Free-form Thoughts on The Force Awakens

NOTE: I initially started writing this soon after The Force Awakens was first released into theaters. It got a little long, and I obviously didn't finish it right away...but, upon revisiting, I found things in here that I thought were relatively important, as these things go, and that I still had just a little bit more I wanted to say. So, all that said, and on the off chance you're still worried about this sort of thing, yes, there will be SPOILERS AHEAD.

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It's been well established that I grew up in thrall to Star Wars. Born in July of 1977, less than a month and a half after the first movie premiered, I literally have never known a world in which it did not exist. I grew up with Luke, Han and Chewie, and Princess Leia as the ultimate good guys, and my action figures were my prized possessions as a kid. The various Luke figures were known by their colors—White Luke was in his initial Tatooine outfit, Orange Luke was in his flight suit, Brown Luke was in his Bespin fatigues, and Black Luke was in his Jedi outfit. (Curiously, Luke in his Hoth gear did not have a nickname, or, if he did, it has been lost to history. Winter Luke? Maybe.) Remember fire safety lectures as a kid? When they'd tell you that if your house was on fire, you were just supposed to get out without stopping for anything? I remember thinking something along the lines of, "Yeah, sure, fine, but there's no way I'm leaving my burning house without Black Luke." True story.

Orange, Brown, and White Lukes, respectively (not mine, for the record, although I do still have a bunch of the old action figures).

But I digress. The point is this—when the prequels came out, I was excited, but those movies (and leave arguments about their quality aside for now) were never going to be 100% for me. I knew pretty much everything I needed to know about Anakin Skywalker's backstory. I saw all the prequels at midnight showings, yes, and I was bummed that they mostly sucked, sure, but it didn't affect me too much, because what I really wanted from Star Wars was the further adventures of Luke, Han, and Leia. I got that from the Expanded Universe (which eventually expanded too far and became tedious), and I was okay with that.

Another thing I want to mention is that, because I loved the action figures so much, Star Wars was pretty much all I could think about around Christmas during my youth because all I wanted were figures and ships. To this day, I have a tendency when talking about Christmas presents to say something along the lines of "I can't wait to see which Star Wars guys Santa brings me." Another strong memory is climbing under the Christmas tree every chance I got (knocking my mom's nativity scene from hell to breakfast, no doubt) and pretending I was Han Solo, working on the Millennium Falcon.

At any rate, fast forward to 2015, when a new Star Wars movie was set to premiere a mere week ahead of Christmas Day, and it's something of a miracle that I managed to function at all as an adult. My wife got Christmas presents and everything (although I didn't get around to wrapping them). I managed mostly by refusing to let myself dwell on the movie coming out. After all, this was what I had been waiting for—a continuation of the original story, with the original actors (even Harrison Ford!) as Luke, Han, and Leia.

So I was stoked, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also at least a little bit apprehensive. If this movie sucked, with these characters in it, it would be more of a blow than the prequels. And for that reason, I was glad George Lucas wasn't involved. As skilled a moviemaker as he is, writing and directing just aren't his forte. Best to eliminate him from the process entirely. (That said, I would be incredibly interested to know the details of the story treatments he had written up, which JJ Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan discarded.)

I bought a ticket for opening night on the night they went on sale, suffering through the malfunctions of overloaded websites until there was an opening. By that time, all the very earliest showings were sold out, somehow, but I managed to get one for 7:20, ensuring, at the very least, that no one would be coming out before I went in. Back in the prequel days, of course, even having a ticket, you needed to get to the theater early to get a good spot on line with other people who had tickets, to make sure you got a good seat. This time around, reserved seat, no problem. Which was cool in its way, but I kind of missed the old way, crowding into the lobby with a bunch of other like-minded superfans for an hour or so beforehand.

Finally seeing the movie was an emotional experience. As much as I tried not to let myself think about it in the days and weeks leading up to release day, in truth this was the culmination of 32 years of anticipation. Once I got into the theater, I gave myself over to it and just let it wash over me. There were several moments in that first viewing that gave me chills, but the biggest one was when the Millennium Falcon appeared onscreen for the first time. Not gonna lie, I almost lost it. So many of my imagined childhood adventures featured the Falcon in some way, and seeing it again really was like greeting an old friend.

Perhaps strangely, seeing Han Solo meet his tragic end was not one of the most emotional moments for me, probably because I had seen it coming since they first announced that Harrison Ford was returning to join the cast. Ford, after all, had lobbied for Solo to be killed off in Return of the Jedi; I was surprised he agreed to be involved with the new movie, and assumed Solo's death as a foregone conclusion. So when it indeed happened, I was ready for it. What I was not ready for was the very next shot, in which Leia, worlds away, feels his death through the Force. Devastating.

I ended up going to see The Force Awakens seven times while it was still in theaters. That may seem excessive, and I know it exasperated my stepmother-in-law for some unknown reason, but I couldn't get enough. And beyond that, I wanted to savor it, because this is probably the last time that a new Star Wars movie coming into theaters is going to be a really big deal. There's going to be a new SW movie coming out each year through at least 2020 (starting with Rogue One this December). I'm sure I'll be excited about them, and seeing them in theaters will be awesome, but not "I've been waiting years for this" awesome. So I let The Force Awakens be a really big deal for me, and it was great, and I regret nothing.

TV and Teenagers

Even with a DVR, I'm terrible about watching television shows. Generally what happens is that I'll set the DVR to record a series I'm interested in, then forget about it until there's a huge backlog of episodes to watch. Then I'll either give up and delete them all or gorge myself to get through them and then repeat the process. For example, the third season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars ended in March, and there are still episodes on my DVR, waiting for me to be ready to watch them.

I was interested in the Friday Night Lights series when it started in 2006. I enjoyed both the book by Buzz Bissinger and the movie based on it, and as readers of this blog already know, I'm all for just about anything dealing with high school football. However, it was one of those series that ended up getting backlogged on the DVR. It never made it to decision time, though; I did manage to watch the pilot episode, but at a certain point that DVR went on the fritz and had to be replaced, and all the recorded episodes went with it.

As a sidenote, I have to mention that NBC did this series no favors right from the start. With a show about high school football, you'd figure that a sizable portion of the potential audience would be people who like high school football. I mean, that stands to reason, yes? Well, if so, then why did they schedule it to air on Friday nights in the fall? I guess it might seem a little silly to air a show called Friday Night Lights on any night other than Friday, but on Friday nights in the fall, people who like high school football are at high school football games. So it's no wonder that ratings weren't so hot, even though the show did well with critics and reviewers.

