde... hmmm... need to get me some o' those shades... so I can gets me a Jackie!!!


Well, that's it for this week. I'm always trying to cut back on my viewing list, but without much luck... so that may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on where you stand -- try moving over a bit, it may change your view ;-)

random pics, part 73

and to finish the evening off, back to the TJNR well one more time... what can I say that I haven't already said before... beautiful women, they have an effect on me...

random pics, part 72

The "New" Avengers... I likey!!!

I also geeky :-(

But I'm comfortable with that... :-P

random pics, part 71

Pope and Cassaday ... 2 rockin' dudes!

random pics, part 70

Like the pic of the beauty from "Lost" I posted a while back, here's another stunningly seductive(yet not "over that line") B&W ... this time of Rose McGowan (she of "Charmed" fame, and formerly connected at the hip with rocker Marilyn Manson)

random pics, part 69

and one more of Lacey... she's a hottie!! (yeah, I know what ya all are saying ladies -- "put yer tongue back in your mouth!!" -- I will, I promise... but I'm only human)

Look at it this way... I could have made a lewd comment in connection to the title of this particular post, but I decided not to go there :-P

random pics, part 68

another of Lacey -- she was pretty damn funny in "Mean Girls"... just gots that natural care-free attitude emanating from her I find...

random pics, part 67

Lacey Chabert (she of "Party of Five" fame) has grown up quite nicely...

random pics, part 66

This t-shirt made me laugh out loud, so of course I had to share :-P

random pics, part 65

more from TJNR?? To be honest, I can't even remember... that's the anonimity of the internet for ya I guess... anybody (or everybody?!) could be pretending to be someone they ain't... meh.

photo-5.jpg

random pics, part 64

Yet another TJNR chica... before, and after :-)

av-5.jpg

random pics, part 63

He who started it all...

random pics, part 62

I'd fight William Shatner!

random pics, part 61

another chica from TJNR... I'm likely gonna get roasted alive once word gets out I'm posting these here, but what's life without a little drama ;-)

random pics, part 60

"THE MAN" and his most legendary creation...

random pics, part 59

more pics snatched from around TJNR... lots more o' that to come as well (advance warning!) -- here we got Natalie Portman being "noticed" by random by-passer 'X'. If this is you, well... BUSTED!!

random pics, part 58

Another pic of Jolene... from "Stuff" magazine (well duh, it's inscribed on the photo...) -- good god, she has nice ........ hair.

random pics, part 57

What will poor Jolene do now that "Star Trek: Enterprise" has been cancelled... well, hopefully more of this... ;-)

random pics, part 56

This is a SWEET RIDE!!!!!

random pics, part 55

More Kingpin -- god, I love classic comic art... so simple, yet so magnificent! (my, that did sound a bit fru-fru, didn't it)

random pics, part 54

Ha! Can you imagine, 12 cents for a comic!! Today, you pay more for tattered remains from the quarter bin...

random pics, part 53

back to being a geek... classic marvel cover here... see, back in the day, Kingpin was in Spidey's rogue gallery, not DD's... but time does change all things...

random pics, part 52

anyone seen "Lost In Translation"? If so, you'll recognize this chick -- stunning...

random pics, part 51

and look at this!! A chick on tjnr -- will wonders never cease :-)

Actually, there are a lot of really cool chica's roaming around the former fubar playground... some long-term, some recent... and all cutie-pie's! (How's that for sucking up ;-))

random pics, part 50

and this dude, well, a picture is worth a thousand words was never more true in the case... although I can probably some it up in one -- RETARDED! (sorry my PC friends, I warned u)

random pics, part 49

more from tjnr... maybe I'm spending too much time there :-)

this dude needs a friend... just sad to have to stand in the mirror and take your own photog... :-(

I'll be your friend... if you need a friend... ah, who am I kiddin'? -- I'm lonely too... :-P

random pics, part 48

... and one more for good measure -- wombat, a.k.a. "newbie enforcer" -- u gotta earn your dues from this fella or its a BAN for you! -- this avatar is likely already out of date, but if so I'm sure another SK pic has taken it's place... All Hail Wombat!!

