Saturday morning Watchmen

If you haven’t already seen it (it’s been all the rage on Twitter today), check out the Saturday morning Watchmen video here. Very, very clever and fun. Kudos to the creators for fine, funny work.

Technorati Tags: videos,superheroes,Watchmen,humor

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Little Gordon Ramsay

Dina and I have started watching [shudder] Hell’s Kitchen. There’s not a lot of depth to it, but it seems to appeal to some kind of sadistic side of us.

I stumbled across these and thought I’d share. They’re pretty funny. I purposely skipped over part 2. It’s easy enough to find if you want it, but I didn’t find it quite as amusing.

 

Technorati Tags: Gordon Ramsay,Hell's Kitchen,TV,videos,Little Gordon

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Separated at birth

Okay. Nothing terribly deep here. But it bugged me for a while that Jeff from Top Chef really, really reminded me of someone. Then I realized it was Chase from House.

Ergo, fun with PhotoShop.

Technorati Tags: TV,Top Chef,House

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Mary Ann and Mary Jane, again

OK, I can't resist a follow-up to the last post.

I think maybe this latest revelation about "Mary Ann" helps explain why it took them so darn long to get off the island.


UPDATE: It's been pointed out to me that the picture to the left might be a bit unclear. In the original, Mary Ann was posing with a stalk of corn. Now, thanks to the magic of PhotoShop, she's posing with a marijuana plant. Ta-dah!

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Mary Ann and Mary Jane

Yeah, OK. I've got nothing original to say here beyond the title of my post. Don't get the Mary Jane joke?

Gilligan's' Mary Ann Caught With Dope
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Mar 11, 5:57 PM (ET)

(AP) Dawn Wells of the cast of "Gilligan's Island" poses during filming of a two-hour reunion show, "The... Full Image

DRIGGS, Idaho (AP) - Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island," is serving six months' unsupervised probation after allegedly being caught with marijuana in her car.

She was sentenced Feb. 29 to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation after pleading guilty to one count of reckless driving.

Under a plea agreement, three misdemeanor counts - driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance - were dropped.

On Oct. 18, Teton County sheriff's Deputy Joseph Gutierrez arrested Wells as she was driving home from a surprise birthday party that was held for her. According to the sheriff's office report, Gutierrez pulled Wells over after noticing her swerve and repeatedly speed up and slow down. When Gutierrez asked about a marijuana smell, Wells said she'd just given a ride to three hitchhikers and had dropped them off when they began smoking something. Gutierrez found half-smoked joints and two small cases used to store marijuana.

The 69-year-old Wells, founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute and organizer of the region's annual family movie festival called the Spud Fest, then failed a sobriety test.

Wells' lawyer, Ron Swafford, said that a friend of Wells' testified that he'd left a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle after using it that day, and that Wells was unaware of it. Swafford also said several witnesses were prepared to testify that Wells had very little to drink at the party and was not intoxicated when she left. He said she was swerving on the road because she was trying to find the heater controls in her new car.

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Autism group vs. Big Brother

An autism group is going after Big Brother (the TV show, not the Orwellian concept):

Autism Group Demands Apology From CBS

Feb 18, 8:45 PM (ET)

NEW YORK (AP) - A national autism advocacy group is demanding an apology from CBS over a disparaging remark a contestant on the reality show "Big Brother" made about people with the disorder.

John Gilmore, executive director of Autism United, said Monday that his group has been trying to speak with CBS executives since last week's broadcast.

On that episode, a contestant named Adam, who claims to work for an autism foundation, said he would spend his winnings on a hair salon for people with developmental disabilities "so retards can get it together and get their hair done."

His partner, Sheila, told him: "Don't call them that."

Adam responded: "Disabled kids. I can call them whatever I want. I work with them all day, OK?"

The show's Web site describes him as a 29-year-old public relations manager from Delray Beach, Fla.

In a statement released Monday, CBS condemned Adam's comments, saying they don't represent opinions held by the network or the program's producers.

"We certainly find the statements made by Adam to be offensive but believe they were countered by the immediate reaction of shock and condemnation from a fellow houseguest, Sheila," the statement said. "Adam's remarks would not have been permitted to air unchallenged."

"Big Brother" also has been condemned for contestants' remarks on incest, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Some contestants have been removed following incidents that were deemed violent or racist.

The premise of the show is that contestants - or "houseguests" - are isolated from the outside world while under constant surveillance. Once a week, they vote to evict a member of the group.

When just two people remain, a jury of voted-off contestants picks the "Big Brother" winner of the $500,000 grand prize.

