Big Orange Michael

Tennessee's David Holbert, left, is in for the touchdown as South Carolina's Ko Simpson (10) reacts during the first half Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004, at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

You almost have to feel sorry for South Carolina. They come out and dominate the game for the first 28 minutes and can only build up an 8-0 lead. Then, the Vols put in Brent Shaeffer who gives them a much needed spark on offense, leading a drive in the last minute and a half for a touchdown and a two-point conversion to even the playing field at 8-8 going into the lockerroom. Then, the second half comes and Tennessee destroys the Gamecocks in all phases on the game and win a great game that keeps them one step up on Georiga in the race to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. The first 28 or so minutes were painful for me as a UT fan, but the final 32 were a thing of beauty. My only real complaint is our third-string game up too many yards when we had the game sealed away and we should never have allowed Carolina to have that final touchdown. But a win is a win is a win and it's a great day anytime you can beat Lou Holtz, which UT has done a lot lately.

You know, in the past, I've been the first to jump all over Randy Sanders, blaming him for the complete lack of offense at critical times. So, I'm gonna give him some huge credit for this game and this season. The man knows what he's doing and it shows. He calls the right plays at the right times to get it done and I loved his scheme here of rotating Ainge and Schaeffer as needed within drives to help the team. Also, his adjustments at half-time helped us to throttle SC in the second half and win the game. But I think his biggest calls was the time-out before half-time. He called it, not Fulmer and there's a great article in today's Tennessean about it. Good call, Randy. You took a gamble and it paid off huge. Turning point of the game and may be the best time out of the season. '

Also, I have to add this--why the hell does Lou Holtz kneel down and pick grass on the sidelines? I just don't understand....

As for South Carolina, I've a few things to say--I feel sorry for your fans. In two big games this year, they've teased their fans early only to have hopes dashed late (here and UGA). But there is no excuse for the small group of fans who threw bottles and things on the field during the game. You know what--you thought you should get a call, but you didn't. UT didn't get some calls and we got the short end of the stick on some calls. Be a good sport, boo the refs but you do not have the right to throw things on the field. You give your school and its fans a reputation as being classless and I know full well that most Gamecock fans have some class.

Also, I have to wonder what's the deal with the clocks in SEC stadiums this year? UT has issues with our play clock early in the season and then Williams Brice Stadium had issues during this game. You know, I've covered quite a few high school games in my time and they can get this right with fewer trained professionals running the clock. So, why not here in the SEC?

And before I go, let me say...

ROCKY TOP, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE HOME SWEET HOME TO ME!

GOOD OL' ROCKY TOP! ROCKY TOP, TENNESSEE!

posted by Michael at 10/31/2004 07:53:00 PM | |

Now, that is a SCARY photo....

Here's something else scary to consider on Halloween. There's an intriguing corrolation between the outcome of the Washington Redskins game before an election and who wins the presidency. In each of the last elections years, if the Redskins win, the incunbent party stays in office. If the Redskins lose, then the incumbent is voted out.

Scary news for George W....Washington lost 28-14 to the Green Bay Packers today....

posted by Michael at 10/31/2004 07:42:00 PM | |

Enterprise: Borderland
At long last, Enterprise gets back to its original premise and what I think this show should be all about--showing the early days of the Star Trek universe when things weren't always safe out there exploring the galaxy and showing us just how the Federation came to be. Yes, I enjoyed last year's Xindi arc as much as the next fan, but stories like this one are what I think Enterprise should do. And from what we've got here, "Borderland" shows they can be well done.

The whole "Brent Spiner comes back to Star Trek" angle could have been a ploy to garner some media attention and spike the ratings. But instead of just casting Spiner for the sake of Spiner being in there, Enterprise takes a chance and actually has a role that it makes sense that Spiner would play and that he is well suited for. The role of Arik Soong was written for Spiner and it shows with the sheer relish, delight and intensity that Spiner brings to the role. (Not surprising really if you think about the range Spiner showed over the course of TNG).

The story starts off with a group of genetically altered supermen known as Augments taking over a Klingon ship. Archer and company are dispatched to stop them and they take on passenger--Dr. Arik Soong, the man who created the Augments. Soong leads them into the borderlands--an area between the Klingon Empire and the Orion Syndicate where the ship is quickly attacked by the Orions and several of the crew taken prisoner. Archer has to rescue them with the help of Soong who tries to escape (he says he likes to clear him mind by trying to escape every once in a while). Meanwhile, the Augments have a power struggle that is along the lines of scenes from the O.C. (That's about my only real complaint with this episode).

I have to say, I enjoyed this episode more than I expected. There were raves about it in early reviews all day Friday and I was worried it wouldn't live up to the expectations. Well, except for the soap-opera like nature of the Augument power struggle, it exceeded my expectations. Enterprise has a reputation for having more action than most other Trek shows and one that I think is deserved and used against it unfairly. The action sequences in this one helped to move the plot along and encouraged a sense of drama and tension to the episode. And, let's face it, as a Trek fan, it was great to finally see a bit more about the Orions on-screen than the two glimpses of Orion slave girls we got in TOS ("The Cage", "Whom Gods Destroy").

My only huge reservation is this episode was all about setting up the next two and I hope they live up to the set-up. Trek has had a bad reptuation for great openings and lackluster endings to multi-part stories. I hope they pull out all the stops on this one.

Smallville: Transference
So, the whole Clark and Lionel switching bodies things wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. In fact, I thought it was handled pretty well, though Lionel has now made things a lot more difficult for Clark in terms of living his daily life. No what gets me are the final few minutes of this one. Lionel's memory of being in Clark's body--specifically of having powers--are fuzzy. And then, Lex just accepts Clark's usual lame explanation this Lionel got superstrength from the transference. If Lex or Chloe or anyone with two brain cells every was able to put two and two together they might figure out Clark ain't what he appears to be. Hell, the whole "Miss Sullivan" line by Lionel in Clark should've been a dead give-away to Chloe that something was up. I just dont understand how Chloe can follow-up every other freak event in Smallville in a logical manner but be blinded by the overwhelming evidence that Clark isn't who he says he is. And maybe if any0ne ever compared notes they'd figure this thing out. But, I guess I'm expecting too much. I also had to wonder at Lionel being magically cured by switching bodies with Clark. I also wondered if Clark might have some of Lionel's ruthlessness and seizing opportunities in him now and if he'd used that to get back on the team. (As in--Coach, I know you're smooching Lana, so you let me back on the team, I keep my mouth shut.)

What did intrigue me was seeing Margot Kidder in the back of the limo, getting hold of the artifact that called to Clark. Makes you wonder what Dr. Swann's group is really up to, doesn't it.

posted by Michael at 10/30/2004 10:58:00 AM | |

Gunner over at No Quarters offers up the Halloween edition of the Rocky Top Round-Up (formerly known as the Rocky Top Brigade's Volunteer Tail Gate Party). Surf on over and enjoy some of the best and brightest fo the Rocky Top Brigade.

posted by Michael at 10/30/2004 10:12:00 AM | |

Tennessee at South Carolina (12:30 p.m. EST, Jefferson Pilot regional game, ESPN GamePlan)
I'm sure Lou Holtz has told his team that Tennessee is the greatest team that has ever taken the field and that South Carolina is just lucky to be there. But that's not entirely true. Back in 1992, the last time USC won this game, the Vols came into Columbia with their destiny in their hand and Steve Tan-my-hill had a great day, sending the Vols home with a loss. Since then, the Vols have won 11-straight, though the last time it was a blow out was 1998 when Tee Martin set a record for pass completitions. Tennessee's offense, which was great the first couple of games, has been anemic that past few weeks while the defense has come to life. I'd love to see the Vols come in and blow out the Gamecocks, but I am not sure that will happen. But it does come down to one big difference--the Vols know how to win this game, the Gamecock hope they can win this game.
Tennessee 24, USC 17

Florida vs Georgia (3:30 p.m. EST, CBS)
The chorus in Florida this week is "Win one for the Zooker" It might have been louder had Florida not pulled the trigger and given Zook the hook earlier this week. Give Zook some credit--he is coming back to coach the team in the final four games, which he didn't have to do. (And if there's a game South Carolina can steal a victory in, it'd be Florida). That said, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail party is played again this year. One thing--why not play home and home for this one...it might give UGA a chance of winning more than once a decade. Anyway, where was I? Florida owns this series, but UGA has a lot to play for. Georgia has struggled since demolishing LSU, but you can bet they've had this one circled. I really see this game going one of two ways: huge blowout for UGA, close game won by Florida. I'm going with history on this one.
Florida 21, Georgia 20

Auburn at Ole Miss (7:45 p.m EST, ESPN)
Ole Miss gets another appearance on national TV in a game they shouldn't win. I think the three QB system for Ole Miss will keep it close--for a half. Ole Miss doesn't have the defense to keep up with the running back combination that Auburn offers.
Auburn 45, Ole Miss 21

Other games (winner predicted by bold):
Vanderbilt at LSU
Kentucky at Mississippi State

Oh yeah, and one more thing...

GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by Michael at 10/30/2004 09:52:00 AM | |

I'm not quite sure how to take those results, quite frankly. Tip of the hat to Pete Holiday for this enlightening little quiz.

posted by Michael at 10/29/2004 08:45:00 AM | |

Product placement much? How much did Folgers pay the Survivor people to use their new coffee maker in the show? I loved how we had a long, five-minute commerical for the new coffee maker on the show and then went to a commercial for the coffee maker! Consumerism, I love you!

I loved that before the reward challenge, Rory is ready to burn the camp to the ground should he be the next to go. Then, they win reward and immunity and everyone gets pumped up on caffeine and letters from home and Rory has a change of heart. Yeah, I also wonder if Mark Burnett didn't come out and explain that Rory would lose his piece of the pie if he burned down the village. But, oh what a reunion special that would have been!

So, John K finally gets voted out. Which means I never got the burning question of just what kind of career is mechanical bull operator anyway? Can anyone tell me? I just wonder if this isn't maybe specializing a bit too much and limiting your job opportunities. Of course, who am I to really criticize?

And who says Julie's nude sunbathing didn't pay some dividends? Sure, she's a slacker, but she's a hot naked female slacker in a tribe of mostly men. Let me see--I have to vote out someone...who am I gonna vote out...the cute girl who sunbaths in the buff or the mechanical bull operator? Hmmmm...not a huge decision there!

posted by Michael at 10/29/2004 08:34:00 AM | |

First, the results of this week's big contest:
1. How many days on the island will be chronicled in this episode? Three
2. Who is the tribe member without a work ethic? John K.
3. What is the "hard-fought" challenge? Break coconuts, fill half the shell with water, balance it on an obstacle course down to a jug with a line painted on it. Fill the jug to the line then be first back with the jug full.
4. What is the reward? A home cafe--coffee, croissants, juice, coffeemaker for camp (product placement anyone?), letters and pictures from home.
5. Which tribe wins reward? Yasur
6. Which tribe does Jeff Probst single out with a comment first at the Reward Challenge? Lopevi
7. Which challenge brings tribe members to tears--Reward or Immunity? Reward
8. Eliminated due to repetition.
9. Who is the potential target for voting off the island before the Immunity Challenge? Rory
10. Which tribe wins the Immunity Challenge? Yasur
11. Which tribe does Jeff Probst single out with a comment first at the Immunity Challenge? Lopevi
12. Who makes their case at Tribal Council to stay on the island? John K.
13. Does it work? No
14. Who is voted out this week? John K.

Bonus Questions:
15. Will Julie sunbath again this week? No.
16. Will Sarge try to hook up with Twilia? No
17. Two and under OR three or more: Number of people who cry in the episode on camera? Three or more
18. Who gets the first confessional of the week? Chad
19. Who votes first at Tribal Council? Sarge
20. Who votes last at Tribal Council? Chris

And now, the results...

Vickie 41/83
Dar 40/83
Clayton 31/83
Michael 29/83
Amanda 20/83
Leslie 22/83
TW 17/83
Tudy 15/83
Kurt 14/83
Barry 12/83
Danielle 12/83
Jessica 6/83
Bill 2/83

Congratulations to everyone!

posted by Michael at 10/29/2004 07:55:00 AM | |

Someone at work gave Brian free Titans tickets, which he has passed on to me. (He's staying home to help the kids trick or treat).

So, that means this Sunday I'll be dressing up as a Titan's fan (amazingly the same costume I wear every Sunday they're playing, unless Washington is playing Dallas and then I wear Redskins gear) and heading up to the Coliseum. Hopefully, this time the Titans won't figure out I'm in the stadium and win the game. (I'm thinking face paint might disguise me).

I'm now contemplating my wardrobe. I'm a bit superstitious about these things. I firmly believe that it's certain t-shirts I've been wearing this year that are causing this losing streak. I gotta figure out what combination of Titans stuff I need to wear to give them the best chance to win.

It's so difficult being a sports fan sometimes...

posted by Michael at 10/28/2004 09:48:00 PM | |

Scary movies.
It's that scary time of year again. Halloween. With that in mind...

1) What's your favorite scary movie?
Pyscho.

2) Are you more into the lame scary movies that make you laugh, or the straight up - scare the bejesus out of you - scary movies?
I'd have to say I like both...I love stuff like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes but I also like a good scary movie like Pyscho or Signs.

3) Scary movies - best viewed alone? Or with a crowd?
Depends on who's in the crowd really...(wink, wink, grin, grin, say NO more!)

BONUS) You've parked your behind on the couch for a marathon of scary movies. What 5 scary movies are on your list?
Pyscho, Alien, Bride of Frankenstein, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

posted by Michael at 10/28/2004 02:13:00 PM | |

So, last night after I watched my videotape of Lost, I went channel surfing (forgot there was new South Park on last night, blast it all!). After checking out the baseball game score (sorry, I just can't get into baseball on TV) I kept flipping around and came across the most bizarre little piece of television broadcasting I'd ever seen.

To set the stage--apparently Murfressboro has a couple of public access TV stations. Now, in the past, I've seen things like news from MTSU with students who are obviously getting some experience for broadcasting classes. But tongiht, I flipped past to see a giant green screen with two attractive girls dancing about in front of it. Never being one to pass up the opportunity to view attractive females without seeming like a complete stalker, I stopped for a moment. Also, it was one of those--what the hell?!? type of things. I notice the top of the screen there is text that says something like "Live from the LRC. Yes, really live!" and then on the bottom it had a phone number to call--though for what purpose, I couldn't quite figure out. We then cut away to the DJ booth and people flipping through books of CDs for the next song. Oh yeah, I almost forgot--there was a girl there who had on a pink wig, ala Sydney from season one of Alias and a guy trolling for a date by holding up a sign with his phone number on it.

