2.22.2008

Another TV Show? I've been motivated to get things done around here. Seeing as I'm not currently working and have a lot of free time, and I'm only taking one class this quarter that doesn't really require me to put a lot of time and effort to my studies. Yeah. So anyway, I threw a load of laundry in and was looking at the pile of laundry waiting for me in the laundry room. I live in my house with my brother, so it's just me and him. How do two people create so much freakin' laundry anyway? And it wasn't so much the laundry that had to get washed, no, it's the laundry waiting to get folded. I had five totes full of laundry just waiting to be folded, and I've been knowing this was coming because I've been running low on underwear (tmi, yes I know). So we took on the task of folding the laundry, we brought it upstairs so we could watch TV while we were folding it to give us something to do, and my brother suggested we throw in the first disc of Battlestar Galactica. I've been avoiding this because I get hooked on TV shows and it's really annoying when you have other things more constructive to do and yet you want to watch TV. Let's see, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sliders, Heroes, Smallville, Lost, Avatar the Last Airbender, TMNT, Robot Chicken, how many other TV shows on DVD can I get hooked on? Really? Well, guess what? We threw in the first disc, watched the miniseries, and now I'm hooked. Damn you, Jared, why did you have to get me hooked on ANOTHER freakin' TV Show? I've only watched the first two discs so far, but I'll be working through the first two seasons over the next week. Because, well, I've got nothing better going on in my life right now. Well, other then running. And I just learned that the PT test next week is going to kick my butt. Organizing the Downstairs is going to be on our agenda tomorrow. Which means we have to clear some room in the garage for the chairs that are taking up to much space. Labels: Running, TV Shows -Risawn: # 2:10 AM - |

1.27.2008

Miss Utah should have been Miss America I don't have TLC, so I wasn't able to watch the Miss America Competition (which I haven't watched in years) but I kind of wanted to see because of a certain SGT Jill Stevens running as Miss Utah. I wanted to watch in support of a fellow soldier running a pageant in an unorthodox manner, and who apparently stuck to her beliefs. Well, apparently Miss Utah wasn't selected as the final sixteen contestants, but she made the finals because she was voted as America's Choice. Well, she did make the cover of Soldier Magazine, so she had plenty of publicity being a Combat Veteran running in a beauty pageant. Due to declining ratings, TLC promised change in this year's pageant, but Miss Utah, who is LDS, chose to wear a one piece swimsuit in the swimsuit competition, which is supposedly to demonstrate fitness. Stevens is a 12 time marathon runner and can probably max the male PT test, but because she decided to display modesty instead of her belly button, she didn't make it to the final twelve. In true military fashion, she dropped upon elimination and did a set of push ups, to the cheers of the crowd, which included members of her National Guard Unit. A traditional Barbie Doll Beauty Queen ended up winning the pageant, but every article about the pageant seems to mention America's Choice and plenty of people have seem to be in agreement that if the pageant was after real change, they missed their opportunity by disagreeing with the rest of America. Jill Stevens offered a real sense of change to the pageant. She demonstrated moral courage, integrity, and a sense of fun and humor. She is serving America in a role that is still under some contention in the US, as an American Soldier that shows great love for the military. She is a great role model to our youth today, but did she honestly get kicked out of the competition because she chose a one piece bathing suit in favor of a bikini? Or is there a little political influence in the pageant that thought that they couldn't have a soldier serve as Miss America? So, SGT Stevens, though you will unlikely read this, you did have my vote for Miss America, and if I ever find my way on the battle field, I would be honored to serve with you. Labels: Miss America, TV Shows -Risawn: # 9:57 AM - |

1.26.2008

Miss America Pageant Miss America is on tonight. I'm rooting for Miss Utah. She's a combat veteran authorized to wear a tiara in uniform. I mean, what is there NOT to like? Labels: TV Shows -Risawn: # 5:07 PM - |

9.23.2007

Heroes So, I found Heroes S1 in my possession and watched it this weekend (I had a little free time) and I'm hooked. I knew this would happen, it was bound to happen, it looked like a tv series that I would get hooked on and indeed I did. Season 2 premiers tomorrow. Not sure if I will watch it or not but I can attest that this is one tv series that is very addictive. Highly recommended, unless you don't have time like myself to be watching a tv series, and therefore, if that is the case, stay FAR AWAY! If I have time tomorrow after work and I'm not overwhelmed with other things, I think I might try to catch it. Otherwise, well, I might just wait until season 2 comes out on dvd sometime next year. Labels: Fandoms, TV Shows -Risawn: # 2:14 PM - |

