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Too Many Delays!
October 4th, 2009
Well, I guess I royally screwed up this week. TPL is late, late, late (it should be up by Tuesday, a full week late) and hopefully the one that should be up this Tuesday will be posted by the end of the week. Wednesday Comics should be posted whenever I'm finished with it. I don't have any DVD reviews ready to be posted today (I have two finished but I just need to put them on the website and code them and all). I did finish the WWE Legacy monthly reviews but again that's not ready yet for the web. Well, I guess I can give you this, the May 25th, 1991 edition of WWE Superstars, which should've been up this Thursday but, well, I guess you know the deal on that. I don't really have an excuse for the delays, since it doesn't seem like I'm too overwhelmed but at times I just haven't had time to finish things I want to finish. Hopefully this week I will get back on track.
In other news, you're looking at the brand new 2009 Fantasy Baseball champ at the league I'm in at work. I can't wait to go in tomorrow and revel in being the champ! With that little ego boost done, I'm gonna call it a week!
TV Round-Up 10/4/09 & 10/5/09
October 5th, 2009
The Cleveland Show 10/04/09
Episode 2: "Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance"
Cleveland turned in its first average episode of the year, with a second edition of Cleveland trying to prove himself to his new family. This time he must turn the tables after her kills the stepson’s dog and hiding the truth so that his step-daughter will go to the daughter/daddy dance with him. Cleveland Jr. also works in bathroom’s for this episode. Cleveland is trying to have the friend drinking group that Family Guy has and the bear and the hick do provide some funny lines. I was definitely a bit pre-occupied when I was watching this so I may have missed something but from what I saw this was decent but not the blow-away show you’d need for a second episode ever. B.
Family Guy 10/04/09
Episode 2: “Family Goy”
We start off with an awesome DC Super-Friends intro and this would be a sign of how cool this episode would be. The first act (as usual) has nothing to do with the rest of the show but there were some funny things in here, including Quagmire discovering that there is porn on the internet and Peter wanting to marry Kathy Ireland. So Peter wants to make it up to Lois for cheating on her with a cut-out and when they have relations it turns out Lois has a lump on her breast. This brings her to the hospital (where everything’s fine) and a look through her history shows she’s Jewish and her grandmother was a Holocaust survivor. Cue the Jewish Jokes! Peter wants to be Jewish, Weinstein from the great lost episode of Season 3 makes an appearance and Peter wants to become Jewish. When Francis shows up to tell Peter he’s going to hell Peter does a 180 and starts dumping on Lois’ new culture. Lois eventually stands up for herself and a timely appearance from Jesus help’s Peter with coming to terms about Lois’ Judaism. There were some funny cutaways (a retarded Rooster and a reference to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) and the story drove this episode pretty well. A-.
American Dad 10/04/09
Episode 2: “Moon Over Isla Island”
This episode featured an A-story (Stan and Roger and Stan ignoring Roger) overshadowed by its B-story (Steve and Snot). The A-story sees Stan continuing to let Roger down until Stan accidentally kills a leader of a dictatorship and Roger becoming the dictator so Stan can get a treaty signed. Of course, he ends up using Roger and when Roger finds out he goes against Stan. In the end Stan saves Roger and their friendship is renewed. The B-story with Steve and Snot was a really funny gag dealing with the mother’s of the two boys and accidentally grazing certain body parts. It was just so off-beat and different with one of the funniest conclusions the show has seen. American Dad has reclaimed its place as one of the best shows on Sunday nights with a tight script that focuses on actual story-telling and not cutaway scenes. B+.
