Sunday, December 28, 2008

Superman is a dick!


Yeah, yeah, I know this website isn't new or anything, but I absolutely love it! It's a great way to kill some time -- it's basically a collection of hundreds of Superman comic covers in which the Man of Steel displays some rather hilarious examples of downright douchebag-osity.

Again, the perfect time-killer.

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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas to all and to all an etc.

So we had some family over last night -- including my nephew Ryan -- and I learned a few things. For one, Ryan, like his uncle, is a big fan of television. He seemed especially fascinated by Hot Shots, Armageddon, and Casino Royale.

Speaking of Ryan, I surprised him today with a customized Build a Bear (a dog, actually). I took the liberty of filming my intense building experience for your enjoyment. So, enjoy! And Merry Christmas!

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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-16

Okay, so THIS was the fall finale.

Actually, I really enjoyed this episode. While I’ve spent virtually the entire season complaining about Michael and his crew working with people who are categorically bad people, my absolute favorite scene of this episode was the fallout following the shootout at the Scylla exchange. Yes, I have repeatedly argued that T-Bag is an unredeemable, murderous psychopath, I thought it was great that he, of all people, fought for Gretchen’s life. When he’s finally written out of the show, I hope the writers have the cajones to do it in a fashion that won’t leave the audience saying, “You know what? He wasn’t that bad after all…” Nevertheless, these occasional brief moments of humanity work.

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/12/24/prison-break-episode-4-16-review/

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

My weekend in San Diego


So I have returned from my long weekend in San Diego. Honestly, this trip couldn't have come at a better time. On top of getting away from the grind of every day life, I was also able to walk around in a t-shirt and drive with the sun roof open while New Jersey was hit with a major snow storm. Perfect weekend to get away from it all. I also got to enjoy the delicious offerings that you simply can't find in New Jersey (at least not my area) like Jack in the Box and In-n-Out Burger. Not to mention the amazing Mexican food. Yum, yum.

It was also great to catch up with some college friends that I don't get to see nearly enough. My friend's wedding was beautiful, made only better with the perfect weather. A lot of fun was had by all. One thing I did notice about California, though, is that everybody is a bit of a chatty Cathy. I rented a car, and the salesman there kept rattling on and on and on about anything. I don't mean to be offensive, because he was quite nice. I also figured he was trying to get me to pay more money for certain features. But then later on I went to a liquor store, and AFTER my purchase, the cashier began a rather long conversation with me about how, in a short while, you won't be able to use plastic bags any more.

Oh, and neither of my flights were delayed, so I guess I'm pretty lucky overall. Even luckier, actually, following today when JetBlue inexplicably sent me an apologetic e-mail and $25 voucher. Apology accepted!

I suppose the big question is whether I fulfilled my New Year's resolution and met Rachel Bilson. Unfortunately I did not, but it wasn't without an effort. Since I had a lot of free time, I did decide to drive to Los Angeles. I've never been there before, and since I don't foresee myself in the West coast again in the foreseeable future, I figured that I'd regret not even trying (I did tell myself that I'd turn around if there was traffic. Thankfully it didn't come to that). Hey, it was a pretty tall order, and I made some honest attempts to make it happen.

I only spent an hour enjoying the sights, but let me tell you one thing: Don't let television fool you, Los Angeles is a freakin' scary place. Granted, I wasn't in the nicest area, but I definitely would not have felt safe walking around there alone at night. It was dusk and I was uneasy. In fact, I almost got jumped! Really! I was walking on the sidewalk, with some guy about a quarter of a block ahead of me. I could tell that he wasn't "all there," so I purposely kept my distance. He started walking through a scaffold-esque tunnel that was constructed along the middle of the block, and as he got to the end I saw he kinda turn around, seeing me in the distance. He then scurried to the outside corner (where I would eventually walk through), clearly planning on surprising me when I exited. I smartly decided to walk onto the street instead. When he saw me on the street and realized he couldn't jump me, he disappointed left his hiding spot and sulked as he continued his away along the sidewalk. I can laugh about it now, but it was freakin' scary.

But I did buy a new pair of sunglasses there. And lets be honest: I really needed those.

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Monday, December 22, 2008

Back in the east coast

I just got back from California a couple of hours ago. I had every intention of posting an entry giving all the details of my long weekend, including whether I ran into Ms. Bilson, but to tell you the truth I'm struggling to stay awake (which is odd, since the time difference works in my favor).

So expect some stories tomorrow. Until then, watch this clip of my dad appearing on Fox Business this past Friday. Good stuff:

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

See you next Monday

So I'm off to San Diego tomorrow, hopefully meeting a special somebody, and will be back on Monday. Not many people know this, but I'm a bit of a Pac-Man fanatic. So, to entertain you in my absence, here's a clip from Robot Chicken that some of you might enjoy. See ya' later!