The song comes to end and I'm hoping that maybe there will some explanation of what this is and why it's on public access (OK, beyond the obvious). Nope...instead we get the female DJ encouraging everyone to get out and dance and then she launches into one of the greatest dance songs of all time...Cyndi Lauper's "She Bop." Now, I've not heard "She Bop' in years, but blast it if it isn't still one of those songs that will get in your head and never leave! I am still hearing it go through my head even as I type this! I am thinking--well, I have no clue, no do I care when...a couple of more girls come into the frame and start dancing. One of them is an a little red, strapless dress and she's dancing about in such a way (well, dancing being a relative term) that some slippage is occurring. This leads to the hilarity of watching her move above and about every minute have to stop and adjust the front of her dress so things don't come spilling out. Meanwhile, the song changes to "Love Shack" and then some other dance numbers. I keep hoping against hope that they'll tell me what this is and why it's on the air, but nothing. We see a cut to a carved Jack-O-Lantern, so all I can assume is that this is some group's Halloween party and they thought a way to get people to run down there and join in was to broadcast it on public access.

But you know, I am sad to say that my life is so empty that I actually kept flipping back in my channel surfing to see what was going on and if we'd ever find out what this was and why it was on. So, if anyone else saw it or knows what it was and why it was on, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm afraid I may go slowly insnae--OK, more insane than I already am.

posted by Michael at 10/28/2004 10:49:00 AM | |

House of the Rising Sun
I knew it! I knew it! I knew that either Sun or Jin knew how to speak English! Woo-hoo for me guessing that one right. (I'll admit it's about the only thing I've pegged correctly about the show so far...and I mean that in a good way). Ever week, Lost keeps pulling the unexpected. I fully exepcted that Kate would be part of Jack's party that set up camp in the cave. You'd think she might have the most to lose by being rescued, but she apparently years to get back to civilization. Or maybe it's to get back at Jack for failing to check her out like she thought earlier in the episode (I mean, who wouldn't?!?) Or it could be that Kate realizes that, so far, whatever has been roaming out there in the jungle hasn't put in an appearance on the beach, so why tempt fate by living in the jungle?

Meanwhile, we get a lot of backstory on Sun and Jin and some more fleshing out of the other characters. Locke still continues to intrigue me--I think the whole confrontation with whatever a few weeks back has affected him more than he's saying. He's way too zen, especially based on what how tightly wound we saw him in the flashbacks a few weeks ago. And you have to wonder--will he destroy the drugs that Charlie gave him or use them as leverage later on down the road?

You get the feeling that everyone on the island has an agenda, but we just haven't figured out just what everyone's agenda is yet. I loved how Sayid went and staring making alliances with people just as Jack got back with the decision to move into the cave. I also liked how in the arguement of where to live, there wasn't a "right" or a "wrong' answer but shades of gray to it. Do you go for short-term and hope that a rescue plane or ship comes by or do you go long-term and live in the cave? I've got to wonder why they didn't set up some type of system where there's a rotation for being on bonfire duty and then everyone can live in the cave to be closer to the only source of fresh water around. It seems to make sense, but then again I'm not out on my own in the wilderness facing heaven only knows what.

posted by Michael at 10/28/2004 10:27:00 AM | |

Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox and their fans on winning your first World Series since 1918. I hope this means the curse is over...or that we can at least stop hearing about it for a couple of days.

posted by Michael at 10/28/2004 08:10:00 AM | |

Erin Kappen, a part-time 7-Eleven employee gave birth to a seven pound, 11 ounce baby boy earlier this month and got a check for $711 for doing so. I wonder if that will help with the money she'll lose from having to take a couple of days off to have the kid...cause I doubt that 7-Eleven has a great maternity plan....

posted by Michael at 10/27/2004 08:09:00 PM | |

Last week, Rory managed to avoid elimination when an off-hand comment by Lisa saw her sent packing. Meanwhile, Sarge looks to establish a love connection with Twila and Julie did a little sunbathing. And at tribal council and the challenges, Jeff Probst made sure to snarkily throw in the word that anyone who made it through TC would be on the island at "least one more day".

Here are the new tribes:

The previews this week showed a tough challenge that features lots of people crying and saying they just can't take it. Meanwhile, the CBS Survivor Web Site has this to say:

One member's lack of work ethic prompts negative reactions in the tribe.

After winning a hard-fought Challenge, one tribe is rewarded with more than just sustenance.

One Survivor, in danger of being voted off, wins a Challenge for the tribe, thus buying more time on the island.

A potential target at Tribal Council, one Survivor tries to convince the rest that another tribemate should be next to go.

And now, here is this week's contest...

1. How many days on the island will be chronicled in this episode? (1 point)
2. Who is the tribe member without a work ethic? (1 point)
3. What is the "hard-fought" challenge? (1 point)
4. What is the reward? (1 point)
5. Which tribe wins reward? (1 point)
6. Which tribe does Jeff Probst single out with a comment first at the Reward Challenge? (1 point)
7. Which challenge brings tribe members to tears--Reward or Immunity? (1 point)
8. Who has the lack of worth ethic? (1 point) (UPDATE: Oops...same question twice. However, players have already voted so it would be unfair to change it at this point. Sorry about that guys! For scoring purposes, we'll only count the question once!)
9. Who is the potential target for voting off the island before the Immunity Challenge? (1 point)
10. Which tribe wins the Immunity Challenge? (1 point)
11. Which tribe does Jeff Probst single out with a comment first at the Immunity Challenge? (1 point)
12. Who makes their case at Tribal Council to stay on the island? (1 point)
13. Does it work? (1 point)
14. Who is voted out this week? (1 point)

Bonus Questions:
15. Will Julie sunbath again this week? (1 point)
16. Will Sarge try to hook up with Twilia? (1 point)
17. Two and under OR three or more: Number of people who cry in the episode on camera? (1 point)
18. Who gets the first confessional of the week? (1 point)
19. Who votes first at Tribal Council (1 point)
20. Who votes last at Tribal Counil? (1 point)

There you go...I posted the questions a bit early to give everyone time to ponder them a bit more. Also, if you're new and haven't joined in yet, jump on into the game. It's still anyone's game at this point!

Good luck to everyone! Leave your votes in the comments or put a link to your blog in the comments with your vote. All votes must be cast by Thurday at 8 p.m. EST.

posted by Michael at 10/27/2004 01:23:00 PM | |

I heard a report on the radio this morning that over 700,000 Tennesseans have taken advantage of the opportunity to early vote.

I took advantage of the opportunity last Thursday. I stood in line about an hour, which wasn't really that bad. I made friends with fellow voters around me and we just passed the time talking about various stuff. One very nice lady behind me joked that we should all have a reunion in a couple of weeks since we'd all gotten so close during our line waiting expereince.

Early voting ends Thursday.

All I can say is regardless of who you plan to vote for, I encourage you to get out there and vote. Either do it via early voting (if you can) or next Tuesday on Election Day. It's a right, it's a priviledge and it's an honor. Plus, as I told someone earlier--voting makes you sexy.

posted by Michael at 10/26/2004 10:39:00 AM | |

Animal shows

Animals have always been a part of the TV market, from commercials, to their own shows, even their own channels, let's talk animals!! :)

1. What's your favorite or least favorite "wildlife" show? Why?
I've not really watched too many "wildlife" shows to be honest with you. People are strange enough on reality TV as it is.

2. Who's your favorite animal TV star?
Does Carson Daily count?

3. What animal (pet or wildlife) shows do you watch?
Again, none really. I've never been a huge fan of the animal shows.

~Bonus~ For pet lovers, if your pets had their own TV show what would it be called? Why?
Unfortunately, I don't have any pets at this time. So, a show about my pets would pretty empty and meaningless--sort of like most of the shows on FOX these days.

posted by Michael at 10/26/2004 09:44:00 AM | |

Well, I'm a couple of weeks behind here, but it's not the first time. I found an article over at RealityTV World that reveals who the next contestants on The Amazing Race are. Can't wait.

posted by Michael at 10/26/2004 08:51:00 AM | |

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read.
Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few.

What kind of blogger are you?

Big Orange Michael--smart, insightful?!? Have they READ this blog?!? Tip of the hat to Stacy over at Outwit, Outblog, Outsnark for this quiz!

posted by Michael at 10/25/2004 11:47:00 AM | |

The Holy Observer, which appears to be Christianity's answer to The Onion--has this story about a mother who thinks that the word "blog" is a euphamism for sex.

I love this quote from the story:

Mrs. Harrington, however, is worried that her daughter may be engaging in premarital sex. "Just yesterday Brittany told me she had been late for dinner because she had spent the day blogging at Heather's house," she told THO. "When I told her she was grounded for her sexual indiscretion, she lied and said that's not what she meant. But I've seen those Monty Python movies, and I know all the lingo."

Tip of the hat to Logtar for making me aware of the hilarity.

Also, it will be interesting to see if the 14th Law of Blogging holds true. Huge tip of the hat to Barry for coming up with the Laws of Blogging.

posted by Michael at 10/25/2004 11:39:00 AM | |

This is from this morning's TV Guide On-Line Insider...

SPEAKING OF BUFFY...: Gellar's former boss, Buffy mastermind Joss Whedon, is getting out of the TV business — at least for the time being. According to Variety, Whedon has shuttered his Mutant Enemy production company because he says he has run out of ideas. "I spent a lot of time trying to think what my next series would be," Whedon said. "I couldn't think of anything. When that happens, it generally means something is just not working." For now, Whedon will continue to focus on features — including the forthcoming Firefly flick, Serenity. What does all this mean for the proposed Buffy cartoon? I'm told that remains on the drawing board.

All I can say is the televsion world is now a much, much sadder place. But at least Whedon isn't being like David E. Kelley and staying long past his welcome or his ideas have run out...

posted by Michael at 10/25/2004 11:22:00 AM | |

Somehow it's just not as satisfying as when Spurrier left...

posted by Michael at 10/25/2004 11:08:00 AM | |

Enterprise: Home
This type of story is exactly what I wanted to see done in the final season of Voyager--not just to know that the crew got home safe and sound but also to see some of the ramifications of what happened to them on their voyage. At least Enterprise got the chance to do that, though I found myself wishing that they'd devoted more than just an hour to this because there really was a lot more that could have and should have been done. I really liked the character development in Archer and his wondering how he can go back to being a wide-eyed explorer after all he saw and all the things he had to do in the Expanse last year to stop the Xindi weapon. Also, the tribunal scene were Archer is grilled by the Vulcan High Command and then loses it was superbly done and I think they shouldn't have had Soval extend the hand of friendship so quickly in the end. I also enjoyed the whole Trip and T'Pol plotline because it didn't take the easy way out. Easy way out--Tripp declares his undying love for T'Pol at the ceremony, thus stopping it so our heroes can live happily ever-after. Instead, Tripp realizes that T'Pol is doing what she's doing for her own reasons and he's not sure where he stands with her. He backs down a bit and may end up losing T'Pol. I just hope this is being introduced for the right reasons, as were stated here, and not as a "let's keep Tripp and T'Pol apart." The only plotline I didn't find overly appealing was the new predjuice on Earth--not that I didn't see why it was included, but it was a bit heavy-handed for my liking. The idea that Earth would become a bit xenophobic in the wake of the Xindi attack is completely understandable. And while the bar-fight was a bit reminiscent of classic Trek's "The Trouble With Tribbles" it seemed a bit too predictable at times.

And here's a note for UPN. I understand that you're excited about Brent Spiner guest starring next week. But why did you have to advertise it before the episode and during every commercial break. You've probably already got the audience that has tuned in to see this week's Enterprise. What we need is some promotion during other time slots and throughout the week.

Lost: White Rabbit
In his weekly Cowboy Pete's TV Round-Up, Peter David claims he's figured out where the castaways are--they've all beamed down to the planet from classic Star Trek's "Shore Leave." So, any minute now I expect to see the black knight (not the Monty Python one) and Dr. McCoy wander out with two women with strategically placed cloth and not much else on. "White Rabbit" didn't match the intensity of last week's "Walkabout" but that said, it's still pretty darn good. We see the castaways slowly beginning to deal with the reality that help ain't coming any time soon and they've got to be about the business of survival. And it's looking like alliances are beginning to form on the island which should make it interesting now that Jack is ready to step up and accept the role of leadership that has been thrust upon him.

You know Matthew Fox has to be grateful for his years spent on Party of Five because it taught him how to convincingly cry and look like he was losing his mind on command. That is the type of acting skill you just don't learn anywhere else but as part of the Salinger family.

Also, did anyone else catch watch Sawyer is reading in the episode called "White Rabbit"? Watership Down.

Good news for Lost fans: ABC has picked up the show for the entire season.

Smallville: Run
Remember when you were little and had those endless debates about who could run faster--Superman or the Flash? (I think they had a comic book that addressed this at some point with Supes and Flash racing around the world). Well, this episode is one that tries to answer that question for us all. For now, it appears that the Flash can outrun Superboy...er, I mean Clark Kent. Meanwhile, the series tries to break out of the "back to season one" by throwing in Lana's tatoo, cave symbols and a new piece of the puzzle as to who Clark really is. Inside the parchment that the Flash steals from Lex is a map that leads somewhere. Anyone wanna take bets its the Fortress of Solititude? I will give the show some credit--this was far better than the last two season-one-like episodees, but I'm not sure if next week with the whole body-switching plotline isn't the jump the shark point for the series.

Survivor: Vanuatu
Can anyone tell me why Eliza is still there but Lisa was sent home? Eliza, who is more concerned with getting muddy than catching a pig and winning the reward and who has contribued next to nothing to the team since they got there.

Give Rory some credit for being a self-professed "rat" and seizing upon a crack in the alliance to wriggle his way in and survive another week. Also, you have to enjoy Julie's strategy of--well, I will sunbath nekkid in order to win the men over to my side. I love how she claims she enjoys sunning all of herself, but doesn't do it (at least not on-screen) until she's in a tribe of just about all men. Yeah, sure you just "enjoy" sunbathing nekkid and weren't thinking about how it might keep you in the game. And speaking of sunbathing "nekkid", someone over at Reality Fan Forum posted the infamous Playboy pix of contestant Ami. Warning: These are "nekkid" pictures of Ami so view at your own risk...

Meanwhile, there's potential love on the horizon for Sarge and Twilia.

The Apprentice
Apparently The Donald lives in his suit (even for showering!) because he expressed surprise that the women would change out of their business attire for relatively mundane chores such as cooking and eating. Oh wait--The Donald has people who do that for him--the cooking that is. (I bet the man has no clue how to make even a Pop Tart, much less the far more complicated Toaster Strudel). This week's task--start a pet-related business. Alrighty then...how the heck does Trump come up with these things? Oh wait....he's probably got a team of interns who do that for him.

Stacy R gets fired. Thinking about it, it makes sense since she doesn't really contribute that much to the teams beyond sniping. But I still think Wes had the biggest failure as project manager, but then again I'm not The Donald (hence why I am wearing casual clothes to type this instead of the suit and tie I should).

I love how the Donald states that he hates exaggeration. Pot, kettle...kettle, pot. Doesn't Trump exaggerate just about everything?!? I guess this could have been filmed when Trump was facing the bankruptcy of one his businesses where people might have exaggerated things such as revenue to him. But come on, Trump. You do it all the time!

posted by Michael at 10/25/2004 10:03:00 AM | |

Harpeth coach receives bloody message
This week with UT taking on Bama, I've been thinking a lot about how some fans just take things too far off the field. Reading quotes from some Bama fans saying that Fulmer was worse than Osama Bin Laden just make me chuckle because it's so extreme (and I am sure there are UT fans who felt the same way about Spurrier). You know, it's a game. It's supposed to be fun and enjoyable. If you're issuing death threats, you've probably missed the whole point.

