Arune.Com Will Return SOON

Folks, Arune.Com will return to regular programming soon– stay tuned for regular weekly updates. There’s a lot to write about, but for now, a few thoughts:

• How great is the Legacy storyline on WWE Monday Night Raw?
• College football is actually really fun to watch and I generally enjoy it more than NFL games.
• The newest Scott Pilgrim graphic novel is out in stores– get it NOW!
• I really haven’t much enjoyed Battlestar Galactica since the end of the New Caprica storyline.
• Meanwhile, 24 is firing on all cylinders
• Went on a few Hockey Trips– I shall update everyone on these soon, including my trip to this year’s Winter Classic in Chicago.
• I’m really excited for both G.I Joe: Rise Of Cobra and the new Star Trek films.

Random Thoughts In The Washroom

No, this isn’t going to be some discussion about bowel movements or natural, yet somewhat smelly, bodily functions performed in washrooms. Yes, washrooms. I refuse to call a public washroom a “restroom”– because I’m not resting there– and/or a “bathroom”– because I’m not having a bath there. But I am washing my hands. Anyway, I seem to do some of my best thinking when I am showering in my own washroom or sitting in my own washroom. Here are a few random things that were on my mind in the washroom this week :

• When are they going to do something cool with Star Trek? Noted cool dude Kurt Ingram and I were talking about ‘Trek because I’ve showed him the awesomeness that is Battlestar Galactica, prompting discussion about why Trek can’t make a kickass comeback. I know there’s a new prequel film in the works, but that doesn’t excite me– there’s nothing that feels “new” about going back to that time. Now I know that Trek is about the bright shiny future, celebrating the greatness of humanity, but it also seems like that rosy future just doesn’t feel very “real” to me anymore. Any of you have ideas for updating the franchise?
• For some reason I started thinking about a somewhat humorous experience from my time in Minnesota. I used to work in the Mall of America and was walking with a co-worker to a little convenience store in the mall, so we could get some gum and soda. Her husband was Hispanic and she was pregnant, but he didn’t work there, so when we ran in to some of her friends, I learned that all brown people do look alike. They congratulated both of us on the baby and while my friend looked at me with a funny expression on her face, I told these strangers, with a straight face, “Thanks, I’m really proud of my work and it was fun getting there.” So my friend proceeded to slap me and explain I wasn’t the father of her child, to which I exclaimed, “What, so who is?” which made her friends seem quite uncomfortable…and I got slapped again. I’m not sure why I was thinking about this particular moment, but it put a smile on my face to know that every so often I can be funny.
• My Super Sweet 16 is one scary show. I enjoy most of MTV’s “reality” programming in some bizarre guilty pleasure way, not enough to ever make an effort to watch an episode, but enough that I can enjoy watching an episode or two. But wow, My Super Sweet 16 just takes everything bad about the growing avarice in my generation and amps it up to make it seem…cool? I’ve never seen such shallow people parading around and acting like brats. Now I know that this is edited by MTV and I don’t know these people, but the sheer lack of awareness of the world and how it works just scares me– do these girls realize the cost of these parties and how bratty they’re being? I can’t watch a full episode of this show again. It just makes me angry.
• How do I describe my surgery to people in the most effective way? I basically had my chest cut open and my sternum sawed in two, but I wanted a more dramatic way to phrase it, so I figured that saying, “my chest was opened up like two french doors” would be the optimum description.
• It seems odd how much I love Heroes right now and don’t really enjoy the new season of 24 in the slightest. I never thought I’d enjoy Heroes this much after what I thought was a rough start, but the show is just firing on all cylinders.

Arune.Com’s Weekly YouTube Fix

Sure, this season of 24 seems universally greeted with shrugs and sighs (though some obviously love it and more power to ‘em), but we can’t forget the show’s rich history. Watch Kiefer Sutherland explain the infamous “Damn It!” drinking game to Jay Leno and then see lots of clips of the aforementioned phrase being uttered. I wonder if there could be a “YouTube Damn It Video” drinking game, where you take shots during this video.

