Those is fightin' words

The debate over the new Knight Rider series rages. An article in Popular Mechanics breaks down the new KITT and compares it to the old one. The best part is all the comments at the bottom of the article.  In my opinion, I think it is stupid.  It all goes back to the fact that our entertainment industry falls apart without good writers.  They deserve to be fairly compensated for their creativity and hard work.  Without writers, we get horrible re-makes of 70s and 80s shows, more reality TV, more game shows... barf.  No wonder TV shows on DVD are doing such good business.

First of all, NBC shouldn't be doing this re-make.  They are too commercial, they are too corporate.  Shows like this have a solid, cult following and their fans don't want to see something from their past violated and transformed (pun intended) into a crappy corporate pawn, used for advertisement and promotion of a new model of car.  Shouldn't it be a fun and entertaining show, not a season's worth of commercials for one car company?  How much did Ford pay for that product placement?  And seriously, a Mustang?  I mean it looks nice and all, but it isn't the same.  It doesn't look like KITT.  The Trans Am was solid, imposing, but still accessible by the common man, unlike the Batmobile or this glossy POS.  You can't replace KITT, so why have just have a newer, updated version of him?  Shiny, maybe some nicer wheels, some extra gadgets, but still the same KITT.  That is what people want. Refresh and renew the old, good memories, but don't change them or exploit them for your own gain.

NBC just doesn't get that.  They start drooling when they see dollar signs...

In a similar article, Moviefone.com ranked the Worst Movie Remakes of All Time.

Nooni and Nooni

So as I was walking around IKEA the other day, looking for a couple items for the house, I couldn't stop thinking of the Swedish neighbors SNL skit. I remember that at the time I thought it was ridiculous and stupid and didn't get it. But within a week I was dying to see it again because it was so funny. So after many searches on the web, I finally found it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The BCS Computer's Feelings are Hurt...

So, as the BCS debate rages on, using this upset-filled season as Exhibit A, more and more people are calling for the playoff system to be implemented ('December Delirium' as some have put it). There are people on all sides of the ball upset about how the bowls are being divided up and how the rankings came out at the end of the season, but is the bracket-based playoff really the answer? Well, if you wanna see what a playoff scheme might look like, check out the College Football Playoff Simulator on ESPN. It is awesome. See how the probabilities stack up, the simulated stats and occasional upsets lead to what would be a very exciting postseason. It didn't take very long for me to generate a Virginia Tech national championship (pictured). The computer knows what is up. But this does raise some questions and concerns...

How many games are you going to ask these teams to play? Are you going to cut out some of the out-of-conference games during the season and back up the conference championships (well, that is if the conference has a championship instead of letting their top team take the last three weeks of the season off)? So what does that do to the chances of the "little guy?" If the season is going to be primarily conference games, then a championship, then seeding and bracket play (potentially 4 more games??) then were do the smaller programs get a chance to show they deserve some recognition on the national stage? Is this just about making the big names bigger and the small ones smaller? Would it become a 16-game season? Possibly more? Would it take away coverage and hype from the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl?

And what about these players? We all question if they are still studying with all that practice and traveling. But if you add another three or four weeks of football onto the season, should they just take the fall semester off academically? I mean how do you expect them to be able to do that and still study? Or do they just get to float by and pass the classes, "for the greater good?"

Can I Get a Witness?

Wow... I had no idea Bill Maher actually felt like this. This video alone almost makes me want to like him. I was with him, wanting to yell out "Preach it, brother!" for the first five and a half minutes. After that it gets more political and he starts dropping the F bomb left and right. But still....



The only sad thing is that there is so much truth to what he is saying that the audience was almost silent during the pauses. The men should have been standing up and giving him an ovation, but instead they respectfully applauded at the properly timed moments. Were they there with a girlfriend or wife and only clapped and laughed when she did, to avoid a tongue lashing at home or passive-aggressive manipulative silent tension around the house. This is an issue that I have been talking about for a long time now it seems, but no one seems to agree with me. They just nod and smile and either think I am some chauvinist pig or I am going to die alone and single in a monastery. I see it especially in commercials and TV shows. The characters are so stereotypical, it is really offensive to me.... but everyone else sees it as normal or just listen and humor my tirades...

That fear of agreement and the ensuing retaliation is so prevalent that I hesitate to even post this on my blog. I know there aren't too many people reading it regularly, but still, why have I been trained to be afraid of agreeing with something like this, which I believe is true? I feel like I am going to be flooded with hate mail and death threats or permanently shunned by the female gender (I know all about your secret gossip networks and listservs) Why are we trying to make men more like women? Aren't our differences the most attractive part? Why has the widely accepted "truth" of "if momma aint happy, aint nobody happy" been applied to all walks of life and all situations? Such that men in our society have to walk around on eggshells to make sure they don't offend a female nearby.

Anyways. I don't usually like Bill Maher and I know he has said a lot of dumb and offensive things over the years. But it is refreshing to hear someone tell this side of the story and uncover the reality sitting right before our eyes. Feminism may have done some great things for the furtherance of females in society and the workplace, but I think it has also had a very negative affect on men, culture, and our society as a whole.

Best Endorsement of All Time

I guess that's how it's gonna be. Seems like my vote is already decided.