Anyway, last Friday I read something about the Friday Night Lights series finale, which was airing that night, which reminded me that I had wanted to watch the series at one time. A glance at the calendar informed me that it was also six weeks to the start of the football season. So I checked Netflix to see if Friday Night Lights was available for streaming, and indeed it was. Over the course of the weekend, I watched the first three episodes (yes, I had seen the pilot before, but it was almost six years ago, so I opted for the refresher).

The verdict after three episodes: great show. Of course, the frequent pans of the stadium and a town obviously gearing up for game night would probably be enough to keep me watching, but thankfully, it goes way beyond that. I really like the character of Coach Taylor, who shows just the right touch of disgust and bemusement with all the attention surrounding his program. I like how the show mixes both the positive and negative aspects of football fandom. I like the way it portrays the home and school lives of the characters in such a way that the actual games are almost secondary. And I like that the football footage isn't completely over the top, as fictionalized football has a tendency to be: a lot of the hits look to be harder than you generally see in high school football, but there aren't any players doing flips or being knocked ten yards downfield, or anything like that.

But there's more to it too, at least for me. Back in my halcyon days as an undergraduate student taking creative writing classes, I somehow came across the advice (I can't remember now if it was something I read or something someone told me) that you shouldn't make a habit of featuring characters in high school or college because readers didn't want to read about those types of characters. While I can see where that comes from--there comes a point in time when most adults stop being able to identify with students--I don't really understand it. Personally, I love stories about high school kids, as long as they're well done (which, admittedly, is at least somewhat rare). What's not to like? Characters at that age, for the most part, are inherently dynamic; there's conflict and drama built into their lives; and they feel everything so intensely.

Granted, I identify with teenagers more than most people my age probably do, but that's why I love shows like Friday Night Lights and Glee (another show relegated to DVR limbo and eventually forgotten), not to mention books/movies like Harry Potter. It's a way to relive the thoughts and emotions of those days, without actually having to relive the days themselves.

Actually, as Brandi and I were waiting to see the final Harry Potter film yesterday afternoon, I was telling her about the first time I got in to see an R-rated movie (The People Under the Stairs...ugh) in a theater, which happened when I was 14. I sat there for a second after finishing the story, then said, "Wow. That was twenty years ago." Hard to believe, at least for me.

Remembering MJ

I still remember where I was, two years ago today, when I learned that Michael Jackson had died. Brandi and I had just gotten the keys to our first house a few days earlier but hadn't moved in yet; I was painting the walls of the room that would become my office. Brandi was at work that evening, and she called me--for a wonder, I actually heard and answered my phone--and gave me the news.

I'm generally a quiet guy, but I can remember only a couple of occasions when I've been struck speechless. This was one of those times.

Before I get too far into this, let's get this part out of the way: yes, Michael Jackson was a flawed, possibly disturbed individual. I acknowledge that my feelings for him as an individual are a little conflicted; but my love for his music is untouched and unapologetic. Whatever else he may have been, he was a musical genius.

I've mentioned before that I grew up in a mostly music-free household. My mom's not into music at all, and I've never known my dad to listen to it anywhere outside of the car. I'm a huge music lover myself--I can't imagine my life without it--but I had to come to it almost completely on my own. Fortunately for me, a little album called Thriller came out in 1982.

What drew me to it initially was the title track, "Thriller," when it was released as a single--and, just as importantly, a music video. That was in 1984, so I close to seven when I heard it for the first time. Even at that young age, I loved anything spooky, so the song and the video were right up my alley. My parents bought me a sound-capable Viewmaster that played the song as you viewed slides showing scenes from the video (in 3D!). I loved that thing. Eventually I got the album on cassette, and I played it so much that I had worn it out within a week. And, then as now, when I find a new interest, I want to consume it in as many ways as possible. I had Michael Jackson posters and books, collected other tapes, watched reruns of the old Jackson 5ive cartoon. When my parents took me to EPCOT Center a few years later, I made sure we got to see Captain EO. Yes, I even had a sparkly silver glove (which, come to think of it, is possibly still floating around my parents' house somewhere).

Even now, all these years later, with my 34th birthday just over a week away, I still count the Thriller album as one of my absolute favorites. I love every single song on there--not just for nostalgia, but because they're great songs. But when I hear them, I can still remember being a little kid, lying in bed and listening with my headphones on and just grooving on those songs.

So, for music, Michael Jackson was very much my gateway drug. That's where it all began. Over the years, as my taste in music grew, I was still a fan of just about everything Michael put out. My music collection evolved from cassettes to CDs and eventually to MP3s, iTunes, and an iPod, but MJ was always well represented. When I heard he was dead, I was just stunned, and incredibly sad that his voice was stilled. This is a wound that hasn't really healed with time. I still listen to his music with a bittersweet feeling, knowing that what we have is, for the most part, all we're likely to get. Yes, I have Michael, the posthumous album, and it's not terrible; and I know there's probably more of those on the way. While I look forward to hearing anything that comes out, it just isn't the same. And that makes me sad.

The Taylor Swift Experiment

Don't be put off by the title. This story has a happy ending.

Because of my job, I'm usually pretty aware of what's going on in pop culture and the entertainment industry. So I knew about Taylor Swift before she got completely huge; but it was a while before I actually heard any of her music. I'm not much of a country music fan, but I'm always interested in at least sampling the phenomenon du jour. So many people rail against that sort of thing on general principles, which I guess I understand, but I like to actually inform my opinions. And hey, occasionally you come across something that's genuinely worth the hype.

At any rate, after hearing so much about her, I was looking forward to hearing for myself what the fuss was all about. My first chance to do so came with a televised live performance, which was stunning in its dreadfulness. I mean, it was just awe-inspiringly terrible. And I don't mean I just didn't like the music; I mean she was incapable of performing it. I think the phrase "couldn't carry a tune in a bucket" would be applicable here. She couldn't hit the right note to save her life. I saw little choice but to chalk it up to a bad performance and give her another chance. When that second chance rolled around, though, it was the same story: brutally bad.

I was totally flabbergasted. It was inconceivable that this person had a record deal and was allowed to perform in front of crowds, let alone how popular she was becoming. Any rational person would have just come to the conclusion "she's terrible and people have bad taste" and gone on with their lives, but I was still interested in trying to figure out what the hell was going on. It kind of lingered in the back of my mind for a while, until eventually I came up with a solution: I went to my local public library and checked out her albums (at this point there were two).

