DVD. stargate sg-1

ive written before about my recent unnatural obsession with stargate, but this week it went to a whole new level. ever since the series finale last month i have been looking forward to this tuesday. the reason is that this tuesday the 1oth season came out on dvd. i knew that in the past best buy has always had a special on the old seasons when the new ones come out. when season 9 came out i was just getting into it, so i picked up a couple seasons (oddly, i started with seasons 4 and 5. go figure...) and over the last month have watched all of the episodes from those seasons. often three or four at a time. and then often again with the director commentaries.

with the new season out this week i was planning on picking up a couple more of the seasons at the much cheaper $20 price (usually they are double that at $40). after a bit of hunting early in the week i bought three seasons, but i then found out that the lower price would only be offered if i also bought season 10 on the same receipt. so i planned to get them on tuesday. but by the time i got to best buy they had already sold out (i guess im not the only loser who likes this show after all!). i went hunting around all the other locations in town and none of them had any left, and by their comments i was doubtful if they would get any in by the end of the week, when the deal would expire.

i decided to take matters into my own hands. i tracked one down and drove out to get it. where? lets just say i got to listen through my new silverchair cd a couple times each way... after making such a long hike to take advantage of the deal, i figured i would just go all in and get the rest of the seasons i didnt have yet.

so, i guess my birthday gift to myself was seven seasons of stargate sg-1. that means i have roughly 160 episodes to watch. yikes, what have i gotten myself in to?...

BOOKS. sci-fi short stories

ive been doing a lot of reading lately, and its mostly been in one area: science fiction. im not entirely sure what brought this on. ive never been a huge fan of sci fi lit. ive always been into science fiction as a genre, but usually that has been in the realm of tv and movies. i will admit, i was totally into start trek: the next generation when i was growing up (mostly because my dad liked it, and anything he liked was automatically awesome in my book). ive always enjoyed a good sci fi movie, everything from star wars to jarassic park. my favorite author growing up was michael crichton (admittedly though, hes more science than fiction).

but for some reason i have recently had a hankerin' for some science fiction. i find the best way to explore this genre is actually through short stories. the best part of sci fi is the ability to deal with different ideas about what is possible and what is impossible. also, its a great way to discuss social issues in a different context. the most interesting part are the unusual scinarios that are dealt with. i find that short stories are able to deal with these the best because they dont have to follow the standard structure of a mystery or love story, but can be pure in their presentation of a new perspective or idea.

i am looking forward to digging deeper into authors like ray bradbury and isaac asimov. got to do something to keep busy during these summer months, right?

COMEDY. daniel tosh

this guy had a special on comedy central a couple weeks ago. i had never heard of him before that, but i tivod it and gave it a shot. and to my surprise, this guy is hilarious!

the comedians i really like are brian regan, mitch hedberg, and dane cook. i have been looking for some more quality stuff lately. i often listen to comedy cds when i drive to or back from michigan. sometimes i need something that will keep me awake.

so, i went down to circuit city and picked up a cd/dvd of this daniel tosh fellow. (as listed before, i really enjoy brian regan. one of the reasons for that is because he can be so funny with out being dirty. well, daniel tosh is about the opposite of that...) his style of comedy is very strange. like mitch, he doesnt bother with segueing from one joke to the next, he just goes through them like hes writing a list. he also has a way of making a very broad joke, and then continuing the punchline further and further into obscurity. let me give you an example: one of his jokes starts with talking about day light savings, and ends with shopping for socket covers at target. and before he gets to that last one, he has also referenced going to a bar, a pterodactyl, and brushed steel picture frames.

strange. but funny.

TV. stargate sg-1

for one reason or another, i got sucked in to this show over the past year. its been on the air for a very long time, and i always just dismissed it as a cheesy sci fi show. but then i watched it. and i soon realized the truth: it IS a cheesy sci fi show- but its really fun!!! the characters are very well written and the concepts they present in the shows are often interesting. so, having come to the party so late (its been on the air for ten years now) i have been trying to catch up with whats been going on. its not too confusing, but every once in a while there can be a reference that i dont get.

