The "scenes from the next" at the end of "Downloaded" were about the fleet discovering a habitable planet... Frack, is it season finale time already? Or hiatus til the summer? I HATED waiting for the start of this season after the last one's cliffhanger. BRUtal.
Hrmmm... I wonder if the writers are gonna hold off on the "36 hours on Caprica" story until AFTER we see its effect on the fleet in the last 5 minutes of the finale...
Y'know, the Cylons have set up the planet as a lush tasty candylike lure, the humans fall for it, the Cylons pounce, maybe the tide turns once or twice, but in the end, humanity is about to fall, when Sha-WING - FTLs blink in a combo force of Caprica Cylons and humans, in mostly Cylon warships...
Or maybe we don't know that they're the cavalry... And the humans v. Cylon battle at/over the planet could go either way, and THEN the Caprica ships FTL in, and all the humans look dismayed...
TO BE CONTINUED...
And the first episode of the next season turns the clock back to when Caprica 6 and Caprica Sharon are pulled out of the destroyed garage...
It's awful that there is ANY time between episodes of shows I like, cuz I can go on and on like this... Totally unproductive and useless energy spent, burnt off... foo.
Anyhow...
I think I'm gonna try to shake my BSG madness by watching some MOCK TRIAL WITH J. RIENHOLD, featuring Will Hung and the Hung Jury. =)
Keep on keepin on~
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
what up w Baltar?
A ragtag fugitive BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ramble...
After a run of stand-alone episodes ("The Captain's Hand" did include the ramp-up for the presidential campaign, highlighting the fleet's church and state takes on abortion in the face of survival of the species, an exception, and a strong and thoughtful piece of the BSG puzzle), the show comes back with a major mover for the big arcs - Damn, what a bee-yoo-tiful episode this week!
And I'm not even thinking of the trio of Cylon hotties!
Okay, that's not exACTly true, heh. But this episode, "Downloaded," a season and a half in the making, is a little bit of storytelling nirvana. All these little threads, that could've been nothing, left alone and never again touched by some shows and writers, and really not effecting anything if left alone, are instead gathered up and braided together to create an amazing intersection of revelations.
Vague puffy talk, I know. There's just this power that I'm particularly susceptible to, that comes from a well choreographed and thoughtful crossover or team-up or shift in POV in a familiar and consistent world. It can be a bit formulaic in pop narratives, but I'm usually still swayed. Like those excellent John Byrne issues of FANTASTIC FOUR that focused on Galactus and Dr. Doom. And that crazy little conceit of a back-up story in MAN OF STEEL about Lex Luthor slumming in some diner in a small berg on the edge of Metropolis, waving his name and money in an INDECENT PROPOSAL way to destroy a young couple's happiness, just to do it, just because he can.
The crystalization of the notion that two celebrities in a homogeneous Cylon culture would pose a danger, a threat to their carbon copy unity, is a truly brilliant realization. Good good crack.
LOVED how Sharon and Six bumble through their lies to Number Lucy at the cafe. They had more trouble playing it cool than a couple of wide-eyed schoolgirls around a parent or principal... or Kirk Cameron (oh, Mike Seaver, why-o-why so born again?). Kinda backwards, after Sharon's interpretation/accusation of Six's success as a non-sleeper agent among the humans - "That just means you're a very good liar!" But then again, Cylons aren't in the practice of hiding things from one another, donchaknow.
Number Lucy, heh. Sorry, I can't remember now the numbers they recited and connected to the Cylons we know. I was so frustrated that we didn't get to see a familiar face as an as-yet-unknown Cylon on Caprica, especially when the Cylonettes are pulled out of the destroyed garage! But, I guess that would be too much to pack into this particular episode ending, and would detract from the women's pact and promise of some Cylon revolution.
36 hours?
Ah, Baltar... Baltar, Baltar, Baltar...
Only after discussing this week's BSG with Anna did I even SEE that the leap could be made to Gaius Baltar being dead, killed in the initial nuking of Caprica!
Thanks, Anna, for the little push over this cliff into theory madness! : P
While soaking in the pilot way back when, I just massaged the old suspension of disbelief when he showed up on the hillside with the other refugees, to ultimately be picked up and ferried to Galactica. Between a nearby nuke's initial blinding blast and the pressure wave that hits his lake house, he tells Caprica 6 that he doesn't want to die, and he kneels down before her and embraces her, as she puts her body between Gaius and the shockwave. I FEEL like she tells him to, "Get down," as if doing so will save his smart ass...?
The shockwave blows out the windows, and likely flattens the house. Actually, I'm not sure of that. I think maybe the rubble cloud obscures the camera and that's used to cut to another scene...?
And then, a commercial break or two later, we see Baltar, sans Six, on that hillside...
What to think? That Gaius wakes to find himself mostly uninjured, in what used to be his living room, a little coma of protected space surrounding him. Six used her Cylon body to protect him from the shockwave... somehow... Perhaps sacrificing herself, as she'd just explained to him how she would be downloaded into a new body if she died, or, sustaining only superficial injuries, she manages to walk away and leave Baltar unconscious. Or even carries him some way from the destroyed home and closer to where Boomer and Helo touch down...?
That fits, doesn't it? Or at least, it used to. Now, we know the skin jobs bleed like any fleshbag, right? It doesn't take any superhuman strength to hurt a Cylon...
Does it? They may be able to summon up a level of enhanced physical strength, but they take damage and apparent pain comparable to humans... Galactica Sharon slices herself open to interface w Galactica. Caprica 6 cuts her cheek w her own fingernail. Galactica Sharon and Pegasus 6 both react to and display marks from punishment from humans as a human would. Caprica Sharon and Caprica 6 are both dinged up human-appropriately by the destroyed garage and cafe...
And we KNOW that that nuke destroyed Caprica 6. Could Baltar have survived?
I told Anna I wasn't quite convinced that that's where this leads...
But now, a PULSE and a walk home later, I'm thinking that it's pretty compelling. A human Baltar could not have survived the blast of a nuke that destroyed Caprica 6...
So. What IS Baltar?
I've got two or three kneejerk theories...
1. A Cylon deep sleeper. A thirteenth model of Cylon that numbers one thru twelve don't know about or interact with. More one-of-a-kind than the other twelve? That is, one and only one number thirteen is ever walking around anywhere, in human or Cylon territory (but of course, not Cylon).
What's the purpose of this deep sleeper? Built to specifically interact with a Number 6...? Or to rise up thru human society to become a Baltar, who would then be seduced by a Number 6...? An intentional X-factor in the Cylon race built to keep them from dying out due to some as yet unseen doomsday factor built into the uniformity of their race? Like the recurring Neo in the Matrix as described by the Architect in the MATRIX trilogy...?
2. A Cylon "King" or patriarch. The first Cylon to survive as or upgrade himself to an "organic?" The one who created the twelve models of skin jobs... And with a sort of God complex at work, or some other crazy TOTAL RECALL-ish agenda, he gives them religion, and a prophecy or dozen, and then takes himself out of the picture to let things play out. He wipes his existence from the memories of his children, then wipes his own memory and plants himself (along with some contingency plan and hardware for resurrection) among the humans in a key position to participate in the unfolding fight for dominance...
As well as bone down w human hotties...
Now, doesn't that sound JUST LIKE your typical Greek God? Perfect!
And wouldn't the King "mating" with one of his children result in the glitches we see in their resurrected selves - the phantom 6 and phantom Baltar that speak to each of them...?
3. A member of a third race we haven't seen yet? Or a "lost" sect of Cylons? But why have him be such a frickin tool, right? But maybe that's exactly what he is, a tool of some race that would benefit from having the humans and Cylons duke and nuke it out, thinning the numbers of both sides...? Ovions? Space Nazis? Heh.
It would be neat, or perhaps "neat," if this BSG re-imagined the original BSG's "angels" as a race of dabblers/meddlers in humankind's development, eh?
Crazy talk.
Maybe it's all much simpler and Baltar is just a dopey human, as I've believed him to be until now. Protected by Caprica 6 (even tho she IS *COMPLETELY* surprised to hear that he's survived). Does Gaius ever blubber to phantom 6 about how she died saving his life?
Still... This revealed *reciprocal* Jimminy Cricket phenom, between Baltar and Caprica 6 (which is just a BEAUTIFUL thing - I LOVE that she's walkin around w a Baltar in her head!), does seem to be a sign of something special and unique about Baltar. Neither Caprica Sharon nor Galactica Sharon is talking to a phantom Helo or Chief, right?