Next we’ve got some wrestling from the underrated Paul Burchill, who performs the insanely awesome “c4″ move. You’ll see it at the end and while the trick isn’t hard to figure out, it still looks cool.

Finally, we’ll end with an expletive filled video featuring Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and television actor Dennis Hastings (aka Mr Belding from Saved By The Bell) singing a classic Journey song.

Random + Television + Thoughts

There are a lot of little television tidbits I wanted to write more about, but I lack the time and energy to do that right now, so I’m going to touch upon them all here with the hope I can expand on these thoughts later this week. I doubt it’ll happen, but we’ll see how things turn out– after all, I never thought Arune.Com would be this busy one year later and we’re on pace to top last January’s numbers, with even better content than a year ago.

• Heroes returns this week, after finally airing an episode I liked and piquing my interest. I’ll say one thing for this show– it’s true to what it is, doesn’t have any delusions of grandeur and delivers real payoff. I do think that the pace hinders the shows in ways that affect my enjoyment, but considering the stellar reception by the rest of the world, I’m in the minority. I’m not sure I’ll watch this Monday, as I’m already recording two other shows, but I look forward to watching it on Sci-Fi later in the week. Fans need to check out CBR’s exclusive Heroes videos spotlighting this week’s episode and some specific cast members. CBR also offers weekly Q&A with the show’s writers, so make sure to check the site every Monday for more updates.
• WWE Monday Night Raw threatens to become less and less important to me, as each week’s show becomes more boring. Friday Night Smackdown is a brilliantly done wrestling show and with some minor exceptions, is the perfect wrestling program for me. TNA Impact!, airing on Wednesday this week, needs to promote the high flying X-Division if it wants to stay in the game. Right now it’s looking like a second rate show and not a real competitor.
• 24 has another new episode this week, hopefully without the “Stupid Person Plot Device.” What is that you ask? The father in last week’s premiere felt over the top stupid, when he knew what he was doing and still helped the terrorists. I understand the big impact of the final moments, but it would have mattered more to me if the character who put it into motion wasn’t acting so stupid. Same with the death of a major character– he seemed wildly out of character and his death had no meaning to me. I’m still loving the show, but I hope the silliness ends sooner than later. Jack’s “Count Jackula” moment was still pretty cool.
• Goodbye Smallville. I can’t begin to list all the reasons I dislike this show and I’ve watched it primarily because I’m a Superman fan…but since this Clark Kent is a petty, hypocritical jackass, there’s not much Superman for me to watch anymore on television. Still, one can’t ignore how much this show helped keep Superman in the spotlight over the last six years and for that reason I’m glad it came around. It also still features what I consider one of the best pilots I’ve ever seen and had some pretty good moments along the way, but I’m done with it now.
• For the Canadians, how much do Corner Gas DVD sets cost up North? The prices on websites seem ludicrious, so I’m hoping that Future Shop/Best Buy might have some deal on them that I’m not aware of right now. It sounds like a hilarious show and I’d love to check it out.
• With the cancellation of Passions and likely Days Of Our Lives cancellation in 2009, one has to wonder if the daytime soap opera is long for this world and if the powers that be will do anything to draw in new viewers– or even retain the ones they’re driving away. That’s a whole blog entry for another time, though I’d be surprised if we see daytime soaps on our television in 10 years.
• Studio 60 may be cancelled, which doesn’t come as a huge surprise to me, since the show hasn’t been able to find an audience. It’s a shame that television shows aren’t given more time to grow an audience and I’m hoping Studio 60 survives.
• If you’ve forgotten, Battlestar Galactica is back tonight.

Huh?

Every so often, certain new stories make you sit back and think “huh?” or some string of lovely expletives. These are the stories prompting that reaction from me:

• Muslims Protest 24: which makes me wonder how many of them have watched the show in its entirety. Yes, this season it seems almost every Muslim featured for more than a few minutes is evil, but look further: CTU has a Muslim working for them; a Muslim terrorist is apparently seeking redemption; and we’ve seen a Muslim falsely imprisoned. Frankly, this show usually has European villains or psycho Americans, so it’s hardly an anti-Muslim show. This part of the article surprised me:
  

  “The overwhelming impression you get is fear and hatred for Muslims,” said Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. She said Thursday she was distressed by this season’s premiere. “After watching that show, I was afraid to go to the grocery store because I wasn’t sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality.”

  Seriously, if people are that stupid, I doubt it’ll take 24 to turn them to the dark side– they’re probably already there. Last season the President was the villain– did Americans stand up and riot? In the third season, we had a British villain– did the British protest? Muslims have been the major villain in two seasons– this season and Season 4, but in neither case have Muslims been specifically singled out by the show. The show indicts Middle Eastern extremists, who usually have American comrades-in-arms and are not discriminated against for their belief systems. They’re hunted like animals because they’re scummy terrorists, not because they’re Muslim, and it’s a distinction that any viewer with half a brain can make. I understand the initial emotional reaction that worries about racism, but in a show with two black presidents, high ranking minority officers of the law (Tony, Michelle, Curtis) and one that has gone to lengths this season to differentiate between Muslims and terrorists, it’s just not a valid concern at this point.

• ‘12-year-old’ is 29-year-old sex offender: …uh, yeah, that’s just messed up. If this freak did attend any of those schools. I’d like to know which idiots bought his story, unless he’s 5′4″ and weights 100lbs wet. It’s sick, twisted and I don’t know if I should laugh or cry and this:
  

  Stiffler and Robert James Snow, 43, “were very upset when the detectives told them they had been having a sexual relationship with a 29-year-old man and not a pre-teen boy,” Quayle said.

  It’s sick and deranged, but it’s the kind of thing that makes you laugh at the insanity of these people. I’ve had the “pleasure” of arresting people like this before and when you meet them, you just wonder what the hell got messed up inside of them. They think their obsessions are so normal and it’s scary how much they can twist reality to suit their perversions.

• Study finds simple stress relief: I know we all react to stress differently, and that I’m not perfect, but do we really need to spend an hour a day learning how to deal with stress from someone not in our work environment? I do believe there are common elements to all stressful situations, so there can be broad advice to share, but it seems silly to offer some uniform advice to everyone. I’d argue we need a widescale shift in how society views work and family in order to affect real change– if you have people working 16 hour work days, how are they supposed to sleep well? And with Blackberrys strapped to their waists 24/7, the spectre of work looms large and constant, affecting one’s life in all areas. But since we’re constantly promoting unhealthy levels of work, combined with unhealthy eating habits and unbalanced lifestyles, why should we expect one hour of stress relief a day to do much? It’s like putting band-aid on an eviscerated abdomen– it ain’t gonna do much. I’m sure this is the point where I’m supposed to have some grand solution, but I really don’t know how things can change, just that there is a need for change.

Another Dose Of 24 Tonight

So last night we learned that Jack can kill you with his teeth (Vampire Jack?), “Dr Bashir” is a badass and the President has all the charisma of a brick wall. We even saw Jack use the bathroom for once. Jokes aside, it was an excellent two hours and I expect tonight to be equally amazing. Check your local listings to see when the next two hours of 24 air on FOX tonight in your area.

Can Jack Bauer Handle Alcohol?

Maybe not, according to his hilarious story about the 24 action figures:

KIEFER SUTHERLAND only has himself to blame for the delay of his 24 action figure - he set fire to the prototype during a drunken night out.

The action man’s new figure has been developed by McFarlane Toys and will hit stores later this year (07), but the mini-JACK BAUER should have hit shelves much earlier.

