Prequels Wish List

I have piles and shelves of paperbacks. Most are Sci-Fi and Fantasy series. I love a good series. One book is never enough about a good story for me. I love prequels. I love when a series takes me back to the history of the first books. I've been thinking about prequels as I read the latest books in my favorite series.

This might be gibberish to anyone who hasn't read them. If you like an intricate story that takes a while to read, give them a try. I'm attempting to avoid spoilers in case you do decide to check them out. I've listed the series in the order they should be read.

Dune - Frank Herbert. In my humble opinion, the best Sci-Fi series EVER. Frank died after the 6th book (Chapterhouse), and his son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson collaborated and wrote the rest based on Frank's notes. I have all 15 on the shelf, and another was just published. However, it seems it might not be worth getting just to fill out the series. The last one (Paul of Dune) was mid-point in the chronology and didn't give anything new. Rather boring, even. Reading customer reviews, it sounds like the latest is the same.

So anyways. Brian and Kevin wrote several prequels to the original Dune, and these were excellent. They explain a lot of things. Like what started the Butlerian Jihad. Why the Houses are enemies. Why "thinking machines" are outlawed. How the other elements of computerless technology came about. Where the Navigators came from.

The Butlerian Jihad
The Machine Crusade
The Battle of Corrin
House Atreides
House Corrino
House Harkonnen
Dune
Paul of Dune
Dune Messiah
Children of Dune
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse: Dune
Hunters of Dune
Sandworms of Dune

I'm also adding the movies that were based on the books. The original movie "Dune" was the best in my opinion as it was more true to the book. The 2nd was produced as a 2-part mini-series by the Syfy Channel and includes "Children of Dune". I liked this as well but the characters weren't all portrayed as in the books. For instance, Paul was blonde. In the books and original movie, he's dark haired. His mother Jessica was an earthy rather plain light-complected woman, but in the books and original movie, she's the dark exotic beauty.

On my Wish List is a prequel about the Bene Gesserit. This was barely mentioned in the prequels and it's something that has always fascinated me. Who were these women called witches and how did they develop their abilities? And most important, when and why did they begin the breeding program that pretty much defined their existence and produced Paul and Leto?



The Black Jewels - Anne Bishop. Bishop is relatively new on the scene and she killed it with The Black Jewels Trilogy. I've read this series at least 3 times. Maybe more. Each time a new book in the series comes out, I have to go back and read one or two of the others. After the trilogy, she wrote Dreams Made Flesh which was a prequel of sorts in that it tells 2 stories about things that are mentioned in the first books. With the exception of the last book (Twilight's Dawn), the rest in the series are more like side stories. They do give some new information, but don't focus on the main characters in the core story.

Daughter of the Blood
Heir to the Shadows
Queen of the Darkness
Dreams Made Flesh (this could actually be read first since it includes 2 prequels)
Tangled Webs (side story only important because it's referred to in later books)
Twilight's Dawn
(the next 3 are side stories and a somewhat separate series)
The Invisible Ring
The Shadow Queen
Shalador's Lady

On my Wish List is a prequel far in the past. I want to know what the dragons did, why they died out, and why 2 survive? Why did one become human (sort of)? Who were the first recipients of the dragons' gifts? What exactly are the Jewels? Well, I know where they came from, but how is it that they store the Blood's powers, and why do some get the darker more powerful Jewels? Who (or what) is Geoffrey the Librarian? He seems to have been around for nearly as long as the dragons. Was he one of the first Blood? What about the caste system, and why isn't it about which Jewels are worn? It seems to be something inherited in some way, but what? I get the feeling that it's an animal aspect which might mean the Kindred became Blood before humans. The Eyriens have bat wings so they're not completely human. And the rites that bestow the Jewels, I want to know more about that. I want to know a lot more!


I have a Kindle now, and I'm loving it. It's kind of hard to go back to books, and especially hard to decide what to do about my series. Some of them are getting very worn. I'm thinking I will get e-copies of my favorite series when the budget allows so they will always be together. That could get expensive! I have some series over 20 books long! I'll talk about a few other series next time.

Good morning.

Rethinking Netflix, and what's on the DVR

There isn't a movie rental store nearby, and Netflix was the best way to see new releases. However. Netflix isn't very good about getting those new releases available in a timely fashion so I'm waiting almost as long as it takes for it to go to a movie channel. I don't take any extra movie channels, and never use pay-per-view. It can be a long while before they show up in the ones that are included in my Dish Network package.

