Media Revelations

Crushed Heads (and Hopes and Dreams)

2016-10-27T15:32:00.002-05:00

We can add American Horror Story: Roanoke to this week's list of shows with crushed heads, and crushed is putting it lightly. If it didn't come right on the heels of The Walking Dead season premiere it might not have been so jarring, but as it was just 3 days later it was tough to take. I can understand the motivations for both shows but I'm much more understanding of one over the other.

*spoilers ahead if you haven't watched yet
All 3 crushed heads were gruesome and hard to watch, but I feel only Walking Dead had another layer to the gore. The Negan scene in "The Day Will Come When You Wont Be" was designed to convince the viewers that there truly is no hope of our group ever defeating him. We needed to not only believe that the group was defeated in every way, but we needed to feel that way as viewers too. The episode was hard to watch, very heavy and emotionally draining but we had to go through that ride with the group (I usually each Walking Dead twice within a day or two, I'm not quite ready to watch this one again yet, even to catch nice moments like Abraham's peace sign to Sasha). If you didn't notice, this isn't just a normal leader or group like they have faced before. This isn't a group that can be defeated in an episode or 2, or 6, and not even a retreat, like from the prison, looks possible. This is a group that is large and vicious and our group can either work for Negan or they are a threat to him and must die.
Negan uses his trusty barb wire bat, Lucille, to teach a lesson and prove a point, he is in complete control. So far we know very little of the Saviors other than they offer "protection" in exchange for half of everyone's supplies and they like to kill someone from a group they meet to in order to set the rules for their relationship. As brutal as they appear, Negan seems to have a twisted sense of morality and fairness. Obviously killing someone to establish dominance is not a moral or fair move, but this is a post apocalyptic world where everything and everyone is a threat. He may very well feel that walking into the Hilltop and killing someone before demanding half of their stuff in exchange for their protection, is a way to protect these people in the long term. I guess at least they get to live rather than the Saviors just killing them and and taking all their stuff.
If Negan feels justified killing others for control, he definitely feels like he is taking it easy of Rick's group. They blew up a group of his men with a rocket launcher, killed dozens more of his people unprovoked in cold blood and then took out even more of his group following their attack on their base. Rick and his group killed a lot of people and based on the the size of the Saviors there's no doubt they could have just killed them all at Alexandria for revenge. But there was no revenge here, just business as usual in order to establish dominance. If this show was done from Negan's point of view you would likely identify with or at least understand that in this situation Negan was justified in this showdown and would possibly even be the good guy. Overall I liked the episode (it was too draining to love) especially for what it establishes for the season and future. I can not wait to see the Kingdom this Sunday!

Gee that's a lot of people there, wonder if that may come into play this season.

As for AHS: Roanoke, I've really liked this season (for the first time in a few years, I only watched the first couple episodes last year in the needlessly gory and convoluted Hotel). It's more of a classic ghost story (maybe classic but definitely on steroids) and I even like the direction of the midseason reboot starting in "Chapter 6" (Directed by Angela Bassett) and continuing in last nights "Chapter 7". Now there are 3 layers of storytelling with the recounting of the story by the original characters, the reenactment by actors and now watching them all together back in the house through the cameras of a reality show. I love that we are getting multiple accounts of the story just like Extreme foretold. I thought it was very smart to let us know right off the bat in the reboot that all but one person at the house dies, and they didn't wait long for the deaths to start piling up.
Which brings us back to the crushed head. The house is supposed to not only be haunted but bring out the worst in people, both fears and actions. So there is a reason why there would be a brutal bludgeoning, on top of that is the complete betrayal and realization of her worst fears. But this was a situation where the act should have been worse than the result, they could've shown it without it being so gruesome (one of the many ways AHS tries to top itself is being disturbing and gross just for the purpose of being disturbing and gross (another way is the blender of "scary" plot points and storylines that many of the previous seasons have tried to needlessly pack in like the whole second half of Asylum) without furthering the story or terror). Gore is not terror, at least it used to be, maybe we should be trying to Make Horror Great Again? The murders are just too much if there is never anything but shock value to them, they could accomplish much more with more with deaths like Reg's tension building misdirect of a death than gruesome hacking without much tension or suspense.
And next week I'm not really interested in spending more time with the Polk's, the backwoods inbred family been done before (and not just in this season, The X-Files episode "Home" was creepier and better executed than this over the top exaggeration), and doesn't add to the real intrigue of seeing the actual ghosts that we previously saw as their TV portrayal versions.

The End of the World!

2016-10-23T11:51:00.000-05:00

Alright, you got me, that's most likely hyperbole, although there is a chance it is what we're dealing with. I mean really with the Cubs in the World Series against the Indians and a megalomaniac, millionaire reality TV show host having a 50/50 shot at being President of the US, I know I may not have a lot of time to share my thoughts with you. And any possible apocalyptic scenario should have you thinking about one thing, The Walking Dead of course.

