Will be out for the Fiesta Bowl. Will not be back until a few days after the New Year.

Will be AFK until Tuesday. I usually have time to check in at least twice a week, but I will be out of town this weekend and I will have no time for the internet due to a wedding I am attending and a performace of a friend's play on Monday. Will return on April 19, 2011, unless something else happens.

I don't write much in my blog. I spend most of the time adding to the guides here (ones I edit, others edit and even those without editors) in hopes to keep this database of television accurate for us and the occasional visitor. I was planning a 5 yearretrospective blog to come out of my "blog-tirement" but today something needed to be said.

Today me and many viewers found out that many of our favorite shows had been canceled ("favourite" & "cancelled" to those over seas). Heroes and FlashForward were given the boot. And even the 20 year old Law and Order is done. And while I didn't watch them, rookie shows like Mercy and Trauma are gone too. Investments...television shows are investments to me. I could be doing other things, but I invest my time to shows. I realize that Lost had to end sometime and it is given the proper send off, but Heroes almost didn't get that chance and I can only wonder if FlashForward or L&O will get that opportunity. But it is hard to invest in something only to see it go, and you have no say in the matter.

I've become bitter and less open to being invested into shows since the XFL took over three of my favorite shows at the time. In 2000, NBC canceled The Others, the Pretender and Profiler all in one swoop to air the XFL games (Football with more skin and hits and a supporting budget from the WWE) on Saturday. NBC's investment lasted one season, but my memories didn't fade. While The Others and Profiler simply ended where they were...The Pretender was able to give some closure with two of three promised movies on TNT; however the third was never made.

About that same time ABC upset me with ending Gideon's Crossing and Wonderland. Wonderland in that it gave us just two episodes before being canceled and at least Gideon's Crossing (a show similar to House and aired 4 years before he was cool) was given the whole season treatment before it was canned. Luckily, DirectTV resurrected Wonderland and we finally got to see the entire run of episodes...9 years later.

I should have known not to trust things after my first show I invested in as a youngster was taken away from me after just two seasons. A show I wanted to find out all the mystery in small steps and tune in each week not only to see the story unfold but see the emotions on screen and hear the beautiful music. I loved Twin Peaks and felt like I had lost someone when it abruptly ended. How is Annie? I'll never know.

And does anyone remember Push, Nevada? They didn't even show the final episodes and had to rush the last bit of clues in a commercial during Monday Night Football.

Here we are 10 years later and it has been hard for me to be invested in shows. I only got into Lost in the 3rd season after watching the first two on DVD. I waited for Alias to end, a show I watched the first season but stopped for fear of it too being canceled for being too smart. In a way I go into shows now expecting them to end soon and some I know will end for being too smart and will watch them on DVD later since the season sets will be short: Firefly, Dollhouse, Terminator:TSCC. (sorry Summer). I thought that of Chuck and every season it is a game "is it going to be canceled this time?" I tuned into Heroes and Flashforward each week being somewhat invested, but in the back of my mind I can't feel the same about them they way I once did with shows. I will now tune every week to Fringe, V, Criminal Minds and The Mentalist hoping they can fill the void...but in reality they will be on the bubble and believe it or not, no matter how many people are tuning into Patrick Jane he will eventually be gone much like The Guardian. At least my tech shows are fresh each day and if they go it doesn't really matter, I can get my videogame news from the net. And V got lucky, we all know that. I just watch it cause I liked the first one when I was a child.

Television isn't the same it used to be for me. It is enjoyable to see but the emotions aren't really the same anymore with that doubt in my mind. People with boxes control the airwaves, and people like me do not. I'm regretting telling my mother that Trauma is canceled since she really liked it and Mercy. I'm gonna hate having to tell my g/f that Heroes is gone since she really liked that show. And I'd hate to have them become like me, being bitter and always doubting if I should really get into the show.

Hack, Invasion, Surface, Wonderfalls, Coupling...it is hard to believe that some shows last one season or less...and shows like Til Death and According to Jim stay on. But all I know is that every season there will be new shows, and some will get the ax and others will stay...I just hope one day I can have the nerve to get involved with another show like I did back in the day.