Of course, death threats sound like they'd be a walk in the park for what a local high school football coach is facing. Over in Harpeth, offensive coordinator Robert Brown's team is having a bad year. They're 0-9 this year and there's a lot of grumbling. A large group of players quit the team saying that Brown was being "verbally abusive" to the players (Hello?!? It's high school football..when you screw up the coach is gonna yell at you, not invite you over to sing a few rounds of Kum-ba-ya!)

Apparently there's someone or a group of someones out in Harpeth who have decided that just quitting the team isn't enough. They've begun a campaign against the coach that included inconviences such as putting For Sale signs in his yard and moving his basketball goal down the street. But now it's escalated a bit more. Friday night, someone left a dead goat behind the back tires of his wife's minivan. A bloody goat with its neck broken and its ears cut off.

You know, I can understand dissatisfaction. I can understand venting that frustration--shoot, I do it all the time here. Also, witness the popularity of FireRonZook.com. But to take it this far to where you are killing an animal to try and make your point--maybe you should step away a minute. If it angers you that much, don't go to a game. Don't play on the team. Move on and grow up. It's not cute, it's not funny and it certainly help the situation any.

posted by Michael at 10/24/2004 07:10:00 PM | |

Yeah, I like beating Florida, I enjoy beating Georgia. But when it all comes down to it, there ain't nothin' like the feeling of Tennessee beating Bama!

Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer turns to hug linebacker Kevin Burnett, who dumped a cooler of water on Fulmer in the final seconds of the Vols' 17-13 win over Alabama.

Great game by two teams who both wanted to win this one badly. Tennessee got a couple of great breaks--the early turnover, the 45-yard punt return and a late, game-saving intereception. I've dubbed this year's Vol's the "New Cardiac Kids" since they are winning close games week after week.

It wasn't a pretty win, but I'll take an ugly loss over a pretty win anyday.

posted by Michael at 10/24/2004 12:30:00 PM | |

Yeah, it's been a couple of weeks, but after my last showing I wasn't in any huge hurry to make more losing picks. But then I realized something...I do it anyway in my mind so why not post them again on-line?

1. Alabama at Tennessee (3:30 p.m. EST, CBS)
Until Alabama found a running game last week, I'd've said the Vols would run away with this one due to injuries to Brandon Croyle. Now, I'm predicting a closer game than I would have thought but still one the Vols win. The near-loss at Ole Miss last week should have served as a wake-up call to the Vols of how quickly the lead in the East can slip away. Bama will be up for this game, but in the end, UT will pull away and sent the Tide home with a second-straight loss.
Tennessee 24, Alabama 17

2. Florida at Mississippi State (12:30 p.m. EST, Jefferson Pilot Sports regional game).
The Sylvester Croom era got off to a good start in Starkville, but it's not been pretty since. Florida comes in with a must win game to keep up in the race in the East (I still think they're gonna beat the stuffing out of UGA in a couple of weeks). The Florida offense is potent, having scored on drives of two minutes or less 12 times this year.
Florida, 48, Mississippi State 14

3. Kentucky at Auburn (2:30 p.m. EST)
Auburn rolls over Kentucky, who is worst in the East. The good news for Kentucky: basketball season is just around the corner.
Auburn 48, Kentucky 7

4. Georgia at Arkansas (7 p.m. EST, ESPN2)
Georgia would do well to look at the history of Arkansas. In 1999, the Vols rolled into Arkansas with only one loss and the dreams of keeping in a national title game hunt in their minds. Arkansas dashed those. This year, the Razorbacks could deal a similar blow to the Bulldogs, if Georgia isn't focused. I think this one will be closer than most expect.
Georgia 20, Arkansas 17

5. Miami at NC State (7:45 p.m EST, ESPN)
Miami played just well enough to win last week--sorry, Hurricanes, but you are not number two in the country NC State is on their home-field. Miami is expecting a cake-walk, NC State is expecting an upset. I'm going with NC State.
NC State 21, Miami 17

Other SEC Games (winners picked in bold)
6. Eastern Kentucky at Vanderbilt
7. Troy at LSU

GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by Michael at 10/23/2004 08:40:00 AM | |

Once again, the United States Congress is granting themselves special exemptions to the rules and seem to be following the "do as we say, not as we do" rule. This time, it's all about the suddenly scare flu vaccine, which Congress has decided they should set aside some of the vaccine for themselves--even if they're not high-risk patients.

Two Tennessean Congressmen got their flu shots--Bill Frist, who got his a couple of days before the "restrictions" began and Lamar Alexander, who is 64 and just a few months shy of the "high-risk" cut-off line.

Their "logic" is the following (take from this morning's Tennessean):

"The idea was that members of Congress needed shots, ''especially since they would be around a number of people in the upcoming weeks leading up to the election and could be both victims and spreaders of the flu,'' (Alexia) Poe, (a spokesman for Lamar Alexandar) said."

OK, I can understand that our Congress-people are going to be around people who might be contagious out there on the campain trail. Well, I hate to say it, but there are a bunch of us out there who are going to be around contagious people doing that funny little thing known as going about our daily lives. Shocking, I'm sure. Also, it just galls me the elitist attitude that all the parties in Congress have that they are somehow more important that the people they serve and are, thus, entitled to the flu shot. Heaven forbid one of them miss a vote because of a little bit of flu. Oh wait, I bet if you looked at the record, not every Senator or Representative is there for every vote anyway. And yet, the country still continues to run just fun, thank you.

I don't care what party you're with, it just smacks of elitism. And I think that either party is missing a huge PR move by having a couple of members say, "You know, I may get sick, but there are people in my district who are high risk and need this more than I do. Let them have it." Sure, the flu shot might not get to their district, but in the court of public opinion it may not matter. It's the gesture that will count in the long-run.

Of course, I think a huge part of this rush to get a flu shot is the shortage of them. I heard this theory proposed yesterday during the Phil Valentine Show and it makes a lot of sense. The train of thought is this--you tell people they can't have something and suddenly you've created more demand for it than ever. He compared it to the whole Cabbage Patch craze of a years ago--there was something that was in short supply and we heard reports about it. Suddenly everyone has to have one. Same theory applies here.

That said, I'd like to get a flu shot. I've got one every year for a while now and haven't had a serious bout of the flu. But I also understand there are others who need them more than I do--like my 91-year-old grandfather, my one-year-old nephew who possibly has asthma, etc. So I've decided I'm gonna eat my veggies, drink my OJ, take my vitamins and cross my fingers that I don't get it. And let those who really need and deserve these shots get them.

posted by Michael at 10/22/2004 06:36:00 PM | |

I've been writing updates on Tennessee and the SEC for Fanblogs.com. A couple of weeks ago, there creators of the site worked out a deal with ESPN from some cross-promotion. Part of the deal was for the authors to come up with questions that might be put to Lee Corso of College GameDay for his weekly column. Here was my question:

"Coach, I'd love to hear your take on the rankings. Specifically, do you think preseason rankings do a disservice to some teams by underrating or not including them or overrating others? Should we wait until the first of October for the first polls to come out so we can have a better indicator of who the top 25 teams in the nation really are based on performance on the field instead of reputation going into the season?"

OK, I don't remember putting the world "coach" in there to start things off, but that's not the point here. The point is that Corso answered my question in his weekly column.

"That’s seven questions into one. Let’s start with the first one. The reason the preseason polls are there is because of the media. The media and the college football fans can’t wait to start talking about their teams in the beginning of September. No coach wants a preseason poll because it puts unrealistic expectations on their team, but the media want it. They got to have it. The coaches don’t want it. The fans do, and that’s why they have it. The way I look at this poll, I think that Auburn is the best football team in the nation. I voted them No. 1. I think USC is second, Oklahoma third, Miami fourth and Florida State fifth. It didn’t come out like that, but don’t be surprised, at the end of the year, if old Auburn doesn’t sneak in there

And it was the first question he answered. I feel almost famous and special.

posted by Michael at 10/22/2004 11:19:00 AM | |

Appetizer
Name 3 things that you are wearing today.
It's Friday before a UT game, so I've got on my orange UT polo shirt complete with power T logo, a pair of jeans and white socks.

Soup
Who was the last person you hugged?
Oh goodness...I hugged several people at church last night during the passing of the peace and can't remember who was the last one.

Salad
What do you like to order from your favorite fast food place?
A Sonic burger number two with cheese and a large tater tots.

Main Course
What time of day do you usually feel most energized?
Usually mid-morning to early afternoon.

Dessert
Using the letters in your first name, write a sentence. (Example: Sweet unusual spaniels are nice.)
Magnificence is challenge, humbling and energizing love.

posted by Michael at 10/22/2004 10:10:00 AM | |

Here are the results based on this week's epiosde:

1. Which tribe will win the piglet-herding reward challenge? Lopevi
2. Who has a fear of handling the piglets? Eliza
3. What is the reward for herding the piglets? Steak and eggs (if you said "food" in some way for this one, you get credit)
4. Which tribe wins immunity? Lopevi
5. Which castaway will be conflicted over who to vote for at Tribal Council? Ami
6. What is the sign that sways the vote for the conflicted tribe member? An off-hand comment by Lisa
7. Who gets voted out this week? Lisa
8. Which tribe will get "breaking the alliances" speech? Yasur
9. Who gives the speech? Rory
10. Will Rory do any work in the Yasur camp? Yes

Bonus questions:
11. Over or under three: Number of exotic island creatures we'll see in cutaway shots. Three (Note: I gave credit for this question if you predicted three or over).
12. None, one or more than one: Number of men Julie sways to her side by nude sunbathing. None (Unfortunately, I don't count as one of the number of men who were swayed by Julie's nude sunbathing...though I'm sure Hugh Hefner took note and is having his people contact her people for a possible photoshoot).
13. During the reward challenge, which tribe will Jeff Probst single out first for comments? Yasur
14. During the immunity challenge, which tribe will Jeff Probst single out first with a comment? Lopevi

Congratulations to our big week six movers, Tudy and Clayton who got a nine of the 14 questions correct and made a big move up the leaderboard.

Vickie 27/64
Dar 26/64
Clayton 24/64
Michael 21/64
Tudy 15/64
Amanda 14/64
Kurt 14/64
Barry 12/64
Leslie 12/64
Danielle 12/64
Jessica 6/64
TW 8/64
Bill 2/64

Great job everyone! See y'all next week!

posted by Michael at 10/22/2004 08:52:00 AM | |

Before I launch too far into this, let me warn you now. This review will contain huge SPOILERS for the last installment of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, The Dark Tower. If you've not read it and don't want to know some things--such as how it all ends--then I urge you to turn back now.

In a lot of ways, it's hard to really crystalize how I feel about this book. At this point in my reading life, I've spent thousands of pages with the quest to reach the Dark Tower--both within King's seven book series about Roland and company trying to reach the Dark Tower and in all of the other King books that touch upon his Dark Tower universe. For me, this novel was almost bittersweet in a lot of ways--there was going to finally be some type of closure and ending to the series, but I was also going to miss looking forward to when the next novel would come out and the eager anticipation I got from reading each one. After all, there can never be another first time for reading the books in the series and even though King has stated he's going to go back and tweak some minor things in the editing, from now on, the quest for the Dark Tower is complete.

I'll say this--there were so many expectations for how this series would end that I think no ending could have lived up to them. That said, I think King did a pretty decent job with ending it. Whether you like the ending or not is up to your preference. But I will give King this--it ended in pretty much one of the only ways it possibly could have ended without being having fans rushing to his doorstep with pitchforks and torches.

The final chapter of the Dark Tower saga has a lot happening in it. It' s a bloody saga to the end, high body count--both for the bad guys and our heroes. Along the way, King has the reality of our world and the fictional world of the Dark Tower cross paths. The book roughly breaks down into thirds. The first third is bent upon resolving the cliffhanger from Song of Susannah with the ka-tet working together to stablize the Beam and thus, prevent the destruction of the universe . This portion of the novel works fairly well, but it's not the speediest of reading. King brings in lots of characters from other books that have touched upon the Dark Tower saga here and a lot of my time was spent going, "Oh yeah, that's this character from this novel." King gives some explanation and background so if you've only read the Dark Tower novels, you can pick up on the storyline, but he also leaves some nice gems in there for "constant readers" to discover for themselves. The next third of the novel is devoted to the breaking of the ka-tet and the saving of Stephen King from his death at the end of the last novel. This part is the portion of the novel that flew by the quickest for me as King pulls out all the stops. It goes from breathless suspense to abject horror in just a few pages and its done with ease. I won't give away a lot of the events of these two sections because it's a lot of fun to go in without knowing what will happen to any of these fictional characters. The final third of the novel is Roland and company pressing on to the Dark Tower. It wraps up some of the threads from the series and this novel in a pretty nice package, though the resolution to the Mordred subplot seems a bit anti-climatic.

The Dark Tower is really all about the conseuqences of the quest--about what the cost of doing the "right thing" is. Make no mistake--there are prices to be paid here. We see how obsessed Roland really is in getting to the Tower and the price he must pay for that.

And the ending....

As I said before, it's one of those you either love it or you hate it. Personally, I found that while I wasn't jumping for joy about it, in the context of the series, it makes a lot of sense. In some ways, it was the only way the series could end and feel not like a cheat. So, on that level, I like it.

It's one of those endings that I am sure brings up a lot of debate among fans...and maybe that's the point. Good literature should have us sitting down and thinking about it...debating it. Not just being merely entertained by it and then forgetting about it five minutes after we've read it (Dean Koontz novels anyone?) So, on that level, the Dark Tower succeeds, bringing us an ending that isn't necessarily what we thought it would be (how can it be since we've had all these years to imagine our own?) but instead is what it needs to be.

So, I guess by that reasoning, this is good literature. Good literature and it's popular? Who'd've figured that Stephen King could pull that off?

posted by Michael at 10/21/2004 01:06:00 PM | |

The President of the United States

Well, the US presidential election is almost here. Through cinematic history, there've been a number of movies where the POTUS has been a major or featured character - The American President, Air Force One, Independence Day, just to name a few recent ones.

1) Which fictional movie president would you most like to see sitting in the White House?
Oh, I'm sure this question will just open up all kinds of snarky remarks in other blogs about the legitimacy of certain men who've held the office recently. LOL. That said, I think it might be pretty cool to see Harrison Ford's character from Air Force One as leader of the free world. Before he started kicking terrorist butt and taking names, you got a sense that he was a pretty good guy for the job.

2) Do you think the movies accurately portray the circumstances surrounding the life of the US President?
I'm not really sure they do portray them all that accurately. We see them under some extreme circumstances in movies like Air Force One, ID4, Superman 2, so I don't think it really shows what it means to do the job day in and day out. I think we saw some of that in The American President, but again, I'm not sure it's the most accurate view because some things have to be naturally embellished to make the story more interesting.

3) A number of TV shows recently have featured the POTUS as a main character (The West Wing, 24). Would you accept any of them as the real US President?
I could see David Palmer from 24 as president. I haven't watched much of the West Wing, so I can't really say if I like or dislike Martin Sheen's presidential character.