Sutherland explains, “They tried to come out with one a couple of years ago and they had sent me the doll for my approval… We took the doll out for a night to have some fun and we’d had some drinks. We sat it on the corner of the table.

“We started torturing him around 11 o’clock at night, and, by two o’clock in the morning, we had set him on fire in the parking lot. We got up the next day and there was just this puddle of wax. His clothes didn’t burn, which I thought was pretty cool… and then I got a call the next day saying, ‘Did you like the doll?’ I said, ‘Yeah, it was great.’ And they said, ‘Well, OK, good, you gotta send it back to us because that was the prototype… It took that guy a year to make it.’

“I said, ‘Well, let me look for it, I think I left it in the trailer.’ This went on for about a week and then I had to just kinda come clean.”

Tonight, 24 Returns

Yup, if you haven’t noticed, tonight Jack Bauer returns in 24’s season premiere, which is not only two hours long but is also followed by two more hours on Monday. Check your local listings for time and channel (FOX, of course). If you’ve never watched the show, now is the perfect time to jump onboard and learn why this show’s ratings jump up every year.

Also, for those 24 fans visiting Arune.Com for the first time, check out these popular Bauer-powered blog entries from the last year:

• How To Be Jack Bauer
• Jack Bauer & Superman: Can One Man Admire Both Of Them?
• Yes, 24 Does Have Some Issues…

24 Returns This Weekend

In case you’re not aware, the new season of 24 arrives this Sunday, with a two hour premiere, followed by another two hours on Monday. Never seen the show before? You’ll be able to jump right in without a problem. Most people I know were introduced to the show that way and though I watched the first season, I didn’t come back till season four, at which point I just caught myself up by watching the show and paying attention. Join the legion of Jack Bauer fans. Yes, Kurt, I mean you too.

For those intimidated by the idea of having to play catch up and watch all the previous seasons, CNN has a great article about someone who did just that with ease. After all, if you’re not watching 24 by now, what’s your excuse?* It’s the most fun, action packed show on television and easily more satisfying than any typical action film.

*Besides personal preferences, independent thought, and all those others things that I don’t like to mention in my 24 sales pitch.

Random + News + Weekend

This will be a short collection of stories, as there’s not much out there I felt like commenting on, but I tried to go for some diversity today. As a reminder, on January 14th, 24 returns with a two hour season premiere, followed by the second two hours on January 15th. If you’ve never watched the show previously, you shouldn’t have a problem jumping right in and finding out why this just may be the most fun program on television. Also, while I planned to do some more New Year’s resolutions, turns out I don’t have any more of value and so for now, we’ll stick with the four I’ve previously mentioned.

• Speaking of 24, Stephen King has written a spoiler free review of Season 6’s first four episodes. It sounds quite promising and a bit more anchored to reality, though I still expect Jack to navigate the streets of LA in record time, never requiring food or use of the toilet.
• Rowdy Roddy Piper talks about battling back from cancer and his career with the WWF/WWE. The man is one of the best wrestlers of all time and while it’s sad he can’t be active now, he is fighting back admirably and seems like a class act. In this era of multiple title reigns, it’s surprising to learn how little gold he actually held as a wrestler.
• Who is the ‘08 candidate for Republicans? Time has an interesting article about this subject and as they say, I’m not sure who is best suited to run for the presidency. I’d argue that the Democrats have an equally large, if not larger, problem with choosing someone for ‘08, and it should make for an interesting election.
• Time Magazine’s top Ten Comix of 2006 list is out and it’s a bit “artsy,” as always, but it’s not a bad list. If nothing else, this list will remind people that comic books are a legitimately diverse medium and not restricted to just superheroes. I’ve only read a few books on the list, but none of them would have been in my top ten list of the year except for Sandman, and even then, I would have liked to included no reprints if possible. There was a lot of exceptionally strong new work, some of which this list highlights, but it seems criminal to not include All Star Superman, possibly the finest superhero comic book in years.