So here we are after a summer of not knowing who meets their demise via Negan's barbed wire laced bat aka #meetlucille, with little more than speculation to get us through. An extremely enjoyable season 6 left us wondering who had died between Eugene, Carl, Aaron, Sasha, Rick, Maggie, Abraham, Michone, Daryl, Rosita or Glenn. The second that I realized we weren't going to find out who died in the season finale I was rightfully upset. Luckily I watched The Talking Dead after and got the explanation from show runner Scott Gimple of why we were left in suspense, he said season 7 is the story about what this death does to the group and how they go from there, and we will find out who right away. I can understand that, but I was still upset and searched online for theories and analysis, checked out blogs and podcasts for insights, all within the safety of knowing at this point no one knew for sure because it hadn't even been filmed.
I even did something I was holding off on doing, I read the comic. I had previously read the first 2 books but didn't want to spoil anything within the show since that is the source material for the show. But I knew I wasnt necessarily spoiling anything because of the many differences between the 2 and the fact that this Negan killing is an iconic moment in the comic which almost means it must be different in the show. I had intended to only read up to the Negan killing to get a sense for what was different in the setup and delivery of meeting Lucille. There are drastic differences, so much so that I ended up reading all of what is at least season 7 and probably part of season 8, and I absolutely loved it.
Shortly after I read the comic I stopped searching for the answer, becuase once filming for the season started you could get legitimate spoilers with on set pics or details of who is working when. This is the closest to a spoiler I have gotten since

So if this isn't misdirection we know by the blood that the person that dies is to Rick's right, that includes Maggie, Abraham, Michone, Daryl, Rosita and Glenn. But who is it?
Season 7 trailer

In the comic you may know it was Glenn, his death spurred Maggie into a new and pivotal leadership role. There is a chance its Glenn, though after their recent fake out of his death its unlikely. If its Rosita it will effect Eugene and alter Abraham and Sasha's romance but likely none of them would be deeply effected. Daryl will greatly effect most fans, and the entire group but none of them would have a deep character pivoting effect. Michone would pile onto the heartbreak of Rick, those this would turn him to extreme rage or depression neither of which work for what he needs to accomplish. Abraham would take one of Rick's trusted people away and could push Rosita or Sasha into the comic role that Maggie followed, but for emotional impact this is the easy way out and most likely to be who it is. If its Maggie, it would be like a repeated punch to the stomach for just about everyone. The group would all be effected by the loss of their pregnant friend and savvy peacemaker, but Glenn would be destroyed likely beyond the point where we could hope for his vengeance to come before his death.
No matter what I am looking forward to another great season, and cant wait to see King Ezekiel at the Kingdom and his pet tiger Shiva and how they come into play in the show.

Somethings coming

2010-07-14T20:12:00.000-05:00

I don't know to what extent, but there may be some form of return in the next couple months!

Ruh-Roh

2008-08-04T22:07:00.008-05:00

So I finally started looking at the 2008 Fall Schedule ("Prison Break" kicks it off in 3 weeks on August 25th with a 2 hour episode) and I have been going through waves of panic followed by relief followed by a strong desire to just sleep for a couple weeks to prepare. Here is want I think I will be watching, and this is before I know which new shows are going to be good.

Monday: 8 Hours (I think that's cause for panic) - "How I Met Your Mother" and "Two and A Half Men" (and maybe "Worst Week") (CBS), "Chuck" "Heroes" and "My Own Worst Enemy" (NBC), "Terminator" and "Prison Break" (FOX) and "Gossip Girl" and "One Tree Hill" (The CW)

Tuesday: 2 Hours (Relief!!!) - "Fringe" (new show from producer J.J. Abrams ("Lost") with the return of Pacey to TV!) (FOX) and "The Mentalist" (CBS). And a big sorry goes out to Katy and Hil, but I will not be watching 90210 (even on a light TV night), I just can't bring myself to do it.

Wednesday: 2 Hours (this night may make my TV viewing seem normal) - "Pushing Daisies" (Best new show of last year) (ABC) and "Bones" (FOX) with the possibility of watching "Gary Unmarried" (CBS) and "Do Not Disturb" (I can't get enough of that Jerry O'Connell) (FOX)

Thursday: 5 Hours - The whole Must See TV lineup (which adds "Kath and Kim" this year and I hope it just Sucks so that I have a little more free time) new shows "Life on Mars" (ABC) and "Eleventh Hour" (CBS)

Friday: 1 Hour - "The Ex-List" (just a slight possibility I will add this to my rotation) (CBS)

Saturday: night off

Sunday: 2 Hours - "Simpsons" and "Family Guy" (FOX) and "The Unit" (CBS) or "Brothers & Sisters" (though I lost track of this one last year and probably won't bother to get back into it) (ABC) Sidenote: "Desperate Housewives" is dead to me and so way over
Extra sidenote: though I don't usually count cable shows in my viewing both "Entourage" (HBO Sept. 7th) and "Dexter" (SHO Sept. 28th) return this fall and are must watch shows.

So that's only a total of 20 hours for now, it could change as I get more or less interested in the new shows. Also remember "Scrubs" (now on ABC) "Lost" "Friday Night Lights" and "24" all return midseason in addition to "Dollhouse" (Joss Whedon's ("Buffy") new show starring Eliza Dushku) and many more new shows.

Although I may not be the hand-holding guide to your TV viewing that I would like to be, I am always willing to tell you what I think you should be watching. And I will try to fill you in on new shows as I get a chance to watch them.

Its time we stop worring about who's making money and start to focus on who's spending it

2008-07-23T23:52:00.001-05:00

We should have the power to change, it's our money.

Pickens Plan

2008-07-08T10:52:00.002-05:00

Makes sense to me.
Thanks to Esteban for the link

Its About Time

2008-06-22T11:53:00.003-05:00

I have been holding back for one big post to cover many topics and many months (sorry for that). And even now as I have some important news to share, I have been sitting on this post since the 11th, lazy. Iwill get to this big post of mine soon, but for now...

I feel the need to alert you to the absolute awesomeness of "Unbeatable Banzuke" (G4 Network)! Go here to see if you get G4 then click on the Banzuke logo for a taste of whats to come.
Bradford is the one who alerted me to the show, he watches this all the time and as you can imagine he giggles throughout. There are 18 different events, and once a course is no longer unbeatable they come up with a new version, for example "Like a Pierrot IV" is the forth version of the unicycle course. Some of the events take being an expert, like Super rider (bike) and Hand Walk (walking on hands) others are just silly and fun like my favorite Sponge Bridge

I would totally rock that one, but Sponge Bridge 2 would be tough.