Hrmmm... Would the Cylons have built a model based on an existing, contemporary, human? Strategic, no? I mean, the humans on the show must think it's possible, for any of them to suspect Adama, or the prez, right? With their families and histories of service in the spotlight? How long were Sharon and Caprica 6 and that news producer guy they leave in the armory living and planted among humanity anyhow? Do they age?
Maybe Baltar the human IS simply chosen by the Cylon god, protected by him (thru Caprica 6?) so that he can fulfill his destiny?
Yeah. He's gonna end up being human, right? What I originally believed about Caprica 6 sacrificing herself to save Baltar (hrmm... is there a counting "rule," real or b.s., for calculating distance/danger from a nuke detonation by flash and shockwave or rumble, like there is for lightning and thunder?), is correct, or clse enough, right? And this phantom business? Some unforeseen million-to-one chance psycho-digital exchange of engrams? An unpredictable side effect of riding out a nuclear blast while a Cylon psyche escapes its dying body?
Enough rambling for now...
So say we all!~
Ack, just typing that made me cough "nerd" at myself...
Keep on keepin on~
After a run of stand-alone episodes ("The Captain's Hand" did include the ramp-up for the presidential campaign, highlighting the fleet's church and state takes on abortion in the face of survival of the species, an exception, and a strong and thoughtful piece of the BSG puzzle), the show comes back with a major mover for the big arcs - Damn, what a bee-yoo-tiful episode this week!
And I'm not even thinking of the trio of Cylon hotties!
Okay, that's not exACTly true, heh. But this episode, "Downloaded," a season and a half in the making, is a little bit of storytelling nirvana. All these little threads, that could've been nothing, left alone and never again touched by some shows and writers, and really not effecting anything if left alone, are instead gathered up and braided together to create an amazing intersection of revelations.
Vague puffy talk, I know. There's just this power that I'm particularly susceptible to, that comes from a well choreographed and thoughtful crossover or team-up or shift in POV in a familiar and consistent world. It can be a bit formulaic in pop narratives, but I'm usually still swayed. Like those excellent John Byrne issues of FANTASTIC FOUR that focused on Galactus and Dr. Doom. And that crazy little conceit of a back-up story in MAN OF STEEL about Lex Luthor slumming in some diner in a small berg on the edge of Metropolis, waving his name and money in an INDECENT PROPOSAL way to destroy a young couple's happiness, just to do it, just because he can.
The crystalization of the notion that two celebrities in a homogeneous Cylon culture would pose a danger, a threat to their carbon copy unity, is a truly brilliant realization. Good good crack.
LOVED how Sharon and Six bumble through their lies to Number Lucy at the cafe. They had more trouble playing it cool than a couple of wide-eyed schoolgirls around a parent or principal... or Kirk Cameron (oh, Mike Seaver, why-o-why so born again?). Kinda backwards, after Sharon's interpretation/accusation of Six's success as a non-sleeper agent among the humans - "That just means you're a very good liar!" But then again, Cylons aren't in the practice of hiding things from one another, donchaknow.
Number Lucy, heh. Sorry, I can't remember now the numbers they recited and connected to the Cylons we know. I was so frustrated that we didn't get to see a familiar face as an as-yet-unknown Cylon on Caprica, especially when the Cylonettes are pulled out of the destroyed garage! But, I guess that would be too much to pack into this particular episode ending, and would detract from the women's pact and promise of some Cylon revolution.
36 hours?
Ah, Baltar... Baltar, Baltar, Baltar...
Only after discussing this week's BSG with Anna did I even SEE that the leap could be made to Gaius Baltar being dead, killed in the initial nuking of Caprica!
Thanks, Anna, for the little push over this cliff into theory madness! : P
While soaking in the pilot way back when, I just massaged the old suspension of disbelief when he showed up on the hillside with the other refugees, to ultimately be picked up and ferried to Galactica. Between a nearby nuke's initial blinding blast and the pressure wave that hits his lake house, he tells Caprica 6 that he doesn't want to die, and he kneels down before her and embraces her, as she puts her body between Gaius and the shockwave. I FEEL like she tells him to, "Get down," as if doing so will save his smart ass...?
The shockwave blows out the windows, and likely flattens the house. Actually, I'm not sure of that. I think maybe the rubble cloud obscures the camera and that's used to cut to another scene...?
And then, a commercial break or two later, we see Baltar, sans Six, on that hillside...
What to think? That Gaius wakes to find himself mostly uninjured, in what used to be his living room, a little coma of protected space surrounding him. Six used her Cylon body to protect him from the shockwave... somehow... Perhaps sacrificing herself, as she'd just explained to him how she would be downloaded into a new body if she died, or, sustaining only superficial injuries, she manages to walk away and leave Baltar unconscious. Or even carries him some way from the destroyed home and closer to where Boomer and Helo touch down...?
That fits, doesn't it? Or at least, it used to. Now, we know the skin jobs bleed like any fleshbag, right? It doesn't take any superhuman strength to hurt a Cylon...
Does it? They may be able to summon up a level of enhanced physical strength, but they take damage and apparent pain comparable to humans... Galactica Sharon slices herself open to interface w Galactica. Caprica 6 cuts her cheek w her own fingernail. Galactica Sharon and Pegasus 6 both react to and display marks from punishment from humans as a human would. Caprica Sharon and Caprica 6 are both dinged up human-appropriately by the destroyed garage and cafe...
And we KNOW that that nuke destroyed Caprica 6. Could Baltar have survived?
I told Anna I wasn't quite convinced that that's where this leads...
But now, a PULSE and a walk home later, I'm thinking that it's pretty compelling. A human Baltar could not have survived the blast of a nuke that destroyed Caprica 6...
So. What IS Baltar?
I've got two or three kneejerk theories...
1. A Cylon deep sleeper. A thirteenth model of Cylon that numbers one thru twelve don't know about or interact with. More one-of-a-kind than the other twelve? That is, one and only one number thirteen is ever walking around anywhere, in human or Cylon territory (but of course, not Cylon).
What's the purpose of this deep sleeper? Built to specifically interact with a Number 6...? Or to rise up thru human society to become a Baltar, who would then be seduced by a Number 6...? An intentional X-factor in the Cylon race built to keep them from dying out due to some as yet unseen doomsday factor built into the uniformity of their race? Like the recurring Neo in the Matrix as described by the Architect in the MATRIX trilogy...?
2. A Cylon "King" or patriarch. The first Cylon to survive as or upgrade himself to an "organic?" The one who created the twelve models of skin jobs... And with a sort of God complex at work, or some other crazy TOTAL RECALL-ish agenda, he gives them religion, and a prophecy or dozen, and then takes himself out of the picture to let things play out. He wipes his existence from the memories of his children, then wipes his own memory and plants himself (along with some contingency plan and hardware for resurrection) among the humans in a key position to participate in the unfolding fight for dominance...
As well as bone down w human hotties...
Now, doesn't that sound JUST LIKE your typical Greek God? Perfect!
And wouldn't the King "mating" with one of his children result in the glitches we see in their resurrected selves - the phantom 6 and phantom Baltar that speak to each of them...?
3. A member of a third race we haven't seen yet? Or a "lost" sect of Cylons? But why have him be such a frickin tool, right? But maybe that's exactly what he is, a tool of some race that would benefit from having the humans and Cylons duke and nuke it out, thinning the numbers of both sides...? Ovions? Space Nazis? Heh.
It would be neat, or perhaps "neat," if this BSG re-imagined the original BSG's "angels" as a race of dabblers/meddlers in humankind's development, eh?
Crazy talk.
Maybe it's all much simpler and Baltar is just a dopey human, as I've believed him to be until now. Protected by Caprica 6 (even tho she IS *COMPLETELY* surprised to hear that he's survived). Does Gaius ever blubber to phantom 6 about how she died saving his life?
Still... This revealed *reciprocal* Jimminy Cricket phenom, between Baltar and Caprica 6 (which is just a BEAUTIFUL thing - I LOVE that she's walkin around w a Baltar in her head!), does seem to be a sign of something special and unique about Baltar. Neither Caprica Sharon nor Galactica Sharon is talking to a phantom Helo or Chief, right?
Hrmmm... Would the Cylons have built a model based on an existing, contemporary, human? Strategic, no? I mean, the humans on the show must think it's possible, for any of them to suspect Adama, or the prez, right? With their families and histories of service in the spotlight? How long were Sharon and Caprica 6 and that news producer guy they leave in the armory living and planted among humanity anyhow? Do they age?
Maybe Baltar the human IS simply chosen by the Cylon god, protected by him (thru Caprica 6?) so that he can fulfill his destiny?
