I was driving into work this morning and I saw a truck sporting the advertising:
www.wescooppoop.ca
And then I immediately said in my head: "What a crappy job."
Then I giggled.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Watching Grown Men Hug
Just caught the end of the World Series game and Philly fans must be in bedlam. I thought for sure that Brad Lidge would give up the tying run. I am happy for the Philadelphia Phillies... all those teams and no championships in the last twenty years must be tough. Us Canucks fans should know.
More importantly, I am super happy for Jamie Moyer. To see a forty plus year old pitcher finally win a championship is great. He was one of my favourite Seattle Mariners and I loved the way he pitched more junk followed by more junk. Pat Gillick winning one as GM seems a bit weird... Toronto winning over Philly in 1993 when Gillick was GM to now? Weird.
Lastly, I got a chuckle when I saw Charlie Manuel, the manager hug with three other older coaches. It was the worst geriatric hug I have ever seen and the word "awkward" doesn't even begin to describe the scene.
Must be the Chicago Cubs turn next year.
More importantly, I am super happy for Jamie Moyer. To see a forty plus year old pitcher finally win a championship is great. He was one of my favourite Seattle Mariners and I loved the way he pitched more junk followed by more junk. Pat Gillick winning one as GM seems a bit weird... Toronto winning over Philly in 1993 when Gillick was GM to now? Weird.
Lastly, I got a chuckle when I saw Charlie Manuel, the manager hug with three other older coaches. It was the worst geriatric hug I have ever seen and the word "awkward" doesn't even begin to describe the scene.
Must be the Chicago Cubs turn next year.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Heroes
Sorry folks but I thought I had to add this link from the wonderful Doc Jensen from Entertainment Weekly. He writes my favourite LOST recaps in the world, but he weighed in with five ways to fix heroes. He eloquently summed up what I was trying to say in this article. I guess that is why he is a writer and I am a science teacher.
Tip of the cap to Yvette for this article.
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20235213,00.html
As well Yvette sent me a link to the season five trailer for LOST. I think I blacked out for a millisecond due to my excitement. Don't click if you haven't seen the fabulous season four yet.
See you later.
Tip of the cap to Yvette for this article.
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20235213,00.html
As well Yvette sent me a link to the season five trailer for LOST. I think I blacked out for a millisecond due to my excitement. Don't click if you haven't seen the fabulous season four yet.
See you later.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Great Expectations 2
How about this for a follow-up? A short blog after my previous lengthy one, thus dashing your expectations on the cold hard ground.
I forgot... I had a bit of time before heading to volleyball, so my list of things where the follow-up did not disappoint is short as it was difficult to think of these on the fly.
I would love to hear some of your suggestions... specifically music albums where the second album met/exceeded the expectations of the first album. And the first album had to be of a substantial hit... not one that no one had heard of before.
Any other movie/TV shows would be great to hear about.
I will start off with an insignificant one:
"Frasier" met expectations as a spinoff to "Cheers".
I forgot... I had a bit of time before heading to volleyball, so my list of things where the follow-up did not disappoint is short as it was difficult to think of these on the fly.
I would love to hear some of your suggestions... specifically music albums where the second album met/exceeded the expectations of the first album. And the first album had to be of a substantial hit... not one that no one had heard of before.
Any other movie/TV shows would be great to hear about.
I will start off with an insignificant one:
"Frasier" met expectations as a spinoff to "Cheers".
Great Expectations
I often wonder if high expectations ultimately set us up for a great fall?
I believe I wrote about this last year, but I was struck by this thought thinking about "Heroes".
This show, in its first season, was must see TV. On my PVR, if I had a list of different episodes to catch up on, Heroes wouldn't have even appeared on that list, because I would have viewed it immediately. The first season was full of exciting energy, great suspense, and the viewer had a sense of wonderment that matched the characters as they discovered their powers. The show had a super cool villain (Syler) and I, being a huge comic book fan, was impressed by this slightly new take on superheroes. There were some brilliant episodes, like "Company Man" which involved flashbacks of the decisions that Mr. Benet had to make to protect his family. The series built up momentum and then had it promptly deflated by a wimpy season finale.