random pics, part 47

another tjnr avatar -- this time, "Father Ted" -- one of the mod's (behave or they'll get u -- and get u good!) -- bonus points to those who can identify the show and/or character depicted (not as easy as you may think ;-))

random pics, part 46

awwwww.... they're all in love .... see, comics isn't just about super-powers and crazy battles... it's like reading a soap opera... and a much better one than the WWE puts on, I might add...

random pics, part 45

I have to see this movie!

random pics, part 44

some dudes sig from tjnr... creepy fucker!! (really, I was scared by this...)

random pics, part 43

avatar of the comics-guru from tjnr (formerly fubar) -- kvl! (from penny-arcade from the un-indoctrined)

random pics, part 42

NBA player/advertising gimicks are getting out of hand... that's supposed to be a tire tread image, which some tire company paid this player (playa?) to style into his hair... WTF is next?!? -- maybe I don't wanna know...

more stupid-ness...

Yeah, so this is from a blog out there... cheesy little kid stuff, but I'm bored... so I'm going to mock it!

I WANT... free shit (not literally shit, though)
I HAVE... a beard, among other things...
I REGRET... drinking (but only on the day after)
I WISH... for 3 more wishes
I LOVE... everybody!
I HATE... turnips & squash (no one said i could only have 1 answer)
I MISS... being an innocent child... well, not really, but if I could go back with what I know now, things would be quite different -- but that's probably a bad thing... I miss not over-thinking shit...
I FEAR... midgets(c'mon, be honest)
LAST TIME YOU...SMILED? who remembers shit like this... probably earlier today...
CRIED? men don't cry -- probably earlier today...
BOUGHT SOMETHING? yesterday(groceries) -- wait a sec, that's not funny...
KISSED SOMEONE? does my bi-cep count as someone?
HAD A DREAM? probably last night -- what's with the overly obvious questions... what's next: "When's the last time you breathed?" -- wtf?!?
LAST THING YOU READ? TJNR
LAST PHONE NUMBER YOU CALLED? 1-800-HOT- ... never mind...
LAST SONG YOU HEARD? my mother singing "This is the song that never ends"
YOU ATE? food
DO DRUGS? of course
HAVE A CRUSH? no -- I have numerous crushes... I'm probably crushing on you! (if you're a hot chica, that is)
HAVE A BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND? -- FUCK OFF!!!
HAVE A DREAM THAT KEEPS COMING BACK? yes (i'm getting bored)
REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LOVE? What is love?
HAVE YOU ANY GAY BISEXUAL OR LESBIAN FRIENDS? probably...
BELIEVE IN MIRACLES? I believe in everything... I just don't run my mouth off about shit all the time(except here :-))
BELIEVE IT'S POSSIBLE TO REMAIN FAITHFUL FOREVER? see above
BELIEVE IN God? again, above...
HAVE ANY SECRETS? No -- and if you believe that...
HAVE ANY PETS? does family count? -- regardless, yes... too many at times... anyone want a cat that pisses on everything?? Bueller?
GO TO OR PLAN TO GO TO UNIVERSITY? best 6 year undergrad of my life...
PIERCINGS? yes...
HAVE ANY TATTOOS? me+needle=hissy-fit
HAVE A 'BEST' FRIEND? Do I count? I'm gonna do a post on the "best friend" concept some day... it'll be emo
CARE ABOUT LOOKS? When you look this good, you have to care...
TRUST OTHERS EASILY? unfortunately, yes... but I'm trying to learn...
THREE THINGS I AM WEARING RIGHT NOW1.hat2. jeans3. under-roo's (commando is gross for dudes...)
THREE THINGS ON MY DESK 1. a dirty glove2. another dirty glove(that doesn't match)3.my right arm
THREE THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE -- I don't plan to die, so I sure as hell ain't gonna tempt fate by listing 3 things... no matter how bizarre i make 'em, the god(s) of fate are likely to wave their fickle-finger to fuck me over...
THREE GOOD WAYS TO DESCRIBE MY PERSONALITY1. childish2. arrogant3. self-depricating (who needs therapy :-))
THREE BAD THINGS ABOUT MY PERSONALITY -- see above...
THREE THINGS I LIKE ABOUT MY BODY1. the fact i don't have massive body hair issues(my ass is as smooth as the proverbial baby's!!)2. the fact that i can grow facial hair at least half-decently(i'm hiding my pudgy baby-face underneath it all folks -- the mystery is out there!!3. I'm hung like an Elephant (well, one can dream, can't one?)
THREE THINGS I DON'T LIKE ABOUT MY BODY1. my hair(all of it... just such a fuckin' pain-in-the-ass to deal with... meh.2. beer belly3. eyes(cuz they're fuckin' weak -- if i didn't have my glasses, i'd be fucked)
THREE THINGS MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME -- with this site out there now, very little i'm afraid...
THREE THINGS I SAY THE MOST1. hey2. w'sup3. wanna fuck? (one of these things does not belong here...)
THREE PLACES I WANT TO GO1. Space2. The Fridge3. downtown... (I hear things are better there...)
THREE NAMES THAT I GO BY1. Shit-Brick2. Sheep-Dawg3. RickyD (plain old rick works fine though... but i could really care less -- just don't call me Richard or Dick, thank you very much).
THREE SCREEN NAMES I HAVE HAD1. rico. 2.rick -- yeah, i'm not very creative... scratch that, i'm just fuckin' lazy
THREE DRINKS I LIKE1. Water2. Lemonade3. Beer (trying not to sound like an alcoholic by placing beer third...)