The conclusion: she's much, much better in the studio than she is live. Still nothing to get terribly excited about, in terms of her singing voice, but on disc she's at least competent. Freed from the burden of such havoc being wreaked upon your eardrums, you can actually focus on what she's singing, rather than how. She's not Bob Dylan, but her songs, lyrically, are kind of charming. Thinking back to my teenage years, I can identify with them, even being the wrong gender. And that, finally, let me understand how she became a sensation, even with bland, middle-of-the-road country-pop and no ability to perform live.

Which is all fine and good...but the real revelation in all of this was the ability to check music CDs out of the library. Of course, I was well aware that you could do this; I just had never really thought about why you might want to. I'm not sure why it had never occurred to me as a great way to check out music you're interested in, for whatever reason, but don't know much about.

I love music, but I grew up in a largely music-free household, so my exposure and knowledge was limited mostly to whatever was big on the radio at a given time. That started with the pop and hair metal of the '80s and transitioned to grunge and alternative in the '90s. I'd pick up bits and pieces of other stuff here and there, but it was pretty slim. Now I'm exploring classic rock pretty thoroughly, checking out artists like Led Zeppelin, Van Morrison, and Santana, as well as lesser-known contemporary artists like Ray LaMontagne and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (and if you aren't listening to those two, you should be). Next up I'll probably dive into some David Bowie...and maybe some Elvis. Who knows?

And then there are the Beatles. The lingering devotion to them always kind of baffled me, so I checked out a few of their discs (Rubber Soul, Abbey Road, and the White Album) pretty early on, and now I'm on board wholeheartedly. My wife Brandi gave me the box set (all their CDs, digitally remastered) for Christmas, and I've been geeking out on those ever since. And, seeking to understand their cultural significance as well as their music, I've also checked out a couple of books (yep, the library still does those too) about them. The Beatles: The Biography by Bob Spitz is what I'm reading now, which basically just tells the chronological story of how they got together and eventually broke up. I also checked out Can't Buy Me Love by Jonathan Gould, which deals more specifically with the music and the impact it had.

It's amazing where a little curiosity can lead, even when it seems totally innocuous and even a little goofy at the time.

Movie Review: Fanboys

A brief plot synopsis, in case you haven't heard of it (which you probably haven't): five friends in their 20s, all huge Star Wars fans, take a road trip from Ohio to San Francisco to break into Skywalker Ranch to steal a copy of The Phantom Menace before its release so one of their number, who has a terminal illness, can see it before he dies.

This is a comedy, by the way.

Those of you who know me personally or who have paid much attention to this blog know that I'm a huge Star Wars fan myself. I'm not one to dress up in costumes, but I do have a well-worn collection of Star Wars T-shirts. I was at the midnight showings of all three of the prequels. I have all the movies on DVD and watch them often. I have a decent collection of action figures, both from my childhood and, yes, more recently; I play the video games; I read the novels and comics. I have a Jeremy Bulloch-autographed photo of Boba Fett hanging on my office wall, a wedding gift from one of my best friends. In that sense, I'm the guy they were portraying in this film.

Now. All that said, I flatter myself that I'm also a fairly rounded, well-adjusted adult male. Yes, I love Star Wars. I also have other interests. I love sports, for instance. I have friends who are not Star Wars fans, either at all or at only a casual (read: healthy) level, and I can and do hold conversations with them. Some of these friends are female, and somehow I manage to refrain from devolving to a stuttering, slobbering mess in their presence. In fact, hey! I'm married, and yep, I've had sex. And you know what? I even kind of enjoy Star Trek, too. In all of these respects, I'm the complete antithesis of the guy they were portraying in this film.

I suppose I'm going into a bit of a rant here, but this constant depiction of fans of Star Wars (or Star Trek, or Lord of the Rings, or basically any kind of science fiction or fantasy) as one-dimensional and socially incompetent is really, really tiresome. Yes, I realize these people exist, and I can even see the humor in the stereotype, believe it or not. But at a certain point, enough is enough. I do have friends who are just as die-hard in their love for Star Wars as I am, and none of them are like this. This movie was written and made by Star Wars fans; I guess I just thought they'd be more true to their own. I almost couldn't get through the movie because I was so irritated by these characters.

Despite that, I decided to sit through the whole thing and try to let go of my irritation as much as possible. In all, I'm glad I did. The general asininity of the characters aside, the movie was obviously an homage to George Lucas and Star Wars and the spot they hold in our culture, which was pretty cool. It definitely enhanced my desire to see Skywalker Ranch at some point. It was fairly amusing. And once the comedy of the characters' personalities has been established and they were allowed to emerge as (at least mildly) real people, it turned into a fairly decent rumination on friendship and being yourself.

Oh, and Kristen Bell in the Slave Leia outfit? Two thumbs up from this reviewer.

It's Coming

As it turns out, HOPE and CHANGE aren't the only things on the horizon. At long last, Chinese Democracy - the long-awaited new album from Guns N' Roses - is slated for release this coming Sunday.

If, like me, you're skeptical that this release can, after all this time, possibly live up to the standards of Guns N' Roses of old (and by "of old," I mean pre-Spaghetti Incident), I encourage you to check it out in advance. The whole thing is available for streaming, legally, right now through MySpace. I'm listening to it right now myself. I had no idea what to expect from this thing...but I'm blown away by what I've heard so far (I'm on song 8 out of 14). It's good, maybe even really good. I wanted to find out before I plunked down cash on something that may turn out to be nothing more than a curiosity - I mean, how often do you hear albums that were fifteen years in the making? Now I'll be able to track it down on Sunday with confidence that my money is being well spent.

So, sorry folks...it looks like the days of Chinese Democracy being nothing more than a punchline (and, I admit, I've used it as such myself frequently over the years) are over.

UPDATE: Now that I've heard the whole thing...WOW. The second half is even better than the first. I'd have to say, upon one listen, that this album surpasses "good" and flies straight into the rarefied realm of "awesome." It's the kind of music that makes me want to get in the car, roll down the windows, crank up the stereo, and drive real fast (in someone else's car, of course...my Taurus just doesn't fit into this mental picture).

Score One For Common Sense

Gwinnett schools to keep Harry Potter

More Notes

First and foremost, the cable is fixed, at least temporarily. Apparently the problem arose from the fact that they're currently re-wiring the building in which I live. Personally, I think it might have been nice for them to inform the residents that issues may be forthcoming, but I've never pretended to be an expert on customer service. At any rate, Brandi got off work early on Wednesday, and she finally managed to get someone out here to look at and fix our problem. It may or may not recur as the re-wiring project continues, but we'll hope for the best. I'm most hopeful that our refound connectivity will allow things to return to normal here at the Yawp.