Yeah. He's gonna end up being human, right? What I originally believed about Caprica 6 sacrificing herself to save Baltar (hrmm... is there a counting "rule," real or b.s., for calculating distance/danger from a nuke detonation by flash and shockwave or rumble, like there is for lightning and thunder?), is correct, or clse enough, right? And this phantom business? Some unforeseen million-to-one chance psycho-digital exchange of engrams? An unpredictable side effect of riding out a nuclear blast while a Cylon psyche escapes its dying body?
Enough rambling for now...
So say we all!~
Ack, just typing that made me cough "nerd" at myself...
Keep on keepin on~
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Forever Young...?
Hokey smokes! Someone's COVERED Alphaville's "Forever Young?!" Who the F did this? It's one of my favorite songs from way back in my John Hughesian suburban teen years. It was absorbed into my bloodstream over a few summers at nerd camp, along with buckets in the vein of Erasure, New Order, and Depeche Mode. Quality, I'm tellin ya.
"Forever Young" is simply a perfect storm of teen angst, pseudo-political non-meaning, and synthy-Euro-accented-cheezypop. I always thought of it as a perfect prom song, even tho I always thought right after I thought that that you can't REALLY dance to it (I will say I've heard several decent remixes). I hafta say, tho, that NAPOLEON DYNAMITE proved me wrong.
"I like your sleeves. They're real big..."
I was super-pleased that it was NAP D. that did it. Yet another check in the coolness column for that movie for me. SEE IT! =)
I only ramble now about my shock and surprise at a cover of the song because I JUST caught it as the song that plays over the let's-wrap-it-all-up end montage of an early fall 2005 episode of THE OC. The one where Summer spots Social Chair bitch making out with the Dean of Discipline. What kind of F'd up S&M super vigilante title is that, eh?
No doubt another lightning rod for fun google hits for my blog. =)
The song starts playing when for lack of a better bit of dialogue to close the episode and segue into the music, Marissa tells Ryan, "Okay, I'll make you a deal... Whatever song comes on the radio next will be our song, OK?"
I'd want that to be my "our song" too. The cover's not bad... It seems like a bit of a put-on, tho, like maybe a punk band trying it out... Still, it annoys me, cuz I'm sure Alphaville could use the exposure. Would the original just not really fly? McG just made the call that it HAD to be a cover? I have no idea who did it, but maybe they'll do a "Tonight you heard music from..." over the end credits...
A byte of pop cultural cross referencing I can't switch off... Dean of Discipline Hess is played by the guy who turns into the monster cyborg killer with a heart in the RESIDENT EVIL movies, opposite the deadly lovely Milla J.
Ah, frack. All I got recorded w the credits is an ad for "The fall's most original series - REUNION!" Yeah, where'd THAT go?
Oh, wait, I was wrong there IS an extra bit - they play the "Forever Young" cover while pushing the Music From The OC volume 5 album. No credit for the artist. Nuts.
I'm a bit cabin feverish... After three OCs, I may hafta switch over to some ARRESTED, or maybe BSG, to mix it up.
Keep on keepin on~
"Forever Young" is simply a perfect storm of teen angst, pseudo-political non-meaning, and synthy-Euro-accented-cheezypop. I always thought of it as a perfect prom song, even tho I always thought right after I thought that that you can't REALLY dance to it (I will say I've heard several decent remixes). I hafta say, tho, that NAPOLEON DYNAMITE proved me wrong.
"I like your sleeves. They're real big..."
I was super-pleased that it was NAP D. that did it. Yet another check in the coolness column for that movie for me. SEE IT! =)
I only ramble now about my shock and surprise at a cover of the song because I JUST caught it as the song that plays over the let's-wrap-it-all-up end montage of an early fall 2005 episode of THE OC. The one where Summer spots Social Chair bitch making out with the Dean of Discipline. What kind of F'd up S&M super vigilante title is that, eh?
No doubt another lightning rod for fun google hits for my blog. =)
The song starts playing when for lack of a better bit of dialogue to close the episode and segue into the music, Marissa tells Ryan, "Okay, I'll make you a deal... Whatever song comes on the radio next will be our song, OK?"
I'd want that to be my "our song" too. The cover's not bad... It seems like a bit of a put-on, tho, like maybe a punk band trying it out... Still, it annoys me, cuz I'm sure Alphaville could use the exposure. Would the original just not really fly? McG just made the call that it HAD to be a cover? I have no idea who did it, but maybe they'll do a "Tonight you heard music from..." over the end credits...
A byte of pop cultural cross referencing I can't switch off... Dean of Discipline Hess is played by the guy who turns into the monster cyborg killer with a heart in the RESIDENT EVIL movies, opposite the deadly lovely Milla J.
Ah, frack. All I got recorded w the credits is an ad for "The fall's most original series - REUNION!" Yeah, where'd THAT go?
Oh, wait, I was wrong there IS an extra bit - they play the "Forever Young" cover while pushing the Music From The OC volume 5 album. No credit for the artist. Nuts.
I'm a bit cabin feverish... After three OCs, I may hafta switch over to some ARRESTED, or maybe BSG, to mix it up.
Keep on keepin on~
Saturday @home...
Saturday morning. I'm camping out in the living room in front of the TV. Nothing on my itinerary except elevating, Aleving, and soaking in televisional radiation. I just set up the rice-cooker so that I'd have some foods for my lunch and dinner. My mom would probably be pleased. =)
I'm laptopping from the living room for the first time in months. My Titanium is still more than a little hinky, but I've managed to force some extended moments of clarity from her by opening her up, removing and replacing components, and then closing her up again. More Fonzie than Scotty the Engineer, but it works for now.
I went ahead and put in an order for the new Core Duo MacBook Pro. I think that's what it's called. I don't love the product name, and I'd typically wait a year or so before buying into new tech, but, given the ailing condition of my Titanium, I felt like I couldn't NOT sign up for a new machine. While the Apple site will tell you that the laptops are shipping, they've been on back-order already for weeks, if not months.
I'm gonna start with 12 MONKEYS on DVD, a recent purchase, and a movie I haven't watched all the way through since I saw it in theaters. Love me some Terry Gilliam goodness. After that, I'll probably mix up some gruel w my rice and move on to some saved up replayTV. Probably some dopey STARGATEs to start with. I did all my catching up with THE SHIELD last night and started on the first couple of OCs from this season.
Forest Whitaker is so wonderfully shifty on THE SHIELD. Even coming at you straight, he's coming at you sideways. It IS a little tiresome, every season basically being "Let's get Mackey!" but there's so much more going on at the same time it's always good and new and juicy. Plus, with three...? four? seasons behind them they've built up a significant short-term history, and a roster of villains and collaborators, to draw from, so things can get "deep" pretty fast. I like it.
Does anyone know if Forest is a scientologist? I would never have thought it except for his conspicuous role in BATTLEFIELD TRAVOLTA a few years back. Yeah... I saw that one in the theater. Did I hold a gun to Mike or Jim for that one? I can't remember.
Remember, it's all about (space) leverage! =)
Ah and THE OC... I explained to Jackie that I've got just about the entire season this year recorded and unwatched, and when I finally do hit that, well, it'll be an ugly stink weekend...
Could this be that ugly stinky weekend...?
Only time... and perhaps a trained M.E., once my body is discovered... will tell...
Heh. Well, maybe... Who can eat that much candy at once, right?
Heh, I love on ARRESTED how anytime someone - pretty consistently Tobias, I think - refers to Orange County as the OC, Michael tells him, "Please don't call it that..."
And once, when Tobias, established analyst-therapist, or analrapist, if you will, diagnoses young George Michael with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, he uses the technical terminology, "The OC Disorder..."
"Please don't call it that..."
Ha - SUCH goodness =)
I will hafta have a get-together to screen as much of season 3 ARRESTED as I've got saved up. I think I've got all but the first two or three episodes from this season - a decent marathon.
Ah... it's started snowing...
I'm laptopping from the living room for the first time in months. My Titanium is still more than a little hinky, but I've managed to force some extended moments of clarity from her by opening her up, removing and replacing components, and then closing her up again. More Fonzie than Scotty the Engineer, but it works for now.
I went ahead and put in an order for the new Core Duo MacBook Pro. I think that's what it's called. I don't love the product name, and I'd typically wait a year or so before buying into new tech, but, given the ailing condition of my Titanium, I felt like I couldn't NOT sign up for a new machine. While the Apple site will tell you that the laptops are shipping, they've been on back-order already for weeks, if not months.
