Andy Hallett, R.I.P.

Sad day in the Whedonverse. Andy Hallett, who played the flashy, loveable, singing demon, Lorne, on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer spinoff, Angel, has passed away. :(

Via E! Online:

Andy Hallett, who starred as Lorne ("the Host") on the TV series Angel, died of heart failure last night [March 29th] at age 33, according to his longtime agent and friend Pat Brady. The actor passed away at Cedars-Sinai Hospital after a five-year battle with heart disease, with his father Dave Hallett by his side.

Hallett, from the Cape Cod village of Osterville, Mass., appeared on more than 70 episodes of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff, Angel, between 2000 and 2004. The accomplished actor was also a musician and sang two songs ("Lady Marmalade" and "It's Not Easy Being Green") on the Angel: Live Fast, Die Never soundtrack, released in 2005.

Andy has spent his post-Angel years working on his music career, playing shows around the country. He had been admitted to the hospital three or four times in the past few years for his heart condition, according to Pat.

The Secret Ingredient Is...

When is a sandwich not JUST a sandwich? When it's made with the secret ingredient, of course. What is it? Haven't you heard? The secret ingredient is...LOVE. :)

A couple summers ago, we went to the beach one day with a few of our friends, and Juan & I were in charge of taking some sandwiches and a few drinks in a cooler. We prepared the sandwiches beforehand, placing each in an individual sandwich bag. As we were eating them on the beach, they told us the sandwiches were good. Of course, we hadn't really done anything extra special to them, just the typical ingredients (meat, cheese, tomatoes, etc.). But Juan, in response to the compliments on our sandwiches, then said, "The secret ingredient is love." :) So that got a good little laugh. hehe

Ever since then, there've been several instances when a situation comes up that reminds me of that phrase. And right now, as I type this, I'm actually having a sandwich for lunch. It was one that Juan prepared for me this morning. I spent the night at his place, to give him a ride this morning, and so he was nice enough to prepare me a lunch so I don't have to buy one (since I'm trying to save). He even included some chips and a yogurt for desert. :) I know it's just your typical type of sandwich that I'm eating, but it actually does taste better to me. Why? Because of the secret ingredient of course...

Jay Brannan Can't Have It All

So, my good close friend *, Jay Brannan, has come out with a new music video. It's for his song, "Can't Have It All". I just saw it right now for the first time and I really love it. I've loved the song and it's cool to see a video to it now. Whenever I hear the song it takes me back to seeing him perform live, because I believe it might've been the one he actually opened the night with the last time I went to see him. :) So here it is...with lyrics right after...



(* by "good close friend" I mean in my imagination lol)

CAN'T HAVE IT ALL
music and lyrics by Jay Brannan

applying moisturizer in the microwave window
for the tenth time, he shouldve called me an hour ago
would he be here with flowers if i lived in arizona?

they say theres no love left in the big cities, its kinda true
i guess youll find me coming soon to a small town near you
ill sell my guitar so i can by myself a tractor

fuck this, this cant be my life
i moisturized ten times tonight
why cant i sit down and write,
bring this question to light?

chorus
do you want a lover, or do you want a life?
one hand or the other, the butter or the bread knife?
do you choose winter, spring, summer, or fall?
its driving me crazy that i cant have it all

if these walls could talk, theyd probably cry out for mercy
til im outlined in chalk, ill be romantically thirsty
so i drink and drink from the proverbial time sink

fuck this, this cant be my life
tears flowing in full force tonight
why cant i sit down and write,
bring this question to light?

chorus

do we hold the future, or does it come in peace?
and if its in my hands, are you sure it should be in brittle hands like these?
life, love, and the pursuit of all the things they promised me
can i have all of the above? are the best things in life truly free?

chorus

© 2008 great depression publishing

For full HQ version visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AV5XzKjz2Y

More Jay Brannan Videos: www.youtube.com/user/jaybrannan

His Official Page: www.jaybranan.com

I Saw TRS' Alex

I think I just saw Alex Albrecht, from The Totally Rad Show & Diggnation, two of my favorite podcasts! If you have no idea who he is or what the podcasts are about, then be sure to check them out. Just click on their names in the previous sentences. And if you've no idea what a podcast is...shame, shame, shame on you!

