Hi all, just thought I'd let you know that I'm off on holiday; I'll be away from the 25 July to August 1st.

Should anyone want to contibute to any shows I edit, I'll deal with the submissions as soon as I get back.

x

It's my tv.com anniversary today. It's hard to believe I've been at this site for 4 years already. It really doesn't seem that long. I was just thinking that this last year has gone by so fast. It seems like it was just last year's anniversary a couple of months ago. I've met so many wonderful people here and made so many friends. I'm glad I'm a part of this site.

Hubby's having surgery on his left foot again on July 13. While the first surgery fixed some things, it didn't fix everything and it created additional problems. He's still in constant pain and can't stay on his feet for any length of time. I guess it's easy for these things to go wrong because he's found that a lot of people have had the same issues after foot surgery that he's having. I really hope this second surgery fixes everything. You just can't do anything when your foot hurts all the time. When you're feet hurt, it's the only thing you can think about.

Work is going well, but I'm so busy there. I'm not complaining because it's better than being bored with nothing to do, but it gets so crazy sometimes. I prefer it to be steady rather than manic. I'm on call this week, but haven't been paged (touch wood). I don't really feel like going out to the plant after hours right now.

I haven't been watching a lot of television lately since just about everything is on hiatus. Torchwood is going to begin airing here on July 20 and I'm looking forward to that.

BBC America also aired the Doctor Who Christmas special on June 27. They'll be airing the rest of the specials instead of SyFy as well. I'm glad. They treat the show a lot better than SyFy did. SyFy cut scenes from every episode to make room for ads. The only time BBCA does that is when they re-air episodes that last an hour or more. They never cut it on the first airing, so we always have at least one chance to see the entire episode.

I'm renting Invasion from Netflix. I didn't see it when it aired and I'm sorry I didn't. It's an excellent show. It's too bad they cancelled it. It turns out that Shaun Cassidy is pretty good at creating stories. At any rate, I have 7 episodes left and I'm looking forward to them. I'm pretty sure it ends with a massive cliff hanger, though.

I've gotten hooked on another show by renting it from Netflix as well. It's called Dexter. Unfortunately, I don't have Showtime so I can't watch this when it airs. The season 3 DVD is going to be released next month, but I won't be able to watch season 4 in September.

It's been dreadfully hot here the last month and we've had only 1 day with any rain. It was only enough rain to wet the surface of the ground as well. The ground is so dry and we can't really water because it just evaporates. The city has even asked people not to water their yards on even number days. The temperature has reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), but it feels like 110 degrees (43 degrees) with the heat index. I'm sure it's going to get worse because August is the hottest month of the year and it's been like this for the entire month of June. The electric bill is going to be huge. There's just no way to tolerate it without air conditioning. I sure hope we don't get another hurricane. The water is so warm, the thing would become massive fairly quickly.

That's it for me. I hope everyone is having a happy and safe 4th of July.

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The G4 cable channel is airing all of the previous Ninja Warrior tournaments this weekend. The episodes will air all day today, Saturday and Sunday. Then on Sunday evening at 5:30 pm ET, "American Ninja Challenge 4" will air. That hour-long special will cover the latest competition among G4's viewers to get a chance to compete in the main Ninja Warrior (Sasuke, in the original Japanese) tournament. Then the channel will premiere the 22nd tournament of Ninja Warrior/Sasuke in the U.S. The tournament will be broken up into five half-hour episodes. A recap episode will follow later that night.

I wrote about Ninja Warrior a few weeks ago. It's a demanding obstacle course that requires a great deal of agility, body control and upper-body bodyweight strength. Many of the 100 contestants are primarily there for entertainment purposes but the top competitors are incredibly fit athletes. In previous tournaments, elite athletes from around the world have competed too, including Olympic medalists from the U.S. in gymnastics and wrestling. Gold-medal gymnast Paul Hamm was among the most well-known of these competitors.

The recent hit, "Wipeout", is largely inspired by Ninja Warrior but it's missing some of the key elements of Ninja Warrior. In Ninja Warrior, if you fall off an obstacle, you are out of the tournament. The live crowd gives the competition a better atmosphere. And there is a growing history and tradition with Ninja Warrior, as well as a worldwide fanbase, including the U.S., the UK and Latin America as well as Japan and East Asia.

For some examples of the toughest obstacles, run an Internet search for "ninja warrior salmon ladder", "ninja warrior body prop", "ninja warrior devil steps" and so on. Or just watch the episodes this weekend.

***

By the way, I ran 5.15 miles on National Running Day a couple weeks ago. I hope everyone else was able to do something to help improve their fitness.

I've been here for 4 years. I have 2 new editorships - Sofia milos (which I had 36 points for so long that I never thought I would get that guide) and Chris Barrie (yay I got Rimmer). Now for something completely different and sad - Dom DeLuise has passed away. I posted a forum entry about it in his forum - RIP. Sorry to be so quick but I don't have much time at the moment cheers

A Blog? Wow... it has been many months since my last one. I actually forgot how to do the tags for my font. How very sad.