Netflix recently changed their pricing and packages, and a lot of people weren't happy about it. One change is in DVDs by mail. I can't stream movies so I have to stick with DVDs. I didn't mind that so much since that bill would go down by only subscribing to DVDs. Since I got the DVR, I don't watch rented movies as much. They often sit around for weeks while I catch up on the DVR. Netflix was getting their money's worth out of me, instead of the other way around. So I cut back from 3 out to 2 out. But (grr) not before Netflix soaked me for the new bundle package bill.

I do buy DVDs but only the ones that fit in my library. Like Sci-Fi, fantasy, comic books, etc. Even those are sitting waiting for me to get to them after the DVR. Is Netflix worth it at all anymore? I'm thinking not. I think I could live with waiting for movies to show up in my Dish package. Or maybe occasionally using pay-per-view for the ones I really want to see now.

What's on the DVR.

So You Think You Can Dance just wrapped up. The winner Melanie was predictable. I was bored this season. Way too much contemporary (samo samo) and not enough of other styles. Very few routines I wanted to rewind and watch again. A lot of new choreographers were brought in, but there wasn't anything exciting and new. Even hip hop was bland under these new choreographers, and even the regular ones. One new premise that I liked was mixing the All-Stars with the usual contestant pairings. The top 20 danced with each other, and then the top ten got the All-Stars as well as each other. That worked for me since I enjoy seeing the All-Stars again, but I think the contestants need to dance with each other as well.

A note on a particular choreographer. Mark Ballas (Dancing With the Stars) was brought in for the semi-final and had Sasha and Tadd for his version of a cha cha. It was so painful to watch, and the judges felt the same. Sasha is a fierce and beautiful dancer (2nd place) and B-boy Tadd has proven he can take on pretty much anything. That they couldn't do justice to a cha cha (the beginner's dance on DWTS!) speaks for the choreographer, not the dancers. Mark is so desperate to prove himself as an edgy choreographer, he ruined it for these 2 outstanding dancers. Just as he did for his partners on DWTS. It's time for Mark to go away, maybe concentrate on his music career instead. He can do anything he wants there.

America's Got Talent. Does it? I think America ran out of talent. The only things remotely interesting this season are the light shows. As of now, there are 3 light shows I think. A guy on a black light painted bike, a variation of Fighting Gravity from last season, and Silhouettes. No really good singers or magicians, or anything. I'm not into stunt acts and there are a couple of those. Even You Tube didn't yield anything amazing this season other than the guy on the bike.

I like Howie Mandel. Always have, and I thought the show would improve with him on the judge panel. Not so much. I'm so over his feud with Piers. Piers is the voice of reason. Most of the time. Sometimes I don't know what he's thinking when he puts something really bad through. Because he's a comedian, Howie seems to think anything trying to be comedic should go through, even if no one but him is laughing. Sharon is the buffer between these two, but too often she goes for the adorable, such as kids and animals. Everybody seems to forget this competition is for a prize that includes a Vegas gig. That means they have to draw paying customers and provide a show worthy of the admission price.

Covert Affairs (USA). The main reason I watch this is to see Auggie (Christopher Gorham). He's one of my crushes these days. I was so glad for the episode that focused on him and how he lost his sight. Surely he and Annie will hook up someday? It's obvious that he is in love with her, just a matter of time until they both realize it.

Warehouse 13 and Eureka (Syfy), and Leverage (TNT) are back! Yay! Nuff said.

Haven (Syfy). This show was gone for too long, and I completely forgot about it until this 2nd season. I like it. Would have been nice if they had rerun last season to get us back up to speed.

Alphas (Syfy). Interesting, but I'm not sure if it can sustain itself. The most interesting character is the strange autistic boy.

Suits (USA). I like court room dramas, and this is one of the best new concepts since Boston Legal. It's slick and funny.

Franklin & Bash (TNT). It's Ok. It's a lot like a recently canceled court room drama (title escapes me right now) but with younger guys.

I'm also catching up reruns of Harry's Law (NBC). I hope that means it will be back in the fall.

I've recently become an avid Daily Show (Comedy Central) viewer. This is the way to get political news! Jon Stewart cuts through the crap to get to the heart of what's wrong with our government and the media that covers it. I tried to watch the Colbert Report that comes on afterwards, but I got sick of it always being about Steven Colbert. Can we say full of himself?

Attack of the Show (G4). This is for geeks. I fast forward through much of it, but watch for certain things. Around the Net samples viral videos. The Feed gives technical news, Gadget Pron reviews gadgets. There's the occasional celebrity interview that I sit through because they're stars of current or past sci-fi things. Oh yeah, and Chris Gore gives DVD reviews. This guy is far from most anyone's idea of sexy (makes me think of a bulldog), but he's another of my current crushes. I'm really tired of the hosts' attempt at comedic banter that goes on for way too long. I have to fast forward through that, too. Kevin comes off like a douche bag and Candace as a ditz. Then for some reason there's squeaky voiced Sarah who was apparently a Playboy model. I guess she and her hooker outfits are for the nerd boys who watch the show.