Just a short notice in the world of "how can you say that?" Director Spike Lee was dissed by some Italians about his recent WWII film, saying that it wasn't telling the exact truth by dilluting the actions of Nazis behind a massacre. The Yahoo/Reuters reports:

"I would not allow anybody to tell me how to make a film, be it a partisan or the president of the United States," Lee told a news conference in Florence on Wednesday after a preview screening, according to Italian media.

"This simply shows that in Italy the wound is still open. ... It is up to Italians to come to grips with their past, not up to me or James McBride or the film," he said.

Funny how Lee was recently complaining about Clint Eastwood and his film not accurately portaying blacks in WWII.... It's ok to tell other people how to make a film, but not for people to tell Spike Lee how to make it. Reminds me of a song...

And you should know that the lies won't hide your flaws
No sense in hiding all of yours
You gave up on your dreams along the way

Good god, you're comin' up with reasons
Good god, you're draggin' it out

I liked a few of his movies and felt he was a stong filmmaker, but man this latest thing just keeps rubbing me wrong about his dis of Eastwood's Flags of Our Father and then this quote where he got the history wrong.

Going on Vacation Friday until next Thursday. Will not be by any computer, so it looks like I will not be able to check the queues. Cheers!

I can't say I'm the biggest fan of the Catholic religion, but when you put out a hit against your major detractor (other than Satan of course) it seems a bit spiteful you know. Yeah, he wasn't too much into the "God" thing, but seriously, the Pope has got to give love a chance. Just because you put out a book saying that Jesus ate pork doesn't mean you get to be taken out and make it look like a natural cause. Claiming you have as much authority as the Pope (just not enough followers) does not make you evil. Saying that all children are not beautiful makes not a sinner. Bad Pope, Bad!

As most people have heard, some of us lost a hero today. In a world where many people no longer think for themselves it was refreshing to hear someone with a look on life that was different. While many considered it spiteful and rude, All he did was tell the truth and make you think. Language was a comical tool, behaviors were to be pointed out, opinions were to be questioned. Above all he was a thinker, a philosopher of our time. He pointed out how our society is slowly going away from the truth and uses euphemisms to carry out it's happy little needs to make us feel more important or nice. He pointed out that it is no longer Shell Shock but it is PTSS. Nursing Homes become Adult Care Providers. Sales Clerks are now Associates or Department Specialists. He showed us that as the world evolves so does the titles we give. And we all know what his view on religion was, one of logic and of pointing out a religion shouldn't harbor pedophiles and preach Hate. And for that alone, should be enough to like him. While I enjoyed his humor, there was on thing missing from him that places him just under Bill Hicks as my favorite modern philosopher. He was a thinker and confronted many aspects of society, but he was missing just one thing in many of his philosophies - Hope. We may be screwed up as a society in many aspects, (Mothers killing their children, Priests abusing children, the daily accounts of killings, war for religion, one child per family tickets) but there are many people out there that deserve to be on this Earth. They give us support, they help others and most of all through their actions they give us Hope that we deserve to be here. And those people you can probably tell that they are good because you just know it. I'll end with the last segment from his last book, but know that even if God doesn't care, there are some of us who still do.

The Secret News

Here is the Secret News

All people are afraid.
No one knows what they're doing.
Everything is getting worse.
Some people deserve to die.
Your money is worthless.
No one is properly dressed.
At least one of your children will disappoint you.
The system is rigged.
Your house will never be completely clean.
All teachers are incompetent.
There are people who really dislike you.
Nothing is as good as it seems.
Things don't last.
No one is paying attention.
The country is dying.
God doesn't care.

George Carlin
You will be missed

So I'm updating info for the people guides I edit and come across a website that just so happens to have a bio I wrote back in 2005 copy/pasted from tv.com along with trivia listed at the site. I go and check the site to see when they registered....2007. I thought this stopped with the tvrage stuff many moon ago...guess not.

So, like last time, I'm going on record here stating the bio I have for Jade Raymond was last edited in November of 2005 by me and the website http://jade-raymond.com/bio.php has lifted it from here at tv.com. A website created on May 09 of last year. Granted there isn't much you can do except complain, tell tv.com about it, and have a nasty little letter fly their way...even though I doubt they will have much to say since they still have links offline. So just letting it be known that it's my stuff, not the other way around.