I'm gonna start with 12 MONKEYS on DVD, a recent purchase, and a movie I haven't watched all the way through since I saw it in theaters. Love me some Terry Gilliam goodness. After that, I'll probably mix up some gruel w my rice and move on to some saved up replayTV. Probably some dopey STARGATEs to start with. I did all my catching up with THE SHIELD last night and started on the first couple of OCs from this season.
Forest Whitaker is so wonderfully shifty on THE SHIELD. Even coming at you straight, he's coming at you sideways. It IS a little tiresome, every season basically being "Let's get Mackey!" but there's so much more going on at the same time it's always good and new and juicy. Plus, with three...? four? seasons behind them they've built up a significant short-term history, and a roster of villains and collaborators, to draw from, so things can get "deep" pretty fast. I like it.
Does anyone know if Forest is a scientologist? I would never have thought it except for his conspicuous role in BATTLEFIELD TRAVOLTA a few years back. Yeah... I saw that one in the theater. Did I hold a gun to Mike or Jim for that one? I can't remember.
Remember, it's all about (space) leverage! =)
Ah and THE OC... I explained to Jackie that I've got just about the entire season this year recorded and unwatched, and when I finally do hit that, well, it'll be an ugly stink weekend...
Could this be that ugly stinky weekend...?
Only time... and perhaps a trained M.E., once my body is discovered... will tell...
Heh. Well, maybe... Who can eat that much candy at once, right?
Heh, I love on ARRESTED how anytime someone - pretty consistently Tobias, I think - refers to Orange County as the OC, Michael tells him, "Please don't call it that..."
And once, when Tobias, established analyst-therapist, or analrapist, if you will, diagnoses young George Michael with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, he uses the technical terminology, "The OC Disorder..."
"Please don't call it that..."
Ha - SUCH goodness =)
I will hafta have a get-together to screen as much of season 3 ARRESTED as I've got saved up. I think I've got all but the first two or three episodes from this season - a decent marathon.
Ah... it's started snowing...
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Harvard Square vandalism...
This oversized Adidas ad took over the elevator pod in Harvard Square for a few months around and after X-mas... Oh, lookin over the photo again, I guess it was a Puma ad... Pretty dadgum effective, eh?
Anyhow, over that time it brought me sweet bits of happy on my way out of the T, as I got to witness the evolving 21st century Harvard Square "Pit" vandalism it inspired. This was the state of it as of Jan 30.
Alas, the ad was replaced a couple days after I took this photo. Can't recall what's being pushed there now.
Keep on keepin on~
Anyhow, over that time it brought me sweet bits of happy on my way out of the T, as I got to witness the evolving 21st century Harvard Square "Pit" vandalism it inspired. This was the state of it as of Jan 30.
Alas, the ad was replaced a couple days after I took this photo. Can't recall what's being pushed there now.
Keep on keepin on~
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Global Warming: 1 | Snowmo Sapiens: 0
The pics were taken on my walk to the T on several days from the past week. The first photo is from Black Tuesday, two days after blizzard Sunday. The second photo is from the 16th, then the 17th, and the final nose-pic (bwah-ha-ha) is from this morning's hobble...
Keep on keepin on~
Keep on keepin on~
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Sprainankle Mountain...
It's almost 2.30am now and I'm on a second round of icing and elevating, unable to sleep. Got one of those blue gel ice packs wrapped around my ankle in an ace bandage, and my foot propped up on my desk next to my laptop here. Under the bandage, my ankle's gone a bit ostrich eggy on the outside - some real swelling, but no funky colors yet. We'll see how it looks come morning.
I'm managing to hobble about allright, no crutches necessary, thank Buddha. When I first hit the floor, it felt like a pretty serious turn. Serious enough that while icing and elevating on the sidelines, I was trying to get myself comfortable w the notion of not being able to play for a month or so... Bleah. By the end of the evening, I could feel the impression of the crossed laces of my shoe digging into my swelling foot-flesh...
Heh... that last bit reads back as kinda fetish-kinky. Should make for some interesting google-hits, eh?
Anyhow, what happened was... After going up for a block on the men's net, my right foot came down on top of the hitter's foot (he landed before me and "under"). My foot slipped outward coming off of his, twisting, and putting my weight on the out-side/out-step of my foot. I didn't hear the pop in my head, the way I have in the past with severe ankle turns, but definitely felt a wrenching. I yelled when it happened. In my head I picture a comic book "YARRRGH!" with letters filling the air behind me as I tumble to the floor...
Now - with my ankle numbed by ice so much that I'm shivering a little - It doesn't seem so bad. As Ricky said, "Yeah, you'll be back in two weeks! That's how these things work, right?"
Of course, the prospect of being volleyball-less for any time is none too pleasant. To give you an idea of just how awful a frame of mind that puts me in, I thought I'd again share with you this expressive little gem of the internetz, forwarded to me by a friend many moons ago... (It's the 'bago man - you might've clicked him out already from my Black Tuesday entry =)
If you've got speakers on in an environment that wouldn't approve of some... harsh, up-the-fern, language, you'll want to knock the volume down a bit, or don some headphones.
Watched it? Yeah, that's about how I feel.
Of course, that feeling alternates with crushing George-Michael-dumped-by-his-Christian-girlfriend-Ann-Veal sadness, conjured in ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT with the help of "Christmas Time Is Here," music from A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS.
Let the healing begin!~
Keep on keepin on~
I'm managing to hobble about allright, no crutches necessary, thank Buddha. When I first hit the floor, it felt like a pretty serious turn. Serious enough that while icing and elevating on the sidelines, I was trying to get myself comfortable w the notion of not being able to play for a month or so... Bleah. By the end of the evening, I could feel the impression of the crossed laces of my shoe digging into my swelling foot-flesh...
Heh... that last bit reads back as kinda fetish-kinky. Should make for some interesting google-hits, eh?
Anyhow, what happened was... After going up for a block on the men's net, my right foot came down on top of the hitter's foot (he landed before me and "under"). My foot slipped outward coming off of his, twisting, and putting my weight on the out-side/out-step of my foot. I didn't hear the pop in my head, the way I have in the past with severe ankle turns, but definitely felt a wrenching. I yelled when it happened. In my head I picture a comic book "YARRRGH!" with letters filling the air behind me as I tumble to the floor...
Now - with my ankle numbed by ice so much that I'm shivering a little - It doesn't seem so bad. As Ricky said, "Yeah, you'll be back in two weeks! That's how these things work, right?"
Of course, the prospect of being volleyball-less for any time is none too pleasant. To give you an idea of just how awful a frame of mind that puts me in, I thought I'd again share with you this expressive little gem of the internetz, forwarded to me by a friend many moons ago... (It's the 'bago man - you might've clicked him out already from my Black Tuesday entry =)
If you've got speakers on in an environment that wouldn't approve of some... harsh, up-the-fern, language, you'll want to knock the volume down a bit, or don some headphones.
Watched it? Yeah, that's about how I feel.
Of course, that feeling alternates with crushing George-Michael-dumped-by-his-Christian-girlfriend-Ann-Veal sadness, conjured in ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT with the help of "Christmas Time Is Here," music from A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS.
Let the healing begin!~
Keep on keepin on~
Monday, February 20, 2006
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
best valentine's day episode, ever...
...But y'know, you've gotta take that in the context of the other rather underwhelming episodes, which pretty much all went quagmire after puberty. Frickin frackin Greeting Card-Chocolatier-Florindustustrial Complex conspiracy of a holiday...
Issues? Who's got issues? You don't know me!
Right. Well. Moving on.
Last night, I did a singles unholiday (that would break down to unholy day, wouldn't it?) dinner in a fivesome of vball nerds at Casa de Pedro in Watertown. Sara was responsible for the motivating and mobilizing. She acknowledges the dark side of the day, but also leaves room for being pleased as punch at having something red to drink on valentine's - sangria! Which of course I heartily *groan* approve, as I'm pretty sure the name of the drink's got its roots in a word meaning blood [blAh! blAh!], right? Exsanguination... SANTA SANGRE...
To be completely honest, dressed as much as possible in traditional festive black, I left the apartment yesterday morning looking forward to catching glimpses of suckerday scenarios-to-be, mostly in the forms of watch-checking boys laden with flowers, candies, or gift bags, shifting their weight impatiently from one foot to the other, uncomfortable with the burden or feel of their sweet, smarmy, perhaps shiny and/or lacy, cargo of wub.
In the end, I only saw one such fellow, on my T ride from work out to Alewife to catch my ride to dindins...