It is a great moment when we join Kei Kato (the host for the G4 version) to honor a contestant by putting them on the Banzuke. Its rare to see someone win, but the best parts are usually the commentary and when people fail. If you're going to try and take on Bamboo Derby (I, II or III) you really should be able to take a couple steps on stilts, but that doesn't stop anyone.

Its on multiple times daily with usually a 2 hour block on Saturday and Sunday. So set up a season pass and get ready to laugh and cheer and then laugh again.

New TV

2008-04-03T13:44:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update.
Tonight there is a new hour long "My Name Is Earl"(Thursday 7 NBC) followed by 2 hours of reruns of "The Office"(Thursday 8 NBC). The whole NBC Thursday night lineup will be back next week, but at least we will get to enjoy some Earl tonight and see Alyssa Milano.

Tomorrow is the first episode of season 4 of "Battlestar Galactica"(Sci-Fi).

Update 4:04PM: I got an email from Katy pointing me to this article on MSN where a married couple explain how Battlestar can save a marriage. They wrote separate articles explaining the attraction to the series for men and women, and really it comes down to the fact that its a good show which just happens to be taking place in space. If you're at all intrigued by the show it is definitely worth reading, whether you're a fan or not.

Anyone can participate in Earth Hour

2008-03-30T00:00:00.005-05:00

The real challenge is keeping the lights off for 4 hours or if you are really dedicated for 2 weeks!

I don't know how many participated, or what sort of effect we had on the overall energy usage during the hour but I know that I felt better about myself. I convinced a couple people to observe Earth Hour (since that silly liberal media for some reason didn't make sure everyone knew about it, or really hardly anyone) and I attended an Earth Hour party where we decided to just not turn the lights back on because we didn't need them.

This was an exercise.
1 hour will not save the world or even make a difference in the long run.
But it will hopefully be able to draw more attention to the climate crisis and how little things can make a difference. Think of it this way, you can lose weight by going on a diet and being really strict about what you eat and you can probably stick to it for awhile and loose some weight, but if you don't make a fundamental shift in your lifestyle it is not going to last and you are going to put the weight right back on. Really the key is the little things like drinking water and diet drinks instead of Coke and sugary drinks or using mustard instead of mayo. These are 2 small things that you can do to permanently change your eating habits that may not cause immediate changes, but over the long term it will make a HUGE difference.

This is much like that. Its the little things you can do (which don't even take much effort) that can make a big difference. Hopefully tonight we learned that we don't need as many lights on in our houses and to always make sure to turn off the light in the room you just left.
If we can slowly start to make a change in the way that we live, we just may be able to make a change in the climate crisis. Surprisingly it won't take too much effort on any one person's part, but instead if everyone does a little bit, together we can save the world.

If you don't do it to save the world, at least do it for me.

Rush Limbaugh is a jackass!

2008-03-29T02:12:00.002-05:00

I usually don't swear here, you know cause there may be kids reading (and I like to think I can fully express myself without swearing when I have the time to choose my words carefully).
But Fuck Rush Limbaugh!

Today I was unfortunate enough to overhear some of his show while I was working (by the way, seriously dude, just because you work at a school in a highly republican town doesn't mean you should pollute your head with this nonsense).
I had heard about his Operation Chaos where he encouraged republican voters to vote in the Democratic primary for Hillary to extend the race and cause controversy. I am fine with that, it is just working the system to try and give McCain (who he originally said he would NOT vote for, and now he supports because he is a jackass) a better chance at getting elected. Whatever.

But today he was making fun of Earth Hour (he is clearly a regular reader of my blog, obviously since I have my finger on the pulse of all things that could make our country and planet better, and had just mentioned Earth Hour) and asked his blind sheep to turn on all the lights they could so that us tree huggers wouldn't be able to show what kind of difference we can make.
How could anyone deny climate change?
Why would you want to stop something that could actually improve things for all of us?
Because Rush is a jackass.

So if you needed any extra motivation to take part in Earth Hour today at 8PM, do it because it will make Rush cry. Turn off any non essential lights and encourage anyone who actually cares about making a difference in our future to join in.

Rush also went on to say that he hopes the Superdelegates pick Hillary against the will of the people so that all black people would get so fed up that they would become republicans. Dude, you along with George Bush hate black people (unless they are rich and well spoken (it is a seriously back handed racist statement to imply that a typical black person would not be articulate, and just fuels hatred and spreads the racial divide even further)).

I'm tired, too much singing, but just had to vent a bit.

This time I'm serious (yes I've probably said the exact same thing before), I will be posting more often to ease everyone back into the strike shortened TV season. stay tuned

What?

2008-03-26T21:46:00.001-05:00

Good news and bad news for White Sox fans. The good news is that I had a dream in which Alexei Ramirez hit a game winning home run in his first game in US Cellular, and it was a very vivid dream so I've got a good feeling it will come true (in the dream I was watching on TV (I heard Hawk make the call of "in his first game at US Cellular") so in order to not change the future I can not go to his first game). And with Jerry Owens' injury he may be starting everyday in centerfield (which means I can start going game 2).
Bad news is that I have officially lost my White Sox Charities wristband which I have had since about mid season last year (the first one lasted throughout the 2006 90 win year and the first 3 months of 2007). I have no idea where it went, how I lost it or why it would be considered bad news to anyone.

Battlestar Galactica returns April 4th for the final season (which will be split up into 2 10 episode runs with the series finale possibly not coming until sometime in 2009). There is a week long daytime marathon on Sci Fi to get you completely caught up, check the schedule and set your DVRs to keep all (and make sure to not record the nightly Season 3 episodes so you don't get them out of order). It will take a serious commitment but it is the sort of show that you can watch 5 episodes and still want to watch more. If only this was during Spring Break 08, I know a few people who would be easy converts with the correct amount of time.