k, done with that -- what to do, what to do... need to put up some more pics and random thoughts... maybe later.

random pics, part 41

Just had to get this one up here ASAP! Snagged from the blog of the new "temporary" front-page writer for TJNR...

The only unresolved issue is in regards to when this map goes into effect? -- or has it already? :-)

walking...

Well, I'm making up for yesterday's lack of posting's today, eh!

Last year, while off from work for ... well, that's really none of your business if you don't already know, now is it ;-) -- anyway, like I was saying, last year I was going walking a lot in the afternoon's -- for the exercise, for something to do and to just clear my mind... I continued this once I returned to Toronto, walking 30 minutes or so each way to and from work -- again, for the excercise and just because I liked it (well, and I didn't feel like paying for a subway pass or any other means of transportation for that matter).

Last summer I found myself home again, but for whatever reason this habit fell out of my daily routine. As a result of that and other activities (not to mention the accursed Xmas season), I proceeded to put back on 10~15 of the pounds I managed to shed over the previous 6 months or so... which is not a good thing :-)

We did get a treadmill in the fall, and I was using it somewhat regularly for a bit, but that novelty quickly wore off to. Part of the problem is motivation, or to be more specific, self-motivation. You gotta wanna do it! With that being said, I've started, as of today, to get back on the "active" train -- yeah, I know that's breaching one of my resolutions, but we all knew I didn't have it in me to stick to 'em anyway (bunny insults will continue into the forseeable future however). Hopefully I'll get 15 minutes or so on the treadmill later today and I just returned from a walk up the road -- and thanks to the handy-dandy pedometer I found in my stocking(yes, I still get a stocking -- what of it?!?), I've got the following statistics to report from my adventure to Duprey's and back(with a slight diversion to the bridge).

Steps: 15,679
Miles: 6.82
Kilometers: 10.975
Calories Burned: 313.6

So that's the standard I've set, on top of any treadmill-ing(copywrite, me, 2005) and ad-hoc cardio activities that happen across my path. Let's see how well I can keep up this pace (getting a job may, some day, put a hamper in the availability of time for these endeavours, but that's a hurdle to be crossed when(if?) it comes to bear(bare? beer? i dunno... getting really stupid 'n' silly now -- off to watch some tv :-)).

