Posts (page 2)
What's your favorite soundtrack?
Long before the official Music from The OC soundtracks were released, I would make my own. There was a website that would post every song played during each episode, and so every week without fail, I'd check the site and DL the songs. I stopped watching the show about midway through Season 3, but by then I'd accumulated nine CDs of just OC music.
I credit this show with really opening my eyes (ears?) to the indie music scene, and I still count bands/artists like Death Cab for Cutie, The Thrills, The Killers, Rooney, Rachel Yamagata, Nada Surf, Youth Group, Spoon, South, and countless others among my favorites.
Especially Death Cab. The first song by them I ever heard was "A Movie Script Ending" in the below scene. Then it was "A Lack of Color." By the time the band appeared as themselves in Season 2 and played a three-song set (including two of my absolute favorites, "The Sound of Settling," and "Title & Registration"), I was in love.
Seth: Hey. Do not insult Death Cab.
Summer: It's like one guitar and a whole lot of complaining!
Since I started blogging, I've been pretty much obsessed with how my blog is received. Do I come across as witty? Am I boring? Do people like reading what I have to say? Should I have written about this? Should I stop talking about that? Am I getting enough comments?
Yeah.
It's kind of exhausting.
So I've decided: I don't care anymore whether I get 32 comments (highly unlikely) or zero comments (most likely) on various posts. I'm going to write about what I want when I want and say things how I want to say them. That's not to say this blog is going to become all serious and focused and even remotely intelligent. I'd still much rather talk about pop culture-related matters than anything else. But at the same time, if I want to throw in something more serious and gasp! controversial, then I'm going to stop second-guessing myself and post it.
If you don't want to read my blog because you don't like my style or my penchant for self-deprecating sarcasm, or because you don't like pop culture, or because you (inexplicably) don't like Kristen Bell or Kristen Stewart or think that Twilight is the best book ever written or that Lost, Veronica Mars and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are among the best TV shows ever created, then fine. Whatevs. That's a matter of individual preference.
But if you have a problem with me simply because I'm an evangelical Christian, or because I'm a conservative, or because I have absolutely no problem being outspoken about what I think, perceive and believe, well, I'd say that says a lot more about you than it does me.
And I'm tired of censoring myself so that someone who obviously wouldn't like the real me anyway would, you know, like me.
This satirical gem by Ben Shapiro appeared on Townhall on Wednesday and I had to post it.
Why I'm Voting Democrat
By Ben Shapiro, Townhall.com
A new video on YouTube is taking the Internet by storm. Entitled "I'm Voting Republican," the satirical clip depicts actors playing conservative Americans of all shapes and sizes explaining why they would vote for the GOP.
"Arnold Jones" says he's voting Republican because "all other countries are inferior to us" -- and his wife, "Trudy Jones," adds, "and we should start as many wars as we need to keep it that way." A soldier in Iraq states that he's voting Republican "so I can stay in Iraq" -- and a young boy, labeled "future draftee," points a fake gun at the camera and smiles while saying "so I can go to Iran!"
A black couple says they're voting Republican because they "like a conservative majority on the Supreme Court," with the wife noting, "we really like knowing that even if we're separate, we'll still be called equal."
This insulting nonsense is precisely what liberals think of conservatives: We're all warmongers, racists, environmental rapists and secret emissaries of big corporations. We're going to reinstitute the draft, start a war with Canada and then relocate African-Americans to Quebec.
This sort of tripe should be dismissed out of hand. In the spirit of evenhandedness and fair play, however, I feel it my duty to explain why I'm going to vote Democrat.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that the best strategy in war is defeat. It broadens the mind to learn Japanese, German and Arabic. Talk about multiculturalism!
I'm voting Democrat because I'm mad that George W. Bush hasn't caught Bin Laden. That's because Bin Laden is the only Islamic terrorist in the world.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that if I don't have enough money, the solution is for the government to take more of my money. Who needs money when gas is $5 per gallon?
I'm voting Democrat because it's my body, and if I want to kill my baby, I'll do it, even if its head is in the birth canal. If I want to cut out my intestines and feed them to the crocodiles, I'll do that too. That's the freedom our forefathers enshrined in the Constitution.
I'm voting Democrat because our enemies on the battlefield deserve comfy hotel rooms, Pay-Per-View, prostitutes and all the benefits of American citizenship.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe we need other countries' permission for me to turn down my thermostat.
I'm voting Democrat because I care about the real victims of crime -- criminals.
I'm voting Democrat because the real cure for racism includes preferential policies based on race -- particularly in presidential voting. If you believe that a black candidate ought to be qualified, as well as black, you're worse than Bull Conner.
I'm voting Democrat because everyone deserves crappy healthcare. Sure, you'll have to wait years for that life-saving cancer surgery. But it's first come, first served at the cemetery!
I'm voting Democrat because I believe in minority rights (except in Muslim countries), free speech (with regard to pornography but not conservative talk radio), environmentalism (unless we're talking about Al Gore's house) and diplomacy (but never backed by the threat of military force).
I'm voting Democrat because I like the words "hope" and "change." Also "kazoo." That's a funny word.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe that America's founders were rich, white, greedy xenophobes, and that America's founding principles are hogwash requiring periodic editing from an unelected group of liberal judges.
Most of all, I'm voting Democrat because I like the ideas they have over in France, but I don't feel like moving there. I'll threaten to move, but I really won't. After all, I have a good job, healthcare, lower taxes, free speech and a social framework that promotes family structure. And all of it is defended by the most effective fighting force on the planet.