the frustrating thing is this: just as i was beginning to love this show, the sci fi channel cancelled it! argh! ive been enjoying all the new episodes this season, and the series finale was on this past friday. i was finally able to watch it yesterday. i wasnt sure what to expect, if they would go for the big ending, or just have another normal episode. how they dealt with it though, is exactly why i enjoy the series so much. heres what goes down: through a series of events that are too complicated to explain (hey, i even missed most of it) the crew on in a space ship with no shield power, and a shot has just been fired on them. before it can hit, a time bubble is created around the ship and everything stops (it makes sense in the show, just go with it...). the fired shot is about to hit them, and they have no way of stopping it once they turn off the time bubble. but since time is stopped, they have as much time as they need to figure out a solution. over the course of the episode time passes and each idea fails. but during that time the six crew members continue on with their lives, finding new hobbies, and finding new loves. by the time a solution is found, 50 years have passed in the bubble and so much of their lives have changed and brought them each into a deeper understanding and love for each other. it was actually quite touching and a very satisfying end to the show.

i guess there are still going to be a couple straight to dvd movies, and there is also the show stargate atlantis (which isnt nearly as good though). its strange to think what a rich and textured world has come from that kinda lame movie from the 90's...

WORDS. contronym

i learned a new word today! i like to think of my self as being fairly verbose in my use of the english vocabulary. i do find enjoyment from, time to time, using them 'five dollar' words. but today i came across one that really intrigued me: contronym. the strange thing is that it isnt even listed in the websters dictionary.

near as i can explain it is like this: you know what a synonym is, right? it means two words that mean the same thing (eg. broad and wide). and you know what an antonym is, right? it means two words with opposite meanings (eg. up and down). but check this out: a contronym is a word that is its own antonym! the same word means the exact opposite of itself! how crazy/cool is that?!?

some examples: apology. it means to to admit fault in what you think, but it also means a formal defense of what you think. weird, huh? another example: custom. it means something that is usually done, but it also means something that is done special. rad! if you are digging this idea as much as i do, check out this site, there are tons of them!

GAMES. starfox and wii play

in preporation for jeffry lees visit last weekend i went to gamestop and picked up a game for him. hes been mentioning for the past several months that he really wanted to play 'starfox assult', but he doesnt own a gamecube. we figured that this would be a good chance to pick it up and let him play for a while on my 'cube while he was visiting.

we ended up having some free time saturday afternoon, so he decided to pop it in and give it a try. i myself didnt play it at all, but jeffry lee thought it was pretty cool. i guess hes always had a soft spot for starfox since the first one on the super nintendo. aw, how cute.

but once he left i realized something: i had just bought this game for him to play, but i had no interest in playing it myself. so, i decided to do the reasonable thing and return it. but i also figured (or talked myself into) buying a different game would be the right way to deal with this problem. so, i picked up 'wii play'. i figured it was a good investment anyway: it comes with a free wii controller (usually $40), and a disc that has 9 games on it. all for only fifty bucks. my rationalizing mind figured its like buying a new controller and getting 9 more games for only ten bucks. i havent been able to try it yet, so i cant really say if it was worth it or not. i guess ive got my plans for this afternoon figured out!

TV. on the lot

there have been so many reality shows the past several years, and most of them are really stupid. the worst offenders have been ones about relationships and finding 'love'. but there has been a subcategory of reality shows that focus on doing something usefull. whether its a song contest that introduces us to new talent (or more often is the case: no talent), or a performance based contest that results in new interests. the new reality show on fox called 'on the lot' falls into that latter category. the set up is this: they get together a bunch of novice directors and put them through the drills of creating a short fill each week. they show the films and the audience decides whos was the best. the prize is a developement deal with dreamworks. now that sounds interesting. and so far, it has been. there have been a few episodes so far, and its really quite exciting to see some of these different people create 1-3 minute short films. some of them are very good, and others are disasters, but each one shows a unique perspective. i look forward to watching this one for the rest of the season and seeing what may become of the winning director.

hey, at the very least, theyve got to be better than brett ratner...