On "American Idol" last night it was a tough call, but Chikezie should have gone home. Of everyone left, they are all pretty good and no one is really pulling away. It will be tough to call who goes home each week especially when Jason Castro who should have been at least top 5, was bottom 3. Kristie Lee Cook is genius, she sang God Bless The USA and now has every country fan pulling for her, and the Vote for the Worst site has picked her. But I wouldn't mind seeing her hang around for awhile, she is kinda hot and better than, well possibly Ramiele and...no one else, so she's going home soon.
My Top 5: Carly Smithson, David Archuleta, David Cook, Jason Castro and Syesha Mercado (she kind of bugs me with her overly dramatic acting, but I still like her slightly more than Brooke)

Earth hour is only 3 days away! Are you prepared? do you even know what it is?
I wouldn't be surprised, it is not well publicized and really could be a very cool thing.
This Saturday the 29th at 8 PM everyone is supposed to turn off any non-essential lights and Chicago is the flagship city for the event (a move by Daley to make sure that we get the Olympics of course) and will dim the skyline for the hour. It won't really do anything, but hopefully we can better the 10% drop in energy usage they saw in Australia last year. That could start to draw attention to just how big a difference we can actually make even if we do little things.

Oh....Okay then

2008-03-17T22:50:00.006-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's day to all of you!
Can you believe that nobody heard of this holiday before Guinness really started promoting it. Well obviously not really, but they have done a great job of getting their delicious beverage to be a staple of not only this day, but my entire life.

I haven't been blogging much (some of you noticed), but I've never been much of a blogger, really, I was tricked into it and I kept it up just so that I could see the tracker go up (such an easy way to feel good about myself). But I don't watch that much TV anymore, I just don't. I still watch an obscene amount of TV by anyone else's standards but its not really a top concern anymore. I've been busy, I may have somehow accidentally gotten a life. I hope to bring random things to your attention, but it may not be on a regular basis. Although I am getting excited by American Idol. oh and Lost. and I guess all those shows that are coming back. Who knows soon I may actually like blogging again.

Singstar 90's is coming out on Wednesday and I am pretty excited! My voice is still sore from a marathon session of the current games on Saturday, since we knew that this was a great opportunity to get some Singstars before the 90's disc took center stage. I am hoping to sing a lot over the next week, maybe you will join me for a song?

If you watch Battlestar Galactica, then this recap of the first 3 seasons will make you laugh and remind you of things you forgot happened. The Season 4 premiere is April 4th.

Obama is going to win!
Hopefully we can stop FOX News from brainwashing too many people into thinking he's not the first politician in generations with the ability to enact change for the good of our country (not the corporations), before the misinformation spreads like the bloody pox (I'm enjoying John Adams on HBO a lot) through all of the stupid people (I think there are a lot more of them than you may think). It is nice to see the Yes We Can video from Will I Am because it uses Barack's own words to show what an inspiration he can be. The We Are The Ones video is pretty silly and doesn't focus on him or his words, but why others are excited about him, its not the same. Obama is not the media darling, he is the candidate that is connecting with voters in new ways and literally building a grassroots movement that can not be ignored. The media just happened to be doing their job and picked up on it.

Ever have one of those days where you have a 4 hour drive (some may tell you 5, but you believe in your abilities) and a couple too many important phone calls to make ahead of you, only to find out that you left your solar power charger behind? Probably not, but this is about me, not you, pay attention. So you don't have your charger (you never bought a car charger because of the Solio), but at least your phone has a back up battery, which at this point it is not making a connection and you finally realize that it isn't working at all. So you use your phone until it dies, unable to make a couple of your calls, but, you know what, no big deal, you'll be home in an hour, its okay nothing you can do about it. Then you realize why you need that back up battery to work, and why that charger would have been soo nice (fully charged on a beautifully sunny 70 degree day (anyone who complains about DST needs only one afternoon/evening where it is still 60 when you're done with work to realize that DST is not the devil)), its that noise, the noise that makes you think you have a flat tire. You know that you have a spare, and rememeber that the last time you had a flat you pushed it and shredded your tires, so you pull right over get out and start to check the tires. But there isn't a flat, nothing seems to be broken or stuck or out of place or obviously wrong, so you get in and think that its just finally official that you've gone crazy. As you drive away the noise is back. Get out again kick the tires just to make sure, check the wheel wells, lay on the shoulder of the highway to look under your car and see nothing unusual (not that I have any idea what it would normally look like). So now something is wrong with my car, I don't have a phone and I'm still a good 25 miles from home. What to do? Make a deal with your car of course. Okay if anything sounds worse I will get out immediately and walk to a phone, if it doesn't sound too bad I'll try driving to the next exit. Well the second exit is only another mile and the noise seems to be going away, then its almost gone. Maybe I just hit something and it was stuck, I'll drive slow, yeah, slow and steady will be the key to making it easiest for the car. God how does anyone just drive the speed limit? I'll go a little bit faster, you know so I can get home quicker and then get my car fixed.
I had one of those days Friday, it was stressful and fun and helped me remember that as much as I try I can't think of everything and I have to learn to adapt better (don't know how that lesson applies, but its the one I'm going with)
As it ends up nothing is wrong with my car (though there is a definite new rattle noise), or at least so says the service guys. The knock has gone away, and I'm sure I'll get used to the noise, so all is well. Thanks for your concern.