Anyhow, I saw him about half an hour ago, he was in front of me at the ATM while I waited patiently behind him for my turn. I didn't recognize him at first, until I really paid attention and even then I was only about 80% sure it could be him. I usually SUCK at recognizing people. So I just stood there until he was done and walked right past me on his way back to his car in the parking lot. As I was walking back to my car a few minutes later (to get some envelopes that I needed to drop in the mail box), I saw him driving away in a black BMW. At that point I was then about 99% sure it was him, since I remembered him discussing his new car at some point in the podcasts.

So yeah, that was my own little celebrity sighting. Or...would he be considered a full-on celebrity? Well, to me and his fans & followers I'm sure he is. hehe Also, I'm pretty sure I've probably seen a bunch of other actors or otherwise famous people walking past me here in L.A., especially where I currently work since the SAG offices are here, but I just never notice them. A simple hat or sunglasses is often enough to sneak past me. hehe But it was actually quite cool seeing Alex, especially since The Totally Rad Show (TRS) is my favorite podcast! Listening to Alex, Dan & Jeff on that show brings back so many memories of my youth, plus they cover a lot of the entertainment stuff that I'm into.

I Want: Buffy Maquettes

What I wouldn't give to be able to have these three Buffy "tooned up" maquettes (which I believe is just a fancy french word for a small model/sculpture). Buffy, Glory & Evil Willow. Love it! But my tight budget days continue so can't do! Will just have to be happy looking at the pretty pictures. hehe Still...at about over $80 or so each, I don't think I'd be getting them even if I could afford to spend the money! Just a bit too much for me, the casual collector. :)

Quick Thoughts

I haven't blogged as much these past few days. Funny thing is, I've actually had a lot on my mind that I'd normally want to write down. But for now, I think it's best I just focus (or try my best to) on other more important things. Such as...you know...where I'll be working at in the near future! :-/

I was thinking back this morning to what I'd call "happier times." January of 2008, in particular, when we took a trip to Madrid. There really weren't many things to worry about at the time for both of us, if I remember correctly. So it was a good feeling. Peaceful. And a fun time going on a beautiful and forever memorable trip. These days, I can still have fun if I want, but I can never shake off that nagging reminder in the back of my mind that things are topsy turvy right now. And not just for me personally, but for many people out there, both here in the U.S. and abroad.

We all just keep on going, living life, taking those "can't help but smile" moments as we can get them. In the end, I think what matters most are the people you love. And those are truly the ones that'll always be around, no matter what the times may be like. A warm embrace, a gentle kiss, a hand to hold...things that'll never cost you a penny from the special people in your life.

I may take little breaks from this blog in the coming weeks. But hopefully soon I can get back to my random silliness. :)

Housewife

I was listening to my iPod at work, and Jay Brannan's song "Housewife" came on. As I listened to the lyrics...

"...I wanna be a housewife,
what's so wrong with that?
I wanna be a housewife, yeah,
and that's just where I'm at..."

...I couldn't help but wonder, seriously, would that be so bad? To be a housewife, that is. To stay home, take care of the house, do the laundry, run grocery errands and have a nice dinner waiting for my love to return from work? Honestly, I'm starting to think I'd quite like that.

*Sigh*

Two Month Notice

It's finally starting to hit me, the reality of it all. I am losing my current job in two months. :( It was something that was pretty much coming for a while now, but there was never an end date. Now that there is, it's much more scarier. I guess I should try and see the positive side of it, that at least I'm being given a decent amount of notice so I can try to plan accordingly. Still, doesn't make it any easier knowing that I have to look for a new job during a time when jobs seem to be more and more scarce.

We found out about all this last Friday. We got the final word at an office meeting Friday afternoon. I told myself that this weekend would just be for me to relax, have a nice time with my bf and friends, forget all my worries and just let myself have a nice time. And I succeeded. I did have a great weekend. But of course, as usual, it went by too fast. Now I'm back at work, Monday morning. I'm grateful to have a job for two more months at least, but it still doesn't make it any easier having to come back to work after a nice weekend.

So now it's time to start getting serious about planning for what's to come. Time to start brushing up those resumes, putting my name, my experience and my skills out there, hoping that somebody will take notice.

Budgets Suck!

With all the stuff that's been going on lately, it's no surprise that many people have been trying to prioritize their spending. Going on budgets, saving money, cancelling subscriptions to things they really don't need...and so on.