Of course, we had great expectations for Season 2. And maybe that is the problem with expectations, because they are usually never met. Season 2 was a mess. Too many characters were added. Sylar wasn't kick-ass Sylar. Hiro was trapped in Japan for way too long. Peter lost his memory and promptly became boring. Mohinder didn't disappear or die.
You know there was real trouble, because the show didn't even bother to come back and serve up a couple of more episodes.
This third season? Talk about heavy handed. The writing has been ponderous and laborious. The characters have no background to them. They just do whatever they need to do to fit the whims of writers who have focussed on action, but miss all the hallmarks of any great show--character development. All of the character's motivations make little sense thus far. I don't really care about any of the characters and that is a bad sign considering how many characters I can choose from. The narration by Mohinder, always clunky, makes me cringe. Are you a hero or a villain? Sheesh, talk about the worst thematic yin-yang ever. Hearing about next season's theme "Heroes: Fugitives" doesn't make me that more excited.
How far has this show fallen? I started watching Monday's episode last night (that would be a Tuesday, ONE FULL DAY after airing) and got through halfway, then decided to watch Fringe and Eli Stone instead. I don't even know if I really want to watch the rest of it. I probably will because I am a glutton for punishment. But this idea of gathering up a team of "bad guys" serves what purpose? Any show about people with special powers would appear to be ridiculous, but the first season had a sense of realism that made you relate. Now? I don't know what to make of this mess.
It is tough living with great expectations. Rarely are expectations met or exceeded.
Pearl Jam "Ten" meant "Vs" was a letdown.
The Killers second album "Sam's Town"-- letdown.
Death Cab for Cutie's second album--letdown.
Back to the Future II--letdown.
Three's Company spinoff, Three's A Crowd--letdown.
Friend's spinoff, Joey--letd... oh wait, both shows sucked.
Lost Season 2--letdown.
New Coke after Classic Coke... letdown.
Guns N Roses "Use Your Illusions 1 & 2"--letdown from "Appetite for Destruction"
But every now and then, expectations are met or exceeded.
Return of the King after Fellowship of the Ring & Two Towers
Empire Strikes Back after Star Wars
Godfather II after Godfather
Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream" after "Gish"
Spiderman 2 after Spiderman
Harry Potter 4 after Harry Potter 3 (the books not the movies)
I only wish I could temper my expectations. As I wrap this up, let's finish with a "Heroes" flourish. Imagine Mohinder's British colonial accent...
"Humans are full of expectations. Expectations for themselves (cut scene of Hiro), expectations of others (cut scene of Peter Petrielli), and expectations of what life should be like (cut scene of Claire). But sometimes, in the grand tapestry of this world, our expectations may be too high (cut scene of Nathan Petrielli) and with these expectations we can only be disappointed or led astray (cut scene of Mohinder). With great expectations can come a curse, a curse that may cause us to ask ourselves, 'Are we more hero, or are we more villain?' "
End Scene. Picture of planet Earth.
I don't think there is hope for this show this season. I don't have any expectations, because at this point they have simply been quashed.
XOXO
Gossip Girl
Sorry wrong show.
I believe I wrote about this last year, but I was struck by this thought thinking about "Heroes".
This show, in its first season, was must see TV. On my PVR, if I had a list of different episodes to catch up on, Heroes wouldn't have even appeared on that list, because I would have viewed it immediately. The first season was full of exciting energy, great suspense, and the viewer had a sense of wonderment that matched the characters as they discovered their powers. The show had a super cool villain (Syler) and I, being a huge comic book fan, was impressed by this slightly new take on superheroes. There were some brilliant episodes, like "Company Man" which involved flashbacks of the decisions that Mr. Benet had to make to protect his family. The series built up momentum and then had it promptly deflated by a wimpy season finale.
Of course, we had great expectations for Season 2. And maybe that is the problem with expectations, because they are usually never met. Season 2 was a mess. Too many characters were added. Sylar wasn't kick-ass Sylar. Hiro was trapped in Japan for way too long. Peter lost his memory and promptly became boring. Mohinder didn't disappear or die.
You know there was real trouble, because the show didn't even bother to come back and serve up a couple of more episodes.
