TV. its always sunny in philadelphia

i cant remember why i decided to give this show a shot. it was probably because its summer and there arent that many new episodes of my favorite shows. maybe i felt compelled to watch it after i heard how it came into being (a bunch of friends got together and made a pilot and brought it to the president of the fx channel, and he liked it so much he bought it and have them a quarter million to make a whole season. how cool is that?).
im not sure why, but im glad i did give it a try. this show is hilarious! its about three guys, a sister and dad, and all the crazy situations they get themselves in. now, i should warn you, this show is not for the faint of heart. they drop swear words like its going out of style, and the decisions they make are very bad and stupid.
what makes it funny though is that they go for it. if the characters come up with an idea, no matter how bad it is, they justify it and do it. for example: they want to get free money on wellfare, so they decide to become crack addicts. or, they pretend to be disabled to try and get chicks. absurd stuff, but thats part of the fun. also, no matter how much trouble they get into, the next episode has them all back to normal, cartoon style!
the actors are great too. the three friends are so mean with each other, they are actually more like brothers who like to annoy each other, actually. and some how they actually got danny da vito to play the father!
if you dont mind being offended, this show is really funny.

ps. dordt people: doesnt the guy on the far left totally look like ben visser?

TV. long way round

over the weekend i happened to catch this great show. here is the set up: ewan mcgregor and his buddy charley boorman decide they want to go around the world on motorcycles. this series captures their adventure starting in london and follows them through europe into kazakhstan, mongolia, russia, then on a plane to alaska, through canada, and finally ending up in new york. i remember hearing about this on the news when it was happening, so it was kind of cool to just happen to catch it on tv (they were showing a marathon of the whole series, so i missed the first one).
it was really fun to watch, to see the places they drove through, and also the people that they met. they would usually rely on the kindness of strangers for a place to stay for the night, which leads to some very interesting encounters... we also see all the hardships and struggles these guys had to go through. there were motorcycle problems, injuries, even times when they were faced with the fact that a road is covered in five feet of running gushing water. one fo the best parts of the show was just to see these two guys living out this fun journey. it is very obvious that they are very good friends and genuinely love and respect each other. their optimistic attitudes and sharp sense of humor keep the show entertaining and lively. by the final episode i was sad to see it come to an end (as were the two of them). i hear that there is a longer version of the show coming out on dvd that includes about three more hours of their trip. ill have to keep my eyes out for that.

BOOKS. the last days of socrates

this weekend i found myself just hanging out alot in my bedroom (mostly because its the only room in my house with air conditioning to fight off the 95 degree swelter). as i was chillin on the bed i was scanning the bookshelves to see if there was something that would hold my attention for a while while i cooled down. i came across this ragged old book. why do i have this book? well, let me tell you: i stole it from my brother. (this is going to be awkward if he were to ever read this. oops, i guess i should have thought that one through...) he was always really into philosophy and stuff, but growing up i never understood why, so i decided to find out. i took the book when i was in junior high or high school. i paged through it, but was quickly confused and tossed it aside. for some reason i held on to it, and all these years later i decided to pick it up and give it a look through.
i have studied socrates before, in college and on my own, but i didnt take that step of actually reading his stuff. im aware of his approach to logic and understanding, so that made the read even more interesting. i read the first section, a discussion with euthrypho, and began reading his apology before the court. it was really interesting to read through an example of his method in use. he would take every assumption that the speaker would have and then ask little questions that the other guy would agree to. each question a little baby step. he would add up those baby steps and by the end he would prove that what you are agreeing to now is in direct oppositon to your original claim. dang, that must have pissed of the people he would talk to, huh?
my brother was always really good at this. and yes, i did piss me off all the time.

TV. wakko's wish

i just so happened to notice this past weekend that i had free HBO for a few days. i looked at the schedule to see if there was going to be any good movies i could tivo, and i came across this: wakko's wish. my heart started to flutter! could it be?!? is it really what i think it is?!? could this really be a movie witht the characters from my favorite tv show growing up?!? i investigated further and discovered all of my wildest dreams had come true: there was an animaniacs movie!!! how this happened without my noticing is the biggest stunner of all. so i watched it and was not dissappointed.
the story revolves around a small town that is being taxed too much and everyone is about to lose their land. wakko decided to wish apon a star for some help. the star falls to earth and the first person to touch it gets their wish fulfilled. a race to the star ensues. the story was standard, but the great part was that almost the whole story is done in song! (which was one of the best parts of the show) and all the old cast was there! everyone from yakko wakko and dot, the goodfeathers, dr. scratchandsniff and hello nurse,pinky and the brain, mindy and buttons, the mime, they even had chicken boo! the best was a brief appearance by the jerry lewis character (oh, nice lady!)
now my excitement level is back up for this show, and just a little while ago i found out that the show is finally being released on dvd in july a day before my birthday (hint hint)! happy days are here again.