El Casa de Pedro is Venezuelan fare, which I was totally unfamiliar with. Luckily for us, Sara had procured the company and services of Señor Jacky, our very own Venezuelan food interpreter. He guided us thru the appetizers to some most excellent empanadas (very good and a bit different from the ones I've had at Fanieul Hall) and yucas fritas (a sort of Venezuelan steak fry equivalent, altho suspiciously healthier tasting... to my palate, at least). He also helped me in my quest for full-on dinner, guiding me to a platter of meats from three beasts - the chicken and sausage were very good, but I hafta say the beef was my favorite - supported by some yucas, plantains, and alas, not quite enough rice for my preferred meat-to-rice ratio.
Jacky took us home with one of everything on the dessert menu. The three items, in the order of their tasty goodness - flan, bread pudding (w some kind of liqueur sauce), and the rice pudding (which Pedro seemed rather proud of, but unfortunately reminded our group of other foods that no one is ever really that enthusiastic about, i.e cottage cheese, cold outmeal, or cereal with milk that's sat for a while so that even the Cookie Crisps are soft).
Everyone concentrated on the flan and bread pudding. =)
I don't keep careful track of my valentine's days over the years, but well, that probably says it all about them, don't it? This one was quite fun and chill and cozy. Not a bad day.
And I'm saying that after waiting to be seated + ordering and eating + inventing the word "terticle" (pronounced "turdickal," meaning, a third testicle) + ("Brokeback" as a jokey reference x 100) + accents with accents + the rest of the stuff that I don't remember what it is... caused us to run long at Pedro's and bail on our loosely planned post-dinner movie outing!
I hope everyone's Black Tuesday was unsucky (gotta aim high, right? =), and, well, if it turned out to be not-so-grand... Hey! At least you weren't shot in the face by Darth Cheney, right? You've got that going for ya!
Speakin of...
"Cheney's Got A Gun"
The written words, I first saw as a headline graphic on THE DAILY SHOW, the music, emailed at me from a friend after I used "Cheney's Got A Gun" as the subject of an email out to people about the BATTLE FOR THE BRATTLE.
Enough w the writing. Must go watch LOST. =)
Keep on keepin on~
p.s. I'm not really as bitter as I write.
...
...
...
...I'm WORSE!
=)
Issues? Who's got issues? You don't know me!
Right. Well. Moving on.
Last night, I did a singles unholiday (that would break down to unholy day, wouldn't it?) dinner in a fivesome of vball nerds at Casa de Pedro in Watertown. Sara was responsible for the motivating and mobilizing. She acknowledges the dark side of the day, but also leaves room for being pleased as punch at having something red to drink on valentine's - sangria! Which of course I heartily *groan* approve, as I'm pretty sure the name of the drink's got its roots in a word meaning blood [blAh! blAh!], right? Exsanguination... SANTA SANGRE...
To be completely honest, dressed as much as possible in traditional festive black, I left the apartment yesterday morning looking forward to catching glimpses of suckerday scenarios-to-be, mostly in the forms of watch-checking boys laden with flowers, candies, or gift bags, shifting their weight impatiently from one foot to the other, uncomfortable with the burden or feel of their sweet, smarmy, perhaps shiny and/or lacy, cargo of wub.
In the end, I only saw one such fellow, on my T ride from work out to Alewife to catch my ride to dindins...
El Casa de Pedro is Venezuelan fare, which I was totally unfamiliar with. Luckily for us, Sara had procured the company and services of Señor Jacky, our very own Venezuelan food interpreter. He guided us thru the appetizers to some most excellent empanadas (very good and a bit different from the ones I've had at Fanieul Hall) and yucas fritas (a sort of Venezuelan steak fry equivalent, altho suspiciously healthier tasting... to my palate, at least). He also helped me in my quest for full-on dinner, guiding me to a platter of meats from three beasts - the chicken and sausage were very good, but I hafta say the beef was my favorite - supported by some yucas, plantains, and alas, not quite enough rice for my preferred meat-to-rice ratio.
Jacky took us home with one of everything on the dessert menu. The three items, in the order of their tasty goodness - flan, bread pudding (w some kind of liqueur sauce), and the rice pudding (which Pedro seemed rather proud of, but unfortunately reminded our group of other foods that no one is ever really that enthusiastic about, i.e cottage cheese, cold outmeal, or cereal with milk that's sat for a while so that even the Cookie Crisps are soft).
Everyone concentrated on the flan and bread pudding. =)
I don't keep careful track of my valentine's days over the years, but well, that probably says it all about them, don't it? This one was quite fun and chill and cozy. Not a bad day.
And I'm saying that after waiting to be seated + ordering and eating + inventing the word "terticle" (pronounced "turdickal," meaning, a third testicle) + ("Brokeback" as a jokey reference x 100) + accents with accents + the rest of the stuff that I don't remember what it is... caused us to run long at Pedro's and bail on our loosely planned post-dinner movie outing!
I hope everyone's Black Tuesday was unsucky (gotta aim high, right? =), and, well, if it turned out to be not-so-grand... Hey! At least you weren't shot in the face by Darth Cheney, right? You've got that going for ya!
Speakin of...
"Cheney's Got A Gun"
The written words, I first saw as a headline graphic on THE DAILY SHOW, the music, emailed at me from a friend after I used "Cheney's Got A Gun" as the subject of an email out to people about the BATTLE FOR THE BRATTLE.
Enough w the writing. Must go watch LOST. =)
Keep on keepin on~
p.s. I'm not really as bitter as I write.
...
...
...
...I'm WORSE!
=)
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
do you hold the key?
In the spirit of the un-holiday, please enjoy a visit with the Winnebago Dude! And everyone, please, beware, the Cheney Cupid.
=)
Keep on keepin on~
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Fresh Pond cinema's open again...
It's been open under new management, and with some kind of new look, for a week. I definitely wanna check out a "new and improved" version of the theater, but I guess I'm not in any hurry, especially today.
In other news. Finished my laundry. Aren't warm folded towels the ginchiest?
I'm headed back out into the white (well, now probably more like purple and blue in the evening) to meet up w Row and Alison for some dindins. Knocked off a few episodes from earlier this season and am pretty much all caught up on LOST-ness.
Keep on keepin on~
In other news. Finished my laundry. Aren't warm folded towels the ginchiest?
I'm headed back out into the white (well, now probably more like purple and blue in the evening) to meet up w Row and Alison for some dindins. Knocked off a few episodes from earlier this season and am pretty much all caught up on LOST-ness.
Keep on keepin on~
snow day...
Just back after trekkin thru the snow from Zoe's for brunch w Rowan and his visiting friend Alison. Had me a "Double Play" - two eggs, over easy, w home fries, sausage, two pancakes - and an order of toast. Good foods. I'm almost annoyed, cuz it will cut down on my snacking volume for the afternoon. =)
We got there around 10.45 and it was pretty quiet, but leaving at about 12.15, the place was filling up. Rowan called ahead before we left to make sure they were open (it's blizzardy out this morning), and Zoe's told him a couple more hours, so they were definitely considering an early dismissal today.
I went to the market yesterday and it was packed w shoppers, anticipating the snowfall, I guess. What's the point of that, really, right? Granted, I was there, too, but I was out of diet cola, chips, and cookies. What was I gonna do, starve? In any case, I'm happy to be settling in for a snow day with Chips Ahoys, Diet Cokes, and some replayTV'd GALACTICA, ARRESTED, SMALLVILLE, and LOST.
Stayed up late last night watching a few from last season. Got to see one of the best things I ever saw - up there w Tony Curtis exploding for no good reason in MANITOU and a lot of RIKI-OH (aka THE LEGEND OF RICKY)... It was the scene at the Black Rock when high school history teach, Mr. Arzt, does his dynamite demo when giving the LOST "cool kids" his history lesson on nitroglycerine. I really liked his take on the high school dynamics of the LOSTers, too.
Does Dr. Jack's tattoo look like marks from Rousseau's maps? Or is it some kind of subliminal ad for ABC...?
I wish Sawyer would pull his pants up when he goes topless. In spite of that, I do give him props for his "Han and Chewie" nicknames for Michael and Jin on the raft. Heh.
Maybe I'll watch the two hours of the ARRESTED finale again, too. I watched it for the first time last night, and it didn't seem to have as many laughs-per-minute as some other episodes, but overall, it was a damn hilarious, if bittersweet, two hours. I'll be keeping it saved for a While, maybe even until the season 2.5 DVD comes out, so let me know if you want to watch. =)
Keep on keepin on~
We got there around 10.45 and it was pretty quiet, but leaving at about 12.15, the place was filling up. Rowan called ahead before we left to make sure they were open (it's blizzardy out this morning), and Zoe's told him a couple more hours, so they were definitely considering an early dismissal today.