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Monday, December 15, 2008

It's time to do or die!

Regular blog visitors and loyal PrimeTimePulse readers should know two things about me: I'm in love with Rachel Bilson, and it is my 2008 New Year's resolution to meet her, and hopefully take a photograph with her.


This summer she was actually in New York City -- just twenty minutes away from my home -- and I attempted, but ultimately failed, to meet her (attempt #1 attempt #2). We now only have a few weeks left of 2008, leaving me just a small window to meet her.

Don't fret, though, loyal Case Workers! This weekend, I will be in California for one of my college friend's weddings. Yeah, yeah, I know....the state is rather huge, so simply being there doesn't guarantee I'll see her. But, with a great deal of time to spare (I arrive Friday and the wedding isn't until Sunday), you better be sure I'll try.

That being said, I've never actually done this whole celebrity search thing. Any (respectful) pointers?

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Sunday, December 14, 2008

Survivor: Gabon finale thoughts


The Survivor: Gabon reunion special is about to end, so I thought I would provide my initial thoughts on the finale, and the season in general. Since some of you may not have seen the episode yet, click the "Read More" link for my spoiler-laden thoughts.

First and foremost, I was absolutely, positively thrilled to see Bob win. I have been rooting for him since the beginning. My cousin, who goes to school in Massachusetts, has friends who actually know him. And from everything I've heard, he's as genuine and nice as he comes across on television. A very, very, very deserving winner, indeed.

Another reason why I really wanted Bob to win was because virtually every other competitor post-merge was extremely unlikeable. Kenny drove me particularly crazy. The guy was cocky to the supreme (which, thankfully, ended up being his downfall). He was also despicably conniving -- which isn't even that bad, except for the fact that he would mope, cry, and be bitter whenever anybody had the nerve to do something underhanded to him. i mean, how on earth is it Bob's problem that Kenny's game got messed up? And I STILL can't believe that he honestly expected other people to side with him after he had openly admitted that he would have voted Bob out had he given up his immunity idol. This guy drove me crazy.

A while back I wrote a whole column about how stupid Susie was for turning on her tribe -- where she had the numbers -- for another alliance in which she was clearly the low person on the totem pole. Well, I'm not too proud to admit that I was wrong. I don't think she deserved to make it to the final three, and I certainly don't think she deserved to get so close to actually winning, but her decisions certainly paid off. So, congratulations to her for that.

Sugar....hmmm, I really don't know how I feel about her. I totally disagreed with her behavior regarding Randy (who's an ass, but even so, the whole cookie thing was pretty messed up). And while I have nothing but complete compassion for her loss, the constant crying got to be a bit much after a while. That being said, she did play a huge role in helping Bob win it. And I absolutely loved her performance during tribal council. She just had this "I'm not going to win, so eff it" attitude. And it was great. She was unapologetic and told people how she felt (whereas the roles are usually reversed).

I also found Corrine pretty annoying, and her comment about Sugar's father was completely distasteful and inexcusable. I don't care if you have a very sarcastic sense of humor or if you've been around somebody for a long time, something like that should never, ever be said. It also annoyed me how she would talk about how stupid and easily manipulated her opposition is, as they systematically eliminate her alliance one by one.

One thing struck me about Randy during the reunion special: He is most certainly playing a "character." He had this angry, bitter face throughout the whole show, even at inappropriate moments, and he couldn't stop himself from laughing at certain points. He's definitely putting on a show.

Oh, one thing I hate about the reunion is that they don't reveal, afterwards, who every jury member voted for to win. I mean, the entire last portion of the finale is devoted to getting the jury to vote for you, and it definitely leaves a void when you don't find out.

And holy hell, how cute is Paloma?

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Other finales on TV!

So I haven't had a chance to discuss the season finale of one of my favorite new shows, and the series finale of a show I've been a long-time fan of.


Lets start with Boston Legal, which celebrated its final episode last Monday. I'll be honest, I haven't seen a single episode this season, but I've long considered myself a fan of the show. That being said, the past couple of years, the show has become almost unbearable with its FAR FAR FAR left leaning rants. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with characters expressing certain political beliefs, but it drives me crazy when the show's creator uses his characters as a mouthpiece in an inappropriate environment without offering the other side any rebuttal (something Family Guy is often guilty of, as well). I mean, Alan would go on and on and on about some current issue, and the opposing side would have nothing to say whatsoever. And don't think it's coincidental that the only conservative character -- Denny -- is the series' comic foil.

For that matter, Alan has slowly become one of my least favorite characters on television. And not in the good, Dr. House way. The characters on Boston Legal are constantly talking about what an amazing lawyer he is, but for the life of me he I don't understand how he ever wins any cases. His argument very rarely ever truly relates to the actual case matter, and he's completely disrespectful to those around him. Despite the writers' intent, he's not charming either.