Autism is a complex disorder featuring poor social interaction and communication skills.

You know, I don't want to appear unsympathetic here. The remark was ridiculous, immature, etc. But the whole demand for an apology seems to show a complete lack of understanding of television in general and reality television in particular. This guy is not representative of CBS or even the show he's on. He's one guy on a reality show who made a stupid remark, a remark that was criticized by those around him. There was no endorsement of his stupidity. He said something offensive and was criticized for it. The message on the show was pretty clear: Calling people that name is a bad idea." I'm with CBS on this one: "We certainly find the statements made by Adam to be offensive but believe they were countered by the immediate reaction of shock and condemnation from a fellow houseguest."

Demand an apology from Adam when he gets out of the house (it doesn't seem possible he'll stay in there very long). But making a big issue out of it with CBS is just silly.

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American Idol tonight

We're watching American Idol right now. Dude, what is up with all the green tongues? Were they giving out popsicles? Is there a green-tongue tattoo parlor down the street?

Also, too much Bryan Adams.

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What Veronica Mars character are you?

Sigh. I miss Veronica Mars.

Which Veronica Mars Character Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

Wallace Fennel, huh? Could be worse.

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Sawyer said it...

From now on, I'll answer to "Haus" in addition to "Rob" and "handsome."

To get your own Lost nickname from Sawyer, check this page.

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Chuck on tonight

For my fellow Chuck fans out there, FYI: Chuck is on tonight, twice, in two new episodes "sandwiching" Celebrity Apprentice.

This seems like really stupid programming to me, along the lines of what I complained about for the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles premiere. I mean, you've got a show that's somewhat established and has a following, its viewers are used to watching it on Monday nights. Why drop in two new episodes on a completely different night? I feel like there's some executive anxious to cancel the show, expecting it to tank in this slot and then planning to use the bad ratings as a "see, I told you so" excuse. But what do I know?

Anyway, if you like the show, please watch or record it. Don't give them an excuse to cancel this one.

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Currently...

I thought I'd start a new feature here where I can list some of the things I'm reading, watching, etc. and say a few words about them. Assuming I like or approve ofe them, they'll wind up in the handy dandy new Amazon store I've set up with things I'd recommend to others without reservation (at least, when those things are actually sold on Amazon).

So here goes:

Currently reading:

The Crime Writer, by Gregg Hurwitz. Very impressive so far. I'm not sure where I read about this first, but I put it on my Amazon wish list, got it as a Christmas present, and have really been enjoying it. The premise is that the narrator is, himself, a hardboiled crime writer in modern Los Angeles. He wakes up in a hospital on the first page to find out that he's had some kind of major incident and that he's the primary suspect in a murdr.

The real trick here is that as he begins to find out what's happened to him and to attempt to regain memories of a lost, traumatic night, he does what he knows: He writes about it. It plays around with metafiction in interesting ways. I'm not to the end yet, but am thoroughly enjoying the ride so far.

I'm also reading Pulp Hero and boy is it getting me jazzed to run some pulp adventures. The Hero System really set the stage for great pulp gaming materials with Justice, Inc., years ago, and the latest incarnation, Pulp Hero, seems very meaty. It's hard to go wrong with a book that has a section header reading "Add More Yaks."

Steve Long is sometimes a bit long-winded and a little dry (I miss the zestier writing he used back in the days of Watchers of the Dragon), but the pulp background details and genre concepts are well-researched and interesting.

There's a lot to this book. Some of it (biographies, timelines, etc.) is more general historical reference that feels kind of like extra weight, but on the other hand, it's all very useful information for anyone role-playing in the genre and it's pulled together with an eye for what is going to be most interesting and relevant for gamers.

If you're interested in Pulp Hero, check out the Hero Games store (I could give you an Amazon link so that you could pick up a used copy and I'd get a small kickback from Amazon, but I'd rather that Hero Games got the money here). Some of my best gaming moments ever were at GenCon at the Justice, Inc. events. This is firing me up to play some pulp adventures. Big time.

I also picked up The Best of the Spirit from the library not too long ago. Wow. Will Eisner is a legend in the comic book industry, but not one whose work I'd explored in any depth. These stories date back to the first appearance of the Spirit back in 1940 and advance beyond. They feel particularly advanced and sophisticated for that era and laid the groundwork for a lot of stories that followed.

