NBA: It's Faaantastic 2007-08 edition

Seems like it was just a couple of months ago that I was predicting a Spurs/Heat final, with the Spurs emerging victorious as the NBA World Champs. Suddenly the 2007-08 season is upon us again, with some interesting storylines:

1. Will Kobe get traded?
2. Will the Celtics make a run to the Finals with their Big Three?
3. Will the Mavericks make it through the first round this time? How about T-Mac and the Rockets?
4. Will Durant live up to expectations?
5. Will Nash and the Suns finally win it all?
6. Will Kirilenko use his "yearly allowance"? *ahem*

I'd say (3) is probably the most likely to happen, unless it's the Mavs and the Rockets facing off in Round 1.

Predictions (totally random, totally unscientific. Hey, my seedings might be impossible)!

WEST:
(1) Mavs, Suns, Spurs, Jazz, Rockets, Nuggets, Warriors, Lakers
(2) Mavs, Suns, Spurs, Rockets
(3) Mavs, Spurs
(4) Spurs

EAST
(1) Bulls, Pistons, Celtics, Wizards, Heat, Magic, Nets, Cavs
(2) Bulls, Pistons, Celtics, Heat
(3) Bulls, Celtics
(4) Bulls

FINALS
(1) Spurs, Bulls
(2) Spurs

Repeat. Unless Kobe gets traded to the Bulls...then it gets interesting.

How 'Bout Them Apple(s)

Had to post a link to this Engadget article about Apple refusing cash and gift cards to pay for an iPhone because of this comment:

"paul34@ Oct 29th 2007 1:07AM

CUPERTINO - Apple announced today that it would no longer be accepting purchase requests for the iPhone. "We feel the iPhone is too good for regular humans," says the Apple spokesperson. "To protect our brand image, we have decided to stop selling our product altogether to maintain a level of exclusivity unattainable by any other product currently on the market."

The spokesperson also announced they would continue advertising in order to maintain the feel of unattainability."

Then there's the Leopard BSOD. Since when did Apple start turning into Microsoft?

Five Books Everyone Should Read Before They Die

In a Straight Dope thread a reader asked the question "Which five books should everyone read before they die?" There were a lot of interesting responses, some of which I've read, but most of which are foreign to me. Of course, most of the stuff I read are in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Detective genres, with a couple of thrillers and classics thrown in.

This was hard for me to pare down (having read so many books!), but here's my list.

1. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. One ring to rule them all. Probably influenced most of the fantasy writers who came after; you can read this book, and you've read 80% of the other fantasy novels out there.
2. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. Revenge literature at its best.
3. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is arguably the greatest detective who ever lived; even if you haven't read any of the short stories (although I think "The Red-Headed League" was a topic in one of my ELA classes back in Zobel) chances are you've read Hound.
4. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Together, Gaiman and Pratchett have written some of the best stories I've ever read. It's impossible for me to pick one from each without going over my limit, so I cheated and picked a classic that both of them wrote.
5. The Mote In God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. A great space opera if there was ever one. Probably the best "hard" science-fiction novel I've read.

Others that I could have interchanged are The Da Vinci Code, which is quite schlocky but is necessary reading just to find out what all the fuss was about; Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, to get a taste of one of the greatest cultural phenomenons in literature; Ten Little Indians, to sample Hercule Poirot and Dame Agatha Christie's work; Foundation, Asimov's best work; and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, because the late Douglas Adams was a genius.

What's your list?

24x7

For anyone who still cares: the trailer for the 7th season of 24 is up. After last season's debacle (where things went downhill after the nuke), there's nowhere to go but up. And man, the trailer seems like a doozy.

Also, it seems different, somehow. A lot cleaner. A lot "brighter", in terms of lighting (it doesn't seem to be as claustrophobic as the caverns of CTU, for one thing). So maybe there's hope.

