05 December 2014
Seinfeld
From Not-stalgia: Why I Don't Miss 'Seinfeld', by Linda Holmes:
I remember laughing occasionally at Seinfeld. I'm pretty sure there's tape of me somewhere, probably on a podcast, acknowledging that it's good. Because of peer pressure.
I don't like Seinfeld, I don't miss it, and every time I'm asked to participate in some sort of acknowledgment of its greatness, or its place in the pantheon, I feel myself cringe and lie and say I understand, but I am here to tell you, and then never to be so cowardly again: I don't understand.
This was brought back to me in full force when I saw the Super Bowl ad Sunday night with Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander, and I thought, almost involuntarily, "Not this again." When I mentioned this on Twitter, I thought that I would immediately be crushed under the weight of other people's nostalgia and hostility, but no! There are many of us! And we all feel alone! We all feel like we are the only ones!
I am here to tell you: There are many of us. It is a show that benefits from the kind of nostalgia that enforces itself through consensus, by assuming that We All Know how great it is and how important it is, and for plenty of people, that is a legitimate reflection of their joyful adoration with which I'd never quibble.
But there are many of us.
I remember laughing occasionally at Seinfeld. I'm pretty sure there's tape of me somewhere, probably on a podcast, acknowledging that it's good. Because of peer pressure.
I don't like Seinfeld, I don't miss it, and every time I'm asked to participate in some sort of acknowledgment of its greatness, or its place in the pantheon, I feel myself cringe and lie and say I understand, but I am here to tell you, and then never to be so cowardly again: I don't understand.
This was brought back to me in full force when I saw the Super Bowl ad Sunday night with Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander, and I thought, almost involuntarily, "Not this again." When I mentioned this on Twitter, I thought that I would immediately be crushed under the weight of other people's nostalgia and hostility, but no! There are many of us! And we all feel alone! We all feel like we are the only ones!
I am here to tell you: There are many of us. It is a show that benefits from the kind of nostalgia that enforces itself through consensus, by assuming that We All Know how great it is and how important it is, and for plenty of people, that is a legitimate reflection of their joyful adoration with which I'd never quibble.
But there are many of us.
Labels: Linda Holmes, TV
20 November 2014
Linda Holmes Speaks The Truth
26 May 2014
Currently Watching...
Orange is the New Black. Which isn't, strictly speaking, a TV show. It seems like a tv show (specifically a pay-cable TV show), but it was made and released by Netflix, so it never aired on TV. The DVD finally made it's way to the library, so now I'm watching it. I wouldn't say I love it, but it's pretty good.
Labels: TV
22 May 2014
DVD Burners
Recently I bought a neat little device that lets me turn my old videotapes into digital files. My plan was to make DVDs of my favorite not-available-for-purchase-on-DVD videotapes.
Step one (the aforementioned neat little device) went well. I copied a couple of episodes onto my computer and it worked great!
Step two has been problematic. I had planned to use iDVD to burn the DVDs, since that what I've used in the past. But Apple stopped making iDVD, so that was out.
Then I tried some burners I found online. The first I tried was free. It worked fine, but the menu was very plain and it didn't make chapters.
So I tried another one with good reviews. It was for sale, but there was a free trial. I figured I'd try it, and if I liked it, I would buy it. I spent an evening after work figuring out how to use it, but the burned DVD it produced didn't play. I tried again, still bad. I contacted customer support, followed their instructions, and tried again. Still bad.
I tried another free trial program. It didn't seem to do what I wanted it to do.
I tried another free trial program. It seemed ok, but it took forever to burn, and then it would error and stop burning, just as it neared the end.
I tried another free trial program. I didn't seem to do what I wanted it to do.
So, now I'm back to the first program. At least I know it works! And I discovered that it has an "extra" program (also free!) that lets me edit the menu. And I figured out how to add chapters!
I'm tired of messing with DVD burners, so I'm going to stick with that one. I was so excited when I got my converter in the mail, but I haven't used it in days because I've spent every evening trying to find a good DVD burner. No more! I'm going to go back to my new toy tomorrow, gosh darnit!
