Indecision 2008

Indecision 2008. Yes, yes, I stole my posting title from Comedy Central. So sue me. No, actually, please don't. I'm not worth anything. While my bank account is not negative, my student loans and car loan make my worth negative, so please don't, and besides, I don't make any money at all from this blog. Anyway, this election year is turning out to be quite exciting. Who would have though a year ago, when faced with a field of 20 candidates, none of whom stood out to me, we'd be left with three good ones?
First, we have John McCain. Lambasted by conservatives, McCain may be arguably be NOT the most Republican of the trio, which is funny, since he's their nominee. I actually like this man because he reaches across the aisle, wants to unite the country and acts likes it, not just says it, and he seems like he really cares. I can get behind his passion. On the negative side, even throwing out his endorsement by idiot-worst president ever-George W. Bush, he doesn't want to pull out of Iraq. I understand why. That place will go to hell even more than it already is if we leave, but after being falsely led over there, it's time to end it.
Second up, there's Barack Obama. The first guy this year I actually got behind, he is the leading Democrat. Who can resist his message of hope and change? After reading his last book, I saw him as too Mr. Smith goes to Washington, too naive to get anything done. Watching him in the debates, I changed my mind. He's not just cool and passionate, he sounds like he would actually do a great job. So let's all get behind him and vote for him in November.
No, wait, I'm leaving someone out. Hillary Clinton was all but counted out by her resurgence this week. Now I'm feeling sorry for her, and wondering whether I was too hasty to toss her away. After all, her and her husband led this country through eight golden years, economically speaking. And we all know the economy could use a boost. Plus SNL's seeming-endorsement and Tina Fey speaking up for her made me start to like her again. Should we be looking for a Hillary White House? I just don't know. IS bitch the new black?
Either way this goes, we're going to have someone good. Let's just hope they become great.

Qop!
"She is a bitch. So what? So am I. Bitches get stuff done. That's why Catholic Schools use nuns instead of priests... At the end of the year you hated those bitches, but you knew the capital of Vermont." ~ Tina Fey on Hillary Clinton, Saturday Night Live

On Notice / Dead to Me #2

For loyal readers of this blog, you may remember that last September I announced my own Dead to Me and On Notice boards, modeled after my idol, Stephen Colbert. They have not been updated in nearly eight months, so now I present for your pleasure my new lists! Many of the names have been left, but the descriptions changes. As always, there can only be dead per board, so I will give a brief account at the bottom of who got off the list. Lucky bastards. You had better hope that you never make this list. New additions are *ed

ON NOTICE
*Jonathan Stewart (my friend) - I'm sorry, but it's getting confusing to know two people with that name, and The Daily Show's host isn't going to change his. You've got until I do my next update to resolve the situation.
President George W. Bush - You have been moved from "DtM" to "ON" because it's way past time to stop ignoring you. Stand up and impeach the bastard!
J. K. Rowling - You stay here because I haven't read your new book yet, which is only the second longest of the series. Why in the hell isn't it the longest?
Movie Critis - I used to complain about your bad reviews, but lately it seems all the reviews have been good. Find a middle ground!
*Girls - For continuing to not be interested in me. One day I am going to give up on you, and then you'll know what you're missing hos! :)
Bones - There was an episode pulled off the air because of the Virginia Tech coverage stuff, but that episode has apprently disappeared into thin air. What gives?
Fox - You cancelled Drive, but I hadn't watched it yet, so you're not "DtM"...for now.
*Alcohol - I need to lose some wait and you are getting in my way, delicious devil!
Clogs - They look so cool, and yet make my feet stink. Eh, why mess with a truism?
Geese - They are EVIL!!!! I won't make you dead to me, though, because you'll attack anyway and then I'll be dead. Like Bush, we can't afford to ignore them.

DEAD TO ME
Katie Couric - Hahaha. You switch lists because you're getting fired.
*Anna Nicole - Replacing Steven Irwin for the 'No, seriously. She's dead.'
Walmart - You axis of evil. You're an axis all by yourself. You're here forever.
Macs - I don't care how user friendly you are. I will NEVER own one of you! Maybe. Yep, no need to change this entry either.
*ABC & NBC - for not airing new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, My Name is Earl and The Office because of a little rain. I'll consider not watching any of your shows any more, but seriously, that was a prick thing to do and I hate you for it. I had to pay $1.99 an episode on iTunes!
Ashland Financial Aid Office - You continue to perplex me!
Grizzly Bears - Stephen hates you. Enough said.
The International Astonomers - Why hasn't Pluto been reinstated as a planet yet? Did you not hear the outcry of a mourning public?
The Food Service Industry - Still working there... Part time, but still...
Anyone Who Hasn't Bought My Book - WHY NOT???????

Repreives - Democrats. Yes, you won in November. But be careful or I'll put you right back! Iran, Condaleeza Rice, Steven Irwin and Mike DeWine were removed from the list because they are now under the Who Cares? category.

Smokin' Aces

My brother David and I saw Smokin' Aces last night. I really wanted to see the movie because of my friend Jonathan's race review, and it had a host of great actors such as Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds, Jeremy Piven, Ray Liotta, and others. It was also a bunch of people trying to kill a mobster getting ready to squeal. Sounds awesome, no? Unfortunately, it was not. I have to say, the actors did a superb job, but the film just didn't cut it. I blame faulty editing. There were great moments and funny jokes, but the pacing was totally off. It was a major disappointment.