This third season? Talk about heavy handed. The writing has been ponderous and laborious. The characters have no background to them. They just do whatever they need to do to fit the whims of writers who have focussed on action, but miss all the hallmarks of any great show--character development. All of the character's motivations make little sense thus far. I don't really care about any of the characters and that is a bad sign considering how many characters I can choose from. The narration by Mohinder, always clunky, makes me cringe. Are you a hero or a villain? Sheesh, talk about the worst thematic yin-yang ever. Hearing about next season's theme "Heroes: Fugitives" doesn't make me that more excited.
How far has this show fallen? I started watching Monday's episode last night (that would be a Tuesday, ONE FULL DAY after airing) and got through halfway, then decided to watch Fringe and Eli Stone instead. I don't even know if I really want to watch the rest of it. I probably will because I am a glutton for punishment. But this idea of gathering up a team of "bad guys" serves what purpose? Any show about people with special powers would appear to be ridiculous, but the first season had a sense of realism that made you relate. Now? I don't know what to make of this mess.
It is tough living with great expectations. Rarely are expectations met or exceeded.
Pearl Jam "Ten" meant "Vs" was a letdown.
The Killers second album "Sam's Town"-- letdown.
Death Cab for Cutie's second album--letdown.
Back to the Future II--letdown.
Three's Company spinoff, Three's A Crowd--letdown.
Friend's spinoff, Joey--letd... oh wait, both shows sucked.
Lost Season 2--letdown.
New Coke after Classic Coke... letdown.
Guns N Roses "Use Your Illusions 1 & 2"--letdown from "Appetite for Destruction"
But every now and then, expectations are met or exceeded.
Return of the King after Fellowship of the Ring & Two Towers
Empire Strikes Back after Star Wars
Godfather II after Godfather
Smashing Pumpkins "Siamese Dream" after "Gish"
Spiderman 2 after Spiderman
Harry Potter 4 after Harry Potter 3 (the books not the movies)
I only wish I could temper my expectations. As I wrap this up, let's finish with a "Heroes" flourish. Imagine Mohinder's British colonial accent...
"Humans are full of expectations. Expectations for themselves (cut scene of Hiro), expectations of others (cut scene of Peter Petrielli), and expectations of what life should be like (cut scene of Claire). But sometimes, in the grand tapestry of this world, our expectations may be too high (cut scene of Nathan Petrielli) and with these expectations we can only be disappointed or led astray (cut scene of Mohinder). With great expectations can come a curse, a curse that may cause us to ask ourselves, 'Are we more hero, or are we more villain?' "
End Scene. Picture of planet Earth.
I don't think there is hope for this show this season. I don't have any expectations, because at this point they have simply been quashed.
XOXO
Gossip Girl
Sorry wrong show.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
TV Time
Well I feel I have a lot to say about the current television season, but I have been so busy with school and coaching volleyball (we won our first game tonight!) that I haven't really been able to sit down and reflect on the shows that I have been watching. So before I go to bed, I thought let's try to verbalize some of the shows that I have been following thus far. With the Vancouver Canucks season upon us I thought I would try to tie everything together.
Gossip Girl and Chuck: The Sedin Twins
Daniel and Henrik Sedin aren't flashy, but they are dependable. You can count on the twins producing almost a point a game. Whether or not they will show up in the playoffs is a different matter, but I digress. What is clear, are the twins are getting incrementally better with each passing season.
It is interesting that Gossip Girl and Chuck share the same creator, Josh Schwartz, the creator of the O.C. Some episodes in their inaugural seasons were pretty clunky. But thus far, I have found both shows have gotten into a pretty good groove. I can depend on Chuck for some good laughs. Morgan and the rejects at Buy More aren't as annoying anymore. And a throwaway character, Captain Awesome has actually been slowly fleshed out. I count on Gossip Girl for some delicious zingers and some great jabs at the social hierarchy of high school reflected in these spoiled brats of upstate New York. If we could get rid of Dan's sister (I don't even know her name) and the stupid Dan-Serena-drag-out-their-romance-by-causing-problems-when there-really-aren't-any-problems, this show could get even better.