Step one (the aforementioned neat little device) went well. I copied a couple of episodes onto my computer and it worked great!
Step two has been problematic. I had planned to use iDVD to burn the DVDs, since that what I've used in the past. But Apple stopped making iDVD, so that was out.
Then I tried some burners I found online. The first I tried was free. It worked fine, but the menu was very plain and it didn't make chapters.
So I tried another one with good reviews. It was for sale, but there was a free trial. I figured I'd try it, and if I liked it, I would buy it. I spent an evening after work figuring out how to use it, but the burned DVD it produced didn't play. I tried again, still bad. I contacted customer support, followed their instructions, and tried again. Still bad.
I tried another free trial program. It didn't seem to do what I wanted it to do.
I tried another free trial program. It seemed ok, but it took forever to burn, and then it would error and stop burning, just as it neared the end.
I tried another free trial program. I didn't seem to do what I wanted it to do.
So, now I'm back to the first program. At least I know it works! And I discovered that it has an "extra" program (also free!) that lets me edit the menu. And I figured out how to add chapters!
I'm tired of messing with DVD burners, so I'm going to stick with that one. I was so excited when I got my converter in the mail, but I haven't used it in days because I've spent every evening trying to find a good DVD burner. No more! I'm going to go back to my new toy tomorrow, gosh darnit!
06 April 2014
Quote of the Day: Linda Holmes
From her twitter:
"If you consider how many last-minute twists happen on Law And Order shows, they're really not very good detectives."
"If you consider how many last-minute twists happen on Law And Order shows, they're really not very good detectives."
Labels: Linda Holmes, TV
04 April 2014
Quote of the Day: Tumblr
Seen here:
"George R.R. Martin, Joss Whedon, and Steven Moffat walk into a bar and everyone you've ever loved dies."
"George R.R. Martin, Joss Whedon, and Steven Moffat walk into a bar and everyone you've ever loved dies."
Labels: TV
26 January 2014
Quote of the Day: Tumblr
Seen here:
Q: WHAT DO YOU AMERICANS MEAN WHEN A SHOW IS ON AT LIKE FUCKIN “8/7c” WHAT IS THAT????
A: We never switched over to metric timekeeping. The c stands for “Caw”, referring to how many times a majestic eagle has flown overhead and cawed that day. Sometimes the eagles are feeling sluggish, so the show could be on after either the 7th or 8th caw.
Q: WHAT DO YOU AMERICANS MEAN WHEN A SHOW IS ON AT LIKE FUCKIN “8/7c” WHAT IS THAT????
A: We never switched over to metric timekeeping. The c stands for “Caw”, referring to how many times a majestic eagle has flown overhead and cawed that day. Sometimes the eagles are feeling sluggish, so the show could be on after either the 7th or 8th caw.
Labels: random weirdness, TV
13 January 2014
Quote of the Day: Linda Holmes
From her post on last night's Golden Globes, The Golden Globes Share The Wealth, Such As It Is:
"Let us say this first: The Golden Globes are Hollywood culture at its most purely self-perpetuating. Given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a small group of journalists so gleefully obscure that there is usually a joke about how gleefully obscure they are, the Globes lack the gravitas of the Oscars, which is really saying something, given the fact that the Oscars lack the gravitas of the Tonys and the Tonys lack the gravitas of a halfway decent episode of Law & Order: SVU."
"Let us say this first: The Golden Globes are Hollywood culture at its most purely self-perpetuating. Given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a small group of journalists so gleefully obscure that there is usually a joke about how gleefully obscure they are, the Globes lack the gravitas of the Oscars, which is really saying something, given the fact that the Oscars lack the gravitas of the Tonys and the Tonys lack the gravitas of a halfway decent episode of Law & Order: SVU."
