The Scrolls » Thoughts

Does Congress Look Like America?

Cole — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:04:24 +0000

Just some food for thought.

Via: TakePart.com

My 6 Favorite TV Geeks

Cole — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:50:36 +0000

Adam Savage, Mythbusters: It’s not that I don’t love Jamie, but Adam is so open with his love with Indiana Jones, explosions and science. It’s endearing, to say the least, and adds an approachable touch to the science reality show, which is probably why the fans like it so much. Well, that and the explosions.
Marshall, Alias: I really wish Abrams hadn’t tired of Alias. I liked it far better than Lost. For those of you who don’t know, Marshall was the nerdy gadget creator — kind of like Q is for Bond. H was an uber nerd, and this was before geeks really hit the mainstream, but he was adorable, awkward and excitable — just like I like them! Some might even call him a woobie. Remember when they made you think he was dead? I watched one more episode, found out it was a CIA ploy and decided I would keep watching. Otherwise? I would have stopped right there.
McAbby, NCIS: I just can’t split up McGee and Abby, even though they haven’t been dating for like 7 years in the series. The thing is, they’re both geeky solo, but when you combine their powers, it’s some sort of uber geek with four hands to hack your network. We’re talking to you DoD! I have such a crush on both of them but I love them so much that I never feel jealousy over the other one.
Hardison, Leverage: Leverage doesn’t have the huge following of other shows, but it’s clever. It’s like a modern-day RobinHood, if the band of Merry Men were previously thieves. Hardison is a tried and true computer hacker/MMO geek, but he’s not awkward — nor is he white. It’s not a distinction that I make negatively. I just like seeing the geek be someone other than a white male, you know? Geeks some in all shapes and sizes and Hardison is proof of this. Plus, he just seems like a cool guy to hang out with.
Daniel Jackson, Stargate: Daniel Jackson is the geek love of my life. The archaeologist adds compassion and emotion to the Stargate series, which might otherwise feels too militaristic. He is part of the reason I stayed with the series for so long. He is definitely one of my most long-lasting and consistent character crushes.
Logan, Dark Angel: Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo and Michael Weatherly as Logan are two completely different characters. If you’ve never seem him playing a geek, you’re missing out. It’s amazing what a little facial hair and a pair of glasses can do for a man’s geek cred, honestly. I loved and lusted over him hardcore — for en entire season and a half. He was perfectly vulnerable and he left such an impression on me! It’s no wonder Jessica Alba fell for him (at least, for a while). I think I will rewatch the show just for Logan!

So, who would you put on your own list?

Musically

Cole — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 07:33:57 +0000

I love music. I spend hours listening to it every day. I don’t understand people who just don’t get it, just like I don’t understand people who have no sense of humor. Music has been helping to make me very happy lately. I’ve been dipping into the indie/pop singer/songwriter genre. There’s a lot of Regina Spektor, A Fine Frenzy and Ingrid Michaelson, among others. In fact, I’ve been downloading songs and listening to the hell out of them.

I want to talk about music all over the place, but no one has the same tastes and I don’t know how to make it an interesting blog post. Is there a GoodReads for music?!

3 Things I Learned This Week

Cole — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:32:23 +0000

You can upload an image to Google to determine its source, among other things.
Putting on deodorant before bed helps it be more effective.
My URLs for pages are super un-SEO. I’m fixing it. If there’s broken links, that’s why. Please let me know about broken links, though.

Suspended.

Cole — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 05:00:32 +0000

Whether or not you’re a fan of the Oscars, there’s wasn’t much else on tonight. ABC wasn’t airing new episodes of Once Upon a Time and other channels didn’t want to compete with the yearly awards show so there were a lot of reruns. This is why I tuned into the Academy Awards tonight. Except, I just couldn’t get into it. Perhaps it’s because once you’ve seen one awards show, you’ve seen them all or perhaps it was because this year was particularly underwhelming in turns of fashion. I mean, could you even see Sandra Bullock’s eyes? And am I the only one who thinks Natalie Portman looks so much better as a tomboy?

Still, my biggest complaint is with the little skits put on by the presenters. For a show that awards actors, the actors themselves didn’t do very well in this realm. It’s different than their normal work, I get it, but I always find the supposed-to-be-funny bits entirely unfunny. I can get swept up in movies and TV shows but I have a hard time suspending disbelief when the entertainment isn’t removed enough from my own reality. I have a similar issue when viewing plays. I want to like them as shows but I just can’t get past the fact that the actors are so close to me and the effects are so meager in comparison to Hollywood’s big budget.

Suspension of disbelief is equally important when reading and I have a hard time with that, too. I know it’s my own “fault” that I can’t get out of my head and I respect play actors but it can never be my thing. And the Oscars? Just stick to saying nice things and stop trying to be funny. I’m talking to you Zach WTFever-your-last-name-is!

Where I’ve Been

Cole — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:55:33 +0000

Watching lots and lots of Castle. In fact, I started and caught up on all four seasons within the time-frame of a week. Talked about hooked. I don’t understand how a show about murder can be so good. Fillion just makes me laugh and smile and pant and “awww” the whole time but there’s not a single character — save for the new captain — whom I don’t really like. Detective Ryan is adorable, himself.

Anyway, I can’t believe the freaking “to be continued” shit tonight. I can’t wait a week!

Changing My Tune

Cole — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:17:56 +0000

When I first heard that there were not one, but two!, fairy-tale inspired stories coming to night-time television last fall, I was pretty excited. I wanted to check out both Grimm and One Upon a Time and.. I did. I actually watched Grimm first and couldn’t get into it, at first. The format was more dramatic and crime procedural than I expected so I turned it off within a few minutes, despite feeling that the main character was pretty hot.

