Jul 19, 2004

Profile

My profile seems to have disappeared again. If you see it, send it home for a spanking.
 
also, check out www.ahoy-matey.com . I'm just about finished re-designing it!

Jul 18, 2004

So my profile still exists... for some reason it is just waaaaaaay down at the bottom below all the posts. No idea why.
 
Got to see two good movies this weekend: Anchorman was hilarious - Steve Carrell completely stole the movie. Also, Harry Potter 3 was finally watched by Jesse and myself and I thought it was the best of the Potter movies so far.

Jul 17, 2004

Singer goes to the Distinguished Competition!
 
Looks like Superman will be in the foreseeable future after all, and at the expense of x3! What the hell!
 
The gruesome details here
A case against Bush
 
Here's a great commentary from the New Republic: 
 
"What does it mean to call the president "undemocratic"? It does not mean Bush is an aspiring dictator. Despite descending from a former president and telling confidants that God chose him to lead the country, he does not claim divine right of rule. He is not going to cancel the election or rig it with faulty ballots. (Well, almost certainly not.) But democracy can be a matter of degree. Russia and the United States are both democracies, but the United States is more democratic than Russia. The proper indictment of the Bush administration is, therefore, not that he's abandoning American democracy, but that he's weakening it. This administration is, in fact, the least democratic in the modern history of the presidency."

Here's the rest.
 

Jul 15, 2004

Hulk 2: Electric Bugaloo!

Why should there be a sequel to the highly underrated Hulk movie? Take if from my boy the Hulk's own mouth (and thanks to Jesse for passing this along)

"Why No Want Make Hulk 2"

Jul 12, 2004

Amazing away message!

This was my friend Josh's away message a little while ago, thought I'd share:

"Real Men of Genius. Today I salute you, Mr. Compulsive Away Message Checker. While most people are out living life, you are at home reading about it on your computer. Right-mouse-clicking and Getting Buddy Info, or even using the little Info icon at the bottom of your Buddy List. Sure there are people on your list that you haven't talked to in years, and would probably consider you a stalker for keeping them there, but that doesn't stop you from reading their away messages...EVERY DAY. So click open a fresh new Buddy Info window, Marauder of the Mousepad, and don't wander too far from your computer...because you never know when someone will be back."

Jul 11, 2004

That sucked!

I was so hyped for Live on Penn (DC's summer weekly concert series). Needless to say, when I got there, they said I couldn'd bring my bag in! Bastards! The nice security guard suggested I hide it in a bush and come back for it later. That wasn't going to happen, and we decided it wasn't worth going back to drop the bag off and return, so we went mallratting instead, and I got Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens novel. Apparently my thing is attaching amazon links to be cool. I've recently got back into reading fiction, and have breezed through The Davinci Code, Gaiman's amazing American Gods, and I'm currently reading Cain, a sort of modern Frankstein meets the Exorcist.

Ok thats it for now, hopefully I'll have better luck next week with Galactic and Nappy Roots.

Jul 9, 2004

1st top ten list!

Without further ado, I bring you my first of many top ten lists. I recently bought Buffy season 6 on DVD. And it got me thinking about my favorite episodes of what I consider one of the greatest shows of all time. So here we go:

Top Ten Episodes of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer:

10. "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" (Season 2): Rounds out the bottom of the list, because it is so darn funny watching the girls go gaga over Xander. Just slightly funnier than Season seven's "Him" which features a bewitched Buffy trying to kill Wood with a bazooka.
9. "Earhsot" (Season 3): One of the first great episodes of Buffy that was really dramatic without being overly sappy (IE most of Season 2). Buffy can hear thoughts, and we get the first real character development for little Jonothan.
8. "Becoming, Pt 2" (Season 2): More great drama, as Joyce discovers Buffy's slayerhood, Giles being tortured, and Angel bites the big one (It doesn't last). Also one of the precious post-morten Robia LaMorte moments.
7. "Hush" (Season 4): Can a show whose strength lies in witty dialogue do a silent episode and not have it suck? Hell yes.
6. "Tabula Rasa" (Season 6): Here's an episode that follow the fabulous musical episode of Buffy and still managed to hold its own and muscle its way onto the list. A brief anmesia-filled retreat from the gloominess that proceeded it, which made the return to it even more painful.
5. "Conversations With Dead People" (Season 7): Perfect example for why Buffy was such a good show - it could be spooky, dramatic, and hilarious all at the same time. Dawn's night is downright scary, Willow's creepy as hell, and Buffy's hilarious, but full of some of the pychological insight to Buffy's psyche outside of "Normal Again".
4. "Restless" (Season 4): Such a cool little episode, visually interesting, taking from source's all over the place, most notably "Apocalypse Now". Really capped off Season 4 better than "Primevil" aka "Joss Whedon sees the Matrix".
3. "Chosen" (Season 7): I am sure a lot of reason's I feel strongly about this episode was that it was the last. It's painful to see a show you love go out, but at least it went out on top.
2. "Normal Again" (Season 6): I just watched this episode again last weekend. It is scary how Whedon and Co. manage to tie every part of Buffy's character and environment into a schizophrenic web on confusion. My old roommate was so sold that he claims Buffy is still sitting in an asylum somewhere.
1. "Once More With Feeling" (Season 6): One of the most daring, entertaining, and touching hours ever to grace the small screen. Every time you watch this musical episode, you catch something new, so subtly laid in the episode's subtext. Funny (Anya and Xander's "I'll never tell"), warming and wrenching on the heart (Tara's realization of Willow's deception), and ultimately tragic (Buffy's heavenly realization to the Scoobies). This episode has it all.