3.23.2007

Evolution of a Ninja Turtle Fan Anybody growing up as a kid during the 80's is very familiar of the concept of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I was a late bloomer into the fandom, more interested in the Disney Afternoon Cartoons like Rescue Rangers and Ducktales rather then Ninja Turtles, but about third grade they rubbed off on me. And when I finally discovered how much I liked them, I was hooked. I think one of the appeals of the TMNT, at least for me, was that ANYTHING goes in this series. You name it, they'll find a way to make it happen, the more ludicrous the better. And as a kid, I was a total animal nut, so the fact that the main characters were a bunch of turtles mentored by a large rat was perfect for me. I wanted to find some mutagen myself and transform into some half human half animal freak of nature. Then maybe I could learn Ninjitsu like the Ninja Turtles. I had a large collection of Ninja Turtle collectables and one of my fondest memories as a child was saving up my money to go bike to the local Devil's Store (back then still owned and operated by Sam Walton and therefore still an ethical place to shop) and collect Ninja Turtle Action Figures. I had an impressive collection too! It was a daily staple for me, come home from school and watch Ninja Turtles. I never missed it, even if I had seen the episode before. However, like most kids, I did grow out of this phase. My family moved to California and as I went through Fifth Grade, I began to realize that, well, Ninja Turtles were stupid. Kids go through that phase ya know, and though I was one of those kids that didn't want to grow up, I still did and when you are going into that Tween stage, you are at this point in your life where you want to distance yourself from things that you enjoyed as a child. It slowly happened for me with Ninja Turtles, and then one day I realized I just wasn't watching it anymore. I gave my collection of Action Figures to my cousins (i look back on this and go grr. . .) and just, well, grew up. The first clue that I might not be totally out of the fandom came when I went and saw the third movie in the theaters, and a little bit of the fandom came back. I went with my best friend Suzanne in Seventh Grade and we talked about Ninja Turtles and had a brief moment of Nastalgia. What's more, I did enjoy the movie. Though recently, I watched the movie again and realized how gawd awful it really is *laughs* Well, years past, other similar kids shows started to emerge, like the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which I didn't get near of and only watched a few episodes mainly to point at it and laugh at its rediculousness. Whatever the case, I went through my teenage years steering clear of most anything that had to do with kids shows. I just didn't watch them, though it didn't stop me from becoming an obsessive trekkie at one point. Heck, when Buffy the Vampire Slayer came out, I avoided it thinking that it would be incredibly stupid. I got into Harry Potter about the time when the third book came out. I was 18 and just graduated high school, and that's when I discovered a new genre. Kids books. I got hooked on a couple of series, just for quick reads, but looking back, a couple of them could have been avoided and I would have been all the better for it. As I went through my twenties, I went back into a childhood phase, as I realized how good I really had it as a kid. I readily admit to loving Harry Potter and will be one of those people that will be there at Midnight to pick up book seven and will probably stay up reading it all night long. Fall of 2004, near my 24th birthday, (and consequently, the same time I got infamous with my Not Sorry pose) I rediscovered Ninja Turtles. The same time they were released on DVD. The first five episodes of the original series had just come out on DVD, and for kicks and giggles, and a shot at Nastalgia, I bought it. At the same time, I found out that they had a brand new series out and just to compare the two, I bought a disk to it as well. Reliving my childhood through Ninja Turtles has been great fun. Its become one of those things that I collect, having all the movies, DVD releases of the Old Series and New Series both and comparing them, throwing them on and working on something while they are on in the background and just giggle at the campiness of it sometimes. If I was an adult in 1989, I would have likely looked at Ninja Turtles and thought 'what a stupid show!' But the unique perspective of knowing how much I loved the turtles then really makes me continue to love them now. What has equally been fun in reliving my childhood through various animated programs is following prevailant voice actors from the eighties, and how freakin' often they pop up in different shows. Rob Paulsen (aka Raphael) has seemingly become one of my favorite voice actors to follow, as he's pretty much in EVERYTHING (and still everywhere). Gummi Bears, yep. In fact, check out pretty much any Disney Toon of that era and he's guest starred somewhere. Tiny Toons, in that too. Animaniacs? He's Freakin' Pinky for crying out loud. (Love Pinky and the Brain). I recently watched Ant Bully and one of the bugs in it made me think "Rob Paulsen?" Yep. What am I driving at? You know, it's OK to like something as campy as the Turtles, because looking back with a new perspective as an adult, this show was just plain fun. And you can tell the people behind it were having a blast at it too. And moving on from Ninja Turtle Cartoons to the more 'adult' fanfare of the Comic Books (definitely not for the kiddies whom were raised on this stuff) you see how far reaching this series has become. I've gone out and purchased quite a few of the comic books and have nearly completed my collection. Just for the sake of having them. Am I a geek? You bet! But I'm a happy and content geek, and I still love Turtles. What's more, I'll even admit as much! Labels: Fandoms, Harry Potter, Ninja Turtles, TV Shows -Risawn: # 11:59 PM - |

