Big Sister

You can't get enough of me, baby

A couple of months ago Harold and I started a podcast about television and how we watch it, but it is also about ranting and nerding out. It's called Shifting Channels (link corrected!). Check it out.

Aye

Henry Ian Cusick
Originally uploaded by samy1981.

If you told me when Henry Ian Cusick uttered his first "brutha" that Desmond would become my favorite character on Lost I would have never believed you. I am not someone who is going to go on about the subtleties of performance or nuance. What I love about Desmond has nothing to do with nuance. This is a character that wears his heart out on his sleeve. He's the only one who tells the truth. Simply, he is the only character with any character. The rest of those fools just wander around worry about their own damn selves. Desmond is the only one who seems to have a purpose larger than self. He also might be the only reason that I am still watching a show about a plane crash with smoke monsters, ghosts, chemical warfare, time-travel, but no discernible point.

Cousin Beth

cousin beth
Originally uploaded by Big Sister.

Hey, you know those "before they were famous" shows? I love them! I especially love them when I find out that someone unexpected was on a show/commercial/soap opera that I watched at the time. This time, this time I have one up on those shows because while re-watching season 5 of Buffy, I spied someone familiar in one of my favorite episodes--"Family."

In this episode Tara's family comes to retrieve her on her 20th birthday (spoiler alert!) because this is the age when all the women in her family turn into "demons." On this viewing when the camera panned to Cousin Beth, I recognized the actress playing it. Could it be? Was it really Amy Adams (Junebug, Talledega Nights, The Office) woodenly playing the poor girl cousin stuck at home with the domineering men of the McClay clan?



Yup.

Matt on Matt action

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Matt Damon? In the Matt vs. Ben debate there is no contest as far as I am concerned. Why would you choose Ben? Why would Matt even be friends with Ben. They are not even part of the same universe!

Now here's the crazy part: I also love Matthew McConaughey. He may not be the sexiest man alive, but he is the stoniest most shirtless actor that I can think of and that alone wins a special place in my heart. This is not to say that I find shirtlessness particularly attractive, but seen through a lense of irony shirtlessness is awesome (see Tommy Lee).

Combine my love of all of these things and you get the following (thanks to Harold for the tip-off!):

I'm lurker. Not a poster.

I haven't been much for posting these days. I wish I could get more in the habit of posting. I love the way that Gina's posts seem to have narrative flow--essays about her life with themes and codas. Jessica posts with ease about knitting, life, culture. Allison pops up with lively posts about graduate school and her knitting. I just can't seem to get into that flow, but I miss posting. When I lurk I feel like I am on the sidelines of this place called the blogiverse, which is fine when I am watching TV, but this is supposed to be a participatory activity.

Speaking of TV, the new season has started up and with my work life (uh, some people would call this a "career") in full swing and work on my thesis in gear television is the great respite. Here's what's on my tube this fall:

Heroes. I was suspicious of this show because the hype would indicate that this show would suck. But it really doesn't. Even Mr. likes it and he hates everything (wink, wink). The first few episodes had a little more gore than I typically want to see (Clare waking up during her autopsy?!), but it seems to have toned down. I am not exaggerating when I say that at the end of every episode I am at the edge of my seat. Hopefully, this story will lead somewhere  unlike another show I used to be excited about . . .

Lost. I am sucked into this show because I have been watching from the beginning, but I really have the sense that no one is sailing the ship. JJ Abrams is a talented guy with great ideas. He knows how to get things started, but doesn't really know how to finish things up (see also: Alias). I think I am watching more out of loyalty to the characters than a desire to see what happens. For the Buffy/Lost fans, could last week's Sawyer fake-out been more like the Season 4 Spike storyline? Come on.

Veronica Mars. What the f&?#? Really, WTF? This season is disappointing beyond any low expecation I could have even imagined. I had heard some rumors about changes to the show to make it more "accessible." Apparently, these changes include an anti-feminist message (feminist are angry! bitter! pierced! grr!); Veronica being a jealous, insecure girlfriend; and storylines as thin as Nicole Richie. The camel's back has not been broken, but it is weak.

My Name is Earl/The Office. These shows are the strongest, smartest, funniest comedies on television. If you are letting something like the spectre of the British Office (so great, no doubt) keep you from watching it, let it keep you back no longer. Every episode of Earl is like a short film with great music supervision. Jason Lee is the solid base for a great supporting cast (Joy! Randy! Crabman!). The Office, what can I say? There is not a weak link on this show. Even the romances are believeable, heartbreaking, and hilarious.

The other shows I have sampled this season are Ugly Betty (Cute, but not all that compelling. I think I will watch them from time to time on the website), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (I have never been a fan of Aaron Sorkin. This show does not reverse this trend), and The Nine (Don't believe the hype. Just go to bed early.)

While watching TV, I am working hard to whittle my UFOs down to ten. I want to wrap up soon because I am going to try to knit a handful of Christmas presents. I have been working hard on the following projects

• Sunrise Circle (finish by 11/11/06). For my mom's birthday, which is ten days later, but I want to give it to her before she goes to NYC and I will see her on 11/11. I have knit both fronts/sleeves. I need to cast on for the back this week. I want it to be blocking by next weekend because I want to make a lining for it.
• Corset Pullover (finish by 11/04/06). All this requires is the lace border along the front neck. I wasn't crazy about the way the border on the back neck came out so I haven't been motivated to work on the front border.
  
• Jaywalkers (finish by 11/10/06). This are a gift for a co-worker for taping the Sopranos last season for me. Her birthday is around this time so I would like to finish these. I am almost to the toe on the second sock. Very exciting!
• Random strip blanket (finish by 11/12/06). I need to sew the two pieces together and do something with the dozens of ends. My current idea is to seam the center by hand, then machine sew along the seam so I can just cut the ends instead of weaving them in. Then I will machine sew the backing on and do the same with those ends.

Sorry for my lack of pictures, but it was foggy today (hell, I was foggy today). There will be some FOs right around the corner. Also, I have been going a little crazy with the yarn buying lately--when the sun is out again I will show you my new lovelies!

Veronica Mars, girl librarian

I don't think that I am giving anything away when I tell you that on tonight's episode of Veronica Mars, she takes a job at her college library. Sure, I bristled when she begged to be saved from the "boring job at the library" that the folks at financial aid had waiting for her. But by the time she had seen the light at the end, I was ready to forgive and, perhaps, I let out a cheer. Maybe. I think she will find that detective work and librarianship have more in common than she thinks.

That, or we will never hear about the library again. (Although Mr. suspects that they have a camera in our house, which is why V now works in the library. If next week is knitting, waxing poetic about salt and pepper potato chips, and obsessed with re-using paper before recycling it then I will get suspicious.)

I remain faithful, but what's with the feminist=angry, feminine=well-meaning metamessage? Perhaps this is the theme of the CW, what with the Gilmore Girls and America's Next Top Model.

On a separate TV-related note, I am typically down on the later episodes of the Simpsons. However, while semi-watching the Simpsons go to Japan ep for the gajillionth time I heard this line, for the first time:

Marge: You liked Rashomon.
Homer: That's not how I remember it.

I am sure that Homer got kicked in the balls two seconds later, but for a moment there was funny.

(TV) Lost love

I miss Angel, too. Instead of Smallville, I turned to Veronica Mars and Lost to fill the hole in my heart left by the departure of Buffy & Angel. (Bonus: made in SFC, baby!)

The Chronic

As Kyle and Tanya mentioned in my comments there was a great shout out to Magnolia Bakery on SNL a couple of weeks back. It's a hilarious little bit with nerd references abounding. In case you weren't sure if it was cool, the NYTimes did a story on it yesterday. I am sure that NPR will offer confirmation soon enough. There is still time to get on the nerd train, you can see it now here. Despite my snarkiness, it is very funny.

Stories of Christmas, mail, and nature soon.

And you can sing along

Life's a show
Originally uploaded by Big Sister.

Over Labor Day weekend, Mr., the Tilles siblings, and for a spell Brett went to Bad Movie Night at the Dark Room. At the show, it was announced that there would be a live performance of Once More with Feeling, or, for those of you tragically out of the know, the musical episode of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Calendars were checked, reservations were made, potential costumes discussed, and assignments of understudy roles were made. Nine of us were slated to go and the excitement was palpable.

Then this nugget appeared on SFist and an announcement (along with several letters to and from the network) on the CounterPULSE website saying all the shows were cancelled. Sure, we were disappointed. But did we let one giant network affiliated with Rupert Murdoch get us down? No. We gathered snacks and marched right over to the Checks' house. Witness our revelry:



I still hold out hope that someday I will see a live performance of "Once More with Feeling," sadly I think that Rupert Murdoch is banking on it. Coming to a Broadway theater near you . . .

TV Corral

About three years ago San Francisco lost its NBC affiliate. The station was up for sale and NBC corporate wanted to buy it. They got outbid and being a corporate PCMB* NBC threw a little tantrum and took their affiliate down to San Jose. If one had cable watching NBC was no problem, you just found the new location on the dial. For those of us without cable, it meant one less choice on our already virtually choice-less dial.

Then two weeks ago, boom, almost out of nowhere (Mr. had read something in the paper that said it might happen soon) we start getting the NBC channel out of the South Bay. Let me tell you people, it's kind of like having cable because all of the sudden there is 1/10th more television to watch. That said, I have watched many, many shows on NBC since that fateful Wednesday just to make sure. Here's what I have seen:

Joey: Ouch. That hurt.
Scrubs: A sitcom that is actually funny. Because of this Mr. claims that it is not actually a sitcom. He's right in that it is more of a parody of sitcoms, hospital shows, and buddy vehicles all in one package.
Medium: This is a show about a woman who helps solve crimes with her psychic powers. Apparently, it is written by 100 chain-smoking monkeys locked in a writer's room and pounding on keyboards. I couldn't figure out what kept the actors from laughing. Possibly her psychic powers.
My Name is Earl: Another not-a-sitcom sitcom. It was sort of entertaining. I might watch it again.
The Office: Yes, it is funny. Yes, it is painful. No, it doesn't compare to the original. Sure, it's more "American" and I guess that they go to Chili's should make it more "relatable." But those two crushed out co-workers? They're not Tim & Dawn, so don't try to make me think that they are. However, it is nice to see that Arthur has landed on his feet.

So, add two versions of The Apprentice and 19 versions of Law & Order and I think you have the NBC line-up. It turns out we weren't missing much. To compensate I have been watching as much of the new season of television as my life and conscience will allow. I have watched:

Arrested Development: Bizarre and hilarious. Good work.
Kitchen Confidential vs. How I Met Your Mother: This was rough for me since it meant that Xander was facing off Willow in the new sitcom timeslot competition. As it turns out, neither show is very good although Kitchen Confidential is marginally more watchable if only because the characters seem new to the genre. Plus, how freaking cute is Sam Weir all grown up? The best thing about How I Met . . . is Doogie Houser playing a variation on his role from Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Otherwise it's Aly Hannigan playing the role from the American Pie movies and Jason Segel playing a smarter version of Nick Andopolis (oh, Nick). Besides didn't this show used to be called The Single Guy?
Lost OK, towel off scary Walt, speak up, and start from the beginning. Oh, and get to a storyline that I care about. That would be any other storyline except for Jack's. And Kate's.

Since I am revealing (and reveling) my love for TV, I'll add these two recently watched DVD series:

Firefly: In anticipation of the release of Serenity, I decided to start watching this. Lucky for me it was available from the library therefore not taking up precious Netflix property. The style of the show took some getting used to, however once I got passed the spaceships and "never you mind"s it turned out to be a pretty great show. It was disappointing to have it stop short because there was so much that could have been done with these characters. I was particularly bummed to never learn Preacher Book's backstory. If you watch it, do yourselves a favor and skip the special features. There is nothing as stomach turning as watching nerds laud and lament the creation and demise of their own work.

The Wire: Watch this show.

With all this TV watching there has been knitting, unfortunately last week's was top-secret gift knitting. I did start a One Skein Wonder, but my head-cold induced dozing prevented quick finishing. Dozing aside, it's all done except the border. I wish I could make everyone one of these. How do you think my dad would like it?

*Pu . . . Crybaby Mama's Boy