Labels: Linda Holmes, TV
09 January 2014
Quote of the Day: Tumblr
Seen here:
"I really hate long-ass ‘previously on...’ bits in front of episodes
I fucking know what happened previously ok
I just marathonned two seasons in a day trust me I know"
"I really hate long-ass ‘previously on...’ bits in front of episodes
I fucking know what happened previously ok
I just marathonned two seasons in a day trust me I know"
Labels: TV
02 January 2014
Farewell, Uncle Phil
21 October 2013
Quote of the Day: Tumblr
Seen here:
What I said: Watch this show it's really good
What I meant: For the love of God please watch this I need friends who understand my pain I need someone to talk about it with that hasn't heard all my opinions a billion times please I am begging you
What I said: Watch this show it's really good
What I meant: For the love of God please watch this I need friends who understand my pain I need someone to talk about it with that hasn't heard all my opinions a billion times please I am begging you
Labels: TV
12 February 2013
Quote of the Day: Homicide
Bayliss: You never say please. You never say thank you.
Pembleton: Please don't be an idiot. Thank you."
Pembleton: Please don't be an idiot. Thank you."
Labels: TV
06 November 2012
A "Real" FBI Agent
30 October 2012
Tricky Linguistics
15 August 2012
Quote of the Day: Gilmore Girls
I never watched Gilmore Girls, but I ran across this quote and was immediately transported back in time to when I watch General Hospital religiously. The quote is from "Kiss and Tell", apparently:
Lorelai: I was watching General Hospital the other day and you know, they have a new Lucky 'cause the old Lucky went to play something where he could have a real name. So the old Lucky had this girlfriend, Liz, who thought that he died in a fire. So then they bring on this new Lucky and you're all like "OK, I know that's not the old Lucky because the new Lucky has way more hair gel issues" but still, Liz was so upset about his supposed death that you could not wait to see them kiss, you know?
Rory: When do you have time to watch General Hospital?
Lorelai: OK, let's get back to the point. What do you think about the whole Liz/Lucky kissing thing?
Rory: I think they're actors being paid to play a part so it's nice that they're living up to their obligations.
Lorelai: I was watching General Hospital the other day and you know, they have a new Lucky 'cause the old Lucky went to play something where he could have a real name. So the old Lucky had this girlfriend, Liz, who thought that he died in a fire. So then they bring on this new Lucky and you're all like "OK, I know that's not the old Lucky because the new Lucky has way more hair gel issues" but still, Liz was so upset about his supposed death that you could not wait to see them kiss, you know?
Rory: When do you have time to watch General Hospital?
Lorelai: OK, let's get back to the point. What do you think about the whole Liz/Lucky kissing thing?
Rory: I think they're actors being paid to play a part so it's nice that they're living up to their obligations.
Labels: TV
24 July 2012
Quote of the Day: Tumblr
As seen on S#*! my mouth says:
Tumblr 1: my favorite game is called “how many episodes can I watch in one night”
Tumblr 2: I love the bonus round where you try to convince yourself that you can watch a 45 minute episode in like 20 minutes
Tumblr 3: the best part is “who needs sleep you’re only 5 episodes away from the season finale”
Tumblr 1: my favorite game is called “how many episodes can I watch in one night”
Tumblr 2: I love the bonus round where you try to convince yourself that you can watch a 45 minute episode in like 20 minutes
Tumblr 3: the best part is “who needs sleep you’re only 5 episodes away from the season finale”
Labels: random silliness, TV
30 June 2012
Stupid Game
Yeah, this is a dumb game. But oddly addictive.
I've noticed that the older/more obscure a character is, the less likely it is to guess right.
Characters from shows that are still on the air that it got right on the first guess: Neal Caffrey (White Collar), River Song (Doctor Who), Church (Red vs. Blue), and Beck Oliver (Victorious).
Characters from recent shows that it got right on the first try: Ianto Jones (Torchwood) and Shane McCutcheon (The L Word).
Characters from older shows that it guessed after two rounds: Aeryn Sun (Farscape) and Alec (Dark Angel).
Characters from older shows that it guessed after three rounds: Joxer (Xena) and Lister (Red Dwarf).
Characters from older, less popular shows it never guessed: Janette (Forever Knight) and Methos (Highlander).
The one character that didn't fit the pattern: Hal from (the currently airing show) Being Human. It got that on the second guess. However! Its first guess was Mitchell, who is from the same show and is also a vampire.