GAMES. why do i care?

i cant exactly explain why, but for some reason i have been come completely obsessed about the video game industry. which, really doesnt make sense, because i hardly ever play them. there are very few of them i actually like.
being a nintendo fanboy i am required to love all mario games (which i actually do), but i dont much care for any of the rest. the last zelda came i liked was actually the first zelda game for the nes! the only metroid game i like is metroid pinball for ds. i have no interest in war sim games, i certainly dont like first person shooters, and strategy games and role playing games are just too complicated or boring for me, i have no interest in sports, so i know i wouldnt care for a sports game, and id never even bother with an mmo because i dont have an extra three hundred hours of my life to invest in getting a level 40 whatsit.
i guess that just brings me back to mario games. oh, and i like puzzle games too. give me tetris on a desert island and id be all set. and for some reason i cant really explain i really like the ssx series. and thats about it.
for liking so few games, my new obsession over the game industry doesnt really make a whole lot of sense. i probably play only about 20-30 minutes of video games per week. but for some reason, i am hooked on hearing the latest about the new systems and newest games coming out, even though i know full well that i will never actually be interested in playing about 90% of them.

GAMES. nintendo wii (again)

ok, i think ive had enough time to think it over. ive decided that i love it.

GAMES. nintendo Wii

this is not exactly what i expected. when i heard that nintendo had finally announced the name of their latest console, i quickly hunted down the websites to hear the latest news. and this is what they announce: the nintendo revolution will now be called the nintendo wii.
hmm, really?!? i wasnt quite sure what to think. at first i wondered how one would go about saying 'wii'. is it like 'we', or is it like 'why'? after reading a bit more i saw that its pronounced 'we'.
its still i bit shocking to me. ive been really pumped about this console for a long time now (yes, i am a major nintendo fanboy) and each new surprise they announce has left me very stunned. the ideas they are coming up with are just so different that it takes a while for them to sink in. the first sight of the box itself, the first look at the controller, and now this.
im not really going to make a judgement on the name itself, yet. when i first saw the controller it took me a few days to understand what it could mean and the changes in would allow. i hated it at first and thought nintendo had blown it, but i quickly began to understand and get really excited about it. im thinking i should wait and allow this name to sink in as well.
i need to try it on for a few days and see if it fits.

by the way, here is what Nintendo has to say about the new name:

Introducing ... Wii.As in "we."
While the code-name "Revolution" expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer.
Wii will break down that wall that separates video game players from everybody else.Wii will put people more in touch with their games ... and each other. But you're probably asking: What does the name mean?Wii sounds like "we," which emphasizes this console is for everyone.Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.Wii has a distinctive "ii" spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play.And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of video games that sets it apart from the crowd.So that's Wii. But now Nintendo needs you.Because, it's really not about you or me.It's about Wii.And together, Wii will change everything.

COMIC BOOKS. understanding comics

i just rediscovered a website that i used to visit fairly regularly. back when i used to teach art this one came in handy a lot for coming up with new ideas and interesting concepts.
its the homepage of a guy named scott mccloud. he is a comic book writer and illustrator who wrote a book called 'understanding comics'. it is a really amazing book, it looks at the structure and rules of the comic book art form. what makes it even more fun, is that it is actually a comic book itself! scott mccloud draws himself to the book as a guide through the world of comic art, its really quite ingenious! he goes into a bit of depth about the history of the illustrated cartoon. he discusses the real definition of art. he breaks down the rules of comic books, such as pacing, iconography, what happens between the panels, etc. it is an incredibly interesting read. it will totally change your view of what a comic book is and what it can be. in fact, when i used to teach art i would do a unit on comic books and i would use a chapter out of this book as a textbook of sorts.

TV. the office

i totally love this show, and just yesterday i discovered this. it is a bobblehead of dwight schrute. for sale here.
must purchase now...

TV. american inventor

man, this show really sucks. ive watched it a few times hoping that it would get better, but it doesnt, it just keeps sucking.
the show has such a great premise, the idea of finding the next great invention. when i first heard about the show i was excited because i thought it might be cool to see new crazy inventions or fun new gadgets and stuff. thats what i hoped for, but that is not what the show gives us. here is the problem: instead of focusing on the cool inventions they focus on the sad story of the person who created it. the show is just one big long sob fest with short breaks to take a second or two to show the invention. and dont even get me started on the judges... they seem to be looking for a sad story to sell instead of a good invention that they could make money on. im sorry, but i dont buy a product because the guy who made it gets choked up and cries like a wussy when he talks about how excited he is to share his invention. just give me a show about the cool stuff being invented and leave the emotional manipulation to extreme makeover: home edition.