Some of my guilty pleasures: (none are very well written or acted, but I can't help myself)

Teen Wolf (MTV)
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
Nine Lives of Chloe King (ABC Family)
Gossip Girl (CW, in reruns)
Royal Pains (USA)


Good morning.

The Story of Everything

This was an episode of "Into the Universe" with Stephen Hawking, on the Science Channel. Hawking is one of the greatest minds in this generation, if not THE greatest. Imagine if he could procreate. The brain power that could be achieved by the human race in future generations. But that's a topic for another time. This is about the episode and where my little brain went with it.

I'm always fascinated by things that refute the Bible. I watch documentaries on such religious studies. A religious person might think these documentaries are on the side of religion, but if you pay attention, and I do, these documentaries raise more questions than they answer, and they actually question doctrine. The religious scholars who comment in the shows never say this is absolutely so or otherwise. Maybe it was edited to keep the whole thing objective, but I think these scholars are really saying this one fundamental thing. We don't know, we can't know. We just can't.

So I look to science for the best guess. This episode started with the Big Bang (of course) and Hawking's and his colleagues' theories on what happened. He says it started with one thing. Just one tiny atom. Hydrogen.

Genesis - creation. People took the Bible so literally that they believed the universe and all that's in it was created in 6 days. Science has proven that's just plain silly. So religion tries to adjust their flawed beliefs to fit the current science. Then science learns more, and more flaws appear. Christians believe their "Genesis" is the true story of creation, and the rest are just myths, including scientific theory. They are all creation myths. Yes, even the Big Bang Theory. The stories are created to explain the things that can't be explained. Science has just taken it to the next level - the logical level, and they use proven science to tell the story.

From the science arose another version of creationism called "intelligent design". This was how some religious factions compromised to acknowledge the science. It attempts to rationalize the concept of deity by saying that nothing is random, something...some "mind" had to be at the beginning to create it. In the beginning there was Nothing, and then "intelligence" created Something.

Here comes the part where my brain went. If there was nothing, where was this intelligence? It couldn't be there, nothing was there. If it was there, then there couldn't be nothing. What if there was always Something? Not an intangible "intelligence", but a real physical Thing. Hawking said in the beginning there were hydrogen atoms with their gravity and space, but he didn't speculate on how the first atoms came into existence. What if it was always there? Not magically zapped into existence by some deity. Hydrogen and gravity and space. Just THERE.

If we try to apply time to this idea it falls apart. Time implies a beginning. Scientists can only speculate on how long it took for things to happen. Their beginning point is the events leading to the Big Bang because that's as far back as they can go with the science. We can't know how long things were there waiting for something to happen, so we can't know whether or not it was always there.

Religion says the creation of life is too complex to have happened randomly. Hawking said that it could. A couple of hydrogen atoms randomly collided and created a new element and a different gravity. This new element's gravity and energy affected the atoms around it, and created more elements in new configurations. The chain reaction was unstoppable. Eventually this vast array exploded and blasted all those new elements and energy out into space, and those little pieces continued the process that led to life as we know it.

Religion says God is perfect, and everything he does is perfect. If a perfect deity had created the first atoms, they would have been arranged perfectly. That would have been the intelligent, logical thing to do, right? But intelligent design theory doesn't go that far. It simply says that the first thing, the first building block was created by intelligence. They can't give up the idea of deity because their religion won't let them.

Hawking's science says it was random, and it could only be random because it wasn't perfect. If all the little hydrogen atoms had been arranged perfectly, the exact same distance from each other in any direction, nothing else would have happened. They would have just sat there in that arrangement forever. But they weren't arranged perfectly. The arrangement was random, and the atoms' gravitational fields affected the space around them randomly. The concept of a building block created by deity is flawed because there would have been nothing else to cause a reaction. Even if this deity created the randomness necessary for things to progress as they did, it couldn't create the specific events that led to the first atoms coming together, the ones that led to us. Because it's random, it would be unpredictable and therefore uncreatable.

If that's true, and I believe it more than any religious text, life is the result of happenstance. Why is that so hard to digest? Why must there have been a mystical brain to create it? We weren't created by a god, we created god.

My inner geek wants to believe that time travel will answer all our questions. But will it? Anyone who has ever read or seen a time travel story knows that traveling back in time can and usually does change the future. The tiniest change in the past can radically change what happens later. The very act of traveling back to when those first atoms came together could change everything, because the existence of our time machine (or the device that allows us to view the past) in that time and place would affect how those first atoms come together. We might be a very different form of life. Or maybe we don't happen at all.