I've noticed that the older/more obscure a character is, the less likely it is to guess right.
Characters from shows that are still on the air that it got right on the first guess: Neal Caffrey (White Collar), River Song (Doctor Who), Church (Red vs. Blue), and Beck Oliver (Victorious).
Characters from recent shows that it got right on the first try: Ianto Jones (Torchwood) and Shane McCutcheon (The L Word).
Characters from older shows that it guessed after two rounds: Aeryn Sun (Farscape) and Alec (Dark Angel).
Characters from older shows that it guessed after three rounds: Joxer (Xena) and Lister (Red Dwarf).
Characters from older, less popular shows it never guessed: Janette (Forever Knight) and Methos (Highlander).
The one character that didn't fit the pattern: Hal from (the currently airing show) Being Human. It got that on the second guess. However! Its first guess was Mitchell, who is from the same show and is also a vampire.
Labels: random silliness, TV
20 May 2012
Quote of the Day: Common Law
USA's got a new buddy-cop show called "Common Law". Two episodes have aired so far, and it has promise. This is from the second episode, "Ride Along". (Travis and Wes are the detectives.):
Travis: So you stole money from a Texas gunrunner?
suspect: Look, I know in retrospect it sounds kind of stupid.
Wes: There is no retrospect needed there. That was stupid the moment you did it.
Travis: So you stole money from a Texas gunrunner?
suspect: Look, I know in retrospect it sounds kind of stupid.
Wes: There is no retrospect needed there. That was stupid the moment you did it.
Labels: TV
18 April 2012
Their Own Genres
io9 has an interesting article called Science Fiction and Fantasy Creators Who Became Their Own Genres.
I didn't quite know what they meant until I saw a few names, and then I went, "Ohhhh..... yeah. I get it now."
The names that caught my eye were Douglas Adams, Robert Heinlein, and Joss Whedon. Whedon might be the most interesting case: His work is all over the place in terms of traditional genres (Buffy and Angel were fantasy/horror, Firefly was scifi/western, Dollhouse was near-future dystopia/philosophy, Dr. Horrible was scifi(?)/musical, and this year he has three movies coming out: meta horror movie The Cabin in the Woods, superhero blockbuster The Avengers, and a modern-setting production of Much Ado About Nothing.) But I have loved pretty much everything of his he's done. The genres may be all over the place, but the themes and the tone and the humor are always the same.
My favorite bit from the article came from the Douglas Adams section, though:
"Adams was often compared to [Kurt] Vonnegut, and indeed his dark humor often feels sort of reminiscent of Vonnegut's — but he goes much, much further into silliness and absurdism. And as with other authors on this list, when you pick up a Douglas Adams story, you know you're getting certain things, including hapless heroes, ingenious plot twists, narrative digressions and an irreverent refusal to commit to any kind of comforting sense of reality."
I didn't quite know what they meant until I saw a few names, and then I went, "Ohhhh..... yeah. I get it now."
The names that caught my eye were Douglas Adams, Robert Heinlein, and Joss Whedon. Whedon might be the most interesting case: His work is all over the place in terms of traditional genres (Buffy and Angel were fantasy/horror, Firefly was scifi/western, Dollhouse was near-future dystopia/philosophy, Dr. Horrible was scifi(?)/musical, and this year he has three movies coming out: meta horror movie The Cabin in the Woods, superhero blockbuster The Avengers, and a modern-setting production of Much Ado About Nothing.) But I have loved pretty much everything of his he's done. The genres may be all over the place, but the themes and the tone and the humor are always the same.
My favorite bit from the article came from the Douglas Adams section, though:
"Adams was often compared to [Kurt] Vonnegut, and indeed his dark humor often feels sort of reminiscent of Vonnegut's — but he goes much, much further into silliness and absurdism. And as with other authors on this list, when you pick up a Douglas Adams story, you know you're getting certain things, including hapless heroes, ingenious plot twists, narrative digressions and an irreverent refusal to commit to any kind of comforting sense of reality."
Labels: books, movies, scifi/fantasy, TV
18 February 2012
Biblical Arguments
