People said this was going to be a competitive game. People said the edge in the playoff picture was at stake. People said both these top teams would put on a show. Boy oh boy, were we all right. This was probably the most exciting game I've seen this season. A simple start turned into a fight to comeback, and then ended in overtime to the team that truly earned the victory.
The beginning of the game had me a little worried. The offense on both teams were looking great. The Giants got on the board first with a field goal, and the Panthers answered back with a touchdown. It was back-and-forth a little, but Carolina had the edge a little, and by the half the Giants were down 21-13. It was still close enough that there was some hope.
The Giants scored a touchdown, but again the Panthers answered back with another. Even with another touchdown, we would need a 2-point conversion to tie up the game. The Giants played hard, and had their running game stepped up by now that they could pull it off. Brandon Jacobs, who I've nicknamed "The Beast" this season, ran through Carolina's defense to get the touchdown. Then they beat the odds, and Manning threw to Hixon to get the 2 points, and tie it up 28-28. Our defense got their act together enough to hold the Panthers, who luckily missed a 50 yard field goal, until the 4th quarter ended.
Now it was intense. One team just needed to score, and nobody wanted to see another tie game like one earlier this year. The Giants had possession first, but couldn't make their way close enough to the endzone. The Panthers had decent field position, but they couldn't move forward, and had to give the ball back. This time, our star Ward took over with three great runs that brought us to 2 yards from a touchdown or an easy field goal. But as was expected, we used Jacobs to bulldoze through to get the touchdown. For me, it was an exciting end to a great game. And now I'm comfortable with where the Giants are. We're top of our division, we got a first round bye, our games will be at home, and we're officially No. 1 seed in the NFC. Looking good team, looking good.
Moving on, since I'll be going to California this weekend, I know that the plane ride will give me some time to actually read a good book. Now, I read a lot of different books, fiction and non-fiction, action, drama, sci-fi........basically anything male-oriented (at least I would hope). Because of this, I usually read books from various authors, but I do have one in particular that has some great books. I'm talking about Tom Clancy.
I first started reading his books in high school. His stories revolve around governments and militaries, which lead to some intricate stories. What makes his fictional work great is how he takes several different stories and ties them together in a way that makes absolute sense. You read his books, and atfirst things are going in different directions. But after some time, it piles on top of eachother to the point that you get even more into it because you know where the characters have come from, and what has led up to the events in front of you. Basically, your time reading the story has been worth it.
Since I'm partial to action, Clancy manages to fit that in to his stories. Because he has a military background, he has a knack for descirbing any kind of battle, from the ground, sea, or air; between soldiers and their technology. He keeps it that it's easy to understand. He doesn't hold back either in the descriptions. We know war is violent and gruesome, so he tells it as such. And that makes it even more believable.
If I had to pick a novel of his as my absolute favorite, I'd have to pick "Rainbow Six." There's a few reasons why I have to pick this one. This one is a little easier to understand than many of his others, mainly because of its set-up. It also features one of my favorite characters, spy-turned-leader John Clark. Finally, this book easily has the most action of any other, and is described so well that it's easy to picture. I will list his other books I've read so far: The Hunt For Red October, Patriot Games, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, Clear and Present Danger, The Sum of All Fears, Without Remorse, SSN, The Bear and The Dragon, and Red Rabbit.
Just to throw this out there, I have seen every movie based on Tom Clancy's novels. So far, the ones they've done are Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Hunt For Red October, and The Sum of All Fears. "Red October" is easily the best as it stuck really close to the novel, both in story and character personalities.
OK, I think I've extended this long enough. Gotta love entertainment in all its forms. So what if I get into it a little.........I know someone out there is enjoying this. Coming up, since TV will be slow this week I'll be talking about tonight's season finale of Prison Break, the Wii side of the Great Debate, and maybe some other fun stuff. That will be later; but right now, you need to find entertainment. Because right now, I'm off in search for the same thing.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
TV Wrap-Up: 12/14-12/20
Another week of TV is in the books. There were plenty high-profile shows ending for the season or going on hiatus, but mostly re-runs because of the upcoming holidays. Let's see what went down:
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles- This was the season finale before the show returns in February at a new night. Interesting storyline with Sarah Connor, who finally gets some real moments on the show that she hadn't had for a few weeks. Awesome ending with a tribute to the mythology of the series. Decent set-up for the character of Riley, though not as interesting. Most everything took a back seat to Sarah, which was fine with me.
Prison Break- Still going strong. Glad to see a character from season 1 make an appearance. A lot of changes were made before the actual season finale tomorrow night. Quite a few surprises made the episode great, as well as some action and tense moments. Considering they could've ended the season with this episode, now the hype is up for the season finale. Hope it delivers.
Heroes- A decent ending before the start of the new season in February. Highlight had to be with Sylar hunting down everyone at Primatech. Some real creativity was shown, although some cheesey moments were also there. Ando's character was stepped up, which was long overdue. The rest wasn't too memorable, but the peek at what's happening next season shows some promise. We'll have to wait and see though.
Friday Night Smackdown!- Actually got a chance to watch a little wrestling! On the upside, some good storytelling with The Miz and John Morrison against Jesse and Festus, a well-done match between Edge and Matt Hardy, and a good welcome for new WWE champion Jeff Hardy. On the downside, a lackluster debut for Ezekiel Jackson, and again more work needs to be done to improve the female wrestlers on the show. In the end, I didn't mind watching this one.
The Soup- The show will be highlighting the best clips of the year, so not too much was new about it. Some jokes were good, but it's hard seeing the same clips again. Still, usually the second part of this special is entertaining, so I'm not too bothered.
WWE Tribute to the Troops- The yearly special took place, and was cut way short. Instead of a full 2-hour event, it was cut down to 1. Only 2 matches took place, and of course the main event had to be the best one. Some little moments were great, including JBL's entrance and some highlights of the troops meeting the wrestlers. Other than that, nothing too outstanding compared to the previous specials.
Sorry if this was a slow TV week, but at least there was something to watch. Coming up in the next blogs will be a highlight of the NY Giants/Carolina Panthers game tonight, Part 2 of The Great Debate (featuring the Wii system), and a look at next year's returning TV shows. Until then, I'm off to find some entertainment.........as for you out there, you might do well to do the same.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles- This was the season finale before the show returns in February at a new night. Interesting storyline with Sarah Connor, who finally gets some real moments on the show that she hadn't had for a few weeks. Awesome ending with a tribute to the mythology of the series. Decent set-up for the character of Riley, though not as interesting. Most everything took a back seat to Sarah, which was fine with me.
Prison Break- Still going strong. Glad to see a character from season 1 make an appearance. A lot of changes were made before the actual season finale tomorrow night. Quite a few surprises made the episode great, as well as some action and tense moments. Considering they could've ended the season with this episode, now the hype is up for the season finale. Hope it delivers.
Heroes- A decent ending before the start of the new season in February. Highlight had to be with Sylar hunting down everyone at Primatech. Some real creativity was shown, although some cheesey moments were also there. Ando's character was stepped up, which was long overdue. The rest wasn't too memorable, but the peek at what's happening next season shows some promise. We'll have to wait and see though.
Friday Night Smackdown!- Actually got a chance to watch a little wrestling! On the upside, some good storytelling with The Miz and John Morrison against Jesse and Festus, a well-done match between Edge and Matt Hardy, and a good welcome for new WWE champion Jeff Hardy. On the downside, a lackluster debut for Ezekiel Jackson, and again more work needs to be done to improve the female wrestlers on the show. In the end, I didn't mind watching this one.
The Soup- The show will be highlighting the best clips of the year, so not too much was new about it. Some jokes were good, but it's hard seeing the same clips again. Still, usually the second part of this special is entertaining, so I'm not too bothered.
WWE Tribute to the Troops- The yearly special took place, and was cut way short. Instead of a full 2-hour event, it was cut down to 1. Only 2 matches took place, and of course the main event had to be the best one. Some little moments were great, including JBL's entrance and some highlights of the troops meeting the wrestlers. Other than that, nothing too outstanding compared to the previous specials.
Sorry if this was a slow TV week, but at least there was something to watch. Coming up in the next blogs will be a highlight of the NY Giants/Carolina Panthers game tonight, Part 2 of The Great Debate (featuring the Wii system), and a look at next year's returning TV shows. Until then, I'm off to find some entertainment.........as for you out there, you might do well to do the same.