I went to the market yesterday and it was packed w shoppers, anticipating the snowfall, I guess. What's the point of that, really, right? Granted, I was there, too, but I was out of diet cola, chips, and cookies. What was I gonna do, starve? In any case, I'm happy to be settling in for a snow day with Chips Ahoys, Diet Cokes, and some replayTV'd GALACTICA, ARRESTED, SMALLVILLE, and LOST.
Stayed up late last night watching a few from last season. Got to see one of the best things I ever saw - up there w Tony Curtis exploding for no good reason in MANITOU and a lot of RIKI-OH (aka THE LEGEND OF RICKY)... It was the scene at the Black Rock when high school history teach, Mr. Arzt, does his dynamite demo when giving the LOST "cool kids" his history lesson on nitroglycerine. I really liked his take on the high school dynamics of the LOSTers, too.
Does Dr. Jack's tattoo look like marks from Rousseau's maps? Or is it some kind of subliminal ad for ABC...?
I wish Sawyer would pull his pants up when he goes topless. In spite of that, I do give him props for his "Han and Chewie" nicknames for Michael and Jin on the raft. Heh.
Maybe I'll watch the two hours of the ARRESTED finale again, too. I watched it for the first time last night, and it didn't seem to have as many laughs-per-minute as some other episodes, but overall, it was a damn hilarious, if bittersweet, two hours. I'll be keeping it saved for a While, maybe even until the season 2.5 DVD comes out, so let me know if you want to watch. =)
Keep on keepin on~
Thursday, February 09, 2006
wrote an evite...
I haven't been able to rally and write anything decent, blog-wise, for a couple days. But I did manage to semi-automatically scribble this out at Glen's request to invite (confuse?) people into meeting up to hang in honor of some vballers' birthdays.
Not my best work...
O well~
--------------
Come out to Ned Devine's this Friday (2/10) and help celebrate a co-ed four birthday-palooza! The team roster - Denise, Chuck, Steve, and Glen!
Four (4) birthdays! Connect 4! Gang of Four! Hot wooly four-way action! Forewarned is forearmed!
Or somethin...
We're talkin' four - count-em! - FOUR - years older! Four years wiser, hotter, better, and happier to be here!
What's so important about these new ages that you should be drunken witness to their arrivals? Well, let me tell you - they're significant! Mysterious, even! Cuz...
If you sum them all up... you'll get 108!
They're Marilyn Monroe's 4th dimensional measurements!
Totalled and multiplied by ten... they predict the final drinks tab at the end of the evening! In Wendy's dollar menu items!
Dialed one after the other after 1-900... they'll connect you to a dirty-talking sheep-human hybrid (3.95 for the first three minutes, 1.95 for each minute after) guaranteed to get you off!
Also, they're really really OLD! So who knows how much longer they'll be around?
Heh. No, not really. We don't know the actual numbers (they all claim to be festivizing their umpteenth 21st birthdays), but we're definitely talking over a century of lawful good to chaotic evil American and Canadian living here. So, do show up if you can, to hoist your Heinies and raise your root beers, in honor of these four spry old(er =) friends!
--------------
Keep on keepin on~
Not my best work...
O well~
--------------
Come out to Ned Devine's this Friday (2/10) and help celebrate a co-ed four birthday-palooza! The team roster - Denise, Chuck, Steve, and Glen!
Four (4) birthdays! Connect 4! Gang of Four! Hot wooly four-way action! Forewarned is forearmed!
Or somethin...
We're talkin' four - count-em! - FOUR - years older! Four years wiser, hotter, better, and happier to be here!
What's so important about these new ages that you should be drunken witness to their arrivals? Well, let me tell you - they're significant! Mysterious, even! Cuz...
If you sum them all up... you'll get 108!
They're Marilyn Monroe's 4th dimensional measurements!
Totalled and multiplied by ten... they predict the final drinks tab at the end of the evening! In Wendy's dollar menu items!
Dialed one after the other after 1-900... they'll connect you to a dirty-talking sheep-human hybrid (3.95 for the first three minutes, 1.95 for each minute after) guaranteed to get you off!
Also, they're really really OLD! So who knows how much longer they'll be around?
Heh. No, not really. We don't know the actual numbers (they all claim to be festivizing their umpteenth 21st birthdays), but we're definitely talking over a century of lawful good to chaotic evil American and Canadian living here. So, do show up if you can, to hoist your Heinies and raise your root beers, in honor of these four spry old(er =) friends!
--------------
Keep on keepin on~
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
birthday boy Glen | some Cs do pretty well for themselves...
It was Glen's birthday today and a few peeps met up at Enormous Room in Central Square to toast the anniversary of his birthdom in its dark cushioned corners. At least, I *think* it was Glen. It was very dark...
I'd been slacking on figuring out/getting a present for him, but at the last minute managed to put something together...
It's a t-shirt with the letter "C" on it, for "Canada," (you might be able to make out in the craptacular freehand writing below the iron-on letter) but also, it so happens, for his current Yankee volleyball rating. One of "the last," as he regularly likes to remind our little volleyball troupe. Even *I've* been written up this year. I suspect Glen escapes write-ups by making his hitters look that much more impressive.
Anyhow... The plus sign beside it is an iron-on, put together from parts of capital letters. Last minute scrambler that I am, I didn't give myself time to shop around for a plain sheet of iron-on material I could cut out, or one with a legitimate plus or lowercase "T." It's for when he (FINALLY!) gets written up to a C+ Yankee volleyball rating.
I hope it's soon, cuz he just won't quit with the "being a lowly C" thing!
Heh.
And here it is all wrapped up...
Keep on keepin on~
I'd been slacking on figuring out/getting a present for him, but at the last minute managed to put something together...
It's a t-shirt with the letter "C" on it, for "Canada," (you might be able to make out in the craptacular freehand writing below the iron-on letter) but also, it so happens, for his current Yankee volleyball rating. One of "the last," as he regularly likes to remind our little volleyball troupe. Even *I've* been written up this year. I suspect Glen escapes write-ups by making his hitters look that much more impressive.
Anyhow... The plus sign beside it is an iron-on, put together from parts of capital letters. Last minute scrambler that I am, I didn't give myself time to shop around for a plain sheet of iron-on material I could cut out, or one with a legitimate plus or lowercase "T." It's for when he (FINALLY!) gets written up to a C+ Yankee volleyball rating.
I hope it's soon, cuz he just won't quit with the "being a lowly C" thing!
Heh.
And here it is all wrapped up...
Keep on keepin on~
ARRESTED arrested this friday...
A 2-hour season (perhaps series - I haven't seen anything I could call definite or official on that) finale airs on Fox this Friday night... Sadness at the ending, but then again, some gladness at a written, planned finish, as well as the first (and last? *sigh*) new ARRESTED in a month...
Feckin' FOX...
Keep on keepin on~
Monday, February 06, 2006
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Starbuck = Snoopy...?
2.15: "Scar"
It's a wild n crazy Saturday evening at home with my stories...
I just got done watching the last two BATTLESTAR GALACTICA episodes... There was a particular piece of music played over the last scene this week. Does anyone know where it's from? I can ALMOST remember... fracknabbit!
I'm sure I know it from a movie, altho of course, it may have been co-opted for whatever movie it was, and originally existed as a classical or at least guitar standard on its own. It's just that that's not how it's coming back to me. Some 60s film... With some soft-touch lighting and lens work when this music is playing... Frack, maybe it was a war movie? No... I'm thinking it's a western! Ennio Morricone? That could very well be...
Nuts. Stupid brain.
It worked well enough for the ending, but the nagging familiarity kind of distracted me a bit. If I could've placed it perfectly, maybe that would've gone away.
I didn't much appreciate the stim-junkie giving Starbuck such a hard time. And then just like eating up all the accolades without so much as a tip of the wrongly-lit helmet to Starbuck for the perfectly executed assist! And AFTER falling for Scar's bait/wingman!
Bitch.
* Wrongly-lit helmets... I suppose it can't be avoided, for the sake of television and the big screen, but it's always just a teeny bit annoying to see cockpit helmets lit up in all manner of futuristic space fighters. It lets us, the audience, SEE the character's face, but likely throws up the character's own reflection, bouncing back at him or her, all over the inside of the cockpit. Even better are space suit helmets that are lit up on the inside. You're not seeing anything out of those! I think maybe ALIEN is the only movie I can remember them not lighting up the helm insides. How does Ridley Scott not rock? =)
Yeah, yeah, okay, so they've got a perfectly non-reflecting coating all over the inside of the cockpits and helmet glass... Fine. Still. Not un-pet-peeving me.