It was a tough year last year. I lost my job (nothing I did, they just can't afford me anymore) and haven't been able to get another one. Got sick and had to go through a the whole medical testing thing again and busted my back a couple of times (bulging discs, yay!).

I was hoping that this year would be better but it began with my Grandfather having a fall on New Years Day and going into hospital. He developed pneumonia and passed away at 5am last Thursday. His Funeral is tomorrow. He was 93 years old, so he did well. He was so lonely the last couple of years without my Grandmother and I pray that he is now reunited with her.

Loff and hugs to you all.

Daylight savings finally hit. I love that it is already bright out at 7 am. The downside is that it is dark so much earlier.

I met up with gwactuary in Philadelphia yesterday. We attended a Flyers hockey game and then had dinner. I am happy to report this visit went much smoother than our original meeting for a Phillies game back in April. My car didn't conk out this time and we finally got to the restaurant we had originally planned to dine at last time. It was fabulous! I love the tiny little BYOBs that are scattered throughout the South Philly neighborhoods. I did notice that Broad and Market streets were spotless for a change. I don't get around the city as much anymore but the post Phillies parade clean up had left the city cleaner than usual.

While we were at the game there was still a lot of Phillies baseball frenzy...or should I say, Phrenzy? I am glad for my hometown that there was something positive to focus on. Recently our city was hit with a total of four police officers being killed in the line of duty. With the current election frenzy, watching the news is hardly cheerful. I'm glad we had a brief reprieve and the city was able to celebrate without any further violence.

I appreciated that gwactuary,who is a diehard baseball fan, chose a hockey game for our outing in Philly. It had been a couple years since I had been to a live game and I just loved it. I grew up in a hockey family so if you don't love the sport I think they ex-communicate or ban you from the fold~or something like that.

The Flyers dancing guy is always at the games but we were in for a treat this time. He danced with the Phillies Phanatic! While walking back to the car, I commented to gwactuary that I wondered how many uploads on YouTube there would be? I think he thought I was kidding. Here is the proof that only in Philly are we so proud of a giant, green mascot and an overweight drunk Flyers fan who loves to dance on the arena vision, that we will upload it for the entire world:

Phunky Phillies Phanatic

Overall, the outing was another step forward. I really feel like I am getting my life back to where it was before he-who-must-not-be-named. The ex hated hockey. He hated the city. He hated funny guys dancing with mascots. Now I can look back and say,"you know what? He hated me."

I am finally at peace with that.

... there I was, sitting with the laptop on a Sunday night and working the animal care site... I felt a dull, sort of 'sick' ache in my back, just below the shoulder blades. Overall I felt nauseous and eventually started feeling like a great big guy was pressing both palms with all of his might into my chest.

My son stopped by and I said, "I think I'm having a heart attack". We don't know how to handle things like that in this family. Denial is our first bandaid.

He asked if I wanted to go to the emergency room and I said, "Naah, I'll just go to bed" and that's what I did. Must be gas - right?

The next day was only a little better, but since there was some improvement I continued to shrug it off.

About two weeks later I had a doctor's appointment for a physical that had been set up for, well, TEN years. I had been cancelling it and rescheduling it for - yep - ten years. I kept it this time.

When they did the EKG there was a bit of a pause. Another person came in and did it again. Another pause. Another person (funny, each person that came in was older than the last one) and finally a kind 'older' doctor tells me I had a myocardial infarction, also known as a M I or, heart attack.

My reaction? "I KNEW it!" I was strangely happy to not have been wrong. Then I tended to announce it to everyone I met over the next week or so. Clerks? "I had a heart attack". People I never saw before in my life sitting in the doctor's office? "I had a heart attack".

I've stopped announcing it lately, but that might be just because I ran out of people to announce it to.

I'm getting used to living with it (beats the alternative), but for sure, when I'm working in the yard or something and start to get out of breath, I hear those words "heart attack" in my head. I don't like that. I don't like feeling limited.

The myriad of tests show that I'm the healthiest heart attack victim there can be. Perfect cholesterol, all the other results are great and I'm the most conscientious eater (no red meat in more than a decade), fruit'aholic there is. So why a heart attack? Ehh, it's just giving out. Weak, degenerating muscle. The tests showed a couple other things sort of wasting away too (no, not my mind! Not yet anyway).

My thought is that if they can't fix it, don't talk about it. My next doctor's visit is supposed to be next week. They'll see me in about ten years.

Y'uh, I have every intention of being here. I've got a couple birds who have a good 60 years left to live and they think I'm going to live to be well over 100. Shhhhh.... what they don't know won't hurt me!

So how is everyone? Is it summer where you are yet?

What is ANZAC Day?

ANZAC Day - 25 April - is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day.

Why is this day special to Australians?

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 14 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The plan was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.

Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives of capturing Constantinople and knocking Turkey out of the war, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the "ANZAC legend" became an important part of the national identity of both nations. This shaped the ways they viewed both their past and future.

source: http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.htm

This is a conversation that should not even be taking place.

Am I the only one who sees that? Am I?

Read the thread.