The Next Unsung Hero Award a la Alexander Burrows:
Every season, you wonder who will be the unsung hero, the glue and grit of the team. Burrows clearly cannot be up for this award, so I look toward either Mason Raymond or Jannick Hanson. My choice would be Hanson. Why? Any time the commentators keep call you the 'Great Dane" even though he is kinda small makes you a cool choice. And by the way when did Marc Crawford's voice go down an octave? I swore his voice was higher. I had no clue he was doing colour commentary for the CBC broadcast.
Oh yeah, my unsung hero award goes to Ugly Betty, a show people continually refuse to give a chance. I find it quite funny even though it is cheesy at times. It has some of the best one-liners, and if you can turn Vanessa Williams into one of the nastiest characters on TV, really shouldn't you give it a chance?
The New Captain, Bert Luongo:
Naming Roberto Luongo, even though clearly the best player, is an awkward move. A goalie as a captain seems too gimmicky, sort of the new version of 90210. The decision to make your goalie your captain may be perceived as a dumb move. A dumb move akin to reviving 90210. What a brutal, brutal, show. I could write on and on about how bad it is. I don't mind suspending my disbelief as long as the writers take care of the small details. Right off the bat we see the family driving into Beverly Hills. The father is a principal and he is only arriving the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. A principal. Of a massive sized school. No way.
Every time there is an event at a club or bar, the English teacher is there and so are the students. Yes, as a teacher I always make sure I attend after hours non-school related events with my students. We saw a fight, a suggestive oral sex act, drug addiction, and plagiarism in the first episode. Then the second episode in an obvious reaction to the first one which was trying to shock viewers, centered around family values and family bowling night. Take about try-hards. I almost vomited a bit in my mouth. What a disaster. Hey lets make Kelly a school counsellor! And what about having her younger sister a high school student even though that would mean about a twenty year gap by my estimation. Did the writers just throw random darts at some notes on a wall to decide what to do? Too bad the two Canadian actors are saddled with a lame show and they won't be able to benefit like Mr. Priestley did decades before.
The Canucks Season: Boom or Bust?
After the first two Calgary games, I was shocked at seeing speed, toughness and goals scored off the rush. Then the Washington Capitals game came along, a turkey on turkey day. I still cannot comprehend how a team gets three shots over two periods. I have no idea what will happen with this year's Canucks. I don't know if I can take another year of disappointment. I don't know if people realize how tough it is to be a a lifelong Canuck fan. Twenty plus years of this is getting rather old. Sometimes I wish I was born in Boston.
So will this season be great? A return to a winning form like this season's Desperate Housewives and House? Or will it be a bust like Heroes or Grey's Anatomy? I stopped watching Grey's two weeks ago, after Christine got stabbed by an icicle. That was enough for me. And Heroes is now a collage of bad plots tied together in a reactionary result of the writers trying to pacify fans who don't have the patience to see things develop like Lost fans do. This show is so horrendous now that I can't even remember the giddiness of those first episodes of season one. Too many different characters and now I am not even interested in any of them. Sylar working for good reasons? Everything is so stupid and I think it shows that Tim Kring ripped off so many comic book themes early on, but then was at a loss of where to take the show next.
OK, I have to go to bed. I did not even bother to edit this first draft so enjoy as much as you can.
Gossip Girl and Chuck: The Sedin Twins
Daniel and Henrik Sedin aren't flashy, but they are dependable. You can count on the twins producing almost a point a game. Whether or not they will show up in the playoffs is a different matter, but I digress. What is clear, are the twins are getting incrementally better with each passing season.
It is interesting that Gossip Girl and Chuck share the same creator, Josh Schwartz, the creator of the O.C. Some episodes in their inaugural seasons were pretty clunky. But thus far, I have found both shows have gotten into a pretty good groove. I can depend on Chuck for some good laughs. Morgan and the rejects at Buy More aren't as annoying anymore. And a throwaway character, Captain Awesome has actually been slowly fleshed out. I count on Gossip Girl for some delicious zingers and some great jabs at the social hierarchy of high school reflected in these spoiled brats of upstate New York. If we could get rid of Dan's sister (I don't even know her name) and the stupid Dan-Serena-drag-out-their-romance-by-causing-problems-when there-really-aren't-any-problems, this show could get even better.