TV. attack of the show

i know most of you have never heard of 'attack of the show,' but its one of my favorites. and last week there was quite a shocker! for clarifications sake, let me explain the show: its an hour long show about the latest tech, gaming, and internet news. it covers movies, comics, and music too. its just an all around pop culture news type show. and on the show there are a few hosts. my favorite is kevin pereira, but i also really like sarah lane, brendan moran, and will oneal. the four of them are quite witty, really funny, and have a great chemistry together. but on thursday that all came to an end. sarah and brendan announced that they are leaving the show. it turns out sarah and brendan got engaged (i had heard they were dating, but they never let on on the show) and decided that they are going to take a year off and travel the world. crazy...
i guess its really great for them and i know they will have a great life, but what about the show!?! i know kevin can handle himself, but i wonder how much things will change? guess i could just watch it when it comes on in about an hour and find out for myself. yeah, i think ill give that a try.

GAMES. settlers of catan

ive never much liked strategy games. for me, 'risk' is about as complicated as i like to get. some of my friends in high school would always like to play axis and allies but i was never interested. another game they would play was settlers of catan. i figured this one was to complex for me too so i never tried it.
this weekend robb convinced me to give it a shot. i really liked it! i was wrong, this game isnt complex at all, it just looks like it is. in case youve never played, ill give you a quick rundown: you need to try and build towns, roads, and cities by collecting cards with different materials like clay and wood. its very fun and the gameboard changes each game which allows for a totally different game each time you play.

AUDIO BOOKS. teeth of the tiger

another book on cd i listened to on my trip to minnisota was 'teeth of the tiger' by tom clancy. i dont have any particular interest in clancys books, but i picked this one up for a different reason. one of the most important parts of a book on cd is the reader. the reader has to be good- after all, im going to be listening to his voice for the next six hours! one of the first books on cd i had ever heard was read by a guy named stephen lang and i really loved his voice. now i go to the library looking for what ever he read- not even caring who wrote it or what its about! if you dont know who stephen lang is, let me tell you: he played pickett in the movie gettysburg, and he was 'stonewall' jackson in gods and generals (both of which i really loved).
anyway, about the book: it was pretty good. i havent really kept up with the story of jack ryan at all, but the last book on cd of his that i heard (also read by stephen lang, go figure) jack was about to become the president of the united states. this one talkes place a few years after ryan is already out of office. the main characters are two of jack ryans nephews and jacks son (which i didnt even know he had one). it was about a group of terrorists who plan four attacks on middle america to scare us, and the three guys try to track down who was responsible and take them down. the story was interesting and kept me awake- which is really what it was for...
the one annoyance is that the book ended before the story did. but, i guess thats how tom clancy keeps people buying his next book.

AUDIO BOOKS. nothing's sacred

i did a bit of traveling over the weekend. i was planning ahead and figured id get a few books on cd at the library (it always makes driving time just fly by). the selection was limited, but i did find the book 'nothing's sacred' by lewis black. about my only familiarity with lewis black is from his occasional segments 'back in black' on the daily show. i really like his bits on that show and i figured id give it a shot. also, the book is read by lewis himself, which is absolutely necessary- most of the humor in his jokes comes from his delivery.
the book was quite interesting. its more of a biography/opinion type of book. he goes into the people in his family as well as his life in college and theater, but he also digs into his opinion about everything from religion to candy corn (the bit about candy corn is hands-down the funniest part of the whole book!). now, i dont often agree with his opinions, but his perspective is certainly unique and interesting. it made for many laughs, some thoughtful insight, and a very quick drive to minnisota, what more could i ask?

WEBSITE. catapultmagazine.com

this is a very cool site. its kind of an online magazine, and its a big forum for discussion. the site is created and run by a couple of people who i got to know in college. i got to know them a little bit, but after freshman year (i think) they left, so its been a while...
the 'magazine' is called catapult and features alot of great articles on that months theme. most of the articles are well written and thought provolking. another aspect of the website is the forum called 'culture is not optional' which is a phrase lifted from the advertising we used for a play i was in at college (called 'nobody move, and nobody gets hurt'). the forum is great. it is quite extensive and covers any topic you can imagine. the posts are usually insightful and interesting. many of the people who post are people i knew back from college, so its especially fun to catch up with them and read their thoughts.