And Piglet makes two...

And Piglet makes two...
Originally uploaded by macslost.

"I don't mind the leaves that are leaving. It's the leaves that are coming." One day after Paul passed away, good friend and voice of Piglet has joined him. John Fiedler voiced every animated Piglet adventure from 'Blustery Day' to this year's 'Heffalump Movie'.

T.T.F.N.

T.T.F.N.
Originally uploaded by macslost.

Growing up, everybody loved watching Winnie The Pooh cartoons. If you say you didn't, you're a liar. But I would nevere presume to say that you liked Winnie The Pooh himself. No, the show was all about Tigger. And maybe a little Eeyore. The poster children for Rittalin and Zoloft. Sadly, Paul Winchell, the voice of Tigger has bounced on to his greater rewards. Winchell was also the voice behind Gargamel (the Smurfaholic), Dick Dastardly (with Muttley and his Flying Machine) and Dr. Seuss's Sam-I-Am, all of which earned this man some much-deserved love and respect.

System of a Down Syndrome

I don't pretend to have great taste in music. Not that I'm retarded about it, dancing around to Ashlee Simpson or Dave Matthews or somethng, but I have no ear for music itself and thus try not to criticize that which I do not understand. But you have to draw the line somewhere, stating in a nice clear voice, "This is the worst thing ever. Shut your spit-cave and go back to the dank hole from whence you came, foul beast." I have now added the 2 new singles from System of a Down to this shameful pile. 'B.Y.O.B.' and 'Violent Pronography' sound like some kick-ass white trash songs like something you would get from Andrew W.K. Alas, this is not the case here. With BYOB, the song goes from System's standard speed metal wannabe lyrics to a KISS-FM/Pop 40 chorus that starts with a La-La-La-La-La-La-La-La, ooOooOOooh! and proceeds into the lamest dance-lyric line "Everbody's going to the party have a real good time...". My initial response to this was a simple "Whaaaaa?", but has since spiraled to a dirty feeling and a nervous chuckle. I am genuinely embarrased for them. Then comes the follow-up single, 'Violent Pornography'. It should be good, right? You can't put that title out there and have it suck, right? I mean, that's just a waste of a great song title, right? Sigh. Right. And damn, do they waste it. Not only does the main part of the song basically consist of just repeating the word 'everybody' as quickly as possible, and in the tone to which you would mockingly mimic someone, but here's the chorus:

It's a non-stop disco
Bet you it's Nabisco
Betcha didn't know

It's a non-stop disco
Bet you it's Nabisco
Betcha didn't know

It's a non-stop disco
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know

It's a non-stop disco
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know

And no, I'm not kidding. I can't make this crap up. And to top it off, the lead singer is the ugliest dude ever. For serious.

"Why I Hate Reality TV" by Mac McLean

It all started with 'The Real World'. Alone, it was a mostly harmless show where you would watch real people from various backgrounds doing normal things together. It fed a bizarre vouyeristic need. And maybe it was compelling at the time because some of the people on the show reminded you of people you knew. And MTV's 'Fear' was fantastic. Scaring stupid teens is great entertainment. But that was then. I think the 'Real World' Miami season ended right around the time where reality TV started to expand and the networks realized that by putting really pretty, really stupid and mostly half-crazy people in confined spaces, very "dramatic" things happened. Like an increase in backstabbing and cursing. Oh, and if they were REALLY pretty and stupid, maybe they'd all have sex together before the fighting began. Cheap entertainment. Up to speed? Good. So then came the 'Survivor'/'Fear Factor' type shows, where people had to really overcome some physical hardships and challenges. Again, interesting to begin with, but after a while, the contestants are less in jeopardy of being hurt then by getting the runs from eating an octopus-peanut butter-ketchup milkshake or some such inane food-oriented "challenge". OK, so now let's try "Who Wants to Date an Inbred Supermodel Millionaire Singer/Fashion Designer That Also Knows Lots Of Useless Trivia And Is Really Your Relative In Disguise!!!". I was done last year with this crap and it's become even MORE painful. The only reaction I have to them anymore is a burning desire to punch the "contestants" in the face. Hard. Repeatedly.

There is a point to this. Five years ago, I never watched TV, except for some random MTV (for the rare "video") and Comedy Central. See, there was nothing good or interesting on at the time. Now, I find myself watching billions of TV shows all year long. I couldn't figure out why for the longest time, especially since the only shows on NOW that were even on 5 years ago are ER, Law & Order and West Wing. None of which I currently watch. But I have about 60 shows I watch religiously. Scripted ones, no 'unscripted' crap. Real shows with directors and scripts and actors. How is it possible that there are so many GOOD shows on and so few bad ones? Then it dawned on me. With all of the reality TV on these days, the stupid people that WATCHED the stupid shows are already accounted for, hence, in order to get viewers, the networks have better, smarter line-ups to account for the rest of the viewing public that hates the idiot-fest. So I guess, in the end, as much as I loathe reality TV, I have to thank it for herding the idiots into a nice box for me so I can enjoy my space uninterupted.