Heroes 10/05/09
Episode 4: Acceptance
Heroes always works best when it takes a less is more approach. Take for instance this episode. Instead of dealing with its huge cast and showing snapshots of every character, they focus on a few characters and we really get a nice tale being told. This episode focused on Hiro (and his acceptance that he is dying and he can’t always change the present by altering its past), Nathan (who uncovered a hidden death after using his powers to know the history behind any object) and HRG (you can’t change a leopard’s spots and this guy will always be the hero-hunting Company man) while other characters were put on the back burners for the time being. It really brings you into the show. The Hiro stuff worked incredibly well, especially since he’s a guy who is the most heroic and noble of all the characters. The HRG stuff was probably the least interesting of the episode but his meetings with Claire, Peter and Tracy get him back on the Company track. Finally the Nathan stuff was just awesome. Here is a guy who doesn’t know how evil he is trying to correct some wrongs of his past. He realizes that a woman was killed that he was with (completely accidental) but was covered up by his mother. He tries to tell the mother and as a result he’s killed and buried in the middle of nowhere while the mother schmoozes with Angela. Of course, Nathan has the powers of Sylar and one of those powers is to heal. Still, when the hand popped up out of the grave and we saw the face of Sylar, man, it was just an awesome moment. This episode focused on characters that are the heart of Heroes and as a result you get a really well-done offering. My only question is, what will happen with Parkman now that Sylar is back, will he still have his influence?
WWE Superstars 06/01/91
October 8th, 2009
What a crazy week it has been. On Monday one of the students that went to my school died. He was only 17. That's just crazy. He just collapsed on a basketball court and never came back. That's just scary to think about, a young man of only 17 just checking out like that. That's just too young, man. The school was hit pretty hard and it's tough to come to grips with something like that. I never personally knew the kid but it's still tough to see his friends and his former teacher's react to the simply tragic news.
I don't really have a segue to get into it but Thursday's are WWE Superstars review day. Well, here it is, the June 1st, 1991 edition os Superstars. You know, I don't really have anything else to say right now. I am trying to finish this Tuesday's TPL and I hope to have it done and posted by Sunday. The next one may be slightly delayed but should be up at least by this time next week. I'm slowly getting back on track. I will have a trade review ready for Saturday and maybe a DVD review for Sunday. See ya on the weekend.
Yankees Game 2 Thoughts
October 10th, 2009
Today is usually the day I post the weekly Trade/Graphic Novel Review but as you can see from the title that may not be the case. Don't worry, guys, I will still be posting them. However, I will keep it here as a link instead of posting the whole review here. I have some other things on my mind I'd like to talk about today, mainly the MLB Playoffs.
I'm not the biggest MLB fan but I do like the Yankees and last night's Game 2 was easily one of the best LDS games I've ever seen. It was just back and forth the whole way and when we got up to the ninth inning the Yankees heroics were about to begin. A-Rod hit a two-run shot to tie the game and the fans went wild. It seemed that A-Rod has gotten rid of whatever was jinxing him the previous 3 years since Game 3 of the Red Sox/Yanks series in 2004. Finally, the other big hitter of the Yanks, Texeira, blasted a wall-scraper in the bottom of the 11th to end the game and put the Yanks up 2-0. That was a moment that reminded me of the great dynasty teams of the late 90's. The past 5 years the Yankees didn't really have any of those special moments. This to me is a team that can win it all and I think they will. I think the Yankees will close this series out before even heading back home to move to the ALCS.
If I had to give predictions (really briefly) I would say the Dodgers, the Phillies and the Angels advance. This would cause the Yanks to fate their hated nemesis the Angels. The baseball gods are looking down on the Yanks this year though and in order for them to win they need to exorcise past demons. That means dispatching the Angels in the ALCS to face the Dodgers (and Joe Torre) in the World Series. The Yankees need to get rid of that one last tie to the old teams by taking out the Dodgers to claim their 27th World Series title.
Just to close, I have the weekly trade review here. It is one of the Marvel Premiere Hardcover Classics (Volume 25) and is called: X-Men: Phoenix Rising and it chronicles the first resurrection of Jean Grey. It's good stuff. Finally, last week's TPL is almost done (all the books are read, I just need to finish reviewing the last 10) and the 10/13/09 edition looks like it could possibly be on time if I can stay on track this holiday weekend. I'll check back tomorrow with another review of some sort.
No More Delays?
October 11th, 2009
Well, just last week at this time I was complaining about how delayed I was with things. This week? Not so much. I just finished the October 6th, 2009 edition of The Pull List and the link is active for those who missed it on Tuesday. I am where I want to be in terms of reading the material that will make up the October 13th edition but I still need to write it. Tomorrow is a holiday and I'm off so I hope to be productive then. You'll just have to wait another week for a DVD review. I just got 5 more DVD's in the mail, all of them being 3 discs or less and three of them I should get through easily so after I finish Heroes Season 3 (which may take forever), I should have a string of reviews done. Heck, I may take a break with Heroes to do some of the smaller sets.
Moving onto baseball news, the only series still going on is the Phillies/Rockies. The Angels, Yankees and Dodgers all swept. I think the only one that isn't surprising are the Yanks. I mean, Boston couldn't win a game? And the Cardinals with Adam Wainwright and Carpenter couldn't win a game, either? Damn. So it looks like Yankees/Angels and that is the one match-up Yankee fans did not want to see. However, the Yanks have only lost to the Angels in five-game series' so with a full 7-games it could be a different story. Speaking of stories, I know I am a Yankees fan and I shouldn't root for the opposition, but I think it is great what the Angels have done in Aidenhart's memory. A young pitcher had his life snatched away from him by a drunken idiot and the Angels have done everything they could to remember him and play for him this season. I don't want the Angels to win the World Series but if they do, I think it would be a fitting tribute.
Hopefully I'll have the weekly TV round-up tomorrow, I didn't watch Animation Domination because of the Yankee game and I hope I can find 90 minutes to watch it tomorrow!
TV Round-Up 10/11/09 & 10/12/09
October 12th, 2009
The Cleveland Show 10/11/09
Episode 3: The One About Friends
I just noticed this now, but did the opening theme song change? I remember (from the Family Guy DVD) Cleveland singing, “my black guy face,” but in this episode he sang, “my mustached face.” Anyway, Cleveland notices that his step-kids (Braulo and I still don’t know the girl’s name yet) all have friends except his son, who I will just refer to as Junior from now on. So Cleveland tries finding a fried for him (leading to a hilarious scene with him and a young boy outside a bus stop. “Would you like to play with Cleveland Jr.? Tell you the truth; I am sick of playing with him myself. I’ll give you $30 if you come to my car to see Cleveland Jr. etc). Anyway, he finds a friend in Lester’s son, Ernie and Ernie ends up staying with the family until he is too much to bear. So Donna suggests that Cleveland call Child Protection Service, which he does, and Ernie gets taken away as a result. Cleveland tries to help get him back but these guys are southern hicks and they engage in a wild shoot-out. Eventually Lester gets his son back. This is working so far. Cleveland is working on the same levels as American Dad, a solid story that focuses on the characters rather than cutaways. There are little things in here that make it funny, too, like one of the hicks wearing a Michael Richards shirt. It’s just little things like that that add a level of enjoyment to Cleveland. A.
Family Guy 10/11/09
Episode 3: “Spies Reminiscent of Us”
The episode starts with Peter and Lois fighting over the bathroom and Peter decides to use Cleveland’s old house for his morning constitutions; that is until the new neighbors move in. Those new neighbors are Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd who are official government agents looking for Russian spies. Yes, it’s a Spies Like Us homage! Stewie and Brian get caught up in it; following sleeper spy Adam West to Russia and disabling the nuclear warhead after it has been launched. Meanwhile, Peter, Quagmire and Joe start an improv group (after Peter was told by Chevy and Dan that he isn’t funny) and they fail miserably. The ending sequence of the disabled warhead falling on Cleveland’s new house and him falling out of the tub is a great LOL moment. This wasn’t as heavy on the cutaways and the first act actually tied into the second and third which doesn’t happen too often. However, the cutaways they did use weren’t their best. Still, this was a pretty decent episode but 2 out of the first 3 episodes have been Stewie/Brian episodes so I hope they can shake that up going along. B+.