I also finished reading The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents America: The Book: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction: Teacher's Edition this week. Basically it's the same book as the first edition, but the new Supreme Court justices faces have been planted on naked bodies, and they let a history professor go crazy with a red marker. The mistakes he chose to mark were often very factual, but he was very selective in what he marked, and every once inawhile, it was just plain funny. I'm glad I own both editions.

And Barack Obama has officially entered the race for President. Hilary Clinton and John Edwards are also considered front runners. I honestly expect two of the three to be on the ticket in just over a year when the primaries end. I just am not sure which one. And I read an article or two lately where Al Gore said he wouldn't rule out running, although he couldn't imagine seeking office at this time. One article called him a possible dark horse, swooping in at the last moment. I wonder how that would upset the balance. I am eager to find out.

Qop! (selected reviews from the back of America: The Book: Teacher's Edition - many of them are probably not accurate)
"Even better on the second banning!" ~ Wal-Mart

"I wouldn't have posed nude for any other book." ~ Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

"Four and a half stars." ~ Four-and-a-Half Star Review Magazine

"AMERICA (The Book) is an upstanding collection of bound pages, each containing several paragraphs of multiple words, made up of individual letters, that when processed by your brain elicits both humorous feelings - sometimes manifested as laughter - and previously undiscovered insight into..." (cont. on page 3). ~ Senator John Kerry

"This book is gay. You know, like me." ~ Abraham Lincoln

Labels

By the way all, labels have finally been finished for ALL my blogs, dating back nearly two and a half years. Want to know everything I've written about a certain topic? Click on a label. Have fun. Be safe. :)

Oh, by the way, Depressed is not my most common label. Politics is. But thanks for noticing. :) Other big ones: ActorsNightmare, Alias, books, Buffy, JonStewart, Religion, Romance, StephenColbert, Writing. Nope, Drinking wasn't high enough to top the list. Screw you. :)

Yay America!

I have plenty to blog about, but I am going to put much of it off for now, and write about politics once again. I know a lot of my entries have been politically themed lately, but hey, it's that time of year, so get over it. Besides, if you don't know or care about politics, how are you going to make an informed decision about our leadership, who make decisions for us every day? If you are unhappy with the results of the 2006 election, I suggest you skip this post, and read my next one in a few days. If you are happy like I am, read on and celebrate!
Kudos to Ohio for Strickland's overwhelming majority. Despite the small minority that voted for Blackwell (i.e. my parents), he lost. Thank goodness. It's time we got a governor that wasn't full of lies and corruption. Though my mom wants to believe that Strickland is bad, she also believes that Iraq is part of our war on terror, and so I really don't know what to say to someone stubborn like that. She actually told me that one day I would 'wake up', and I replied 'or vice versa', which did not go over well at all. Ah, well. Enough about the parental sparring. I don't put much credence in people's opinions when they only seem to pay attention to these things once every two years.
In happier news, we are now Smoke Free Ohio! Whoo-Hoo! And Congress is now completely controlled my the democrats. I was a bit sad to see Mike DeWine go, and to vote against him, but I like Brown even more, and had DeWine won, the Senate would not be controlled by the Democrats, so all is well. I also celebrated the failure of some of the anti-gay marriage laws, indicating that we are in the process of swinging back the other way on that as a society. I mourned as we passed discriminatory laws prohibiting many of my friends the right to get married and live in happy bliss, and am glad to see people coming to our senses on gay marriage. I think we will federally legalize it within the next decade, but so many other nations already have, so we're behind. Come on, people! Don't be disrespectful to people just because they're different. It doesn't hurt you if gay people want to get married and live happily. You let Britney Spears do it, twice already. Get over it.
Lastly, thank you all Ohioians for rejecting the slot machine bill. We need to do something to help fund education, but that's not it. Look at how well the lottery (doesn't) work. 2006 was a great election year, after six years of electing lying, thieving, law breaking, idiots. Here's hoping to see another one in 2008!

Qop!
“Ohio State – Michigan, it’s like Sunni – Shiite.” ~ The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger: Entertainment Edition

Tip of the Hat
To The Nine. This show has just gotten better and better every week. John Billingsly is the best part, although I have ti say that Tim Daly and Kim Raver keep me hooked, too. I really hope this show goes on for a nice, long while. And Joshua Malina rocks, too.
Wag of the Finger
The Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'm not a sports fan, but you don't play the Michigan fight song to a booing crowd in Columbus. They should never even try to seel another album in this town.
Tip of the Hat
To Barry Manilow for giving Stephen Colbert joint custody of the emmy, and signing a notorized contract on The Colbert Report. Also, letting Stephen take the lead in the duet was classy.
Wag of the Finger
To the Barenaked Ladies for not playing "Fun & Games" as their fantastic concert last night. They played in the venue Jon Stewart had been in the night before. This is Ohio, the most important state in the election. And they didn't play their anti-Bush song. What better time for it?
Tip of the Hat
Tyler of BNL for that fantastic rendering of Feliz Halloween. Prospero ano y felici-bean.
Wag of the Finger
To Jon Stewart for having Lebron James, James Mueller, and NOT James Dailey. If you come to town and do a James theme, why not me? :)