Friday, December 19, 2008
The Great Debate: Playstation 3 vs. Nintendo Wii vs. X-Box 360 (Part 1)
So many controversal debates go on over some very serious issues nowadays. But I'll be honest: not too many of them effect me personally. And the ones that do don't strike me in a passionate way or too many people I know are on my side, so I have no opposite to civilly debate with (and by civilly, which I hope is a word, I mean stomp all over them with my views that are far better than theirs). However, I find my internal conflicts much more interesting. The most recent one that has come up has been in regards as to what should be the next video game system I get. Those of you who know me are thinking, "Didn't he already decide on this?" Although my initial choice was set some time ago, some more recent develops have forced me to open my mind a little, and see the strengths and weaknesses of all available choices. Those choices consist of: Playstation 3 (the front-runner), the Nintendo Wii (the system for all), and the X-Box 360 (the newest contender). Who knows, maybe in the end of all this I could end up owning all three.........but for now, I can only start with one. So for Part 1, I will be going over the potential of the surprise contender that is the X-Box 360.
Lets start with the system in general. Now, there are two forms of the system available: the Pro and the Arcade. The Pro starts at about $299, while the arcade starts at $199. Seeing as how I'm not intense about the online aspects and the amount of memory space available, I think I'll be looking to get the Arcade version, which is also the cheapest system available between the "Top 3." This was the version I played at a friends recently, and I'll admit I was impressed. The graphics are stellar for the system, even though it wasn't even in HD, so I can only imagine. The system uses wireless controllers, which seems to be a new standard for all the newer systems. It uses memory cards as well as hard drives for storing your games, which makes it easy to bring your saved games to a friends. Besides video games, you can also use it to watch DVDs, play music CDs, and view pictures on your digital camera. Only recently has it been seen there are problems with the system, but most of that is due to mishandling by its users. Overall, the system isn't revolutionary, but still has much to offer.
Now then, lets look at the games the system has. See, while many games appear on multiple systems, some seem to be better when played on the XB360. However, considering it's not an immediate argument for choosing this system, I'm going to look at the games that are exclusively for this system. First, I will make an honorable mention to the ever popular "Halo 3." I had played the first one long ago, and it's basically your standard first-person-shooter that offers some things that draw in an insane amount of players. While I respect the game's popularity, I will say that I'm more interested in another shoot-em up action series I've seen that thoroughly impresses me. Just 3 words: "Gears of War." This is strong game graphically, it's easily playable, and easily addictive especially when you get your friends involved. This game alone first peaked my interest in the system. Other mentionable games:
- Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (I love this series that originally was on Playstation, but now has jumped ship. Fun to play, and very addictive)
- BioShock and F.E.AR. (I paired these up because they're similar games, and because they're also on Playstation 2. Still, most PC games translate better to the X-Box, and these two are popular and very impressive. Definitely must haves)
- Dead Rising (First watched a friend play this game, and it looked very fun. I have a thing for zombies, but this game made it exciting to take them on)
- Condemned 2: Bloodshot (This game I played at my friends, and was pleased with its unique style. However, it seems I might need to see the original to understand where it came from)
As you can see, there's a lot to say about how much I would like this system, but there are some flaws that would deter me. The biggest factor is that many of my favorite game series aren't available on this system. Tekken, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy.......games I play regularly, and yet they're only playable elsewhere. Although I could explore the series the X-Box 360 has to offer, many are sequels to original X-Box games that I've never played, and I won't get the full experience. And based on my research, only some if not all of the original Xbox games aren't playable on the new system. If there are some, than I'd have no problem buying the cheap Xbox games to try out. But for now, that's fairly uncertain. Lastly, looking into future games coming out, I'm not seeing a lot that gain my attention. If I'm going to play this system for a long time, I want to know there will be some good games coming out that I can play.
Well, I think that's enough for the info. I will conclude by saying that the Xbox 360 is a good choice for me just because of the games available, and the price. It's not my first choice, but I would gladly make use of the system if I owned it. Had enough yet?
So, as for my next posts, you will get Part 2 of this debate, as well as the weekly TV round-up. That's the entertainment you can look forward to........but for now, you're on your own. Find something entertaining right now. What? You think I'm going to sit here until I can put my next blog up? No, I think I'll find some entertainment of my own.
Lets start with the system in general. Now, there are two forms of the system available: the Pro and the Arcade. The Pro starts at about $299, while the arcade starts at $199. Seeing as how I'm not intense about the online aspects and the amount of memory space available, I think I'll be looking to get the Arcade version, which is also the cheapest system available between the "Top 3." This was the version I played at a friends recently, and I'll admit I was impressed. The graphics are stellar for the system, even though it wasn't even in HD, so I can only imagine. The system uses wireless controllers, which seems to be a new standard for all the newer systems. It uses memory cards as well as hard drives for storing your games, which makes it easy to bring your saved games to a friends. Besides video games, you can also use it to watch DVDs, play music CDs, and view pictures on your digital camera. Only recently has it been seen there are problems with the system, but most of that is due to mishandling by its users. Overall, the system isn't revolutionary, but still has much to offer.
Now then, lets look at the games the system has. See, while many games appear on multiple systems, some seem to be better when played on the XB360. However, considering it's not an immediate argument for choosing this system, I'm going to look at the games that are exclusively for this system. First, I will make an honorable mention to the ever popular "Halo 3." I had played the first one long ago, and it's basically your standard first-person-shooter that offers some things that draw in an insane amount of players. While I respect the game's popularity, I will say that I'm more interested in another shoot-em up action series I've seen that thoroughly impresses me. Just 3 words: "Gears of War." This is strong game graphically, it's easily playable, and easily addictive especially when you get your friends involved. This game alone first peaked my interest in the system. Other mentionable games:
- Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (I love this series that originally was on Playstation, but now has jumped ship. Fun to play, and very addictive)
- BioShock and F.E.AR. (I paired these up because they're similar games, and because they're also on Playstation 2. Still, most PC games translate better to the X-Box, and these two are popular and very impressive. Definitely must haves)
- Dead Rising (First watched a friend play this game, and it looked very fun. I have a thing for zombies, but this game made it exciting to take them on)
- Condemned 2: Bloodshot (This game I played at my friends, and was pleased with its unique style. However, it seems I might need to see the original to understand where it came from)
As you can see, there's a lot to say about how much I would like this system, but there are some flaws that would deter me. The biggest factor is that many of my favorite game series aren't available on this system. Tekken, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy.......games I play regularly, and yet they're only playable elsewhere. Although I could explore the series the X-Box 360 has to offer, many are sequels to original X-Box games that I've never played, and I won't get the full experience. And based on my research, only some if not all of the original Xbox games aren't playable on the new system. If there are some, than I'd have no problem buying the cheap Xbox games to try out. But for now, that's fairly uncertain. Lastly, looking into future games coming out, I'm not seeing a lot that gain my attention. If I'm going to play this system for a long time, I want to know there will be some good games coming out that I can play.
Well, I think that's enough for the info. I will conclude by saying that the Xbox 360 is a good choice for me just because of the games available, and the price. It's not my first choice, but I would gladly make use of the system if I owned it. Had enough yet?
So, as for my next posts, you will get Part 2 of this debate, as well as the weekly TV round-up. That's the entertainment you can look forward to........but for now, you're on your own. Find something entertaining right now. What? You think I'm going to sit here until I can put my next blog up? No, I think I'll find some entertainment of my own.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A Quick Look At The Ultimate Fighter Finale and Giants vs. Cowboys
Sorry it's taken me a couple of days to get the weekend stuff on here. There's less time during the holidays, but even less for the little things. Sorry if my intro is a little down, but unfortunately the topics for today's blog were a part of the most frustrating sports weekend I've ever had. There was its upsides, sure, but in the end I was so worked up that I vented about it to most everyone I discussed it with. So I will be keeping this brief so I don't get worked up again.
Saturday night was the start with The Ultimate Fighter Finale for season 8. What made the event interesting was that other than 2 fights on the card, every other fight featured fighters from the recent season of the show. This hasn't been done in quite a while.
The first fight was between lightweights Dave Kaplan and Junie Browning. Based on the show, I really came to dislike Browning, and hoped he wouldn't have a career in the UFC. Unfortunately, they gave him this fight against an easy competitor, and he won by submission in the second round by armbar. And afterwards he was awarded the Fight of the Night bonus, which made absolutely no sense to me since it was so one-sided.
Next was Wilson Gouveia taking on Jason MacDonald. At the weigh-ins the day before, Gouveia missed the middleweight requirement by 4 pounds, so it would seem that he would be out of shape and MacDonald should win provided he fight smart. But he managed to prove us wrong by charging at the well-known striker, and got KO'd in the first round for his efforts. Already this wasn't looking good as my picks to win weren't holding up.
After that was a welterweight rematch between Anthony Johnson and Kevin Burns. The first fight ended when Burns accidently poked Johnson in the eye, and Johnson fell to the ground, which led the referee to believe that Johnson had been knocked out. So this fight came, and some action filled the first two rounds until Johnson got justice, and knocked out Burns with a beautiful kick to his chin. Finally, the guy I rooted for won a fight!
Two undercard fights were shown before the two main event fights. Elliot Marshall submitted Jules Bruchez with ease in a rear-naked choke in their light heavyweight fight, and Krzysztof Soszynski submitted Shane Primm with a kimura in the second that nearly ripped his shoulder apart. Two more picks went my way thanks to these light heavyweights.