2008-02-17T13:31:00.003-06:00

Sorry I've been gone, I can't say for sure where I've been, but I think I may have been abducted by either aliens or the government.
The aliens I understand, they are aware of my importance both here on Earth and on several of the more advanced alien worlds. I don't remember much, so I can't say for sure whether these were friendly aliens that were helping me prepare for my eventual leadership role in IGWMXII (Inter Galactic War 62) or if this was an enemy race of aliens trying to stop me from realizing my potential. It also could have been the government. Maybe I was too close to finding the truth in one of my posts, or possibly they know that removing me from the blogging world could help slow Barack's momentum (Even the retarded W has to know that there is nothing he can do to stop Obama at this point).
Actually none of that happened, I have been lazy and with that whole writers strike thing I wasn't all that motivated to talk about the limited television that we did have.

But all that has changed, actually so much has changed since I last posted.
The patriots choked in a boring superbowl with weak ads. Lost brilliantly returned. Obama and Hillary have quite a little contest going (Obama has all the momentum and the more the country gets to see and hear him the more inspired they will be by him). The writers strike is over and we could see new shows in 6 to 8 weeks. We have a top 24 for the Idol. Valentines Day came and went, happy Valentines day to all of you, hope it was a good one. Oh yeah, and I can't forget nanny's sister, mmm.

I must return to painting right now, but this week you can count on some posts to help guide you through the end of February.
Jericho, Friday Night Lights, Lost, Welcome to the Captain (haven't seen it yet, but it is new and has Jeffrey Tambor and anything "Arrested Development" related must be supported). Its all new and all good, until then.

Time Warp

2008-01-29T23:12:00.000-06:00

I think I may have mentioned in the past that I am a fan of the teeny bopper shows, and honestly I am over the shame that is usually attached to a thirty something guy watching high school dramas.

"One Tree Hill"(Tuesday 8 The CW) returned January 8th and after tonights episode, it still has 7 new episodes ready to air. It's been great to have the show back, and during the 2 hour premiere I did cry a little bit, partly because it was just great to have some of my TV friends back, partly because the show is that good (and I think its okay to admit that it made me cry in this post since that Barack video made it so I'm not admitting to crying in back to back posts). If you haven't watched the show before, you've probably already stopped reading, so I am assuming the rest of you watch and are aware of the fact that the show jumped ahead 4 years. It really is the best move the show could have made (See "Dawson's Creek" and "The O.C." for reasons why high school dramas should not go to college), there was no way you could make everybody go to the same college or come up with a reason why everyone would stay in Tree Hill forever. Instead the show skipped 4 years of their lives and came up with valid reasons for everyone to return to Tree Hill after they all have grown up and some have grown apart.

While the show still is over the top and unrealistic at times (seriously Nathan Scott is not good enough for the NBA, let alone to be projected as the 10th pick) it is very entertaining and usually unpredictable (just no more stalkers). I am really looking forward to what they are going to do with the characters now that they are adults and the actors are actually playing closer to their own age.

The one thing I didn't think about was the time element that they can now play with. Tonight's episode consisted of mostly flashbacks to a year after their graduation, with Lucas still submitting his novel to publishers, Peyton a mailroom worker for a record label, Nathan winning a Division 2 college championship, and Brooke considering letting her mom make Clothes over Bros into a serious fashion label. One Tree Hill can go the "Lost" route and slow reveal some serious challenges that the characters have faced over the last 4 years. We can see where they failed, where the succeeded, when they were left to fend for themselves and when the helped each other to get where they are today. If overused it will seem like a gimmicky plot device, but if use effectively, we can learn much more about these characters than we would in a normal season.

The other reason why the time element is fun is that they are in the future. During a flashback scene Lucas was using a iPhone and at first I was shocked that they would let that slip. Why would they sellout and advertise a product that wouldn't even exist during the flashback, but then I realized, they went ahead 4 years. For the past 4 years of the actual show, it has taken place in the current time, and now the show takes place in the future. There is so much they can do, flying cars, jet packs, robots, all their food in pill form, I mean we're talking 2012 here. Think about how much has changed since 2004, okay that's a bad example, but I have a really good feeling about this next generation of scientists and I'm excited to see what they can do. Luckily now we have an inside glimpse into what to expect.

This is what we need

2008-01-29T00:30:00.000-06:00

I am on a roll

2008-01-27T21:44:00.000-06:00

I know that sometimes what I do and say only affects only 1 person, sometimes a handful of people and I guess I max out at reaching about 50 people.
I am fine with it and if I can influence the people I know just a little bit it makes me happy. Sometimes its just a recommendation of a show, new music or movie, or helpful tips on saving the world, or glimpses into my life that I hope will eventually make everyone think and act just like me (I pretend that this is my ultimate goal, but really I just want to make everyone's life easier by suggesting things that I have found that I enjoy, or have improved my productivity (I am still looking for one of those), have helped me in numerous situations or other shortcuts I have found).

But last night I came to a realization that can effect everyone on the planet earth, or at least offer some solid relief.

Before I get to that, the reason that I am saying I'm "on a roll" is that I declared "American Idol"(Tues & Wed 7 FOX) the best show on TV right now (I will gladly give that title back to "Lost" on Thursday, but its got to be good) and I've already got a pick for the winner that I am confident should at least be top 5. Last weeks second 2 hour episode was in Dallas and may have been my favorite audition show ever. It had a little bit of everything, from fantastic singers to horrible singers in denial with emotions ranging from hope to embarrassment. It included plenty of laughs and feel good moments throughout the episode and there was even a group sing and dance. The best part is that it is so funny it makes you cry, which covers up when you cry because its sad or you are really so happy for the contestant. I have many notes from that night that I will give you soon (just like my UFO story, don't worry it will come back to me) but I think Kady Malloy, 18 from Houston Texas could be the winner, she did a near perfect Britney impression and is hot and can really sing

Now I will get to my realization, which I think really shows why this site is called "revelations". Its because I am the key to unlocking all the secrets and mysteries of the world, oh wait, no, that's just a dream that I've had and a goal I set for myself everyday (I try to keep my daily goal to unlocking just 1 secret or mystery, so that I don't run out anytime soon).