Anyhow...
Great "Red Baron" storyline, tho. I was kinda waiting for one of these. Presenting the Cylon fighters as "individuals," even if they are more trained attack dogs than willful personalities, is a very cool notion. Although if you want to mess with things, you can wonder about Boomer's shared memories and emotions, across bodies, and why Scar's battle experiences can't be shared, or copied/cloned, across multiple fighters, eh?
But hey, it's just the way it is. Maybe the Cylon ethicists have worked out all the what's proper and sacred when it comes to the up- and downloading and replication of essences, spirits, memories, and such...
Or the very able writers will decide they will have, when it ever comes up. =)
Fitting the Red Baron action into Starbuck's dealing with loving dead man Anders (I never once thought it when she was ON Caprica, but the way the flashbacks came to her throughout this episode, I want to say that he's a frickin Cylon sleeper, or maybe one who's gone over to humanity... I wonder if there were any Cylons walking around posing as twins...?) was maybe a little bit forced, along with retrofitting a growing drinking problem... But, well, in a confrontation with any Red Baron type, Starbuck would definitely take center stage, so, it kinda had to be her, and some serious issue or blowback of hers, that had to be worked out w the scarred, yet faceless, enemy.
I thought that there was gonna be some way of DEFINITELY connecting this Scar to the Cylon ship that Starbuck violates to fly herself back to the fleet after getting knocked out of the sky and stranded last season. WAS there a definite/obvious connection presented that I missed? Or did Starbuck SAY as much and I didn't pick it up thru radio static?
Does anyone (besides Jim), remember SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND? It was created by X-FILES brains Morgan and Wong (I'm pretty sure they're also the very fun and sharp ones behind the FINAL DESTINATION series - can't wait to see 3 =), and played, for me, like a not-so-ironic STARSHIP TROOPERS series on Fox. Young space grunts, flyboys and girls, some human, some "tank" (clones), joining the space marines to fight an unknown alien enemy. It was a good candy-like fixx of sci-fi action that would surprise me every once in a while with some really tough decisions and writing.
Also, it gave some very able young acting types, more than a few of them veterans of one-shots or short runs on X-FILES I'm pretty sure, a regular gig. Well, regular-ish. As it disappeared after a season or two on Fox, bleah.
The sorta "primary" pretty boy character also played a young... I think it was Pops Mulder? Opposite the Spengler actor as the young Cancer Man...
The "tank" in the squad was on the X-FILES as the guy whose tattoo spoke to him w Jodie Foster's voice.
Lucky jerk.
And the tough girl w the Jolie-esque lips in the squad, frack... her name... It was alliterative... Kristy Krazinski-like... except it had something unexpected in there in the last name, like eight consonants in a row, or a surprising "th"...? Something just unusual. My lame brain.
Anyhow, AFTER Fox killed the show (I'm pretty sure that's how it went down, and without anything that I can remember feeling series finale-ish?), she ended up on MILLENIUM w Lance Henriksen.
Their tough-ass leiutenant was a "tank," too, played by white-haired CTU boss guy who's butting heads with Samwise on 24 this season. There was an episode where the squad had saved or boarded or something or othered a colonists' transport, and there were a number of cold storage bays, full of tubes of colonists in suspended animation. The ship takes some damage in an attack and it turns out that in order to avoid some gravity well or other that would send the ship into a collision, they would have to drop some of their mass, one of the storage bays would do it.
They discover that one (at least) of the bays is all "tanks." Most of the episode is debate and stories about experiences w tanks, and along the way, hunky tank boy finds out that one of the suspended girls in storage is genetically a relative - a sister. When they have to make a decision about what to do - determined by some mass x speed x distance x commercial breaks formula - the lieutenant convinces tankboy that it's the tanks that have to go.
THEY AGREE THAT THEY ARE WORTH LESS THAN THE HUMANS. Or at least, they agree to follow orders that reflect that notion.
That was frickin wacked. Knocked me out. I don't remember specific references to that in any other episodes, but I hafta admit I don't remember a lot of things (see every other paragraph above =), and didn't watch every episode of the show. Hrmmm... I suspect that SciFi has played it in block form before. It might be a good complement to GALACTICA now, altho... I suppose it might also sort of dilute its power, look like something of a DEEPSTAR 6/LEVIATHAN vs. THE ABYSS latecomer knockoff... even though it was on the air years before and all...
And speaking of latecomer knockoff... The reason I brought up SPACE: A&B in the first place here, is that this episode reminded me of the "Red Baron" episode from THAT series. I'm pretty sure there was an existentialist plot driving that one as well, this one personally involving the lieutenant tank, who I now recall was a... Black Angel, I think it was... An ex-member of an elite squad of fighter pilots. And I kinda sorta, maybe fakely filling in the blanks in a narrative gap sorta way, recall that he was dealing with his right to life, purpose, and identity as a tank.
A running arc throughout the series was that tank-racism, as well as... frack, AI-ism. And comparisons made between tanks and AIs as tools created by true humans, which of course means, that's how they should be treated.
Classic scifi stuff.
Right, well, just wanted to get that off my TV-soaked brain.
If you're not watching BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, you should. It's about a human civilization, a culture, attacked and hunted almost to extinction by an enemy, an artificial race, or species, of machine-organics that it created (and mistreated?) to be its servants. The survivors are on the run in a fleet of spaceships, led and protected by the last remaining military battleship (the Battlestar Galactica) and its soldiers and pilots. The government and order are preserved as best as possible, but an imperfect system in the best of times struggles terribly under the stresses of war with a tireless and sometimes undetectable enemy. Religious fervor motivates factions on both sides, and profit and power drive political and criminal elements within the fleet, at times turning humans against each other.
If only its crazy fantastickal plots and issues somehow related to "real life" here on planet Earth. Then it would be much easier to sell to people, donchathink?
O well. =)
Keep on keepin on~
It's a wild n crazy Saturday evening at home with my stories...
I just got done watching the last two BATTLESTAR GALACTICA episodes... There was a particular piece of music played over the last scene this week. Does anyone know where it's from? I can ALMOST remember... fracknabbit!
I'm sure I know it from a movie, altho of course, it may have been co-opted for whatever movie it was, and originally existed as a classical or at least guitar standard on its own. It's just that that's not how it's coming back to me. Some 60s film... With some soft-touch lighting and lens work when this music is playing... Frack, maybe it was a war movie? No... I'm thinking it's a western! Ennio Morricone? That could very well be...
Nuts. Stupid brain.
It worked well enough for the ending, but the nagging familiarity kind of distracted me a bit. If I could've placed it perfectly, maybe that would've gone away.
I didn't much appreciate the stim-junkie giving Starbuck such a hard time. And then just like eating up all the accolades without so much as a tip of the wrongly-lit helmet to Starbuck for the perfectly executed assist! And AFTER falling for Scar's bait/wingman!
Bitch.
* Wrongly-lit helmets... I suppose it can't be avoided, for the sake of television and the big screen, but it's always just a teeny bit annoying to see cockpit helmets lit up in all manner of futuristic space fighters. It lets us, the audience, SEE the character's face, but likely throws up the character's own reflection, bouncing back at him or her, all over the inside of the cockpit. Even better are space suit helmets that are lit up on the inside. You're not seeing anything out of those! I think maybe ALIEN is the only movie I can remember them not lighting up the helm insides. How does Ridley Scott not rock? =)
Yeah, yeah, okay, so they've got a perfectly non-reflecting coating all over the inside of the cockpits and helmet glass... Fine. Still. Not un-pet-peeving me.
Anyhow...
Great "Red Baron" storyline, tho. I was kinda waiting for one of these. Presenting the Cylon fighters as "individuals," even if they are more trained attack dogs than willful personalities, is a very cool notion. Although if you want to mess with things, you can wonder about Boomer's shared memories and emotions, across bodies, and why Scar's battle experiences can't be shared, or copied/cloned, across multiple fighters, eh?
But hey, it's just the way it is. Maybe the Cylon ethicists have worked out all the what's proper and sacred when it comes to the up- and downloading and replication of essences, spirits, memories, and such...