BONUS) What actor (or actress!) would you like to get the chance to play a US President on screen?
Shatner!

posted by Michael at 10/21/2004 12:43:00 PM | |

Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting in the whirlpool down at the Y (I'd just finished a power cycling class, followed by some intense lap swimming and I had a few minutes to spare before heading up to handbell choir practice). One of the two cute female lifeguards, who I had noticed while swimming my laps, was on "scrub off the film from the stainless steel of the whirlpool" duty and so she and I bantered back and forth a bit...that is until two older guys got in, thus not giving her any more room to complete the job and she had to go and work on cleaning the lap pool. Rats!

posted by Michael at 10/21/2004 09:13:00 AM | |

Welcome to week six of the Big Orange Survivor Magnolia challenge. Last week, Rob Burnett shook things up by shuffling the tribes. Here's a look at the new tribes:

Hopefully most of you have seen the previews airing all week on CBS (one per commerical break during all college and pro football games) with Rory saying he won't "slave around" the Yasur camp is he's just going to get voted out. Meanwhile, over at Lopevi, Julie uses her assets to try and win over some votes. As if that weren't enough, here is what the CBS web-site has to say we can expect this week:

Feeling vulnerable, one castaway gives an impassioned, persuasive speech in hopes of breaking the tribe's alliances.

In a piglet-herding Reward Challenge, could one tribe's chance of winning be hurt by a member's fear of handling pigs?

Things get very relaxed at one camp, where one castaway decides to do some nude sunbathing, and a walk to gather food fuels an alliance.

Conflicted over how to vote in the upcoming Tribal Council, one castaway prays for a sign to guide the decision. POOF! The sign appears.

With all that information in mind, we come now to this week's contest.

1. Which tribe will win the piglet-herding reward challenge? (1 point)
2. Who has a fear of handling the piglets? (1 point)
3. What is the reward for herding the piglets? (1 point)
4. Which tribe wins immunity? (1 point)
5. Which castaway will be conflicted over who to vote for at Tribal Council? (1 point)
6. What is the sign that sways the vote for the conflicted tribe member? (1 point)
7. Who gets voted out this week? (1 point)
8. Which tribe will get "breaking the alliances" speech? (1 point)
9. Who gives the speech? (1 point)
10. Will Rory do any work in the Yasur camp? (1 point)

Bonus questions:
11. Over or under three: Number of exotic island creatures we'll see in cutaway shots. (1 point)
12. None, one or more than one: Number of men Julie sways to her side by nude sunbathing. (1 point)
13. During the reward challenge, which tribe will Jeff Probst single out first for comments? (1 point)
14. During the immunity challenge, which tribe will Jeff Probst single out first with a comment? (1 point)

So, there's this week's contest. Leave your votes or a link to your votes in the comments section. Also, remember to vote before 8 p.m EST. Good luck!

posted by Michael at 10/21/2004 08:26:00 AM | |

Smallville: Devoted
If you listen very carefully in the fade-out, moment-of-silence for Christopher Reeve you can hear the reset button for this show being pushed. Face it--we're back to sesaon one. Clark and Lex are friends again, Chloe has the unrequited crush thing for Clark, Lana is dating an older guy who is involved with the football team and no one just Jonathan and Martha know that Clark has superpowers. Yep, the show is back to square one. I guess the producers really were looking to recapture those glorydays when Smallville basked in good ratings. But apparently instead of following through on the compelling, interesting premise they'd build up since season one, they've decided to go back to status quo. And this week's episode was really no exception. Kryptonite plus something equals town reisdents acting insanely until Clark can step in and save them all. Yes, I suppose that it was kind of fun to see Lois and Clark working together to solve the mystery, but that's all that really set this one apart from being lifted from season one and put down in season four. I guess I should count my blessings...at least we didn't get a ten minute scene with Lana and Clark lamenting they can't be together like we did to end nearly every episode from last season...

Lost: Walkabout
Former Buffy and Angel scribe David Fury offers up his first script for Lost and shows he hasn't lost a step. As Jack is thrust into the role of leader for the group of survivors, we begin to see the story of Locke unfold. I guessed fairly early on that Locke had some type of ailment that impeded his mobility (I was thinking wooden leg for some reason), but I never saw the big reveal coming. Like last week's Veronica Mars, the central reveal was perfectly set-up because all the clues are there--it's just that the writers are so busy distracting us with other plot threads that we don' t see them. After all, the wheelchair to be on the plane and near one of the survivors for some reason...but it's only here we see why. Also, the shots of Locke waking up and wiggling his toes--at first, you think it's about him making sure he's OK. But in looking back, you realize it's in disbelief that he is miraculously healed. It also makes you wonder how anxious Locke will be to get back to civilization....on the island he can walk and is taken seriously by the people around him, something that didn't happen back in his previous life. Just like Kate, he may not be in such a huge rush to go back to the life he had before the crash.

Also of interest was the show addressing the survivors basic needs--to find food and water. I liked Shannon's attempts to be "self-sufficient" by having Charlie catch fish for her. I also have to wonder about something-- did Locke really kills the boar by himself or did the not-yet-seen monster somehow help?

This show just gets better and better each week. And we're only four episodes into it. I like that, unlike Alias in its first year, the show is taking time to build things up slowly and not reveal too much too soon. As much as I like Alias, it had about three seasons of plotline in one season of actual show. And I also love how we find one answer only to gain four or five more than will go unanswered. But you can bet it'll keep me running back for more next week.

posted by Michael at 10/20/2004 02:02:00 PM | |

The epic mini-series Farscape: The Peace Keeper Wars will be out on DVD on January 18, 2005. So, if any of you were wondering what to get me for my b'day (which is the next day), here's one idea...

posted by Michael at 10/20/2004 09:56:00 AM | |

Kerry seizes on flu vaccine shortage to take shots at Bush
Somehow the shortage of the flu vaccine is Bush's fault?!? Honestly, I sometimes wonder about politicans and their "logic." Of course, this is the same campaign that promised if Kerry were president that Christopher Reeve would have walked....

'Mary Poppins' Registers to Vote in Ohio
Is Mary Poppins even legally allowed to register to vote in the U.S.? I thought she was a British citizen.

TV Emits Distress Signal, Triggers Search
Turn out the TV's owner had tuned into a "Best of" Andromeda marathon and the set reacted to try and save him from this horrible fate....

Humor Columnist Dave Barry to Take Leave
The world just got a little less funny starting in January....

The Amazing Race Returns November 16!
Only bad part about this--it airs opposite Scrubs and Veronica Mars, two shows I really, really like!

posted by Michael at 10/20/2004 08:57:00 AM | |

Princess Deidre stopped by for a visit, so I returned the favor (actually, I've been to her blog before via my good friend Logtar (who I have been good and not once rubbed in that my Redskins beat his Bears on Sunday...nope, won't find any of that kind of rubbing it in here!)). On her blog, I saw this test asking if your life is in balance. So, I took it and no huge shock, my life is not exactly balanced.

Here's what it told me...

Michael, you really know how to focus on Diet and Exercise

But everyone needs a break — even from things they're great at. You might even find it energizing. You know that the way to a clear mind is a healthy body. That's why you try to eat nutritious foods and get your feet moving more than others. Nutritious meals and tough workouts are quick and sure-fire ways to improve your mood and get rid of stress.

Just remember, life's about more than what you put into your body and get out of it. Every once in a while, your body needs a break from exercise...just like when it sometimes needs a cheeseburger and fries. It's moderation — not unbreakable commitments — that helps you maintain your healthy lifestyle. So keep up the good work!

Yeah, I say the results are pretty accurate since I do put a high priority on being able to exercise at least five times a week. Trust me on this one--I am far easier to be around if I've gone swimming and worked out my stress there.

Want to find out if your life is in the proper balance? Go over and take the test.

posted by Michael at 10/19/2004 05:39:00 PM | |

Last week, I wrote about the Johnny Bulldog's haircut and wished I could have provided photos of his new 'do for all of you to see. Well, thanks to Paul and Beverly Greene, I have a link to photos of the cutting.

A big Big Orange thanks to the Greenes for providing me with this link!

posted by Michael at 10/19/2004 05:30:00 PM | |

My nephew turned one year old on Sunday. A year old--where does the time go?

He seems to be getting the hang of this whole getting presents thing...

His big birthday party isn't until this Satuday (well before the Vols take on Alabama!) but we had some family get together time for him. He's not quite too sure about this whole opening presents thing just yet, but he is slowly getting the hang of it. I haven't given him all his presents from Uncle Michael yet--I got him a Vol warm-up suit, a big truck he can push around and a book (I like to encourage the young 'uns to read!).

posted by Michael at 10/19/2004 01:32:00 PM | |

Home Shows

We've(Insane Faery) been doing a lot of redecorating around our home lately and checking out some of the home decorating shows, I'd never really watched them before but have found a few kind of interesting so this week Home shows are in the spotlight!

1. Do you watch home shows regularly? If so, which ones?
I wouldn't say that I watch any of them regularily--as in going out of my way to view them. But I do enjoy While You Were Out, Trading Spaces and some of those other home improvement shows. Also, Design on a Dime is good because it seesm to present some more realistic ways to design your home that are pratical and not as costly.

2. Have you ever followed a tip that you learned from a home show or TV?
I saw a show a week or so ago that repainted an end table in a way I may try on a bookshelf I picked up at a yard sale.

3. What is the best (worst,stupidest,coolest...) thing you've ever seen on a home show?
There was an episode of Trading Spaces where they nailed moss to the wall. There was also an old episode of Hometime where Dean and his female co-host were working on a project. Dean sits down to have an ice cold soda on a cooler while the co-host is in the background working hard. We see the co-host realize that Dean is slacking and give him this dirty look...I just thought that was classic.

~Bonus~ If your home had it's own show what would it be called? Why?
I'd have one that is for ordinary joes, like myself. I'd love to show when ordinary people like you or I screw up a project--such as not measuring the wood the right length, etc. My dad and I used to joke we should have our own show wherein we'd build a project but at some point make a minor error. Instead of fixing it, we just smash the project with sledge hammers and start over. We'd never smash anything to bits at the same time in the show, thus hooking viewers to watch to see when we'd screw up and loose it.

posted by Michael at 10/19/2004 11:11:00 AM | |

When Sci-Fi cancelled Farscape a couple of years ago, I was a bit annoyed. OK, I was a lot annoyed. The biggest annoyance was that at the end of season three, Farscape was given a two-year renewal, thus allowing David Kemper and company to plot out the main story arc and how it would unfold over two years. Then, abruptly, Farscape was cancelled and the fans were denied the opportunity to see how it all ended.

Now, finally with Farscape: The Peace Keeper Wars, we get a chance to see the vision for how the series was supposed to end. And the verdict: It wrapped things up pretty well.

Make no mistake. This mini-series was not really designed to convert any novice fans to the universe that is Farscape. In fact, I'd say that any novice fan who tuned in based on the hype or the relentless commericals for the mini-series probably left the first hour of part one utterly confused and scratching their head in bewilderment. The mini-series wasted very little time with trying to explain who we are, where we are and why, but instead was content to plow forward, full-speed into trying to cram a 22-episode final season into four hours of screen time.

The remarkable thing is--they did it.

If you're a fan of the series, then this was as close to Farscape nirvana as you can get. An eloquent, wonderful and satifsying end to the series all the while leaving the door open to more adventures. This is what the series finale should have been and I'm thankful that the fans created so much positive publicity to give the mini-series the green light.

The mini-series quickly put Crichton and Aeryn back together, literally, and then plunged forward into the rapidly growing war between the PeaceKeepers and the Scarrans. Once again, it's nice to know that the entire universe revolves around John Crichton. Within hours of his coming back from the dead, the PeaceKeeper and the Scarrans have shown up, trying to take him prisoner and force the knowledge of how to build wormhole weapons out of his head. There was a great sense of the inevitability of the situation throughout the mini-series. Despite Crichton and company's best efforts to find another way, every door kept closing on them. There were moments in this one that felt a lot like some of the season two episodes of Babylon Five, when forces worked against the characters attempts to desparately avoid a long, bloody war.

The focus on the mini-series is on Cricthon and Aeryn. All they really want is to get married and start raising their family. It's just the universe has other ideas. Other factions want Crichton and his wormhole knowledge for their own purposes--the destruction of their enemies. There is also a focus on wrapping up the series in a satisfying way while leaving the door open to possibly more adventures should ratings warrant such a return. (I hope they do, but honestly, I'm kind of happy now with how it all ended).

Along the way, we got appearances by just about everyone who was important to the Farscape storyline over the years, except for Zhaan (was it just me or did anyone expect to see her appear to Crichton as he lay in bed, following the aftermath the ancients taking the knowledge from his mind?). We got Grusleg and the alien healer from "Die Me Dichotomy" and Jothee from seasons two and three, we had Jool, Noranti and Stark all make appearances--Stark was actually pretty well utilized in the mini-series after not really contributing much in season three. It was a nice roll call of familiar faces and probably one that would have confused the heck out of first-time viewers.

The mini-series also brought what they were trying to do in season four into focus. I wasn't a huge fan of "What Was Lost" because we never got any payoff to it. Now, we see why it was so important and what they were setting up. On one hand, it might have been nice to see the storyline of running from planet to planet to try and create the new peace influencing aliens over the course of a season, but then again, in the mini-series there was a sense of urgency, especially as events slowly spiralled out of control.

There's a sense in these four hours of inevitablity. It was inevitable that Crichton would create the wormhole weapon, it's inevitable that he'd use it. It was inevitable that D'Argo would sacrfice himself (in one of the more truely moving on-screen deaths in quite a while). It was inevitable that Crichton would give everyone the choice between peace and utter destruction so he could raise his son in a universe ruled by peace. One thing Farscape has excelled at over the years is creating tough situations for the characters and not giving them an easy way out. And there was no easy way out here.

Thankfully, things all worked out for the best. I had heard rumors that some of the characters wouldn't survive. I was struck by how moving and well-done D'Argo's death was. I was also on the edge of my seat, wondering if Crichton would live until the final few moments when he tells his son the universe is his playground.

That said, there were some things to the mini-series that didn't quite ring true. The fact that Sikosu turns out to be a Scarran spy came out of left field too much. It also makes Scorpius look a bit stupid to trust her so implicitly, making her his right hand woman only to have her be the traitor. We get some sense that Scorpius suspected long before he called her on it, but why would he keep her that close. Also, why would the Scarrans keep her prisoner on their ship with the rest of them? I just didn't quite get the logic of this one, other than we needed a spy and we didn't want it to be one of our familiar friends from the crew.

Also, as nice a moment as it was for Pilot to tell Crichton that he and Moya built the weapon because they trust him, it might have been better that they did it for he and Aeryn. Pilot and Aeryn share a special bond, as we've seen detailed many times before. To see Pilot argue that they did this for Crichton and his family might have been a bit more effective.

But, in the end, my overall feeling is one of satisfaction. I'm far happier with the entire Farscape saga being resolved in this way. As much as I'd like to see more, it'd be just icing on the cake. This was great ending to a great show.