I am sure most of you have heard that the end of days may be coming December 21, 2012, at least according to the Mayan calendar. That day is supposed to predict a cataclysmic change connected to the winter solstice and some crazy astronomical alignments. The Mayan calendar was written in the 6th century BC, starts back in 3114 BC and has been very accurate. Well it stops December 21, 2012 and many people think that it will be our last day, whether its the poles shifting, or some strange cosmic event that throws earth or our solar system off path, or we just end, there are people who really think we're done in less than 5 years.
After extensive research and a good minute (maybe a few seconds) of serious thought, the answer came to me. It was one of those moments when you just knew that you're not responsible for the thought, but willingly accept it as your own and take credit for it.

So here it is, you don't have to worry that the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012 because the dude who wrote it stopped.
Its as simple as that, he just stopped writing the damn calendar. There are many possible reasons for this, he got sick and tired of writing and was at a good stopping point, he died and there was no one who wanted to take his place, he figured there was no need to keep going that far into the future or he was just pulling a prank thinking about how funny it would be if for no reason the calendar stopped in 2500 years.

But the bottom line is he just stopped. This knowledge has already been shared with and approved by 5 people (I really just wanted to make them laugh, had no idea I was about to save the world) and I think it should spread quickly (I'm sure once word gets out, one of the news channels are going to want to have me on as a guest)

Looks like we dodged a bullet here, we should make it through 2012. So we will have to wait a little longer to see how accurate History Channel's "Life after People" is.
Of course there's always, meteors, asteroids, supervolcanoes, nuclear war, AI (singularity is near) and Zombies to keep you worried (if it helps you for some reason)

Coverup!

2008-01-23T23:17:00.000-06:00

The Air Force now says that they did have planes in the air at the time of all those UFO sightings (it makes it even funnier that its on Fox News) in Texas. In this article a member of MUFON says that this helps to support the sightings, and I have to agree.

And just like that I lost it, not a clue what I was going to write.
You see, I got distracted and sent an email to Jim but then when I got back to this post, I had already forgotten most of my daring insights regarding the UFO/government coverup world, but now I'm tired and I must sleep, I will update this, but right now I think its funny enough to post as is.
Goodnight

Finally some TV stuff

2008-01-09T22:06:00.001-06:00

I've been catching up on a bit of TV from the last week over the past couple days. And that reminded me to tell you that we are about to have a good amount of new TV in the coming weeks. The question is just how long will it be around.

Coming up tomorrow we have the last new episodes of "My Name Is Earl"(Thursday 7 NBC) and "30 Rock"(Thursday 7:30 NBC) that we will probably see this year, there is a new "ER"(Thursday 9 NBC) which will leave 2 new episodes.

Friday there is the first of the final 5 episodes of "Friday Night Lights"(Friday 8 NBC) .

And then things start to pick up on Sunday. First there is the premiere of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"(Sunday 7 FOX) on a special night, I have seen the pilot and it looks to be a good show and should fill your Sci Fi needs until Battlestar returns. Then we have a new episode of "Family Guy"(Sunday 8 FOX), and I highly recommend giving this offensive but hilarious show a chance (especially with such a limited selection available). There is also a new episode of "Brothers & Sisters"(Sunday 9 ABC) and the Golden Globes (I briefly looked at the TV nominees, was disappointed and quickly lost interest. The Globes are way too early and I couldn't even tell you 2 movie nominees that I know of for sure. I usually get pretty into catching the top movies before the awards, but there is still good football left).

Monday "Prison Break"(Monday 7 FOX) returns with the first of 5 new episodes and is followed by "Terminator"(Monday 8 FOX) at its normal time for the second of the 9 episode run. The new "American Gladiators"(Monday NBC 8) is pretty funny and if you liked the original you will like this. "October Road"(Monday ABC 9) is a great show that still has 9 episodes ready to go.

Tuesday sees the return of the juggernaut that is "American Idol"(Tuesday 7 FOX) with the first of back to back nights of 2 hour audition shows. "One Tree Hill"(Wednesday 8 The CW) continues with the third of 12 episodes completed for the season.

Some thoughts from my viewing tonight:

Tim Riggins on "Friday Night Lights" is the best character on TV right now, and moving him in with the Taylors is absolute genius. Not only do we get a little more Riggins, but he and coach Taylor make for an unstoppable team. Great episode, best in awhile, so many great Riggins lines, a twister, a fight and Coach got to be a bad ass.

Last week on "ER" Gloria Ruben returned for the night and we learned that Uncle Jesse drinks Lo Carb Monster (just like me).

"October Road" is a little mentally draining, but in this case, that's a good thing. The show does a great job of not only making you feel for the characters and sympathize with them but also really appreciate their joy (no matter how short lived it is).

Hope to watch yesterday's 2 hour premiere of "One Tree Hill" tomorrow night, but I'm very excited for it.

Loose ends

2008-01-09T14:38:00.000-06:00

Could 2008 be The Year of the Blog?
It sure is starting that way, and since my last post there is a Connor blog and talk of a reality show blog (for those of you who just can't resist the temptation) that could be starting over the summer. If anyone else has a cool blog that they would like to share please let me know.

Step Out to Fight Diabetes! Support Team Jeni as they prepare for their March 18th walk in Hawaii, and help raise money for a great cause.

