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Happy Halloween, everybody. I was originally going to post a new edition of Top Ten Cases today, ranking the ten best horror films, but I received some troubling news today that made me reconsider.
At about 1:30 PM today one of my college friends called and reported that one of our close friends had died the day before, and it appears that it was likely a suicide. In respect to his family's privacy, and to not speculate further until anything is confirmed, that's all I'm going to say on that matter.
I will say this, though. It's easy to simply judge those that take their lives by saying they're weak or selfish. I disagree. I have nothing but compassion for somebody who feels so down and depressed that they can do something so drastic. That being said, it's an awful thing to do to those who love and care about you -- your family, your friends. There's always another option, and there ARE people out there that care.
Here is a link to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Asking for help is often times scary. But it's well worth it. Rest in peace, my friend. God bless.
Friday, October 31, 2008
There's always another option
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-7
Has anybody ever said to you, “Hey, did you ever notice that huge mole on Terry’s forehead?” Despite having never noticed Terry’s mole before, now every time you see him, that’s all you can see. I think Heroes is in a similar boat. There’s a very vocal group of people complaining about certain deficiencies. Fans read these complaints, and suddenly that’s all they can see. That’s why, overall, I try to steer clear of message boards. As a whole, the posters tend to be entirely too negative, and their negativity is contagious. I enjoy Heroes. For the most part, I really like most of the characters, and I’m interested in the story. In hindsight, yes, season two was an epic disappointment. But why would I judge this season based on last season’s less than stellar performance? The writers have made a concerted effort to remedy their mistakes, and while the writing hasn’t been perfect, it’s been (in my opinion) pretty fun and exciting.
http://primetimepulse.com/2008/10/28/heroes-episode-3-7-review/
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
No f'n way!
Monday, October 27, 2008
A bit dramatic, don't you think?
So the latest edition of Entertainment Weekly proclaims that Heroes is a show in crisis, and needs to be saved. I mean, yeah, the ratings have admittedly dipped and many of the people who gushed over the show now seemingly don't have a nice thing to say about it, but isn't this just a TAD dramatic? It would be borderline suicidal for NBC to cancel the show, and I think they know it. While Heroes isn't one of the top 10 highest rated shows on TV right now (it may not even be top 15), it's 
the second highest rated drama on NBC. It's also among the highest rated shows in regards to the 18-49 year old demographic (the one that advertisers pay the most for). And while it may no longer be a ratings juggernaut, the series is still highly marketable and well known. I suppose that may not mean much if people aren't watching, but NBC would be hard pressed to find a new show that could match the overall exposure that Heroes receives. I'd be utterly shocked if this show is even near the verge of almost being cancelled.
And while there is a very vocal group of people panning the series they once loved -- and Nielson ratings have declined -- it's still the #1 top rated show on TV.com, beating out shows like House, Lost, Prison Break, Grey's Anatomy, and other popular or highly rated shows. Ditto for IMDb.com (which is surprising, considering how much the posters there tear it apart).
Honestly, I think a lot of the criticism aimed at this season has more to do with the bad taste last season left in the fans' mouth than anything they're seeing this season. That being said, the show REALLY needs a smack to the back of the head. While I have really enjoyed this season, there are some inherent flaws that the show hasn't addressed since the beginning of the series.
For example, let me lay out this story arc, and you tell me which season I am referring to (including this one): A character goes into the future, sees that something cataclysmic is going to happen, and returns to the past to attempt to prevent it. Along the way he hits some obstacles and makes some bumbling mistakes. Peter, meanwhile, puts his trust in the wrong person and comes to discover that HE is the person who will be responsible for the future devastation, only to be talked down by Nathan, who presumably dies in heroic fashion. In a somewhat unrelated story, Suresh does experiments while unknowingly working for the bad guys. HRG does some morally questionable things to ensure that his family remains safe, only for an angst-ridden Claire to begin to distrust him. While this is all happening, Angela Petrelli acts cryptic and all knowing, and has this "the ends justify the means" mentality.
So, which season did I just describe?
Even a show like Lost has gone through its fair share of slumps, but I honestly don't think you could use the same blanket description in reference to each season.
And this criticism isn't even necessarily about the repetitiveness, although that is a HUGE problem (as I have noted in my Special Heroes Special Report, why should we care about the heroes saving the future when we know that there's an equally crappy future waiting in the wings?) You also have to consider that the characters' growth has been so stunted that they can continuously fall into these same predicaments. All three seasons we've seen Hiro desperately want to go on a heroic quest, only to constantly watch him make idiotic mistakes along the way (and, as the EW column noted, did we honestly just see Hiro lose a destructive formula BECAUSE HE WAS BORED???) Peter is still that naive, all trusting guy that hitches his horse to the wrong wagon, necessitating an 11th hour save from big brother. And, for the love of God, how many times do we have to watch Claire trust, not trust, and then trust her father again? AND EACH YEAR THE TRUST ISSUE IS OVER THE SAME MATTER!!!! In the three years that this show has been on, Peter, Claire, Hiro, and all the rest haven't developed to the point that they no longer fall into the same trap time and time again.
Along with that, one of the strongest points of the first season -- its ensemble cast -- is now arguably its greatest weakness. What made season one so fun and exciting was that these individual characters each had a strong story, and it was genuinely enjoyable seeing them come to meet each other. It was this great feeling of everybody being connected. Some of the connections were strong, and others were loose. But in the end, they were all intertwined. I still get goosebumps when I think of the scene in which Peter and Claire first met. Or when all of the central characters were together in the finale at Kirby Plaza. They came from Texas, Vegas, Japan, India, and elsewhere....but they all ended up in New York City, and for different reasons.