BOOKS. between the bridge and the river

recently i finished a rather unique book called 'between the bridge and the river'. now, in the interest of full discloser, i must tell you who the author is. its written by craig fergison, the host of the late late show on cbs, and one of the funniest people on tv in my opinion (which happens to be correct...). so, my analysis may be a bit bias, but i will try to give an honest assessment.
the basic story is about two scottish boys who are great friends through out school, but in high school one of them, fraser, gets fed up with it and drops out of school. this starts the drifting apart of the two former friends. the book picks back up about 30 years later. each of the men have made a life for themselves, fraser is a tv host with a show about God, and charlie has a family. each of them has a life shattering event happen to them, charlie has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and fraser has been found out for the playboy letch he is. they both react by fleeing, one to america, the other to france. they each have some very interesting adventures; one thing leads to another, and at one point they both die.
heres where things get interesting.
fergison brings up some very strange and unique ideas about the afterlife. he imagines that when we die we go on a journey which just so happens to be guided by virgil. yes, the same virgil who guided dante on his trip through the infamous inferno. only its not an inferno, its something else for each person. at one point the two of them meet in the world war 1 trenches and try to figure out whats going on. they make it out alive, and the story twists and turns from there. their story is riviting and increadibly fasinating.
the only problem is, there are two other main characters as well. there are two brothers who are on a soul searching road trip of sorts, and eventually find the perfect con. their story is interesting, but its quite obvious that their story, most of which is set in los angeles, is fergisons attempt at mocking the culture he has been surrounded with since entering show biz. there are somewhat lame attempts at poking fun at scientology and movie executives meddling in productions, but for the most part they seem dated and too easy of targets.
all things considered, it is a very good read. the best parts of the book are fergisons unique style of writing. he often shares short asides explaining the life of characters who are quite inconsiquental to the story. but the fun part is, if you are paying attention to those asides, they often show unusual connections between many of the minor characters. another great writing mechinism he uses very well is the idea of virgil as a storyteller. as the character is being led by him, he shares a few stories. these stories are self contained, but are some of the most memorable short stories ive read in years.
the book delves into alot of questions about religion, but with a very even-handed aproach. there are good and bad on both sides and the topic is never glossed over or simplified to an easy answer.
thought provoking and an amusing page turner. cant beat that!

TV. heroes

it has been quite interesting to watch as the show 'heroes' begins to resemble the story of the 'watchmen' comic book. watchmen, if you are unaware, is considered to be one of the greatest comic book stories ever written. and now heroes is ripping it off.
here is the basic story of watchmen: a bunch of heroes are not appreciated by the public. there is one hero who used to fight crime, but got disenfranchised by the whole thing because he felt like they werent making a difference. he wanted to get to the root cause of the crime and criminals: hatred. so he left the superhero business and entered into the business world. he amassed a fortune. the whole time though, he has been working on getting rid of the root problem. when his plan is revealed it turns out that he wants to destroy new york city, the reason being is that if there were a big enough catastrophe it would bring everyone together and force them to work through their hatred and instead show love for those around them. in the comic ozymandias is the mastermind behind the whole thing, and now we have found out that the mastermind behind the exact same plot on 'heroes' is the mysterious figure of linderman (played by malcom mcdowell).
i wonder what allen moore, the writer of watchmen, thinks of all this plagiarism...

GAMES. ssx blur

one of my favorite games on the gamecube is the ssx series. i first got into it on the second edition, ssx tricky. i really loved it and then ssx3 came out. still my favorite edition so far. when ssx: on tour came out i was a bit disappointed. the game play had taken a bit of a backslide since the 3rd one.
now, this series makes its triumphal entry onto the wii. i wasnt sure what to expect- i knew the controls were going to be all different due to the motion sensitive remote. i was worried that they might follow the lazy controls of tony hawks downhill jam, which just slightly used the motion capabilites. happily, they came through with a very different and inventive control system. all the turning and speed are handled by the nunchuck, and all the tricks and jumps are done with the remote. it is a totall blast to play. in order to achive bonus power and cooler jumps you have to form shapes, or follow patterns of movement with both parts of the controller. i am not good at physical dexterity, so when i try to perform these huge power jumps i look like a rave dancer having a seizure! after i landed my first jump i had to pause the game: i was laughing so hard because i knew how silly i looked doing these controls! i double checked to make sure my blinds were closed, and then i jumped back into it! through out the rest of the night i hit the slopes, giggling at my self all the way!

TV. fact, not opinion

funniest man on television. period.

