Probably not that big a deal, but made me feel good. I commented about the President's comments to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and how many service men I talk to believe in the mission. Someone at @Morning_Joe liked my comment enough to re-tweet it.
Excuse me while I deflate my pathetic ego.
I just finished watching season four of Supernatural. Dylan W. and I started watching Supernatural about halfway through season one. Santa bought me season 3 on DVD. I never managed to have the time to catch episodes of season four. I had some Amazon reward dollars to spend, so I purchased the fourth season through Amazon Video on Demand and have spent the past dozen or so evenings watching all the episodes.
I'm not very knowledgeable about the other internet video services. I see the commercials but haven't felt the need to try them. I've been very satisfied with Amazon's services. And I am also satisfied with the fourth season of Supernatural.
The season starts with Dean returning/escaping from Hell. Quickly, we are introduced to Angels, which is surprising. The first three seasons presented a world with no intervention from heaven and gave the impression that demons were unchallenged by anyone other than hunters. About half of the episodes deal directly with the season's over-all story arc. The rest of the episodes are diversions from that plot and provide some levity and novelty to the season.
Episode 5 - Monster Movie - is shot in black-and-white and is an offbeat tribute to the classic creatures of the night - Count Dracula, The Werewolf, and The Mummy. Episode 12 - Criss Angel is a Douche Bag - Title says it all.
My favorite new character is Castiel, an angel played by Misha Collins. The introduction of Angels to the scheme of things has really increased my interest. I've enjoyed movies like "The Prophecy", "Constantine", and "The Seventh Seal" that have angels and divine intervention involved. There is a lot of involvement, for good and ill, in this season.
And, did I mention Sam becomes a demon blood sucker (as opposed to a blood sucking demon?)?
During the school year I wake up to "Morning Joe" with Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Willie Geist, and a whole slew of regular guest commentators. The show runs 6 to 9 AM and has a very contemporary feel. The bumper music is usually 70's and 80' tunes. Guests wander in and out of the show through-out the morning, almost like they have stopped by to grab their caffeine and then coincidently get drawn into the conversation. There is not a lot of fluff and the hosts (Joe and Mika mostly - Willie is more of the useless trivia/news/comedy guy) do not always agree with each other, let alone their guests. Discussions can get very heated. True, each individual may have a bias on any topic, but due to the wide range of guests and opinions, at the end of the conversation you truly do get a balanced view of the news. Honestly, it's about the only cable news I watch anymore. Most of the cable news I cannot stomach.
There is one thing about "Morning Joe" that I cannot stomach -- Their Starbucks blend of coffee. I was so excited when I found it on the shelves of Wal-mart, I took the bag home and took pictures of it next to my coffee mess.
Then I ran a pot . . .
I spent 6 years in the Navy. I drank a lot of bad coffee. I have stomached some of the most dangerous grounds ever percolated in a Boy Scout Camp. I consider myself a professional on bad coffee. I admit, I don't have the range of taste buds to appreciate the subtleties of better brews. I didn't need to with this stuff. It can't decide if it is a French Roast, a dark roast "wake-me-up", or a base for all the fancy slurryups coffee houses like to dump into otherwise perfectly good coffee. I like my coffee sans everything. If the brew can't go down on its own, it is no good. I understand now why Joe always has creamers, flavored syrups, sugar, and ice in his coffee. It is the only way to make it palatable. Morning Joe Coffee - failed.
Buy a bag anyway and put it on your shelf. It does look cool and I believe part of the proceeds are marked for charity (not sure - can someone find out?)
Without getting into a lot of what the Fringe is about - if you cared you'd watch it - I did want to share that the series took a wild, almost Star Trek Movie like, twist at the conclusion of the season. Not only did the show introduce the possibility of an alternate reality, it also introduce Leonard Nimoy as the long hidden nemisis! I guess your never to old to get into Sci-Fi.
If you have not been watch Fringe, you can catch back episodes on Fox.com.
Dylan and I started watching downloads of Season One of Supernatural. I wasn't sure if I would like what seemed to be a re-hatch of an X-Files like show.
I was wrong. Supernatural has a well maintained feel and flavor. Seventy and Eighties Rock (Led Zep, Metallica, Motorhead, etc.), Big Engine Car (1967 Chevy Impala - that I think is enchanted), Two Brothers, a road trip, and lots of angry spirits (from Urban Legends, Mythology, and Religion).
The show is tied together, episode to episode, with a story involving a yellow-eyed demon that killed the mother of the two main characters (Dean and Sam). Each episode stands well alone as well. To get the full effect, it would, of course, be best to watch all the episodes.
The show is also filled with allusions and references to popular culture. Quotes and references to other movies and TV shows are present in every episode. It adds a level of interactiveness as you try to figure out where a remark by one of the characters came from because you know you have hear what they said somewhere before.
We are about half way through the second season. The new fourth season starts on September 18th. Who would have thought that CW could have created a show as good as The X-Files?
I just spent 4 and 1/2 hours watching the opening of the Beijing Olympics. WOW!
I know it was pre-recorded, with the east coast of the US being 12 hours off of China, but ... What a thrill! The opening ceremony was epic. Filled with symbolism, it highlighted the history of China, displaying accolades to the three major religions/philosophies of China. The show then matured and payed tribute to the modern China. With more special effects than Star Wars (including a 500 foot LCD TV)and routines that involved the seamless co-ordination of over 2500 dancers or performers, I was drawn into the spectacle.
After all these years, they are back - bigger and badder and twice as tacky. I love it.
I watched the first double episode tonight and will be glued onto the TV tomorrow night as well. The Hulkster (Hulk Hogan) is the perfect commentator. The contestants are vetted better than the original and I felt like I got to know them. And the Gladiators are HUGE! My favorite gladiators to date are Wolf and Siren (varoom - she can pugel me anytime), but it is to early to tell who will reign as the ultimate BA.
I won't take the time to link to all the left wing web sites that are carrying critiques of all the torture scenes in '24' and using the fall-out to slam the Bush White House. Just google '24 torture' and you will get enough hits to keep you busy. Well . . . Ok, here are a few sites -
It is not real. Most of the show is not even plausible. To think that people in the military use Jack Bauer as a model for conducting interrogation is . . .Lame. Sure, Jack is inflicting pain on the bad guys every week and the rag heads are always the bad guys (and that is not even true).
But Boy-oh-boy -- It is good entertainment. It is like the old cliff hangers. Mom and I make a point of watching it every Monday Night. She missed last weeks episode because she was at a Red Hat meeting. In the end, Jack Buaer will probably find out that the whole conspiracy being masterminded by the Red Hat Society. Or, is that real life? I can't remember.