Good morning.

Rants on the Road

I'm in a rural community, but it's fairly modern, but I swear, drivers around here think they're on a farm access road or something. I come from a state known for bad (and angry) drivers, but the ones around here take the cake. I'll say it...these old farmers and farmers' wives are too old to be driving! I'm getting up there, but when the day comes that I can't drive right, take away my keys!

My first week here I saw 3 fender-benders in one day. That might not sound like much. Where I come from, you see at least one a day, and they usually during rush hour. This was not that. It was mid-day. Kids were in school, people where settled in at work, traffic wasn't heavy. No one was going particularly fast or trying to. In fact, traffic was rather slow. There was no excuse that I could see. I didn't get it. What the hell was going on here?

As time went on, I began to see what was going on. I think part of my problem is that because I'm retired, I'm usually out and about during the times of day the older also retired population is on the road. So I see more of what the old folks do, and it's scarier than a kid with cell phone in hand.

The kinds of things I see way too much:

Driving too slow. You know the joke. Can't see the driver's head so it's probably a little old lady hunched over the steering wheel. Or there's a hat just showing above the seat back. At least they mostly stay in the right lane, but you are at their mercy if you need to stay there for a turn and it takes forever to get to that turn.

Pulling out in front of you. What...is my car invisible? That's bad enough, but then they don't GO! They pull out, make you brake hard, and then just poke along like they're the only ones on the road. Are they ever surprised to look in the rear view mirror and see a car on their tail which they apparently didn't see coming when they pulled out? Do they look in the rear view at all? I get the feeling they can't feel the gas pedal or don't have the strength or reach to push it down.

About that. How can anyone drive effectively and safely when they are so close to the steering wheel their chin is practically against it? You've seen it. Elbows fully folded and tight to the chest, peering over the top of the steering wheel. You need some elbow room to maneuver. Most newer cars have a driver seat that can be adjusted a lot. You can raise it up, put the back away from the wheel while still keeping in reach of the pedals. You can adjust the steering wheel, too. Most of these seniors have newer cars, and it's often a nice sedan. It has all of those lovely adjustments. If your body is too old to fit any adjustments, you are too old to drive!

Speaking of nice cars, that's another running joke. Nice sedan = senior citizen. Beware. I'll add to that old truck = old farmer. Or sometimes shiny new one. My point is if it's driving like an old farmer, it probably is.

This next one is special. I mean really special and I'd never seen it before I moved down here. Stopping in the middle of the road and what...? I don't know, looking for a turn? Looking at a map or the directions? Looking at that thing over there? What??? I'm not talking about a country road. That's acceptable IF there's no one behind you. I'm talking about a divided highway with fast moving traffic. They just stop! Oh and there's no warning they are going to do something so stupid. You're clipping along at the speed limit or even over it, and then whoa...stop. Boy, have I been surprised by that brilliant move one too many times. And guess what? It's an old timer. You are not on the farm, dipstick!

Do I need to mention turn signals? Nobody...NOBODY...uses them! I want the guy behind me to know what I'm doing next. I really want to know what you intend to do. Is it that these old southern drivers didn't get drivers training? Oh that's right, they learned to drive on the farm in old trucks or tractors that didn't have turn signals. I want to know how in the hell they even pass a driver test when getting their license renewed. I think it should be mandatory every year after a certain age, and that would include the eye exam.

A little story about that. Back in the day, it was mandatory to take the written test every few years. I think now it's only required for those with a few accidents on record. I was renewing my license, and this little woman came up to me and begged me to help her with the test. I just looked at her and shook my head, and she looked back with pleading eyes, saying she didn't understand the questions. Or I don't know, maybe she couldn't read. Yeah right, lady. I'm going to help YOU get on the road. I watched as she went to other people. Don't know if she ever got it. Hope not. If she did find a soft-hearted but dumb soul, I hope he was as dumb as her and they both failed.

Where was I? Then there's the turns themselves. Most modern highways have right turn lanes. I see old drivers come to a near stop in the moving lane and then make the turn. The turn lane is so you can ease into the turn without disrupting traffic too much, you know. What did you think it was for...parking?

I'm going a little off topic now. Not much, this is still about the rules of the road. Now it's about shopping. Shopping carts, shopping aisles. Why do shoppers suddenly revert to British rules when driving their carts? If everybody drives on the right side, everybody keeps moving in an efficient fashion. Why is that so hard? It should be 2nd nature, you're already doing it in your car. Other things you can apply. Like looking before pulling out into an aisle.