There are just so many things on this site that need time and attention from the staff. Yet, instead, they are spending their time thinking about how to reinstate voluntarily retired editors.

Why?

Is this really necessary? How many editors will it ~actually~ affect? And is there really an editor who is SO busy that they can't check in once a week? I mean, what... is someone going to move to a mud hut in the middle of the desert where there's no internet? Really?

Even if it's necessary, it certainly isn't more important than fixing the bugs that have infested this site for years.

And that alone makes the conversation ridiculous. It should not be taking place.

More editors need to tell the staff this rather than weighing in with a yes or a no, and their ideas of how to make such a low-priority idea work.

That's because I've switched to yet another job, one that keeps me even busier than the last but is a great use of all my skills. I love the fun and the challenges. It's at a casual gaming/virtual world website, and I've been there since November.

... when I kind of wonder why I never followed through on that whole plan to be a translator at the UN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTN3s2iVKKI

People always asked me why I kept a poster of Network in the office.

Just a fun joke to enjoy your week.

Italian Boy's Confession.....


"Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose woman."


The priest asks, "Is that you, little Johnny Parisi?"


"Yes, Father, it is."


"And who was the woman you were with?"


"I can't tell you, Father, I don't want to ruin her reputation."


"Well, Johnny, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later, so you may
as well tell me now. Was it Tina Minetti?"


"I cannot say."


"Was it Teresa Volpe?"


"I'll never tell."


"Was it Nina Capelli?"


"I'm sorry, but I cannot name her."


"Was it Cathy Piriano?"


"My lips are sealed."


"Was it Rosa Di Angelo, then?"

"Please, Father, I cannot tell you."


The priest sighs in frustration. "You're very tight lipped, Johnny Parisi,
and I admire that. But you've sinned and have to atone. You cannot be an
altar boy now for 4months. Now you go and behave yourself."


Johnny walks back to his pew, and his friend Nino slides over and
whispers, "What'd you get?"


"Four months vacation and five good leads

It's funny how it's likely that all my blog posts from now on will not be about TV, but my "real" life. There's TV life and real life for me. TV life consists of me watching stuff, but not really talking about it. Real life is everything else. But I digress...

I recently went to NY and ran into this crazy Italian festival called the Giglio. How is everyone doing? You guys better not be harrassing Danmod. Or Jaxiecracks. I'll get you!

-ribs

check out this dope video of the Giglio feast, including Rocky theme song!

It is with extreme displeasure that I inform you all the the first Midwestrocker blog series, "Reasons Why I Wish I Experienced the 80's and Reasons I'm Glad I Missed the 70's," has been canceled.

The primary reason for this decision is a complete lack of creativity on the part of the series' creator. It turns out that it's difficult to write about two periods of time without actually having experienced them, and even more difficult to have an absolute, definitive opinion on something that you only have vague knowledge of. I don't know how politicians do it.

Another part of the cancelation is the profile view count. It hasn't increased by very much, and it's May Sweeps, people! We have to keep those eyeballs glued!

We will not be showing the remaining episodes.

Now, on to other things. Tomorrow I'm going to Florida for my cousin's sweet-sixteen. It should be a nice trip, but it'll be a rough drive. See, my part of the country is under siege. Georgia hasn't seen this much fire since Sherman. Foggy smoke has been visible on and off throughout the state for two weeks, and the scent of burning leaves and pine cones fills the air. More troublesome, contact lens wearers (including myself) have had to get special prescriptions to deal with the irritation and red eye. But so far I haven't been directly confronted by these fires, until now. Tomorrow I will be driving right through the mess. The portion of 1-75 that's been blocked off for the past couple of days is exactly the portion that I use to get myself to Mickeyland. So I'm not sure how this is going to work; am I going to be rerouted somehow through back roads and swamps, or should I go out to Interstate 95 and go down that way? But wait, if I went to I-95 I'd have to go through the Okefenokee swamp, which is also going up in smoke. Oh, I guess I can go to 1-95 via I-10, which would actually be a nice drive. Wait, that's on fire too? Hmmm. I guess this is an appropriate depiction of the current situation. Also, next month I'll be heading up to Duluth, Minnesota to see family and, apparently, it's on fire too. Great. I'm beginning to feel singled out. Just wish me luck, I guess.

Speaking of cancelations, tomorrow they air the last episode of the Gilmore Girls. We just recently started watching that show, thus proving that my affection is the kiss of death for a TV show. Apparently, Battlestar Galactica's getting canned too. You better watch your back, Heroes, because in the last month I've gotten two shows canceled and I've ensured that Lost has an end date! Alias only survived 8 months of my fandom before it was dumped. And you're about to be my favorite show, so that = doom. But back to the Gabmore Girls: Will Luke and Lorelai end up together? Will Rory ride off into the sunset with a special someone? Surprisingly, I don't really care. It was a funny show, and it's run its course. Goodbye, fast-talking pop-culture referencers. You shall be missed a little bit.

That's all for today. I hope you guys all have a great week and don't bombard my house with eggs because of the cancelation. That is, if you could get to my house without going through an inferno.