I admit I'm a little surprised by some of my choices, when looking at how I feel about the seasons overall, here's my ranking of them from best to worst with the number of episodes from each season that made my list:

1. Season 7 (2)
2. Season 5 (0)
3. Season 3 (1)
4. Season 6 (3)
5. Season 4 (2)
6. Season 2 (2)
7. Season 1 (0)

I think part of the reason is that while Seasons 3 and 5 were really good, they flowed smoothly, without a lot of episodes standing out, while for every "Tabula Rasa" in Season 6, there was also a "Doublemeat Palace", aka, the throw away episodes made the great ones look all that better. Anyways, there's my opinion, feel free to flame me if you disagree. I'll be back soon with another.

Jul 8, 2004

I may be the worst blogger ever!

It's true! It's true!

I've been really busy with a lot of stuff recently (I know that is a terrible excuse) but I haven't had time to sit down and blog lately. Hopefully this will get me back into the habit. So what have I been doing? Working, reading, travelling. I spent part of the 4th of July weekend in Hanover, and was also home the weekend before that. Before that, I spent a week in Sandbridge Beach, which is a little south of VA Beach. Had a great time celebrating my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary.

What's coming up for the Dwain? In a few short weeks, another of my friends will be getting hitched, and the very next day I'll have my first high school reunion! Talk about feeling old!

A couple of things I want to do. First, I want to finish the first couple chapters of my story so I can post them online. Secondly, I want to work on some top ten lists (That will happy sooner rather than later, I guarantee), and thirdly, I've decided I want to do a weekly talk radio show, I've been experimenting with the idea of starting an internet radio station, ala www.live365.com . That's all for now!

Jun 5, 2004

new profile pic!
Holy Cow I'ma Slacker!

I've been busy, but not that busy! no webbling for almost two weeks (or mebbe more, I can't count). Work has been crazy, plus I went out of town for a few days. In the meantime, you should have checked out a couple of things, like Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men #1 - simply great great stuff. Also, I caught sceening of both Saved! and Napoleon Dynamite over the last few days and would highly recommend either film to any fan of slightly offbeat comedies. Both are movies I'll have on DVD when they're released.

I'm gonna start doing top five or top ten lists. I just have to think of some good ones.

Peace out for now.

May 19, 2004

This is one of the funniest things I've seen in days:

Heroes
Imagine Clerks meets the Marvel Universe

May 13, 2004

They shouldn't let me stay home!

I had the day off today and I made unnaturally good use of it! I got up early and went for my walk in the morning (It's Day 12 already) and while I was out there I saw something horrible -


The cicadas are here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


That's right DC people, the dreaded species x-17 or whatever they are called, have begun to rise from the earthy birthing places to wreak havoc upon our fair summer. Though in all fairness to them, I only saw a few live cicadas, but already hundreds of dead ones. Luckily my AC is now fixed so I don't have to have an open window in my apartment.

I got back to my place and went on a furniture moving spree, which I haven't done in awhile. Believe it our not, I took the door off of my closet and along with some shelving, I made myself a new desk. I am the new Macguyver.

Then I headed up to Catholic University for my best friend Annie's pinning ceremony. I can't believe she's actually graduating from college! (Actually, I can't believe she's lived this long)

Also, I am getting some decent feedback about my new column over at mutanthigh.com. Check it out by clicking on the link below:


HulkX Smash Reloaded: If I ruled the world!

