Random Recap of the Past Week

So the fact that my couch lounging days have continued longer than I expected plus the fact that I am being plagued by yet another round of insomnia have forced me to sink further into the realms of pop culture. The bad part of relying on On Demand to cure my boredom is the fact that it seems to update its contents only once a week. Honestly, how many times can they expect me to watch Star Wars III? (Answer...3 which is completely insane considering that I have the damn movie on DVD and can watch it anytime I please. But that is a matter for another day.) I have spent so much time in the world of pop culture, (which is not a bad thing, but too much of anything is never healthy) that it is hard to pick one topic to pick to post about this evening. So here are a bunch of random thoughts for your enjoyment.

Invisible by Clay Aiken (playcount 4) - First let me ask the question of why I can buy the incredibly lame video of this song but not the actual song on iTunes? It is the only Clay Aiken song that cannot be purchased on iTunes. Secondly let me ask why I am so pissed off about it? Seriously...any insight will be appreciated. Anyway... I actually wasted $1.99 on the damn video a few months ago and it came on my iPod about 2am this morning and since I was wide awake I actually focused on the lyrics...which prompted me to say WTF? How in the hell did I not know that this is a seriously creepy song? How did such a creepy song become so damn popular? Have you ever listened to the lyrics? The whole song is crazy stalker material but here are a few of the lines that particularly creep me out. "I keep tracing your steps, each move that you make." Okay so that alone isn't too bad on its own and could even be viewed as kind a sweet puppy dog devotion but then it is followed by a chorus with the following lines. "If I was invisible I could just watch you in your room. If I was invincible, I'd make you mine tonight." Call me paranoid but I think that these are the words of a stalker. If I wanted someone to watch me in my room...I would simply let him in and there would be no need for him to be invisible. The whole invincible part is exceptionally creepy to me because if the girl wanted Clay...he would be get her without being invincible. He wouldn't have to make her his...it would just happen. Of course...I highly doubt that Clay is singing about a girl...but that isn't the point.

Going back to Star Wars III, as much as it pains me to talk badly about my beloved Star Wars story...there are a few parts in this movie that I just don't get. Who in the hell thought that Samuel L Jackson was the right choice for Mace Windu? I honestly can't think of worse display of acting as when Anakin tells him that he thinks that Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord. The dumbfounded look that Mace gives him before he painfully spits out "A Sith Lord?". That was the best take? For shame Mr. Lucas. Moving on. Obi Wan's saber skills were laughable in damn near every fight that we see up until the end battle with Anakin. In the previous battles, he got his ass whooped very early and needed saving by Anakin or Yoda. Yet he somehow managed to keep up with and eventually get the best of Anakin? Sorry but I have to wave the bullshit flag on this one. And then...I don't understand how if Obi Wan loved Anakin so much, why in the hell did he leave him there to suffer? I mean, if someone that I cared about had just lost all but one limb and was on fire I don't think that I would just walk away. No wait...jack his lightsaber and then just walk away. What kind of mercy is that? Finally...how is it that none of the Jedi Knights saw the attack coming? Okay so it was supposedly a big secret but once the killing started, how is that only Yoda felt it? It seriously makes you question if the dark side wasn't the way to go. Because even in the end, it was the dark side that destroyed The Emperor unless you want to believe that Darth Vader completely abandoned it at the last minute. It is a nice thought but not likely. Good did not overcome evil...evil destroyed evil.

There is only one good thing about football season being over...and that is the fact that I am no longer being brainwashed into thinking that I need to buy a truck. I must have watched 200 truck commercials during the playoffs and they actually had me comparing the Dodge Dakota, the Chevy Colorado, and the Honda Ridgeline...though now I have no idea why. I just got a new car this year for goodness sake. Anyway...this made me think about all of the other commericals that I am seeing too much of and how thankfully that has had the opposite effect of the truck commercials. I don't care that that some crazy lady on Nip/Tuck wants to look like a cat. I really don't care that Sarah Conner has her own chronicles. I especially don't care that Comedy Central is going to be showing Amercian Pie: The Naked Mile tomorrow night. And above all...I really don't care that FX is about to start another season of Dirt because it is a shitty show to begin with. Oh well.

