Edwin MacPhisto

My post and then Czech's in quick succession make the thread seem really mean, so I'll just say that if you're just writing this for the hell of it, whatever, but if you actually have some aspirations of doing something with this or using this to improve as a writer, you have a lot of work to do to get past Sci-Fi Channel cheese.

Absolutely. Justin Timberlake > Dream Theater

This is almost as good as Timecop.

I have heard probably about 20 minutes of Dream Theater in my life, and they're up there with Rush on the list of bands that don't interest me whatsoever. For the most part, they're exactly the kind of music I hate. "Wanky" sums up my thoughts, I guess.

5'9" and 160, I bet. What a porker.

I think we'll have less of a problem with that this season (even though I, for the most part, enjoyed season three's hell-on-wheels pace) thanks to the late start date. From what I understand the show is significantly further along in production at this point than usual.

I'm going to tell Agent to give your address to the cops. Should have stolen Building Nothing Out of Something, though they probably didn't have it.

I only go to the site if godthedog has written something about a movie. The rest of it tends to be kinda flat.

You know, I've been listening to Modest Mouse for about 4 years, and I've never had a chance to see them live. The time they went through Virginia and the Carolinas, I was in Florida. The time they did a bizarre tour with 8 stops within 3 hours of my house, I was up at school. Damnable hell.

I'm still waiting for their rap album.

I was typing my post before you posted that. I'm so predictable.

The Arcade Fire, at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C., January 30. And, hopefully: The Wrens, at the Black Cat in Washington D.C., February 10. The University of Virginia's annual Fest Full of Rock should also be coming up in the next few weeks. It's usually a good collection for $10; last year, I saw the Unicorns, Rjd2, and Pretty Girls Make Graves (who are lame, but do an all right live show).

I'm pretty sure you end up in goofy points-related tiebreakers.

That's right. You were spiny norman, then Throatwobbler Mangrove when you had a concert of some sort that was a mega big deal, and then spiny norman again. Well, I like visiting Europe an awful lot, so I'm gonna call it a toss-up.

Ouch. Mine's a beautiful kicking creature, 2 years old. I've never had a single problem with it. Bless its little clockwork heart.

"Planet Telex" is one of my favorites. It never gets much pub, but it's haunting and jangly and great. That EP really is great, too.

Of course. It just so happens that this time out, a big part of the writing's mediocrity is a bunch of really dopey stereotypes. Improve one and I think you improve the other. Not like I'm going to stop watching or anything. This remains my favorite show on right now, and this season is off to a good start.

They already did most of that in Season 2, though. It's old hat. It's boring. If they're going to go with generic A-rab terrorists, at least make them interesting. So far we have heavy-breathing people who don't use contractions. I want something unique out of this, and I expect more from these writers.

Why should anyone fire Rather when he already announced that he was going to step down from CBS months ago? Or did he rescind that while I wasn't paying attention?

Buy (or steal) an iPod. They don't die.

Watched tonight's eps. Digging the pacing, but I almost feel overloaded; I never thought I'd say this, but I'll be really glad to going back to just one hour a week. I'll lodge my one complaint now and say that I really, REALLY hate the EVIL ARAB FAMILY storyline. It's so simplistic and really almost insulting. They tried to pay lip-service to the "not all Arab-Americans are terrorists!" idea with that scene at the father's business, suggesting that the Araz family are the exception to the rule, but I thought the 24 writers would be a little more sophisticated than creating a creepy murderess Arab wife. Arabs want to kill our white teenage girls, guys! Better stop 'em! Entertainment doesn't have an obligation to be socially conscious, but come on. If you need a villain, work on writing some people with depth, not preying on the nation's biggest fears with some shallow, stereotypical "terrorist" figures. 4 hours in an the Araz family are scheming caricatures. I'm disappointed in the usually reliable writers' inability to come up with something more interesting and less ridiculous. I still hold out hope that they will as more gets revealed, but I'm rolling my eyes presently.

Whoever needs a tight end can start looking: Virginia's Heath Miller, the Mackey Award and all-American, declared for the draft today. I would have loved to see him stick around for his last year, but he's ready, and probably the best player Virginia has produced since James Farrior. He should be the first TE taken.

So I already loved Pink Flag and assumed Chairs Missing and 154 would be good, but...yikes. How about that Wire. I'll be lucky if I make as good a purchase as these albums for the rest of the year. Also, I drove around listening to Duran Duran this afternoon and felt like one bad dude. No-no-no-notorious!

I'll be disappointed if schemin' Arab-Americans turn out to be the center of all evil. It's awfully passe and an easy stereotype. Of course, we'll be at surly Canadian fascists for villains by the time we get through all 24 hours.

Yeah, these are the EMI remasters from 1994, I think. Sound quite good to these ears. I only whine about art because my roommate's Pink Flag has a pink flag on it, which I like. I think I'll cope, though.