9.19.2006

Analyzing Smallville So, Season Five is complete, and I think Season Six starts thursday, or something. I don't have cable however, in fact I don't have access to any television right now. So I might just have to swing by the parent's if I want to watch it on its original medium, which would be the Television, commercials and all. I've only watched Smallville on DVD however. I guess I'm spoiled. Regardless, now that Season Five is done, I have noted a trend in the series. I really like it, despite the fact that I've never been a genormous fane of Superman or anything, but probably because of all the wierd and improbable things that happen in it. Kind of like Angel and Buffy. I must like the subtle blend of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Being a geek and all. I've also noted that while I like the series, it tends to bug me for certain reasons. If you take the shows individually, the rest of the series aside, they are actually well done and enjoyable. Same goes with the season arcs, the main story throughout the season I mean. Its when you start meshing the many different episodes together that it starts to bug you. Kind of like how many times each of these characters has been shot, had their memory wiped, become paralyzed, been in a life threatening accident, end up in the hospital, get thrown across the room, been possessed by strange forces, etc etc. Its one thing if this happens to Clark, but its happened to ALL the characters. The medical bill of these people must be outragious! Of course, Lex Luthor will always step in with his checkbook to help out. There is also a lot of Meteor Freaks that in the instance that anybody does find out about Clark's secret, why would they get upset? I mean, in Smallville, its NORMAl to be abnormal. Or so it seems. But who am I kidding? Any series with James Marsters in it is ok by me. Bring on Season Six and more meteor freaks! Labels: TV Shows -Risawn: # 11:54 PM - |

9.15.2006

Old Fandoms Reemerge Once upon a time, I was a major geek. Ah, who am I kidding? I still am. I've been watching Season 5 of Smallville, and one of my favorite characters on the show is Lex Luthor, mainly because of the screen presence of Michael Rosenbaum, and out of morbid curiousity I checked out IMDB to see what the guy looks like when he actually has hair. When I went to the site and saw his list of credits, I noticed that he was in line to voice Tanthalis Half Elven in the new Dragonlance Movie. ??? When was I going to get in the ballgame on this and learn they were actually going to make a Dragonlance Movie? When I first discovered the internet back in 1999, the primary websites I visited at the time were Dragonlance Themed. And I had always wondered what it would be like to see a Dragonlance Movie. And with the rousing success of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, a lot of DL Fans were just anticipating the making of a Dragonlance Movie. I was included in this fandom of course. And to bring it full circle, Michelle Trachtenberg aka Dawn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be voicing Tika. They got some other excellet voice talent. I don't know Jason Marsden, but I do recognize his voice. He better not destroy Tasslehoff (but I think he'll be fine) I hope they don't butchor it with sloppy animation, but I hope everything comes out OK. Hey, I'm excited to hear they are even contimplating such a thing. Yes, once again I must confirm that I am indeed a geek. Once you watch a movie from an LCD HD screen, its hard to go to your standard Tube Television. Now I have to go back to watching Smallville. Labels: TV Shows -Risawn: # 9:53 PM - |

5.16.2006

American Idol When a show like this starts in a season, I swear I won't get hooked on it. I have still yet to watch a single episode of Survivor or any other reality show. Well, I got hooked on American Idol when my sister came over and insist we watch it. So I sat down and watched it and grr... I'm hooked on it. I was personally rooting for Chris and even took the time to send in one phone call to vote for him. But alas, he got booted off last week. I think its the rocker that appealed to me, as the other singers don't have the edge of the music I normally listen too. That said, here is my opinion on the last Three American Idol Contestants. Kat - She's the last female left, and I think something struck me about her in that I actually really liked her. I was hoping she would face off with Chris in the finale, except for the last couple of weeks she's been off her game. Still, of the three that is left she's pretty much the most marketable. I like her voice, she kind of reminds me of Norah Jones. Elliot - He looks a little like Seth Green. Kind of dorky to, but I've discovered I'm a bit of a sucker for a dork. He does have a poweful voice, and of the final three, I hope he faces off with Kat. However, chances are one of these two are going to get voted off tomorrow. Taylor - Is this guy some kind of spaz? I never understood his appeal, though I'm glad he's decided to do something a little different with his hairstyle (it looked like a haircut that a ten year old would have). The grey works, though it ages him by about fifteen years. I don't understand how they will be able to market him either. My guess is he'll make the final two and hopefully Kat or Elliot can beat him out of the running. Not saying anything bad about his singing, he's talented, but his style doesn't really appeal to me. I'm more likely to buy something by Kat or Elliot then Taylor. But my record for buying an Album by an American Idol winner? Hmm, just one, Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson, and that was produced outside the net of American Idol. So whoever wins, i'll likely not really get into the whole spiel (though I probably would have bought something by Chris, mainly because that's the sound that appeals to me). So, well, may the best singer win. Labels: TV Shows -Risawn: # 9:36 PM - |