American Dad 10/11/09
Episode 3: “Home Adrone”
Haley, Roger, Stan and Francine head off to look at colleges for Hayley, leaving Steve at home. He quickly gets into trouble when his friends come over and find Stan’s flight simulator game that isn’t really a flight simulator but a drone. They fly over the plane, causing it to get delayed and starting our B-story of Roger not getting alcohol dressed as a little girl and impersonating Stan. Stan, meanwhile, has left the plane and can’t get back on so he heads home to find what Steve has done. The plane was wrecked and Steve brought it to a repair shop where it was stolen by the Chinese mafia. There’s a great line with Stan telling Steve that he takes back what he told him as a kid, that nothing he could do would make Stan stop loving him. Anyway, Steve atones for this by helping Stan get the plane back from being used during the Chinese New Year festival. These things are very story-centric and it really drives on the strength of the characters. The writing here is clearly the best of anything on Sunday nights and it continues to be funny, entertaining and even thoughtful at the same time. A.
Heroes 10/12/09
Episode 5: Hysterical Blindness
Again we are focusing only on a core group and it works. Sylar is awake and he doesn’t remember a thing. He is questioned by the cops who realize who he really is (Gabriel, the watch-maker murderer from New York) and he escapes using powers, but more like a fight or flight instinct reaction rather than anything intentional. The main guy (Samuel) from Sullivan’s Circus rescues him and brings him into the fold. Speaking of the circus, it seems that one of the members is working with them at keeping an eye on Claire. She was behind Claire’s roommates death in episode one, as well as bringing her into her sorority. Claire’s new roommate is also getting extremely stalker-ish creepy. She’s just a weird chick who’s way too into Claire. Peter loses his power of speed after meeting the deaf woman (Emma) and he acquires her power of seeing sound as colors. Emma and Peter have a connection and Emma uses her powers in rage (from her dead son that was alluded to) to actually destroy a wall. Yep, it’s a deaf Dazzler. Finally, Hiro shows up at Peter’s door and immediately passes out. Now we start tying things together, as Claire is being watched by the carny’s, Hiro contacts Peter and Peter is connecting with Emma. I like how we are focusing on certain characters each week while starting to tie things together.
The Pull List 10/13/09
October 13th, 2009
Wow, can you believe this thing is actually on time? Well, I can't believe it either. You can read the whole thing here:
In other news, the Phillies are going to the NLCS to face the Dodgers for the second year straight and it should be a decent series. Moving to hockey, the Rangers are on a tear and TSN.ca has rated them #1 in the league right now. Unbelievable, I didn't think they would do anything this year. Hopefully Gaborik can keep this up.
That's all for now, catch back here on Thursday for WWE Superstars!
Superstars, Wednesday Comics & Baseball predictions
October 15th, 2009
This should've been up yesterday and I had plenty of time to do it, but I guess I spent too much time playing Yahoo! Chess to write something up. I have a bunch of things today for you. First up is the usual WWE Superstars review from WWEClassics.com, and it is the June 8th, 1991 edition. It was another weak episode and it has been like 4 bad ones in a row.
Next up is the long-awaited finale to Wednesday Comics. I did all the first 11 issues and I did fairly well on time but then there was a huge hiccup towards the end of September that put me way behind. You can check out the Wednesday Comics #12 review by clicking that link.
The MLB's LCS have begun. We have the Dodgers and the Phillies playing each other for the second year in a row (where's the parity, Bud?) and as of now the series is knotted at 1 apiece. It's really anyone's game but I think the bullpen of the Phillies are shaky and in an NLCS that is never good. I say the Dodgers win it in 6. They will have to play the winner of the Yankees/Angels series and I, as a Yankee fan, am worried about this series. The Angels have had the Yankees number for the better part of a decade and I could really see the Yankees getting beat. I do think that they will be able to overpower the Angels and if rain doesn't wreak havoc on the schedule, having CC pitch three games will be the difference. Let's go Yankees in 7. Could you imagine that World Series? The Dodgers (w/Joe Torre) taking on the Yankees? I can't wait!
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