This past Wednesday was Brandi's 24th birthday. Happy birthday, sweetheart!

So after my rant about the Reds the other day, they really shook things up, firing their manager (Dave Miley) and pitching coach (Don Gullett). They're 3-0 since the move, which I have some mixed feelings about. I wanted to like Miley, but I wasn't impressed by his managerial style. Still, most "baseball people" have a lot of respect for him. It's the same with Gullett. He was known as one of the best pitching coaches in the game, yet the Reds haven't had decent starting pitching for a long time. Some of that comes from the players that upper management signed to be on his staff, but it just didn't seem like they developed. Anyway, I'm interested to see where the Reds go from here. It's too late for there to be any real hope for this season, so it'll be interesting to see what sort of moves they make in preparation for next year.

Last Friday I started re-reading The Stand by Stephen King. I had resolved that I wasn't going to start anything else until I finished The Dark Tower and Revenge of the Sith, but I picked up my well-worn paperback copy in a moment of weakness. I'm glad I did. The Stand is perhaps my favorite book of all-time, but I hadn't read it for a while. I had, however, watched the DVD of the barely acceptable made-for-TV miniseries/movie several times in the meantime. As such, I had forgotten many of the nuances and subtleties of the book. The movie is around six hours long, but that is still not enough time to include enough to make it a worthy adaptation. The characters are little more than one-dimensional shadows of their literary counterparts. I still enjoy it, but reading the book is a much richer and more fulfilling experience.

I'm still working my way through The Dark Tower, even while I read The Stand. It occurred to me while I was reading recently what an interesting time this is for me. I recently saw for the first time Revenge of the Sith, which is (ostensibly, at least) the final Star Wars film. Star Wars has always been a part of my life. I'll shortly be finishing The Dark Tower, concluding a series of novels that I first picked up when I was about twelve, nearly sixteen years ago. I think it will be strange to be without the feelings of anticipation for the continuation of these stories that I've grown up with and which have been such a large part of my life and have played such a major role in shaping the person I've become. I will miss it. The Star Wars story will continue to expand, of course, through novels, television series, etc., although it won't be nearly the same experience as attending the films in theaters. The Dark Tower series, though... not only will it not continue, but I'm not entirely sure that Mr. King is going to continue to publish at all now that he has finished his epic. I suppose I'll have to find new obsessions.

Speaking of Revenge of the Sith, I went out for my fifth viewing earlier this evening (late Friday night, this was). It's still good stuff. I'm picking out a lot of parallels with the original trilogy, and I'm digging it a lot more with each viewing.

When I came out of the theater, the moon, just beginning to wane, was a deep shade of orange. How cool is that? It was a beautiful night overall. I kept the windows rolled down for the drive home, with my left arm stuck out into the warm night wind, singing along with the tunes at the top of my lungs. Summer is here, and isn't it grand?

Revenge is Sweet

After months of anticipation, the experience of seeing Revenge of the Sith is now in the past. It lived up to my highest expectations and then some.

My cousin Mike and his girlfriend Lisa drove up to Bowling Green from the Dayton area to go see the midnight showing with Brandi and me. They got here around 7:00 or so with a surprise. Lisa had made Star Wars t-shirts for all of us, and they were very cool. Brandi and I quickly changed into our new shirts, and then the four of us went out for pizza.

After dinner and a non-related side trip, we arrived at the theater in Perrysburg around 9:30. I had purchased tickets online a couple of weeks ago, so I just had to swipe my card to retrive them from the ATM-like machine in the lobby. From there, we got in line to get into the auditorium. Opening night line-sitting is quite an experience. It's actually as much a part of the event as the film itself. It sounds goofy to outsiders, but it's actually a lot of fun to be around a bunch of like-minded people and listen to the chatter. It's also a lot of fun to see otherwise normal and straight-laced adults dressed up as Jedi, Sith lords, Wookiees, and other creatures and characters from that beloved fictional universe. Our line time passed by quickly.

They let us into the auditorium at 11:00. You know you're on your way into a Star Wars films when they check purses and bags on the way in to ensure that no photographical equipment is smuggled in. Fortunately, I was wearing jeans with deep pockets, so our candy-smuggling ability was not hampered. We had to wait in the auditorium for just over an hour before the movie started. This time was also fairly entertaining, seeing even more costumed people filing in and milling around. Eventually a local camera crew came in to interview some of the folks wearing costumes, which was pretty cool.

Eventually the theater darkened and the previews began. Each successive preview was greeted by more and more groaning from an audience full of Star Wars fans who were finally so close to their latest, freshest fix that they could feel the promise of it pulsing against their skin. When the previews ended and the familiar 20th Century Fox fanfare played, there was much rejoicing. And I do mean much. I attended midnight showings of each of the previous SW prequels, and this was by far the most boisterous crowd I've ever been a part of. It reached a crescendo when the title flashed onscreen, followed by the opening crawl, and then the crowd settled into a respectful, almost reverent silence to fully soak in every detail of the new installment.

I'm sure it's evident at this point that I liked this movie very, very much. I'm not ready to say that it's the best of the entire series, but it's definitely and by far the best of the prequel trilogy. And I say that as someone who really enjoyed Attack of the Clones. This new film was everything it needed to be. The action was fast and furious, the effects were incredible (as always), questions were answered, and the film was very, very dark. You could feel the frustration and anger as Anakin Skywalker turned toward the Dark Side of the Force and unleashed that emotion in a spate of shocking violence.

The violence, though, was very understated. Most of it was implied rather than actually shown. Yes, there was violence shown, and some of it was fairly graphic, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. It wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been if I would have made the film, for instance. That approach was sort of refreshing, actually. I'm not one who minds onscreen violence at all (a couple of my favorite movies, for example, are Braveheart and Pulp Fiction), but it's not always bad to have it take place off-camera. In this case, it allowed George Lucas to keep his film at a relatively safe PG13 rating, but it also seemed appropriate stylistically (to me, at least).

All too soon, the movie was over, setting the stage for the events that take place in Episode IV, which was made twenty-eight years ago. Yes, there were still some minor questions left unanswered, but all in all the film was extremely satisfying. It was the Star Wars experience that fans have been waiting for, myself included.