3.09.2006

Activity needs to be Upped a few Notches This week so far has been a week of bleh, between me going through my mountains of stuff and working. And also going on some sort of diet. Actually, rather then a diet, I just need to get active again. We were marching around on Sunday at a pace greater then a thirty inch step and my shins felt it the next day. I've never had prepatory shin splints from marching. So I've been taking it fairly easy these last couple of days so that my shins can recover, and then my plan was to run. or do DDR or jump around on the trampoline or something. Actually, one of my plans was to hit a pawn shop and buy a bicycle. I want to start biking more, low strain on the knees and a way to get into shape. Also, I could handle running more. My main concern is my knees. They aren't in the shape they once were. The other plan was to get into some kind of martial arts. They don't have a lot of offerings here in Spokane at the moment. I have one class I know of that I can get into that has two classes a week for an hour a piece, but I would rather get into a longer class thats more frequent. Meanwhile, I've been busy sorting through things with the television playing in the background. I'm finally through Season 2 of Smallville. I've been doing it a bit differently then other shows, instead of buying the season, I've been renting it a disk at a time. But Smallville is a keeper, I promised myself to buy the series if it ever came into the store used. Sure enough, Seasons 1 and 4 came in yesterday. Along with Season 1 of Charmed. Several people mentioned Charmed as well, so I picked that up too. I've cleared out a ton of my books and movies, btw. Which gave me a lot of in store credit at my employer to buy things like boxed sets of Smallville and Charmed. Unfortunately, one generally isn't active when they watch the TV. That's why i should incorporate sit ups during my viewing entertainment. Labels: Running, TV Shows -Risawn: # 10:21 AM - |