That's all for now, as just in a few more hours Michael Abraham Aker will once again be in the DC Metropolitan Area. Tremble puny mortals!

May 10, 2004

Also, you've probably noticed that my format has changed. Blogger has upgraded, and my webble has upgraded along with them. They support comments in house now, so I was able to clear out the third party scripts. Go ahead and send me a comment if you like the new format, or if you don't!
Here's some more info on the G4-Tech TV merger:

www.g4techtv.com
Holy Streak Enders Batman!

And just as I start a three day blogging streak, I decide to go home and didn't post anything yesterday! Plus Day 8 wasn't a super success, as I was only able to go out and do about a half hour of walking.

But I did get to see my family, as we had not one, but two BBQ's yesterdat and that was tons of fun. Now back to work for me.

May 8, 2004

It's Saturday, No Witty Title

Three days in a row, you'd think this was a blog or something.

Been listening to this band by the name of Exit Clov lately, they have a really neat sound. Most fo the kids I think are from GW - chekc them out at exitclov.com

Day 7 has come and gone with great success - I went out for my hour walk and ended up doing a little over four! I walked around twelve miles total, trekking north on Glebe Rd through Arlington, across the Chain Bridge and the down the C&O Canal trail. I'm officially pooped.

Tommorrow I'm off to PA to see the mother for her day. Hope everyone else has a good one.

May 7, 2004

Danger Will Robinson!

Day 6 of workout session is in danger by a particularly nasty storm brewing outside. I'd hate to have to run around my apartment for an hour!

I actually watched the end of Friends last night. Was never a fan, but didn't want to be one fo those people who weren't watching on principle. TV viewing habitats just aren't worth wasting good principle on anymore. What is going to be mor efun to watch is the respective stars fail miserably in everything they do next. Here's the order it wil happen:
1. Matt Leblanc's new show will bomb.
2. David Schwimmer will just plain never get work again.
3. Maybe in a year Lisa Kudrow will try a show where she plays a character completely different from Phoebe and people will hate it.
4. Courtney Cox will make a movie with her horrible actor of a husband (former WCW champ David Arquette) and it will go down in flames.
5. Jennifer Aniston never tries to work again and enjoys being Mrs. Brad Pitt. (Hell, I'm a straight man and I'd enjoy being Mrs. Brad Pitt)
6. Matthew Perry makes "the whole 12 yards". Instead of lambasting him in reviews, critics just kill him.

May 6, 2004

Take that back, bad news

Rocco just broke this story to me, via news.com:

TechTV lays off San Francisco staff
By Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com


TechTV told 285 San Francisco employees on Thursday that their jobs are being eliminated, a move that was widely feared by workers after Comcast announced in March that it would acquire the technology cable channel.

Comcast will merge TechTV, owned by Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures, with its own G4 video game network when the buyout is finalized next week. David Shone, a spokesman for G4 TV, said the company plans to hire 80 people from the San Francisco office to work at the game channel's Los Angeles headquarters. Employees were given two months' notice and various severance packages, he said.

"Today we gave notice to 285 employees that they'll be impacted by the merger," Shone said. "We wanted to give employees as much notice as possible so that they can begin to make other plans."

- Back to Dwain's voice: There's more but it isn't important. My heart goes out to the fine people of techtv and there families. They've made a lot of really great television, and hopefully some shows, like the Screensavers, X-Play, and Unscrewed will make it into the G4 lineup. I love the line above that says the employees will be "impacted", and by impacted we mean losing your f-ing jobs! That's 285 more reasons to detest Comcast, a company who loves providing terrible service for ridiculously high prices.

What we need is more competition in local markets. Where I live, Comcast is the only game in town cable-wise. Plus we aren't allowed to have satellites, so if we want TV at all, we need to pay up. That should be illegal. Competition among service providers would drive down prices and increase quality. I don't see why that's such a bad idea.
Good News!

Day five of new exercise regimen and I'm still going strong! Only 55 more days until I am done-ish.

I can't believe it is May already! They few good shows I watch on TV are ending soon! Angel in two weeks (gonna be gone for good), Alias in 3, 24 in 3, Sopranos in 3. The upside is the beginning of the summer movie season. Van Helsing debuts this weekend, and hopefully it won't be that suckfest I have read about. What I (and I imagine the rest of the world) am really excited about is Troy. CAN NOT WAIT! But I will wait the measly seven days left.

Song: "Shimmer" by Fuel

Quote:
Angel: Sleeping with someone is not a relationship.
Spike: It is if you do it enough times.