Props to Kiefer as well for accepting a looong sentence so as not to shut down the filming of 24, costing people their jobs. Heck, he's gonna be in prison Christmas Day, for crying out loud!

A note about the trailer: as usual, Fox gives stuff away, including the return of someone we all know and love. So if you don't want to be spoiled, don't watch it.

Boston Bullies

The Boston Red Sox are on the cusp of winning another World Series. The Rockies just had too long a break, giving them time to think about what they were doing (and we all know that when we think too much about something, we tend to lose focus).

Ordinarily, this would make me happy. I grew up a Boston Celtics fan (just to annoy my Lakers loving sister), and as I grew more aware of the other sports, I began to embrace all things Boston.

The Red Sox. The New England Patriots. Heck, even the Boston Bruins.

Now? I'm sick of Boston. First, the Patriots. I was deliriously happy when they beat the Oakland Raiders in the infamous "Tuck Rule" game; then they beat my favorite team at the time, the St Louis Rams to win the Super Bowl. Then they were beating up on the Colts, and their fans started becoming really obnoxious (especially after two more Super Bowls). Now? After acquiring Moss they look virtually unbeatable, and they have a chip on their shoulder because of CameraGate. Just mention that they cheated (which they did!) and their fans immediately rush to their defense. Especially Bill Simmons.

Now, the Red Sox. I was a big fan because they were lovable losers; I even predicted a Sox/Cubs World Series in 2004 (which almost came true), and was happy when they won. Then the fans became obnoxious (sense a pattern here?) and now with their second miracle comeback and impending World Series ring they've become even more annoying.

Even Boston College is getting in on the action. They're #2 in the BCS, and have an excellent chance of being in the BCS Championship. Fortunately, their fans are drowned out by the even more obnoxious SEC fans (Geaux Tigers?!? Seriously?)

Who's next, the Celtics? Kevin Garnett fell into their laps. We'll see what they'll do--the only saving grace is that it's nearly impossible that Kobe will become a Celtic; heck, Ainge and McHale made sure that Garnett would not become a Laker. But if they make it to the Finals and win watch out--their fans would be insufferable.

Maybe success does breed contempt; they have the chance to do something rare this year, a city winning two or more major championships, like the Greater Los Angeles area (Lakers/Angels). Or maybe it's just the annoying fanboys, the vocal minority who drown out the otherwise normal fans who are just happy that they have a good product in their hearts and minds.

Too Many Toys

I was browsing a couple of sites to find out which Justice League: Unlimited toys were coming out (I'm still hoping that they'll re-issue Blue Devil) when I came across this little statue:


Yup, Asajj Ventress, one of karlaknight's favorite Star Wars characters. "She'd love this!," I thought. Um, yeah, except maybe for the fact that it's over $200. Yikes. Better start saving those pennies.

This one's a bit cheaper ($60), but still. Why are these toys so expensive? Me, I'm happy I was able to snag a Titanium Series AT-AT Walker for $4.99 back when it was first released; now it's around $19.99.

Must-see TV

The Fall TV season has been chugging along steadily, and it's been mostly good. A couple of new shows, and a couple of returning ones. I'm missing Lost, 24 (both January) and Battlestar Galactica (November, yay!), though. Here's what I've been watching:

*** HERE BE SPOILERS ***

Heroes (or, "My Two SuperDads", starring Matt and Mohinder). It took a while for it to get its stride (first couple of episodes were a bit of a yawner), but once he-who-shall-not-be-named appeared, things started speeding up. The new heroes are a mixed bag; the siblings are boringly creepy (think Flowers in the Attic), one's a jerk, one has an Alias (heh), while one has the Sharingan. It's getting exciting now, as we learn more about the previous generation of heroes.

Kitchen Nightmares. You know, I used to think Gordon Ramsay was an ass, and I avoided Hell's Kitchen like it was the plague. Then we got BBC America for a couple of weeks, and I watched as much Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares as I could. Dude's actually quite a nice guy, although with a bit of a potty-mouth. It's fascinating how he tries to turn around failing restaurants in the UK; unfortunately, the American version pales in comparison. I blame Fox and their catering to the lowest common denominator (the Cops-watching crowd).