UPDATE: never made it to the treadmill last night... lost track of time on here :-) -- but I'm still as determined as ever(it's just yet to be determined how determined my determination is...)

scooby snacks...

Shaggy is "tha' dope!".

http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271934591,00.html

exclusive...

Ed Brubaker has signed an exclusive contract with Marvel! That rocks!! Do a google for more... all I know is I've read his first 2 issues of Captain America and they've been pretty damn good -- with all the exclusive artist contracts of late, it's good to see a writer getting his due.

baby steps...

Well, last night went as well as could be expected I guess. I've been assisting my Dad over the last little while in preparation for a presentation he made to County Council last night. The gist of the situation is this: due to reason's I won't go into (since I don't feel like writing a novel today), there is a former school facility in Lyon's Brook that was very close to being demolished (and may still be one day). Similar happenings are happening (or will be soon) across the region. My father simply felt (and I agreed whole-heartedly) that you don't just tear a building down without giving realistic due-diligence(pretty sure I spelled that wrong -- not a word/phrase I use much in day to day dialogue) -- and as far as we could tell, such had not been done to date.

So, a "stay of execution", if you will, was granted for the next 3 months, and council will be forming a committee to investigate all the alternatives vigourously. My hope (as I believe is the hope of many others) is that some common solution can be found where everyone benefits -- I don't believe in the "all or nothing" philosophies so often forced down our throats from all quarters... fight the good fight and if you lose, so be it.

I have to say, I somewhat enjoy attending these County Council meetings and also participating (even if it was in a very limited scope). It must be the Parker blood in me... although for each Parker who swings this way(no sexual pun intended ;-)), there are at least as many who live life at the other end of the spectrum -- don't lump us all in one bucket people!!

Props to Uncle Dave for standing up for what he believes in -- like I said, you fight the good fight and that's that. I very much doubt we've heard the last word from Dave on this, and that is as it should be...

Dad dedicated his presentation to his father (and thusly, my grandfather) last night -- as Grampie tought "his boys"(and the rest of us) to stand up for what you believe in and do what you can do to better the lives of those in your community -- and this is exactly what Dad was doing. Bravo!

start again...

15 days! That's my record. 15 days straight of posts to the site. Then I missed yesterday. Between TJNR and helping my Dad (and being generally lazy), I just didn't get around to it... so now it's time to try and beat that record ;-)

1...

stories, part 2

Books (everything is Marvel this week)

Fantastic Four #522 -- we're nearing the end of Waid's run here and his final story is pretty damn entertaining. Very "old school with a new feel" -- Johnny and Sue swap powers, Johnny as Galactus' Herald played for equal parts comedy and drama ... and what a last page! Sure, someone will ret-con this someway/showhow/someday, which is unfortunate, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts...

Arana: The Heart Of The Spider #1 -- Meh. All the cast from Amazing Fantasy is back and it has it's moments, but I'm not overly impressed. I wouldn't even say I'm moderately impressed. I don't even remember much of the details. We'll see how long it lasts and if it gets any better (how long til the Wolverine cameo? Or Spidey for that matter??)

Uncanny X-Men #454 -- end of the Hellfire Club arc. Again, had it's moments, but I was a wee bit bored. Still not sure Clarement really has much left to bring to the table here. Heading back to the Savage Land next issue. All character development and no strong intrigue/drama do not a good comic make. Sage still rocks though. White Queen seems kinda tacked on...

New X-Men #9 -- more kiddie-fare. This latest 3-parter was pretty lame, even for this book. They need to start moving things along a lot faster. A LOT. Oh, and leave Rhane out of this title -- re-launch X-Factor with her, Jamie, Guido and some other greats. The White Queen is becoming the new Wolverine -- she's everywhere!

Amazing Spider-Man #516 -- JMS seems to be pulling a Claremont here. This story is pretty dull. I'm guessing it's just filler til they can start writing stories that inter-connect with "New Avengers". How'd it end again??

Spectacular Spider-Man #24 -- better than Amazing. Better than JMS's intro of the Stacy twins. A bit confusing at times, but the jaunt around France(or was it just Paris?) was fun, as was Mary Jane's convo with May. This title wraps up soon, but will be re-launched under a different name shortly afterwards to reap the financial benefits of a new #1.

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes #6 -- mostly lead-up to the big cast change-over. Last issue was better -- this one didn't move things along too much. The Iron Man/Thor scenes were probably the best -- and the Rick Jones torture stuff. And Hawkeye/Jarvis. OK, it was pretty damn good. An average issue of EMH is better than most top-notch stuff on other titles...

Black Widow #5 -- so, they're ret-conning her entire past. That's never been tried before ;-) The russian storyline doesn't intrigue me as much as the one going on back in the good ol' U.S. of A. Is buddy dead?? Are agent-lady and coffee-lady gonna mack out??? Enquiring minds people!

Mystique #23 -- penultimate issue. A bit dis-orienting at times, but they seem to be progressing towards wrapping everything up quite well. The big(well, not that big) reveal of the mystery man introduced 2 years ago will occur next issue. Any guesses??

New Avengers #3 -- I'm loving this title. This issue was just really, really cool in my opinion -- even if it was somewhat cheesy at times, it all worked for me. Luke's response to Purple Man and his reaction and subsequent pummeling, eventually stopped by Cap, was just plain ol' awesome!! The seg-way(is that how u write that?) from Cap inviting Cage to Cap and DD was perfect. The twist at the end was totally unexpected. Can they start shipping this weekly please?! :-)

Movies

"The Grudge" -- Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (she of Buffy lore) as a chick in Japan(or was it China -- it was somewhere in the far east anyways) caught up in some fucked-up haunted house shit. This movie was pure and utter crap. Equal parts slow, boring, lame, cheesy and predictable -- and none of them in a good way. DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE.

TV

The Simpsons (Fox) -- Homer is finally out of debt, having paid off his mortgage, and what does he do -- he takes out a new mortgage to help save Moe's bar -- now that's friendship! Marge decides that in order to protect her investment, she needs to take a hands-on role at the bar. That's the plot, and it's a pretty good one at that. But the Simpson's isn't about plot as much as it's about laughs, and this one had plenty. Moe is one of the best non-Simpson characters on the Simpsons, and that's saying something as their is such a huge supporting cast. I predict this show will continue to break records, even if it's hey-day is in the past.

Degrassi: The Next Generation (CTV) -- 2 episodes this week leading up to next weeks season finale. First is another gay-themed episode (they do a lot of these -- as do a lot of other shows lately -- it's the new cool thing to do i guess) that was just average -- progressed a few storylines along but nothing too exciting. The second episode was the first of the two-part finale co-starring "Silent Bob" -- yep, that Silent Bob! He's a big fan of old-school Degrassi and wanted to write one episode or a few, but due to the Canadian-only rules surrounding that aspect of this show, he had to settle for being in front of the camera instead. This was a great episode, mainly due to his Silent Bob's presence but also for the Manny scenes. Manny rocks! Next week, "Jay" shows up and hilarity ensues...

24 (Fox) -- Tony Almeada!!! TONY FUCKING ALMEADA!!!!! Wow, that was soooooo awesome. I love this show. They're trying to make us feel some sympathy for evil-Mom, but I'm not fooled. She is stil evil, just not as evil as Dad(though she creeps me out more). Will sonny-boy whack his old man?? I hope so.

The Amazing Race (CBS) -- lemme see... oh yeah, no boot this week. I always feel let-down, as if I watched for nothing, when they pull this stunt. It's purely a ratings thing, extending the shows season as it were, and that's fine I guess, but I still feel cheated. I started to cheer a little for Hellboy's team when I thought their goose was cooked, but I'm still backing the long-distance daters. The rest of 'em are posers. And the world has enough posers, so they can all go crawl back into obscurity where they belong and need not ever be heard from again!

This Is Wonderland (CBC) -- loved it. The boxing scene at the end was unexpected, but also both appropriate and funny. Crazy judge rocked. Whiny chick rocked. Everybody rocked!!

Medium (NBC) -- this show is really good. I kid you not. The angst/turmoil/what-have-you between Alice and her hubby was so realistic... these writers are churning out some truly golden stuff here, and the actors seem to be more than up for the challenge. Loved the courtroom scenes... and I love how her visions get resolved in unexpected ways. Can they keep it up?? I'll be tuning in to see :-)

Scrubs (NBC) -- I'm still thinking about the Colin Farrell episode. But this one was good too. New love interest for JD. Dr. Cox continues to rock. Not enough people are watching. Smarten up people!

MarketPlace (CBC) -- not that great this week. Still informative(bad OTC meds and getting off on speeding tickets being the top stories), but just not that intriguing. I want my shock and awe!!

Smallville ("The" WB, via ASN) -- lots of big events here, but the show in general is waning my interest of late. Supes girlfriend is killed by the meteor-rock-freak-of-the-week, but not before she lets Chloe in on Clark's little secret ... and Chloe is completely dumb-founded by it! Lois is back and hot as ever, but I'm not sure how great an actress this bombshell is... I'll continue watching, but no longer a top 5 -- maybe not even top 10...

The Apprentice (NBC) -- lame-o chick from last week finally walks. Good riddance. Actually, I'm much happier she left than if she'd have stayed and kept bitchin' and moanin' week after week. Team "Book Smarts" lose again -- and funky-dude gets cut(though I'm betting they were tempted to break the rules and fire the other dude... probably made the right decision though). So that puts "Book Smarts" down 3 to "Street Smarts" 1. Interesting. Blond chick on "Street Smarts" looks to have the skills to win it all... but I thought that of last week's "Book Smarts" PM and we know how well that went... so I guess we'll just have to sit back, wait and see. Oh yeah, I hear that on top of more season's of the Trump brand, a Martha Stewart version of this show is also in the works -- they will kill this, I guarantee it!

Joey (NBC) -- let the guest-star whoring begin! This week it's Jay Leno(with name shots to Colin Farrell and Maroon 5). Next week, who knows?! I still like this show, but it's clearly no "Friends" and it often tries too hard. That was Antonio Sabato Jr. as the metal-head sort driving the El Camino(spelling??). I used to be a big fan -- now, not so much.

Without A Trace (CBS) -- a standard cut-and-paste episode with an autistic kid and a suspect dad. A twist here and there and that's all she wrote. Not overly strong considering this was the first night of sweeps.

Enterprise (UPN, via ASN) -- gotta enjoy 'em while they last. This was part 2 or a 3 parter and was better than the first part. The ending was a great twist. The Andorian captain is great (that dude has done so many trek roles over the years, but brings something new and special to each one). They should have chosen a more appropriate actor to play the Romulan in charge of the covert op -- that dude, who I've seen before(in X-Files, amongst other shows) is just too big and has too distinctive a face to fit the typical Romulan look. Minor grievance though. I'll miss trek.

That's it -- sweeps are on -- I'm gonna cover them more in-depth over at TJNR, but I'll update some here too... my reading list is still showing no signs of slowing down and my tapes are starting to fill up again -- and I'm hoping to get out and see "Million Dollar Baby" this week -- so tune in next week -- same rico time, same rico channel!!

humility...

Nice to see some humility from the Hollywood set... although "no choice" might be a tad extreme...

Publicity Terrifies Knightley
Kiera Knightley is so scared of all the media attention she attracts, she's considered quitting acting altogether. The Pirates Of The Caribbean actress has stopped reading newspapers and magazines to avoid confronting all the harmful rumors written about her. However, she has no choice but to carry on performing because she isn't qualified to do anything else. The sexy star says, "I don't read any magazines or newspapers any more, because I find it really scary and I get really scared when I'm followed by photographers. I have, on many occasions, broken down in tears because I find it terrifying. I dropped out of school when I was 16 so there's nothing else that I can do."