One major plus for me in TV this week was the return of the Green Arrow on Smallville. His haircut was rather annoying as it was a little too long but that is the only negative thing that I have to say. He is just so damn awesome and it pisses me off that Clark won't join him because then we would see him in every episode. And no it isn't a hottness factor, though he is easy on the eyes. The Green Arrow is just awesome! Justin Hartley is playing the role so well and it pisses me off that The CW vetoed giving him his own Green Arrow show. I would join the rally to fix this but I am busy fighting the good battle to save The 4400. http://www.savethe4400.net/ I don't honestly think that sending Sunflower Seeds is going to save the show but I can't bitch about the show being cancelled if didn't at least try to save it. But back to the Green Arrow...he is only decent part of the show left. I am actually glad that Smallville is nearing the end because I don't think I can take much more of the saga of Clark and Lana. They have been trying to work things out for 8 damn seasons...it ain't gonna work! Besides, we all know that he doesn't end up with her in the end so give it up already!

In spite of my recent break from music...I feel as though I reached a major milestone with my iPod. I now have two songs that have been played 300+ times. Out of a list of 3003 songs, that is a pretty major accomplishment by geek standards. So let's close by giving them their own moment in the spotlight.

Honey & The Moon by Joseph Arthur - OK so if you follow the blog...you might actually be sick of hearing about this song. Too bad because I love this song. I listen to it because I love the thoughts and the feelings that it gives me. If there was one line that I could use to explain why that it is...it would the first line which is "I don't know why I'm so afraid, if you weren't real I would make you up." Why? Simply because every girl has a man of her dreams and if she hasn't found him, he exists in her mind and her heart. When you do find that someone, it is hard to believe that it is real because you had no doubt given up on feeling the way you suddenly do. It is my heart that sings that opening line as well as the line "I wish I could follow you to the shores of freedom where no one lives." But then there is the line that I often sing in my mind "But right now everything you want is wrong." That line serves as a reality check and keeps my head where it should be which keeps me okay.

(You Want To) Make A Memory by Bon Jovi - So the fact that one of the most played songs on my iPod is from Bon Jovi should come as no surprise but the fact that makes this really significant (at least to me) is that this song is less than year old. My obsession with Bon Jovi aside...this is another song that I listen to because I like the feelings and thoughts that come along with it. I think that I have said it before, but the sheer romantic nature of this song is that it doesn't lie and promise forever. It sings about a moment. I have come to fully appreciate what it means to make a memory and I know that to make a memory is to steal a piece of time.

Happy New Year!

Hopefully everyone survived the evening and has ventured into the New Year with feelings of excitement and passion. For those of you who haven't, that's okay too as I am with you. Which is actually somewhat concerning considering that my life will most definitely not resemble what it does today this time next year. Oh well.

Yesterday was somewhat of roller coaster ride. I think that I went through most of the major emotions before I even got into my car. Yet it ended up being okay and making for a pretty decent day. I spent the first portion of my New Year's Eve in a good mood and happy.

The day turned into night and I was still in a pretty decent mood...until I had yet another moment of unbelievable pain that made me want to pass out. After calling the on call doc and deciding that I just would ride it out at home, I promptly climbed on my couch where I spent the next 24 hours.

As terrible as it is this to admit...I thoroughly enjoyed my day of being a bum and watching TV. It might be my favorite New Year's Eve to date...as I had no hang over and was completely emerged in pop culture which is always awesome. The fact that I was medicated made the viewing choices more tolerable...as this year's TV marathons completely sucked! (Can anyone explain to me why USA nixed The 4400 and The Dead Zone but is still totally on board with Monk?) The terrible TV show choices, my inability to get off the couch with any ease and my protest of the BCS left me no choice but to settle for movies. Here are the highlights of my near 24 hour marathon of viewing...