DVD. the amazing screw-on head

ah, what a wonderful surprise! i had never heard of this particular creation before. i am a huge fan of mike mignola and all things hellboy, but i was unaware of his short story about an amazing screw-on head. i went to buy the animated hellboy dvd when it came out and this dvd happened to catch my eye.
now, be warned, its not really a movie. its actually an animated pilot designed to show to different networks to try and get some interest in producing a full season. so, in essence, its only a 22 minute episode. but, my oh my, what an episode it is!
heres the premise: a head that can screw onto different bodies is hired by the president to fight monsters and other mythical creatures to keep america safe. and as a cool twist: it takes place in the 1850s, so lincoln is the president! the bad guy is emperor zombie, there are vampires, werewolves, mythical demigods, and a machine gun carrying monkey with a crown. needless to say its a bit over the top. but thats what makes it so silly and fun. the voices are fantastic and and to the crazy feeling of the animation.
though its only 22 minutes long, there are a few extras on it that pump up its replay value- there is a 20 minute making of feature as well as a commentary with the guys responsible. if, by some strange event, you have the chance to see it- i promise you will not be disappointed. confussed, but not disappointed...

TV. dave on aots

for the past 10 years or so, ive had one movie guy that i read on the internet. i find that i usually agree with his movie reviews and have enjoyed reading all of this opinions and stuff. with out his i might not have discovered such gems as 'the rundown', 'solaris', and many others that i enjoy. he used to be on tnt 'rough cuts' when there used to be such a thing (maybe around 1998 or so...), then he struck out on his own and created 'the hot button'. soon after though, he started his own hollywood news hub called 'movie city news'. i read these often, as well has his more candid (and more interesting) 'hot blog'.

when i got directv at my house i began to look around the dial and check out some of the stranger, more niche channels they had to offer. one such channel was called 'tech tv'. i started to enjoy some of their shows, among them 'screen savers' which was all about computer stuff, and rad things you could do with photoshop and stuff. also they had 'x play' which is a video game reviewing show. soon after i discovered this channel they were bought out by 'g4 tv', and screen savers was eventually revamped as 'attack of the show'. today, this show is my favorite show on tv (aside from 'the office', because nothing can beat that). they have a feature called 'the loop' on the show everyday where kevin pereira (the host) talks with a couple specialists about a different topic each day.

imagine my surprise earlier this week when these two favorite things suddenly and unexpectedly collide! the guy i read online appeared on 'aots' to talk with kevin during 'the loop'!!! it was like some sort of alternate reality where everything i love comes together for just one amazing cosmic moment!!! i half expected joy electric to show up and play the theme song! it was just so strange to see kevin and david bantering back and forth. i had to rewind it and watch it a few more times...

GAMES. wii remote straps

there has been a whole lot of talk about he problems with the wii remote straps. i have never experience any problem at all. i think the real problem with all these people breaking stuff and hurting themselves has more to do with their stupidity than it does about a faulty product. i have played my wii a lot and have never had any sort of problem with anything getting broken (expect when aaron swung before looking and sent his drinking cup flying to the floor). i think it just boils down to people getting way too excited and going crazy with their motions. all the games ive played can actually be simplified into wrist actions, there really is no reason to flail ones body about (but it does kind of amp up the silliness and fun factor when in a group).
even with this fact, nintendo has decided to offer free replacement straps to anyone who would like them. being a sucker for anything that says nintendo on it, i decided to take them up on that offer. last week i filled out the form to get new straps for my wii remotes. pictured above is a photo of the original and the new straps side by side. the difference is not huge, but the new ones are quite a bit thicker and stronger (the photo doesnt quite capture the difference). also, the new straps are about a half inch longer as well.
ill use the new straps on the two wii remotes i have, but i think im going to use one of the other straps on my ds, cause i think thats cool!

TV. nightmares and dreamscapes

a while ago TNT had a mini series based on the short stories of steven king in 'nightmares and dreamscapes'. i had never read any of the short stories, but i saw the cast of people who signed up to do this thing and figured id tune in to see what it was all about. it turned out to be 8 short stories, each adapted into a one hour drama/mystery. some of them were really bad (the ones with claire forlani, tom berenger, jeremy sisto, and steven webber), some of them were kind of interesting (the ones with william h macy and william hurt), and then there was one called "the end of the whole mess" with ron livingston and henry thomas which was mind-blowing! i had to watch it a second and third time just to totally appreciate the story and its implications. in fact, among my friends, it actually was a turning point in our discussions and understanding of goals and the future. 'true north' is now a standard part of our vocabulary.

i believe the whole mini series is out on dvd now. if you get the chance, track down that one episode. it is truly amazing.