It's just a fun, fun read, and makes me wish I'd started exploring the Spirit earlier in my comic book reading life. On the other hand, the fact that I haven't read the Spirit up until now means that I have a lot of very good stories in front of me to discover, something else I'm excited about. I haven't delved too deeply into the book yet, but I look forward to doing that, and maybe picking up a copy for my home library.

Currently watching:

Through a combination of working on my book, a conflict with a show that Dina and I watched together, and timing, I ended up missing Lost season three, deciding to wait for the DVD instead. It was a long wait--I'd expected it to be released in September or so like the previous season, but when they decided to delay the season four premiere, they delayed the release of this DVD set, too.

I got a set for Christmas, though (thanks, Mom!) and have been trying to plow my way through them before the show returns at the end of the month. I'm not likely to make it (I've watched eight episodes so far), but I should be close enough that I won't fill up my TiVo with season four episodes before I can start watching them.

It had been more than a year since I'd seen my last episode of Lost, so there was a bit of a learning curve there (I wish that the DVD set had included one of those "everything that happened in season one and two in an hour" episodes), but boy howdy, I've been enjoying it. The characters, the setting, and the mythology are all just enjoyable as all get-out and I've really had fun with each episode so far. I've heard enough about the season to know that it ended with a creative flourish, so I'm looking forward to that. And I know it got some flack for being slow at times, but so far I'm not having any problems with it. Makes me want to pop an episode in right now and watch it...

Currently listening to:

Sophie Milman's jazzy, eclectic, velvet-toned new CD, Make Someone Happy, lives up to its name. I smile when I listen to it and it's just got some very nice tunes. I always enjoy "Fever" and her take on it strikes me just fine. I also like the title track and "People Will Say We're in Love"--the whole CD, really.

I heard Milman first in a profile on NPR and was intrigued enough to drop the CD onto my wish list. She's a Russian-born, Canadian, Jewish jazz singer. And she's awesome.

I highly recommend this one. It's good for quiet contemplation and for adding a little romance.

I'm a sucker. My buddy and I went to see I Am Legend and I was enjoying the music and Will Smith held up a CD and said that it was the best CD of all time and of course I had to have it.

The CD is Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers. Its use in the movie was a good, unusual fit and a good riff on the the names of the movie and the CD.

Of course, it is a pretty damn good CD. Can't complain about Bob Marley and this is a good overview of his greatest songs, perfect for someone like me who is buying his first Bob Marley album. I particularly like "Three Little Birds," but the whole thing is solid and good to listen to in a variety of moods.

That's it for today. Like the feature? Hate the feature? Let me know.

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Idol musings

We watched and enjoyed American Idol tonight. It was about half an hour too long and spent too much time indulging a few wackos (the glittery woman who Simon said looked liked Willem Dafoe, the guy in the Princess Leia slave girl outfit, etc.). But it was fun and we didn't fast forward through much. I'm simultaneously looking forward to and dreading the Dallas auditions, wondering what kind of picture they'll paint of the Big D.

Dina and I didn't start watching the show until toward the middle of season five (the one with Daughtry, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, Elliott Yamin, etc.), so I'm probably not quite as jaded as other viewers (I also missed big chunks of last season because I was working on revisions on Devil's Cape). Anyway, as a fan of the season and a particular fan of McPhee and Hicks, I picked up their CDs when they debuted, and recently got Yamin's CD for Christmas. As much as I liked McPhee and Hicks, their CDs were... not very good. A few good tracks on each (and "good" is pretty generous). Yamin's was even worse. I think I like maybe one song on it. And recent Idol winners and near-winners are getting dropped quickly by record labels.

So what's the deal? They're enjoyable on the show. We root for them. They're solid entertainers. Why are their CDs mediocre?

I guess it's kind of obvious, at least to me, but the songs are just bad. Yamin's CD even has a track ("A Song for You") with a line that says "I've sung a lot of songs and I've made some bad rhymes." Buddy, if your CD contains a slew of bad rhymes, and yours does, you sure as hell don't want to bring additional scrutiny to that fact.

I'm not sure how much of the blame goes on the singers (I'd guess a little) and how much on the producers (I'd guess an awful lot--the buck should stop there), but the musical choices are just awful. Let's think about American Idol a bit. It showcases talented singers (at least by the time you get to the end of the process) singing familiar songs. Good songs. We get used to Katharine McPhee or Blake Lewis or whoever lending a personal voice and vision to songs that are generally familiar to us. So why make their CDs so different. Why make Katharine McPhee's first album be filled with a bunch of crappy songs we've never heard before that don't showcase her talents particularly well?

Keep in mind that I don't know anything about the contracts these singers end up with or what the rules are for licensing songs. But if I were producing a CD for an American Idol winner, I'd pick maybe a couple of new songs, if there was something that really showcased the winner's style. But I'd fill the album with music more like what the American Idol fans are used to hearing from the show. Katharine McPhee's "Over the Rainbow" is great. I downloaded the MP3 from iTunes. But it's not on her album. Why not? Why not have her sing some standards? Why not track down some songs that she didn't sing on the show, but that are available and known and that work for her voice?

I'd look for songs that lended themselves to interpretation by the singer, rather than just straight reproduction of how earlier singers had done the songs. If my star had a country style, I'd look for some decent rock songs and make slightly country versions of them. And vice versa.

I'd take good songs that you don't hear very often anymore and have our star make them new again (I'd love to hear "Dumb Things" more often).

New songs are fine, but they're not what we're used to hearing from the Idol contestants and they have to be catchy and good if the singer is going to succeed. What bugs me is that these very talented and charismatic singers end up getting reps as failures when the fault really lies with the people making the song choices for their albums.

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Crazy like a fox? Stupid like FOX

I'm mildly enthused about Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which airs tonight for the first time. (I'm containing my enthusiasm because FOX has burned me before on its sci-fi shows, canceling them way early, and because some recent sci-fi shows, like Bionic Woman, have been disappointing.)

But what concerns/burns me the most is FOX repeating the same stupid, show-killing premiere format as with Drive (another promising genre show, one that FOX drove into the ground). The show's normal timeslot is Monday nights, but they're debuting it Sunday night and following it up with a new episode the night after. It's just dumb--it requires a sudden, strong commitment from a public not used to it yet (it was worse with Drive, where they started it with a two-hour pilot, meaning that if you were intrigued by the show, you had to commit to three hours of viewing within 25 hours if you didn't want to be hopelessly lost). And I just don't get the sense of putting it on for the first time in a time slot you aren't going to have it occupy. It's not a good way to get people in the habit of viewing it and it's a piss-poor way to test out how it's going to work in its target slot.

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A special gift

For anyone who's been looking to give me that special something, this would be a hell of a lot of fun to drive down the highway.

You can buy it here.

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Mirna and Schmirna

This article in the Deseret Morning News perfectly sums up what drives me nuts about Charla and Mirna on The Amazing Race.

The part about them being ugly Americans is particularly on-target. The way they talk to cab drivers and others they encounter is despicable.

Great show. I can't wait until they're no longer a part of it.

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The Simpsons: funny couch gag

I'm not usually a huge fan of The Simpsons. I enjoy it when I see it, but don't go out of my way to see it. But this clip of an intro to a recent episode gave me a good chuckle--watch what Homer has to go through to make it to the couch.

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See! Wizards of the Coast agrees with me

I declared my loathing of the character Uni the unicorn back in June and it turns out that I wasn't alone. Thanks for having my back, Wizards of the Coast. (The Wizards web site rotates a series of slogans, many of them pretty amusing, below its name--just hit refresh once you're on the site to see more of them).

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Make it so. Or maybe not...

This image on the left isn't from a new Star Trek show. It's not from a movie. It's not from an attraction in Las Vegas.

No, this is some dude in his own apartment, which he has lovingly, painstakingly, and expensively designed to look like part of a Star Trek ship.

My initial reactions:

• Hey, that's kind of cool.
• That would get pretty old in about 15 minutes, and I like Trek a lot.
• This guy is going to have serious trouble getting women (or men, as the case may be) to visit his transporter room. If you know what I mean.
• What are his power bills like? How much time does he spend dusting those consoles?
  
• Wouldn't you feel weird walking around that place in jeans? Of course, you'd feel pretty weird walking around in a Starfleet uniform, too. Except for you, Larry.
• The article I linked to above refers to this as the guy's (Tony Alleyne's) "ultimate bachelor pad." Uh huh. It doesn't exactly go with Barry White, you know.
• I can envision a really bad reality show where a dozen or so Trekkies have to live in this apartment together, and every week one of them is "fired out the photon tube" or "sent to the transporter room" or "put in a red shirt."

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My Star Trek inspirational thought for the day

There are more like this at this web site. Funny stuff.

Confession: I've had this one hanging in my cubicle at work for a while now.

Confession two: Yes, I know that the astronaut game is too wide for my site, so I'm bumping it down a bit lower.

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Chunk from The Goonies vs. Jack Bauer

I'm a huge fan of The Goonies and this YouTube clip made me laugh. First attempt at including a video piece on my blog. We'll see how it goes.

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