I think I forced myself to like Once Upon a Time because there was no way I was going to not like any fairy-tale television show. And I like how the plot incorporates your favorite stories into a modern day version. There’s enough of a spin to keep it interesting and some of the characters are masterfully cast. Specifically, Mr Gold/Rumpelstiltskin and the mayor. There’s some cheesy CGI and plot holes in general but nothing that will keep me from watching it. It’s a family-friendly show that requires a little bit of suspension of disbelief but it feels good and.. magical.

But I decided to give Grimm another chance the other night and now.. I have to admit that I not only like it but I like it better than I like Once Upon a Time but.. it’s not fairy-tale-esque. Although the main character is a descendent of the ancient Grimm family and, as such, is expected to hunt monsters like werewolves and such, it’s not about fairy tales. Because he’s a cop, this definitely has a dramatic, police feel to it. So it’s not magical but, that’s okay. I already have a magical show to watch.

As I described Grimm to Wendy, she asked if it was like Supernatural. It’s not quite as dark but, yes. Most of the adversaries have been were-like creatures: bears, pigs, bees and, yes, wolves. There was a stay ogre, too. Grimm isn’t necessarily any more realistic than Once Upon a Time and the focus is more on the drama and action than on the characters, like in One Upon a Time, which focuses on character development. Still, I really enjoy the main character’s werewolf buddy. He brings some great comic relief to the show and was well cast himself. Grimm also has some of the same CGI problems but it feels a little more polished than Once Upon a Time.

Anyway, they’re both good but only one of them is really about fairy tales.

Hello Twenty Twelve

Cole — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:49:30 +0000

2011 went out with a fizzle, not a bang, and so 2012 doesn’t quite feel like it’s here. Nothing really marked the end of my year in a noticeable way so it’s hard to believe this could be the year that the world ends — ha!

I do like to have something to get me in the mindset of the new year. Perhaps I just need to make a more dedicated effort next year to end my year with loved ones and maybe even a New Year’s kiss. ;)

Part of me is sad to see 2011 end because it was the best year of my life and a small part of me is worried that 2012 will not live up to it, especially considering how much I’ve been battling my anxiety lately.

Still, I bet this year will be pretty rawrsome either way.

Why?

Cole — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:36:16 +0000

I don’t know why but I constantly forget how significant certain things are when it comes to my mood. Being well rested, fed and clean among them. In hindsight, those are pretty significant things on that pyramid of survival — you know the one I mean, even if I forget the name — and I’m sure everyone agrees about food and sleep, even if I’m more of a clean freak than others. Still, I will let myself be hungry for hours or prolong my shower, even though dealing with those things right now will make me feel a million times better even if nothing else about my day changes.

And it’s ridiculous because every time I finally do eat or sleep or shower or decide to pop some medicine to kill that headache, I’m like “oh my god! I feel so good. Why did I wait to do that? What is wrong with me?” My productivity shoots through the roof, my mood elevates and everything is all fine and dandy until the next time I feel hunger or the next morning when I put off my shower.

I am weird, man.

Admission

Cole — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:50:40 +0000

Now that I have DirecTV back, I can tune into reruns and trashy reality TV. Actually, I don’t watch a whole lot of reality television and there’s so much of it that you really need to pick one and stick with it to make sure you don’t miss what happens.. but I missed stumbled out of bed and crawling onto the couch to watch a little bit of mind-numbing TV before actually getting up. It helps me to relax. Today, when I woke up, I did that and turned into Sister Wives. This show is definitely one of my guilty pleasures when it comes to TV. You’ve probably heard of it but, in case you haven’t, Kody Brown is an immature douchebag who also happens to be a Mormon and polygamist and has four wives and 16 kids. 16. 1 more on the way, too.

I missed a lot of the happenings but it appears that the family has moved from a triplex in Utah to four separate homes in Nevada because the authorities were starting to investigate them. Season three is almost at its end but the episodes I watched seemed to indicate that it focused on kids: how they felt about moving, some of them getting ready for college and the struggles of having so many teenagers. I wouldn’t want to live in any of those houses, I must confess.

But other than the simply synergistic stresses of having a family so large, I kind of feel like the Browns are doing okay at it. If you’re going to try your hand at it, going their route is probably the most sane way to do it. The wives help each other out and, for the most part, seem happy with their plans. Other seasons really stressed jealousy and the frustrations over Kody courting Robyn and adding her as the fourth wife but this season seems to have settled down and it seems as though things are working out okay. It makes me wonder if the focus on the jealousy and such was just for TV. As a viewer, I don’t know because I don’t have an inside look.

There’s still a few things that bug me, though. Kody acts like a teenager much of the time and the wives definitely have better relationships with the children — all of them — than he does. He seems a little disconnected. This is perfectly evidenced by the fact that he drives a sports car and it’s up to any of the wives to be the soccer mom. Dude, get a fucking minivan and help those women out, will ya?

Plus, I just can’t help but wonder who’s paying for everything. After moving, everyone was out of a job, at least temporarily. TLC is really tight-lipped about how much Kody and crew make, too. It boggles me. I can’t understand how they can afford 16 kids and four adults. It’s hard enough being a single person but I can’t imagine how much money they have to pay just to get by.. and they all seem to be doing fairly well. Taxes must be a bitch, too. Three of the wives have to claim single and I can’t help but wonder why the authorities aren’t all up in Kody’s grill regarding child support. Hell, even before Mom and Tim got married, the state made him pay it while they were living together.

I’m probably going to finish this season because that’s how I roll.