– The Dominic character creeps me out so much. The more I think about him and Julie being together, the more disgusted I get — which is too bad, since I like Jeffrey Nordling (the actor). He was awesome on 24 last season, but Dominic, with his open shirts and wife-beaters, is a heck of a lot different than the button-down SSA FBI agent the guy played opposite Jack Bauer.

– I don’t know why Carlos is insisting that Gaby teach Juanita. Yes, it’s Gaby’s fault that Juanita got kicked out of school, but that doesn’t mean the educational burden should fall on her — especially after she admitted that she has no idea how to teach. Some people just can’t. And that’s not a measure of parental love, either. They can afford to hire a tutor, so why was Carlos being so damn stubborn about it?

– I liked seeing Tom and Lynette trying to stand up for Julie. They should definitely talk to Susan and Mike, though. This is not something to keep away from Julie’s mom. I know she’s 23 and is an adult, but she’s still living with Susan, so Susan has a right to know. Plus, this is a matter of life and death — not something minor like smoking pot or whatever.

– I loved Bree’s outburst at Orson. Finally!!! He totally deserved it. She is 100 percent right about that. She wants a divorce, he’s the one who’s refusing. That doesn’t mean she has to play along with his fantasy that they’re going to get back together someday. She has every right to tell him to back off and leave her alone.

– I doubt that only one girl hated Susan in high school. She seems like the kind of clueless annoying girl that would have lots of enemies. But still, it was kind of dumb for this cop to hold a grudge for 25 years and throw Susan in jail as some measure of revenge. Susan was right: it’s not her fault that the cop lives in her mom’s basement!

Meanwhile, last weekend’s top film, the Michael Jackson concert/documentary This is It, slipped to second place after pulling in just $14 million in gross revenues in its second week in release.

Third place went to the new George Clooney comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats, which took in $13.3 million, while the sci-fi abduction thriller The Fourth Kind made a decent showing against stiff competition, earning $12.5 million to put it in fourth.

Here’s the complete Top 10 at the box office for the weekend ending 11/8/09:

1. A Christmas Carol, $31 million
2. This is It, $14 million
3. The Men Who Stare at Goats, $13.3 million
4. The Fourth Kind, $12.5 million
5. Paranormal Activity, $8.6 million
6. The Box, $7.86 million
7. Couples Retreat, $6.43 million
8. Law Abiding Citizen, $6.17 million
9. Where the Wild Things Are, $4.22 million
10. Astro Boy, $2.59 million

The only being left on the planet is WALL-E (voiced by Ben Burtt), an unsophisticated robot whose task is to compact trash. We soon see that WALL-E is not a typical robot, however. He seems to have feelings and emotions, which are heightened when he watches old videotapes of the musical Hello, Dolly!. It’s clear that WALL-E is lonely, and longs for a companion that he can love and hold hands with.

He gets that opportunity when a new robot, called EVE (Elissa Knight), is dropped off by a spaceship. Her directive is to see if there’s any plant life on Earth, which would indicate that it has rejuvenated itself sufficiently to support humans again. WALL-E falls instantly in love with EVE, but she treats him as a nuisance. After finding a single seedling, EVE’s mission is finished and a spaceship comes back to pick her up. WALL-E can’t bear to see her go, so he latches on and follows her to the floating human carrier craft that EVE came from.

Captain McCrea (Jeff Garlin) sees the plant that EVE brings back, consults his manual, and realizes that this means humans can finally go back to Earth. But the Autopilot computer doesn’t want to comply because this would mean the end of its reign aboard the ship. Therefore, AUTO steals the plant and tries to get rid of WALL-E and EVE. Fortunately, WALL-E and EVE are able to save the day, eventually leading the humans back to Earth where they can begin a new civilization.

My Reaction: Despite all the positive reviews from professional critics and its Oscar win for Best Animated Film, I never had any real desire to see WALL-E. It just didn’t look like something I would enjoy. But last weekend my son wanted to rent it, so I figured I might was well watch it with him. I should have heeded my intuition on this one.

While there were definitely some enjoyable parts in the film, I felt that it was more boring than not. There was zero dialogue in the first 30 minutes, just a bunch of sound effects and robot beeps. When EVE came on the scene, she and WALL-E said each other’s names. That was it. Most people hailed this as some sort of ingenious way to show how desolate Earth had become, but I found it nothing short of tedious. I was falling asleep.

In addition, I thought the plot was kind of dumb. I guess it’s hard to hold an animated film to any kind of “real life” standards, but still. There were just so many things that didn’t make sense or that simply wouldn’t happen. For instance, why was Captain McCrea so intent on getting “back” to Earth? He kept calling it “home” even though no one on board had ever been there. That spaceship was their home, not Earth. Also, why would the planet be overrun by garbage in the first place? Consumerism has been around for a couple thousand years already and we seem to be doing ok. Why would things change so drastically by 2110?