Anyway, as for the finale itself, I thought it was a fitting way to cap off the series. Alan and Denny getting married was....um....interesting, but inoffensive. Shirley and Carl tying the knot seemed a bit out of place, though. Like I said, I haven't watched this season, but I never really bought into that relationship. But, whatever, it's fine. I also liked the feeling that things aren't ending, necessarily, but that they'll never quite be the same. The law firm has new owners, a new name, and the characters we have followed throughout the years will likely be moving on. I suppose it can best be described as a perfectly acceptable finale.

And then there's True Blood, easily one of my favorite shows of the past season. I think Heroes should take note of this HBO series, as it manages to make the "gimmick" interesting without solely relying on it to progress the story. Don't get me wrong, the show is most certainly about vampires living in society, but you still get the sense that this series could still exist relatively unscathed without this distinction. That was arguably the charm of the first season of Heroes, and it's something they've most definitely drifted from in the past two years.


Anyway, a while back my friend commented that he couldn't bring himself to care about the characters. I think he gave up on the show by the time that everybody was developed to the point that you did come to care about them. Through time, you came to realize that guys like Sam and Jason are flawed, but good at the core. Yes, Sam snapped at Sookie that one time, and people even considered the possibility that he was the killer. But by the end of the season, you came to understand that he's a really good guy that genuinely cares for this girl, even if the possibility of ending up with her is remote. And Jason is pretty much that dumbass friend everybody has. He makes one stupid mistake after another, and he's totally self destructive, but at the same time he truly cares about the people around him. And he would never really do anything to purposely harm somebody he cares for.


I also appreciated the whole side story of vampires having to deal with their own interpretation of laws and politics.

I'm still disappointed that I was spoiled regarding the identity of the killer, but even so, I really enjoyed the finale overall. I liked the way everything tied together (most notably with the flashback to Sam sniffing the dead girl's apartment). I will most definitely be watching again next season.

Oh, and congratulations to Anna Paquin for her Golden Globe nomination! There's something about that girl....

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-13....Oops, make that 4-14

I'd like to thank one of the commenters for pointing out that I fudged up a bit with my Prison Break episode numbers. I've made the correct alterations for my blog, and expect PrimeTimePulse to make the proper revisions shortly.

Anyway, while I really enjoyed this week’s installment of Prison Break, I can’t help but feel like it was one of the weaker episodes of the season (although that’s hardly an insult). This definitely felt a bit like a “stalling” episode, acting more as a catalyst of what’s to come than something that is to be appreciated on its own merits.

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/12/10/prison-break-episode-4-13-review/

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Chock Full of Heroes

It's a full bag of Heroes discussion tonight. First and foremost, here's my review of this week's episode:

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/12/10/heroes-episode-3-12-review/

Alright, now some reader mail. Longtime reader Dan has a simple question:

Are you more nervous that Heroes will get cancelled soon now that Leno is going to be on in primetime five days a week?

Honestly, I don't see this having much impact on Heroes. First off, Leno's show is going to air during the 10:00 hour, so it shouldn't have any effect on Heroes' time slot. Along with that, you have to consider that Leno's show currently brings in about 5.4 million views -- about two million less than Heroes at the moment. And it's entirely possible that the primetime audience won't embrace Leno's show the way the typical late night crowd has. It's perhaps fair to say that Heroes is actually a safer bet in this scenario.

If it's a matter of budget and money, again I'm going to bring up the fact Heroes is still a strong performer for NBC. My Own Worst Enemy and presumably Lipstick Jungle -- two series in which the peacock has done quite a lot of campaigning for -- have already been canceled. ER, a staple and consistent performer for the network, won't return next season.

In fact, the one of the few shows already picked up is Knight Rider, which averages about 7.4 million viewers. A recent episode of Heroes brought in 7.8 million. Other popular series such as Chuck and My Name is Earl bring in about 4.4 and 6.6 million each, respectively.

That being said, I think Heroes would benefit greatly by trimming the fact and eliminating some of the excess weight. But more on that later...

Another reader sent me an e-mail with some interesting thoughts as well:
I didn't have a problem with Arthur showing up in the past, as he did take Peter's powers, including time travel. I also thought it was interesting that he took Hiro's power as well, hopefully eliminating their reliance on "seeing a horrible future, and having to stop it". The only problem I had was, how did he know where to go? But I am okay with that, since it's obvious he has mental powers, or perhaps he just read the comic book. Hiro's father must've figured that baby Claire had some sort of resilence to have survived the fire, making her an inherently good candidate.

I've enjoyed Sylar's journey back to the dark side. I thought the idea of the hunger was a good thing, but I also remember that during his journey to America with Maya and her brother, he was totally manipulative, and murderous while his power (and presumably, the hunger) was suppressed. I am sorry to see Elle get killed, but having a Sylar around will hopefully thin out some of the superfluous characters. I would put Ali Larter on the chopping block, the fire brother and sister (actually, I'd like to see him kill one, and not need the other).

One twist that I would like is for Arthur to not be Sylar's father, but Angela really is his mother.And one more thing about Sylar, they needed him to be kind of good in order to establishe that he doesn't need to kill in order to take powers, now it makes it so much more evil that he does. I am curious whether or not the light has now died with Arthur, or if maybe it will transfer to Peter (since he's standing right there.)

Oh and as far as people getting killed while their powers are suppressed, remember for the death to stick, it's got to be through the head destroying the brain (I don't recall where Future Peter got shot though)As to being injected and getting super-strength, I think that's the easiest thing to believe as the most probable result of a drug.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I completely overlooked the fact that Arthur took Peter's abilities, and that Peter could time travel. That does explain how he got there, but it doesn't explain how he knew to go there. Him reading the comic book doesn't really cut the mustard, either. Why not just go back a little further and kill little Claire and little Hiro?

But I do agree: With Hiro and Peter drained of their powers, and Arthur dead, none of the central characters can time travel anymore, which is a HUGE step forward in their constant "save the future" story arc.

I'm still not sure what to make of Sylar's journey. It seems like such a waste to essentially rewrite his character's history and make up new rules about his ability to make the audience sympathize with him, only for him to revert back to being a killer. Yes, the knowledge that Sylar doesn't have to kill somebody to acquire their abilities, but still chooses to, does add some depth to his murders, but we've already seen him kill a number of people without the benefit of gaining their powers.

Elle's death is slightly curious, only because the show seems to have no real problem killing off characters that are already interesting or haven't yet reached their potential. Consider that Isaac was killed two seasons ago yet the show STILL uses his character to advance the plot. Meanwhile, what has Parkman done of interest the past two years?

I forgot to mention this in the column, but I too have a feeling that we will discover that Angela is indeed Sylar's mother after all. I actually wouldn't mind this terribly, since I have enjoyed the new found bond between former enemies Peter and Sylar. This would certainly add a dynamic to their already volatile relationship.

I also considered the possibility that the light transferred to Peter, but I wouldn't be surprised if the light is gone and done with. As far as plot goes, the catalyst served its purpose and isn't really necessary anymore.

Anyway, that's it for this week. And remember one thing: Despite my criticisms here, this season is still miles upon miles beyond anything we saw on the show last year.

UPDATE: Read this very interesting interview with Bryan Fuller, the brains behind "Company Man," on what he will do to "fix" Heroes (interesting note: Season 4 is discussed as matter-of-fact)

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Saturday, December 6, 2008

Grandpa's 90th Birthday Tribute Video

This Christmas my grandpa turns 90 (yes, he's a Christmas baby) and tomorrow we will be throwing him a 90th birthday celebration. As part of the festivities, I made a video tribute to him, using some old photos (some dating back to the early to mid 1900's -- pretty cool). I thought I'd offer a sneak preview to my loyal blog visitors. How's THAT for a blog exclusive? Enjoy!

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

A Case of the Mondays: TV Round Up!

I must confess, my loyal Case Workers, that I'm a bit surprised and disappointed with the results of my latest blog poll. Out of the 11 people that voted, 8 believe that Heroes will be canceled in the foreseeable future. Now, to me, "foreseeable future" means it's either getting axed this year, or won't finish a full season next year. Perhaps some of the people that voted have a more liberal definition, but that's how I see it.


I have to say, I just don't see the series being canceled. If it was on Fox -- which has a reputation for abruptly knocking off shows without truly giving them a chance -- or ABC -- which is on fire and can therefore sacrifice a series that isn't performing. But NBC? I just don't see it. What show do they have to fall back on? Besides which, the ratings have increased over the past two weeks.

A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-11


A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-13

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Monday, December 1, 2008

An interesting contradiction

It's been a while since I've posted something non-wrestling related, so I thought I'd bring up an interesting contradiction I've observed recently.

In the recent Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe commercial (game looks awesome, by the way), Batman essentially notes that if one universe doesn't eliminate the other, they'll both be destroyed. Watch for yourself:



That's a fair enough stance, right? Except for the fact that in The Dark Knight, this very moral dilemma takes center stage (on a smaller scale, of course). In one of his sick games, Joker challenges that if two groups are told that if one doesn't kill the other, they'll both die, sooner or later one group will take the plunge and eliminate the other.

Batman, on the other hand, takes the more righteous approach, believing that people are inherently good and that the possibility of death or violence won't manipulate people into inflicting that same threat against others.

Yeah, yeah, I know that the video game version is on a much grander scale, but still...it's interesting that, of all people, Batman's the one saying, "We gotta do what we gotta do..."

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