2.25.2006

Television Shows Like Movies, only its TV. I recently gave some opinions on movies, but I thought it would be fair to do the same with some recent television shows I've checked out and watched (and in some cases, got addicted too) Another thing I can do via my employer is rent TV shows that have come out on DVD. I guess I could also watch TV shows on their native habitat, but I don't like commercials very much. So, here's a review of some TV shows on DVD and what I thought about them. Own and Watched at Least One Season - 'Nough Said. Freaks and Geeks - the first TV show that I actually bought on DVD. I first saw this with my friend Marnie. It only lasted a season, about 18 episodes, and its a bloody shame. This show had promise. I don't know what it was showing on, but with its rotten luck, most likely Fox, which is notorious for canceling shows if they aren't instant hits. I think they ended it on a positive note however, giving the characters some closure. Sliders - I watched the first couple of seasons of Sliders when it originally came out and found it pretty fascinating then. I still like it, although at times I note it can be rather preachy. Though I've also come to note that it seems like every world they visit is actually worse then our own, which kind of yells 'Yay for us!' Still, I've always had an interest with alternate dimensions. Which may be why I found this series so interesting in the first place. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - I've only been harping about it for the last two months. I've known about Buffy since it came out, but I never watched it. Then one day I had to shine a pair of boots and clean a rifle and I prefer doing both of the above objects while watching the TV. I had HitchHikers Guide but felt it wasn't enough, so I bought the introductory disc of Buffy as well. Its all history from there. What in the world is with Season 4? I love it when Hollywood tries to make a stab at what the military is really like, it is rather laughable. Still, I'm a sucker for Buffy now. Angel - Buffy fallout brought me to Angel. Because Angel is one of my favorite characters out of the first three seasons of Buffy. This series is more adult then Buffy. Season 4 kind of brought major disappointment in the manner of the Jasmine storyline. The whole storyline gave me the squirmees, and when I got the squirmees from a show, it is never good news. Redemption came with Season 5, because Spike came over from Buffy and almost took over the show. That's both good and bad, good because Spike's one of my favorite characters out of the franchise, and bad becuase the show isn't about him, its about Angel. My own pet peeve is they ended this series without any closure, they better damn well hurry with that Spike movie I keep hearing rumors about. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - This is my guilty pleasure. Because when I was a wee kid of about 8 years old, I was seriously hooked on this show. When they came out with it on DVD, for pure nastalgic reasons, I had to buy it. In the process, I picked up the remake as well, just to see where they were going with it. Original - I probably wouldn't watch this if it weren't for the fact that I was so in love with the series as a kid. Theres just something about warping back to a time where things were a lot simpler and ninja turtles were the bomb. The animation now can be a bit painful to watch, but the story is the same and I wouldn't have it any other way. I grew up on these guys. Current - the current series is more stylized and geared toward an older audience (and hence, more Mature, the turtles don't have the same infatuation with pizza from before) from the original series, and I confess that if I weren't a fan of the original, I probably wouldn't be in the process of collecting this series as well. Still, I wish they had actually released the DVD in chronological order from the individual episodes. Damn them for screwing up my mojo, I have yet to see this show on Television and hence forth I'm not following it like its supposed to be followed. Sucks to be me. Simpsons - You know, I have started collecting this on DVD (the first four seasons at least), but have yet to watch it in that format. Still, Simpsons have been out for how long? Who hasn't seen this show? DVD is different due to lack of commercial interuptions. And Simpsons are just classic. Twilight Zone - The original series from the 60's, this stuff is pure classic. The storylines are original and its just fun to watch. That, and you can pick up any episode at random and watch it without feeling like you're jumping in the middle of something. I've got one more set to buy and I'll have this entire thing. Unfortunately, when I decided to buy it, they decided to re-release it in another format (this time by Seasons). Curse them. Gargoyles - The animated Disney Cartoon. The first season was reasonably priced, the first half of the second season not so much. I don't think I'll be picking that up any time soon. It didn't catch my attention enough to warrent buying both at this time. Hmm, maybe later? TV Shows on DVD in Process of Watching - This is something I'm currently in the middle of. Firefly - I picked this one up because I've heard nothing but good about it. I probably need to watch the pilot again, because I decided to watch it while I was working on eBay, which meant my mind wasn't entirely on the show, and I likely missed somethings. So far, for a Sci-Fi western, it has proven to be suitably quirky and entertaining for my tastes. On Deck - I plan to watch these in the not to distant future. Smallville - Everything is screaming at me that this is bad news, do not buy this unless you want a repeat of an obsession to rival that which is currently happening in regards to Buffy. However, I've heard a lot of good about this show, and there's further good news! It is available to rent so I can rent the first couple of discs and make sure its something I want to get addicted too. A good friend of mine also recommended it as something to avoid for the reasons I mentioned above (he too got hooked on it) and further more, Buffy Fallout! James Marsters is guest starring in the current season as a villain, and I've become a James Marsters fan. Damn it. Life or Something Like It - I'm a Freaks and Geeks fan. This is made by the same people who brought us Freaks and Geeks. I purchased it, never watched it, so now i need to make an effort to do so. Don't know if it is of the same caliber, don't know. It got canceled. Aqua Team Hunger Force - I have heard so much about this bizarre series that i need to just sit down and check it out. I've already made the first step, I've got Season one on DVD during one of my impulse purchases at the PX. Lost - Sooner or later, somebody is going to make me watch this. I better just get prepared for that. Would Like to Buy - Name says all. If chance would have it, maybe one day I will own these. But they are purely wishlist, nothing more. Star Trek: The Next Generation - I would love to pick up the entire series of Next Generation on DVD for similar reasons to Ninja Turtles. Catch? This series is expensive. Like a Hundred dollars a pop per season. I've overcome the fascination I endured over Next Generation a long time ago, this would be a pure Nastalgic purchase. And at that price, it's not worth it to me. Maybe I can find it used somewhere for cheap? Hmm, unlikely. ST - Deep Space Nine - See above. And further more, these are the only two series in the Star Trek franchise I am interested in purchasing. Voyager wore out its welcome by season 2. The original series never caught my attention and I was out of the Trekkie phase by the time Enterprise debuted. Avoiding Like the Plague - Erm, these are shows that I have no intention of watching. Ever. Sex and the City - Not because it is bad, but because it sounds like something I wouldn't normally watch. I'm just not into shows like this. However, if I do brave a chance and sit and watch it, I'll probably end up collecting the whole series as well. I will save myself the time and financial burdon and forego ever seeing this series. Friends - In a lot of ways, much like Sex and the City. I have seen episodes of this and it is actually really funny. Which is further reason to avoid. I will not have a show sap my life force away. That, and I'm not into Sitcoms anymore. Sitcoms are not worth watching on DVD. Full House - I used to watch this show as a kid, but it doesn't hold the same nastalgic feelings like Ninja Turtles do. There is no way I'm going to collect the DVDs of it. ******************* That is probably all I can think of at the moment. Yeah, Television. As you can see, I don't have a whole lot of series on my list, considering how many there are out there these days. Like I said, I don't normally watch TV. I don't like having that much life force sucked from my brain as it is. Labels: TV Shows -Risawn: # 8:27 PM - |