One that annoys me to no end! Stopping in the middle of the aisle. Look around. Are there other people in the aisle? They probably want to go around you. Nooo. They have to excuse themselves, and usually louder than should be necessary, and more than once since you are oblivious. Pull the hell over! That's what you'd do on the road, isn't it? Isn't it???

It gets worse. Socializing in the middle of a busy aisle. Suddenly stop to chat with someone going the other way. Neither of you look around to see if this is a good place for a chat. I feel a bit uncomfortable having to interrupt your important conversation to say excuse me. And again more than once and louder since you didn't hear me the first time. One of the chatters is even facing me, but for some reason I went invisible.

I wish shopping carts had horns, or maybe those little hotel desk bells. Wouldn't that be cool? Not only would we get the oblivious ones' attention, it would get everyone's attention and they'd be embarrassed. Might get annoying but I think it's a fine idea. Maybe they'd learn.

I will admit that I'm guilty of occasionally stopping in the aisle without looking around. But I always realize what I've done right away and correct quickly.

One last rant. Cell phones. I notice if someone is following me too close, and I pump my brake lights in hopes they see I'm slowing down or coming to a stop. I'm really nervous if they have a phone stuck to their ear, and these days, 3 out of 5 do. If ever someone rear ends me while on the phone, I'm going to make the report call and then dash their fuckin phone on the ground!

It's polite to allow someone to pull in front of you when they are stuck in a parking lot waiting for a traffic jam to clear. I will let anyone in that position in. I'm just sitting there anyways, it's not going to slow me down any more. But if you are on the phone...no. Sit there and finish your damn call. You aren't paying attention anyways, so you won't notice me giving the go wave. I'm not going to sit there and wait for you to notice.

Well, I've gone on long enough about this. I will probably revisit this rant again sometime. There's more.

Good morning.

Random thoughts

Recently the term "act of God" was mentioned online. In particular, a car-deer crash. The insurance company calls this an act of God and waives the deductible.

Think about this. Why is a deer running out in front of your car an act of God? Did God in his infinite wisdom send one of his creatures to crash your car? Why would he do this? Were you in his radar? Why would such an important personage care about your car so much that he felt that it needed to be destroyed. Oh wait. This is one of those tests God is always sending, huh? Your faith needed to be tested so he wrecked your car by killing an innocent and beautiful animal.

I appreciate that insurance companies recognize there are some things we can't control or prevent. But why call it an act of God? Wouldn't "natural causes" be a better term. And really, does it reflect the kind of god we'd want? The bible toters say God is wise and good, blah blah. It's God's will if you survive a disaster, and it's a measure of your faith how you get through it. Bullshit. It's dumb luck if you survive and a measure of your strength how you get through it. Your strength comes from within you and not some intangible outside force.

I was thumbing through a Reader's Digest the other day, and a letter to the editor caught my eye. It was from a Jehovah's Witness in response to an article about door to door sales. I kind of remember the article and it gave tips on how to handle unwanted door-knockers. This JW felt he had every right to knock on your door, take up your valuable time, and spew his theology. I should mention it's not just JW who do this. Many Christian denominations do it, too. They feel their right to religious freedom is the right to infringe upon your freedom. Where did they get this idea? From their bible of course, and they take what they want literally. Interesting that they don't take everything in the books literally, just the parts that work to their advantage. In this case, the advantage is to recruit more members to fill their church's tills.

A few years ago, a family member was accosted by JW on Christmas Day! No shit! He couldn't believe it either. In the midst of their brunch and opening gifts, this band of JWs wanted them to listen to their sermon and of course convert to their way of worship. Which apparently doesn't include one of the main Christian holidays.

Enough about that. TV time.

Dancing With The Stars. What a great season this has been! The best I can remember in a long time. It was about dancing. The stars who deserved to stay are still dancing, the ones who didn't cut it are gone. Plain and simple and honest. We're down to the finals and it's going to be a close call. The freestyles are next and we're looking forward to it.

Hines and Kim. What a guy! I think the entire country is madly in love with him and it helps that he can dance. Unfortunately, Kim's injury (her neck was seriously sprained attempting a difficult trick in rehearsals) has them both gun shy and the freestyle might not be as outstanding as it could be.

Kirstie and Maks. I'm actually surprised she made it to the finals over Ralph Macchio, but he did lose ground with less than great judge scores. I'm sure the tallies were very close. I love her too, and she and Maks get along so great. But one thing has bothered me. Who the hell is dressing her??? I get that she's a full-figured middle-aged woman who can't get away with skimpy costumes, but most of her outfits have been horrible! Even for the elegant dances that called for beautiful flowing gowns. They've looked more like bad bridesmaid dresses with extra bling, or silly Halloween costumes. UGLY!