Qop! (South Park Season 10 - more to come when IMDB posts newest episodes)
Stan: He was right, you did cause 9-11.
George W. Bush: Yes. Quite simple to pull off, really. All I had to do was have explosives planted at the base of the towers, then on 9-11 we pretended like four planes were being hijacked when really we just rerouted them to Pennsylvania then flew two military jets into the World Trade Center filled with more explosives and shot down all the witnesses in Flight 93 with an F-15 after blowing up the pentagon with a cruise missile. It was only the world's most intricate and flawlessly executed planm ever, ever.
Kyle: [disbelieving] Really?
Stan: Why?
George W. Bush: The oldest reason in the world: money. The towers fell and the American sheeple all waved their flags. Finally we could invade Iraq and get the oil which made us all even richer than before.
Donald Rumsfeld: Beautiful money. Ha ha ha!
Kyle: [even more disbelieving] Really?
Stan: Is the whole government in on this?
George W. Bush: We are all knowing and all powerful. Good-bye boys.
Dick Cheney: [shoots an arrow and misses the boys] Dang it, I missed again.
George W. Bush: For Christ's sake, Cheney.
Stan: Kyle, run!

Some Fantastic Weekend

This was probably the best weekend I have ever had. I tried to think of better weekends, but was a bit at a loss. Granted, I did have to get up at 6am on Saturday to attend my grad school classes from 7:30-1:30, and then i was stuck in traffic for an hour right after class, but from there it only got better and better. I went to a family party celebrating my cousin Chris's 11th birthday. His birthday isn't until November, but it was fun. My Uncle Mike had the best costume, although some of the other family members dressed up as well, and all the costumes were fun. Then, though I don't care about sports, the Buckeyes totally kicked ass, which made the family happy. After a quick piece of pumpkin cake, I rushed downtown to meet my brother David and head to the Schottenstein Center. We arrived early and got great seats. There we saw, LIVE, Jon Stewart, Samantha Bee, Jason Jones, and The Daily Show's executive producer and head writer. There were some truly great moments, including Jon's long tirade on Dick Cheney, followed by his "Eh, he's all right" about Donald Rumsfeld. Then when Stewart led the O-H-I-O, and when Jason talked about being pregnant, and basically eveything out of Samantha's mouth. The crowd of over 12,000 people was great, booing Canada and OSU President Holbrook, and Jon characterisitcally scolded them for it. After that, I went to two Halloween parties. Things were even better because it was daylight savings, and though I stayed up until after 2, it was really only after 1. Awesome!
Sunday was just as great, if not better. I slept in, watched some episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, then Nick picked me up. His parents bought us a bit of Don Pablo's for dinner, and then as my Christmas present, Nick had broughten me a great seat to the Barenaked Ladies concert, coincidentally, at the Schottenstein Center. He also bought me a B*L*A*M t-shirt in the style of M*A*S*H that advertised the Barenaked Ladies Are Me album tour. They sand for two hours and fifteen minutes. Although I got to bed way too late for my 5:30 wakeup time, it totally rocked. They played more than half of their new album, and one song off their next album, which will be released in February, only four months after the last one. Nick, like anyone who preordered or downloaded, has the new album already. They will likely be back in the spring for the second album, and I'm sure that we will attend. I got tons of great pictures. My only complaint was that they didn't play "Fun & Games", since they were in Columbus, Ohio, hot bed of the election, on a college campus, following up Jon Stewart, ten days before the election. Why not play your one blatant anti-Bush song? But technically, it is on the upcoming album, so I guess it made sense. All the songs were flawless, and Tyler's Feliz Halloween was definitely a highlight. It featured the whole band on different instruments than they usually play.
Ok, now back to school and work. Have a great week all!

Qop! ("Feliz Halloween" by Tyler of BNL)
Feliz Halloween, Feliz Halloween, Feliz Halloween, Prosper ano y felici-bean.
Jack-O-Lant!

I'm Going to See Jon Stewart

It is going to happen. I am going to see Jon Stewart. Next Saturday at OSU. I got shut out of the tv show, not unexpectedly, as there are so few tickets available, but I get to go to the big event. Thanks to my brother David for getting me the ticket. We're goin to have a ball.
Also, next Sunday I get to see the Barenaked Ladies. Thanks to Nick for that ticket. I can't wait until next weekend. Expect a great blog a week from Monday or Tuesday.
Right now I am tired. I stayed up until 1am working on cover design for Book 2 and story ideas for Book 4 with Nick. And I had a 7:30am class. Hence the randomness.
Ok. I have to go because I am still in class and we are going to watch Oprah.

Qop! (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart)
Stephen Colbert: After all, it was Thomas Jefferson who said "Everyone imposes his own system as far as his army can reach."
Jon Stewart: No, that was Stalin. Thomas Jefferson said that he'd "Rather have free press and no government, than a government and no free press".
Stephen Colbert: Well, what else would you expect from a slave-banging, Hitler-loving queer?

Harrison Ford: I don't really do action movies.
Jon Stewart: You were Indiana Jones.
Harrison Ford: Yeah, but...
Jon Stewart: And Jack Ryan.
Harrison Ford: I always saw Indiana Jones as a comedy.
Jon Stewart: Well, I can assure you it's not.
Harrison Ford: I'll have to let Spielberg know that. "Steve- not funny."
Jon Stewart: You know Spielberg?