I have also been trying my best to cut down spending. I'm not going all out and saving every penny, though. But I have been trying to cut back on a few things. Specifically...my love for collecting DVDs. hehe Though, truth be told, there haven't been any big releases in the past few weeks that I want really bad. So that's helped me be strong and not buy them. lol And I have tons of DVDs already to keep me entertained. The past couple weeks I've been watching the "24" DVDs (season 5). I'm almost done with it and then I'll move on to the sixth season, which fortunately I already own. :)

This coming Tuesday though...DC Animation's latest DVD comes out! As much as I love Marvel, DC's animated DVDs have, in my opinion, surpassed Marvel's animated DVDs by quite a lot! So when the "Wonder Woman" animated DVD movie comes out next Tuesday, March 3, I don't think I can resist! Hell, after the bad news we got at work this week, I deserve a little treat! ;)

Joss Whedon Q&A

Via TV Guide: http://www.tvguide.com/News/VIDEO-Whedon-Gellar-1003385.aspx

Listen up children, Papa Whedon has a few things to say!

Tough Times Still

A little over a month ago, on a gloomy Friday, we had some pretty significant layoffs here at the office, and the announcement that two more of our store locations were going to be closing down. Sad times indeed. Fortunately, my job was spared and I was asked to stay on board. A couple of days after that, especially the Monday back to work, I was in this strange mood at work. I mean, who here wasn't!? The office was noticeably emptier and the worker's morale wasn't exactly at it's highest. I told myself I would focus more on looking around for new jobs while I'm still here. But then something happened.

I started to let myself slip back into routine. I started to forget...no, wait...more like "ignore"...the fact that things really aren't going good for us. I just focused on my daily tasks, clocked in and out, then went home and did my own stuff that makes me happy, have fun or just relax. Part of this was just me wanting to "feel" better about the unavoidable event that seems to be getting closer and closer by the day: the end of our company. Pessimist much? Not really. I'm usually a very optimistic person. But I've got to be realistic here. Things have been slowly going down for us a long while now. As one of my coworkers put it, regarding those who were spared their jobs last January, "You're only delaying the inevitable."

I just wanted to feel happy. I started the year off with an awesome week's vacation and had a blast. I would've loved that type of feeling, or some resemblance of it at the very least, to last a while longer. But who am I kidding? I need to remember that things aren't going well for a lot of us. :( Some times I don't even know how this all happened. I know it's been a long time coming, but to me it seems like it all just suddenly hit us recently. Maybe it's because every day I hear more and more about people closing down stores...and then it hit us, too.

Tomorrow, we're having an office meeting with our big boss. He sent an email telling us that "by now you might've heard" so and so. Thing is, I hadn't heard a word. I had to google it! Turns out...we're closing two MORE stores. So that'll officially leave 3 stores that will still be on "open" status. But I know it's only a matter of time. :(

TV Theme Songs

They just don't make TV theme songs like they used to! Some shows barely even have a theme song at all now. Back then I think the popular shows were the half hour, mostly family friendly sitcoms. So they were perfect for the catchy theme song to get the mood going. Now, the hit shows tend to be about the law, forensics, medicine and the supernatural. They don't exactly welcome a fun, upbeat and catchy sing-a-long theme song. Hell, LOST's theme is just a quick eerie sound. lol But let's take a little trip down memory lane with the help of Stewie and Brian Griffin...



What was your favorite theme song growing up?

HEROES 3.17: "Cold Wars"

OK, as usual, SPOILERS SPOILERS AND SPOILERS AHEAD for those of you that aren't caught up to the newest episode. You have been warned. :)


I'm on lunch break right now and it's almost over, so I don't have much time. I'll make it quick and simple, just touch on a few things I wanted to talk about.