Then was the fight for the light heavyweight contract between Ryan Bader and Vinny Magalhaes. Most everyone had Magalhaes picked, but I was very confident in Bader. The surprise that came from this fight was that not only did Bader pick up the win, but he managed to KO Magalhaes with a right that was blocked, but still hard enough to send him to the ground. I jumped for joy when Bader was the winner, and hopefully we'll see him fight too.
Finally, it was time for Phillipe Nover to fight Efrain Escudero for the lightweight contract. Nover was highly praised on the show, compared to many great UFC fighters, and seemed to have the better skills than his opponent. So thinking about it, unless Escudero caught him by surprise, Nover should get the win, right? In the end, Escudero not only beat Nover, he dominated the first 2 rounds, and fought smart in the 3rd to get the unanimous decision. Almost seems illogical. After studying the results, I realized Nover, for all his talents, was not mentally prepared, and didn't have a gameplan for his fight. He got my hopes up, and then disappointed me. I can't say more.........
The weekend of course didn't end for me there. The big game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys was on Sunday, and even though the Giants had clinched their division, they needed a good win to show they are still a team to be feared. After being 0-0 for most of the beginning, I missed a little of the game until the end of the second quarter, and saw that Dallas had pulled ahead 7-3. I wasn't worried as the game was close, and figured we had a chance as long as our defense could continue to hold, and our offense could maybe step up a little. That didn't happen right away, as Dallas scored another touchdown, and our offense starting to look like last week's, as Eli Manning was doing fine, but not only could their scoring players offer no help, but the players defending the QB couldn't keep their end of the deal. Dallas got up to 14-3. We got a lucky break in the forth quater with a touchback and a field goal, which meant all we need was a good touchdown for the win. Instead of holding Dallas, they scored an easy touchdown, making the score 20-8. With only two minutes left, I knew it was over, and stopped watching. That score was how the game ended.
Next Sunday we play the Carolina Panthers, the team right on our behind in the playoff picture. The Giants need to wake up in a hurry, as a win is needed to keep us in a good position in the playoffs. I can only hope our mistakes are corrected from these last couple of games.
Well, I need to talk about more pleasant things before my blood-pressure rises anymore. I recently finished LEGO Batman for the Playstation 2, and as much as I wanted to jump into Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, I think I'll wait until Christmas to see what games Santa throws at me.
That's my time for tonight. Until my TV wrap-up for the week, I think I'll start part 1 of my internal debate as to which new video game system I should get: Playstation 3, Wii, or X-Box 360? The feud in my mind will now be seen by all for your entertainment. Until then, I'm sure you can find something entertaining to read, watch, or participate in. I'll be using one of those forms to find entertainment right now.
Saturday night was the start with The Ultimate Fighter Finale for season 8. What made the event interesting was that other than 2 fights on the card, every other fight featured fighters from the recent season of the show. This hasn't been done in quite a while.
The first fight was between lightweights Dave Kaplan and Junie Browning. Based on the show, I really came to dislike Browning, and hoped he wouldn't have a career in the UFC. Unfortunately, they gave him this fight against an easy competitor, and he won by submission in the second round by armbar. And afterwards he was awarded the Fight of the Night bonus, which made absolutely no sense to me since it was so one-sided.
Next was Wilson Gouveia taking on Jason MacDonald. At the weigh-ins the day before, Gouveia missed the middleweight requirement by 4 pounds, so it would seem that he would be out of shape and MacDonald should win provided he fight smart. But he managed to prove us wrong by charging at the well-known striker, and got KO'd in the first round for his efforts. Already this wasn't looking good as my picks to win weren't holding up.
After that was a welterweight rematch between Anthony Johnson and Kevin Burns. The first fight ended when Burns accidently poked Johnson in the eye, and Johnson fell to the ground, which led the referee to believe that Johnson had been knocked out. So this fight came, and some action filled the first two rounds until Johnson got justice, and knocked out Burns with a beautiful kick to his chin. Finally, the guy I rooted for won a fight!
Two undercard fights were shown before the two main event fights. Elliot Marshall submitted Jules Bruchez with ease in a rear-naked choke in their light heavyweight fight, and Krzysztof Soszynski submitted Shane Primm with a kimura in the second that nearly ripped his shoulder apart. Two more picks went my way thanks to these light heavyweights.
Then was the fight for the light heavyweight contract between Ryan Bader and Vinny Magalhaes. Most everyone had Magalhaes picked, but I was very confident in Bader. The surprise that came from this fight was that not only did Bader pick up the win, but he managed to KO Magalhaes with a right that was blocked, but still hard enough to send him to the ground. I jumped for joy when Bader was the winner, and hopefully we'll see him fight too.
Finally, it was time for Phillipe Nover to fight Efrain Escudero for the lightweight contract. Nover was highly praised on the show, compared to many great UFC fighters, and seemed to have the better skills than his opponent. So thinking about it, unless Escudero caught him by surprise, Nover should get the win, right? In the end, Escudero not only beat Nover, he dominated the first 2 rounds, and fought smart in the 3rd to get the unanimous decision. Almost seems illogical. After studying the results, I realized Nover, for all his talents, was not mentally prepared, and didn't have a gameplan for his fight. He got my hopes up, and then disappointed me. I can't say more.........
The weekend of course didn't end for me there. The big game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys was on Sunday, and even though the Giants had clinched their division, they needed a good win to show they are still a team to be feared. After being 0-0 for most of the beginning, I missed a little of the game until the end of the second quarter, and saw that Dallas had pulled ahead 7-3. I wasn't worried as the game was close, and figured we had a chance as long as our defense could continue to hold, and our offense could maybe step up a little. That didn't happen right away, as Dallas scored another touchdown, and our offense starting to look like last week's, as Eli Manning was doing fine, but not only could their scoring players offer no help, but the players defending the QB couldn't keep their end of the deal. Dallas got up to 14-3. We got a lucky break in the forth quater with a touchback and a field goal, which meant all we need was a good touchdown for the win. Instead of holding Dallas, they scored an easy touchdown, making the score 20-8. With only two minutes left, I knew it was over, and stopped watching. That score was how the game ended.
Next Sunday we play the Carolina Panthers, the team right on our behind in the playoff picture. The Giants need to wake up in a hurry, as a win is needed to keep us in a good position in the playoffs. I can only hope our mistakes are corrected from these last couple of games.
Well, I need to talk about more pleasant things before my blood-pressure rises anymore. I recently finished LEGO Batman for the Playstation 2, and as much as I wanted to jump into Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, I think I'll wait until Christmas to see what games Santa throws at me.
That's my time for tonight. Until my TV wrap-up for the week, I think I'll start part 1 of my internal debate as to which new video game system I should get: Playstation 3, Wii, or X-Box 360? The feud in my mind will now be seen by all for your entertainment. Until then, I'm sure you can find something entertaining to read, watch, or participate in. I'll be using one of those forms to find entertainment right now.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
TV For The Week: 12/7 to 12/13
I know I mentioned that I would be doing a TV preview of sorts, but I've decided to hold out for it for just a little bit considering that there are still a few shows finishing up before all those holiday specials run amok on most every channel. But considering there are no actual TV shows I'm interested in watching tonight, I think I'll go through the previous week of couch potato-ism(yes, you too can make up words by ending them with -ism.....or -ering if it ends with a consonant).
The Simpsons- Glad to see Mr. Burns get a spot on the episode, but not much else going on. Can't stand any episode with Lisa as the main focus. Not a strong episode in the end, but like I said, at least Burns got the spotlight for a good part of it.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles- Although the episode seemed confusing with all sorts of bouncing around with the story, it wasn't completely lost. Brian Austin Greene got some time that he desparately needed to make him more useful to the series. And it's always good to get some glimpses into the future; it gives you a sense that what the good guys are doing is important. Overall, the episode was a just a filler for the season finale this Monday. Let's hope they show us why the show is worth staying.
Prison Break- Another strong episode leading up to their season finale on Monday. Michael Rappaport was more believable now than he had been. Definitely the show's strong point was the twists it threw at you during its last half. They have definitely gotten the hype up for what is hopefully an exciting episode coming up. Let's hope we get the answers we want, but with some promise of a good setup for next year.
Heroes- A step up from previous episodes. They finally corrected their characters of Sylar and Hiro, and now the show seems back on track. Good moments for most every character featured, and now I actually look forward to the finale on Monday. A little disappointed they already killed Arthur Petrelli, who was essentially the main villian for the season. Hopefully there will still be some battle worth seeing.
Dirty Jobs- The jobs featured in this episode caught me by surprise as they were more original. Didn't know turning gords into crafts had an almost factory process. The lake cleanup wasn't as interesting, and seemed cut short. Still, this show is good just to see something new that you never knew was out there.