If only the institution of far-left values resulted in a great country. Oh, well. That won't stop me from voting Democrat, though. After all, I'm voting Democrat because thought isn't one of my strong suits.
If you are not among the already 1,000,000 people who have signed Newt Gingrich's petition, what in the world are you waiting for?
Drill here, drill now, pay less.
Show us summer.
Anyway, Texas didn't make it out of the Super Regionals, but my Heels did.
After dropping Tuesday's game to Fresno State, they dropped to the losers' bracket and in dramatic fashion, won late last night with a top-of-the-ninth Tim Federowicz grand slam to beat LSU 7-3. Pitcher Alex White got the win.
Show us summer.
It used to be that once the summer hiatus started, there were nothing but reruns on TV. That has changed over the past few years. I really don't want to research the details, but I'm pretty sure TNT and USA were the first networks to offer original programming during the summer with shows like Monk, The Closer, Burn Notice and Psych.
Last year, amidst rumors that NBC was going to ax the under-performing Law and Order: Criminal Intent, USA gained the rights to show new episodes, which would then rerun on NBC when/if needed. I personally like CI, although I find that I prefer the episodes with Chris Noth and Julianne Nicholson, because Vincent D'Onofrio's Goren has become a little too over-the-top for me.
New episodes started two weeks ago, and in a few short weeks, the new seasons of The Closer (July 14), Burn Notice (July 10), Monk (July 18) and Psych (July 18) premiere.
I like Monk, and it's amusing and well-written and Tony Shalhoub deserves his Emmys, but honestly, I can only watch so much of the show before I get nervous.
My favorite would have to be a tie between The Closer and Burn Notice, although Burn Notice definitely has the edge in the OMG-he-is-so-hot category. Jeffrey Donovan is just...hot. I have to turn down the AC when watching, and that is only a slight exaggeration. (Plus the show is just awesomely fun. It's like a non-cheesy MacGyver with a much, much hotter MacGyver.)
I never really paid much attention to Kyra Sedgwick before The Closer, but she is really remarkable as Brenda Lee Johnson, and I find that even after three seasons, the show is still fresh and I'm still anticipating where the new season leads us. Her supporting cast is excellent as well. I can see why The Closer remains cable's highest-rated drama of all time.
Then there's Psych. Wow, that show is quirky, charming and hilarious. James Roday is exceptional, and I never knew Dule Hill had such great comic timing.
I've greatly pared down what I'd originally been planning to check out when the new TV season starts this fall. (Although if the actors strike at the end of the month, we might have a repeat of last season. Joy and joyness.)
I usually start out with something like 21 or 22 shows, but that quickly changes as I check out the new stuff and am underwhelmed, or if said new stuff gets canceled, etc.
This season I'm planning on watching only two of the new dramatic offerings, and one of those doesn't premiere until mid-season. I've axed Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl, American Idol and Heroes, as well as most of the criminal procedurals I used to watch. The great thing about procedurals, especially the Bruckheimer series, is that they do very well for their respective networks and are always re-running during hiatuses and over the summer, so I can catch up then if I feel the urge. (Regarding the procedurals: it's purely from a scheduling standpoint and not a content issue.)
The Grey's writing was awful this past season, and I hate some of the storyline directions they've adopted, so that was easy enough. Same with GG. Heroes -- well, if it returns to its Season 1 awesomeness, I can catch up on DVD. But I'm not really that optimistic, especially since I still can't stand its supposed hero, Peter Petrelli, and Claire's annoyance factor increased exponentially last season, too.
Plus I plan to start watching The FOX Report, Just in with Laura Ingraham and The O'Reilly Factor during the week, and Hannity's America on Sunday evenings. I consider myself pretty well-informed, but I'd like to be more consistent.
With those three additions, I've got a total of 20 shows on my plate, which includes mid-season replacements and stuff like new seasons of Jon and Kate + 8 and Top Chef. It's still a lot, but hey, that's what TiVo's for.
What I'm keeping/checking out: Chuck; The Sarah Connor Chronicles; Medium; Dollhouse; 24; House; Fringe; Pushing Daisies; Criminal Minds; Bones; The Office; Cold Case; Lost; Scrubs; Just In with Laura Ingraham; The FOX Report; The O'Reilly Factor; Hannity's America; Top Chef; Jon and Kate + 8.
Scheduling aside, the main reason for the change is that I don't want to watch anything I'd be embarrassed to tell my pastor, my parents, or my nieces and nephews that I watch.
And I believe every show listed above meets that criteria.
More Twilight stuff, because I have honestly never anticipated a movie more, and that includes any of the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings installments.
I have no idea what Larry Carroll even looks like, but I think I might love him.
He's the guy MTV has dubbed to do all the major Twilight coverage and he's an admitted fan of the novel, the movie, Stephenie Meyer, and the actors.
Anyway, as today is Tuesday, he has posted an exclusive clip. I actually prefer this to the ballet studio clip that debuted during the MTV Movie Awards because this one actually has a lot of dialogue, interaction between Edward and Bella, and more importantly, it's a scene not in the book. Plus it's cool to see an actual scene shot from start to finish.
I'm sure the weird obsessed fans will cry foul at anything detracted from or added to SM's masterpiece because they obviously don't know how, you know, this kind of thing works. But I trust Catherine Hardwicke and as producer Greg Mooradian informs us, Stephenie Meyer loves the screenplay -- that's enough for me.
But if any of those ridiculous KS-hating fans are anywhere around me in the theater when I see Twilight (at 12:01 a.m. on December 12), I am seriously going to punch them in the neck.
Hard.