Noah Bennet - I am so glad that he's still working for the good guys! His actions and methods are always so complicated and it's often hard to tell exactly where he stands. Good or evil? But I love that we finally saw that his involvement with the hunter guy and Nathan is all part of his & Angela Petrelli's team up to try and bring this whole "catch & cage 'em" thing to an end. I know they (Noah & Angela) still believe that some of these people do need to be contained, but not all of them. So I'm just glad he's still a good guy! Now if only little Claire Bear would try and keep out of his way so she doesn't screw the plan up. lol

Daphne - I knew it! I knew our little Blondie Nemesis Speedster couldn't be dead! On shows like these, I always figure that if they don't show us proof beyond doubt that someone is dead, then there's always the chance they never died to begin with. Sure, she got shot a few times. But even us regular non-superpowered people have survived gunshots before. Still, there is one thing I didn't like. Her name in the credits! That kind of ruins the surprise for anyone that really thought she was dead...to see her name pop up in the opening credits. Yes, I know...it's part of some contractual obligations or whatnot...but still. Can't we make exceptions when it's a surprise character making a return or something to that effect. I really think that it kind of kills the excitement a bit when you are already expecting to see the person pop up. But oh well...I don't run the industry. But someday!

Parkman - Wow, "kill" his girl and you bring out the bad ass in him! He's always been more of a softer guy, didn't want to hurt people and eventually didn't even want to use his powers, even though he knew it could help him achieve some life goals. But it was kinda refreshing to see him a bit more tougher on these people that have been making his life a living hell. Those last few paintings he did at the end though, I'll have to look them up or study them closer 'cause I wasn't too sure what they were.

Overall, another episode I enjoyed. Can't wait for more!

Dollhouse: The Target

I finally got around to watching the second episode of Dollhouse, "The Target." I felt that the pilot left me a bit...what's the word...unsatisfied, perhaps? I had expectations of the type of show I'd expect from anything that has Whedon's name attached to it. Granted, I didn't think the pilot sucked. Not by a long shot. It was just that by comparison to Buffy, Angel, Firefly and Doctor Horrible...I was expecting more of the same type of elements, specifically the witty dialogue and humor blended into the drama and action. Here, with Dollhouse, we were given a somewhat more serious tone. So I needed to get used to that.

Now, having watched the second episode, Dollhouse is growing on me a lot more. I really enjoyed this episode and loved the mysteries that are starting to be presented regarding Echo's past(s), the "dollhouse" itself and the various people after them, including the mysterious Alpha. Once I let go of my preconceived notions of what a Whedon project should look and feel like, I was able to enjoy this show more. I just hope others continue to do so as well. I'd love to see where they can take this show beyond the initial episode orders. So who's gonna keep watching with me!?!? Do it! :)

Oscars 2009

So yesterday was the big Oscar Sunday. Having sat through the whole 3+ hours broadcast, I feel it is my duty, as a random blogger among the thousands and millions of other blogs out there, to post my own review of the Oscars. So here goes...

Let's see. It was long. Kind of slow. Didn't care much for those "this is why you are awesome" speeches given by the groups of past Oscar winners to each of the big award nominees. There was singing & dancing. Lots of it. Kinda dug the one with the Indian music & John Legend. The Musicals medley was OK too. The opening one...was just...I don't know. Heath won, happy for that. Milk & Sean Penn won some too...awesome acceptance speeches. I think Wall-E got something too. Aside from that, I didn't really see the other films. Oh and there was some lady that reminded me of Belle (from Disney's Beauty & The Beast) in her yellow dress...that is, if she had aged for many years and never took off that yellow dress. If you saw the show...you must know who I mean. And Hugh Jackman as host...don't have an opinion either way. He's Wolverine, he's hot, he can sing and act...kudos to you, sir!

I honestly only watched it because I was hanging out with Juan & some of our friends. :) Otherwise I'd be watching my 24 DVDs at home instead and just catch any of the "best of" moments on YouTube if I felt so inclined.

So how's that for a deep, insightful review?

25 Random Things About Me

Oh, Facebook! Me, being a person that doesn't like to be left out of what's "hot" in the virtual world...here, for you reading (dis)pleasure, I present my 25RTAM. In no particular order...