In many ways, I'm sad that it's over now. Don't get me wrong, I'll definitely see the movie in the theater again (and again, and again; I'll be fairly shocked if the number of instances stays in the single digits), but it won't be like the first time. No more buying tickets weeks in advance; no more waiting in line for hours just to get into the theater; no more hordes of Jedi storming the theater; no more midnight screenings with my cousin Mike; no more waiting in breathless anticipation to see what happens next. Unless, of course, Lucas changes his mind and decides to go ahead with another trilogy after all. As much fun as the films were, the anticipation of another one was almost as good. Yes, I'm sad to see them go. I enjoy the books, and the video games, and I'm looking forward to the television series, but...it just isn't the same as a full-length motion picture event.

Still, I'm going to enjoy Revenge of the Sith while it's in theaters, and I recommend you do the same. If you've ever enjoyed any of the Star Wars films, I doubt this one will disappoint you. It definitely manages to capture the lightning in a bottle that they've had in their best moments. Its tone may be dark, but it's a fun movie nonetheless.

Full Immersion

Star Wars week has begun.

I don't think I can adequately express in words how excited I am for this week's opening of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I've been looking forward to it since Attack of the Clones passed out of theaters nearly three years ago, and it's finally close enough to almost taste. What little I've allowed myself to see in terms of footage from and information about the movie looks very good. I'm hoping that this film will be George Lucas's triumphal return to the saga he created in 1977, and it sounds as though there's a good chance that is the case.

In preparation, I'm immersing myself in the Star Wars universe as much as possible this week. I've been re-reading a couple of my favorite novels from the expanded universe; I have been and will be watching some of the films on DVD; I'm listening to the soundtracks in my car. On Wednesday, I'll bust out a Star Wars t-shirt to wear all day, and that night I and my friends will go see the very first public showing.

Excited as I am, though, I have to get up on my soapbox for a moment. You know one thing I could really do without? The constant condescenscion of people for Star Wars fans. Get over it. It's no different than a passion for sports, or music, or cars, or anything else that people get into. Being a Star Wars fan in itself does not make someone a loser; no, not even if they stand in line for weeks to get tickets, dressed in full costume. I get tired of hearing this crap all the time. I have no problem when someone has a little fun with it, because let's face it: fans can be a little over-the-top at times. But that's true of fans of anything, and there's a difference between being made fun of ("fun" being the key word) and being derided and mocked. It just gets old. Just realize that everyone has more than one dimension, and move on.

Okay, I'm done ranting, and back to being excited. Two days from now, I'll be at the theater, hopefully in my seat already and waiting for the start of the show. I'm sad that this is going to be the last film, but I'll deal with that later. For now I'm just ready to see it.

Revenge of the Sith

Speaking of creating monsters...I may have created a frenzy by asking Brandi to marry me, but I doubt she has any idea of what awaits her when the newest Star Wars film hits theaters. It opens on May 19, meaning that two weeks from today I'll be preparing to go to the midnight showing. I can't friggin' wait. I don't read much about it, because I don't want to accidentally see something that will give away even the tiniest bit of plot, but I can't help hearing things from time to time. The word so far is that it kicks some ass. I'm so ready for that. I just have a good feeling, like this one is going to be the best of the bunch (not just the prequel bunch, but the entire movie franchise). It'll take a lot to top The Empire Strikes Back as the best, but this one could do it. It's such an intriguing point of the story. If Lucas is as good a filmmaker as he was considered before these prequels began, there's little chance that this film can be less than awesome.

I'll likely see the film in the theater about ten to fifteen times, and more if it's as good as I feel like it will be. I don't care if that makes me a dork. There's just nothing like seeing Star Wars on the big screen. It's such a grand spectacle, and as this is the last of the bunch (although he's going to redo them all in 3D starting in '07, if I read correctly), I plan to take full advantage of every chance I have to see the film in the way it is meant to be seen.

After I've seen the film at least once, I'll read the novel, listen to the soundtrack, play the video game, read the articles, etc. Until then, I'm staying as chaste as possible so as to take in as much of the experience as possible on that magical night.

Just a Few Notes

Forget about Groundhog Day. The surest sign that spring is on the way is the opening of baseball's spring training, which happened earlier this week. In today's Dayton Daily News, I got my first dose of news from the Reds camp. I'm pretty stoked about the opening of the season. Although football and basketball have surpassed it, baseball was the first sport I really enjoyed, and the Reds were the first sports team I followed with any real interest.

The Reds have made some decent acquisitions this offseason, so I'm really looking forward to the coming season and hoping they can compete in the National League Central Division. It'll be interesting to see how the outfield situation will play out, if Ken Griffey Jr. can stay healthy. With him, Adam Dunn, Wily Mo Peña, and Austin Kearns, there are four potentially great starters for three spots. One way or another, I hope they find a way to get Peña plenty of at-bats. He's going to be incredible. I believe Reds tickets go on sale this Saturday, so I'll have to hop online and get some.

Last weekend I heard the new Rob Thomas single, "Lonely No More," for the first time. I think I like it, but it'll probably take a few more listens before I'm totally sure. It's a pretty different sound from what he's done with Matchbox Twenty. Maybe it's more a matter of just getting used to it than making sure I like it. I don't know why he's embarked on a solo career, but I hope it doesn't mean the end of the band. At their best, they had a dark sound that I liked a whole lot.

Speaking of music, how brainless are people who listen to Top-40 radio? The station that's constantly playing in our office at work (which I have no control over, just for the record), at the end of each hour, plays "the hour's most-requested song." Either they lie about that or the people who listen have no imagination, because the songs that are played are the same damned songs that are played about ten other times throughout the course of the day. It's been a really, really long time since I've called a radio station to request a song, but if I was ever going to do it again, I would request something I hadn't heard for a while. I would not request something I could hear at least once an hour without any effort.

It seems like I always have more things I intend to put into these "notes" posts, but I can never remember all of them when the time finally comes to make the post. I need to start carrying a notepad or something.

Wednesday Tidbits

I really hope I'm not coming down with some sort of illness, but it feels that way. This is the second straight day that I've had a sore throat. That's the only symptom I have right now, but it hurts quite a bit. I'm just hoping it doesn't spread into a full-blown cold. I thought about staying home from work today, but given the circumstances it didn't seem like such a great idea. Besides, if I'm going to be mildly uncomfortable, I might as well be at work.

I am continually amazed at how uptight people can be. I've heard a lot both yesterday and today about the "controversy" surrounding the intro to Monday Night Football this week, featuring Philadelphia wide receiver Terrell Owens and Nicolette Sheridan from the show Desperate Housewives. I saw the intro, and yes, she dropped her towel, but unless I missed something there was no nudity. So what's to be upset about? Implied nudity? Give me a break. If I were authorized to speak on behalf of ABC, Monday Night Football, or the NFL, I would categorically not apologize, and would instead issue a statement encouraging everyone who was offended by the spot to stop being so juvenile.