The Next Unsung Hero Award a la Alexander Burrows:
Every season, you wonder who will be the unsung hero, the glue and grit of the team. Burrows clearly cannot be up for this award, so I look toward either Mason Raymond or Jannick Hanson. My choice would be Hanson. Why? Any time the commentators keep call you the 'Great Dane" even though he is kinda small makes you a cool choice. And by the way when did Marc Crawford's voice go down an octave? I swore his voice was higher. I had no clue he was doing colour commentary for the CBC broadcast.
Oh yeah, my unsung hero award goes to Ugly Betty, a show people continually refuse to give a chance. I find it quite funny even though it is cheesy at times. It has some of the best one-liners, and if you can turn Vanessa Williams into one of the nastiest characters on TV, really shouldn't you give it a chance?
The New Captain, Bert Luongo:
Naming Roberto Luongo, even though clearly the best player, is an awkward move. A goalie as a captain seems too gimmicky, sort of the new version of 90210. The decision to make your goalie your captain may be perceived as a dumb move. A dumb move akin to reviving 90210. What a brutal, brutal, show. I could write on and on about how bad it is. I don't mind suspending my disbelief as long as the writers take care of the small details. Right off the bat we see the family driving into Beverly Hills. The father is a principal and he is only arriving the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. A principal. Of a massive sized school. No way.
Every time there is an event at a club or bar, the English teacher is there and so are the students. Yes, as a teacher I always make sure I attend after hours non-school related events with my students. We saw a fight, a suggestive oral sex act, drug addiction, and plagiarism in the first episode. Then the second episode in an obvious reaction to the first one which was trying to shock viewers, centered around family values and family bowling night. Take about try-hards. I almost vomited a bit in my mouth. What a disaster. Hey lets make Kelly a school counsellor! And what about having her younger sister a high school student even though that would mean about a twenty year gap by my estimation. Did the writers just throw random darts at some notes on a wall to decide what to do? Too bad the two Canadian actors are saddled with a lame show and they won't be able to benefit like Mr. Priestley did decades before.
The Canucks Season: Boom or Bust?
After the first two Calgary games, I was shocked at seeing speed, toughness and goals scored off the rush. Then the Washington Capitals game came along, a turkey on turkey day. I still cannot comprehend how a team gets three shots over two periods. I have no idea what will happen with this year's Canucks. I don't know if I can take another year of disappointment. I don't know if people realize how tough it is to be a a lifelong Canuck fan. Twenty plus years of this is getting rather old. Sometimes I wish I was born in Boston.
So will this season be great? A return to a winning form like this season's Desperate Housewives and House? Or will it be a bust like Heroes or Grey's Anatomy? I stopped watching Grey's two weeks ago, after Christine got stabbed by an icicle. That was enough for me. And Heroes is now a collage of bad plots tied together in a reactionary result of the writers trying to pacify fans who don't have the patience to see things develop like Lost fans do. This show is so horrendous now that I can't even remember the giddiness of those first episodes of season one. Too many different characters and now I am not even interested in any of them. Sylar working for good reasons? Everything is so stupid and I think it shows that Tim Kring ripped off so many comic book themes early on, but then was at a loss of where to take the show next.
OK, I have to go to bed. I did not even bother to edit this first draft so enjoy as much as you can.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
A New Beginning
Hello to the very small, but special group that actual read my previous blog: http://www.rsk1976.blogspot.com
I had a vague impression that I hadn't written a new entry in a long time, but then I looked at my last post-- a long time would be an understatement. April 8th! Wow.
What has ensued in the last six months could fill up an encyclopedia, specifically volume XYZ, the volume that was always the thinnest. The sad thing is that there are many of you reading this who have never even seen an encyclopedia. Think Wikipedia, but in a hard cover format and with real credible sources. Alas my six-month encyclopedia of events would bore most of you to death so lets give a recap in bullet format:
1) Graduated with my Masters.
2) Got married to the most absolutely beautiful lady in the world.