That thrill is now gone. All of the characters basically know each other now, and most of the pairings have been exhausted. Yet the show seems so pathetically desperate to hold onto these characters/actors. I cannot think of a more boring, more useless character than Parkman. Yet he's still around. He seems like a nice guy, so why not give just write him off by giving him that happy ending he deserves? Ali Larter is fun to look at and a fine actress, but for whatever reason, she's just not meshing with this show. Her storyline is constantly the weak link of the season. It's time to let her loose. Maya.....holy hell, what more can be said about her? I truly hope she's dead (not only because she's a terrible character, but also because it adds a little weight to the deeds Mohinder has committed). And while I've actually really, really enjoyed Mohinder's dark turn this season, I also think he's at the point of no return. Kill him off by the end of the season (or volume, preferably). I also think that having him die as a man who tried to do noble, great things, but ultimately became obsessed with achieving grandeur -- to the point that it literally turned him into a monster -- can be very poignant.
Two characters that I will defend, though, are Nathan and Claire. Most (vocal) fans believe they've either run their course or are unbearably annoying. While I do think they need to grow a bit more (especially Claire), I also feel they are crucial to the overall story. And I think people fail to realize that Nathan has become one of the strongest characters on the show. Tim Kring has often said that this series, at its core, is about families, priarily the Petrellis and the Bennets. I think it would be a mistake to take away the two members that connect those families.
The thing I've come to realize is that the writers of Heroes are great storytellers, but only "good" writers. If anybody ever listened to any Chris Jericho interviews during his book tour, he explains that there was a ghost writer, but that he (Jericho) wrote every word of the book. As the former Undisputed Champion explains, he's perfectly capable of telling stories and putting words on paper, he just needed help with the overall structure. And I think that's one of the weaknesses of the Heroes writers: They're fully capable of writing, and they're great at telling stories, but they have a really tough time doing it in a cohesive, well paced, logical manner. Consider that season two was entirely too slow, season three has been on speed, and season one was a combination of both. This also explains why there are so many apparent plot holes and inconsistencies.
Let me offer a few comparisons: In my opinion, while the Heroes staff is great at story telling and only good at writing, I think the Smallville writing team is the opposite: they're great writers but only good at telling a story. And finally, I think a show like Lost does a phenomenal job at both. Ultimately, I think Heroes knows where it wants to go, but it has a lot of trouble getting there.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Cyber Sunday thoughts and predictions
Friday, October 24, 2008
A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 8-6
Read more!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-8
I’m sure most people will consider this past week’s episode of Prison Break the weakest of the season – and perhaps it has been – but I felt it was a perfectly acceptable “plot advancement” episode. Sure, there was a shootout and a moderately important character died, but even so, this wasn’t the most exhilarating episode of the year.
And that’s okay.
http://primetimepulse.com/2008/10/22/prison-break-episode-4-7-review/
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Top Ten Cases: TV's greatest bromances
Enjoy yet another video edition of Top Ten Cases, this time taking a look at television's greatest "bromances" (and for those of you wondering, I put this list together before TV Guide did -- to tell you the truth, I still haven't looked at their version yet). Anyway, since YouTube has strict, um, restrictions about video lengths, I had to divide this up into two parts. ENJOY!
Update: These videos have now been replaced with versions that are in MUCH better quality. ENJOY!
Part 1:
Part 2:
And, as promised, that Doug Ross/Mark Greene scene:
You have GOT to be kidding me....
As if the past few days wasn't bad enough, on my way home today I get pulled over and receive a ticket for tailgating. Tailgating!
Now, let me make one thing clear: I do not, in any way, condone reckless driving. I think that whole Nick Hogan fiasco shows that. But driving "too close" to somebody when you're going, like, 20 miles per hour? Basically, the guy in front of me was going, like, 15 to 20 miles per hour under the speed limit (and no, that's not an exaggeration). I was close, but I did not think at a dangerous level. Then when it turned into two lanes, I got in the second lane and passed him. I didn't cut him off, I didn't burn rubber, and I didn't exceed the speed limit (I will note, however, that the cop seemed like a fair enough guy, and certainly wasn't an asshole).
Honestly, I don't even mind the fine or court appearance, it's the points that kill you. And tailgating is -- GET THIS -- FIVE POINTS. By the way, failure to stop at a traffic light? That would only be two points. Yes, driving close to somebody going 20 miles per hour is 5 points. Bursting through a red light is less than half that. Even passing through a "No Passing" zone is 4 points. That's breaking the ONE RULE that the sign commands.
Other offenses less evil than tailgating:
- Leaving the scene of an accident (no injuries): Two points
- Going through a Stop sign: Two points
- RACING THROUGH A SAFETY ZONE: Sounds dangerous, right? Yeah, only two points.
- Improper driving on a sidewalk (yes, a sidewalk): Two points.
Ugh. Anyway, here's your Heroes review:
http://primetimepulse.com/2008/10/21/heroes-episode-3-6-review/ Read more!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Your assistance, please
Does anybody know where I can find this shirt? Or what company manufactures it? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The rise and fall of Joe the Plumber
When discussing the third Presidential debate with a friend of mine, I had jokingly said, "I'm just wondering who the hell Joe the Plumber is...." I had missed the beginning of the debate, and had assumed that Joe the Plumber was some hypothetical character, like "Joe Six Pack." I actually got a kick out of the fact that by the end of the debate, both candidates were referring to this "Joe the Plumber," literally making him the centerpiece of each point they were attempting to make.