Chelsea and Mark. What a cutie she is! And she is a really good dancer. Mark is my bitch here. I've decided I really don't care for him. He is supposed to be showcasing his partner's strengths and instead seems to be channeling his inner choreographer wanna-be. He always outdances his star instead of being the frame and support he's supposed to be. The judges have called him out more than once for his edgy routines. It's similar to how Lacey Schwimmer (brought onboard as a pro fresh off her successful run on So You Think You Can Dance) was called on the carpet for showboating her edgy style at the expense of her star. Mark justifies it by saying Chelsea is young and the routine should be young. Young doesn't mean edgy, the judges still want traditional ballroom. In one of the early weeks, his routine was so out of the box, even Carrie Ann didn't like it. She said there's a time and a place and this wasn't it. That particular routine was really good, but not for then. It would have been a great freestyle. What's left if you've already done freestyle more than once. I am looking forward to their freestyle and hope he doesn't go overboard for Chelsea's sake.

I'm sure it will come down to Hines and Chelsea, but I'm not taking bets on either. I can't call it.

Smallville. The much anticipated series finale was kind of anticlimactic and a little confusing. From the beginning, it was said that Clark wouldn't wear a cape and he didn't. We were teased by glimpses of the red and blue suit, and it was even hinted that Clark's mother sent it to him. In the end, he did wear it, but we didn't see the whole thing. Just that final image of him tearing off his shirt to reveal the suit as he leaped into the sky. Yes, he finally learned to fly. Lex Luther returned from the dead as expected so the mythology is as it always was. I really liked the small story in the background of the last few seasons about how Martha Kent entered politics and then used her connections and resulting power to help her son in his battles. She went from a simple farmer's wife to a formidable woman.

BTW, you're right if you're thinking I'm a closet comic book nerd. At a young age, I was ridiculed by my "peers" for my fascination with comic books, and subsequently left them behind. If not for that, I'd probably be a comic book junky to this day. Instead, I indulge in film based on comic books.

There were a lot more season finales this month, and summer reruns and a few summer series will start up. Mostly notably (for me) So You Think You Can Dance starts in 2 weeks. Yay!

Maybe I can catch up on Netflix now. They've got their money's worth out of me lately! I've held movies for way too long while I watched what I had on DVR. I had to, the disk was nearly full almost every night. I've got a few series in waiting to watch in their entirety after the season finale, and they take up a lot of space. Looking forward to Supernatural and Merlin marathons.

Good morning.

DWTS - week 3

I am really enjoying this season! It's pretty even as far as how the stars are dancing, with some better than others and some worse than others.

I'm really really enjoying Kirstie and Maks. I can't believe how well she's dancing, and Maks loves her. That was too bad about Maks's stumble in the rumba last night, but they pulled it up. I think if not for that, they would have got a high score, maybe the top. So right now, they're my favorite team.

Unfortunately, the station lost service in the middle of the show, and I missed several dances. Wish it would have been some that I didn't like. Like Wendy and Sugar Ray. Sorry, I see them gone very soon. Not crazy about Romeo either so I could have missed his routine.

That's another thing I'm liking about this season. Voters are actually voting for good dancers! The bottom 3 last week were the worst dancers and it wasn't about their popularity. Sugar Ray was there, and these venerated old-timers usually stick around for a while.

There is something on my mind about the order of the dances. It seems to me, things should start with the easiest dances. Cha Cha is always first, and that's simple enough for a first Latin. I think Waltz would be a better first ballroom. But then they throw Jive in the 2nd week and Jive is not easy. The stars should have a chance to get their feet under them before they tackle it. Not only that, but it's one of my favorites and I like to see it done well. Rumba would be a better 2nd week dance because it's slower and the dancers can practice technique in it.

So what else is on the DVR? I'm suffering through the spring hiatus on many of my favorites. Hate that. I'm into it, I don't want a break.

Smallville. I have no idea what is happening here. They promised this final season would wrap up the Superman mythology, but so far it's been kind of disjointed. Like the Lex-clone now known as Conner. Is he the future Superboy (is there a Superboy?) or will the Lex DNA take over to make him the arch-villain again? I'm thinking the latter as there was always Lex, wasn't there? Lois lost her edge, and I don't care for her. I love the Chloe-Oliver (Green Arrow) dynamic, but I'm sure it's not going to be a big part of the rest of the series. Last we saw, they got married in Vegas and went off into the sunset. Yeah, disjointed. I guess what I was hoping to see was the reformation of the Justice League including all the former members of Watchtower. And will Clark not learn to fly until the very end?

Supernatural. The season is stacked on the DVR, and I haven't seen any of it yet. I'm looking forward to a marathon watch. Also waiting for it to pick up after the spring break. I might have to add this series to the library.