1 - When eating out, I usually prefer to stick to my own plate and don't always offer up a taste of my food to others...not even my bf. And no, I'm not greedy! It's just a (bad?) habit.
2 - In junior high, I tripped over someone that fell in front of me while jogging during P.E. I scrapped my elbows and it left a bad mark on one of them that to this day I hate.
3 - I rarely sleep naked. I saw this video long ago on America's Funniest Home Videos, where a woman is filming her baby and then an earthquake strikes and the dad comes running out of a room scared & naked. I live in an earthquake prone city! 'Nuff said. :)
4 - I can be a picky eater. I especially don't like most sea food and asian food, or just about any food with a weird smell, look or texture...which can make me a tough person to have dinner with.
5 - The extent of my drug experience is limited to just a couple of bites from a bud brownie.
6 - I've been in love with the same person for more than seven years, yet still get random innocent office crushes.
7 - From my 28th birthday (Nov 2007) through today, I've lost a total of 30lbs. Started with a change in eating habits and then joined the gym last summer.
8 - Every Thursday night I sleep over at my bf's house. It's become a sort of work week tradition.
9 - I used to hate eating brocoli with the passion of a thousand burning suns! Now, I don't mind it. My favorite is from the side salads at Chick-Fil-A.
10 - I don't hold grudges or stay mad for long. I don't think I even have any enemies.
11 - I stand on the "for" side on the "having kids" debate. So much so that I often have dreams where I have a child, usually a beautiful little girl.
12 - I'm not one that follows politics, sports and word news that closely. When they come up in conversation, I just smile and nod politely.
13 - I would love to have a bromance. A straight male friend to just hang out with. Don't get me wrong though...still got nothing but love for all my gay amigos! lol
14 - When I was younger I always lost touch with friends, which is probably one reason why I cherish my friends a lot now and do my best to always keep in touch.
15 - I'm bad at song lyrics, but I can sing along to many classic Disney songs...and damn proud of it! lol
16 - I have no fashion sense and dread having to shop for clothes, which explains a lot if you were to see how I dress for work.
17 - Kinda...randomly...been playing with the thought of whether I'd be willing to get a tattoo some day. What of? Not sure.
18 - I tend to have a bad memory. Can't always remember names, faces, occurences or things that were said in general. Don't take it personally!
19 - The scent from a freshly cut lemon is, thus far, the only food item that can literally make my mouth water.
20 - I have a "thing" for accents. I love them! Especially European accents (British, Spanish, Irish, etc.).
21 - I have been to a nude beach before...and yes, as a participant.
22 - Buffy The Vampire Slayer is my all time favorite show. AS IF you all didn't already know that one.
23 - I sometimes wish I could shorten my arms a bit. Shopping for long sleeve shirts sucks!
24 - What I often can't bring myself to say to people verbally, I'll end up writing in novel-like length.
25 - Making other people smile, laugh, feel good or just be happy brings me more joy than you know. I want all my friends, family and my loved one to be happy.

Non Ti Prometto Niente

Directions:
1. Put your iPod on shuffle
2. Put the answer to the title of the song to each answer
3. No Matter how stupid it is pass it on
FUN!!!

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
Song: "Change Your Mind" - All-American Rejects
Comment: In other words...it's NOT okay!

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Song: "Silence With The Moon" - Quetzal
Comment: Yep...there can be a lot of silence with me. Moon, sun & everything in between. Just means I'm having non-stop conversations in my head. lol

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Song: "Hard To Beat" - Hard-Fi
Comment: Lies! I'm a pacifist...don't wanna beat anyone!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Song: "American Terrorist" - Lupe Fiasco
Comment: Of all possible song titles for this question...I get this one!? LOL

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Song: "Amame" - Juanes
Comment: Awww. I love to be loved. Got plenty of love for others, too.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Song: "Una Noche Mas" - Jennifer Lopez
Comment: What can I say? Friends just can't get enough of me. lol

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Song: "Todo Lo Hago Mal" - El Canto Del Loco
Comment: I guess I do think about what I might've done wrong, but for the most part I'm happy with my choices.

WHAT IS 2+2?
Song: "El Cantinero" - Jose Alfredo Jimenez
Comment: El cantinero is probably the only one that'd know what 2+2 is in a bar full of borrachos!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Song: "Trick Me" - Kelis
Comment: Trick me once, shame on you. Trick me twice....and umm....I won't be tricked again!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Song: "I Miss You So Much" - TLC
Comment: Oh, how I've had those moments. Such a sad song. But my life story? Hardly.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Song: "Self Esteem" - The Offspring
Comment: We all want some self esteem when we grow up. (Riches would help with that, too!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE A PERSON YOU LIKE?
Song: "One Night Man" - Ricky Martin
Comment: I swear this was a random song! I'm not the one-night-stands type. lol

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Song: "Goodbye" - The Coral
Comment: Are they secretly trying to get rid of me or something?