While shopping at Target the other day I went to scan an item to see it's price. Little did I ever notice that there was additional info in that tiny little box of electronics. Not only did I get the current price but info if there was any additional stock in the back....which if you think about it isn't good info for practice since if they are out on the self you can't scan a barcode to see if they have any more in the back, unlessyou can use the little barcode tag that is used at the place of display. You also got an isle location...Isle location? B11? And then my flyer blindness was lifted. I pride myself in noticing thing in people's behavoir but realize that I sometimes go "Flyer blind" in the real world. Flyer Blind - those of us accustomed to so many flyers on message boards (college, office) begin ignoring them. Ask a college student and see if they know. So I look up from my little box if store information and see the red isle numbers listed right thereon signs infront of me. Granted I've seen them before at a different Target when I was looking for a registered wedding gift, but never before and never again...until now. Now every time I walk in I see those red signs....Feel like I'm playing some sort of Target Bingo. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

It's everywhere, and it will soon be finished. I can hear the sighs of all the fan-boys as they spend their hard earned $$$ tonight as well as the collective cheering heard at Micro$oft. Halo 3©, one of the most publicly hyped video game releases of late will hit the stores tonight in just a few more hours and take over the world...for a day. No matter that some people got it early through accidental/illegal means and are already playing it, people will be getting it tonight...alot of people. And before someone mentions Gears being bigger, note that you couldn't get Marcus Fenix on your Slurpee © cup. Now everyone's grandmother knows about Master Chief © and his exploits. Now I don't know about you, but if had either of my grandmothers been alive to see this and mentioned this to me, I would have wondered just what is up with that?

Why is this game so cool? I have no idea. It's about the same as all the other, you shoot some aliens in a FPS. You can play 16 other people in a match online, which is better cause if you screw up maybe no one on your team will notice. It had some cool graphics and the AI was impressive. Maybe it was the mystery behind the mask of the protagonist, maybe it was the anticipation for the ending, maybe it was cool cause you were supposed to like it. Either way I have to admit thatthis game has made for a lot of funny user videos out there. Master Chief scaring people in Korea, Master Chief holding up a Gamestop after humping a display of PS3s, and don't ever forget Halo Kitty.

Yeah, I'll check it out since I've played the first two games, but really do you have to have a flavoured soda for a video game? I'm not a Halo Hater, nor am a Halo Lover. It's a fun game, but you know, I like Shadowrun, I will love Assassin's Creed, I like Guitar Hero, but don't have to be the first to play or have to get all the cups at 7-11, I just want to play when I can and have a fun time. I have a job and can't stay up late just to get a game I can get tomorrow. But for those out there that have to be first, by all means go for it. That same excitement you get tonight I will get tomorrow. I guess Microsoft has finally figured out what NASCAR hasknown for a long time. So soon the hype will be over and the world will back to normal and many, many gamers will have finished the fight that started a long time ago. Me, I think I'll celebrate tomorrow with a fun game of Pac-Man and maybe even play a little Halo because you never know when the Hype might be real.

Alternative Title: Flight Com! I can't hold it! She's breaking up, she's break...

Just finished watching the 4 minute clip of the new Bionic Woman series, guess I can say I've seen the entire first episode. Seems the preview shows enough of the series in a recap format that you don't really need to see the episode...but I will. Plus it was cool to see a few familiar faces in the series: Dr Macy from Crossing Jordan, Faith from Third Watch and the one and only, er..ok there were two of them...Starbuck from the new Battlestar Galactica.

My hopes for the series is high, especially if they recognize a few things from the past series as well as any subtle nods to Steve Austin's story. Small little things will be cool, especially if they throw in things that fans of both series would recognize, just don't over do it. I like the little flashbacks they give in these series, but they have to do it with style: Fraiser had guests from Cheers, Enterprise reunited Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell from their Quantum Leap days, Law & Order: SUV occasionally reminded us of Det. Munch's history in Homicide, The A-Team had a Cylon walk by Dirk Benedict in reference to his old show Battlestar Galactica, and Richard Hatch (the original) guest starred in the new Battlestar Galactica.These nods allow the creators of these new shows a way to show fans that we are important and they know we are listening...or maybe it's just a way to make us watch....Just hope we see some Bionic "Kung Fu" slow motion at one point.