Life Without a DVR

I have had no DVR for something like three weeks now, and I am just now realizing how bad I was about watching tv. I watched way too much. I tried to keep up with every show every person I knew tended to talk about, and even then I failed. Plus I watched the shows I really loved, like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Since I no longer have a DVR, I have to rely on a VCR that won't program. I have to actually be home to push record. This means that if I want to watch The Venture Brothers, I have to be home Sunday nights. It runs at 10:30pm and 2:30am. My only other shows I am trying to keep up with, Daily, Colbert, Reno 9-1-1, and Project Runway, all run multiple reruns every week, so I have time to catch them if I miss their regular timeslots. Hence I have been able to watch those five shows. Three of them will be done for the year soon, only the two political shows continue. But thinking about the number of shows coming back and new shows I want to watch, figuring in how little I will actually be home due to full time working and full time schooling, I am afraid I may have to drop quite a few of my shows. And that may be a good thing. I do watch too much and I need to cut back.
On a related note, I am totally not going to miss on Sunday, and I suggest you do not either. I don't know the lineup of roasters they have yet, but Lisa Lampanelli is back, and that is plenty for me. Also, Rob Corrdry is about to leave The Daily Show, as he said this week, although if his new show fails, maybe he'll be back? I don't know what to hope for. With the departure / promotion of Stephen Colbert, Corrdry kind of stepped up as everyone's favorite contributed. Ed Helms has been rarely seen, although he is still listed on imdb as a cast member. At least we still have Lewis Black, when he feels like it, and Samantha Bee, for now, as well as two ofthe slew of new correspondents who joined last year that are fun, including Bee's husband Jason Jones, Dan Bakkedahl. There were lots of others last year, and they disappeared. The one I miss most is the depressingly short lived nephew of Rob, Nathan Corrdry, although he will be seen on the one new show I have to watch this season, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. There are a few new guys who seem ok though. Ah, well. Time to go. I need to quit wasting time talking about tv.

Qop! (from Rumination's e-newsletter)
My dumb brother says life is all about compassion, wisdom and love for our fellow man. What an idiot! Life is about peace and understanding and building a world full of friendship for all mankind. Dumbass.

Top Thirteen Reasons I'm Like Stephen Colbert

Why thirteen? Because that's how many original colonies were in the U.S.

13. We both have a mother.
12. He was on The Venture Brothers, twice. I LOVE The Venture Brothers.
11. We both have a black friend.
10. We are both geeks who like sci/fi fantasy.
9. We both love Bill Cosby.
8. There is no grey, just black and white. Although we don't see color.
7. We both had bad breakups, although mine wasn't named Charlene.
6. We both have our own shows. Ok, I don't, but someday it would be cool to have one. The same can be said about being named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People
5. We both have foreign last names (Colbert is French and Dailey is derived from the Scottish Daly)
4. We are both AMERICANS! USA! USA! USA!
3. We both like 'facts' that support our beliefs.
2. We both warn the world about an animal that will overtake us humans if we're not careful (him - bears; me - geese, although I have discussed over the years including ninja panda bears)

1. We both have a close personal friend named Jon Stewart.

Qop! (Stephen Colbert, of course, from The Colbert Report, talking about the disgraced author of the 'biography', A Million Little Pieces and his Oprah fiasco
"Now I have my own problems with James Frey. Not because of the inconsistencies in his memoir, nothing wrong with stretching the truth. After all, we stretch taffy, and that just makes it more delicious. In fact, I respect him for making up his past! It shows character. Too many people just let their past happen to them. It's part of the culture of victimization. "Ooh, I had no control over the circumstances of my birth!" But when you decide to have had a difficult childhood, that... that's really owning your past! And in a fundamentally refreshing way, taking responsibility for it. It's so rare these days. Besides, taking liberties with the truth is an American tradition. In fact, the word liberty is right there in the word liberties! "

Return of Jim-i

I am done moving. I am not going to apologize for my delay since the last post, although it was weeks, because I had a lot going on in my life. I am going to try to be brief because I have to go to work, but there's a lot I want to post about. First of all, I moved back to West Jeff. Not so thrilled about it, but there are good points. I just got internet back to my desktop last night, hence why I have not posted until now. Hopefully I'll have Ti-Vo (Yes, real Ti-Vo this time, not DVR) by the end of the month. For now I frantically record The Daily Show and The Colbert Report every night, and get Reno 911 and Venture Brothers when I can. Ah, well. Such is life. I realize I watch too much tv anyway and it would probably be better if I never get another Ti-Vo, but then what will happen to all the characters I know and love? It would be devastating. Maybe I can try not watching any new shows this year. Wow, I almost typed that with a straight face.
Last week my 18 year old brother was in the hospital. He had appendicitis. His brief stay strecthed to four days because of complications and internal bleeding. He is doing fine now. We were quite a bit worried for awhile. My mother knew a guy who was sent home from the hospital and ended up dying a little later of internal bleeding that the doctors didn't catch, so it was such a relief to figure out why he wasn't getting better and do another surgery to fix it. Just be warned that a loved one of yours doesn't end up in the same situation.
I read two fantastic books this month. I read more than two books, but two that blew me away. The first was Life of Pi, about a boy who simultaneously practices Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, and then he gets shipwrecked and his family dies and he ends up on a life boat with a 450 pound Bengal tiger for 280+ days. It was such an interesting read, with a bit of a mind fuck at the end. Check it out. The second was Motherless Brooklyn, about a guy with Tourettes who was taken out of an orphanage to work for a detective/mob man/car service owner. When the guy is murdered, it falls to the main character to figure out the case. I don't read a lot of detective or mystery novels, but this one was great. It was our Otterbein Alumni Book Club book of the month. Speaking of the group, I am not the alumni 'in charge', which basically just means I am going to have to notify members of dates and stuff. During the meetings no one is in charge. We all discuss and contribute. We're thinking about doing a Book and Beer thing, where we have our group meeting, then go to Old Bag of Nails afterwards. Hopefully some of you alumni are reading this, and will be intrigued enough to check it out. Actually, everyone is welcome, alumni or not. The next meeting, the September one, will be early on Wednesday, August 30th at 7:30pm in the Courtright Library. We are reading The Girl in the Hyacinth Blue. You should come!

Qop! (from The Onion)
Republicans accuse Senator Joe Biden of running for president for political reasons.

Prehistoric Ages

Sorry for the so long no post. I have a valid excuse this time. I was in Florida for most of the non-posting period, and with no internet access, I was screwed. I depend a lot on technology. Unfortunately, it appears that I am about to descend back into the dark ages, which there is no good reason for that to happen to me so I am bit upset. I am moving back in, very temporarily, like the school year, with my parents to save some money. I don't want to do it, but I have to. I am poor and that's what happens with poor people. My mom isn't opposed to me getting a DVR, like I have had for the last year and a half, there, but the decision is up to my father, a man who grew up on a farm and has very different ideas about life from me. I think part of the problem is that he doesn't understand me, nor does he want to. I understand him. It takes effort, but I do. But he wouldn't recipricate. So when I called and very nicely asked about having a DVR added to his cable me, with me paying for it of course, he said no. Why? Because he doesn't want 'that trash' in the house. They have only a basic cable package, 28 channels. It hasn't always been that way, but my little siblings, and me admittedly, watched things he didn't consider appropriate. I didn't have much time for tv when I last lived there, so it didn't bother me. And I do understand his want to protect his children, although I totally disagree with his method of doing it. I had originally planned to ask to put the DVR in the family room, although since he doesn't want the other siblings (two of them are still at home age. almost 17 and almost 12) to watch it, I said I would put it in my bedroom. He can block the 'unwanted' channels on all of the other tvs, and I would block all the 'trash' and movie channels that he wanted on my system. I only watch the basic channels (4, 6, 10, 28, 53), Comedy Central and Cartoon Network. I guess I will watch Battlestar on SciFi this fall, and Runway on Bravo, and maybe Lovespring on Life. Still, he can block MTV and the like. I don't care. The big exception he took to it seemed to be Comedy Central. I am an avid The Daily Show and The Colbert Report fan. He doesn't get Comedy Central and doesn't want it. I promised to not watch 'that trash with all the f-words', but he doesn't want it available. It is a really dumb situation. If the machine is in my room, I don't see how that's a problem. He didn't think it was fair to allow me, a 23 year old, access to something his much younger children aren't allowed to watch. I think, as an adult, I am entitled to my shows as long as I am willing to pay for them and keep them away from the youngsters. I am really trying to understand him, but I think my compromise of keeping it in my room and allowing him to block most of the channels should satisfy him. It does not. He will allow it only if he can block any channel other than the 28 he gets, which includes none of the cable channels that I watch. This isn't fair and isn't necessary in the 21st century.

Qop!
McCoy: Are you out of your Vulcan mind? (Star Trek)

Gay Marriage

The gay marriage debate is back in the news. It must be an election year. Bush failed to push the constitutional amendment banning it through the Senate, thank god, but it got attention. The Republicans hope it will let them retain some seats in the fall. For me, it just told me not to vote for DeWine. The whole thing is ridiculous. First of all, if these people really care about the 'threat' or want to do something about it, you'd think it would be debated more than every two years. Also, this is a country of freedoms, and for once we fall behind all of the other civilized countries who already allow it.
Jon Stewart had an interesting guest on The Daily Show this week. They argued for two thirds of the show about gay marriage. His opponent argued that it is a perversion that will lead to support of bigamy and other creepy things. Stewart, rightly in my opinion, argued that it is a natual part of the human progression and it is ridiculous that anyone even fight it. People are born gay, it's not an illness or a disorder. Is it really fair to tell them that their love is any less valid or deserving? I think not. Marriage is not a long standing institution, and for centuries it was more of a business than anything else. The idea that conservatives are trying to 'protect' isn't very old anyway. I am not knocking the marriage-for-love theory. I hope one day to find a woman that I fall in love with and marry. But denying gay people the right to be joined in the union of love known as marriage is just plain wrong.
The good news is, both sides of the debate admit that it's pretty much over. Gay marriage is coming and will be protected soon enough. Throughout history people have fought against allowing others equal rights (slavery, the women's movement) and it is has always ended with the rights being afforded and discrimination slowly dissolving. This issue is just the next step in that and it really angers me when people fight against it. 10% of the population is homosexual. Most people have someone in their family that is. Do you really want to deny them a fundamental right such as falling on love and getting married? Come on people. Grow up and get smart. Or if nothing else, be gracious losers because the battle is already over.

Qops!
"The Bush administration renewed its call for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. So I guess they feel the only time that guys should be on top of each other naked is in an Iraqi prison." —Jay Leno

"President Bush said he was 'troubled' by gay people getting married in San Francisco. He said on important issues like this the people should make the decision, not judges. Unless of course we're choosing a president, then he prefers judges." —Jay Leno

"Conservative groups are demanding that President Bush support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. They feel that when the founding fathers were putting the Constitution together they made a mistake by not outlawing it. Have you ever seen the paintings of the founding fathers? The powdered wigs, the frilly collars, the pedal pushers — I think they were for it." —Jay Leno

The Book! Buy It Now!

It's been a busy couple of weeks. Sorry I haven't posted. I have been seeking employment, part time for now, full time for summer. I still need to pay my rent after school lets out, unfortunately. These extremely high gas prices have not helped one bit. Sigh. Two and a half more years until we get the idiot out of office. But today's topic is not current events. Jon Stewart and Saturday Night Live said everything this week that needed to be said. No, today's topic is my book.
Book One continues to meet with favorable reviews. The discussion with the Otterbein Alumni Book Club went fantastic. I sent copies of Book Two around to my brave volunteer proofreaders, so Book Two will be completed soon. The current estimated deadline is it will be ready to go to press by the end of July. I also have a couple of people considering cover ideas, so hopefully it'll be nice and snazzy. I have also wrote six chapters for Book Three, so it will be fast on the heels of Book Two. I am considering another project or two in between Book Three and Four, but I haven't decided yet. I will of course keep you posted. But the bottom line is, if you haven't bought An Actor's Nightmare Book One yet, go buy it! Now! Seriously! Please?

Qops! (courtesy of Veronia Mars, which promises to have one hell of a Season Two finale this week)
Keith Mars: [happy] Who's your Daddy?
Veronica Mars: I hate it when you say that.
Keith: This is important, you remember this, I used to be cool.
Veronica: When?
Keith: '77. Trans-Am, Blue Oyster Cult in the 8-track, foxy, stacked blond riding shotgun, racing for pink slips. Wait a minute, I'm thinking of a Springsteen song. Scratch everything. I was never cool.
Veronica: I don't know which bothers me more, "foxy" or "stacked".

Van Clemmons: Mr. Echolls, I was wondering if I could have a word?
Logan: Anthropomorphic. All yours, big guy.

Cliff McCormack: [to Logan] My name is Cliff, and I'll be your, "If you cannot afford an attorney" attorney.

My Alias

My book is selling ok so far...keep buying people! :) Go to www.amazon.com and search the title An Actor's Nightmare to purchase your copy today! Anyway, other than that I have been working my butt off. Still pulling full time hours at Steak N Shake and substituting every day (except not today because it was a snow day, which disappointed me). But the reason for my entry:
Alias is finally coming to an end. It was inevitable, and I said all summer this should be it's last season. However, they did a major cast overhaul and there were so many ways to go with it so I was finally getting comfortable with the idea that the show would go on. That and Jennifer Garner supposedly signed a contract to take the show through 2007. Then the bad news comes around Thanksgiving. This will indeed be Alias's last season. Now they are rocketing towards one exicitng closer! Vaughn is dead, and Irena is back! Or is Vaugh dead? Maybe? Some of my friends think not. Something is going on with Sydney's baby, and now Prophet Five and SD-6 are connected! Yes, this is going to be one well of a season. If they could just bring back Weiss and Marshall's wife I'd be happier. Oh, well. Here we go!
P.S. The rumor out is that Star Trek XI will focus on the mirror universe and star William Shatner and Patrick Stewart, and possibly Scott Bakula. Anyone else afraid of this concept?
P.P.S. Go Eva Longaria for being included with the rest of the Housewives in this year's Golden Globes nominations, and Candence Bergen for her nomination. Also props to My Name Is Earl and the much better than last season Grey's Anatomy. Now will they halt the possible cancellation of Arrested Development? I mean, we're going to get Justine Bateman fod goodness sakes! Fox, don't cancel it!!!

Qop!
WILLOW: Promise me you'll never be linear.
OZ: On my trout.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Choices"

Gay Trek

So George Takei, a.k.a. Star Trek's Mr. Sulu came out of the closet. I try to be surprised. After all, I read his autobiography and it never even hinted at that side of his lifestyle. Then again, it really didn't talk about any women he was in love with either. Apparently he has been with one partner for eighteen years. Well, I say good for him. I wonder which other Star Trek actors may be gay and just afraid to admit it. I guess time will tell. I'm pretty sure the only two main characters that have passed away are straight (James Doohan and DeForrest Kelley), but that leaves many others. Patrick Stewart has been rumored for years, despite a marriage that broke up. Speaking of Stewart and Star Trek, Michael and I were talking about one of our favorite shows, Boston Legal. That law firm in that show is Crane, Pool, and Schmidt, and only Denny Crane (William Shatner) and Shirley Schmidt (Candence Bergen) have appeared. What about Pool? We decided that Patrick Stewart should play Pool, especially if the character was outageous, possibly flamboyantly gay. I mean Bergen and Shatner play their parts pretty out there, so Pool would have to be as well. How much fun would that be if Stewart did that? Anyway, I am very sad Betty White left Boston Legal already this season. I hope her replacement is just as good, but they will be hard shoes to fill.

Qop!
Ok, I admit, this was much funnier to watch and hard to convey in my blog, plus I have to tell a story rather than just write the quote, but it was hilarious! On the Colbert Report (both T's silent) Monday night, Colbert unleashed a new skit where he plays God and decides whether to LEAVE THEM DEAD or BRING THEM BACK where Colbert made a case for whether to clone a dead guy or not and the audience answered en masse. When he suggested the leader of the Spanish Inquistion so he could work the Tom Delay trial, they all yelled BRING HIM BACK. Then he suggested Darwin, and he would make Darwin admit evolution was wrong and God was real, probably using the Spanish guy to do so. Again the crowd yelled BRING HIM BACK. His last selection was Dave Thomas, Wendy's Founder because his double cheeseburgers were so good. The crowd yelled LEAVE HIM DEAD. Colbert reminded them that he was the person that invented the delicious Frosty dessert. The crowd then, in unison, yelled "Mmmm. Ok, BRING HIM BACK" Ok, again, it was funnier to watch in person

Hello Again

Sorry I have not update you guys in a couple of weeks. I was doing so well too! I have been working lotsof third shifts at Steak N Shake and then collapsing and then just not thinking about putting in an entry. Let me give you a brief overview of the last couple of weeks.
Yes I was Pauly Shore's waiter. I don't feel like repeating the story again to post it because it really wasn't that interesting. Too bad it wasn't a big celebrity. :) He tipped decent though and was nice enough so I'll just leave it at that.
Yes I am still single. It sucks, but I'm living with it. I know it'll happen eventually, or at least I try to believe that, so that's all I need to write there.
Yesterday many of you got drunken text messages from me. That's because I was up until 10am drinking vodka straight and watching Cameron Crow movies (Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire) and also trying to put together a puzzle at the same time. It took me four hours for about 300 pieces, but I did it and I don't remember much of the movies. Yay for occasional times like that!
Last night after work I reviewed my proof of An Actor's Nightmare. It was great, I signed off on it, and it is now going through the printing process and so will be on sale very soon. It looks good, it's about 467 pages of text, and I am uberexcited about it. I hope you will be too. News will be posted on here as it becomes available. Hope you all have a great day!

Qop!
"The difference between homosexuality and pedophilia is that homosexual is uncurable. With pedophilia, you just move him to another congregation." ~ Rob Cordry on his first This Week in God on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Up Late

These Steak N Shake hours have me so screwed up. I am up until 4am or later every night and it seems normal. Then I sleep until noon. When I started subbing I'm going to have to change my hours. Now it's like 4:20 and I'm wide awake. Of course, I've only been home for 15 minutes. I think a shower and bed might be nice, although I really want to work on my book. The second one. I have been doing a lot of work on it. For those of you who buy my first one and enjoy it, don't worry. The second one will be ready by this time next year, although probably sooner, but I may not try to publish it until I get the first one out for awhile. But the first one ends on a real cliffhanger, so... Ah, well. Anyway, after several days and zero votes, here are my winners:
Best Guest Star: Rupert, even though I do love Christine more.
Cancelled First: Freddie, although Night Stalker will be close behind.
Old Series Cancelled: Joey, and I'll cry. Majorly.
Best New: Ghost Whisperer. Seriously.
Worst: Invasion, although I am tempted to put Chris because it's getting a lot more credit than it deserves. Definitely overhyped. It's good, but not that good.
Best New Actor: Neil Patrick Harris, but Brent and Rob are close behind.
Best New Actress: Stockard, although it was very tough to pick this one.
Best Theme: Reunion
Best Animated / Variety: Daily Show
Show Deserved Mention: Kitchen Confidential, of course!

Qop!
"Two gay parents! That's every kid's dream!" ~ Jack on Will & Grace, upon finding out that Elliot's mom, played by Rosie, is a lesbo

Season Opener Awards

These awards are for just the first few weeks of the season. Pleas let me know your pics, through e-mail (vote@actorsnightmare.com) perferably, and then I'll choose winners, mostly by what you go by if you vote, and post them in a few days.
BEST GUEST STAR
Cha Chi on Arrested Development
Rupert Evert on Boston Legal
Janeine Garafolo on The West Wing
Christine Baranski on Ghost Whisperer
NEW SERIES MOST LIKELY TO GET CANCELLED FIRST (Not Worst)
The Apprentice: Martha Stewart
Invasion (which I already gave up on)
Out of Practice
Command in Chief
Freddie
Night Stalker
How I Met Your Mother
OLD SERIES MAY NOT MAKE IT THROUGH THE SEASON
Joey
Will & Grace
Alias
Two And A Half Men
BEST NEW SHOW
My Name Is Earl
Everybody Hates Chris
Ghost Whisperer
Prison Break
Reunion
WORST NEW SHOW
Invasion
Everybody Hates Chris
Bones
Out of Practice
BEST ACTOR (New Cast Members Only)
Alan Alda The West Wing
David Borenanaz Bones
Brent Spiner Threshold
Rob Benedict Threshold
Neil Patrick Harris How I Met Your Mother
BEST ACTRESS (New Cast Members Only)
Emily Deschanel Bones
Charismas Carpenter Veronica Mars
Alfre Woodard Desperate Housewives
Michelle Rodriguez Lost
Stockard Channing Out of Practice
BEST NEW THEME SONG
Reunion
Prison Break
Bones
Ghost Whisperer
Commander in Chief
BEST ANIMATED / VARIETY SHOW
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Family Guy
American Dad
Is there really another nominee?
SHOW THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MENTIONED ABOVE BUT WASN'T
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Kitchen Confidential
King of Queens
Hot Properties

Qop!
"Dear Buddha, I would like a pony and a plastic rocket." ~ Captain Mal, Serenity, Again, Go See!