On a related note, Saturday's FoxTrot addressed the mini-series...

posted by Michael at 10/19/2004 09:36:00 AM | |

The BBC's web site has published the logo for the new Doctor Who series.

The new Dr Who logo

It's OK....not great, but it could grow on me.

posted by Michael at 10/18/2004 01:05:00 PM | |

Enterprise: Storm Front, Part 2
Looking at the fourth season starter for Enterprise, I found it hard to muster up much concern for the dilemma that Archer and company were facing. After spending all of last season stopping the Xindi threat, somehow alien Nazis who are from the future and want to return there just didn't muster up the same kind of edge-of-your-seat, compelling viewing that the final few chapters of the Xindi arc did. Again, the Xindi arc had all season to build up a sense of urgency and also give us some recurring characters that we could root for and against whereas here we only had two episodes that were largely plot-driven so the chance to actually care about the characters on any level other than a superficial one never really gelled. Not that Manny Coto doesn't valiantly try his best--I liked the idea of Vosk planting seeds of doubt in Archer's mind about Daniel's motives and intentions. I'll also give Coto credit for taking a huge number of plotthreads and finding a way to tell a story that moves along without being too muddled or incoherent a mess in the end. That said, the ending just wasn't that compelling. Archer and company blow up some stuff and save the future, though I'm still quite sure why stopping Vosk at that point meant the timeline was restored. And while the special effects sequences were breathtaking and nicely done, I found myself wishing for something more than just a, well, we blew up the bad guys and won the day ending.

I'm hoping now that we've dealt with the resolving the Temporal Cold War plotlines and the evil Nazi aliens plotline, that we might see Enterprise get back to Earth and deal with some of the fallout from the Xindi storyline last year. I'm hoping we get an episode like what TNG did with "Home" in season four that dealt with the fallout of Picard's capture by the Borg and not just a relentless pushing forward into exploring the unknown and meeting cool aliens wekk after week.

Scrubs: My Cake
If there's any doubt that this is one of, if not the best shows on TV, then "My Cake" firmly erases all of that. There are so few shows that you can go from laugh out loud funny to genuinely moved in just a few seconds. But, Scrubs does it week in and week out with grace, ease and depth. J.D.'s brother shows up with bad news--his father has passes away. (J.D.'s dad was played by the late John Ritter). The episode really focuses on the aftershocks of how men deal with bad news. Turk finds out he has type 2 diabetes, J.D. loses his father and the janitor tries to make Kelso think he's losing his mind. Every week, I find more to respect and love about Dr. Cox, who comes through for J.D., trying to help him in the only ways he can. The final scene with J.D., his brother and Cox sitting around, watching sports and talking about his dad was perfect. Man, this show is good....

Veronica Mars: Meet John Smith
The best mysteries are those that put the answer right there in plain sight, but distract you with misdirections and red herrings until the big reveal. And, man, this episode got me hook, line and sinker. At first, I thought Justin's wanting to find his father was just a way to try and hook up with Veronica. Instead, we find out that his father isn't really deal but has, instead, undergone a sex change operation. Turns out she's the woman who keeps coming into the video store asking for his recommendations on movies. I did not see the twist coming until his dad pulled up in the driveway to end act three...and then, you just do a Homer Simpon, "D'oh!" because it's so obvious about the solution. As if that weren't enough, we get some teasing about the on-going Erica Kane plotline and its affects on her family. Please, please, please don't let this show get cancelled before we resolve all of this. It's just far too interesting.

Boston Legal
They expect us to believe that Freddie Prinze Jr is the son of Shatner?!? You must be joking right! Thankfully, we find out that Prinze's character is not the offspring of Shatner. That just can't happen. Shatner=cool. Freddie Prinze, Jr=guy whose wife has all the acting talent in the family and won't be remembered ten years from now. (BTW--Prinze is married to Sarah Michelle Gellar).

posted by Michael at 10/18/2004 11:53:00 AM | |

Six days after looking like world-beaters on Monday Night Football, the Titans reverted back to old form, losing to the team they replaced in Houston, 20-10.

Can you say frustration, any one?

The Titans are 0-3 at home this year....oh and those losses are to AFC South opponents. That sound loud wooshing sound you heard yesterday was the win rushing out of our sails for any hope to compete for a wild-card slot much less the AFC South trophy. And the road doesn't get much easier next week as we go on the road to face the Minnesota Vikings, who pass for approximately 1700 yards per game. Yeah, our secondary looked pretty sad against Houston...you have to think that Dante Culpepper is just drooling at the chance to play us next week. Also, on the last Titans' drive when time was of the essense, they looked lethargic. No sense of urgency or rush to get to the line and try to drive the ball downfield, keep the Texans' defense on its heels and get a touchdown and try for the onside kick. Instead, McNair and company looked like they were out for a normal Sunday, with the Titans up by two trying to bleed off some clock time. Also, I think Jeff Fisher's lack of willingness to kick the field goal on fourth and two from the four with three time-outs and less than two minutes to go speaks volumes about his confidence in our defense.

posted by Michael at 10/18/2004 09:11:00 AM | |

Watching the opening moments of the UT/Ole Miss game last night, I fully expected the Vols to put the game away early in a huge blowout. But, then Ole Miss got mad and suddenly, we were in an SEC dog-fight. Thankfully, the Vols were able to pull out a 21-17 win on the road--yet another close SEC win for the Vols. Next up, our most hated rival of all...the Crimson Tide, who blew out Southern Miss yesterday...

posted by Michael at 10/17/2004 11:35:00 AM | |

About a week and a half ago, I detailed my saga to buy ~~GiggleGirl~~ Tink a birthday present. If you've read the whole story, you know that it was a quest of epic scale.

Well, I was able to finally get the gift to Tink and got an e-mail back from Barry. It was a huge hit--so much so that Tink slept with her orange My Little Pony and took it to school the next day.

Yeah, I'd say that makes it all worthwhile....

posted by Michael at 10/16/2004 07:34:00 PM | |

A week after slamming the season-premiere of Enterprise, USA Today's Robert Bianco is back, raving about this weekend's epic mini-series Farscape: The Peace Keeper War. He gives it three and a half stars.

I'm looking forward to seeing it. I just hope I'm not building it up too much in my mind and that I end up coming away disappointed...

posted by Michael at 10/15/2004 07:35:00 AM | |

I'm sure I'm not the first to post my outrage over this and I'm sure I won't be the last. These two stories are examples of politics at their worst.

TVC Condemns TN Democrat For Distributing Flyer Belittling Special Olympics Kids

I know that it's an election year and, yes, there is a lot of fun made of both candidates--heck, the Daily Show, SNL, etc live by it. But there's a point at which something crosses a line and ceases to be funny or amusing and instead just ends up being hurtful, rude and in poor taste. And that's what this flyer is. And I wouldn't care if it was Bush, Kerry, Nadar or the write-in vote for Mulder/Scully...it's just wrong, distasteful and insulting to those children and adults who have the courage to get out there, work hard and overcome any obstacles they may have. Poor, poor taste. (And this is from a guy who watches and laughs at South Park, which often flies way over the line of good taste...)

The second story is about the debates from the other night and Kerry's comments about Dick Cheney's daughter. Again, I can see that he's trying to score some points politically, but honestly, did he have to drag the candidate's family into it. Again, if Bush had done this to Kerry's family, I'd condemn him as well. I just think it's sad at the state of politics in ou rcountry today that candidates will do literally anything to score some points--no matter who it hurts or how much mud is slung. And both parties are equally guilty of doing this. It almost makes one want to vote for Ralph Nadar.

Notice I use the word "almost" here...

posted by Michael at 10/15/2004 07:29:00 AM | |

Movie-Going Habits

So you're going to the movies. We know all about which ones you like, which ones you don't like, your criticisms, your raves, your rants....

Eh. Let's get to the real stuff. What are your movie-going habits?

1) Do you go to the movies alone or with friends/family? Do you know exactly what movie you're going to see before you get there, or do you stand for 30 minutes outside the box office trying to decide between Pauly Shore and Meryl Streep?
I've gone to the movies both alone and with family/friends. I guess it depends on my mood. It may depend on the type of movie I'm going to see...for example, I've seen all the re-releases of the original Star Wars trilogy and all the prequels, so far, with Barry (we are going next summer, right?!?) as well as Star Treks VI-Insurrection. But there have been times when I've thought--ya know, I just feel like seeing such-and-such film and I just pick up and go see it. And I generally always have an idea in mind of what I'm going to go see before I go see at the theater. Now the video store...that's a whole different animal.

2) When you go to the movies, do you usually buy:
a) Popcorn? What do you put on it? I love popcorn, but only get it every once in a while. Gotta have butter on it.
b) Cokes? What's your favorite? I am not a big soda drinker...though I do like Sprite: Remix.
c) Candy? What gets stuck most in your teeth? Not a big candy person at the movies.
d) Other (hot dog, nachos, sushi)? Naaaah....for the price they charge for these things I can get better at a restaurant!

3) Do you like it load and raucous in the theatre, or do you immediately stuff crying babies in the nearest waste can? Do you talk back to the screen and interact with the movie, or do you sink way down in your seat and just experience it?
I think it depends on the film. For a comedy, it's fun to have a theater full of people to let the laughter roll. But I will admit that for some films, I far prefer to be totally immersed in the expereince and not have any distractions. Now, I will talk to the previews and offer up sarcastic comments, but once the film starts, I'm usually not offering any opinions or running commentary...what am I?!? A DVD commentary?!?

BONUS) What's your favorite, most memorable movie-going experience? What experience almost (or maybe did) make you vow never to darken the door of a cineplex again?
Well, as I said in question, Barry and I have gone to all the Star Wars re-releases and prequels together, which is really cool. I think those are some of the more memorable. As for a bad experience, it's tied. One was going to see Scream 3 on opening night at a later showing and having some parents bring their five-year old son, who ran up and down during the film behind me...Drove me NUTS! I hate to wish ill upon a child, but I hoped he had some knock-down drag-out nightmares that kept his parents up that night and annoyed them as much as I was annoyed. The other was going to see the X-Files movie at the discount cinema...again, I chose a later showing to avoid noisy families...well, one family brought a small child--as in still in baby carrier. He was fine until about halfway through when he woke up screaming...and they wouldn't take the child out! Ugh! OK, must...stop..typing...getting...angry!

Remember, silence all cell phones, pagers, and electronic devices while answering this quiz. And NO SMOKING!!! (water gun effect)

posted by Michael at 10/14/2004 09:20:00 PM | |

I watched and listened to some of the debate last night (I had handbell choir and a church meeting that prevented me from seeing all of it, but I heard enough to get a good feeling about what probably went on overall). Now, I'm not going to sit up here and say who I think won or lost because, quite frankly, I've pretty much decided who I'm going to vote for and that wasn't likely to change from the debates.

But as I watched the end of the debate last evening, I found myself wishing something. I wish they'd just show the debate, live from start to finish and then have an achor come on and wish us all good night. What I really have found distasteful about all these debates is that the aftermath by all the news outlets. I don't need a talking head to bring up points and spin it, I don't need immediate results on who won, I don't need a million and one party big wigs and party celebrities to tell me how George W. Bush or John Kerry did. I'm an intelligent person and I can figure it out for myself.

First of all, any poll data can be skewed. A poll can say just about anything you want--it's all about how you interpret the results. Or how you ask the questions. I was watching some of CBS's coverage last night about how they had "undecided" voters rating each candidates. Both cut-aways were misleading at times--each designed to put Bush in a less than flattering light and Kerry in a more flattering one. I'm sure had I tuned over to FOX news, we'd have got the same thing, only reversed.

Both sides of the media are doing this as kind a "peer pressure" kind of things. "Oh look," they seem to say, "everyone is going to vote for _____________, but you're going to vote for _____________. You won't be cool if you vote for __________, so why not just vote for ______________ since everyone else is."

And, ya know, you may swing some voters either way on that one. And it's a shame because it's not actually allowing voters to make up their own minds about the candidates and the issues. Instead, we're just following an agenda set down for us by a media who a bias one way or the other.

posted by Michael at 10/14/2004 07:29:00 AM | |

Tonight, an earthquake rocks the island and wackiness ensues. This week's installment of Big Orange Survivor Magnolia is up at over Magnolia Glen. Thanks to Vicki for her hard work and the great questions this week. Why not surf over and play? The game is still wide open!

posted by Michael at 10/14/2004 07:16:00 AM | |

If you've missed the first couple of episodes of Lost and are looking to get started on the obsession, why not jump in with tonight's episode that is written by one of the great Buffy and Angel scribe, David Fury.

Entertainment Weekly published a guide to help you figure out who's who on the show. Also, USA Today has a nice article on Evangeline Lilly, one of the stars of the show.

Trust me... Lost is worth the time.

posted by Michael at 10/13/2004 01:51:00 PM | |

I love Tech TV. I mean, how can you not? It's got all kinds of fascinating shows from the Screen Savers, that gives you info on the latest cool gadgets and tips to help get the most of using them to Arena, where two teams square off in huge multi-player gaming battles. But one of my favorite shows on the network is X-Play, which features reviews of games for all platforms in an interesting and irreverant style.

Oh yeah, and it happens to feature Morgan Webb as co-host of the show. Morgan Webb is the ultimate fan-boy dream--a woman who is a)extremely attractive b)likes computers and video games c)has a good sense of humor and d)extremely witty and intelligent. It gives all the fan-boys out there the hopes that we could actually stand a chance with someone like Morgan when, in fact, we have no shot.

Last year, Playboy had an on-line poll to see who was the "hottest" girl over at Tech TV. No shock here, but Morgan won by a landslide. She was offered the chance to pose for the magazine, but she declined this "honor." (Which, honestly, I'm glad to hear.)

Instead, Morgan is showing off her, er, asssets this month in the tamer FHM. Tech TV has a video clip about the shoot and, of course, you can see the photos over at FHM's web site. I've also taken the liberty of including one of the photos from FHM here. (Speaking of photos, Morgan has her own photo blog over at http://morganwebb.textamerica.com/)

No really..I love her for her mind.

As if that weren't enough, FHM also features the Anna Kornakova of the LPGA this month, Natalie Gulbis.

Totally off this subject: The Screen Savers lists Ben "John Crichton" Browder as one of their guests tonight. I figure he's dropping by to promote the upcoming Farscape: The Peace Keeper Wars mini-series that debut Sunday night on Sci-Fi. I'll definitely be tuning in to see if we get any interesting tid-bits about the next installment in the Farscape universe.

posted by Michael at 10/13/2004 11:05:00 AM | |

If you've read my blog for more than two or three days, you'll know that I'm a huge football fan. And that I have an undying devotion to the Vols, Titans and Redskins.

That said, my level of fan devotion doesn't nearly reach the level of two fans I've heard about lately.

The first one is Clay Travis, a graduate of Vanderbilt who is now living in the Virgin Islands. He's on a "hunger strike" in which he'll only eat pudding until the Virgin Islands get the Direct TV Sunday NFL package so he can see all the Titans games at his home. You know, I appreciate fanatical devotion as much as the next guy, but I think maybe the better solution would be finding a friend or family member in Nashville who could tape the games and overnight the VHS tape to you. I know, I know, not the same as seeing the game live, but it's certainly a lot better than just eating pudding until such time as the games are shown. Also, notice he's not on a "hunger strike" to see Vanderbilt games...