The Unit. President Palmer with a shaved head and a goatee, ala Hawk from Spenser: For Hire. Menacing. The two-part premiere was pretty cool.

Pushing Daisies. Best new series by far (although I still have Bionic Woman to go through). Reminds me a bit of a Tim Burton movie, with its darkly whimsical setting. Or maybe a Neil Gaiman novel brought to life properly.

Dancing WIth The Stars. Welcome back, Edyta's leg warmers. I can't warm up to any of the contestants, unfortunately. I mean, Mark Cuban? Seriously?

Ugly Betty. Wobbly the first two weeks (although the premiere was heartbreaking), but hit its stride by the third episode. Gotta love Amanda and her mommy issues. But enough with the Henry-Betty thing already!

Still have Journeyman and Bionic Woman to go through on my DVR. Hopefully I'll have some time soon...

I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door

We were visited by a vacuum cleaner salesman this past weekend. He was trying to sell Kirby vacuums, stating that this would be "the only vacuum we'd ever need" and that it would "last a lifetime". He went from room to room demo-ing the unit, showing off its cleaning and suction powers. We were suitably impressed by its suction, picking up dirt where the dying Hoover didn't.

Of course, he pulled the classic sales tricks: "How much are you willing to pay for this type of vacuum" and "Those dust mites poop 10 times their own weight!" and "Don't think of how much this costs, since there's no price tag on your health!" Once he was done cleaning, he mentioned the cost...$1,999. Ouch. No thanks.

It took forever to kick him out, as he tried lowering his price until he reached $900 (for the demo unit, which was virtually brand new). So sorry, but we're not willing to shell out that much for a vacuum.

This whole experience reminded me of that Electrolux/Euroclean guy:

I'm gonna knock on your door
Ring on your bell
Tap on your window too
Come on and open the door
So I can show you more
I'm your friendly Euroclean (Electrolux) man!!!!

Creepy.

Naruto vs The Pretender

Anybody heard The Pretender, the new single from Foo Fighters? Catchy, isn't it? Except I can't shake the feeling that the chorus sounds a bit like Heroes Come Back by nobodyknows+, which is the opening theme from Naruto: Shippuden. Same driving beat.

Not that I'm saying Foo lifted anything; the two songs are different, but one definitely reminds me of the other. I'm a big fan of Foo; they're always kick-ass, and Dave Grohl is a very funny guy (remember the video to Learn to Fly?). They've got a great catalog, and this song is a great addition.

Hear for yourself:

The Pretender (around 1:25 into the song):

Heroes Come Back (short version)

Maybe it's just me, though. Anyway, the real video of Heroes Come Back is kinda funny.

(does this mean I'm into J-Pop now? Does this even count as J-Pop?)

bookoftheweek: InterWorld

I was fortunate enough to be the first person to read my public library's edition of InterWorld, Gaiman's latest work, collaborating with Michael Reaves. If Reaves' name seems familiar, it's because he's produced, written and edited several well-known cartoons, such as Dungeons and Dragons, The Real Ghostbusters, Disney's Gargoyles, and Batman: The Animated Series. He's also written several Star Wars novels as well as several comic books.

With such a pedigree, how could a collaboration between the two of them go wrong? Well, InterWorld was originally written way back in 1995, with the idea that it could eventually become a television series. Sadly, it didn't quite succeed...until they decided to dust it off and release it to the world in 2007.

It's a short novel (more like a novella), and has been tabbed as a "Young Adult" book. Indeed, it reads like a comic book, with the main character, Joey Harker, discovering that he has superhuman powers. The cover reflects this, as it's done in a comic book style, showing Joey "powering up", if you will. As with all great stories, it transcends ages, and is quite enjoyable even for adults. It's not quite as good as Coraline, but it's probably his best work since, maybe, Marvel: 1602. It's certainly better than Anansi Boys and Fragile Things.

One can easily see this becoming an on-going comic book or cartoon serial, much like Starship Troopers was. In fact, it was finally optioned as a movie by Dreamworks. Hopefully it'll be a lot better than Stardust was.

Watchlist 2007

Fracture. Anthony Hopkins plays...Hannibal, without the cannibalism. Ryan Gosling is perfect as the smug DA who's taken down a peg or two. Pretty tight legal thriller that somewhat loses its way towards the end. Also, I can't help but be distracted by the fact that Gosling's boss is the baddie in Bourne Ultimatum.

Crank. How come Jason Statham films always seem to suck, but have an eerily watchable quality to them? This one's no different, as he tries to pump up his adrenaline to "stay alive". Amy Smart is somewhat wasted in this movie...although she did have a memorable scene. Wonder if that was a body double.

Batman: Superhero?

Over at The Herd at ESPNRadio Colin Cowherd was defending his choice of Batman as his favorite superhero. Apparently, thousands of his listeners had e-mailed him saying that Batman was no superhero, since he didn't have any superpowers. Colin then mocked several so-called superheroes:

On Aquaman: "The only way Aquaman is a superhero is if Spongebob became a drug dealer" (yeah, pushing seaweed--har-de-har-har)
On Flash: "All he does is run fast and wear a mask. OJ does that"
On Wonder Woman: "She wears a corset and ties up people to make them tell the truth. Hmm, are we talking about Wonder Woman or Jenna Jameson"?

Of course, Colin's right. Batman's a superhero, with or without superpowers. Batman can beat anyone--if he's prepared. Heck, he nearly took out Superman, and had a plan to defeat each member of the Justice League.

How Appropriate

Heard on the news today that a skateshop has been broken into three times in the past six days. The name of the shop?

Two Felons Skate Co.

Maybe they should change the name...

RIP Robert Jordan

Sad day for epic fantasy fans. Robert Jordan passed away today, leaving his great work, The Wheel of Time, unfinished. I know the series lost its way around Book 7, but for 6 books it was the best fantasy epic around, IMHO.

George R.R. Martin, the other author with an on-going epic fantasy series, wrote a nice eulogy on his website.

On a selfish note, hopefully Martin finishes A Song of Ice and Fire before he passes on as well.

The wheel of time turns, and ages come and go...

Code Words

Kevin and Bean over at KROQ had an interesting topic the other day. It seems like they were having some issues over a certain word that describes a gay person (hint: rhymes with the last name of the current Cowboys QB). So, they asked people to call in with some politically correct "code words" for minorities.

For example, "welders" were Asian drivers, because some Asian women have those hats which have huge visors practically covering their face; "border brothers" were Latinos. My favorite, though, was one Australian's code word for gay people: "sneaky butchers".

Why "sneaky butchers"? Because they sneak meat in the back door!

That was just so....wrong. Of course, I nearly swerved off the road laughing.

Conversely, one girl called in with "cookie monsters" for lesbians (kinda obvious), but it was just lame after "sneaky butchers".

Of course, there's always speecy-spicy sausage [gotta warn ya--it's audio].

Yet Another Transformers Cartoon

This whole re-imagining crap has to end...seriously, the "new" Transformers cartoon looks all sorts of awful. And yet, I'll still watch it...

But the toys! I began to drool a bit there. I've started collecting some TF toys (that's a post for another day), but some of the designs here are great. Specifically Grimlock, Lugnut, and the coolest TF around, Soundwave.

How come Decepticons always seem to have cooler (at least in the cartoon) modes?



(Toysrevil, via Gizmodo)

Watchlist 2007

Apocalypto. I didn't know what to expect from this film. Was it some sort of supernatural flick, detailing how the Mayans vanished from the face of the earth? Maybe a sci-fi film showing how aliens helped them create their civilization, only to take it away? As it turns out it was a pretty good movie, despite some historical inaccuracies. It helps that I'm fascinated by Mayan culture.

Stardust. I really wanted to like this movie, I really did. Unfortunately, it left a lot to be desired. Maybe it's because the book was the first Gaiman novel I ever read (well, unless you count Good Omens, which I consider more Pratchett-like), and thus opened a gateway to his fantastic imagination. Expectations were high; too high, as it turned out.

Whatever the case, I was pretty disappointed with the movie. Especially with Robert de Niro's character. Ugh. Why did they have to "flesh out" his character? What did it buy them? A couple of cheap laughs? Claire Danes didn't do much for me either--maybe she and Sienna Miller should've switched roles instead. And the ending--the book had a perfect, bittersweet ending. The movie? Um, Hollywood.

There were some good things about it, though. Michelle Pfeiffer has aged very well, and is still quite the beautiful actress; I kept remembering Ladyhawke while watching her. Mark Strong was an effective Septimus, and the scenes with the seven brothers were quite entertaining.

I've always been critical of purists who nitpick every single detail (such as the LOTR fans who complained about the movie trilogy). Unfortunately, in this case...

The book was better.

Watchlist 2007

The Bourne Ultimatum. I've always liked Matt Damon--sure, he's not exactly leading man material, but he acts rings around his best bud Ben Affleck. His defining role for me up to this point was in The Talented Mr. Ripley, where he disappeared into his character (Cate Blanchett may have helped in me liking this film).

Then the Bourne films came along, and he became Jason Bourne. Instead of "your real name is David Webb" I was half-expecting Landry to say that "your real name is Matt Damon".

There wasn't a single wasted moment in this film. The action was great, and any CGI effects were so subtle that they just blended into the background. Ultimatum also didn't have much to offend the intelligence of the viewer. They even detected someone using the network--unlike, say, Casino Royale, where Bond easily broke into that surveillance room without so much as a peep from anyone.

(Which brings up an interesting point--who would win, Bourne or Bond? I'd pick Bourne against the Connery/Moore/Brosnan Bond, since Bourne doesn't use gadgets and isn't distracted by tail. Against the more authentic Craig Bond? Hmm, not quite sure. I think I'd still go with Bourne).

The ending does cry out for a sequel, don't you think? Although Damon has said this was his last...but there is at least one glaring loose end, though. You know what I'm talking about.

Best movie I've seen this year, knocking Transformers off its pedestal.

War. Now, if Bourne is the intelligent action flick, War is its dumb third cousin twice removed. Jet Li and Jason Statham are wasted in this flick. There are some okay action sequences, and some lively eye-candy, but the story is just silly, and the plot twist is just plain dumb. Enjoyable in a need-to-waste-time way. Thankfully, I got my money back, since there was something blocking part of the film. Complain if you have to, folks, and you may get rewarded (just make sure you have a valid complaint!)

Nerd Test 2.0

From Digg:



"Uber Cool Nerd King?!?" Yikes. At least my Dumb/Dork/Awkward average is low. =)

Blackberry Curve

PJ got a Blackberry Curve today. Yeah, the US is pretty primitive as compared to the rest of the world in terms of cell phones, but the Curve is pretty sweet looking. I gave her a choice between the iPhone (hey, the 4GB is now only $299!), but she felt that that phone was too big.

I asked the AT&T rep about the iPhone, and he said that there were a lot of customers that were angry about that steep price drop that Apple did. He also recommended not to buy the iPhone right now, as a newer model would come out this Christmas (probably the 16GB). Huh.

Why'd we get a Curve? Well, we felt it was necessary for our coffee shop, and having a PDA and a cellphone was just too cumbersome for her. Otherwise, I probably would've said no. Myself, I upgraded...to a free phone. Yeah, I'm cheap that way.