3) Got diagnosed with narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder which finally absolves me of all the guilt that I used to feel for being so "lazy". Now I know that my chronic habit of falling asleep anywhere was not just a symptom of tiredness. I now refer to myself as the overachieving narcoleptic. What's your excuse for not achieving more in your life?
4) Saw the greatest masterpiece of comic book moviedom in the form of "The Dark Knight".
OK, so now that the recap is out of the way, I want to introduce you to this new blog format. I wanted a name that was easier to remember so that explains the change. Why ice cream and spinach you may ask? Because these two food items represent the spectrum of my likes and dislikes. I love ice cream. And I dislike spinach. Well actually, I love spinach gomae, specifically from Toshi's on 16th, but that place can do no wrong in my eyes, so the fact of the matter is I still dislike spinach. I could ramble on and on about why I like ice cream and why I dislike spinach, which made me have realize that I am a very particular fellow and I enjoy discussing the little things in life, while fully aware of the actual lack of real importance in the overall scheme of things. And that last sentence, also highlights my poor writing style... trying to say too much in one sentence.
So if you are looking for a place to read about things to enlighten you this is not the place.
If you are looking for a place to read well-written articles this is not the place.
If you are looking for a place to read about sometimes amusing articles about television, movies, and sports then this might be the place.
All I know is I enjoy hearing myself rant about the strangest items and I am compelled to voice my opinions on such trivial matters like ice cream. So much so, that I found myself actually writing a review for Mondo Gelato on Trip Advisor after seeing it getting some poor reviews. That's me rsk76. Sad eh? I never post things on other websites, but I just couldn't help myself.
I vow to post something weekly and I do not want my readership to plunge. I learned my lesson with my previous blog. I will work hard to win back all eight of you readers.
Do me a favour and forward this to someone you don't like. It might just ruin their day.
I had a vague impression that I hadn't written a new entry in a long time, but then I looked at my last post-- a long time would be an understatement. April 8th! Wow.
What has ensued in the last six months could fill up an encyclopedia, specifically volume XYZ, the volume that was always the thinnest. The sad thing is that there are many of you reading this who have never even seen an encyclopedia. Think Wikipedia, but in a hard cover format and with real credible sources. Alas my six-month encyclopedia of events would bore most of you to death so lets give a recap in bullet format:
1) Graduated with my Masters.
2) Got married to the most absolutely beautiful lady in the world.
3) Got diagnosed with narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder which finally absolves me of all the guilt that I used to feel for being so "lazy". Now I know that my chronic habit of falling asleep anywhere was not just a symptom of tiredness. I now refer to myself as the overachieving narcoleptic. What's your excuse for not achieving more in your life?
4) Saw the greatest masterpiece of comic book moviedom in the form of "The Dark Knight".
OK, so now that the recap is out of the way, I want to introduce you to this new blog format. I wanted a name that was easier to remember so that explains the change. Why ice cream and spinach you may ask? Because these two food items represent the spectrum of my likes and dislikes. I love ice cream. And I dislike spinach. Well actually, I love spinach gomae, specifically from Toshi's on 16th, but that place can do no wrong in my eyes, so the fact of the matter is I still dislike spinach. I could ramble on and on about why I like ice cream and why I dislike spinach, which made me have realize that I am a very particular fellow and I enjoy discussing the little things in life, while fully aware of the actual lack of real importance in the overall scheme of things. And that last sentence, also highlights my poor writing style... trying to say too much in one sentence.
So if you are looking for a place to read about things to enlighten you this is not the place.
If you are looking for a place to read well-written articles this is not the place.
If you are looking for a place to read about sometimes amusing articles about television, movies, and sports then this might be the place.
All I know is I enjoy hearing myself rant about the strangest items and I am compelled to voice my opinions on such trivial matters like ice cream. So much so, that I found myself actually writing a review for Mondo Gelato on Trip Advisor after seeing it getting some poor reviews. That's me rsk76. Sad eh? I never post things on other websites, but I just couldn't help myself.
I vow to post something weekly and I do not want my readership to plunge. I learned my lesson with my previous blog. I will work hard to win back all eight of you readers.
Do me a favour and forward this to someone you don't like. It might just ruin their day.
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