2.22.2006

Entertainment News I'm still horribly behind the times with the entertainment industry. Spending a year on a peace keeping mission in a third world country can do that to you. In an attempt to catch up, I've been listening to the radio a lot while driving. I caught a few songs that I thought were pretty sweet, and already I've heard them so much I'm sick of them. Why does radio do that? Today, I was driving and listening to one station when "Wake me when September Ends" starts playing. Look, I think this is a good song and all (yes, I'm a Green Day fan, to the shock of many) but since I've been home I seem to hear it at least twice daily while driving around, which has grated my teeth to the point that I bolt for my channel surfing button the moment I start hearing it (along with at least four other songs that have reached this level of repetativeness) and switch to another station that plays similar type of music. They are just coming out of a commercial break, and I breath a sigh of contentment, when low and behold, they start playing THE SAME BLOODY SONG!!! GARRR! What is wrong with these radio stations, is it a conspiracy with competetive radio stations to play the exact same song at the same time to drive their demographic mad? Still, for the most part, a lot of what I'm hearing on the radio is fresh and new to me, and I've even broken down and bought a couple (used) CDs from my work. One was Gorillaz' new CD Demon Days, which is somewhat ironic from my earlier rant. I first heard of Gorillaz while I was in Bulgaria, we had German MTV on and (unlike American MTV) they actually had music videos, albight the same ones over and over again. I saw one of their music videos and the first time I saw it, I thought it was weird, the second time it started to grow on me, and by the sixth time I heard it in two days, I started getting annoyed by it. But I never saw the music video again, seeing I was back in Kosovo after three days. But the video stuck with me. I saw a used copy of Demon Days so I picked it up to check out the rest of their sound. So far I need to listen to the CD a bit more so that the sound can grow on me. And of course, my latest find happens to be Alanis Morrisette, Jagged Little Pill. Ok, so this is an old album and all, but I love Alanis Morrisette and this happens to be one of my favorite albums of all time (seeing as I know the entire thing by heart). Well, she redid it completely in Acoustic and I fell in love, as it is the same album done completely differently. I enjoyed muchly. In other Entertainmnet News, well, what can I say? By the evidence that I have mentioned it once or twice, I am a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and Angel) fan. I knew buying that Introductory DVD to the series was a really really bad idea. Because I knew I would be hooked if I saw it. Curse my foresight and not listening to it and heeding its warning! I haven't seen hardly any movies since I've been back however. Ok, I've seen Underworld Evolution (don't waste the time or money), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (IMAX), and the 40 Year Old Virgin. To name a couple. Only two in the theater, I've only purchased a couple of movies and watched them while working on other things (like sorting through my stuff in my room) which has caused me to not really pay attention to some movies. I've found that throwing on an episode of Buffy keeps me occupied enough that I have something in the background but it is still relatively fresh in my mind that I can step away from it for a moment and work on something and glance up now and again to see what's going on. I started watching Firefly as well, but as it is a new series, I haven't quite gotten hooked on it yet, unfortunately I tried to play it as background toward me working on other things (like sorting through my piles of crap and eBay) and I have come to discover that this is causing me to lose the flow of the series. That, and other then Star Trek and Star Wars, I never really got into the Sci Fi picture much. I've always been more of a fantasy geek. So I haven't managed to grow and addiction to this series like I did Joss Whedon's other cult hits preceeding it. And after being hooked on Buffy and going back to Sliders, I can't get into the story arc like the Buffy series. I still like the concept behind Sliders, but in a lot of ways it gets really preachy and cheesey. I hate that. Not to say that the forementioned series doesn't have plenty of its moments of velveeta as well. Sometimes I want Buffy to shut the hell up. In book news, I haven't read much of anything over the last few months. In fact, I'm selling a ton of my books. To think that I used to be such a bookworm in the past? Hmm. Labels: Movies, Rant, TV Shows -Risawn: # 12:15 AM - |

2.18.2006

Curse of Collections The process of getting back into Civilian life is almost complete, save for the fact that I feel like I'm sleeping in a storage unit. On a cot. Now I'm working on going through my clothes, I think I'll sell clothes next on eBay. And a few more things of books. The dragonlance is out of my system now, that feels good. I have hung onto those for so long, collecting them that I got to a point that I was just collecting them because I collected them. I didn't even read them anymore. I realized that was kind of stupid and pointless. Kept the hardcovers, a couple of paperbacks, got rid of everything else. Now all I collect is money. Er, foreign money that is. One of the few things I collect. I tried collecting stamps for a while, that didn't last to long. Smile Time is the best Angel Episode. Ever. Next series to watch is Firefly. Brother has it, supposedly. Except, well, he can't find it. So as soon as it shows up, I'll watch it, and I've got Serenity to watch as well. I used to collect DVDs up the yahoo, however despite the fact that I'm working in a Movie/Music/Bookstore again, and working there with a lot more money then what I had before, I've been doing good at not buying DVDs at random. In fact, I think I'll be doing a lot more renting. Though they took my employee discount away for some reason, despite the fact that I was technically still employed there. Curse them. Its fixed now, but I didn't get them on discount when I could have used the ferkin' discount. I do have a Coo-coo clock to hang up. I'll run it through the brother where he would suggest I hang it. Have I bored you yet??? Labels: Random, TV Shows -Risawn: # 1:14 PM - |