Even though there is new TV this week, I have still been to distracted and scattered to do enough research to let you know what is new and when you should be watching. To help with my focus I am going to unload several links that I have been sitting on for awhile. I normally have several tabs open on my browser with info that I would like to share with you, but I usually wait for the right inspiration before incorporating them into the blog. Right now I have so many tabs open that I just need to get some these to you, so here you go:

Do you ever dream of not having to plug your cell phone into the wall ever again? I did, and now that dream has been realized. I now charge my phone with Solar power and it works very well. Check out the Solio classic. It has an internal battery that takes about 10 hours of sunlight to fully charge, and can hold that charge for 1 year. When full you can charge your phone twice, and 1 hour of sunlight can give you enough juice to get 25 minutes of talk time from your phone or 1 hour of iPod usage. It also comes with tips for just about every brand of phone as well as PDAs, MP3 players and GPS units. For only $100 you can start doing your part and unplugging at least one more device, forever.

zReturn is a clever and cool way to help you get back anything that you lose (though it still requires a helpful honest person to find it). You buy labels with a ID number to put on your electronics, keys, golf clubs or anything else that you may lose. The label gives a website to go to if you find something with a zReturn label, and because of the ID number the whole process is anonymous. Check out this video (which I think is made to be intentionally cheesy) with a explanation of the system.

I don't know when exactly it is coming, but keep an eye out for UFO Hunters (from the creators of Ghost Hunters) coming soon on Sci Fi.

This site tells you which ski resorts are environmentally conscious and which aren't. They grade how the resorts do in maintaining and conserving the natural habitat as well as the usage of renewable resources. Are you not happy that Steamboat only gets a C? tell them you want them to be more environmentally responsible and ask them to make some changes that can help keep the slopes as beautiful as possible.

I know its not the season for a farmers market, but Local Harvest is a great resource to find healthy foods grown locally (local is key not only for freshness, but also to reduce the effects on the environment that shipping causes).

Death star cafeteria is a funny stand-up comedy routine where Darth Vader is attempting to get some food, and the video uses lego characters to make it even funnier. Be prepared, there is some swearing.

2008-01-04T20:05:00.000-06:00

I hoped if I stopped posting for awhile that everyone would get bored and say "WTF, I should start my own blog, and I'll prove to this bastard that you can post regularly throughout the entire year" and it looks like my wish is starting to come true.
Want to know about the Bears and their draft? or Steve's bagel fight workout schedule (you'll have to ask him for the link)?
I wish my lack of motivation was the motivation for Huck's Take (which I don't think I'm going to be smart enough to get, but Junior might be) or Silent Sports Chicago (which brought my attention to the Clif bar 2 mile challenge, and I think the blogger may be the creator of the sauce for the Burger King Angus burger and the Tiger(?) Twinkie). But I am still hoping for a Barack blog (based I'm sure, out of either Cape May or Forest Park), a White Sox blog (that the other town will hopefully claim), an astronomy blog (so we had more notice for the best meteor shower of 2008), a what you can and cannot burn in a fire pit blog (do you think a hand warmer could explode ( I'm kind of scared to try it, I'll have to find a place with no trees to find an answer to that)) and maybe a movie blog (its funny that this is one of my weaknesses now, I used to know when every movie was coming out on DVD for months). I would also love to see a SingStar blog complete with pictures (this one may have to be private with extensive password protection), videos, funny singstar stories and most importantly all time high scores (check out the catalog of games for the UK, whats the hold up for us?). And I also wish that someone would come up with a secret blog and not tell anyone the address for over a year.

But this week I was wishing there was a blog that talked about some TV stuff, like did you know that Leno and Letterman are back? Leno without his writers (and he already got in trouble for writing jokes) and Letterman with his writers (after his production company reached an agreement with the WGA). Luckily this was irrelevant because both shows sucked and only helped to remind me of why I now only watch the Daily Show (which returns Jan 7th without writers).

Did you know "ER"(Thursday 9 NBC) was back last night?
Wait Wednesday was a new "Gossip Girl"(Wednesday 8 The CW) and it was the first of the 2 best episodes yet?
And did I hear that "One Tree Hill" (Tuesday 7 The CW) returns this Tuesday and the show skipped ahead 4 years and picks up after college?
Well someone should be telling us this stuff.

So I guess I am officially going to be starting this blog, and I will do my best to keep you informed and entertained as long as you all promise to keep entertaining me (but seriously would it kill you to comment a little more? what if I promise to comment on your blog?).

Yeah, I guess it's more like I'm restarting the blog, but I feel like people will give me a little more slack if I pretend like I am still "figuring this whole thing out". I plan to be back (even though Jim thinks I should just kill the blog). There is much I feel you must still learn from me, and seriously who else is going to tell you about all the random shit I do?

I was just about to make a list about all the stuff I'll be telling you about in the coming weeks, but last time I tried that I don't think I mentioned a single one again (the pressure was far too great, though that B-Boy group still seems to be going strong (I thought for sure they would have broken up by now and had some crazy internet drama)). So instead here are a couple non TV topics that may interest you.

You may remember when I called it a year ago, but now it appears Warner Brothers has put the second to last nail in the coffin of HD DVD. Warner was the only major studio that was putting out both Blu-Ray and HD DVD movies, but will now only offer Blu-ray. (Thanks Tim for the link)

Check out this article on what technologies are going to save the earth in 08.

HNY

Update 1/5/8: This could be hilarious, I can't wait for some videos to prove any hypotheses that may be called into question.

08

2008-01-04T08:14:00.000-06:00

I don't imagine that anyone that will be reading this has any sort of problem with having a black president, if you do please delete me from your bookmark and get ready to move out of the country because its going to happen.

Change is coming! Thank God!
Obama '08.

Barack is asking you to believe, I'm asking that if you don't yet, please just listen to the man.