The second one is a local sports call-in show "celebrity" Johnny Bulldog. While he's no Philly or any one of the other legion of idiots who follow Tony Basilio from station-to-station in Knoxville, he does liven up the debate on the current second place sports call in show over on SuperTalk 99.7. Johnny Bulldog is a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs. And he was feeling a bit confident that the Bulldogs would run all over the Vols. So, he called in and made an on-air bet with all of Nashville--should the Vols win, he'd have a T shaved into his head and let them paint it orange. Well, as you already know, the Vols won the big game down in Athens. And Johnny Bulldog had to put his money where his mouth is. Now, I'll be the first to give Johnny B some credit here. Upon losing his "bet" he could have just not called in for several months, but instead, he was quickly on the air Monday to make good on his "bet."

So, yesterday, Johnny B showed up at Two Doors Down and got his new stylin' haircut. They showed footage of the new look on a couple of local news broadcasts last evening, but I can't find any links to them. So, you'll just have to imagine a grown man with a T shaved into his head, painted orange. Oh and here's the rest of the rub--according to the reports last night, he also said he wouldn't shave the T out until after Saturday's Vandy/Georgia game, which he will attend (and heaven help him since most UGA fans are not pleasant to be around!). Oh yeah--and he has an interview on Friday. Now, that should be interesting...

posted by Michael at 10/13/2004 08:40:00 AM | |

Frist Rips Edwards for 'Shameful' and 'Dishonest' Reeve Promise

Calling [Christopher] Reeve "a powerful voice for the need to do stem cell research," [John] Edwards pledged Monday, "If we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve will get up out of that wheelchair and walk again."

I'm of two minds about this. First of all, I think it's absolutely absurd for Edwards to make promises that should John Kerry get elected, he'll suddenly become like Steve Martin's character from Leap of Faith. He's a politician, not a faith healer. I will accept that Kerry has a different opinion on stem cells and stem cell research and that there's a good possibility that such research could help people like Christopher Reeve and Ronald Reagan.

"I find it opportunistic to use the death of someone like Christopher Reeve -- I think it is shameful -- in order to mislead the American people," [Bill Frist] said, in comments first reported by CNN.

Yes, it's "shameful" that people are using the death of Christopher Reeve to promote an agenda. Personally, I think we should all honor his memory by paying tribute to him for all the good work that he did--both on-screen and off. But then again, no one thought it was "shameful" for Nancy Reagan to use the death of a popular ex-president (who had a condition that the research into stem cells could have helped, mind you) to criticize the administration for its current policies on stem cell research.

posted by Michael at 10/13/2004 08:07:00 AM | |

Lost: Tabula Rasa
It's rapidly becoming clear that everyone on this island is hiding something--whether it's those we know about like Kate who is hiding her past (though she does want to come clean with Jack about what she did) or the entire scout party from last week who decides to withhold the truth from the rest of the survivors about just why they can't get a signal out to radio for help. (You just have to think that one is going to come back to bite them at some point). But what I find intriguing is that no one is exactly what he or she seems. It'd be easy to hate Jin for his treatement of Sun, but then they throw in a few, tender moments where you think maybe this guy really does love her. He's just expressing it in a way that is foreign to our expectations of how a husband and wife interact. Also, there's the question of how quickly did the agent who had Kate in custody die after being shot in the chest by Sawyer? Jack, at first, states that it will be a long, slow, painful death for him due to Sawyer's mis-aim, but a few moments later Jack comes out of the tent angry. Did Jack somehow help matters along and spare the agent the suffering, hence his anger at Sawyer and himself? Also, his conversation with Kate on the beach that as far as he's concerned it's all a clean slate on the island--yeah ,that may come back to haunt you as well. We still have no idea what Kate did that led to her being in custody, though we do see that she isn't a hardened criminal. She does save the life of the farmer who turns in her in. Of course, it's after wrecking his truck to try and get away. Technicality, I guess.

I've got to admit that, so far, I'm hooked on this show. The second episode delivered on the promise of the pilot and raised a whole lot of questions and few answers. It's one of those where the hour goes by too quickly and leaves you hungering for more. Can't wait to see where this is all going. And if you haven't watched yet, it's not too late to jump into the fun.

The Apprentice
You gotta love Raj. The team wins an afternoon on the tennis court with Anna Kornakova and John McEnroe and Raj does what every red-blooded American man wishes he could do--asks Anna out. Sure, he gets rejected by her, but he did have a chance if he could only return one of her serves. (Who says she can't play tennis?!?) And in defeat, he can still say to the world--hey, I was almost naked with Anna Kornikova. How many other men can say that?

That said, I didn't understand the women's pricing scheme. Or more specifically, Pamela's. Seems to me that pyschogically, most people are attracted to price points like $19.95 or $29.95 etc. Why go for something that is an oddity like $27 and change? Let's face it--when it come to buying some things, we can be like little lemmings. If it's $19.95, we don't stop and consider it, we just buy it. It's less than twenty bucks our brains tell us and we buy. If it's not a price that fits the pattern we're used to, that may make us stop and think a bit and end up not buying. Hence, why I think the women lost by ten dollars in their challenge.

And no, I didn't tune into QVC last night to see the groups selling. Sorry, the Titans were routing the Packers and I had to watch that.

Survivor: Vanuatu
The women get it together and beat the men in not one, but two challenges this week. The men then go to tribal council and prove they're thinking way too much about this game as they eliminate yet another player who could help get them back on the winning track and be a good asset after the merge--assuming it ever comes. Mark Burnette has been known to draw these things out to spice up the show as it were.

posted by Michael at 10/12/2004 09:25:00 AM | |

It's officially fall and most of the new shows and new seasons have started, let's talk!!

1. Is there a new show that's caught your attention? Good or bad?
I've been sucked into the world that is Lost. Great show. It's one of those that the hour passes way too quickly and leaves you eager to see more. Also, Veronica Mars is really good, so far.

2. Were there any season premieres you were just dying to see? Did they live up to the wait?
I have to admit I was curious to see what Enterprise did with the Nazi-alien cliffhanger from last season. So far, I'm not overly impressed but there's still the second half to come this week. I'll admit two of the shows I'm most looking forward to returning--24 and Alias--don't come back until January.

3. What's your all time favorite season or show premiere?
One of the most eagerly anticipated in my young life was TNG's "Best of Both Worlds, Part 2" If you were a Star Trek fan in 1991, you know why. I also appreciate the brilliance of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season two premiere, "When She Was Bad." I also admit I was really looking forward to the third-season premiere of Farscape back when it aired.

~Bonus~ Did you ever end up liking a show that you disliked the premiere of? Which show? Why?
None spring to mind. However, I think it's easier to have a great premiere episode and then have a significant drop-off in the second episode. I think this is because you put all your eggs in one basket to get the show sold and then have the task of now turning around and producing an epiosde that lives up to or betters the promise of the orginal episode and that can be difficult.

posted by Michael at 10/12/2004 08:44:00 AM | |

Christopher Reeve has passed away at the age of 52.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

posted by Michael at 10/11/2004 01:05:00 PM | |

Well, I posted my wrap-up of the Vols' big win over Georgia over at FanBlogs.com. I've also posted a little commentary on the game. I will warn you that my commentary is totally biased toward the Tennessee side of things, including the home cooking UGA got on that last drive.

So, I admit I was in a pretty good mood when I saw down to watch my beloved Redskins take on the Ravens (I hate the Ravens as much as I despise the Cowboys) last night. And I was encouraged by what I saw defensively for the first half. Three turnovers, though we could only turn them into 1o points. Then, the second half came and the Baltimore defense and special teams scored 14 points, effectively ending our chances of winning the game. It's hard to watch the offense struggle so and, so far, the return of Joe Gibbs hasn't produced immediate results. But, the first time he came to the Skins, he started 0-5. Next year: Super Bowl win.

So, I"m not turning on my team or my coach just yet...

posted by Michael at 10/11/2004 10:56:00 AM | |

I got news over the weekend that is even better than the Vols' big win over the Bulldogs.

My soon-to-be one-year-old nephew Davis went into the doctor on Friday to have some tests run. He has a tendency to get bad chest congestion and "wheezy" when he breathes (he sounds like he's been smoking a pack a day for years, but it doesn't seem to bother him that much because he's still happy, full of energy and crawling around like it was going out of style). The doctors were concerned it might be cystic fibrosis. They ran a test and it turns out that Davis does not have CF. Which is great, great news. We still don't know what causes this condition, but the doctors are working now on finding out if it's allergies or asthma.

posted by Michael at 10/11/2004 08:08:00 AM | |

Tennessee's Derrick Tinsley waves the school flag after the Volunteers defeated Georgia 19-14 Saturday, Oct. 9, 2004 in Athens, Ga

Never underestimate the Vols on the road. Being double digit underdogs just seems to spark something in them for at least one game each year--witness last year against Miami, 2001 against Florida and this year in Athens!

We've got the inside tract now to the SEC Championship Game...let's not lose it by overlooking Ole Miss or South Carolina.

posted by Michael at 10/10/2004 04:44:00 PM | |

Enterprise: Storm Front, Part 1
You can almost imagine how the conversation went between Brannon Braga and Manny Coto at the Enterprise offices.

Brannon: So, Manny, you get to take over day to day running of Enterprise, having shown last year that you can tell some good stories and that the fans really seem to like.
Manny: Thanks, Brannon, that's great.
Brannon: Congratulations. Oh, by the way, you have to come up with some way to resolve that whole alien Nazi thing Rick and I pulled out of thin air to be our cliffhanger last spring. Good luck with that.
Manny: D'oh!

Given what he has to work with, Coto works hard but comes up a bit short in terms of the season premiere. Certainly it's not the travesty that Robert Bianco would have us believe, but it's also not the solid B+ work that Sci-Fi Wire talked about on Friday. Instead, it's an episode that's firmly in the middle. Coto seems to pay homage to classic Trek by combining elements of two episodes--"Patterns of Force" and "A Piece of the Action." So what we've got here is alien Nazis being battled by gangster revolutionaries. The only thing of interest is that the Siluban are back with Silik up to something. And the temporal Cold War plotline looks as if it's finally moving toward some sense of resolution. And again, this is an epiosde that is part one of a two part story and I've got hope that maybe, just maybe Coto is putting some things in motion that will have a big payoff in episode two--and by big pay off, I don't mean huge action sequences with lots of guns and explosions. Last season did a good job of finding a balance and having some intensity--especially in the later half of the season. I had hoped some of that momentum would carry over into season four, but so far it doesn't appear like it has.

Smallville: Facade
You know, I've really got to stop watching the promos the WB produces. Have they EVER previewed an episode of any show in a way that actually represents what will actually happen in the storyline?!? Watching this one, you almost think it's going to be Smallville does its take on Cruel Intentions, what with hot, steamy shower scenes and two girls exchanging spit. Instead, the much-hyped woman to woman kiss is in no way what is advertised, but instead the freak of the week passing along her curse to Lana in an attempt to destroy her.

I now know why Lana moved back to Smallville...it was easier only have the entire population of Smallville obessessed with you than, say, Paris. (Because every where she goes, people get obsessed with Lana!) I mean, honestly...the other girls at Smallville high must be getting pretty upset since Lana seems to attract the attention of everyone she comes into contact with--from her buddy Clark to that guy or gal she passes in the hall. I'm telling you, there's something in the water over in Smallville and apparently only Chloe is immune.

Four years in and this one felt like a season one episode. About the only real diffrerence here was that instead of Lana getting in danger (though heaven knows she tried), Lois gets herself in hot water for Clark to bail her out at the last second. And then we get a semi-tragic scene where Chloe realizes that she is not number one in Clark's affections. (Wait a minute--didn't Clark say last week he wasn't into Lois, but here he seems to be?!?) I do like that we see Clark attempting to have a normal life by playing football and his conversations with Jonathan about it rang true. Too bad that's really the only intelligent character situations we have going on this week. OK, so I watched Lois and Clark and I guess from my expereince there I can accept that for being portrayed as a smart woman, Lois can really blunder into some stupid situations that are completely over her head...but on that show she KNEW Superman would save her. But as for Lana's new boyfriend, Jason, taking a job at her school and meeting her for secret dates/make out sessions during the school day and on school grounds...this makes no sense at all. Maybe it's just that I live in a county that had numerous teacher/student "incidents" last year, but surely he has to be a bit smarter than that. Also, the whole concept of forcing Lois into Smallville High--oh yeah, she forgot she hadn't passed some classes and the college is just now getting around to telling her?!?--just felt like a lazy way of keeping Lois around on the show. Surely the writers can come up with better than this.

posted by Michael at 10/10/2004 01:25:00 PM | |

And here's the results....
1. Which tribe will win the reward challenge? Yasur
2. Who will be the "surprise" visitor? A Vanuatu native
3. Which tribe wins the immunity challenge? Yasur
4. Who is voted out this week? Brady
5. Which tribe member gives Bubba a pep talk? Rory
6. Who plays puppet master? John K
7. Which tribe will we see first in the episode following the double tribal council? Yasur
8. Will it rain? No
9. Will Sarge yell at anyone this week? Yes (during the IC)

Bonus:
10. Over or under three: number of fish the men catch this week. I saw three..so if you said three or over, you get a point.
11. Which tribemembers will clash in the Lopevi tribe? Lee & Rory
12. Which tribemembers will clash in the Yasur tribe? Lisa & Eliza
13. At tribal council, will Jeff Probst reveal a vote we've already seen in a confessional or a new vote first? One we hadn't seen.

And now, the leaderboard....
Dar 18/37
Vickie 16/37
Clayton 12/37
Michael 13/37
Danielle 10/37
Tudy 6/37
Amanda 5/37
Barry 5/37
Jessica 4/37
Kurt 4/37
Leslie 4/37

Dar's got a bit of a lead, but it's still anyone's game!

posted by Michael at 10/09/2004 08:47:00 PM | |

Tennessee's Kevin Burnett celebrates the Volunteers' 19-14 win over Georgia with fans Saturday, Oct. 9, 2004 in Athens, Ga.

All I've got to say is this...

IT'S GREAT! TO BE! A TENNESSEE VOL!
I SAID! IT'S GREAT! TO BE! A TENNESSEE VOL!

Rocky top, you'll always be!
Home sweet home to me!
Good ol' Rocky Top!
Rocky Top, Tennessee!
Rocky Top, Tennessee!

Wasn't a great game, wasn't a perfect game...but the Vols came up with enough plays to win. Went down to the wire and I had visions of 2001 all over again...but luckily, the Vols were able to come up with a win!

GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted by Michael at 10/09/2004 08:34:00 PM | |

Forget the debate...the real event on television tonight is the long awaited season premiere of Star Trek: Enterprise. (I'm only slightly kidding here...)

I'm pretty intrigued to see where things go this season for the show. With Brannon Braga stepping back a bit and the installation of self-professed orginal series fan Manny Coto running the show day to day, I have high hopes for this season. If only they can quickly resolve that stupid Nazi-aliens cliffhanger that Braga saddled them with (sorry, but it was still a crappy way to end a great six to eight week run to conclude the Xindi arc!)