Staying with pro football, rookie quarterback Eli Manning will start for the Giants this weekend ahead of Kurt Warner. I hope Eli enjoys his moment in the sun, because I have a feeling that he was vastly overrated coming out of college and will struggle in the NFL. If he does succeed, I doubt it will be this year. The Giants' offensive line isn't very good, and opposing defenses will be coming after the rookie. He's not known for being fleet of foot, so he's going to take some lumps. I hope he's up for it.

The MAC has made an agreement to send a team to the Silicon Valley Bowl this year, meaning that at least three MAC teams will play in bowl games. This greatly enhances the chances that Bowling Green will get a postseason berth. This one-year agreement was brought about by the fact that the Pac-10 conference won't have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all their slots. Bowling Green currently has the best overall record in the MAC at 8-2 and has one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, so I have to think we're the leading candidate for a bid. I would most like to see the Falcons return to the Motor City Bowl, which we won last year over Northwestern, because Detroit is nearby and I could probably attend. The other options would be Mobile, Alabama for the GMAC Bowl, or San Jose for the Silicon Valley Bowl. I'd be happy if the Falcons made either of those, but I wouldn't be able to attend in person.

In the midst of all this football hoopla, I'm trying to get myself geared up for college hoops season. You'll notice that I've listed the BGSU men's basketball schedule in the sidebar to the right. The Falcons start their season this Saturday at DePaul (in Chicago), and as much as I would love to be able to make it out there for the game, I just can't. I haven't seen them at all yet this year, as there were no scrimmages, and the one public exhibition was held this past Saturday morning while I was out tailgating before the football game. It's driving me crazy because we have a lot of newcomers and I have no idea what to expect from them. I'm hoping I'll be able to find the game somewhere on my digital cable, but I'm not banking on it. The first home game is a week from tonight against Illinois-Chicago.

Until I see the Falcons play, I doubt I'll be fully into basketball. Normally I'm a college hoops junkie and will eagerly consume any game I happen to come across, but last night ESPN2 was televising a Providence-Niagara game and I just couldn't get into it. I'm sure that'll pass soon enough, though, and I'll be ready for some "Happy Action Fun Time."

I neglected to mention it last week due to my self-imposed silence on the topic of politics, but I did want to point out that I've added a new blog to my list of links in the sidebar. It's called Democrack, and it's an interesting and well written political blog by a former employee of the Clinton White House. Check it out.

Sketches of the Apocalypse

Art Spiegelman draws nightmare of 9/11 with In the Shadow of No Towers

Spiegelman is a creative genius, and he's not afraid to take on powerful topics. I've read both of his Maus books, which deal with the Jewish holocaust of World War II, and they're incredible. It sounds like this book will be the same. I'll have to check it out.

Just a Random Note from a Boring, Long-Ass Day

I noted to Brandi last night (yes, we were watching The Two Towers at the time) that on the off chance we ever happen to reproduce, our child shall be named Shadowfax, and if there's another, Gimli. Regardless of gender. I figure the more unattractive the prospect of having children seems, the less chance there is of actually having any. The major obstacle--my deep-seated hatred of babies (oh, and of responsibility)--is well documented. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

I Need Some Distraction

The song stuck in my head today: "Angel," by Sarah McLachlan. What a great song. I'm fascinated by the whole "song stuck in the head" phenomenon. Sure, it can be annoying at times, but what can possibly be so bad about going around all day with music on your mind?

As a sidenote, one of the great things about the internet is the ability to find lyrics to just about any song.

Does anyone remember the television show "The Greatest American Hero"? I remember nothing about it, other than the fact that I loved it as a little kid. Oh, and the fact that it had a kickass theme song. I've got a copy of it, which I listened to this morning on my way to work. Another great song, although it contrasts quite a bit with "Angel."

One day last week Brandi came home with a couple of DVDs of Beavis and Butt-head greatest hits that she got from a co-worker. I fancy myself something of an intellectual, but I love the sophomoric humor of Beavis and Butt-head. Mike Judge is a funny, funny man.

It was good to see Austin Kearns back on the field for the Reds last night, after he was activated from the 60-day disabled list. Hopefully he can use the rest of this season to get back to form and ready for next year. Once Wily Mo Peña recovers from his sprained wrist, the Reds will have a formidable outfield for the rest of the season. It's too little too late for it to matter this season, but Wily Mo and Austin can definitely use the at-bats to hopefully springboard into next season.

I spent a good portion of my morning here at work down in the Engineering department, talking football. Rare days like this are when it's actually worth coming to work in the morning.

Speaking of work, things I'm hearing lately are leading me to believe that our marketing director/company president's fiancée is no longer on the company payroll. I suppose that's a partial explanation of why she hasn't been in the office for quite some time, except to pop in for a few minutes (usually with her kid in tow) here and there. Of course, she was never here that much even when she was on the payroll.

My car decided to do some more stalling yesterday after work. This really bothers me, because it hadn't done so for a while and I had gotten to the point where I was really starting to think it was over its problem. It didn't rain yesterday, either, so now it doesn't seem as though there's any rhyme or reason to when it has problems. I've had no problems so far today. I'm approaching my wits end with this thing. I'm due for an oil change probably tomorrow; if it has more problems after that, I think I'm going to have to just drop it off at a Dodge dealership and take a loaner car so they can keep it until it's fixed, however long that takes. In the meantime, it would be awesome if the car fairy or the money fairy would pay a visit.

Speaking of cars, I passed a DeLorean on the way to work yesterday. I think that's awesome. Yeah, it looks like a vintage 80s sports car, but it would be extremely cool to have one. If ever there comes a time where I have the disposable income to spend on something like a trophy car, that's what I'll be looking for.

Friday the 13th

Today seems like an appropriate day to discuss my fascination with the horror genre.

I can't really explain it, other than to say I've always been fascinated by the macabre and tales of the supernatural, and I've always enjoyed the sensation of being frightened by such tales. I think it started when I was pretty young. I loved Scooby-Doo, which generally revolved around Scooby and the gang investigating claims of ghosts, phantoms, monsters, etc. Those cartoons are just funny now when I catch them on Cartoon Network, but some of the episodes were pretty creepy to a five-year-old.