NOTE: cut and paste from elsewhere... I do not know Kiera -- though I wouldn't be against meeting her... call me!

penny arcade rocks...

Rather than keep posting pics from here, as they all rule, I'm just gonna do this...

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3

Check it out! You will not regret it!!! (thx again, GT -- u da man ;-))

the weekend...

"Everybody's Working For The Weekend!" -- I used to live by this mantra... and if I was working, I probably still would be :-)

Now, the weekend ain't a whole lot different for me than the week... other than the fact that the rest of y'all might not be working and therefore might (I emphasize might) be up for having some fun... I'm hoping t'nite turns into some fun -- someone, Bring Me The Fun!!!

Shitty sleeping days are here again... I've now found myself in a one-day-on/one-day-off pattern where I get shit for sleep one night followed by a slow, slow day where my energy is near 0 and I literally pass out the following night from exhaustion(from doing absolutely nothing) and sleep like a baby. Last night was "sleep like a baby" night (although I was up at 4, checked the fires and crawled up stairs to bed), so t'nite will likely be "shit for sleep" night -- so might as well go out, have fun and tie one on ;-)

I'm off this afternoon to chauffeur Grammie around again -- not that I'm complaining, mind you, as anything I can do to help her over the next while I'm gonna do -- and it does get me out of the house(always a good thing) -- but mine and Grammie's ideas of a good time in town differ slightly(and by slightly I mean significantly!) -- oh well.

Hmmmnnn... what else, what else -- had super hot chicken wings last night -- they royally kicked my ass -- probably have more for lunch! Spending a lot of time at TJNR lately... not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing -- or good in a bad way ;-)

We have 3 (count 'em, 3) canes floating around this house I was informed last night -- wtf??

Back to the point(seeing as how this ain't Random Thoughts) -- SuperBowl is tomorrow -- hopefully something fun will come of that... then we're back to the work week -- I really need a fucking job...

wtf?...

I woke up with quite a day's worth of plans -- surfin', sleepin' ... maybe some boob tube... and not much else (til the evening, at least) -- then the phone rings... I HATE THE GAWD-DAMN, MUTHA-FUCKIN' PHONE!!!

Apparently I've been "red-flagged" by my insurance company because... wait for it... my insurance (or what I thought was my insurance) has vanished. And that's all they said. No details, no reasons why -- just "our records show you're insurance is not valid", followed by "Fix this today or shit will hit the fan" (paraphrased for maximum effect).

After some investigation on my part I determined they were most likely right -- no payment $$$ had come out of my account last November when it should have, and I found a letter(un-opened -- Mom gave me "the look" when I showed it to her cause I don't bother keeping it in my car...) containing my Insurance Papers -- but rather than 6 months or a year of insurance, I had 1 Month!! Expired as of Dec. 6/04!! FUCK.

So, I proceeded to call my insurance company and see what the deal was. They couldn't tell me much more than I'd already discovered to this point -- but they also told me I couldn't get insurance with them today -- it would take several days... time I clearly do not have. In a small way this is a good thing because having your insurance in a town you will never likely visit again in your life is a bit of a pain-in-the-ass at times -- times like now.

My next step, on their advice(which shocked the shit outta me) was to contact a local insurance company, explain my situation, and try and get a quote processed today. Fortunately, A.A. Munro Insurance in New Glasgow and in particular Don Sutherland were able to help me, no questions asked (other than the regular horse and pony show). So, now I gotta find a lift to town(cause I ain't tempting fate; 2 months uninsured and I thank my lucky stars nothing happened -- can u imagin how fucked u would be?!?) and get this all wrapped up before end of business today... I guess sleeping is gonna have to wait. Damn.

bumpy heads...

The ages old question of "What the hell happened with the Klingon's cranial features between TOS and TMP?" will be answered (or so they're claiming) during the last 2 weeks of sweeps??