Merlin. Also stacked, and another that might be library-worthy.

Being Human. I'm not sure if I like this. The problem is there is 2 versions. The original British version that I saw first. I thought it was canceled when Syfy picked it up and made an American version with new actors. Then it seems the British version is still being produced. Color me confused. I don't know which to watch, and usually forget to check the BBC listings for it. This is not a show I fret about missing.

The Event. This is another one that irks me with the long breaks. I've lost momentum. Hey, if the break will be that long, at least run reruns so we can catch up again.

Other stuff I'm watching:
The Good Wife
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice
Ordinary Family
Harry's Law
Nikita
Hellcats
Gossip Girl
Vampire Diaries
Mr. Sunshine
Big Bang Theory
Glee
House
Sanctuary (coming back soon)

Dish Network added Starz channels temporarily to my line up. Supposedly free for a year. I don't take movie channels, that's what Netflix is for. I have adjusted the Netflix queue as Starz showed some of the things I had saved. But I'm here to tell you, the Starz line-up is not going to make me want to pay for it. I find maybe 2 or 3 movies a week that I want to watch, and then they are run over and over again before anything new comes along. Why would I pay for that?

Speaking of Netflix. I like a la carte movies, but it's so frustrating that new releases aren't released when they are released elsewhere. What's up with that? At one time I thought about switching to Blockbuster because they did release them right away, but it's a good thing I didn't. The local Blockbuster is closing shop and I think they might have given up the movie via mail concept.

Till next time.
Good morning.

Dancing With The Stars - week 1

OK!!! Now this is the DWTS I fell in love with! Fun, happy, no drama or controversy, no divas or dickheads. No outstanding dancing out of the gate, but mostly not horrible either.

Most of the sports stars I don't know from anything, but I liked all of them. I think the football guy will go far on his sweet personality. A few people I've never heard of, but that's not unusual. Surprises from people I do know.

Ralph Macchio and Kirstie Alley came out on top. I admit I'd heard that Ralph wowed before I watched it. DVR, you know. Kirstie, now she was a surprise. I've always liked her, and sad she's had so much up and down in her life, and that tabloids tore her to pieces for it. She looked and danced great! 60? Really??? I'm very happy for her and hope she sticks around for a while. It looks like Maks finally has a partner who won't piss him off too much.

Wendy Williams was a disaster. I don't really know her because I don't watch that kind of stuff, but I know of her from my fav clip show The Soup. I guess her personality is best(?) sitting down.

There might be a dickhead in Romeo. Turns out he's the son of the king of dickheads Master P who had the lowest scores ever (2's) and somehow managed to stay around way too long. It took those low scores for the judges to finally get him gone. What happened back then was that Romeo was supposed to go on but was injured so his dad stepped in. And we suffered. Romeo is already showing his cockiness which doesn't endear him to me, but at least he's taking the dancing seriously.

Maybe a diva in Kendra. She wasn't a bad dancer, but I just don't have a lot of respect for reality "stars". She's not as cute as she thinks she is.

Good to see Dmitry back on the floor this season. He's one of my fav pros. His super model partner wasn't bad so hopefully I'll get to see more.

All in all, an enjoyable season shaping up. I don't have any favorites yet, but I think this season won't piss me off.

BTW, what the hell was going on with Brook's dress? Why was there a big floppy hat stuck on her hip? Where's the fashion police when you need them?

Good morning.

Musings about a Michael.

Am I the only one who thinks Michael Jackson killed himself? The doctor being investigated in his death says that's the case, although he doesn't say it was on purpose. But it entered my head the instant I heard he died shortly after his 50th birthday.

Think about it. The guy was a nutjob. Ok fine, we'll use the more polite term eccentric. He did a lot of strange things to further his fame and notoriety, and some that didn't seem to serve any purpose. What better way to go down in history (ala Elvis) than to die at the milestone age of 50 with a final record in the works? He'll be adored and revered for all eternity just like Elvis, and he would have known that. He also had to know that thanks to the things he did to his face, he wouldn't age gracefully.

Don't get me wrong. While not a fan, I do appreciate his contributions to music and dance. Elvis is revered for the same reasons, but I don't think he killed himself. He was just a victim of his own excesses. Michael, I have my doubts. He was obsessive about his "health", and other than the drugs he had access to and the things he did to himself, was probably in fairly good shape.

I'd even go so far as to say he had help. He could pay someone (that doctor?) to provide him with the drugs to do the job. Who knows but the ones involved...that record may have been finished before he died.

Just saying.

Happy New Year from The Wee Dark Hours.

World Religions Simplified

Even though this blog is linked to it, I feel the need to preserve this piece of wisdom in some small way. This is one of the most hilarious internet things I've ever seen, and it would be a shame if it was lost to the ever-changing dynamics of the web.