Friday, October 17, 2008
A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 8-5
Every couple of years, Smallville seems to get their Saw kick, where they put a character into a dire situation that looks like it was lifted directly from one of the Saw scripts (you’ll recall this happened a couple of years ago with Lionel and Martha). That observation aside, I found it to be a really enjoyable episode.
http://primetimepulse.com/2008/10/17/smallville-episode-8-5-review/
Thursday, October 16, 2008
From the inbox: Heroes plot holes
One of my long-time PrimeTimePulse readers, Dan, sent me the following:
Since I have been singing the praises of this season, I do feel a certain obligation to at least attempt to explain some of these abnormalities. I should first note, however, that I am far more lenient with a show like Heroes when it comes to apparent plot holes. Much like Lost, in Heroes we are provided with information, but won't receive the explanation until long after. As a result, I tend to give them the benefit of doubt, taking more of a "wait and see" approach.I'm glad you pointed out the two plot holes concerning Peter, but there are more. I'm not even enjoying this season anymore. Here's what's bothering me:
- Claire supposedly changed because Sylar attacked her, but she was already changed before Peter went back in time and allowed Sylar to find her
- All Noah has to do to kill Sylar is have the Haitian around and shoot him. That's how Future Peter died.
- Do people's powers work in Level 5? Peter's do and Sylar healed his neck, but then why can't he use his powers to break out?
- Sylar has telekinesis. He could have moved himself, Claire, and Noah away from the vortex.
- Sylar has super hearing. He would have heard that Noah was trying to get the vortex guy to kill him.
Also, regarding the two plot holes concerning Peter, I assume Dan is referring to my latest Heroes column, in which I wondered why Peter has Sylar's hunger, since he already (a) naturally absorbs people's abilities (so it can't be about "power") and (b) can read people's thoughts (so it can't be about "knowledge").
Okay, lets take this point-by-point...
I have to credit Dan for catching the apparent Sylar/Claire/Peter inconsistencies, which I'm almost ashamed to admit I completely missed. In the opening episode of the season, we learned that four years in the future, Claire had "changed" and is evidently a "villain." This prompts Peter to go back in time, which indirectly leads to Claire staying home one afternoon, allowing Sylar to violate her and take her ability. I WOULD defend this particular point by saying that in that particular future, Claire had changed because she and those like her had become guinea pigs due to Nathan "outing" everybody. But her "I'm different, I'm special" comment most certainly alluded to the exact line Sylar uttered after attacking Claire. So, clearly, the Sylar attack is what prompted her change. Therefore, the only real explanation I can offer is that the exchange between Sylar and Claire inevitably would have happened, but Peter's actions forced it to happen sooner rather than later.
This does lead me to another problem that I had not previously recognized, however. Angela Petrelli repeatedly chastised Future Peter for what he had done, insinuating that he had severely altered the future. Yet, when Future and Present Peter(s) go into the future, Future Peter seems awfully comfortable and knowledgeable. It seems pretty clear that this was more or less the same future that he had left.
I too took note of the fact that HRG really only needs the Haitian to be in the area in order for him to kill Sylar (hell, HRG explained his intent to kill Sylar to the Haitain....when they were only feet away from Sylar). My best guess is that HRG wants to make it look like an accident. Perhaps his plan is to kill Sylar, run away with his family, and be done with this Company business once and for all. But he knows that if he kills Sylar execution style, he'll always have the Company (and perhaps more specifically, Angela Petrelli) on his (and his family's) tail.
Regarding Level 5, I think it's clear that people's abilities do work there, but I'm sorta under the impression that their abilities are restricted within their cell. We've seen numerous characters use their abilities within their cell, and outside the cell, yet they never escape (and the powers that be stare down at them from the window with an awful lot of confidence). In instances with Peter and Sylar, we've also learned that they have to be injected with some sort of IV in order to prohibit their abilities. I would assume that the electromagnetic barrier that Elle short circuited in the premiere creates a force field of some sort.
While it would have been nice to at least have a character bring up the fact that Sylar should try to use his abilities to save them from the vortex, I'm actually quite willing to forgive them for this. Sylar was busy trying not to get sucked into the vortex himself, so I think it's natural that he wouldn't have the wherewithal to use his telekinesis. Actually, I'm not quite sure what telekinesis would have done in that scenario: It's not as if it gives him the ability of physical teleportion. I suppose he would have been able to protect HRG and Claire, to an extent, but how about himself? Telekinesis doesn't give him the ability of flight. And from what we've seen of Sylar's ability, he must physically use his hands to guide whatever he's trying to move. That would have been exceptionally difficult when he was trying to save himself from getting sucked into a powerful vortex.
The show has been extremely vague, at best, when explaining whether or not Sylar retained all of his original abilities after he took the vaccine in last season's finale. Thus far, we've really only seen him use telekinesis and the abilities that he's acquired since then. That being said, I'm not entirely convinced that Sylar DIDN'T use his super hearing when HRG was talking to the vortex guy. No, we didn't physically see him hearing it, but he was clearly reacting to the exchange. And then later in the car, he was VERY knowledgeable about the discussion that took place. And for some reason I don't see either HRG or Claire offering up the information that HRG had tried to kill him. I suspect that the writers simply decided not to include the "overhearing" effect in order to make the scene more suspenseful.
Admittedly, some of these explanations may be flawed. And in some cases, the writers really should have taken the time and care to explain certain apparent inconsistencies. But, again, overall I tend to wait and give them a few episodes to see if they offer an explanation. Do any visitors have issues or suggestions for these alleged plot holes? Read more!
To help with your informed decision
For a guy who hates discussing politics, I've sure been writing a lot of politically-charged blog posts.
Anyway, for anybody who watched the final debate last night (starring "Joe the Plumber"!), I encourage you to read out this "Fact Check" section on CNN.com. This page basically takes all of the accusations that were thrown and provides factual evidence to determine if the comment was true, false, or misleading.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/category/fact-check/
Have a nice day.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Case in point....
Yesterday I wrote what I consider to be a politically impartial post about how I'm disgusted with these young celebrities filming videos that appear to encourage young voters to blindly vote for Barack Obama. I insisted that this wasn't a political stance, and that I would have felt this way no matter which candidate the flames were directed at. I also boldly stated that I would have felt the same way even if the love of my life, Rachel Bilson, was involved in the video.
Well, it's not Rachel Bilson, but another one of my crushes, Hayden Panettiere, recently filmed a PSA-like video, sarcastically encouraging people to vote for John McCain. Here's the video:
I'll say this: I find this slightly less offensive than the previous video I posted, because she did, at the very least, ATTEMPT to provide reasons why people shouldn't vote for him. They were stupid reasons, but at least she tried. And the "nobody fucks with McCain" with a big smile on her face was pretty funny.
But, again, overall it was a moronic video. I am SO not a fan of this ultra PC, super sensitive society we live in, but what the hell was up with the age discrimination. She so boldly tells people not to vote for McCain "because he's old." I don't doubt that the comment had its tongue firmly in its cheek, but can you imagine the outcry if somebody had said -- even jokingly -- "don't vote for Obama, because he's black"??? And considering the fact that her boyfriend is, like, 12 years her senior, her anti-old comments seem especially misplaced.
I especially hate her "a vote for John McCain is a vote AGAINST change" argument. What does that even mean? McCain will get us in another war, you say? Nice of you to completely disregard that people in Obama's very party criticized him for the comments he made last year about taking military action in Pakistan.
And what was the deal with her comment about McCain allegedly having an affair with a lobbyist? To suggest that McCain has an unsavory relationship with lobbyists is no better than accusing Obama of being associated with terrorists. And if we want to get personal, how about we talk about Hayden's dad supposedly beating up on her mom? No good?
Again, this isn't a John McCain/Barack Obama thing. This isn't even about celebrity endorsements (again, they have every right to express their opinions). This is about asinine, shallow videos that contain no information whatsoever, and celebrities using their influence to encourage impressionable (and mostly uninformed) young voters to support their candidate. And they're not even bothering to do it with concrete and substantial data. I find that insulting. And, considering that it probably works, pretty tragic.
In fact, there is an article on CNN.com that discusses the false accusations that are smeared all over the Internet. I encourage everybody to read it:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/15/internet.rumors/index.html Read more!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
This makes my blood boil
Let me make one thing perfectly clear: The proceeding message is in NO WAY anti or pro either candidate. I would feel this way no matter who the following ad was aimed at. I'd even feel this way if the precious Rachel Bilson was involved. Now you know I'm not kidding....
I really hesitated to comment on this video, because I really don't like discussing politics. It's a very sensitive, personal subject that almost always results in arguments (arguments, mind you, in which nobody EVER changes their mind). But this video, in which young celebrities encourage kids to "talk to their parents" about voting for John McCain and to vote for Obama "before it's too late," really infuriated me.
Don't get me wrong. I love the idea of young people being encouraged to vote. Too many people in their early 20's -- who turned 18 between elections -- aren't even registered to vote, and that's really disappointing. And while it annoys me having to constantly see celebrities on their soap box while on some political crusade, they do have every right to express their opinions. So while seeing popular celebrities endorse somebody to unfortunately impressionable young adults isn't ideal, nobody can stop them from doing it.
What REALLY gets under my skin, however, is how astronomically asinine that advertisement was. You don't want people to vote for McCain? That's perfectly fine. But why? Give viewers some substantial, concrete information about why he's not the right candidate (and no, briefly showing a "drilling for oil" hat doesn't cut the mustard). And why should we vote for Obama "before it's too late"? What about that particular candidate makes him the superior choice? Talk about some of his policies or what he's done in his political career that makes him the ideal President.
And I find it tragically hilarious how these young voters are talking about how their parents shouldn't vote for McCain just because "everybody their age is doing it." Why not just say, "Hi pot, I'm kettle. Did you know you're black?"
The fact of the matter is that Obama IS the ideal candidate for many people. And that's fine. But this was a tremendously hollow, pathetic video. One that I find astronomically offensive. Do these people honestly think so little of their demographic that they can just say "don't vote for McCain. Bad things will happen. Vote for Obama. Rainbows will dance"?
Absolutely dreadful. This video actually made me sad.
A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-5
Read more!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Special Heroes Special Report!
This isn't a Rickroll, I promise you.
In my latest video post, I discuss why Heroes should stop traveling to the future in order to come up with a season-long story arc. Enjoy:
A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 8-4
Read more!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
A really good interview on WWE.com
There's a really good Superstar to Superstar interview over on WWE.com (may I also note that this is one of my favorite features on the dotcom), where John Cena speaks with Christopher Bell, creator of the documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster*, a documentary that takes a close look at the negatives -- and positives -- of anabolic steroid use.
[Tobacco is] a drug that kills 435,000 Americans a year. Alcohol kills 75,000 Americans every year. Deaths related to anabolic steroids – according to the Centers for Disease Control – are three people a year on average. You’re basically looking at those numbers, and go, “Yeah, three people is too many any time.” But what about the 435,000 people who are dropping dead from cigarettes? You never deem anything immoral simply because it’s illegal. It doesn’t mean you can go ahead and use it but it means that I think we’ve deemed steroids immoral simply because they are illegal.
The documentary also takes a look at how steroids basically saved the life of somebody with HIV, and how Congress appears to be, overall, completely clueless about effects of a drug they're admonishing as dangerous.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Hey, a political rant
It's pretty amazing (disheartening?) how much of a difference just a couple of months can make when it comes to this year's Presidential election. Over the summer, I was legitimately excited about the election. Two candidates that I liked were going up against each other, and no matter what, history would be made (for the first time ever, either a black man or a female would hold office as President or Vice President, respectively). Even when the V.P.s were announced, my enthusiasm didn't falter. I thought Biden provided the experience and confidence necessary for his ticket, while Palin brought the energy and relative youth that was lacking with McCain. I honestly hadn't decided who I would vote for, but as far as I was concerned, I was in a win/win situation.
Now, I really just can't wait for the whole thing to be over with. And I can't help but feel like no matter who wins, I'll feel disappointed. At the moment, I don't believe that the issues our country is facing will change within the next four years. So if McCain wins, I detest the idea of Obama supporters saying, "See, told you he wouldn't fix anything." And if Obama wins, I can't help but feel like McCain missed out on his one opportunity to become president.
This election has just turned into such a bitter, angry, insecure mess, as far as supporters go. It seems like McCain supporters are grasping at straws, trying to spout out any reason whatsoever why we shouldn't be voting for Obama, while Obama's supporters are so insecure about the attention and (at one time) momentum McCain received following the Palin announcement that they began to make the same arguments against Palin that they had regarded as ridiculous when they were directed at Obama.
I still don't know who I'm going to vote for. But there is a lot about both candidates, their V.P.s, and their supporters that I absolutely cannot stand.
To McCain, Palin, and their supporters:
Remember in the 2004 election, when Bush couldn't think of anything bad to say about Kerry, so he'd simply say "he flip flops" with this dumbfounded look on his face?? I'm beginning to feel the same way about McCain. For McCain to continuously state "Obama's going to raise your taxes" just screams that he doesn't completely understand Obama's tax plan, and that he can't think of anything else to criticize him about. There are a lot of undecided voters out there, and many of them are well informed. If they DO fully comprehend Obama's tax plan, and they repeatedly hear the tired -- and misleading -- argument from McCain and Co. that Obama plans to raise your taxes, you're probably not going to get their vote.
Despite what Obama's mass audience may believe, he's not perfect. There is a lot you can criticize him about, so why keep harping on this one mostly inaccurate point? It's certainly not not doing you any favors.
To me, it just feels like somebody isn't doing their homework. Hell, with Obama's camp keeps comparing McCain to Bush, so why isn't McCain's army doing more to alert voters that not everything that sucks is because of Bush. With everybody up in arms about Sarah Palin's religious views, why not bring up the fact that it was under the Clinton regime that an Act was passed that would allow states to not recognize same sex unions, while it was under the Bush Administration that that law was deemed unconstitutional? And how about the war in Iraq? Is the average voter aware of the fact that President Bill Clinton signed the Iraqi Liberation Act into law in 1998? This Act, practically verbatim, expressed the exact reasons we went to war in the first place (and yes, the term "weapons of mass destruction" is used).
And if you're going to constantly refer to yourself as a "maverick," go out of your way to emphasize how you're NOT going to be four more years of Bush. And don't just say it, provide actual examples. Off the top of my head, I can't think of an example in which he or Palin have effectively done this, and that means that the point wasn't hammered home.
Another thing about the war: At this moment, I don't necessarily believe that McCain/Palin's plan is wrong. I know some people who work for the government in DC, and I once noted that, when the primaries first began, Iraq was the talk of the town. But by the end of the primaries, it was barely discussed. Somebody (who I consider very well informed) then told me, "that's because right now it's working." I trust that assessment, so I couldn't help but scratch my head when Palin said, "what you're suggesting is a white flag of surrender" during one of the debates. The fact of the matter is, your average American is so fed up with the whole Iraq thing that if you said, "hey, we're just going to surrender and get out of here," they'd be fine with it.
When it comes to a war you're not particularly fond of, and you don't agree with, I daresay that the average American is not very prideful. So why not continue to emphasize what has worked?
To Obama, Biden, and their supporters:
When did this election become Obama vs. Palin? It's not. So will people PLEASE stop acting like it's a foregone conclusion that McCain will die in office, and that we're ACTUALLY voting for Sarah Palin? I cannot even express how idiotic that mentality is. I mean, if we're just going to assume that McCain will die, how about we also assume that Joe Biden will die? I mean, he does seem to have a brain aneurysm every leap year, so why aren't we on Obama's case about who he's going to pick as his alternate V,P.? For that matter, having a black President may upset extremists and racists. Isn't there a chance he could be assassinated? In the past few months, McCain hasn't had any health issues, yet there's already been a planned assassination attempt on Obama. If Biden dies, and Obama gets assassinated, we may get a President who wasn't even on the ticket.
See how ridiculous all of this "what if?" stuff sounds?
Along those same lines, I thought it was stupid when McCain supporters used to go on and on about how Obama doesn't have enough experience. I think it's even worse when Obama supporters are now on a crusade to prove that Palin -- who is not running for President, mind you -- is inexperienced. Again, I refuse to adhere to this belief that we're voting for Sarah Palin. And if people are so concerned about how experienced the VICE PRESIDENT is, why not hold the PRESIDENT to that same strict standard? While I don't buy that whole "143 days in office" argument, the fact remains that Obama was sworn into Senate in January 2005 and announced his intent to run for President in January 2007. That's two years of experience. To become, arguably, one of the mo st powerful people in the world.
To me, the whole "experience" thing is a bit of a moot point. Is there any conclusive evidence whatsoever that the best presidents have been the ones with the most experience? Or that the worst ones have had the least amount of experience? For that matter, what experience are we looking for, exactly?
Along with that, I often say it's either "all or nothing" when it comes to experience. If Obama's camp wants to say you need experience to be President, then by proxy wouldn't that make the most experienced person the most qualified? Well, that's not Obama. On the other side of the coin, if you base your whole campaign around change, isn't somebody who hasn't been a part of the government exactly what you say we need?
I also can't help but roll my eyes when people praise Obama for the fact that he's running such a clean campaign. In my lifetime, I don't think I've ever seen the media and entertainment industry get so outrageously behind one candidate (for better or worse). It's awfully easy to sit back and run a "clean" campaign when you have a mass army of people willingly and voluntarily slinging the mud for you. Practically every time I visit AOL.com, there's a video clip from The View, in which Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, and the chick that didn't know the earth was round go on and on and on and on about how wonderful Obama is, and how dastardly Sarah Palin is. And that John McCain guy? He's barely ever mentioned, except for when the woman who repeatedly gets abortions judges him for divorcing his wife and marrying another woman. Then you've got somebody like the ultra liberal Seth MacFarlane (who, creatively, I love). To this day he STILL constantly makes reference to George W. Bush's drug and alcohol abuse (on both Family Guy and American Dad), yet hasn't once issued the same commentary on Obama (who has admitted to marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol use).
You also have David Letterman making a spectacle of insulting McCain for canceling an appearance on his show so that he could devote attention to the financial crisis (and I also think it's unfair to bring up that he appeared, instead, on a show with Katie Couric, since the latter is a reputable news anchor, while Letterman is an entertainer). Meanwhile, SNL didn't appear to attack Obama for canceling his appearance due to the hurricane in Texas.
I've attempted to be equally harsh here, because I honestly haven't decided yet who I am going to vote for. I'd like to believe that whichever candidate gets elected to office will do a fantastic job to hush the naysayers. But the overall filthiness of this election has really soured me on two candidates I once felt very strongly about.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
True Blood
I feel like the show relies too much on it's unique theme and feels it doesn't have to actually have much in the way substance. I watched the first couple of episodes in which they spent the time explaining what the deal is with the vampires. But they didnt do so in a way that made me care, so after I got the point of how vampieres and humans interact in this world I wasn't interested enough in the specific characters to continue watching.
I think, as far as the earlier episodes go, that's a fair criticism. But I think once the premise was established, the series did a nice job of developing the central characters and creating an interesting story arc, particularly with the murder mystery.
A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-7
A few weeks ago I noted how much I enjoyed a particular episode of Prison Break because of the fact that they broke the team up into two groups. I thought the closer – and in some cases unexpected – interactions really worked better than their roundtable discussions.
That perfectly sums up my feelings on this week’s episode.
http://primetimepulse.com/2008/10/08/prison-break-episode-4-6-review/
I've infiltrated IMDb.com!
"I do hope that the 53,497 Vincent D'Onofrio fans that have visited my blog in the past few days have decided to stick around for some of the other content (such as this)." - yesterday's blog post
So I came to discover that my blog has been mentioned on the Vincent D'Onofrio IMDb forum, which I actually think is pretty damn cool. But I did want to clairfy something that I think may have been misunderstood: I am in no way upset about the traffic the site has received. I'm actually quite excited, as this is the most activity my blog has received yet (with a record number of comments on a given posting, and a record number of people voting in an individual poll).
I will again confess that I'm not really a fan or follower of the actor, but I genuinely do hope that those that have visited the site within the past few days continue to do so, despite the fact that I won't really be discussing him (although I'll be sure to let you know if I do run into him again).
Just wanted to make sure everybody understood that I didn't mean anything offensive by my "53,497 Vincent D'Onofrio fans" comment. Read more!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-4
I do hope that the 53,497 Vincent D'Onofrio fans that have visited my blog in the past few days have decided to stick around for some of the other content (such as this).
Read more!
The New Facebook
In my latest video post (vlog?), I discuss the public outcry against the new version of Facebook. Enjoy:
Monday, October 6, 2008
Top Ten Cases: Coolest looking championship belts
Anyway, for as long as I've been watching wrestling (pretty much my entire life), I've always been a belt mark. When I was little, I used to buy any and all foam belts that were made available. Even though they looked like crap (I mean, really, the plates were black instead of gold, and the Intercontinental Championship came on a brown foam strap. BROWN!) And I am actually only slightly ashamed to admit that I do own an actual replica belt (you'll find out which one in the list), but it was a gift. Sorta.Anyway, I thought it would be fun to rank the ten championship belts, past and present, that I think look the coolest. Since I didn't watch much WCW/NWA when I was little, this list will be skewed more towards WWF/WWE. Oh, and I should issue a forewarning: you won't see the classic WWF "Winged Eagle" Championship on this list. Yes, I think it's a fine enough looking title, but compared to its WCW counterpart at the time -- the Big Gold Belt -- it looked so unsubstantial and unimpressive. Hell, I think it was even smaller than the Intercontinental title at the time.
Moving on.... Click the "Read More" link for the list!
10. WWE Tag Team Championship
This refers the the tag titles that appear on Smackdown. For the
most part, this is a pretty basic championship. So why does it make the list? First off, I was having trouble with the #10 spot. But to the title's credit, I actually think it's one of the coolest looking of all the current championship belts. It's reminiscent in shape and style of the classic World Tag Team Championship (the ones we grew up with), but features blue as its accent color (appropriately so, since it's a Smackdown belt). And blue is my favorite color. And I think the combination of the blue on the gold looks really cool. Along with that, at any given time (for the most part), the WWE Tag Team Champions have blown the World Tag Team Champions out of the water as far as pure entertainment and overall talent goes.Overall, it's just a nice looking championship belt. There's nothing flashy and special about it, but that's okay. And it's also why it's at number ten.
9. WWE United States Spinner Championship
The predecessor to what is likely the least popular championship in modern history. When John Cena won his third and last United States Championship, he unveiled a customized version of the belt (the first time a Superstar has done that since, I believe, Stone Cold Steve Austin in the late 90's). To fit with his freestyling character, the entire center plate was blinged out (did I say that right? Seems unnatural to even write it) and spun. It was actually pretty creative and cool looking. It wasn't for traditionalists, of course, but what new ever is? And unlike its WWE Championship counterpart, it didn't overstay its welcome. When John Cena lost the belt a couple of months later, it was quietly retired. And by "quietly retired" I mean "blown up in a trash can."
8. WCW United States Championship
And another incarnation of the United States Championship appears just one spot higher. This version -- which I'm sure is more popular with traditionalists -- was used since before WCW's most popular run (at least the beginning of the 1990's), and is likely the look people are most familiar with. The belt is actually quite straight forward and simple, really. It's got an eagle on the front and a small stars and stripes version of the United States just above it. What I like about it, though, is its similarity in shape to the classic Intercontinental Championship. While I don't have a problem with the current version of the Intercontinental Championship, it would have been cool seeing the similar US and IC titles side by side during the Invasion angle.
Oh, and for what it's worth, I actually don't mind the waving American flag WWE version of the United States Championship. It's actually grown on me in the past few years, but it's also definitely not one of my favorite titles.
7. WWE Spinner Championship
Yeah yeah, I know. Terrible title, blah, blah, blah. I'm sure I am going to be forced to turn in my IWC membership card for putting this on my list. Truth be told, when John Cena first debuted this customized championship after WrestleMania 22, it grew on me pretty quickly. It definitely fit his character, and it was something unique. As long as it was over his shoulder or around his waist, I had no problem with it. Actually, guys like Edge and RVD could pull off the belt as well. Edge is relatively gaudy and alternative -- as well as completely ego maniacal -- and I (like some others) got a kick out of total pothead RVD getting mesmerized by the spinning centerpiece.
Admittedly, I think this championship design should have been abandoned when Randy Orton was awarded the title last year. I mean, the belt looks absolutely ridiculous on Triple H, who by all intents and purposes is a wrestling traditionalist, and John Cena isn't even on the same program as the championship anymore. And on top of that, the main feature of the belt -- the spinning centerpiece -- doesn't even work anymore! I refuse to believe that they continue using this version for merchandise purposes. The belt has been around for, what, over three years? People who love it have probably already bought it. And those who are on the fence might be even more motivated to buy it after it's retired and becomes a "collector's item." Honestly, after three years, the belt has lost any allure it may have once had.
6. Million Dollar Championship
It's incredibly how the Spinner WWE Championship is almost universally loathed because of its "blinged out" look (twice in one column? Really?), while the Million Dollar Championship is so popular for the same reason. That observation aside, how could you not love the M
illion Dollar Championship? Perhaps the best part about it was that it was created during a time in which the "fakeness" of wrestling was far more protected. According to Ted DiBiase, who portrayed the Million Dollar Man, Vince McMahon was so determined to make people believe that he was a mega-millionaire that McMahon would give him hundreds of dollars just to carry around for spending money. He'd also have DiBiase travel in limos and private jets (provided this is all true, DiBiase really fell ass backwards into the poshest character in the history of wrestling -- considering how often they're on the road, traveling in a private jet and limos is a HUGE luxury). With that in mind, there was a certain legitimacy behind the Million Dollar Championship that, in my opinion, simply cannot be replicated. You could really believe that the Million Dollar Man spent millions of dollars to create a championship specially for him (for those curious, DiBiase once claimed that the belt actually cost $40,000). And that's the other thing about this title -- it's accumulated such a legendary status that is unmatched by any other championship in wrestling history. How much did it really cost? How many diamonds are on it? Is it REALLY kept in a vault in Titan Towers? It hasn't appeared on television in over a decade, yet people still talk and marvel about it to this day. That says something.5. Classic Intercontinental Championship
Growing up, THIS was my favorite championship belt. I loved it! Like I said in the introduction, I actually
used to feel like this belt had a more impressive presence than the classic WWF Championship belt. It was bigger and looked more stylish. I especially loved the "staircase columns" (honestly, that's the best way I can explain it) shape of it.Oh, and I always loved when wrestlers would do something personal with their belt when they were champion. And the Intercontinental Championship was that king of that tradition. The Ultimate Warrior put it on a yellow strap. Shawn Michaels selectively used a light blue strap and a white strap. Goldust wore a gold strap. And that's just off the top of my head (I believe Jeff Jarrett also used a white strap)! I actually wish champions would do more of that now (for example, wouldn't it be fitting for Rey Mysterio to have different colored straps depending on the color of his mask and uniform?) I actually like the new version of the belt, and I think its more modern and as such fits better with the current product. But, when push comes to shove, THIS belt is the one everybody will think of when they hear "Intercontinental Championship."
4. ECW Championship (2007 version)
Without further adieu, the classic version -- with the purple ECW logo -- is the replica belt that I own. I was never a huge follower of the original ECW, but I always thought they had the coolest World Championship. It was traditional, lacking the gaudiness of the Spinner belts, but was unconventional at the same time. It was so fitting that the globe was wrapped in barbed wire. I loved how the background was etched to look like a chain link fence. And my absolute FAVORITE part? The BELT WAS BLEEDING! How awesome is that?
That being said, I do have to admit that I think that WWE made the belt even cooler when they turned ECW into their third brand. For all they did wrong -- and there was a lot -- using their unique marketing abilities helped improve an already really cool championship. The first thing they did was change the logo from purple to red. I never realized it until the alteration, but the purple logo really did clash with the rest of the belt. The red logo just fit much better. They also added some black to the etched background. This was done to varying degrees. During Lashley and Morrison's title reigns, the background was basically completely black, with the chain link fence appearing in gold. By the end of CM Punk's reign and the beginning of Chavo Guerrero's, the background was basically back to gold, with black accents. Nevertheless, it still looked mighty cool.
This classic design has since been retired and replaced with a sleeker silver version. I must admit that I was initially disappointed, but the new championship has since grown on me. Yes, the silver does make it look like a second place prize (which, ironically, would actually be a step UP for the C-Brand title), but truth be told I don't think it would look quite as cool if it were gold. Along with that, while the belt originally looked a bit small on Mark Henry, now that we see it on Matt Hardy, it looks quite impressive. Sure, it's not bleeding. But that ECW is long dead.
3. Smoking Skull WWE Championship
This is arguably the best known instance of a customized championship. When Stone Cold Steve Austin won the WWE Championship after WrestleMania XIV, he immediately began a feud with company owner Vince McMahon. Mr. McMahon, as the story goes, wanted Steve Austin to become more corporate. In one act of rebellion, Stone Cold abandoned the new "Attitude Era" championship and adopted the Smoking Skull belt.
This ultra cool looking championship featured Stone Cold's "Smoking Skull" logo on the front, with an etching of a rattlesnake on each side (the background is also designed to look like a scaly, like snakeskin). On the skull's forehead reads a red "WWF" scratch logo (if I'm not mistaken, this was actually the first championship to feature that logo). The belt also reads "World Heavyweight Champion." It comes on a leather strap, with a snakeskin back. Although briefly used by The Rock and The Undertaker (for about a week), this championship was used exclusively for the Texas Rattlesnake.
Much like the Spinning WWE Championship, this belt fit PERFECTLY with Stone Cold's character. However, in this instance, WWE was smart enough to realize that the belt wasn't for everybody, and quickly reverted to the traditional championship when somebody else held the title.
2. WWWF World Heavyweight Championship
Now that is A LOT of W's. Many younger (or newer) fans may not remember this championship, but it was originally used in the 1970's, I believe (actually, it's the belt that was used when Hulk Hogan famously began his first historic reign as champion). Actually, it's fairly comparable to WCW's Big Gold Belt. It's pretty basic, lacking the color and flair of later versions. The main plate is round, and reads "World Wide Wrestling Heavy Weight Champion" and features an etched Oscar-looking statue raising a championship over its head, placed in front of a globe. This is all affixed to a green leather strap.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of the belt is the fact that each title reign engraved onto one of the side plates (which, of course, wouldn't be practical in this day and age). It's almost like the Stanley Cup of wrestling belts!
1. The Big Gold Belt
Fair or not, this includes the WCW Championship and the subtle evolution of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. There's just something about this belt that screams "Prestigious!" From its size, to it being completely gold, to its intricate etchings, to the gems, to the
NAMEPLATE!!! (an awesome addition, which at the time was unique and made the belt seem even more special), you could just tell that whoever held this title was THE MAN. I'm actually somewhat shocked that Vince McMahon allowed Ric Flair to walk around with this belt in the early 1990's, claiming to be the Real World's Champion, because it absolutely dwarfed Hulk Hogan's "Winged Eagle" belt. I was actually quite thrilled when WWE decided to resurrect the belt when they created distinct World Championships for each of their brands.Through time, it's evolved slightly. I think I read that it was made slightly smaller. And the "WWE" logo now appears at the top center (which I personally have no problem with). They've also changed the engraving on the nameplate to something far darker and bolder (a bit improvement, actually. I will also add that I love how Edge added two red "R" logos to the nameplate when he was champion). I think the best addition, however, is that the plates are now slightly curved. It now looks far more natural and comfortable when it is worn around somebody's waist. If I'm not mistaken, I believe it's also now a brighter shade of gold.
I read reports that WWE is considering a new design for their World Heavyweight Championship -- which I suppose isn't surprising, since in the past few years virtually every title has been overhauled -- but I hope that's not the case. It's actually one of the very few remnants of the current product that embodies wrestling's heritage. And with many of the current champions looking increasingly cartoonish (the new Divas Championship, the WWE Championship, along with the super colorful -- but inoffensive -- US Championship), seeing a traditional, tasteful looking title is a bit refreshing.
Considering I've always been a WWF/WWE fan, who would have guessed that the prestigious number one spot would go to a belt that was made famous in WCW?
Sunday, October 5, 2008
So does this officially make me a celebrity blogger?
So not six days after my discussion with Alexie Gilmore about what would have happened on New Amsterdam, I have yet another celebrity encounter.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Blog Exclusive: New Amsterdam - What would have happened?
