T-Minus: 25 days

(I honestly considered saving this post until tomorrow so the title could say 24....) I can't even tell you how super-psyched I am about the return of 24. The idea of a two-part, four hour premiere makes me need a change of underwear.

Despite my love for the show (and my man-crush on Mister Kiefer -- whose birthday is today... how about that?), I have heretofore avoided purchasing the DVD sets for the past four seasons. Now, though, I read this:

This loaded 7-disk set includes the ground-breaking Season 5 Prequel bridging seasons 4 and 5 shot on location exclusively for the DVD.

Well, shit.

It'll have to wait until after the Saturnalia, but I may have to consider grabbing it before the January 15 premiere...

------ Bonus: Top 30 Random Facts about Jack Bauer (I love these things.)

The Resurgence of Chuck

Chuck Norris. I'm sure many of you figured he had faded into a halcyon semi-retirement of Total Gym hucksterism, anti-drug campaigning, and... um... praying after the demise of his Walker, Texas Ranger series. I'm doubly sure you all had figured Chuck had strayed far, far away from his Lone Wolf McQuade martial arts badassedness of yore.

Well, I'm here to set you straight, boys and girls.

Chuck Norris' return to glory was first hinted at when he became the subject of one of the most entertaining internet memes of the past ten minutes:

To prove it isn't that big of a deal to beat cancer. Chuck Norris smoked 15 cartons of cigarettes a day for 2 years and aquired 7 different kinds of cancer only to rid them from his body by flexing for 30 minutes. Beat that, Lance Armstrong.

That was just the beginning, though. Now it has come to light that Chuck Norris is the driving force behind an all new form of ass kicking for entertainment known as the World Combat League:

There is currently no full-contact martial arts team sport in the United States. The WCL will be the only venue to offer the public full-contact martial arts fighting. There is literally no competition for the services and products the WCL will offer to the public. There is a huge demand for martial arts in the United states and the WCL will be the first sports league to offer the excitement and unpredictability of full-contact martial arts fighting.

Sure, Chuck is only a "suit" at the top of the WCL ladder. And yeah, it looks like the fighting is just glorified kick boxing -- hands and feet only (stick to the UFC if you enjoy elbows, Muy Thai knees, and grappling). But they have women on the teams (WCL is a "team sport"... kind of like Davis Cup tennis...?), and the whole contest is supposedly set up to encourage action. In fact, there are penalties for being too passive or stalling.

Might be worth checking out.

One is only left to wonder if all of this is happening because of the fact that Chuck Norris is Dubya's favoritest actor in, like, ever!

Jake Sutton: MIA

So, yeah... I'm still here. Here's a little catch-up:

  • My efforts at work on the superultramegaubercrazy-high priority project have come to a rather frustrating result so far thanks to interoperability problems between ColdFusion 5 and Oracle9. Every time we hit the Oracle9 database it causes the memory usage of the ColdFusion server to climb, with that memory never being released. This eventually causes the connection to the database to die with an S1001 Memory Allocation Error, which requires a ColdFusion restart to fix the problem (until the memory allocation builds back up again). Super-fucking-duper.
  • The Big Blue Couches rock. While we are trying to keep the pets off them, it's obviously futile. At least the puddles of Mingus hair come off the ultra-luscious blue microsuede without a problem. I'm just extra-pleased with the fact taht I can lie completely prostrate on the big sofa without touching either arm.
  • The Wife and I have been to the hotbox yoga a total of three times so far. I am enjoying it quite a bit, though I think I may have overstretched my back the last time out. We hope to squeeze a couple more classes into our two week trial period.
  • My motorcycle wrenching buddy Erik and his wife are inches away from having their baby boy. Very exciting times for them!
  • I'll be brining the second turkey of the month for Thanksgiving festivities starting tonight. If you haven't brined a turkey or at least eaten the product of said process, I can't even express how much you need to try it.
  • I'm almost done with the Tales of the Otori trilogy. I highly recommend all three books.
  • Now let's turn the lens outward a bit:

And thus concludes today's category smorgasbord.

Hellboy Animated Series

Hellboy Animated: The Production Diary of the Hellboy Animated Projects

Fast forward to now, with me comfortably nestled in Mike's fog shrouded lobes, working at a studio that is as excited as I am that we're bringing Hellboy to animation. I've never worked at a place that gives such support and encouragement to the creators. And I was hired to bring Hellboy to animation, not a friendlier, blanded out, kid's version of the character but the guy who stalks the pages of the comic. It seems the stars are aligned and the appropriate rituals have been performed and so the party can begin.

Sweet.

How was your weekend, Jake?