World Religions Simplified

Taoism = Shit happens.

Confucianism = Confucius say, "Shit happens."

Buddhism = If shit happens, it isn't really shit.

Zen = What is the sound of shit happening?

Hinduism = This shit happened before.

Islam = If shit happens, it is the will of Allah.

Sunni = If we do shit to Shiites, it is the will of Allah.

Shiite = If we do shit to Sunnis, it is the will of Allah.

Judaism = Why does shit always happen to us?

Christianity = Christ died for your shit.

Protestantism = Let shit happen to someone else.

Catholicism = If shit happens, you deserved it.

Evangelicalism = Shit happens—praise the Lord!

Jehovah's Witneses = The end of shit happening is near.

Christian Science = Read about shit happening.

Televangelism = Send money or shit will happen to you.

Mormonism = Shit happens to Gentiles.

Scientology = Engrams happen.

Animisim = Spirits make shit happen.

New Age = Visualize no shit happening.

Rastafarian = Smoke that shit.

Humanism = People allow shit to happen.

Atheism = There is no such thing as shit.

Agnosticism = Maybe shit happens...maybe not.

That sucked.

Yeah, I'm talking about DWTS final Three. I loved Joel McHale's (The Soup) take on it! "In the most sexually charged moment in the show's history, we watched as Brandy got fucked." Bleeped of course, but there's no doubt what he said. I bout fell outta my chair!

In other news, a guy shot his tv after Bristol was moved into the finals, and some idiot sent an envelope containing white powder to the DWTS set. The DWTS producers must be dancing all the way to the bank!

So what is going on here? There's conspiracy theory, and I'm inclined to believe it. Look at other seasons that kept really bad dancers for way longer than we should have had to watch them. I look at polls on various gossip sites and what have you, and everyone seems to be for the better dancers. And yet, we are forced to watch a mediocre dancer in the finals over someone who had real talent. We miss out on the final routines we were looking forward to, and now must watch what we know will not be worth watching.

Many state that it's not a conspiracy. They say Bristol simply has a following in the fan base that relates to her and her tribulations. Shy girl with no performing talent or experience, teen pregnancy. Maybe. Kelly Osbourne went this far on the same premise (except for the preggers part), and she and Bristol are about equal for talent. No, I take that back. Kelly grew into a real performer, and she had an appealing personality.

So how would a conspiracy go down? Easy. There's email lists, Facebook, Twitter, etc, and they can all connect with each other. A wide spread campaign to overload the voting system would not be hard to pull off. Maks mentioned it in one of his comments. People who wanted to vote, couldn't. Phone lines and internet polls were jammed, software glitches denied votes, voters cheated by using multiple email addys. Easy.

Was it about Sarah Palin and/or politics? Maybe. She was certainly stumping pretty hard for her cub. The current political scene is certainly charged on both sides.

The judges were partly to blame. They gave Bristol better scores than she deserved. I guess they try to boost the confidence of someone like this. They did it with Kelly, too. They've been more ruthless in the past, it's time to take off the kid gloves again. BTW, one of the judges (Carrie Ann?) begged Brandy & Maks to come back and do their Free Style routine. Don't know how they'd work that in. Maybe in the finale when all the stars come back for an encore. I hope they do. We who watch the show for dance wanted to see it.

The question of how all this will affect the show came up. Will celebrities want to go on it when they know that the system can be skewed so badly? Viewers will suffer more and more lesser "stars" instead of the favorites we want to see. I can see the producers scarfing up all this publicity and looking to see where they can generate it again in future casting. The show will become more about controversy than dancing, and it will not be pretty.

I wonder when the next season of So You Think You Can Dance begins? I need an honest dance competition to cleanse my palette. Hey! Idea! What about an honest, no celebrities, ballroom competition ala SYTYCD? Show us real people learning ballroom. No fan base, no politics, just honest voting for the best dancers.

I'll mention the nonsense that is Skating With The Stars. Nope, not watching. I watched a little the last time they tried it, but it was dumb. I knew a few of the names back then and even fewer now. It was a flop then and it will be again. Give it up. You can't ride on the success of DWTS, and unlike dancing, skating is not something just anybody can do.

Can I also mention the absurdity that is the PSA for abstinence, safe sex, and teen pregnancy? Bristol and the Situation talking abstinence and condoms? Really??? Who came up with this ridiculous thing? Who wrote the script? Who thought this was a good idea?

I won't shoot my tv if Bristol wins (oh please god forbid!), but I sure won't be happy. I'm resigned to the fact that one of my favorite shows has become a parody of itself.

Good morning.