Premiere Season Part Two of Two

FOR VERY IMPORTANT AND GREAT WEST WING NEWS, READ IMMEDIATELY!
I have to take a quick break and talk about The West Wing (Sunday, 8pm, NBC) before anything else. I miss Joshua Malina, I miss Stockard Channing, and I especially miss Janel Maloney as Donna, who has to come back before the end! This season will kind of be like a series finale for the cast we know and love, as evidenced by the great opening. I think they've already given away the new president, but I'll live. What's really cool and exciting is that November 6th's epsiode will be LIVE!!! Not only that, it will only feature two cast members: Alan Alda and Jimmy Smits. Why, you may ask? They are actually going to do a full out debate in character! It will be great fun. Don't miss it. No word on who the moderator will be yet, but we should only see the 3 of them.

And now the long awaited finale of my premiere season 2005 (minus 24 and The Cobert Report, which won't premiere for awhile)... DISCLAIMER: I did not yet watch tonight's shows so all shows are current through yesterday. From here on out through the rest of the season I will only mention spectacular things about shows.
Commander in Chief (Tuesday, 9pm, ABC)~ Gena Davis stars in this great concept of a woman thrust into presidentcy when the president dies, although it has a weak script. She looks a bit too plastic, still it is enjoyable, and has some great moment. I think I'll give it a fair chance this year. Donald Sutherland also stars as next in line after Davis, and wanting the job.
Boston Legal (Tuesday, 10pm, ABC)~ The opening two parter was enough to satisfy anyone missing the amazing series. Heather Locklear added some fun, the new interns were great (well, the guy was), and Rupert Everett completed the fantastic shows. He even translater 'cello' in court and brought a band to perform for another judge. He will be stealing Rhona Mitra away, who has dropped from the ending credits. And ending with Betty White killing the short guy (a.k.a. Beverly Leslie from Will & Grace) was a nice touch.
Close to Home (Tuesday, 10pm, CBS) ~ I like it. Nice, warm, friendly, and still mysterious. The main character, formerly star of Committed, was great, and I enjoy Christian Kane (Lindsay from Angel) as her husband. Not break out hit, but good.
Night Stalker (Thursday, 9pm, ABC) ~ Bad special affects, bad writing. Stuart Townsend and Gabrielle Union will keep me coming back until it sucks even worse, but it's not great.
Veronice Mars (Wednesday, 9pm, UPN) ~ Great strong start with more murder! Veronica should have died, but I'm glad she didn't! Kevin Smith's guest apperance as a clerk in Week Two was fun, and I look forward to Joss Whedon's car dealership in Week Six. Steve Guttenberg is fun, and Charisma Carpenter is out and out sexy. "Can Beaver and Dick come out and play?" Can't wait for Alyson Hannigan and Charisma to do a scene together.
Alias (Thursday, 8pm, ABC) ~ Strong start. I will miss Michael Vartan, but his death was very emotional. Lisa swears he's not dead, but I don't believe her. I think she's grasping straws. We'll see. I'll also miss Nadia and Weiss, but I look forward to Amy Acker's new role. Now they need Lena Olin and Amanda Foreman back and the show may survive. Here's hoping it doesn't jump the shark.
Will & Grace (Thursday, 8:30, NBC) ~ We all knew the live opening would result in goofs, but it was still cool. I look forward to Harry Connick's return. This final season will probably be all right, although don't look for the best episodes of the series.
Ghost Whisperer (Friday, 8pm, CBS) ~ The surprise breakout hit of the season! It's great! I love it! Only watched it for the eye candy of Jennifer Love Hewitt, but oh so glad I did. I highly recomment to everyone. Every episode will make you cry!
Desperate Housewives (Sunday, 8pm, ABC) ~ In the words of Michael my roommate, we returned to an old friend. Still edgy, still fabulous, still amazing. Bree is definitely shining for me this season, and so if Alfre. Go DW!
Grey's Anatomy (Sunday, 9pm, ABC) ~ Entering it's sophomore year, I can finally enjoy this show. The first season was rough and hard to get into, but it's finding it's groove. I like.
Saturday Night Live (Saturday, 11:30pm, NBC) ~ Steve Carrel hosted, and was not breakout amazing. The best bit was the animation of the plane crashing and everyone running, although second place goes to the impression off between the new guys, and third goes to Mike Myer's appearance. I miss Tina Fey. Horatio was funny despite his best efforts to screw up his lines. We need Tina back! She's had the baby like almost two weeks ago! Get back to work! Sadly, Maya will be joining her soon.
America's Next Top Model ~ Nothing to report. Not great. Not good. I'll watch it cause others are and I'm in the room. Plus reality television, despite sucking, is addicting.
Apprentice: Martha Stewart ~ I didn't watch last night because they moved it to compete with Lost (and Veronica Mars), which is it's death wish. The show is pretty much canelled, which is too bad because for once reality tv was good.

Qop!
"Been more'n a year since I had anything twixt my nethers didn't run on batteries!" ~ Kaylee, Serenity, Awesome Movie! GO SEE!