So far, I've seen two reviews of tonight's episode. The first, and more positive one, is from Kathie Huddleston over at SciFi.Com. She gives it a B+ and notes that, "The first part of "Storm Front" changes the direction of the series but continues the heavy focus on action."

On the other hand, you've got USA Today's Robert Bianco who apparently hates tonight's episode. Here's a sampling of what he has to say: "Enterprise plods on, despite overwhelming national disinterest, simply because Paramount is determined to keep the Star Trek name in front of the public. And never mind how much damage this dull, misbegotten enterprise does to the franchise. So tonight the show returns with a ludicrous time-travel story, bereft of both creativity and taste." Bianco has never been a huge fan of the show to start with, so I'm taking his review with a grain of salt. Also, I have to wonder if the reviewers got both parts of "Storm Front" or just the first segment. If only one part, then it might be hard to draw generalizations about the direction of season four until we see how the entire Nazi-alien thing is resolved next week and what impact it has on the show as a whole.

All I know is I'm looking forward to tonight's premiere and I refuse to allow either review to taint it too high or too low...

posted by Michael at 10/08/2004 10:42:00 AM | |

First of all, thanks to everyone for playing .

I am going to offer an apology--the results are going to be a bit delayed this week. I wasn't able to see the episode last night live (I have it on tape) and am not sure when I'll get to it today. I've got a big job interview and a bunch of things I've got to take care of to get ready for it. So, I am going to try and get those results up here as soon as I can for everyone.

I apologize to everyone for the delay...

posted by Michael at 10/08/2004 08:21:00 AM | |

Ever wonder what some of the other sci-fi offerings out there might look like done with Legos? Well, you can find out over at Lego Sci-Fi, where they offer Lego versions of Battlestar Galatica, Babylon Five and, my personal favorite, Doctor Who.

posted by Michael at 10/07/2004 03:39:00 PM | |

Football Films

Friday Night Lights opens this weekend in theaters. So this week it's all about Football.

1) What's your favorite football movie?
There aren't really a lot of "great" football films out there--at least none that I've really seen. I'm going to have to go with Necessary Roughness.

2) Do you think films accurately portray foootball players?
If they follow the book, Friday Night Lights has potential to be a very accurate portrayal. Remember the Titans did pretty well, but wasn't exactly a touchdown pass. Probably the best portrayal was for the small screen with ESPN's Playmakers.

3) What football movie was so bad, so far fetched, so poorly acted, or so over dramatized that it was painful to watch?
The Waterboy. Henry Winkler, how far you've fallen....

BONUS) If you were making a football film, what actor would you want to portray your star quarterback? The coach?
I can say I wouldn't want Keanu Reeves from The Replacements. I think Dean Cain would be a good choice since he actually was drafted by tee Buffalo Bills to play for them. As for the head coach, I'm not really sure.

posted by Michael at 10/07/2004 12:36:00 PM | |

TV Guide On-Line has good news for 24 fans...

TIME CHECK: Fox will launch the fourth season of 24 with a special two-hour premiere on Sunday, Jan. 9 — the same day the network airs the NFC wild-card game. Fox originally planned to kick off 24's season on Jan. 10. Meanwhile, Variety reports that Knots Landing grad William Devane has joined the cast as secretary of defense James Heller.

Does this mean we'll get the next hour the next night in the regular time slot? If so, all I can say is three hours of the new season in two days...woo-hoo!

posted by Michael at 10/07/2004 08:37:00 AM | |

Welcome to week four of the Big Orange Survivor Magnolia challenge. Here's who is left in the game.
Lopevi

Yasur

Here's what the CBS web site has to say about what's coming up this week...

Tempers flare at both camps after the double Tribal Council. Alliances seem clearly drawn and several Survivors have trouble holding back their frustration.
The Tribe that wins Reward is surprised by a prize that sends a visitor to their camp for 24 hours.
Homesickness plagues Bubba, who is comforted by a fellow tribe member and is advised to avoid being perceived as weak.
One Survivor plays a puppet master of sorts in an attempt to pit one tribemate against another.

The Contest, Week Four:
1. Which tribe will win the reward challenge? (1 point)
2. Who will be the "surprise" visitor? (1 point)
3. Which tribe wins the immunity challenge? (1 point)
4. Who is voted out this week? (1 point)
5. Which tribe member gives Bubba a pep talk? (1 point)
6. Who plays puppet master? (1 point)
7. Which tribe will we see first in the episode following the double tribal council? (1 point)
8. Will it rain? (1 point)
9. Will Sarge yell at anyone this week? (1 point)

Bonus:
10. Over or under three: number of fish the men catch this week. (1 point)
11. Which tribemembers will clash in the Lopevi tribe? (1 point)
12. Which tribemembers will clash in the Yasur tribe? (1 point)
13. At tribal council, will Jeff Probst reveal a vote we've already seen in a confessional or a new vote first? (1 point)

It's never too late to join the game! Just look at the leaderboard over at Magnolia Glen. It's still anyone's game. You can vote two ways. One is leaving your votes in the comments field. Or you can vote at your blog/journal and leave a link to your responses in the comments. So, jump in! The water is fine.

Only stipulation: Please have your votes cast by 8 p.m EST. Enjoy!

posted by Michael at 10/07/2004 08:01:00 AM | |

One of the great privileges in my life is getting to be Uncle Michael. Barry of the Inn of the Last Home gave me that honor a little over eight years ago when BrainyBoy was born (I still remember him calling me when I was home visiting family over summer break from UT to let me know he and L were expecting) and then a couple of years later, GiggleGirl came along. Now, for some odd reason, I've always had trouble remembering the exact date when GG was born. I know that it was in late September and it is generally after the Florida game (I remember that she was born on homecoming weekend the year she arrived). I can remember exactly when BB's b'day is, but it's kind of helpful that it's near Valentine's Day, so it's easier for my old brain to hold onto that information.

Now, I'll admit I've been the Uncle Michael I would like to be the past year. I missed GG's b'day last year and BB's b'day this year in terms of sending a card, a present or, at least, some acknowledgement of the event. So, I decided that this year, I'm going to do my best to make sure I don't forget either birthday. Which, of course, meant that GG's b'day snuck up on me and I missed it yet again. Never fear, I think. I can get her a cool present, send it to her and she'll have a late birthday gift from Uncle Michael. She doesn't have to know Uncle Michael has a memory like a sieve...

That, of course, left with a dilemma--what in the world do I get GG for her b'day?

Now, BB is a bit easier to buy for. OK, I'll admit it. He's a lot easier to buy for. Why? Because all I really have to do is head to the toy department, wander around until I find something I'd like to play with and odds are, he will probably like it. I've had tons of fun picking out his birthday and Christmas presents over the years, namely because I love going and looking at the Legos. Also, an evil part of me also giggles knowing that some of the things I buy him are going to help drive Barry slowly crazy (such as the 3-D puzzle of R2-D2 a couple of years ago).

But, GG...she's not quite as easy to buy for. I think part of it is that I'm not a person who just goes to the store and picks out some random present and says--yeah, that'll do. I want to find something that I hope that person will like and really enjoy. Having been a small boy, it's easy for me to do that with BB. With GG, I've never been a five-year old girl, so the task is compounded.

Thank goodness we have Wal-Mart. My motto is: If they ain't got it at Wal-Mart, you just don't need it.

So, I headed out to the local Wal-Mart, determined to find a great gift for GG. And after a lot of looking, I did. Barry described a present she picked out for herself at the mall in her blog and so I used that as a starting point. After much looking, I finally decided one two potential presents--Barbie UNO (I love UNO!) and a My Little Pony figurine. I eventually decided to go with the My Little Pony figurine because I figured it might be more appreciated and, OK here's the big seller, it was all orange. (If you need to know why, you've obviously forgotten where you are). Also, it's the only one in the store. This fact will be important later. So, I put this into my cart and after I picked out some other purchases, I headed to the registers.

I decided to do self check-out. So, I ring up my other items and last, but not least is the My Little Pony. I run it over the scanner and it tells me to wait. I wait...it does nothing. I scan again. I'll need assistance with this item, the computer says. I look at this innocent toy in my hands. Apparently there must be alarms going off as a single white male is buying a girl's toy pony doll...surely if I'd been buying a copy of South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut or alcoholic beverages, that'd be OK. But a My Little Pony doll?!? There must be something wrong with me.

So, the cashier comes over, finally, and tries to scan the offending item. No dice. She tries entering the SKU into the computer. Nothing. She asks if I remember how much it cost. I tell her and she takes my items and makes me go up front with her. She goes on the intercom and asks toys to call her. Nothing. Ten minutes go by. I ask if she could call again. She does. No answer. I am getting frustrated. Could I pay for my items that did ring up, have the Pony in question and go back and find another one to try and scan? Nope, she replies. Why not, I ask. This one isn't in the computer, she says. Why can't you sell it to me for the same price as all the other My Little Pony figurines back there? I ask. She doesn't know, but she can't. I ask for a manager but am told the same thing....I tell them both, look, you're disappointing a five-year old girl on her birthday, this is the only one I saw and I really would like to get it for her. Could they help me out?

Nope.

I leave, bewildered, upset and pissed off at Wal-Mart. See if I ever shop there again, I think.

Until yesterday. I went back to Wal-Mart, the same one in fact. I needed some supplies and figure--well, let's go by the toys and see what's up that we can get GG. I see the same Pony sitting there. I grab it and then take another for good measure. I head up to the front and go to a checkout. Now wouldn't you know it, the girl from Friday is working this register. I have to explain to her several times that I only want one Pony but after what happened Friday, I brought two just in case.

Guess what? Yeah, orange Pony doesn't scan. I begin to wonder if Spurrier, since he isn't coaching now, is the inventory entry guy for Wal-Mart.

Well, I point out I've got another Pony and couldn't we scan that one, sell me the orange one and I can go on with my life. Everyone's happy--Wal-Mart gets money, I get my item and GG gets her now incredibly delayed birthday present. Nope, we can't do that. I tell the girl that I am not leaving without the Pony so she'd better find a way to sell it to me. Finally, she manually rings it up and sells it to me and I leave.

Seriously, I had no idea buying a toy would be that difficult....

I just hope GG likes it. And, please, Barry, don't tell me she already has one...even if she already does...

UPDATE: Cathy over at Domestic Pyschology made an assumption--and it's a valid one based on reading this post-- which I am here to correct. She assumed that Barry and I are related. But we're not. We've been best friends since we met at UT and sat around his office at the Wesley Foundation disucssing Star Trek and other aspects of life since the fall of 1991. And even though we're not brothers in terms of being related to each other by parental units, Barry is the big brother I never had and a brother to me in every way that really matters.

posted by Michael at 10/06/2004 02:50:00 PM | |

Flu season starts with just half of needed vaccine
The sub-head to this article is "Healthy urged to forgo shots for those at high risk." There was also an article in this morning's Tennessean about how this will affect some of the Nashville hospitals.

As much as I like the "security" of getting a flu shot each year (I'll take a couple of hours of feeling less than stellar as opposed to a couple of days with the flu), I guess I'm going to have to forgo my flu shot for a while. I have to admit, that the part of me that hates getting shots (I have this tendency to pass out after shots) is kind of relieved while the other part of me that hates getting sick is a bit irritated. But, let's keep looking on the bright side--I might not have to get a shot. (Actually, I'm gonna wait a couple of weeks and see what happens before I head out for a flu shot.) I'd gladly give up my flu shot so my 91-year old grandfather, who needs the flu like most of us need a hole in the head, can get his.

RTB Blogger makes good.
Donald Sensing, a member of the Rocky Top Brigade and author of the One Hand Clapping Blog (currently on a sabbatical and sorely missed!) talks to columnist Tim Chavez of the Tennessean. The column is titled Sense of security vs. hatred of war: tough call for him. Great reading and congratulations to Donald on this.

Now if only the Tennessean would figure out they have another blogging celebrity close by, right here in the great city of Nashville. Yes, of course, I'm referring to Danielle over at Mississives Anonymous...

Putting the losing streak into perspective...
OK, so maybe I'm a bit down on the Titans right now (the story this morning about possibly losing Tyrone Callico for the season when he's played all of one half of regular season football after looking brilliant in the pre-season doesn't help things) and sure I keep reminding myself that in 2002, we started 1-4 and were one game away from the Super Bowl. And while I worry about us not having a good year, the thing I worry about more is fans jumping off the bandwagon and not coming back. We've been spoiled by success since the Titans became the Titans. Now, we'll begin to see who the real fans are...those who'll remain with the team even if they're not among the elite in the NFL. Local columnist Gail Kerr feels that we have nothing to fear in her column this morning.

posted by Michael at 10/06/2004 08:48:00 AM | |

Shots fired at Bush Tenn. headquarters
This story was big enough that it was reported as the lead story on the Nashville news round-up earlier today. At the time, there was a report that a bank nearby in the Bearden area was robbed about the same time as police were out investigating the incident. I was able to get confirmation of this over at WBIR's web site and their story.

My first thought upon hearing about the possible bank robbery was the attack wasn't really on the campaign offices, but this was a smoke screen to help the robbers pulls off a bank job. Doesn't that just seem like part of a mystery/conspiracy story you'd read or see on TV?

If you're interested, you can read more from the local angle at the Knoxville News-Sentinel's web site . Also, you can drop by InstaPundit's blog and hear about his first-hand experince going by the scene.

All kidding aside, this is an intriguing story and one that I'll be following as hopefully we shed some more light on it. I hope this isn't some kind of partisan thing or that party loyalty somehow entered into. Agree or disagree on who we think the next president should be, the way to voice that is a t-shirt, a bumper sticker and, best of all, getting out to vote for the candidate of your choice. Picking up a gun and shooting out some glass ain't really gonna help things much...and let's face it, it's not going to improve the perception of Tennessee by some other parts of the country who think we're all a bunch of yokels, driving our pick-up trucks with gun-racks.

posted by Michael at 10/05/2004 05:02:00 PM | |

Friday Night Lights is the story of a single season of high-school football in the small town of Odessa, Texas, where the faithful live and die by the success or failure of the Permian Panthers football team. If you've seen the movie Varsity Blues, you've seen a fictionalized and, at times, exaggerated account of how high-school football can be in a small town.

But the scary part is--fiction isn't too far removed from reality. (For one thing, there are no whipped cream bikinis in this one!)

This is the story of the 1988 season for the Permian Panthers. The team was loaded with talent and expectations were high. For many of the faithful fans, anything less than a state championship would be considered a failure. Author H.G. Bassinger tells of the highs and the lows and all the places in between in the rollercoaster ride that is a football season. He tells of the absolute worship given by the town to their football players and how they're given an almost mythical status both in school and out of school. Bassinger spent a year with the team and gets inside the stories of some of the key players on the team--from coach Gary Gaines to quarterback Mike Winchell to promising but injured running back Boobie Miles. We meet their families and look inside the hopes and dreams of a team and a town.