Let's start with the only TV shows that I watched during my couch potato period which were South Park and Deadline's To Catch a Predator, which were on at the same time last night so I spent about four hours flipping between the two. The sad part is that the Deadline episodes were actually more entertaining than the South Park episodes. I am amazed at the stupidity of the guys who get caught. To the people who choose the South Park episodes...you could have done so much better.

I gave up on regular cable at 2am and moved onto Tombstone on Encore or some similar channel. I am not going to go into too much detail on this movie because I realized while watching this that I owe it to the movie to give it its own post in the near future. I really love this movie.

I think I dosed off around 5am until about 7am. For the record, I dosed off during Just Friends which is a terrible movie.

So next I started to watch Stick It, which is mildly entertaining. Maybe that is how gymnastics training is conducted nowadays but it certainly wasn't like that when I went through it. I somehow think that this movie is for guys who fantasize about gymnasts and not for gymnasts themselves. I did realize that I was still in a little too much pain to be watching funny stuff, which I would have learned if South Park hadn't played their bad episodes or it Just Friends had anyone in it who can act.

Around 9am I cursed USA for the Monk Marathon and TNT for the fact that even though Law and Order has nearly 400 episodes and yet somehow I have seen everyone that they planned to show throughout the day. Whatever. So I opted for the "scary" movie Silent Hill. It was another disappointment as it was not the least bit scary and very predictable. The only good part of the movie was hearing Sean Bean talk. I love his accent. Sadly, he only racks up about 20 minutes of screen time. Oh well.

Next I was onto King Kong. This movie was much better this time around but I suspect that the pain meds had something to do with it. Jack Black is a comedic actor and should not try to fight it. King Kong was so slow starting and even the action scenes were just okay. The best part of this movie is Adrian Brody who is one awesome geek. I gave up on King Kong after about two hours (Why is this movie so damn long? The Simpson covered the whole story in 11 minutes.) I opted instead to watch the last twenty minutes of America's Sweethearts. I like this movie, mainly because I feel like my life is just like Kiki's, only much less glamorous. And you can't go wrong with John Cusack...unless it is that damn 1408 movie...but I digress.

So then it was onto Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Big mistake as it was making me laugh and it still hurt to laugh. I swear...Kevin Smith is one of the greatest gifts to pop culture. In spite of how funny and painful it was to watch I gave into sleep for about an hour. I awoke and switched to X-Men, the Last Stand. I don't know what it is about this movie but it just seems unnecessary. It is almost as if everyone got together and made a movie because they felt like they should. Oh well. I zoned out and tried to figure out if there are any real goals that I would like to set for myself this year....or if I plan to just stay the course. Short of a desire to iron my clothes more often and always be properly attired, I really didn't come up with anything. Oh well.

Next it was The Da Vinci Code. Tom Hanks seriously was the wrong guy for this role, and the girl annoyed me. Sadly...the best part of this movie was another accent. I could spent hours listening to Sir Ian McKellen talk.

Then it was Saving Silverman. Fortunately the pain had decreased so I could enjoy the guilty pleasure of this movie. I don't know why I find it so funny...but any movie with Neil Diamond in it is destined to kick ass.

Next came The Prestige. I have seen this movie three or four times and for the most part I like it. I am just not sure that I get the whole thing. Were those creepy looking old guys his "clones" from using the machine? I don't know...but I like it. And guess what...Christian Bale talked with an accent....so bonus.

I have every intention on going right back to the couch and watching at least one more movie tonight. Even a bad movie is better than most of what is on TV. I am torn between Mars Attacks (as usual) or Jersey Girl, which is damn fine movie no matter what anyone says!

Happy 2008 my friends!