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Song: "Streetcorner Symphony" - Rob Thomas
Comment: This is actually a nice, feel good, come together type of song. Not sure if it'd make a good wedding song though.

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Song: "Hoy Llueve, Hoy Duele" - Alejandro Sanz
Comment: How fitting a song title.

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Song: "Crying Shame" - Jack Johnson
Comment: Hmmm, I don't tend to do much that brings me shame.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Song: "La Marcha Del Golazo Solitario" - Los Fabulosos Cadilacs
Comment: Not exactly sure how to take this one. I'm a good soccer player?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Song: "Follow Me" - Craig David
Comment: I'd much rather you not follow me, but instead stand side by side and we'll go together. :)

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Song: "Autumn" - Paolo Nutini
Comment: At one point, as a kid, Autumn meant the end of summer vacation and back to school....so yeah, it probably was the worst thing to happen. lol

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Song: "Better Days (And The Bottom Drops Out)" - Citizen King
Comment: "I've seen better days", the song says. If I'm going to die, I'd certainly say so.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Song: "Santiago" - Ozomatli
Comment: I don't remember a Santiago. Unless I was super drunk??? lol

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Song: "Home" - Jay Brannan
Comment: My home is the source of many funny moments, gotta agree with that.

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Song: "The Horror Of Our Love" - Ludo
Comment: Hell, if love was full of horror it'd definitely make me cry.

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Song: "Dance 2night" - Madonna
Comment: I'll definitely dance with joy if I get married.

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Song: "Love It All" - The Kooks
Comment: Love? Scare me? Ha! Nevah!

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Song: "For Those I Love" - Darude
Comment: Those I love...BETTER at least like me. lol

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Song: "Open Ur Mind" - Jason Nevins
Comment: I'd definitely want to make people through history more open minded.

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Song: "This Velvet Glove" - Red Hot Chillie Peppers
Comment: I knew I should've gone with the fleece glove instead! hehe

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Song: "Non Ti Prometto Niente" - Eros Ramazzotti
Comment: Translated, I believe means "I promise you nothing".

P.S. BONUS TRACK (OF YOUR LIFE)
Song: "Crazy In Love" - Beyonce
Comment: And proud of it!

Back In My Day

I've noticed that now, more and more, I'm often comparing my chilhood to those of "kids these days." You know, how things were "back in my day".

Kids these days think Wikipedia is a reliable source for school research at the click of a mouse. Back in my day, I used to have to walk several blocks to the library, then go through catalogs and stacks of books to get the information I needed.

Kids these days don't know what good television is. Back in my day, we had the TGIF lineup, Disney afternoon and actual good Saturday morning cartoons.

Kids these days think they need a cell phone while in school. Back in my day, we were happy enough having these things called calculators!

And so on...

Damn...if this isn't one of the early signs that I may be getting old, then I don't know what is. LOL But fuck it...I feel young and a kid at heart and that's all that matters. The grey hairs can suck it! Right!?

X-Men Anime

I loved watching the X-Men animated series on FOX during the 90's, always looked forward to the new episodes on Saturday mornings. Recently I found out they had alternate opening theme songs and sequences for the Japanese translations of the show. Via wikipedia:

The opening intro was replaced with a new, Japanese-animated segment of the characters as well as a new Japanese theme with vocals called “Rising,” by the Japanese band Ambience. Starting with episode 46 an alternate anime intro was used, featuring the new theme “Dakishimetai Dare Yori Mo.”

The Simpsons: In HD!

How did I miss this!? I'm always reading up on my favorite shows and movies along with online pieces related to technology, electronics and whatnot. But somehow I missed hearing about The Simpsons finally making the move to the HD world. :) This past weekend's episode was their first to air in HD. Yes, it's aired on the HD signal before but the program itself wasn't created in HD before. So if you're a little techno-entertainment-geek like myself, it was a big deal. And I missed it. Grrrr.

Today, Feb 17th, is the date when ALL TV broadcasting signals in the US were supposed to switch from analog to digital. But apparently they felt not everybody would be ready...blah blah blah...so it was postponed until June. I read that some areas are going ahead with the full switchover anyway. I don't think L.A. is one of them though.

Anyhow, to celebrate the transition to HD, The Simpsons' opening title sequence, which by now we're all very familiar with, finally got a fun little makeover! Check it out: