How about Ed? Totally the opposite of CSI! Not the least bit exciting, no action, no suspense. Just a good hearted show about good character, with alot of humor and something that CSI lacks – extraordinary well written, funny and great delivered dialogue!
Do I spend too much time in front of the TV? Probably, but considering I payed $1500 for it, you bet!
On another note – I’m attending a course this week , Advanced Novell Administration. One thing never siezes to amaze me and that is how totally different Microsoft and Novell are in the way they do things, but the weird thing is that their server operating systems (Windows 2000 and Netware 5.1) appear to be doing the EXACT same things! Almost all services and stuff you get in Windows 2000 you also get in Netware 5.1. Netware is just ten times more difficult than Windows 2000!
But I shouldn’t really be complaining since this just gives me extra work…
Do you watch “C.S.I” ? That US show about some forensic experts in Las Vegas. I’m still trying to learn how to like that show. I mean, it’s a pretty good show, good stories, good science, acceptable acting and, of course, Marg Helgenberger. But there is one thing that I don’t like about it. One thing so important and so bad about it… the dialogue. I really don’t like the dialogue! Half of it is written to make Grissom sound like Yoda (seriously, when someone says something he always fills in with something philosophic) and the rest is just a set up for some good one liner. I don’t like that, but they are getting better at it. And now they have a spin-off as well, “C.S.I Miami”. Gee wiz, I shouldn’t be surprised at the length some people go to to exploit a good idea as much as they can. But this did.
I just got a new favorite TV show. “24“. The show that finished its first season in the states and got like 10 Emmy nominations. Well worth it! It’s about a anti-terrorist unit trying to stop the assassination of a presidential candidate. So far, nothing major. But the series wins in it’s originality! First original thing is that it takes place in real time. So one show, with commercial brakes, is one hour, so the entire season only covers one day. I didn’t think it’d keep up the pace, but I’m in the eleventh hour right now (get it?) and it’s still exciting. Also really well written and pretty good filmed. Have only spotted two major screw-ups, but that’s because they don’t settle for one camera angle, they always seem to have two cameras rolling. ATLEAST. And with a little hi-tech phoning some interesting scenes can be produced, like one in episode 10 when the lead character is being chased and has his cell phone on and four different people are listening in on what’s happening, and they are all cut in into one frame, pretty interestingly done. More original programming like this please! And credit to the Internet for supplying me with these episodes. (since alot of people are always trying to relate violence and/or sex-crimes to the internet somehow, I just want to offer a different opinion about it!)
So “V” started on swedish TV last night. I love that TV series. It’s got everything good sci-fi should have – good entertainment, good premise, good characters, good actors, good dialogue, good effects (for the era) and something this series has plenty of – historical references. Watch the series and replace all the times they say “scientists” with “jewish” and you’ll find it pretty scary!
It could almost pass as a historical documentation of the rise of the Third Reich, the operation of the French resistance and the persecusion of jews. I think Kenneth Johnson hit the mark with that show. Too bad it didn’t work out in the long run 🙁
Btw, a question of human behaviour ; my sense of humor is pretty much based on sarcasm, irony and just mean quick one-liners. That’s usually ok because most people can take it. Yesterday I found someone who couldn’t. This person had sent over his new website he wanted me to put up for him and he asked me again yesterday to put it up, totally oblivious about my adventures behind the wheel. So I said “So what if I crashed my car last night, as long as I put up your homepage everything will be fine”. Any normal person would’ve replied something like “oh, sorry, I didn’t know. Are you ok?”. But not him. His reply was 33 capital letters screaming “how tha hell could I’ve known!?” and then a comment that I’m always “so f*cking rude!”. So how could he have known? Well my sister found out by reading this space. So had the guy that I called friday morning to ask for a vacation day. So how does this person react to the suggestion of reading my homepage? 43 more capital letters and another curse was the reply.
If you’ve followed this diary-thing a while you should know who in my circle of friends has a real hard time taking criticism.
Ok, so perhaps I was a bit too harsh about the Olympic opening. Sure there were good things, like Leann Rimes and ofcourse a person who holds a very special place in any “South Park”-fan’s heart – Brian Boitano!
So far, the show’s been a bit of a let-down, but that’s probably because the hockey hasn’t really begun yet!
On a completely different note, remember how much I dislike the modern music industry? Well, it seems my idol and role model Kevin Smith totally agrees with me. (or perhaps it’s the other way around?). I read a recently published article he wrote about how much he dislikes Britney Spears. And his conclusion was… obvious! (“People are into Britney Spears because they want to fuck Britney Spears”)
But although it was obvious, it still takes a man like Kevin to actually say it and to make it sound good! Check out his articles here.
Two weeks and three days to go….
So what did you think about the opening ceremony to the Olympics? I’m not sure I really wanna do this… yeah, I do: Let’s compare it to the Australian (which isn’t fair since their’s was (to quote a popular song right now) – absolutely flawless!)
When choosing who’s gonna light the fire, do you either pay homage and respect to a people you’ve opressed for centuries (like the Aussies did by having Cathy Freeman light it) or do you show off a bunch of US Olympic winners skating and walking around finally handing the torch over to a bunch of hockeyplayers saying “these are the guys that won our only Olympic gold in hockey”? That’s kinda sad considering what a great hockey nation they are!
I really wanna rip in to the opening part with the US flag and president… but I won’t out of respect for Sept. 11th. But where it ended was when the chief organizer in his speech wanted the children to grow up in a country that wanted peace and respected the human rights. Well, “peace” isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the States. And ask Amnesty just how much they like the US government. Hell, even the US president is a huge supporter of killing his own citizens. And speaking of children and human rights, have the US signed that UN resolution about children’s rights yet? Last I heard they were oposed it because it prohibited the existence of minors in the army.
And what was with having everything told in French first then in english? That better be an Olympic custom I’m not aware of, ’cause otherwise I’m gonna have to use my favorite word at the moment – “pretentious”. Btw, the concept of introducing things like that is a little rip-off from the Swedish intro to the European Song Contest 2000. Speaking of rip-offs – that cute little girl in red that grew up to be a cute little figure-skater, constantly dressed in a screaming red while the people around her wore black and white, that kinda reminds me of a movie that had a cute little girl in red that ran around in a black and white environment. Yeah, “Schindler’s List” during the Nazi’s killing of Jews in the ghetto’s. And that girl ended up dead. Thanx for reminding me. Another rip-off – at the end they played Beethoven’s 9th, my favorite. Remind you of another Olympic opening?… yeah, “Nagano”!
But comparing it to the Australian isn’t fair for one more reason – they had a huge stadium. And what was this, a little hockey arena? Seriously, I expected a lot more show from the American’s and had hoped for a lot less patriotism. Was disappointed on both accounts.
3 weeks to go. (and no, I’m not counting down to the end of the Olympics)
I recently saw an interview with Billy Joel. I haven’t really been a big fan of his, he’s done some pretty good songs over the years, but I like him more after this interview! First of all, he totally shares my opinion that the music industry is on an express elevator to hell as far as MUSIC is concerned, although the shows might be better now than they were 20 years ago, the music sure ain’t!
But what I really liked was his reply to the question “are you happy?” – “happiness is an extreme, so you can’t really be happy for an extended amount of time. But I believe being ‘content’ is underestimated”. Damn right dude! (that’s not an exact quote, I wasn’t recording it but that was essentially the point)
Btw, Sweden is (AGAIN!) the European champions in handboll. Joy!
Anyways, less than 4 weeks to go…
Time for a little happier update : Tone Bekkestad. Tone is a Norwegian metrologist on Swedish TV4. And she always makes me smile! Not only because she’s a beautiful woman, but because it’s something so bizarre hearing a norwegian-speaking person talking Swedish geography and weather! Something bizarre, yet funny, about that! So by all means, carry on…