My Name Is Earl- Although it was another generic episode like many of the ones this season, this one actually had some emotion and a lesson in the end that was actually worth while. Not too many noticeable jokes, but a good focus on the story setup, and it actually kept you guessing. Probably the best episode so far this season.
The Office- Some good moments for this episode. Dwight's little spots were intrigueing. The main focus on Meredith and Michael was a little offbeat, but still some laughs were had. The angle between Phyllis and Angela was funny up until the end, where they turned it very serious. After that, it was hard to find some laughs in that situation. Still, the show continues to be the top comedy show for the week.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars- The show is just starting to find some real good footing. Another known character was introduced to the series, and had some moments with a fellow Jedi throught. General Grievous can now be taken seriously as a good villain in the series, thanks to the spotlight he got. Only thing lacking were some strong visuals, as the backgrounds seemed a little repetitive. Not gonna fault the show too much though since I'm sure its budget is limited.
The Soup- The regular episode was followed by a special on guys in reality television, so we got a double-dose this week. The regular episode offered quite a few laughs, and you know it's really funny when host Joel McHale can't help but laugh a little too. As for the special, not much new was seen obviously, but the clips featured weren't strong to begin with. Not a complete waste of a half hour, and still got enough laughs.
There's your week in TV. Tonight is the UFC's Ultimate Fighter Finale, so you'll be getting a full look at that tomorrow. Also coming up over the next few days will be a look at the Giants vs. Cowboys football game, maybe some talk about the wrestling world that I still try to keep up with, and I'll maybe compare the Playstation 3 and Wii systems to figure out which one would be worth getting, one or the other or even both if possible. Until all this comes up, I am tasking you with finding some entertainment.....as for me, I'm off in search for entertainment myself.
The Simpsons- Glad to see Mr. Burns get a spot on the episode, but not much else going on. Can't stand any episode with Lisa as the main focus. Not a strong episode in the end, but like I said, at least Burns got the spotlight for a good part of it.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles- Although the episode seemed confusing with all sorts of bouncing around with the story, it wasn't completely lost. Brian Austin Greene got some time that he desparately needed to make him more useful to the series. And it's always good to get some glimpses into the future; it gives you a sense that what the good guys are doing is important. Overall, the episode was a just a filler for the season finale this Monday. Let's hope they show us why the show is worth staying.
Prison Break- Another strong episode leading up to their season finale on Monday. Michael Rappaport was more believable now than he had been. Definitely the show's strong point was the twists it threw at you during its last half. They have definitely gotten the hype up for what is hopefully an exciting episode coming up. Let's hope we get the answers we want, but with some promise of a good setup for next year.
Heroes- A step up from previous episodes. They finally corrected their characters of Sylar and Hiro, and now the show seems back on track. Good moments for most every character featured, and now I actually look forward to the finale on Monday. A little disappointed they already killed Arthur Petrelli, who was essentially the main villian for the season. Hopefully there will still be some battle worth seeing.
Dirty Jobs- The jobs featured in this episode caught me by surprise as they were more original. Didn't know turning gords into crafts had an almost factory process. The lake cleanup wasn't as interesting, and seemed cut short. Still, this show is good just to see something new that you never knew was out there.
My Name Is Earl- Although it was another generic episode like many of the ones this season, this one actually had some emotion and a lesson in the end that was actually worth while. Not too many noticeable jokes, but a good focus on the story setup, and it actually kept you guessing. Probably the best episode so far this season.
The Office- Some good moments for this episode. Dwight's little spots were intrigueing. The main focus on Meredith and Michael was a little offbeat, but still some laughs were had. The angle between Phyllis and Angela was funny up until the end, where they turned it very serious. After that, it was hard to find some laughs in that situation. Still, the show continues to be the top comedy show for the week.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars- The show is just starting to find some real good footing. Another known character was introduced to the series, and had some moments with a fellow Jedi throught. General Grievous can now be taken seriously as a good villain in the series, thanks to the spotlight he got. Only thing lacking were some strong visuals, as the backgrounds seemed a little repetitive. Not gonna fault the show too much though since I'm sure its budget is limited.
The Soup- The regular episode was followed by a special on guys in reality television, so we got a double-dose this week. The regular episode offered quite a few laughs, and you know it's really funny when host Joel McHale can't help but laugh a little too. As for the special, not much new was seen obviously, but the clips featured weren't strong to begin with. Not a complete waste of a half hour, and still got enough laughs.
There's your week in TV. Tonight is the UFC's Ultimate Fighter Finale, so you'll be getting a full look at that tomorrow. Also coming up over the next few days will be a look at the Giants vs. Cowboys football game, maybe some talk about the wrestling world that I still try to keep up with, and I'll maybe compare the Playstation 3 and Wii systems to figure out which one would be worth getting, one or the other or even both if possible. Until all this comes up, I am tasking you with finding some entertainment.....as for me, I'm off in search for entertainment myself.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
UFC Fight For The Troops
I love it when I'm wrong. Looking at the fights that were on the card for this UFC event, I wasn't overly impressed. Some good fighters were on it, but nobody in the top of their division. Still, I stayed up and watch all 3 hours of this event that not only included the fights, but also a look at the Intrepid Heroes Fund, talk of TBI, celebrity endorsements to donate, and a lot of other things to support the cause the event was being held for. In the end, not only was the event successful, it also had some of the most exciting fights I've seen.
A lightweight fight started the event as Matt Wiman took on Jim Miller, who was a late replacement for Frank Edgar. Although Wiman was now a favorite, I had a good feeling about Miller. Plus he's from Jersey, so I had to root for him some. The fight won Fight of the Night honors because of the skill of Miller and the heart of Wiman. Miller ultimately won by decision, and after that I started having a good feeling about the event.
Next was a fight between middleweights Tim Creduer and Nate Loughran. I ended up buying into the hype of Loughran, and I payed for it. Creduer won the two rounds that the fight lasted very easily, and at the end of the second Loughran couldn't continue, so Creduer was awarded the TKO victory. I've learned to never underestimate Creduer ever again.
They then showed former WEC light heavyweight champion Steve Cantwell take on newcomer Razak al-Hassan. Not surprisingly Cantwell was a heavy favorite, and not only did he win easily in the first round, he topped the arm break of Tim Sylvia by Frank Mir from several years ago. Cantwell locked in an armbar, al-Hassan wouldn't tap out, so Cantwell turned his elbow inside out. The ref had no choice. I will also mention that this wasn't the only broken bone of the event. As was on UFC.com today, they showed a fight between lightweights Corey Hill and Dale Hartt. Hill was winning the fight through the first round, but things took a drastic turn in the second. Hill threw a leg kick at Hart, and broke his ankle. It looked like rubber, and was still an amazing thing to see. Sadly Hartt was given a win he didn't want, but both these fights had truly devastating results that made for good entertainment.
Next was a fight between Mike Swick and Jonathan Goulet. Again, Swick was an easy pick for victory in this welterweight fights. And in a matter of 33 seconds he proved us right as he TKO'd Goulet with a barrage of punches that put him out while he was on his knees. Swick has now made a serious move for taking on some top contenders in this weight class.
Before I go on to the main event, after the main card was over they showed another undercard fight between Steve Bruno and Johnny Rees. This was a tough fight to call for anybody, and it was a good fight that both men got into. It was back and forth until Bruno was able to lock in a rear-naked choke that forced Rees to tap out. Bruno gets his first win in the UFC, so now he needs another one.
Then it was the main event welterweight fight between Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki Yoshida. This was an interesting matchup because Koscheck was a wrestler, and Yoshida was a grappler. Koshcheck was favored to win, but something slightly unexpected happened. Don't get surprised, Kosheck did win the fight. But instead of it going the distance like most expected, Koshcheck landed a straight right in the first round that knocked Yoshida against the fence, bounced back with his hands down and a pained look on his face, and left himself open to a vicious right hook that knocked him out cold. Simply brutal.
The UFC put on a good show again. And guess what? We get treated to another show this Saturday! It'll be the Ultimate Fighter Finale on Spike TV, featuring many talented fighters seen on the show. Of course you'll hear about it this Sunday. As for my next blog before then, I'll go over the upcoming return of TV shows after the new year. Until then, go find something to entertain you..........I'm clocking out and looking for entertainment for myself.
A lightweight fight started the event as Matt Wiman took on Jim Miller, who was a late replacement for Frank Edgar. Although Wiman was now a favorite, I had a good feeling about Miller. Plus he's from Jersey, so I had to root for him some. The fight won Fight of the Night honors because of the skill of Miller and the heart of Wiman. Miller ultimately won by decision, and after that I started having a good feeling about the event.
Next was a fight between middleweights Tim Creduer and Nate Loughran. I ended up buying into the hype of Loughran, and I payed for it. Creduer won the two rounds that the fight lasted very easily, and at the end of the second Loughran couldn't continue, so Creduer was awarded the TKO victory. I've learned to never underestimate Creduer ever again.
They then showed former WEC light heavyweight champion Steve Cantwell take on newcomer Razak al-Hassan. Not surprisingly Cantwell was a heavy favorite, and not only did he win easily in the first round, he topped the arm break of Tim Sylvia by Frank Mir from several years ago. Cantwell locked in an armbar, al-Hassan wouldn't tap out, so Cantwell turned his elbow inside out. The ref had no choice. I will also mention that this wasn't the only broken bone of the event. As was on UFC.com today, they showed a fight between lightweights Corey Hill and Dale Hartt. Hill was winning the fight through the first round, but things took a drastic turn in the second. Hill threw a leg kick at Hart, and broke his ankle. It looked like rubber, and was still an amazing thing to see. Sadly Hartt was given a win he didn't want, but both these fights had truly devastating results that made for good entertainment.
Next was a fight between Mike Swick and Jonathan Goulet. Again, Swick was an easy pick for victory in this welterweight fights. And in a matter of 33 seconds he proved us right as he TKO'd Goulet with a barrage of punches that put him out while he was on his knees. Swick has now made a serious move for taking on some top contenders in this weight class.
Before I go on to the main event, after the main card was over they showed another undercard fight between Steve Bruno and Johnny Rees. This was a tough fight to call for anybody, and it was a good fight that both men got into. It was back and forth until Bruno was able to lock in a rear-naked choke that forced Rees to tap out. Bruno gets his first win in the UFC, so now he needs another one.
Then it was the main event welterweight fight between Josh Koscheck and Yoshiyuki Yoshida. This was an interesting matchup because Koscheck was a wrestler, and Yoshida was a grappler. Koshcheck was favored to win, but something slightly unexpected happened. Don't get surprised, Kosheck did win the fight. But instead of it going the distance like most expected, Koshcheck landed a straight right in the first round that knocked Yoshida against the fence, bounced back with his hands down and a pained look on his face, and left himself open to a vicious right hook that knocked him out cold. Simply brutal.
The UFC put on a good show again. And guess what? We get treated to another show this Saturday! It'll be the Ultimate Fighter Finale on Spike TV, featuring many talented fighters seen on the show. Of course you'll hear about it this Sunday. As for my next blog before then, I'll go over the upcoming return of TV shows after the new year. Until then, go find something to entertain you..........I'm clocking out and looking for entertainment for myself.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A Look At Two-Face
Batman has probably the most well-known rogue's gallery (that's a comic term for list of villains) than any other comic book hero; probably bigger than anyone else's too. He actually has a lot of villains I like over some of the more super-powered ones out there. Bane. Scarecrow. Can't forget about the Joker either. Though these characters are well-known, I've come to respect one of the more intriguing characters that though well-known doesn't seem to be as popular. I'm talking about former attorney Harvey Dent, who after getting acid thrown in his face, turns into the criminal we know as Two-Face.
Probably the one thing that stands out to me is that Two-Face has an interesting modus operandi. Although most villains commit crimes to take over the city, or become filthy rich, or in the case of The Joker just because he can do it, Two-Face wants something else: justice. Now granted he has no problem committing crimes that would be against that, but in the end because he was once an attorney, and wants to see the right thing done. That's part of the split personality disorder he has: one side wants to do good, and the other wants to do bad. But rather than suffer with his two sides arguing against one another, he's found a way to settle it that I think is very creative: a coin toss. With a double-headed coin that he had one side scratched, every decision that involves right or wrong he flips it. Of course, the scarred side means that he'll probably do the wrong thing.
Part of what helps my fancy with this character is that he's a part of my favorite story in the Batman universe: The Long Halloween. The origin of Two-Face is told in this story about a mob family being murdered one by one on holidays on the calendar. The mystery gets deeper, and manages to involve most every major villain that's been a threat to Batman. As for the role of Two-Face, not only do you know where he comes from, but how he operates. And it makes for a great story. In the end, you see both sides of Two-Face in full force.
As for the movies, Two-Face has been portrayed in two of them. In "Batman Forever," he's portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones. Though more of your typical criminal than how he's portrayed in the comics, Jones puts on a great performance in his little speeches about justice, and uses his coin in most every moment there is. A more realistic approach his taken to the version played by Aaron Eckhart in "The Dark Knight." He's given a full origin in the movie (although different from the comics of course), and although his moments as Two-Face aren't as abundant, you get a real feel for why he is who he is. And he still uses the coin.
Harvey Dent/Two-Face is indeed my favorite Batman villain. I hope to read more stories involving just his character, as he seems to have gone from villain to vigilante to hero.......circling between all of these makes his character all the more interesting. I also look to further appreciate this character as I feel he's been well-thought out, even with a simple start in comic books so long ago.
What shall I talk about tomorrow if I get on here? Maybe I'll talk about the television shows I'm looking forward to after the New Year. A lot of my top favorite shows will be starting their newest season, while some will be returning from their break or hiatus from the holidays. Otherwise, Thursday you'll definitely be hearing about the UFC Fight for the Troops event that's on tomorrow night at 9pm on Spike TV. Though featuring some known fighters, nothing high-profile is happening; still, it's MMA, and it's free on TV, and it's an event especially for our troops overseas. It'll be something to watch, no matter how you look at it. Until all this though, you'll have to find your own entertainment while I do the same.......luckily I'm easily entertained.
Probably the one thing that stands out to me is that Two-Face has an interesting modus operandi. Although most villains commit crimes to take over the city, or become filthy rich, or in the case of The Joker just because he can do it, Two-Face wants something else: justice. Now granted he has no problem committing crimes that would be against that, but in the end because he was once an attorney, and wants to see the right thing done. That's part of the split personality disorder he has: one side wants to do good, and the other wants to do bad. But rather than suffer with his two sides arguing against one another, he's found a way to settle it that I think is very creative: a coin toss. With a double-headed coin that he had one side scratched, every decision that involves right or wrong he flips it. Of course, the scarred side means that he'll probably do the wrong thing.
Part of what helps my fancy with this character is that he's a part of my favorite story in the Batman universe: The Long Halloween. The origin of Two-Face is told in this story about a mob family being murdered one by one on holidays on the calendar. The mystery gets deeper, and manages to involve most every major villain that's been a threat to Batman. As for the role of Two-Face, not only do you know where he comes from, but how he operates. And it makes for a great story. In the end, you see both sides of Two-Face in full force.
As for the movies, Two-Face has been portrayed in two of them. In "Batman Forever," he's portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones. Though more of your typical criminal than how he's portrayed in the comics, Jones puts on a great performance in his little speeches about justice, and uses his coin in most every moment there is. A more realistic approach his taken to the version played by Aaron Eckhart in "The Dark Knight." He's given a full origin in the movie (although different from the comics of course), and although his moments as Two-Face aren't as abundant, you get a real feel for why he is who he is. And he still uses the coin.
Harvey Dent/Two-Face is indeed my favorite Batman villain. I hope to read more stories involving just his character, as he seems to have gone from villain to vigilante to hero.......circling between all of these makes his character all the more interesting. I also look to further appreciate this character as I feel he's been well-thought out, even with a simple start in comic books so long ago.
What shall I talk about tomorrow if I get on here? Maybe I'll talk about the television shows I'm looking forward to after the New Year. A lot of my top favorite shows will be starting their newest season, while some will be returning from their break or hiatus from the holidays. Otherwise, Thursday you'll definitely be hearing about the UFC Fight for the Troops event that's on tomorrow night at 9pm on Spike TV. Though featuring some known fighters, nothing high-profile is happening; still, it's MMA, and it's free on TV, and it's an event especially for our troops overseas. It'll be something to watch, no matter how you look at it. Until all this though, you'll have to find your own entertainment while I do the same.......luckily I'm easily entertained.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Giants vs. Eagles and LEGO Batman
What can I say about the NY Giants today? In their game against the Philadelphia Eagles today, they looked like the Giants of old.......and I don't mean that in a good way. I was confident in the Giants, but I also had a bad feeling at the same time. Damn, and I was openly rooting for them in the face of my fellow Pennsylvanians who may or may not have been Eagles fans. Oh well, I guess I paid for it.
The first quarter was a little lackluster. Philadelphia managed a field goal, which didn't bother me too much. The Giants were generally holding them on defense. The offense, however, was a whole other story. Brandon Jacobs was his usual stellar self, but were was the passing game? Boss and Hixon were dropping passes they could've had, and Eli Manning had trouble finding some openings. They looked a little lost out there. The second quarter got worse, as Philadelphia started relying on Westbrook, and he brought them a touchdown without the Giants doing anything to stop him throughout. A small sign of hope came just before the half when the Giants blocked a field goal, and Dockery got a hold of it, and ran back for the touchdown. The score was 10-7.
I thought the Giants would wake up now, and start playing like they've been for most of the season. Instead, Jacobs got injured, and the Giants just couldn't get anywhere. Westbrook continued to run through the defense, and another touchdown and field goal got added to their score. Not much hope left at that point. In the last minute of the game, the Giants got a touchdown, making the score 20-14. Although it was a long shot, the Giants needed an onside kick, and one more touchdown to pull the game out by 1 point. The onside kick failed, and that was the end. I can't say the Eagles won easily, but as far as I saw it, the Giants beat themselves. I can only hope they get it together for the game against the Cowboys next week. While we've pretty much secured a playoff spot, I want to see us with some momentum going in.
Well, on the positive side, I will mention that I am close to finishing the current Playstation 2 video game I am playing, "LEGO Batman." Now, when I discuss the video games I've played, I want to talk about what's good, what's bad, and anything else interesting. Usually I'll wait until I finish the game completely, but I'm close enough with this one. Essentially in the game, you play as Batman and Robin through several levels, taking on some of his well-known villains. The levels take place in Gotham City, with many of its elements, including the characters, made of LEGO blocks that we probably played with as kids. As you play, there are many secrets you can unlock, including extra characters, power-ups to help you in the game, and pieces for building small LEGO structures.
What makes this game different than the Star Wars versions (I haven't played the Indiana Jones version yet, though hopefully Santa will leave that under my Christmas tree this year) is that after you play through the levels as Batman and Robin, you get to play a completely different version of those levels as the villains. This makes for a more expanded game compared to the previous versions. Aside from the special abilities that the various characters possess, this time when you play as Batman and Robin, they carry their own abilities different than anyone else. This alone adds to the gameplay value. Things also change up to because aside from playing as the characters themselves, you have levels where you get to use LEGO versions of their vehicles as well.
The only problems I've really seen with the game is that some of the darker levels hurt the look a little bit, and a good hand full of levels force you to use a few characters constantly. Although you can choose the characters you want to play as, there isn't a lot of variety as far as abilities go. While The Joker, Mr. Freeze, and The Riddler have some cool abilities, you end up using them constantly. A little too much repetition after a while.
Still, I can't take away from the actual fun you have with the game. Although I liked the Star Wars versions a little better, this one stands out as a good game too. Takes you back to playing with those LEGO toys as a kid, and you manage to find some fun while you're at it. Also like the other games, you do get a little committed to finding the extras. It also helps that the game is for 2-players, so you can have fun with your friends even after you're done with it. I never thought I'd get into these LEGO games, but I got caught by surprise.
Well, I think that's enough for now. Since this LEGO Batman game has me thinking about the original comic book, I think tomorrow I'll delve into that a little bit. Should I talk about my favorite Batman storyline, my favorite villain, or my favorite Batman ally? I'll decide that later. For now, it's up to you to find entertainment, while I do the same..........I knew I'd find a quote less dirty than the last one.
The first quarter was a little lackluster. Philadelphia managed a field goal, which didn't bother me too much. The Giants were generally holding them on defense. The offense, however, was a whole other story. Brandon Jacobs was his usual stellar self, but were was the passing game? Boss and Hixon were dropping passes they could've had, and Eli Manning had trouble finding some openings. They looked a little lost out there. The second quarter got worse, as Philadelphia started relying on Westbrook, and he brought them a touchdown without the Giants doing anything to stop him throughout. A small sign of hope came just before the half when the Giants blocked a field goal, and Dockery got a hold of it, and ran back for the touchdown. The score was 10-7.
I thought the Giants would wake up now, and start playing like they've been for most of the season. Instead, Jacobs got injured, and the Giants just couldn't get anywhere. Westbrook continued to run through the defense, and another touchdown and field goal got added to their score. Not much hope left at that point. In the last minute of the game, the Giants got a touchdown, making the score 20-14. Although it was a long shot, the Giants needed an onside kick, and one more touchdown to pull the game out by 1 point. The onside kick failed, and that was the end. I can't say the Eagles won easily, but as far as I saw it, the Giants beat themselves. I can only hope they get it together for the game against the Cowboys next week. While we've pretty much secured a playoff spot, I want to see us with some momentum going in.
Well, on the positive side, I will mention that I am close to finishing the current Playstation 2 video game I am playing, "LEGO Batman." Now, when I discuss the video games I've played, I want to talk about what's good, what's bad, and anything else interesting. Usually I'll wait until I finish the game completely, but I'm close enough with this one. Essentially in the game, you play as Batman and Robin through several levels, taking on some of his well-known villains. The levels take place in Gotham City, with many of its elements, including the characters, made of LEGO blocks that we probably played with as kids. As you play, there are many secrets you can unlock, including extra characters, power-ups to help you in the game, and pieces for building small LEGO structures.
What makes this game different than the Star Wars versions (I haven't played the Indiana Jones version yet, though hopefully Santa will leave that under my Christmas tree this year) is that after you play through the levels as Batman and Robin, you get to play a completely different version of those levels as the villains. This makes for a more expanded game compared to the previous versions. Aside from the special abilities that the various characters possess, this time when you play as Batman and Robin, they carry their own abilities different than anyone else. This alone adds to the gameplay value. Things also change up to because aside from playing as the characters themselves, you have levels where you get to use LEGO versions of their vehicles as well.
The only problems I've really seen with the game is that some of the darker levels hurt the look a little bit, and a good hand full of levels force you to use a few characters constantly. Although you can choose the characters you want to play as, there isn't a lot of variety as far as abilities go. While The Joker, Mr. Freeze, and The Riddler have some cool abilities, you end up using them constantly. A little too much repetition after a while.
Still, I can't take away from the actual fun you have with the game. Although I liked the Star Wars versions a little better, this one stands out as a good game too. Takes you back to playing with those LEGO toys as a kid, and you manage to find some fun while you're at it. Also like the other games, you do get a little committed to finding the extras. It also helps that the game is for 2-players, so you can have fun with your friends even after you're done with it. I never thought I'd get into these LEGO games, but I got caught by surprise.
Well, I think that's enough for now. Since this LEGO Batman game has me thinking about the original comic book, I think tomorrow I'll delve into that a little bit. Should I talk about my favorite Batman storyline, my favorite villain, or my favorite Batman ally? I'll decide that later. For now, it's up to you to find entertainment, while I do the same..........I knew I'd find a quote less dirty than the last one.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
TV For The Week: 11/30 to 12/6
I'm starting to think that with the new content in these blogs, they'll get longer than they previously will. Oh well, can't help it if I have a lot on my mind! Anyways, I thought I'd go over the TV shows I watched this week. How this works is that I'll run through the new episodes of shows I genuinely watch, and just give little blip of what was good to watch and what wasn't. If you'll notice, I'll start with this past Sunday, and work my way to today.
The Simpsons- Any Homer-related episode is fun to watch. Of course I loved the little salute to "24" in it. As usual, I'm never interested in Lisa's story. Still, a decent episode overall.
American Dad- So far this show has actually been better than "Family Guy" this season, but American Dad kept it simple this week. Some good jokes, and most of the cast was included at least. But not a lot of jokes were funny. Not their worst episode, but not their best.
Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles- Great episode for Summer Glau's character. She continues to impress. John Connor has been disappointing this season, but hopefully they'll do something major soon to change him up. I can only hope because as an avid Terminator fan, I want to see this show keep going.
Prison Break- After the best episode of the series last week, they of course had to tone it down a little. At least they did good in setting up how the rest of the season will go. Upset that the character Mahone disappeared during the end, and I hope they still keep him around as he's one of my favorites. The show's still going strong though.
Heroes- Still continues to go downhill. They finally returned the character of Sylar to his roots, but it may be too late, and even that wasn't handled properly. Still tired of Hiro's current angle. Glad to see the Haitian back, and to see some more development of Claire's character. Overall though, the events of the last couple of episodes have been pointless, and hopefully they can turn things around with the showdown they're promising this Monday.
Dirty Jobs- I still can't believe they keep coming up with ideas, and can still be fun to watch. Can't help but enjoy Mike Rowe's wit and humor. Getting more entertaining now that they involve the crew more (last week's episode did that great).
My Name Is Earl- Another general episode with some decent help with a guest character. Not too many laughs though. I'm waiting for the show to have some continueing storylines, and maybe even some major changes to keep it fresh. I used to love this show, but now it's getting absurd.
The Office- Still funny as always. Glad to see they're making things interesting between Jim and Pam. Dwight and Andy continue to get the most laughs. While nothing major, this week was still entertaining. My current favorite comedy for sure.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars- Yes, I watch a kid's cartoon for crying out loud. It's Star Wars, I cant help it. Glad they bring in various Star Wars characters that are known and liked. It was good that Asajj finally got some time since she hasn't been seen much since the movie. The episode was a little more adult too, so for me this ended up being a good episode overall.
The Soup- I'm glad this show catches the funny things we don't catch during the week. This episode was funnier than some of the last ones, and had a funny Clip of the Week involving a male soap opera star's thong sneaking out. Plenty of good clips overall, and some real good jokes about them.
Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling- The finale for the season came, and Dennis Rodman is the winner. At first I was a little peeved because he had actually wrestled before, and is kind of friends with Hogan. But after watching the matches in this episode, he did deserve to win. Still, the episode itself suffered from some quick cuts in the matches to make them seem better when you know they probably sucked. It's a reality show! Still, I want to see the show come back since they do have something to work with. We'll have to wait and see.
That's it for this week. Next week you'll see most of this same lineup, though I may check out something different here and there. As for tomorrow, you'll see a recap of the Giants/Eagles football game, and maybe I'll throw in a little something extra. Until then, you'll have to entertain yourselves before I entertain you again...........Does that sound dirty?
The Simpsons- Any Homer-related episode is fun to watch. Of course I loved the little salute to "24" in it. As usual, I'm never interested in Lisa's story. Still, a decent episode overall.
American Dad- So far this show has actually been better than "Family Guy" this season, but American Dad kept it simple this week. Some good jokes, and most of the cast was included at least. But not a lot of jokes were funny. Not their worst episode, but not their best.
Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles- Great episode for Summer Glau's character. She continues to impress. John Connor has been disappointing this season, but hopefully they'll do something major soon to change him up. I can only hope because as an avid Terminator fan, I want to see this show keep going.
Prison Break- After the best episode of the series last week, they of course had to tone it down a little. At least they did good in setting up how the rest of the season will go. Upset that the character Mahone disappeared during the end, and I hope they still keep him around as he's one of my favorites. The show's still going strong though.
Heroes- Still continues to go downhill. They finally returned the character of Sylar to his roots, but it may be too late, and even that wasn't handled properly. Still tired of Hiro's current angle. Glad to see the Haitian back, and to see some more development of Claire's character. Overall though, the events of the last couple of episodes have been pointless, and hopefully they can turn things around with the showdown they're promising this Monday.
Dirty Jobs- I still can't believe they keep coming up with ideas, and can still be fun to watch. Can't help but enjoy Mike Rowe's wit and humor. Getting more entertaining now that they involve the crew more (last week's episode did that great).
My Name Is Earl- Another general episode with some decent help with a guest character. Not too many laughs though. I'm waiting for the show to have some continueing storylines, and maybe even some major changes to keep it fresh. I used to love this show, but now it's getting absurd.
The Office- Still funny as always. Glad to see they're making things interesting between Jim and Pam. Dwight and Andy continue to get the most laughs. While nothing major, this week was still entertaining. My current favorite comedy for sure.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars- Yes, I watch a kid's cartoon for crying out loud. It's Star Wars, I cant help it. Glad they bring in various Star Wars characters that are known and liked. It was good that Asajj finally got some time since she hasn't been seen much since the movie. The episode was a little more adult too, so for me this ended up being a good episode overall.
The Soup- I'm glad this show catches the funny things we don't catch during the week. This episode was funnier than some of the last ones, and had a funny Clip of the Week involving a male soap opera star's thong sneaking out. Plenty of good clips overall, and some real good jokes about them.
Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling- The finale for the season came, and Dennis Rodman is the winner. At first I was a little peeved because he had actually wrestled before, and is kind of friends with Hogan. But after watching the matches in this episode, he did deserve to win. Still, the episode itself suffered from some quick cuts in the matches to make them seem better when you know they probably sucked. It's a reality show! Still, I want to see the show come back since they do have something to work with. We'll have to wait and see.
That's it for this week. Next week you'll see most of this same lineup, though I may check out something different here and there. As for tomorrow, you'll see a recap of the Giants/Eagles football game, and maybe I'll throw in a little something extra. Until then, you'll have to entertain yourselves before I entertain you again...........Does that sound dirty?
Friday, December 5, 2008
WEC: Torres vs. Tapia and The Ultimate Fighter Finals
Wednesday night had 2 somewhat important events in MMA: the latest WEC event on the Versus Channel, or the final two episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter" for the season. Originally I was more interested in watching TUF, but after seeing that it wasn't on until late, I stuck with the WEC event.
I wasn't too enthusiastic about the WEC event since the only fight with promise was the Bantamweight title fight between champion Miguel Torres and Manny Tapia (Even that fight was terribly one sided). The rest of the fights tried to showcase some very promising talent, but proved as no real test for them. I also had a feeling that there wouldn't be anything impressive about any of the fights.
The first fight initially showed some promise as newcomers Joseph Benavidez and Danny Martinez went at it. Benavidez showed some promise with some unique striking you don't see too much (straight kicks to the face, spin kicks....mostly kicks actually), but other than that and a hard hip throw, he didn't dominate very strongly. Martinez didn't fight smart to begin with, throwing one punch at a time hoping for a knockout. Benavidez got the unanimous decision in the end.
Two other bantamweights fought as highly-touted Brian Bowles fought Will Ribeiro. I had a little more faith in Ribeiro, but most were expecting Bowles to get an easy win. This fight ended when Bowles submitted Ribiero with a guillotine.........in the 3rd round. Before that, though Bowles was winning, he wasn't showing why he's one of the top guys, and I wasn't impressed.
The third fight of the event featured the debut of two well-known featherweight fighters: Wagney Fabiano and Akitoshi Tamura. Fabiano was a huge favorite, and expected to put on a great show. Fabiano finished the fight with an arm triangle........but it took until the 3rd round again. This fight was even more boring than the previous one, and Fabiano took down Tamura, and looked for submissions, but all Tamura did was defend constantly, barely putting up a fight. Still, Fabiano looked as if he should've finished this early.
Luckily, the main event title fight was actually exciting. Tapia was a major underdog, and I expected a quick finish from Torres. The first round consisted of Torres out-striking Tapia with the extra six inches of reach he had. Tapia could do nothing. In the second round, Torres knocked down Tapia twice with some hard shots, and then knocked him down a third time, and threw a few unanswered shots that forced the referee to stop the fight in favor of Torres. Impressive as always, I expect Torres to stay the champ for a very long time.
I ended up watching "The Ultimate Fighter" yesterday since I had recorded it, and let me say I was very happy with the results. The last two episodes consisted of the semi-final fights in the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions. First they showed Ryan Bader vs. Elliot Marshall. Bader was initially my pick to win the light heavyweight when the show started, and I was confident we would win this fight. Bader won by unanimous decision by taking down Marshall constantly. Marshall wanted to attempt some jiu-jitsu, but could put up much of a fight. Still Marshall is a promising fighter, and although it wasn't the most exciting, Bader showed that if he can't finish, he'll dominate and grind you out.
Next they showed lightweights Phillipe Nover and George Roop. Nover was my choice for winning the lightweight contract as soon as I saw how impressive he was in his preliminary fight. And he continued to impressive in his fight after that when he knocked down a guy with a strong chin. Again, he ran through Roop easily, charging in and taking him down. Although Roop managed to get on top, Nover worked on a kimura (arm lock) and secured it a few moments latrer, forcing Roop to tap. Very impressive again Mr. Nover. He may be the next big thing at lightweight.
The second episode then kicked of with light heavyweights Krzysztof Soszynski (don't ask me how to pronounce it) and Vinny Magalhaes. Most expected Soszynski to win, but I thought better. I saw Magalhaes getting the submission. Although Soszynski looked good at the start, winning with his striking, Magalhaes did what he did his last fight: picked up the pace towards the end of the round, got it to the ground, and locked in an armbar that Soszynski tapped out to. Soszynski is a good fighter, but needs a ground game.
The last fight was between Efrain Escudero and Junie Browning. For those of you who've seen the show, you know that Junie was not only out of control, but not the greatest fighter either. And most of the viewers, including the other fighters on the show, wanted to see him get beat. Escudero answered our prayers. After a slow first round that Escudero won by getting some better strikes in, Escudero took Junie down in the second, and submitted him with a D'arce choke. Oh what a line-up for the finals we have now.
From that start of this season, I was impressed with a lot of the fighters on the show, more than I was with the last couple of seasons. Now any of the guys in the finals I would be more than happy to see win the UFC contract. However, I do have my favorites picked to win. I expect Bader to win by unanimous decision of Magalhaes much the same way he beat Marshall. Although it's likely that Magalhaes could sneak in a submission, I think Bader could keep him in check. As for the Nover vs. Escudero fight, this one's a little easier to call: Nover should get the win. He's the better striker, and his ground game looks perfect to take on a wrestler like Escudero. Still, these will be some great fights to see. Everyone who was on the show will be fighting on the event (even Browning, unfortunately, who somehow gets his fight televised), but at least it will be a good line-up. Two fights between veteran UFC fighters will occur too, but they'll easily be outshined by the new talent from TUF Season 8.
That's all for today (I know this was a lot, but I don't care because I got it all out). The blog coming up this weekend is a toss-up; aside from the NY Giants/Philidelphia Eagles on Sunday, I would also like to cover the week in television, and we'll see if anything else comes up. When it comes to entertainment, you never know what you'll be entertained by until you see it. See you again soon!
I wasn't too enthusiastic about the WEC event since the only fight with promise was the Bantamweight title fight between champion Miguel Torres and Manny Tapia (Even that fight was terribly one sided). The rest of the fights tried to showcase some very promising talent, but proved as no real test for them. I also had a feeling that there wouldn't be anything impressive about any of the fights.
The first fight initially showed some promise as newcomers Joseph Benavidez and Danny Martinez went at it. Benavidez showed some promise with some unique striking you don't see too much (straight kicks to the face, spin kicks....mostly kicks actually), but other than that and a hard hip throw, he didn't dominate very strongly. Martinez didn't fight smart to begin with, throwing one punch at a time hoping for a knockout. Benavidez got the unanimous decision in the end.
Two other bantamweights fought as highly-touted Brian Bowles fought Will Ribeiro. I had a little more faith in Ribeiro, but most were expecting Bowles to get an easy win. This fight ended when Bowles submitted Ribiero with a guillotine.........in the 3rd round. Before that, though Bowles was winning, he wasn't showing why he's one of the top guys, and I wasn't impressed.
The third fight of the event featured the debut of two well-known featherweight fighters: Wagney Fabiano and Akitoshi Tamura. Fabiano was a huge favorite, and expected to put on a great show. Fabiano finished the fight with an arm triangle........but it took until the 3rd round again. This fight was even more boring than the previous one, and Fabiano took down Tamura, and looked for submissions, but all Tamura did was defend constantly, barely putting up a fight. Still, Fabiano looked as if he should've finished this early.
Luckily, the main event title fight was actually exciting. Tapia was a major underdog, and I expected a quick finish from Torres. The first round consisted of Torres out-striking Tapia with the extra six inches of reach he had. Tapia could do nothing. In the second round, Torres knocked down Tapia twice with some hard shots, and then knocked him down a third time, and threw a few unanswered shots that forced the referee to stop the fight in favor of Torres. Impressive as always, I expect Torres to stay the champ for a very long time.
I ended up watching "The Ultimate Fighter" yesterday since I had recorded it, and let me say I was very happy with the results. The last two episodes consisted of the semi-final fights in the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions. First they showed Ryan Bader vs. Elliot Marshall. Bader was initially my pick to win the light heavyweight when the show started, and I was confident we would win this fight. Bader won by unanimous decision by taking down Marshall constantly. Marshall wanted to attempt some jiu-jitsu, but could put up much of a fight. Still Marshall is a promising fighter, and although it wasn't the most exciting, Bader showed that if he can't finish, he'll dominate and grind you out.
Next they showed lightweights Phillipe Nover and George Roop. Nover was my choice for winning the lightweight contract as soon as I saw how impressive he was in his preliminary fight. And he continued to impressive in his fight after that when he knocked down a guy with a strong chin. Again, he ran through Roop easily, charging in and taking him down. Although Roop managed to get on top, Nover worked on a kimura (arm lock) and secured it a few moments latrer, forcing Roop to tap. Very impressive again Mr. Nover. He may be the next big thing at lightweight.
The second episode then kicked of with light heavyweights Krzysztof Soszynski (don't ask me how to pronounce it) and Vinny Magalhaes. Most expected Soszynski to win, but I thought better. I saw Magalhaes getting the submission. Although Soszynski looked good at the start, winning with his striking, Magalhaes did what he did his last fight: picked up the pace towards the end of the round, got it to the ground, and locked in an armbar that Soszynski tapped out to. Soszynski is a good fighter, but needs a ground game.
The last fight was between Efrain Escudero and Junie Browning. For those of you who've seen the show, you know that Junie was not only out of control, but not the greatest fighter either. And most of the viewers, including the other fighters on the show, wanted to see him get beat. Escudero answered our prayers. After a slow first round that Escudero won by getting some better strikes in, Escudero took Junie down in the second, and submitted him with a D'arce choke. Oh what a line-up for the finals we have now.
From that start of this season, I was impressed with a lot of the fighters on the show, more than I was with the last couple of seasons. Now any of the guys in the finals I would be more than happy to see win the UFC contract. However, I do have my favorites picked to win. I expect Bader to win by unanimous decision of Magalhaes much the same way he beat Marshall. Although it's likely that Magalhaes could sneak in a submission, I think Bader could keep him in check. As for the Nover vs. Escudero fight, this one's a little easier to call: Nover should get the win. He's the better striker, and his ground game looks perfect to take on a wrestler like Escudero. Still, these will be some great fights to see. Everyone who was on the show will be fighting on the event (even Browning, unfortunately, who somehow gets his fight televised), but at least it will be a good line-up. Two fights between veteran UFC fighters will occur too, but they'll easily be outshined by the new talent from TUF Season 8.
That's all for today (I know this was a lot, but I don't care because I got it all out). The blog coming up this weekend is a toss-up; aside from the NY Giants/Philidelphia Eagles on Sunday, I would also like to cover the week in television, and we'll see if anything else comes up. When it comes to entertainment, you never know what you'll be entertained by until you see it. See you again soon!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Intro To The New Set-up
This may be still "Average Joe at the Movies," but I thought I'd throw in a little something extra. Since I have a hard time getting around to doing my movie reviews and previews, I thought to myself "how can I make this a regular thing?" I started thinking of all the things that keep me entertained during the course of the week, and since I usually bring them up on our regular blog now and then, I thought it'd be good to bring some of that here. So from here on out, you'll see the following areas explored on my behalf:
Movies-Still gonna do the reviews and previews, but I might throw in some talk about actors and the "state of movies," or anything along those lines.
TV Shows- Yes, I know I watch too much TV, but there's a lot of good stuff on. When I bring this up, I'll be talking about some TV highlights from the shows I watch during the week, and tell you what shows I'm intense about, and which ones are losing my interest.
Sports- I have to be brutally honest, and mention that the only sports I'll cover are MMA and the NFL. Of course, MMA will be at the top of my discussions, but now that my faith has been renewed in the NY Giants since last season, I'll bring them up too.
Comics- Although I'm not a fanatic, the stories told in comics are still some of the greatest stories ever told. I'll bring up my favorite characters, and all the major events occuring in the realms of DC and Marvel.
Video Games- Call me a child all you want, I still enjoy my video games. You'll hear about the games I'm currently playing, and what's coming out that peaks my interest.
Books- I don't read as much as I used to, but I'd like to pick it up again. This a simple one really, as I'll just talk about any books I've finished reading. These might be sparse on here, but they're still a part of entertainment.
Internet- The Internet may contain many of the topics above, but it has its own entertainment value. There are sites with videos you won't see anywhere, and information you might not get elsewhere. These are the things I'll discuss.
Hopefully this all makes for a more active blog, and maybe gets some sort of response. If anything, it'll be nice to get some of this out of my system rather than subject my wife to this stuff (getting called "nerdy" is the most I response I get, even if it's not really nerdy). So look for the first post tomorrow. It'll be MMA related, as I'll be covering the recent WEC event, and the outcome of the last episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter" show. See you soon!
Movies-Still gonna do the reviews and previews, but I might throw in some talk about actors and the "state of movies," or anything along those lines.
TV Shows- Yes, I know I watch too much TV, but there's a lot of good stuff on. When I bring this up, I'll be talking about some TV highlights from the shows I watch during the week, and tell you what shows I'm intense about, and which ones are losing my interest.
Sports- I have to be brutally honest, and mention that the only sports I'll cover are MMA and the NFL. Of course, MMA will be at the top of my discussions, but now that my faith has been renewed in the NY Giants since last season, I'll bring them up too.
Comics- Although I'm not a fanatic, the stories told in comics are still some of the greatest stories ever told. I'll bring up my favorite characters, and all the major events occuring in the realms of DC and Marvel.
Video Games- Call me a child all you want, I still enjoy my video games. You'll hear about the games I'm currently playing, and what's coming out that peaks my interest.
Books- I don't read as much as I used to, but I'd like to pick it up again. This a simple one really, as I'll just talk about any books I've finished reading. These might be sparse on here, but they're still a part of entertainment.
Internet- The Internet may contain many of the topics above, but it has its own entertainment value. There are sites with videos you won't see anywhere, and information you might not get elsewhere. These are the things I'll discuss.
Hopefully this all makes for a more active blog, and maybe gets some sort of response. If anything, it'll be nice to get some of this out of my system rather than subject my wife to this stuff (getting called "nerdy" is the most I response I get, even if it's not really nerdy). So look for the first post tomorrow. It'll be MMA related, as I'll be covering the recent WEC event, and the outcome of the last episodes of "The Ultimate Fighter" show. See you soon!
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