Or the very able writers will decide they will have, when it ever comes up. =)
Fitting the Red Baron action into Starbuck's dealing with loving dead man Anders (I never once thought it when she was ON Caprica, but the way the flashbacks came to her throughout this episode, I want to say that he's a frickin Cylon sleeper, or maybe one who's gone over to humanity... I wonder if there were any Cylons walking around posing as twins...?) was maybe a little bit forced, along with retrofitting a growing drinking problem... But, well, in a confrontation with any Red Baron type, Starbuck would definitely take center stage, so, it kinda had to be her, and some serious issue or blowback of hers, that had to be worked out w the scarred, yet faceless, enemy.
I thought that there was gonna be some way of DEFINITELY connecting this Scar to the Cylon ship that Starbuck violates to fly herself back to the fleet after getting knocked out of the sky and stranded last season. WAS there a definite/obvious connection presented that I missed? Or did Starbuck SAY as much and I didn't pick it up thru radio static?
Does anyone (besides Jim), remember SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND? It was created by X-FILES brains Morgan and Wong (I'm pretty sure they're also the very fun and sharp ones behind the FINAL DESTINATION series - can't wait to see 3 =), and played, for me, like a not-so-ironic STARSHIP TROOPERS series on Fox. Young space grunts, flyboys and girls, some human, some "tank" (clones), joining the space marines to fight an unknown alien enemy. It was a good candy-like fixx of sci-fi action that would surprise me every once in a while with some really tough decisions and writing.
Also, it gave some very able young acting types, more than a few of them veterans of one-shots or short runs on X-FILES I'm pretty sure, a regular gig. Well, regular-ish. As it disappeared after a season or two on Fox, bleah.
The sorta "primary" pretty boy character also played a young... I think it was Pops Mulder? Opposite the Spengler actor as the young Cancer Man...
The "tank" in the squad was on the X-FILES as the guy whose tattoo spoke to him w Jodie Foster's voice.
Lucky jerk.
And the tough girl w the Jolie-esque lips in the squad, frack... her name... It was alliterative... Kristy Krazinski-like... except it had something unexpected in there in the last name, like eight consonants in a row, or a surprising "th"...? Something just unusual. My lame brain.
Anyhow, AFTER Fox killed the show (I'm pretty sure that's how it went down, and without anything that I can remember feeling series finale-ish?), she ended up on MILLENIUM w Lance Henriksen.
Their tough-ass leiutenant was a "tank," too, played by white-haired CTU boss guy who's butting heads with Samwise on 24 this season. There was an episode where the squad had saved or boarded or something or othered a colonists' transport, and there were a number of cold storage bays, full of tubes of colonists in suspended animation. The ship takes some damage in an attack and it turns out that in order to avoid some gravity well or other that would send the ship into a collision, they would have to drop some of their mass, one of the storage bays would do it.
They discover that one (at least) of the bays is all "tanks." Most of the episode is debate and stories about experiences w tanks, and along the way, hunky tank boy finds out that one of the suspended girls in storage is genetically a relative - a sister. When they have to make a decision about what to do - determined by some mass x speed x distance x commercial breaks formula - the lieutenant convinces tankboy that it's the tanks that have to go.
THEY AGREE THAT THEY ARE WORTH LESS THAN THE HUMANS. Or at least, they agree to follow orders that reflect that notion.
That was frickin wacked. Knocked me out. I don't remember specific references to that in any other episodes, but I hafta admit I don't remember a lot of things (see every other paragraph above =), and didn't watch every episode of the show. Hrmmm... I suspect that SciFi has played it in block form before. It might be a good complement to GALACTICA now, altho... I suppose it might also sort of dilute its power, look like something of a DEEPSTAR 6/LEVIATHAN vs. THE ABYSS latecomer knockoff... even though it was on the air years before and all...
And speaking of latecomer knockoff... The reason I brought up SPACE: A&B in the first place here, is that this episode reminded me of the "Red Baron" episode from THAT series. I'm pretty sure there was an existentialist plot driving that one as well, this one personally involving the lieutenant tank, who I now recall was a... Black Angel, I think it was... An ex-member of an elite squad of fighter pilots. And I kinda sorta, maybe fakely filling in the blanks in a narrative gap sorta way, recall that he was dealing with his right to life, purpose, and identity as a tank.
A running arc throughout the series was that tank-racism, as well as... frack, AI-ism. And comparisons made between tanks and AIs as tools created by true humans, which of course means, that's how they should be treated.
Classic scifi stuff.
Right, well, just wanted to get that off my TV-soaked brain.
If you're not watching BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, you should. It's about a human civilization, a culture, attacked and hunted almost to extinction by an enemy, an artificial race, or species, of machine-organics that it created (and mistreated?) to be its servants. The survivors are on the run in a fleet of spaceships, led and protected by the last remaining military battleship (the Battlestar Galactica) and its soldiers and pilots. The government and order are preserved as best as possible, but an imperfect system in the best of times struggles terribly under the stresses of war with a tireless and sometimes undetectable enemy. Religious fervor motivates factions on both sides, and profit and power drive political and criminal elements within the fleet, at times turning humans against each other.
If only its crazy fantastickal plots and issues somehow related to "real life" here on planet Earth. Then it would be much easier to sell to people, donchathink?
O well. =)
Keep on keepin on~
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
24 Tuesday...
We went with Indian eats from Punjab Dhaba tonight, to accompany this week's day-after 24 screening. In the living room audience tonight were the usual suspects - Rachel, Jill, and Glen - plus Rowan, returned last week from his stay in China. The episode was the usual 24 fare... irresistible digital clock ticking, suspense-building almost-made connections, continued one-upsmanship in the arts of double crossing and inside manning, some blah-de-blah cell convos and too-sober discussions about "feelings" (minutes better spent on gunfights or exploding terrorists, y'ask me), and overpowering music to ensure you knew that something important was happening.
Alas, no First Boob tonight. Unless you count the Prez Logan as the boob (I was refering to Jean Smart's First Lady's favorite hiding place and extortion aid =). Also, I felt this ep was a little short on Chloe. Boo.
After the first two hours of this season I was longshot-hoping that Chloe would be the badass behind the badasses, the abrasive and single-minded spytech majestrix orchestrating things to get Jack Bauer out of hiding, back in her life, and perhaps in her debt, charging things up for a Chloe [hearts] Jack romance. Of course, ex-Prez assassination is a bit far for Chloe to go, but I'm still hopeful that she may still be a low-level badass, circumstantial badass, whom the badass badasses took advantage of...
Of whom the badass badasses took advantage...?
I hafta admit, tho, more and more unlikely with each hour that's followed. O well.
I tried to explain the draw of 24-ness to someone recently. For me, some of the most satisfying bits of 24 are made so by the wiseacre remarks and banter supplied by audience participation.
Rowan asked: How does ANYONE send ANYTHING by FREIGHTER to CENTRAL ASIA?
Every episode on its own is not all that, but there is definitely a sort of rhythm set up within each one, created by the punctuation of relationship and character-building hooha with CTU ops and Jack's "give me someone to torture, anyone!" scenes. The music definitely reinforces this compelling pacing as well. Not exactly subtle, but for the most part effective. If the same musician/s scored a Discovery Channel series on soft fuzzy animals, it might get the same ratings as 24.
In helping to shape the show's moments, sometimes the music seems to change in a very sharp, 180 degree turn sorta way. There was a moment like that tonight that got me thinking that we could be hearing Jack Bauer's iPod playlist. Can you imagine? No wonder every other day feels like the longest day of his life. He should download some happy place music.
In the prelude to 24 tonight, as the gang arrived, and we chose our Punjab foods and awaited delivery (thanks, Jill and Row!), I hit my guests with some season 2 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (I've got several eps saved on my replay and the whole season on DVD), and CELEBRITY CHARADES, saved on the replay from AMC several months back. Fun stuff. We watched a couple episodes of THE OFFICE again as a chaser. Steve Carell rocks. Until Rowan pointed it out, I'd forgotten that the Indian gal OFFICE worker who smacked Michael Scott during his "Diversity Tomorrow" assembly played Paul Rudd's ex-girlfriend in 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN.
You know how I know you're gay? You're in the storeroom holding another man... oh so tenderly...
Or is it...
...oh so gently...?
Somethin like that. I haven't seen the movie since I caught it in theaters, so I suspect my quoting fidelity. Rowan picked it up on DVD - I'll hafta give the DVD a viewing sometime soonish.
Some random TV world crossing over... Kevin and the Secret Santa oven mitt knitter (can't remember her name) from THE OFFICE have both shown up as minor characters in ARRESTED.
Did I mention this in a previous entry? I noticed that PBS stations are playing episodes of the BBC's THE OFFICE now. If you haven't seen them, check them out! Just as funny, but y'know, in a foreign language. =)
Keep on keepin on~
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