THE GREATEST SPAM OF ALL TIME!!!!

OK, I'm done with the superlative subject titles. Anyway, this spam came into my e-mail today. It's like a fine, fine poem.


Hello, do Oh! You are insufferable! She tore her hand free and backedyou want to spend Iess on your drrugs?

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Vlshould remember that His Catholic Majesty and the King of EnglandAGRA risk lay in discovery by those of their companions who were to beVALlUM ClALlretrieved the fortunes of the day. But it happened that theS LEBut if you are not a rebel, how come you here?VlTRA and many other.

With each purchase you getAnd Bishop, the great bulk of him huddled in the stem sheets, sat:
Greatto liberty, the parties to whom they were assigned entering into Prices

Tme to pick a quarrel with you so that I might have the satisfactionop quaIity

Home dthe fine sensitiveness of those nostrils, the tenderness of thoseeIivery

Total cobserve that I but report his own words. I say nothing for myself.onfidentiaIity

Try us and you will not be disapphonour to give you welcome aboard the Arabella. My name is Bloodointed!

THE GREATEST SUPERHERO MOVIE OF ALL TIME!!!

0:04:49
Originally uploaded by macslost.

Christian Bale IS The Batman. He did for Batman what Christopher Reeve did for Superman. Where Reeves created a genuine American Hero to stand for justice, Bale's Batman is something to FEAR. Nolan does a great job in taking the audience to the OTHER side of The Bat, showing us why the bat was chosen and how it affects the criminals of the city. Without spoiling anything, it also does a great job setting up his equipment and cave, which answers the question "Where DOES he get those wonderful toys?". Or as Dinah likes to point out, as Bruce Wayne orders a set of batarangs, "So what are these for Mr. Wayne?" "Uh, Nothing!". Go see this opening day. My muscles are still sore from gripping my armrests.

THE GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!

THE GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!
Originally uploaded by macslost.

All of the critics agree!!! CINDERELLA MAN is the best movie of the year! The greatest film of all time! CINDERELLA MAN will make you rise up and cheer! CINDERELLA MAN will make you proud to be an American! It will pay your mortgage! It will give you a "happy ending" AND make you breakfast! It cures cancer! My God, this film will make the crippled WALK and the blind SEE!!! RUSSELL CROWE IS A GIFT FROM GOD'S LOINS!!!!! WE"RE NOT WORTHY!! WE"RE NOT WORTHY!!!!! Seriously. Russell Crowe is a dick. I might watch this on DVD later. Maybe I'll have a double feature with Million Dollar Baby. And everyone can come over and we can all rub each other down in a love fest in front of the two greatest films ever made. EVER. In similar news, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants got the same rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm just saying.

I Love TV

I Love TV
Originally uploaded by macslost.

After having spent almost 3 straight days clearing out my TiVo, I was rather pleased. We watch a LOT of TV. Alias, Lost, Smallville, CSI, CSI Miami, Desperate Housewives, Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, 24, blah, blah, blah the list goes on. Anyway, as seasons drag on, most start to lose their focus about 1/2 way through and then it's all about keeping up in CASE something happens, not to necessarily expecting anything to (Veronica Mars aside, as no episode ever disappointed). ANYWAY, the last hour of LOST, 5 seconds of Alias, 30 minutes of Housewives, 2 hours of Smallville, and hour of Gilmore Girls all made up for 10 episodes of meandering and now I have to WAIT another 3-4 months to watch them again! Luckily, TV has finally caught on to the fact that "summer" means that young people have MORE time for TV and adults still have to work and still need good crap to watch. So begins the summer! Woot! Here's a handy guide!

The Comback (HBO, 6/5), Entourage (HBO, 6/5), The 4,400 (USA, 6/5), Six Feet Under (HBO, 6/6), The Inside (Fox, 6/8), The Dead Zone (USA, 6/12), Reno 911! (Comedy Central, 6/14), 30 Days (FX, 6/15), Rescue Me (FX, 6/21), Empire (ABC, 6/28), Big Brother (CBS, 7/7), Monk (USA, 7/8), Battlestar Galactica (SciFi, 7/15), Over There (FX, 7/22), Wanted (TNT, 7/31), The Cell (Showtime, August), Nip/Tuck (FX, September)

To Sleep Or Not To Sleep

To Sleep Or Not To Sleep
Originally uploaded by macslost.

After a whirlwind (and completely wicked-awesome) wedding, followed by a mad-cap romp through Prague, Vienna, Salzburg and Munich, my body has NO idea what time it is. I suffer from immediate narcolepsy at 8:34 p.m., followed by instant insomnia at 1:34 a.m. And there ain't nothin' caffeine, sleeping pills, NoDoz or Melatonin can do about it. The nice thing is that there was all sorts of time to clear out the TiVo. Oh, and pictures from the above adventures to follow, once they get pulled from other places and stuff.