I graduated from there to books like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and others like that, plus "true" tales of ghosts and unexplained phenomena. I had some sleep-deprived nights due to some of those stories, let me tell you. No nightmares or anything like that, but I would lie awake just thinking about some of the stories. In my own sick and weird way, I liked it. I'd scare myself, really. I knew the stories weren't real, but...what if they were?

I was in sixth grade when I started reading authors like Dean Koontz, John Saul, and Stephen King. Some of those novels were more about psychological horror, which was new to me. I totally grooved on it, though. And they also wrote enough "conventional" horror to keep me happy in that regard. To this day, one of my absolute favorite novels is Koontz's Watchers. I've read it a number of times. Even now, after I've read it so many times, it still has the power to creep me out. I think that's awesome.

Around the same time, I started watching horror movies. My friend Rachel and I used to rent all the horror movies we could get our hands on, and I've seen some really bad ones. Of that ilk, I'll go out of my way to mention the numerous movies based on the book Watchers that I just raved about--the novel was great, but none of the movies stayed true to it, and thus they all sucked. Sad but true. I was pretty into the standard fare of Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, though. Alien is an awesome horror flick, too, although a lot of people write it off because it's also science fiction. Personally, I don't care if it takes place in outer space--that movie is damned creepy.

I haven't seen a lot of the more recent horror films, I'm sad to say. Partially it's because some of them look so awful, but a lot of it has to do with the fact that no one is really interested in seeing them with me. I haven't yet seen The Ring, The Sixth Sense (although I know the surprise, dammit!), or The Blair Witch Project. They're all on the list, though. I think the last horror movies I saw were Scream and Scream 2, actually. I thought the first one was good and pretty clever, but after that it got stale.

Of course, a lot of Stephen King novels have been made into movies, and I've seen quite a few of those just because I enjoy his work so much. Some of the movies are terrible, but some are great. Don't bother with The Dark Half or The Stand (although yes, I do own The Stand on DVD). It was pretty decent, as was the original Salem's Lot (I didn't get to see the updated version on TNT). Misery and Pet Semetary were both pretty awesome. The translations of his work are really hit or miss. I like to see them, though, one way or another.

Right now, I'd have to say I'm pretty interested in seeing The Village. I haven't seen any of Shyamalan's films, actually, but I want to check them out. I haven't seen The Exorcist, which shames me as a horror fan, but I'd like to see that and then the prequel that's coming out shortly. Also, for kind of a guilty pleasure I'd like to see Alien vs. Predator (and Freddy vs. Jason for that matter). Since Brandi is most definitely not interested, however, I'll almost certainly have to wait until they all come out on DVD, and then I'll watch them by myself.

Where Have You Gone, Mr. Kornheiser?

There was a time, in the early, formative months of this blog, that I wasn't concerned in the slightest if half the day passed and I hadn't yet come up with a topic to expound upon in this space. In those halcyon days of yore, my lunch break drive-time was occupied by "The Tony Kornheiser Show" on ESPN Radio. If I needed a topic, I knew Tony would provide me with one. Far from being just another sports talk show, Tony would touch on a little bit of everything. His show appealed to intellectual sports fans with a good sense of humor (and yes, such a creature does exist). The "Old Guy Radio" segment provided a pretty good soundtrack too.

Alas, those days are long gone, as Tony's show went off the air in March. Enter "The Herd," hosted by Colin Cowherd, which is just another sports talk show if ever there was one. I still tune in occasionally, but I have little patience for it. I love sports, but I mostly just want to watch the games and get some news. I have little use for most sports talk, which is little more than rehashing of standard opinions along with over-examination of minutiae, and an occasional call from a drunk sports fan thrown in for good measure. I don't put much stock in talking heads' views on sports--when I want a debate or opinion, I'll talk to my friends, where we can talk about the teams, players, and issues that we actually care about.

"The Tony Kornheiser Show" was an exception to all of that. When he talked about sports, Tony usually offered a unique perspective and some different insight from what was being spouted from other sports media personalities. The main reason I liked his show, though, was because it transcended sports. He would talk about pop culture, politics, current events, music, literature, whatever. That aspect of the show appealed to the Renaissance man in me, and it was often where I could cull a writing topic if none presented themselves to me through other means.

Tony said during his last days on air that he would almost certainly do another radio show on another network. To my knowledge, that has not happened yet, and it makes me sad. His show definitely appealed to a niche audience, but I think his departure from radio has dropped the standards and brought in just one more show appealing to the lowest common denominator.

Since then, I've been getting my Tony fix by reading his occasional columns from the Washington Post (registration required) and by watching him and fellow Post columnist Michael Wilbon on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption". Lately, even this has been denied to me, as both Tony and Mike are on a seemingly interminable vacation (PTI's hosting slots have been filled by Stephen A. Smith, Dan LeBatard, and Skip Bayless, none of whom possess the intellect or wit of Tony or Wilbon)--no columns have been forthcoming, and I've been skipping guest-hosted PTI in favor of my PlayStation. I'm hoping they (or at least one of them) will be back soon. Another week of substandard heads and PTI may lose its appeal and relevance.

There is hope for the future, however. This fall, a new sitcom called "Listen Up" will premiere on CBS. I'm normally not one for sitcoms or non-sports television in general, but this show is based on Tony's Post columns, and should be pretty interesting if nothing else. Starring as Tony will be none other than Jason Alexander, better known as George Costanza from "Seinfeld". The show premieres on Monday, September 20 at 8:30. That's opposite Monday Night Football, which sucks, but maybe I'll get a DVR before then.

***UPDATE (7:16 P.M.)***

Word on the street is that both Kornheiser and Wilbon are in Athens to cover the Olympics, and won't be back together on PTI until the Games are over. I am less than pleased with this news. I guess this means I can just start playing PlayStation as soon as I get home, without bothering to check ESPN to see if they're on.

I Realized Later I Had Failed to Title This Entry

Someday soon, I've got a pretty meaty post to write about my own personal politics and the current Presidential campaign. That one is still brewing up in my mind. In the meantime, I offer yet another selection of assorted thoughts and notes.

Our company president has been missing in action so far this week. This matters mostly because our staff has been cut and reallocated so that he's essentially our only salesman, at least for capital equipment. Our head engineer has been dealing with sales calls in his absence, and that has actually probably worked out better. The only problem with this is that our head engineer is leaving at noon and won't be back for two days. Of course, our sales haven't been so hot lately anyway, but we have had a lot of inquiries. Should anyone want to turn an inquiry into an order over the course of the next two days, I think they're going to be out of luck. This seems like a fine way to run a business.

Today I'm finally going to get around to putting the electricity for our new apartment into my name. Somehow, in all the rush of actually getting everything moved, I've skipped this little detail. The electricity is still on, but I think it's currently being billed to the landlord. That probably shouldn't continue any longer than is absolutely necessary. On the flip side of that, a new tenant moved into my old place yesterday, and his electrical usage is currently being billed to me. So I guess it works out.

One thing that wasn't so bad about my tire experience yesterday is that the time I spent waiting to get the tire fixed was time I was able to spend reading The Winds of War. I started reading it on July 15 and I'm just now about 1/3 of the way through it. I read quickly, but I'm only reading this one on my lunch break or whenever I find myself stuck somewhere with some time to kill. It is a superb piece of historical fiction. I'm in awe of it, actually. I've always been fascinated by World War II anyway, and Wouk has really crafted an interesting work by spinning a tale set in that period and really integrating historical fact into the story. It'll be a while before I'm finished with it, but I'm sure I'll dive immediately into the follow-up novel War and Remembrance.

I'm also still working on Song of Susannah, which I started even earlier than I did the Wouk novel. I said at the time that I planned to take my time with it, and apparently I was serious about it. I haven't had much time to read that one lately due to moving anyway, but I'll probably dive back into it pretty soon now that things are settling back down. I'm fairly close to the end. The next and final book in the Dark Tower series comes out on September 21, and I'll definitely be ready by then.

I know I said yesterday I would post some pictures from the Kerry/Edwards rally, and I haven't done that. As it turns out, I was so far away that Mr. Kerry is just a blue blur in the photos I took. I was hoping they would come out better, but unfortunately my camera doesn't have an optical zoom, and its digital zoom is nearly worthless. This is one event I definitely would love to have had a better camera for. At any rate, I may post some photos later anyway, just to show how packed downtown Bowling Green was on Sunday. It was utterly unbelievable.

Speaking of photos, I'd really like to take an afternoon to walk around the BGSU campus to take some shots to post on here. I'm sure I'll spend my share of time by the athletic facilities (Anderson Arena and Doyt Perry Stadium, at least), but there are some other spots on campus that I really like as well. Maybe I'll put that on my agenda for this weekend, if the weather cooperates.

I heard a radio commercial this morning featuring spokeswoman Pam Dawber. Wow, really? Pam Dawber? I had totally forgotten she ever existed, and I'm probably not the only one. She seems like an odd choice for current advertising, to say the least. I was so stunned to hear her name, I couldn't even tell you what she was trying to sell me.

The Reds are on TV late this evening (they're playing in San Francisco), and as dreadful as they've been lately, I'm sure I'll probably watch. They have to come out of their slide at some point, right? Ken Griffey Jr. is supposed to be back from injury perhaps as soon as tonight, so that will help.

Another item I want to catch on television this evening is President Clinton's appearance on Letterman. That'll overlap some with the baseball game, but that's fine. I really enjoy hearing Clinton speak, and I also like Letterman a lot. Having both of them together should be great. I read something yesterday that said Mr. Clinton has been asked to host Saturday Night Live at some point. I hope he does it.

Notes From Underground

I've actually been fairly busy here at work so far this week. To say that it's been a nice change would be an understatement. It definitely makes the time go by faster, and I always prefer to feel like I'm actually earning my meager pay. I think it's going to slow down again shortly, but even a temporary pocket of activity is a good thing.

I will argue vehemently against the idea that any type of card game is a sport, but I cannot deny that the World Series of Poker (as televised by ESPN) makes for extremely compelling television. I can't explain why, really. I've never played poker myself, but these guys on TV make it look like anyone can do it. I know that's not the case, though. Still, it looks like a lot of fun. I might see if I can pick it up a little bit. I don't see myself ever becoming a high-stakes professional gambler, but it would be fun to pretend.

Brandi moved in with me this weekend, and it's causing some technological problems. I can't get her laptop integrated into my network. They're all Windows machines, so it shouldn't be a problem. For some reason, I just can't get her network card to realize that a cable is plugged into it. I know the cables are good and my router is good. Whatever I try, I just get the message that the network media is disconnected, and I don't know how to get it to connect. I worked on it for a couple of hours last night, to no avail. I do have a couple more ideas, but one of them (uninstalling the integrated network card, hoping WinXP will automatically detect and reinstall it upon reboot) I don't want to do unless there are absolutely no other options. I'll be seeking input from some technologically minded friends and co-workers, and I'll probably take another whack at it this evening. I'm probably switching to wireless soon anyway, but it would be nice to have it running in the meantime.

Otherwise, things are going quite well. Granted, it's very early, but I don't expect any real problems. Last night we went grocery shopping. I've never kept many groceries on hand because I don't cook much. Brandi does, though, so we had to stock up a little bit. I certainly don't mind.

Speaking of food, I had to spend a little bit too much time waiting in line at Wendy's today. Wednesday is generally the day I eat healthy at Wendy's, but I can't make myself do it if I have to stand in line for any length of time. The pictures and smells of beef break down my resolve. I ended up with a Big Bacon Classic today, and it was outstanding.

I've seen Will Ferrell twice in the past week on late-night talk shows (last week on Letterman; last night on Conan). I think it's entirely possible that he's the funniest man alive. The night he was on Letterman, I laughed until I cried, and I was headed that way again last night. His segment with Conan lost some of its momentum when they pretended to wrestle over a handgun, but it was pretty damned funny before that. His new movie Anchorman comes out this Friday, and I'm sure I'll be seeing it at some point.

The Bowling Green State University Falcon football team will be sporting new uniforms when they take the field this fall. I got my eyes on a picture of them for the first time this morning, and I must say I'm most definitely less than impressed. They're orange on orange (home) and white on white (away), with a brown stripe up the length of the side--like the Denver Broncos uniforms, or the Miami Hurricanes. I guess that means they're in style, but I don't think they work that well with our color scheme. I'm hoping they'll look better once the players are actually wearing them.

Had the timing been different, I probably would have commented more at length on this situation, but suffice it to say that I'm glad Mike Krzyzewski (pronounced shuh-SHEV-ski; we'll just call him Coach K) decided to turn down the Los Angeles Lakers coaching job and stay at Duke. He's the consummate college coach. I think he would have done a good job in the NBA, but I don't think he would have fit nearly as well as he does in college, and at Duke in particular. His teams are always so well coached and fun to watch. College basketball really would have lost out if he had decided to leave. I love the college game, so I'm extremely glad that didn't happen.