Last week ended with some work related news that I won't discuss here. Let's just say that things are in flux and the future seems murky at the moment. But then, certainty equals boredom, right? ;) Saturday was a good day. In the afternoon I headed over to Erik's to "poke a Honda" (say it out loud for the full effect) -- the CL350 was transferred back to Erik's garage when we went to Los Angeles so that he could continue to poke while I was off gallivanting in the land of swimming pools and movie stars, this explains why there have been no recent photos, as I consistently forget to take my camera when I go over there. We twiddled about for a while: getting the foot pegs fully mounted; test fitting the replacement side covers; wrestling with, cursing at, and ultimately drilling out a broken-off left-hand mirror bolt (looks like we might need to tap that now... fun.).

After that, we took out Erik's Honda XL250 (probably one of the world's most forgiving bikes) and found a big construction site with lots of flat, soft dirt. He let me bang around there for a couple hours, I'd guess. I was very comfortable on the bike even though I had my "first dump": I was riding around a ring that went over a dirt spine just to get the feel of how the bike can handle verticality, etc. when I finally decided I was done I thought I'd be super cool and drive onto the spine rather than over it. Needless to say it didn't work very well and I ended up grabbing the front brake instead of the clutch and just plopped right over. The ground was soft and I (mostly) got my leg out of the way -- no damage was done.

Sunday was spent working around the house: I mowed the lawn, cooked some chicken pesto cavatappi, downloaded some Veronica Mars torrents (Note to The Wife: This means you can watch VM on the computer! -- VM is "the new Buffy" according to my darling spouse, and yes, I enjoy it, too.), and generally farted around. Good times.

Prison Break

My initial impression of Fox's new show Prison Break (the pilot for which I watched last night) is good overall. I have kind of a hard time imagining how they will fill a whole season (nevermind the idea of any following seasons, but I said the same about Lost), but I'll watch anything with a guy who has plans for an entire prison campus and clues for how to exploit said campus' weaknesses tattooed on his body.

"The tattoo takes about four to five hours to apply, if you've got two people working on it," Wentworth explains. "It's a series of decals that fit together like puzzles. They're kind of more sophisticated versions of what you might find in a Cracker Jack box. You lay it down, spray it, peel it off and then seal it with glue, paint in the filler parts. It's apparently the most complicated imitation tattoo ever created, done by the art house that did all the special effects for 'The Passion of The Christ.'"

It is impressive.

Return of "The Contender"

"The Contender" to begin second season on ESPN

"The Contender" is an unscripted drama about the lives of 16 professional boxers as they compete for the chance to change their lives. The show will air as part of ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) programming and be executive produced by "Survivor" creator Mark Burnett, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Sylvester Stallone. Casting and production on the series, which will air in primetime beginning April 2006, will begin immediately.

Ecellent! I really enjoyed the first season — much more than I expected, in fact — so I'm happy to hear it will be coming back. As an added plus, I'll probably be able to TiVo the show in the middle of the night, since ESPN tends to show everything half a dozen times.

Boston Reality

If you are at all curious about what blue collar Boston is really like, check out Firehouse USA: Boston on the Discovery Channel. Choice quotes (paraphrased):

  • "We got all these these wood construction triple-deckahs around heah -- We call them Irish Battleships..."
  • "We gotta check the airbags and stuff, cuz airbags'll go off and they'll break ya leg, they'll break ya head -- they'll kill ya..."

I need to work break ya head into more conversations.

The show lead to some contentious moments between The Wife and myself, however.

For one, one part of the show took place in a Rock Bottom Brewery and we were both kind of disappointed by the obvious shilling for a chain restaurant. The Wife tried to tell me that "That was the Sam Adams place, wasn't it?" to which I responded "What Sam Adams place? The words you are saying mean nothing to me..." So, she goes on to tell me that we had gone to a bar that only served Sam Adams brew, including specialty items not usually available at your local packie. I had (and still have) absolutely no recollection of ever setting foot in such a place, so we argued for a while questioning each other's mental capacities until finally I cracked saying, "I didn't even like it there, why would I retain that sort of detail?"

This, of course, is an overstatement. I have a lot of fondness for Boston, obviously. That said, New England and I really didn't mesh well. And so it goes.

(BTW: The Wife and I will be hitting Beantown in early August. Email for details, kids.)

Media Consumption

Just a quick catch up on stuff I've enjoyed lately:

  • I just finished reading The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell. I'm late to this game, but I highly recommend the book. Even if you're not interested in marketing per se, the lessons in the book will help you look at things in a different way. That's always a good thing. I was also tickled when the tipping point notion was referenced in an episode of Numb3rs, which is not a bad show at all, btw. Malcom's Blink is in my queue, too.
  • Right now, I am reading Freakonomics, which I picked up after seeing it on Kottke. I'm already enjoying it a lot, as it has touched on a couple examples related to the ones in The Tipping Point, but from a totally different angle. There's a Freakonomics blog that may be worth watching.
  • I'm still marinating in A Whole New Mind. I can honestly say that it has impacted the way I approach certain situations at work. This is a good thing. The author, Dan Pink, also has a blog related to the subject matter of the book on his site
  • I caught Velvet Goldmine on the TiVo. Wow. I really loved it. I suppose it could put you off if you're not down with the boy-on-boy lovin', but I enjoyed the heck out of it. (As noted before, I'm a total sucker for almost anything with Ewan McGregor in it.) I might even consider picking up the soundtrack.
  • Then there's the Matisyahu. Man, that guy makes me happy.
  • I am also digging the Kaiser Chiefs album.