He is who I always imagined I could be (I guess I still could when I grow up), he is someone who not only can but will make a difference. He is realistic but incredibly optimistic, not only in himself and the change he can make, but also in the change that all of us are capable of if we finally stand up and say that the political system is a joke and that Washington must change with us and because of us. He will bring people together to work for a better, stronger, safer, more responsible country. He has the unique ability to compromise with republicans without compromising himself or his beliefs. He is the ONLY chance that we have of turning this country around. His positivity is infectious and it will bring out voters in record numbers, voters that finally will have a leader who stands for them and this country.

Listen to him here, and if you feel it, go ahead and donate.
Then check out his victory speech from the Iowa caucuses.

Its a change I can believe in. I hope you do too.

MediaMaster ----->

2007-12-19T08:29:00.000-06:00

If you haven't noticed the little radio widget to the right, you clearly don't explore enough when you come here to be told what to think. MediaMaster offers free storage for your music online and then lets you play your whole collection from anywhere you have an internet connection. Right now there is no charge for uploading your music, but there will be eventually, and everything you have uploaded before then will be grandfathered in. The widget doesn't let you skip songs or give you too much control, but the main site allows you to listen to your songs the way you want.

Listen to the music.
"Girl the first time I saw you..." I won't spoil the rest for you, enjoy some Hot Chocolate

Zeppelin

2007-12-08T14:33:00.000-06:00

If you are not aware that Led Zeppelin is getting back together, you must not be a rocker.

Led Zeppelin (with a refocused Jason Bonham filling in for his dad) is getting together to do a full concert as part of a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun this Monday the 10th. Rehearsals have been taking place for almost 6 months and the band is taking this show 100% seriously. This is possibly the biggest rock show ever (unless there is a tour, in which case it will be the biggest tour of all time!), and from the excitement the band is showing, it should be able to live up to the hype.

I'm kind of surprised that there isn't a little more hype. Some people still don't know its happening, even though there are many articles about the reunion and concert. There is even a 24/7 Led Zeppelin station on XM (conveniently just 1 channel down from Soul Street). I knew about XMLed for awhile but really just discovered it Thursday afternoon (I was excited to tell you all about it Thursday night, then the Bears lost and took the wind from my creativity sails). But then I listened to the channel all day on Friday and there were far too many repeats, I am hoping that this was some sort of fluke, but it was almost as if they had a 40 song group that they were shuffling. I really like the "Song retain the name" bit they do for covers, and there are some cool Page/Plant side project songs, but if the station is really going to be around until May they need to do a better job of mixing it up.

Now I would like to address Jimmy Page on what I think could be the easiest way to guarantee that the legacy of Zeppelin will live on, while adding a whole new generation of fans.
A Led Zeppelin version of Rock Band.
If you don't know what rock band is, you may not know what Guitar Hero is either.
I admit I have a problem with Guitar Hero, I both hate and love it (and can assure you that if you ever had images of Tetris run through your head, this game will haunt you). Guitar hero typically looks like this, its a great party game where you play a guitar controller and rock out to some sweet songs, and it is extremely entertaining (especially if there is a cape involved). If you've played but never seen someone play on expert it is mind blowing to watch, check out this article with video of some perfect expert playing.
Rock Band is the next step of Guitar Hero (and Singstar), it comes with a guitar (you can hook up 2 guitars and play guitar and bass), microphone (that's right you sing too) and a drum kit with 4 drum pads and a kick drum pedal. You then rock it together, and it looks like a lot of fun.

So anyway, Jimmy, talk to the Rock Band people about a Led Zeppelin only version of Rock Band, and see if you can work out some guarantee that it would be the last version of Rock Band until 2009 (this would make sure that everyone gets the Zeppelin version even if they're not fans, because they will need new songs) .
Rock Band is going to be huge (I dare you to try and avoid it). And who hasn't air guitar/bass/drummed to a Zeppelin song? There is a huge range of songs, many of which could be the most difficult songs on any game (on every instrument), and they will also be some of the most fun to play.
And besides, if you are going to try and be a rock band why not try to be THE ROCK BAND.

Battlestar Galactica

2007-11-22T21:23:00.000-06:00

I'm aware that many people are scared of any show on the Sci-Fi channel, and even more so with a show based in space. But, if you have ever given this show a chance, you know that this is much more than a sci-fi remake of a show from the 70's.
The current "Battlestar Galactica"(Sci-Fi) is a much darker show, which actually adds a lot of realism to a show based on a spaceship, but still most of the characters and situations are easy to identify with.
On Saturday at 8 there will be a 2-Hour flashback episode called "Razor" which Starbuck is featured in, and supposedly steals the show, big surprise. There are also 2-3 minute flashbacks available to watch online which establish more of a back story for the Razor episode. The flashbacks and the full episode both establish a new conflict for the forth season which will start in February.

2007-11-22T11:18:00.000-06:00

I know most of my loyal and dedicated readers will be checking out the blog today, even if for nothing else than to get their Happy Thanksgiving wishes.

Happy Thanksgiving, go eat some stuffing.

"October Road"(Monday ABC 9) returns to TV tonight for a sneak preview at 9. Last season I think the writers of the show stole key elements of my life to make this show, but at least they were inventive in trying to hide it from everyone but me. All 6 episodes from the first season are available online to easily catch up. But here's a quick recap, Nick (played by Bryan Greenberg-Jake from "One Tree Hill") returns home after staying away for 10 years after writing a book about his friends. He left his girlfriend (Laura Prepon-"That 70's Show") behind and now she has a 10 year old son that Nick thinks may be his. Its a very heavy show in terms of the themes it addresses, but it is also very funny and positive.
After tonights episode the show switches to Monday at 9.