I had other problems with the film as well, including the whole love story between WALL-E and EVE. Call me cynical, but I thought it was just dumb to have these robots supposedly feeling emotions and falling in love. I find that creepy rather than cute — though I guess I’m in the minority here. Also, I thought the blobby, squishy humans were disgusting. I could barely keep my eyes on the screen whenever those characters were front and center.

Overall, I can’t understand why WALL-E received such raves from nearly everyone who saw it. I’ve loved many other Pixar films, but this one doesn’t even come close to being on the same level. I give it 4.5 stars out of 10.

I just wanted to let you all know about a very cool sweepstakes over at the USA Network’s Character Arcade. The Character Arcade is a fun website where you can play a ton of different games — all for free! You just have to sign up by providing basic information, and then confirm your email address. As an alternative, you can sign into the Character Arcade via your Facebook profile and skip the registration process altogether.  After that, just start playing and/or challenge your friends to some gaming action!

If you haven’t joined yet, now is a great time to do so. That’s because the Character Arcade is having a Game of the Week Sweepstakes where you can win some sweet prizes. For example, this week’s Game of the Week is Felix Rx. Just keep playing it to rack up profile points, get high scores, and have a chance of winning a brand new PSP Go.

I just played Felix Rx, but didn’t do very well. I only made it to Level 5 and scored about 25,000 points. I better head back for some more practice!

Check out the Character Arcade right now by clicking on the banner at the top of this post. Hope to see you over there!

I loved how Alexis was somewhat involved in the case right at the beginning, and thought it was great that Castle called her out as a suspect because she was on the “periphery of the investigation”. And when Beckett told him to go home and question her? Come on, those two were sooo meant to be together!

The case was pretty interesting, and actually had a few twists. I suspected the husband, though, because there was just something skeevy about him. I can’t believe he was willing to let his wife take the fall. What an ass.

Bones 5×06 — “The Tough Man in the Tender Chicken”: This had to be one of the worst Bones episodes ever. I hated all of Angela’s crusading, as well as the video snippets of how chickens are treated in processing plants. Look, I eat chicken. I know some activists and organizations don’t like the way the animals are treated before slaughter, but that’s not really a subject I want covered on a show like Bones.

So the case itself was dumb, and the subplots were ridiculous as well. Angela and Wendell?? Why did they have to go there? The fight between Angela and Brennan over the pig was dumb too. Don’t tell me Angela, with her high-tech job and ZZ Top dad couldn’t afford $1500 to save the damn pig herself. And even if she couldn’t she has no right to piss and moan about Brennan choosing not to give her money to that kind of cause.

The only moment I kind of liked was Booth reaching for Brennan’s hand at the diner. But then the director had to go and ruin it by making the camera hover on the hands for way too long. Ever hear of subtlety?

Criminal Minds 5×06 — “The Eyes Have It”: I thought this was a very good episode. It was creepy (though perhaps a bit on the violent side, even for Criminal Minds) and held my attention throughout. I was very interested in the profile, particularly since I was able to learn a new word from this episode: enucleation. Gross! Thanks, CM.

This ep even did a good job of building up tension during the midpoint kill scenes. Usually, only the first kill in an episode is the least bit scary because it’s the unexpected one. The rest of them are just so-so because we already know the motives and methods. But the middle kills in “The Eyes Have It” had me on the edge of my seat — especially when the guy went after the couple in the park.

Morgan was decent as team leader, and I liked the role reversal that showed Hotch going for the unsub without backup and practically tackling him just as Morgan would have done. I also loved how JJ and Garcia conspired to get Morgan his very own office. Aww! But like Dave, I’m wondering what the end game is here. How will Morgan go back to being just another team member once Hotch is a hundred percent?

The brothers’ personalities are markedly different, which causes some conflict and friction on the journey. Moreover, each is dealing with his own unique set of problems in addition to what’s currently happening to them. For instance, Francis shows up on the train with a heavily bandaged head and a noticeable limp, the results of a motorcycle accident. Peter’s wife is expecting the couple’s first baby, yet instead of being happy about the prospect, Peter for some reason believes that they’ll get a divorce soon. Jack is trying to get over a controlling ex-girlfriend, but can’t seem to stop listening to her answering machine messages at every chance — even after he starts up an affair with Sweet Lime (Amara Karan), the train’s stewardess.

As the film progresses, the men find themselves in one strange situation after another, particularly after they get kicked off the train in the middle of the desert for breaking a few rules. And though nothing seems to go right on the journey, the men do discover a few worthwhile things about themselves and each other along the way.

My Reaction: I remember wanting to see The Darjeeling Limited back when it first came out, but for one reason or another, I never got around to it until just recently. I thought the film had received rather good reviews when it was released, so I was looking forward to a great story. Unfortunately, nothing ever really developed.

First, I want to make it clear that I’m not a Wes Anderson fan, and though I found films like Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums amusing, I don’t go crazy for his brand of comedy. So in this regard, I didn’t expect to emerge from this viewing gushing with praise for the film. Still, I was hoping to be treated to a good story, but as I said, that didn’t happen. In fact, the events of the film seemed so completely random and unconnected to the characters’ lives that I just didn’t get the point. What exactly was discovered on this journey of self-enlightenment? That each of the Whitman brothers has his own particular set of neuroses that won’t be “cured” anytime in the near future? Big deal! That applies to nearly everyone.

I wish I could say that some of the acting performance made up for deficiencies in the script, but that’s not really the case. Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman are as annoying as ever, and Adrien Brody just seemed completely out of place in a film like this.

Overall, I can’t say I liked The Darjeeling Limited very much. I guess Wes Anderson’s films appeal to a certain demographic, and I’m just not part of that group. If you think misadventures with pepper spray and seeing someone wear their dead father’s accessories are a hoot, then you’ll love this movie. As for me, I give it 4.0 stars out of 10.

I’m a baseball fan, but I don’t like either of the two teams that are vying for the championship. So I’m not going to bother watching, except maybe from the 7th inning on — and only if I can get a feed on my Sony VAIO. I’ll be too busy with other stuff to sit in front of the TV, but if I can bring the game up on my laptop and watch it while cleaning or whatever, I might tune in.

At any rate, let’s just hope it ends tonight!

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Look, I’m the biggest Barney/Robin shipper around, but I have to admit that they’re not that interesting as a couple anymore. Prior to their hookup, it was fun looking out for the little moments that they shared together. Now, they just seem wrong in so many ways, which completely bums me out.

This episode did have some good parts, like the Barney/Lily fantasy pairing, but on the whole it felt like I was simply waiting for laughs that never materialized. Still, it was nice to see Marshall get something substantial to do for once.

Anyway, I’m sticking with the show for now, but I certainly don’t look forward to it as much as I used to!

– For once, I found myself agreeing with Tom. Let’s face it, cheating on a college exam in a subject you’re never going to use in your life doesn’t make you a bad person. I know there are some people out there who would simply be aghast at the mere thought of cheating, but wake up. It happens, plain and simple. Do I advocate cheating your whole way through college, taking shortcuts in every single class, buying papers online, etc? Of course not. But I have no problem looking the other way when a 40-something man cheats on a math test when he’s back in school majoring in Mandarin Chinese.

– Speaking of Mandarin, I forgot that’s what Tom’s latest “dream” is. They never show him actually studying it or, you know, practicing some phrases or something, so I’m not at all surprised that he’s falling behind.

– Bree and Karl are getting a bit more interesting. I think she would be making a big mistake if she married him. Sure, he’s fun as a fling, but as soon as he has her in his clutches, he’ll treat her the same way he treated Susan and his second wife. Once a cheater, always a cheater. There’s no way Bree’s gonna be able to change him and she’ll just end up being miserable.

– Gaby trying to homeschool Juanita was hilarious! I cannot imagine her doing that for an entire school year. My bet is that she’ll be apologizing to the principal and begging the woman to let Juanita back in. There’s no way the homeschooling situation could end favorably!

– Katherine is just as unbalanced as ever. Did she really think that she would be able to seduce Mike? The woman is seriously off her rocker. And what was up with just waltzing into the Bowen home like that? Just because the door isn’t locked, that doesn’t mean it’s an open invitation to neighbors to stroll right in.

– I wonder what the deal is with Drea’s character (I still don’t know what her name is on the show). Sounds more and more like they’re in witness protection rather than just on the run from the law. I wonder what they witnessed.

– Why can’t Orson just leave well enough alone? He’s forcing Bree to stay married to him, which is creepy to begin with. Then he complains about not getting any affection unless he forces it on her when they’re in public, which is all kinds of wrong. Now he’s suspicious of her again and will surely uncover the affair with Karl. But he’s not the “wronged” party here. Bree said she didn’t love him and wanted a divorce. He doesn’t get to decide what she does after that.

Pastrana didn’t disappoint fans, going on to win a 125 SX championship as well as a 125 MX championship before injuries forced him to end his racing career far too early. That didn’t mean Pastrana was done with extreme sports, however. He soon went into rally racing, and has also become known as essentially a daredevil, attempting such stunts as jumping his dirt bike across the Grand Canyon or going skydiving without a parachute. Yeah, crazy.

And all these crazy antics are now chronicled on an MTV show called the Nitro Circus. I’ve never seen the show because I try to stay away from MTV as much as possible, but I just found the Nitro Circus Season One DVD set over at Buy.com. This would be the perfect way for me to catch up on Pastrana’s doings and see some incredible stunts as well. This DVD set contains all 12 episodes from Season One, as well as more than 150 minutes of bonus features, including deleted scenes, outtakes, interviews, and unaired stunts.

The Nitro Circus Season One DVD set is on sale for just $15.84 at Buy.com, which is cheaper than I’ve seen at other stores. That makes this purchase a no-brainer, really. Can’t wait to see what this show is all about!