2.09.2006

Gah! Fangirl issues! I have wireless internet in my house, and my computer really hates it. Give it about five minutes and it will just kick me off. Or tell me its not connected or something. Garr. . . Oh well, I think I'm going to try to get this thing into the shop this weekend. The rest of this post will be about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You are warned. Meanwhile, I've learned that it is best to pace out television shows instead of just watching them as quickly as possible to get out from watching them. I'm having Buffy withdrawals, because I was kind of upset with how Angel ended. It was kind of a drop away, Angel didn't end with a climatic battle, it ended before the battle took place, just to keep it open that these characters may or may not survive. Apparently Angel was canceled rather suddenly, and when watching the show you can tell that there are unresolved issues at hand. So, my whole spiel about Buffy and Angel. I think I was drawn to the characters more then the storylines. There were plenty of bad plotlines to go around, one that comes to mind is the whole government conspiracy the army is doing sneaky things under Sunnydale thing was rather lame. I personally found it barable because it was the Season that Spike became a regular. I also found the fourth season of Angel a bit lame with the whole 'Jasmine' and Cordelia going evil plotline. It was a dissapointment, rushed, ya know? And the best relationship was Spike and Drusilla. (Spike didn't work with Harmony or Buffy, in my opinion) I think all my favorite characters were Vampires. Well, now I got the whole thing on DVD, call it my splurge since coming back from over seas, so I can go back and watch the episodes I liked. The truly unique episodes were excellent, and they did very well with ones that were humorous. (the Angel episode Smile Time definitely comes to mind, this episode could have gone really wrong but it turned out hilarious.) Drama sometimes worked and sometimes turned cheesey. But I liked how they were able to poke fun at themselves throughout the series. Like the unusual deathrate in Sunnydale. I had never watched this show while it was on the air, unless I caught snibbits of episodes. Now that I'm hooked on it though, I'm stuck with wanting to know what happens next. Are they going to make a movie? Hmm. . . I have a strange desire to draw spoof cartoons. Labels: Fandoms, technical difficulties, TV Shows -Risawn: # 9:23 AM - |

2.07.2006

The Brush Off The last week has basically been me feeling a tad bit overwhelmed, staring at my piles of crap that is filling my room and knowing that I really need to do some house cleaning. I'm a packrat of the worst sorts. And I felt like I needed some time to just, well, vedge. So I completely ignored my blog and inbox for the last few days, in case any of you were wondering. So don't take it personally. Been home for a week and a half and went into 'blah' mode. Which means that I really need to focus on going back to work. Getting some purpose back into my life, that sort of thing. The last week has been spent doing a lot of reflecting, thinking about what I'm going to do now, and watching a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and Angel). Boy, I knew there was a reason I didn't watch Television. I tend to get hooked on things (Star Trek comes to mind) and Buffy is no different. But its still a pity they had to come to an end. I hate seeing things come to an end. Especially when the characters tend to grow on you. Meanwhile, the Seahawks lost the superbowl. Not that I honestly mind, I thought it was cool that they went, but I spent Sunday on Silver Mountain in Idaho. Got pictures, maybe I'll post them. Later. For now, well, my things await me. And I shall sort through them and get rid of them if I can muster it. Labels: Life, TV Shows -Risawn: # 7:17 PM - |

1.07.2006

Days Go By. . . So, my days now consist of staying up until 3 in the morning, sleeping in until noon (working on that time zone thing), taking my computer to the chow hall and surfing while I eat, and watching a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Other then the fact that I can only remark that Sunnydale High has a lot of deaths within the faculty and student body to not be noticed by authorities, I fear that right now I don't have a whole lot to say. Except that perhaps I'm a wee bit bored? Labels: Army, TV Shows -Risawn: # 3:07 AM - |

12.07.2005

TV Shows are the Plague Note to Self: TV shows are EEEVILLL!!!! I knew this for a long time, hence I don't usually watch TV. Why? Because TV shows are addictive, you tend to want to watch them to see what happens next. I've been very good at not watching TV while I've been here, because I don't want to get caught up in some storyline where all I can think of is 'what happens next?' Well, in this new day and age of TV shows on DVD, you can't help but get caught up in a TV show and watch it all in a couple of days. Well, a lot of people have been doing that, but I have, for the most part, refrained. Until now. I went to the PX, for lack of something better to do, and saw Seasons 1 & 2 along with Season 3 of Sliders. I may have mentioned that I've been watching it lately, well, in deed I went ahead and bought the 1&2 pack and debated on buying the 3rd season, but since it was a complete impulse anyway, I passed on it and decided if it came down to it, I would just buy it when I came home. Well, Season 3 is no longer at the PX. I'm down to my lask disc of seasons 1&2. I want to continue watching this dad nab it! GAARRRRR!!! I hate tv shows. Labels: TV Shows -Risawn: # 1:19 PM - |