Whatever they do, it had better be good -- and it had best support Worf's response from the DS9 Tribbles/TOS x-over... I have VERY high expectations on this one :-)

UPDATE: Trek's been canned! I heard this yesterday but thought it was just more idle speculation... but it's on CNN, so it's gotta be true ;-)

Last episodes air this May -- where will I get my Trek-fix now?? Meh.

happenings...

Wow! Did I sleep like a log last night or what?? I guess that's what happens when you stay up til 3AM surfin' and sippin' on 151 and Diet Pepsi :-) (No hangover, for those curious).

I tried sleeping after that, but sleep with booze in your blood is not really sleep -- I got 3.5 hours, got up at 6:30 and was tempted (on slightly) to start the whole process all over again -- instead I watched "The Grudge" -- I think I made the wrong decision :-(

Laid down on the couch sometime after 11 last night and it was soooo warm, I knew I wouldn't be venturing up to my bedroom (a.k.a. "The Cooler") any time soon. Usually crashing on the couch(except when drunk) is a toss-and-turn affair, made doubly hard due to the lack of role-over space, but when you reach the right level of tired, none of that matters.

So today I'm perky and itching to do something... might go hop on the snowmobile this afternoon -- Mark got it going the other day... finally! (he had a lot of work to get it up to speed, so to speak).

I still wanna see "Million Dollar Baby" before Oscar night, so if anyone want's to go, drop me a line -- otherwise I'll be doing it sans-friend... not that there's anything wrong with that.

A lot of "big" news over at www.thatsjustnotright.com -- WARNING: don't go there unless you wan't to risk losing whatever respect you have left for me :-)

Superbowl is 3 days away. I'm gonna play pro-line with the Eagles and some sure-bet basketball and stuff and see what happens...

Frank's funeral is Saturday. While I won't be in attendance, he will be in my thoughts. To my friends in T.O. -- please look out for one another during this difficult time... like Glenn said, we all deal in our own way -- and just knowing that others are there to lean on, if needed, can make a huge difference.

random pics, part 40

yeah, this dude totally kicks ass... thx Str8up for the intro back in the day... Sam Raimi rocks!!!

NOTE: That's it for tonite... gotta go bye-bye... sleepy time (though I'm not actually sleepy -- but it is past 2AM!!) -- anyway, be sure to scroll past all the pics to see my recent non-pic entries as well... they're worth the journey :-)

random pics, part 43

How much will it cost me to get this tattoo???

random pics, part 42

This clearly explains what my sister got my Mom for Xmas... and why a portable Donkey Kong game the size of my head is the most popular toy in our house -- 2 months and still going storng...

random pics, part 41

Dazzler!! A disco-era superhero... u gotta love it :-)

random pics, part 39

I haven't even taken time to read all this yet, but what I did read was enough to make me decide to include it... enjoy!

random pics, part 38

teh hottness!! OK, pop quiz -- which of these Smallville ladies portrays a virgin?? (Hints: not the mama... and she's showing no, I repeat NO, shoulder skin...) -- I wouldn't have been so sure before last week...

random pics, part 37

da bush sisters... would Chelsea have gotten away with this shit?! Then again, Chelsea's dad didn't smoke crack through the 70's... but he did lay more pipe than Ron Jeremy!!

random pics, part 36

ahh... now this is more appropriate :-)

random pics, part 35

How to act presidential -- not!

random pics, part 34

more P-A -- priceless...

random pics, part 33

... now this, this is CLASSIC!!

random pics, part 32

Anybody remember this :-)

random pics, part 31

I think Mr. Roo is a bit busy little fella...

random pics, part 30

Yeah -- that's a bit fucked up...

random pics, part 29

The pic caption covers it all...

random pics, part 28

This is kind of a cool shot... busy v. not... I like the blur effect too...

random pics, part 27

Dad with the new blower on the Kubota -- you don't wanna be standing in the wrong place when he's clearing the snow... I often fear for my car's windshield, as I've seen/heard a rock or 2 get fired off in my time...