OK, that's it. Carry on.

Matisyahu Rocks the Reggae Beats

I usually sit in smug judgement of VH1's Best Week Ever: "Seen it. Heard it. Yeah, I know about that. Big deal." I mean, I live on the internets. Plus, thanks to the brother-in-law, I know people who work on TV shows and stuff. I hear about things, yo. Well, not today. Today they featured an act that set me on fire. His name is Matisyahu, he is a Hasidic Jew, and he sings some funky fresh reggae, raps and rocks a killer beatbox. It's amazing.

Combining the sounds of Bob Marley and Shlomo Carlebach, yet remaining wholly original, Matisyahu's performance is an uplifting, powerful experience for all in his presence. Even the most pessimistic in his audience is inspired by his ability to so honestly convey such a delicate, topic as faith/spirituality. It is his dedication to his belief and openness to others that compels one to respect his artistry and message. It's in that fleeting moment when our skepticism melts and our souls open up, that Matisyahu enters with his booming sound of faith.

So check it out:

  • Here's an empeethree sample.
  • Heavy Radio is obnoxious, but features a full preview of his latest album.
  • Matis killed on Jimmy Kimmel's show.
  • MentalBlog has a ton of links to other videos, etc.
  • If you like what you see/hear, you can buy the disc at Amazon. (Sample clips)
  • Or you can do like I did and get both of Matisyahu's CDs direct for JDub Records. (More samples)
  • My favorite thing ever is in this article (PDF):

    Any plans for other collaborations? I have a lot of ideas. I did this performance with this guy Kenny Mohammed [sic], he’s a beatboxer, and a pretty famous guy. He’s a Muslim guy. I have a thing I would like to put together: a Rasta, an Arabic dude and myself. And do a project, even a song, like a more pop-y kind of song, something like that.

    Kenny Muhammad (aka the Human Orchestra) is the beatboxer you may have seen making the rounds on the intarweb performing in front of an actual orchestra (the NY Philharmonic, it turns out).

Update: There are tons of live recordings at the Internet Archive. Get to downloading!

I wondered about that...

Reality TV winners get tax reality check

"You can ruin someone's life by giving them everything they want," one Hollywood producer told the trade paper. "If you take a log cabin and replace it with a mansion, there are tax consequences to that."

The tax pain isn't limited to the initial renovation costs. Property taxes, insurance rates and utility bills all could rise too.

The producers of "Extreme Makeover" try to lower contestants' tax bills by leasing their property during the two-week renovation and filming. Those renovations are then usually tax-exempt.

I admit it: I love Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. It makes me cry like a pubescent girl. I'm glad they actually think about the consequences of the rennovation and try to alleviate them, but I always wonder how these (usually) poor families can afford the upkeep on their new homes.

The Ultimate Fighter Finale

First let me say I was never a big fan of mixed martial arts fighting. I've loved boxing since I was tiny, watching Sugar Ray and Marvelous Marvin pound each other with Howard Cossell going nuts down by the apron. I've also been a long-time martial arts fan – I got a black belt in Karate when I was a kid in Tennessee. Even taking all that into account, when MMA and Ultimate Fighting first came on the scene, it seemed like little more than barroom cage fights, and I carried that opinion with me until very recently. The change was precipitated by The Ultimate Fighter on Spike. Don't get me wrong, this isn't great television. In fact, I usually describe it as "The Real World, except people settle their drama by punching each other in the face." Nevertheless, I got sucked into the show and developed affinity for some fighters and dislike for others. At that point it's a lot like professional wrestling: it's a lot easier to get into when there's a baby face fighting a heel.

Tonight was the big climax of the series' first season. Two finalists from each of the two weight classes on the show would fight for "six-figure contracts" with the UFC. After that, a UFC legend would take on a young rising star to cap off a triple-header for the first live UFC broadcast on cable television. The Spike production did a great job of building excitement for the show, I have to admit.

The first bout featured New Mexico's Diego Sanchez taking on Boston's Kenny Florian in a middleweight bout. Kenny belongs in a lower weight class and it showed. The fight started with the two men circling the octagon, very tentative. This went on long enough for the crowd to start booing. Once they eventually met, though Diego was too big, too powerful, and too mean for Kenny to handle. Diego effectively illustrated the technique referred to as "Ground & Pound" as he mounted Florian and pounded his head until they stopped the fight. Best moment of this fight: Sanchez's girlfriend in the crowd yelling "Fuck him up!" as Diego went to town on Kenny's face.

The second fight, a light-heavyweight contest between Georgian funny guy Forrest Griffin and Chicago's "American Psycho" Stephan Bonnar was a completely different story. These fellows came out swinging for the fences and never stopped. Both fighters got their bells rung several times, but they just kept swinging. I gave teh first round to Forrest based on his solid jab and right hook landing several times each, though Bonnar came on strong later in the round. The second round went to Stephan on my card. He had the advantage in the striking while Griffin had a slight edge in the grappling. My first note for the third round: "HOLY SHIT!" Both men took a pounding, with Griffin scoring more points early until Bonnar got his rythm and started countering well. Throughout the fight, Forrest faired better when they were in the Muy Thai clench. He scored a lot with his knees then. I gave the third to Forrest, but just barely. The judges gave the win to Griffin, too, but the UFC made an incredibly classy move by giving both fighters contracts. This was one of the most exciting fights of any kind I've seen in a long, long time.

The "real" fight was a bit of an anti-climax, with relative newcomer Rich Franklin taking out legend Ken Shamrock in short order after Shamrock slipped trying to kick Franklin in the head. Both fighters were very classy afterwards, though.

So, I guess I'm a fan of the UFC now. (I refuse to buy fights on PPV, though, so I doubt I'll become much of a follower. Oh, well.) I certainly look forward to the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.

I enjoyed this stuff so much, I've renamed my "Boxeo" category to a more general "Fight! Fight!"

Wil Wheaton: Slightly less angry at the world

Or at least that's how I think the intrepid Mr. Wheaton comes across in this NYTimes article.

Viewers of tonight's episode of "CSI" may find Walter oddly familiar. Under the Hollywood dirt and scabs, the actor playing a drug-addicted murder suspect may bring to mind a teenage Starfleet officer, or a boy who once sought a corpse. That's because Walter is played by Wil Wheaton, once a wildly successful child actor who these days endures sometimes-painful lulls between gigs - and has, in response, transformed himself into a quirky star of the blogosphere.

Tidbits:

  1. I hate the fact that the term "blogosphere" has made it this far into the public consciousness.
  2. Wil seemed pretty grumpy on the WPT Hollywood Home Game. I wonder if he really is that grouchy, or if he's just that acerbic... Or maybe LeVar Burton just put him off by acting like a pompous ass.
  3. Yeah, Wil's on CSI tonight. I really love that his role got upgraded based on his audition. Good job, Wil!

Oscar Summary

[Since I'm getting Google hits, here's the 37% lamer 2006 Oscar summary.] The best musical performance (by far!) was Jorge Drexler accepting his award by singing his own Best Song, completely showing up the version Antonio Banderas and Carlos Santana put forth. Seriously: The music sucked. Someone tell Adam Duritz it was time to lose the fake dreds five years ago. Please.

When Sean Penn came out I thought to myself, "Man, he's badass. He looks like he needs to beat someone." Then he got all grumpy at Chris Rock for asking who Jude Law is, so yeah, I guess he was looking for someone to beat.

I'm sorry I missed his tirade about who's a movie star and who isn't, because, other than that Chris Rock was pretty dull. They showed clips of Johnny Carson when he hosted: Too bad for Chris.

Was Dustin Hoffman completely pixelated or what?!

Jamie Foxx is a sweet guy. He should stop acting like an asshole.

Clint Eastwood is just getting started, y'all. His mom was in the audience at age 96. Someday I want Clint to yell at me and make me cry like a little girl.

Hilary Swank is "teh hotness" (as they say on the internets).

The "everyone on stage so the losers can relive their middle school talent show failures" presentations were extra lame.

Why does the foreign film award "go to" the country of origin??

Best moment I didn't catch (from a pre-show):

"Before you were a movie star, you were a serious actor," said ABC's Chris Connelly to Orlando Bloom.

I used to like Connelly when he was on MTV. Now I wish Orlando had smacked him.

The show was over EARLY. WTF?!?! That's just stupid.

See CNN, NYT, EW, and, well, everywhere else for more...

The Great White Hope

Mesi to Submit Further Medical Tests; Hearing on Hold

Mesi (29-0) was the WBC's top-ranked contender before falling out of the ratings entirely in October. The suburban Buffalo native has been suspended indefinitely, pending a review of his medical records, since winning a unanimous decision over Vassiliy Jirov in Las Vegas last March.

Mesi hung on for the win, knocked down three times in the final two rounds, and sustained a subdural hematoma - bleeding on the brain.

I enjoyed the one Mesi fight I've seen (don't remember if it was the Jirov contest, but you'd assume so). He's the first heavyweight in a while to really pique my interest.

Ooh! Regarding the title, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a fantastic show.