12.04.2005

Life These Days So, the last couple of days have been pretty good. I've been busy moving out of one location and into another, which has poor internet service and now I'm having trouble blogging consistently because of it. I also gave away my TV to a Greek LNO guy who was sharing a room with his Sergeant Major who only wanted to watch Football (er, that's Soccer to Americans) because I was planning to sell it for dirt cheap anyway to the incoming people in the next rotation and didn't really feel all that keen on dragging it over to the 'crack houses' where I now currently reside. The space is cramped. It's the trailer park of Camp Bondsteel. But I only share my tiny space with one other occupant, and we understand each other so its all good. Meanwhile, my space is actually not as cramped up as before, because of how I had my stuff set up, and now I'm kind of forced to sort through it. Which has me looking through old papers and deciding on what I need to throw out and what I should keep. And my family and anyone who has ever lived with me can attest to the fact that I am a pack rat. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to drop this habit. But I must condense before I send. Another box will be in the mail shortly. Which reminds me, I really need to get those Christmas Cards out. I spent the last couple of days watching a lot of Sliders lately. I forgot how much I loved this TV Show. It just goes to show how big of a dork I am. Labels: Deployment, Life, TV Shows -Risawn: # 6:33 AM - |

6.15.2005

Star Trekkin' I was over at The Boy's Hut and we were just kind of relaxing for the evening as I had a freakin' vertigo headache that sends me for a loop and he talked me out of going to Kajukenbo for the day, seeing he does Tae Kwan Do and was giving me some advice that Martial Arts and Dizzy Spells don't go well together. I was kind of sad because I wanted to wear my new Martial Arts Shoes that I just got. So we watched Trekkies instead. I guess I got a think for Documentaries, and heck, for Mockumentaries (ala Best in Show, Mighty Wind, Waiting for Guffman) however Trekkies was a full blown documentary about Star Trek Lovers. I had never seen the show, but I felt a wave of nastalgia watching it, seeing as when I was a kid, right about the time Star Trek, the Next Generation ended, I became a huge Star Trek fan. It lasted about two or three years too. About the second season of Voyager is when the love started to die away (which started getting a hair bit cheesey). But I had a serious thing going for Star Trek. But I stopped watching it because I guess I outgrew it, or something. Or maybe I realized just how over the top with velveeta Star Trek was. Well, watching this show was relieving to me because I thought I was bad. Bloody Hell, some of these people are grade A psychos! Talk about Obsession, I'm just glad it didn't reach that level with me! But for some reason, after watching that show, a part of me wanted to watch a couple episodes of ST:TNG. I know somebody who has a few seasons, maybe I can borrow a couple discs and watch it, see if I can remember how cheesy it was back then. And then maybe the desire will die away again. Labels: Fandoms, MartialArts, TV Shows -Risawn: # 3:26 AM - |

3.26.2005

Shopping for Health Today was a beautiful day. Almost to beautiful. I almost slept in. Ah, who am I kidding, I did sleep in. I got up in time to throw a uniform on and get to the office to meet my sergeant tapping his foot and looking at his watch. I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping at night. Being a night owl, I am most active in the evening, at least, my brain is. All this week I've been having trouble falling asleep at night, just thinking about different things. Last night was particularly bad. I actually got in bed about 10:30, after finally finishing Freaks and Geeks, the entire season (why oh why did they cancel this series? I don't watch TV for the very reason that anything good like this gets canceled and they leave on crap like Friends for 9 seasons) and actually fell to sleep within a few minutes. Then around 2 in the morning, I woke up and found myself thinking for the next two hours. About a whole lot of nothing. Just thinking, about stories, perhaps what I was going to do today, what I did this week, how I should have handled something else differently, so on and so forth. I can't win. When I finally do get back to sleep, I can't get up when I'm supposed to. Or my alarm will go off, I'll glance over at it and say, "i'm tired, I don't have to be anywhere for 2 hours' and roll back over and the Z monster takes hold once more. I usually wake up about 15 minutes before I have to be anywhere. Um, today was particularly bad, because I didn't have to be anywhere until 9. They let me come in at nine. And I was still late? What the heck is wrong with me? Gaaaahhhh!!! Yeah, I've never been compatible with the military in this manner. I hate to sleep, but unfortunately my body rather loves it. Especially in the morning. So I'm going to work on getting myself into some kind of routine. Even if I have to force myself to do it, I will do it. I actually did it for a couple of days before, getting up at 5 to work out in the morning and I was where I had to be and feeling great. So I've decided to take part in some recreational activities. They've got a bunch of programs planned out through MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) like Softball and Volleyball and I'm thinking 'count me in!' That, and the weather has vastly improved over the last few weeks. Bicycles came into the PX. I went ahead and made a purchase. I also took it for a quick ride around South Town and found myself out of shape. A bike was a good investment, I think I shall start using it on those hills. My body will thank me in a couple months. Anything to get out of the barracks and doing something. And then I cringed when I noted that they got PS2s in. Finally. After I already bought one online and went through all that trouble. *grumbles* Oh well, you live and learn. And then somebody points out a typo on one of your most famous blog posts that you made 4 months earlier. ***GAAARRR!!!*** Labels: health, hobbies, Sports, TV Shows -Risawn: # 2:40 PM - |