And while this book is a celebration of small town football, it doesn't pull any punches. The book examines the profound affect that football has on the team both on and off the field. At one point, the team loses an important district rival for the fourth time in as many years and the town turns on Gaines. We see the profound impact on the coach and his family. Also, Bassinger asks a lot of hard-hitting questions that have few good answers-such as do the players get a "free pass" in the classroom so they can do well on the field. Is the town sacrificing the future of these children to have the glory of the present in a state championship?

Also, the book examines the kind of cult of celebrity that is built up around the players. Each week, the players are heralded in a pep rally, they have a cheerleader assigned to them to make signs for them, to cheer for them, make homemade cookies, etc. In some ways, the duties of being a pepette become almost, if not more, important as work in the classroom. Also rather intriguing is the view of how the girls should not be smarter to or superior to the boys in any way. (One particularily disturing scene comes last in the book, describing a young woman for rival school, Carter, who is so desparate to win the approval of the team, she sleeps with three players in one afternoon, takes Polaroids and shares them around school proudly).

But before you think it's just an isolated case, Bassinger pulls in the story of the Carter Cowboys and the lengths taken by some within the school to insure their star player gets to play in the playoffs.

This book is absoulutely essential reading for any football fan. If you love football on any level, you'll come away with a new respect and admiration for those who play the game week in and week out, at any level. But beyond that, this is the story of a town, coming together and sharing a dream. It's an indictment of fans who want winning above all else and will quickly turn on their heroes if they don't deliver. It's a fascinating, page-turning story that has a little bit of everything. I can see why this story has been turned into a movie and it's one that I am intrigued to see. But I have a feeling I'll come out of the theater thinking--that wasn't nearly as good as the book.

If you're interested, you can view the trailer for the movie here.

posted by Michael at 10/05/2004 10:29:00 AM | |

Sports

It's football season! Know how I can tell? Everything I want to watch has been cancelled for a game! ACK!! So this week we'll look at sports! :)
No, football is pretty much shown on a regular schedule and rarely pre-empts things. I think you're referring to baseball, which pre-empts everything this time of year and leads to the severe case of 24 withdrawal that a lot of us are suffering right now...

1. Do you watch sports on TV? If so, which?
Yes, I do. Football of all kinds--college, pro, etc.

2. Is there a sport you'd like to see more (or less) of on TV?
Honestly, I've yet to see the appeal of NASCAR...to me, it's just turning left for three to four hours. And it doesnt' make for compelling viewing IMHO.

3. What's the most memorable sports moment you've seen on TV?
Can't pick just one--I saw Mark McGuire break the home run record live a few years ago, which was pretty cool. And as a Titans fan, I can't overlook the Music City Miracle. But, the most memorable was in 1998...the Vols are down to Arkansas with less than two minutes left in the game and our number one ranking on the line. Clint Sterner goes back, drops the ball and we pounce on it. The Vols drive down with Travis Henry putting the ball into the end zone with only a few seconds left on the clock for one of the most miraculous endings in Vol history. At that moment, I knew that the Vols were destined to win a national championship....

~Bonus~ If you could be a star of any sport, what sport would you pick? And why?
With my love of football, this may come as a sh0ck to some, but I think to be an Olympic swimmer or diver would be just awesome. You have to be in tip-top shape, it takes a lot of work but there is soemthing graceful and awe inspiring about doing it.

posted by Michael at 10/05/2004 08:18:00 AM | |

Danielle over at Missives Anonymous provided a link to a new game, Squares 2, on Friday, calling it "One of the more addicting flash games I've played." She wasn't kidding.

I went over to just look at it and ended up playing...well, let's just say far longer than I intended.

So far, my best score is ~~45 squares and 2689 points~~ 78 squares, 5903 points...

posted by Michael at 10/04/2004 10:53:00 AM | |

All three of my teams lost this weekend--Vols, Redskins and Titans. Vols, well, we all know how that went. Redskins--another heartbreaking loss to Cleveland...CLEVELAND?!? And the Titans...goodness we just look totally uninspired out there. We haven't scored more than 17 points against anyone in four games and we made the friggin' Chargers look like world-beaters.

posted by Michael at 10/04/2004 08:02:00 AM | |

Took a family trip to the pumpkin patch this afternoon. Below is a picture of yours truely posing as a scarecrow. More details to come later as my neice and nephew are headed over to make cookies and carmel apples....

And they say those low carb diets don't work...

posted by Michael at 10/03/2004 03:18:00 PM | |

One of the pleasures of being close to family is getting to sit with my most of my immediate family at church. This morning, I came, sat down and after a few minutes, saw a little head bobbing its way down to me. Gracelyn stopped in front of me and said, "Hug, Uncle Michael" and held out her arms for a big hug, which she got.

I tell ya, the best things in life are free...

posted by Michael at 10/03/2004 11:54:00 AM | |

Well, I suppose it had to happen at some point....the Vols lost our first game of the season. It's not so much the fact that we lost, but how we lost...getting pretty much taken to school by Auburn. Our freshman QBs looked like freshman for the first time tonight.

All I can say and keep my blog relatively fan friendly is a resounding, "RATS!"

But don't lose heart...I still love the Vols.

posted by Michael at 10/02/2004 10:13:00 PM | |

Well, Lee Corso just picked against the Vols' for tonight and Kirk Herbstreit picked us to win. Celebrity picker and Auburn alumni Charles Barkley picked Auburn. I'm pumped for the game...

GO BIG ORANGE!!!!

posted by Michael at 10/02/2004 11:01:00 AM | |

Survivor: Vanuatu
Most episodes of Survivor show us three days of life on the island. This one only shows us one, but it's a pretty pivotal day on the island. Both teams have to go to tribal council and vote out a member of the tribe. The twist--and it's a complex one--is that one team wins reward and then one person on that team gets individual immunity by winning another challenge. Said person then goes with the other tribe and can give individual immunity to anyone he or she wants. Confused yet?

So, the men win the reward challenge of fishing gear and then John K wins the immunity challenge. He then gets to spend a couple of hours with the women, observing them as they bicker and argue about losing Dolly the night before. There's tension in the tribes this season and voting people out seems to fall strictly along age lines. I scratch my head and wonder about the strategy employed by the men is to vote out the strongest guys early so they won't be a threat later in the game. Which I guess makes sense, but you're assuming a lot...you're assuming you're going to win a lot of the immunity challenges leading up to the merge and if there's anything we've come to know over the past few seasons, it's never assume. As for the women, it's always interesting to watch them go to tribal council since you have no idea who is going home until the votes are finally read by Jeff.

I can see this going one of two ways--either it's gonna make the final few episodes really interesting, or it will be like Survivor: Africa where all the interesting personalities were voted out early and the last few episodes were unusually unmemorable.

Lost: Pilot (Part 2)
Before I get started on talking about this week's episode, if you've not seen it and want to catch-up, it's airing tonight on ABC for two-hours starting at 8 p.m EST. Trust me--it's more fun to go in not knowing what will happen.

Seeing the complete pilot for Lost, I wish ABC had shown it as one two-hour episode instead of broken up in chunks like this. But, hey, what are you going to do, right? The second half of the pilot only gets better as we slowly begin to learn more about the people on the island. I love how J.J. Abrams, like the genius that is Joss Whedon, puts characters and situations out there, allowing us to make assumptions and then pulling the rug out. Kate was the prisoner in custody with the U.S. marshall?!? Never saw that one coming. I figured the transceiver wouldn't work as they'd hoped, but that was about all that was truely "expected" in this hour. This felt a lot like a Stephen King story--a group of "ordinary" people are stuck together in an increasingly bizarre circumstance and now we'll see if or how they band together to survive. And the whole polar bear on the island twist--that was one of those great twists that makes me glad I stay away from SPOILERS. Just like the early seasons of Alias, J.J. Abrahms have me hooked and he ended this one on a cliffhanger. Can't wait for more of this one.

And let me add this--Kate out in the surf in her bra and panties....the hormonally imbalanced, red-blooded male in me really, really appreciated that scene.

posted by Michael at 10/02/2004 10:42:00 AM | |

So, this weekend, we get a pro-Kerry film Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry opening in selected cities and theaters nationwide. A couple of months ago, we had the anti-Bush film Farenheit 9/11 open up in the theaters. (I've not seen it and I have no intention to give Michael Moore a single cent of my hard earned money seeing this film on DVD or in the theaters!) What is it with all these liberal, pro-Democratic movies opening this election year? Are the Hollywood left getting so desparate to take Bush out of office that they have to open these thinly veiled, political slander movies to attack President Bush? Why would I pay good money to see Michael Moore's opinion on anything or to see a two plus hour campaign commercial for John Kerry? I guess a lot of the Hollywood "elite" feel that we poor massed out here in the America couldn't find our ass from a hole in the ground without them to tell us how to think and feel about it. Sorry, Hollywood, but I can make up my own mind without you.

posted by Michael at 10/01/2004 02:11:00 PM | |

Woo-hoo..I went 8-0 last week making my picks. Man, if I'd only I'd gambled away all my money, I'd be rich now. Of course, if I did actually place a wager on a game, I'd lose so bad it wouldn't be funny and a guy named Guido would be breaking my kneecaps right now. So, my record for the season is 21-6.

Alright, onto this week's game...

1. Auburn at Tennessee (7:45 p.m. EST, ESPN)
Another big test for the Vols in the comfortable confines of Neyland Stadium. Last I heard, Ainge has been named starting QB for this game, but that doesn't mean Shaeffer won't see some playing time. The key here is for the Vol's defense to contain the double-edge running attack of Auburn and to have a solid running game. I think we've got the o-line to do it and our running backs have really stepped it up this year.
Tennessee 24, Auburn 17.

2. Arkansas at Florida (Noon EST, CBS)
The Gators' effort against Kentucky last week was just enough to get the job done. It's going to take a lot more than playing one decent quarter to beat the Razorbacks, who have looked pretty good in all of their games I've seen this season. This one is a tough one to pick, but I am going to give the Gators home field advantage, even though it kills me to do so.
Florida 20, Arkansas 17.

3. LSU at Georgia (3:30 p.m. EST, CBS)
LSU owned the Bulldogs last year and are coming in off a rout of Mississippi State. Georgia comes in off a bye week and looking pretty underwhelming in their first three wins. As a Vols' fan I am pulling for LSU.
LSU 20, Georgia 14

4. South Carolina at Alabama (6 p.m. EST, ESPN2)
Alabama lost a tough game last week to Arkansas, not scoring a point in the second half. South Carolina has yet to beat a quality opponent--sorry, SC but Vandy does NOT count. Sure, they played well for a three quarters against UGA, but it football is a four quarter game. Home field advantage to Bama.
Alabama 28, South Carolina 17

5. Missississippi State at Vanderbilt (7 p.m. EST, no TV).
The battle for bottom of the barrel in the SEC. Vandy had high expectations and in usual Vandy style crushed fans' hopes in the first two weeks. Mississippi State started well but then lost to Maine (Maine?!?) The fact that Vandy is favored by double digits makes me fall on the floor with laughter.
Mississippi State 10, Vandy 3.

posted by Michael at 10/01/2004 01:26:00 PM | |

I saw this over on Woman of Smoke and Dust and thought it looked like fun. The game is you take the list of actors and actresses and put in the movie they starred in your liked the best. At the end, you add another actor or actress to the list and the fun continues...

+ Tom Hanks - Apollo 13
+ Jim Carrey - The Truman Show (though for gut-busting laughs you can't overlook Dumb and Dumber)
+ Tobey Maguire - Spider-Man (big shock there!)
+ Mel Gibson - Maverick
+ Ben Affleck - Chasing Amy
+ Nicole Kidman - To Die For
+ Liv Tyler - That Thing You Do
+ Harrison Ford - Empire Strikes Back
+ Natalie Portman - Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace
+ Ewan McGregor - Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones
+ Edward Norton - Fight Club
+ Angelina Jolie - Tomb Raider
+ John Cusack - High Fidelity
+ Renee Zellweger - Jerry McGuire
+ Johnny Depp - Edward Scissorhands
+ Sean Penn - Fast Times at Ridgemont High
+ Will Smith - Men in Black
+ Meg Ryan - When Harry Met Sally
+ Catherine Zeta-Jones - Intolerable Cruelty
+ Sandra Bullock - The Net
+ Gwyneth Paltrow -
+ Brad Pitt - Twelve Monkeys
+ Keanu Reeves - The Matrix
+ Cameron Diaz - There's Something About Mary
+ Christina Ricci - The Opposite of Sex
+ Drew Barrymore - ET
+ Kate Hudson - I don't think I've seen any movies with her.
+ Marilyn Monroe - Some Like It Hot
+ Adam Sandler - The Wedding Singer
+ Arnold Schwarzenegger - Terminator 2: Judgement Day
+ Bruce Willis - The Sixth Sense
+ Eddie Murphy - Shrek
+ Morgan Freeman - The Shawshank Redemption
+ Sigourney Weaver - GhostBuster
+ George Clooney - The Perfect Storm
+ Julia Stiles - Pretty Woman
+ Jodie Foster - Contact
+ Sean Connery - Goldfinger
+ Christian Slater - Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
+ Julianne Moore - Evolution
+ Michael Pitt - Who?!?
+ Uma Thurman - Gattica
+ Ethan Hawke - Gattica
+ Elijah Wood - The Lord of the Rings trilogy
+ John Travolta - Grease
+ Denzel Washington - Crimson Tide
+ Kevin Bacon - The River Wild
+ Milla Jovovich - The Fifth Element
+ Jake Gyllenhaal - October Sky
+ Russell Crowe - Gladiator
+ Michael Douglas - Romancing the Stone
+ Jennifer Connelly - Career Opportunities (if you've seen it, you know why!)
+ Peter Sellers - Pink Panther
+ Corey Feldman - Lost Boys
+ Kate Winslet - Titanic
+ Grace Kelly - Rear Window
+ Maggie Gyllenhaal - Not seen anything with her.
+ Alan Rickman - Die Hard
+ Lena Olin - Alias
+ Allison Janney - ummm..has she been in any movies excpet that one with Mandy Moore?
+ Anthony Hopkins - Silence of the Lambs
+ Kathy Bates - Misery
+ Michael Caine - Without a Clue
+ Steve Martin - Roxanne

posted by Michael at 10/01/2004 10:03:00 AM | |

As a blogger, I guess I should've felt obligated to watch the debate last night, but honestly, I didn't watch a minute of it. I went to Thursday night worship service at church, which I have to admit was far more uplifting and interesting than any debate between Bush and Kerry could hope to be. (I did hear some of the radio, mostly of Kerry. Honestly, the man makes my skin crawl. I just get the feeling that every time he opens his mouth that he's like a used-car salesman...saying whatever it takes to get the sale, whether it's the truth or not).

I did, however, engage in a debate with an Auburn fan who feels certain they're gonna win this weekend. He just wouldn't accept the fact that the Vols' defense held the number one rusher in the country to 97 yards last weekend and zero in the second half. He was all about bringing up last year's Auburn success, yada, yada, yada. (It was all good natured, fun debate amongst sports fans...unlike on certain call in shows in Knoxville where the host can get mean spirited).

At dinner after church, several of us tried to witness to a Yankees' fan to see the error of his ways. Unfortunately, we couldn't save him.

posted by Michael at 10/01/2004 09:08:00 AM | |