The bitch is back.

Remember the last paragraph if this entry? It seems that this speculation was indeed correct, and Cutthroat Bitch -- or, as Wilson likes to call his new girlfriend, "Amber" -- is back.

Great post Super Bowl ep of House last night, and how nice to see the lovely and talented Anne Dudek back as Cutth....Amber. Looks like she, House and Wilson will have a nice emphasis in the next episode, which thankfully, is only two days away.

Super Bowl LXII Ad Blog: Fourth Quarter

Sunsilk (celebrity hair): decent commercial, but not for the Super Bowl. B+ ad; D- on media buy.

Coke: Thirsty parade floats of Underdog and Stewie battling it out for a coke. That Charlie Brown finally gets. (and no Lucy to pull it away at the last minute, or break the bottle and stab him to death with the shards). Awwww, the little dude wins something after all. Nice. A-

Coke: Carville and Frist bond over a jinx and a Coke. Not bad. B-

Toyota Sequoia. I’m not even sure what the hell that was about. F

Movie (Don’t Mess With the Zohan): I’m sure it will make $100 million. But not from my wallet. D

You know, if I wasn’t already watching the Sarah Connor show, I might check it out based on the commercials. They’re kicking ass. A

ETrade. Fucking talking baby again. Nightmare fuel, in so many ways. F

Taco Bell: Fiesta Platters. Ola. Suddenly, I’m hungry. Again, worth $2.7 mil? Probably not. Will I order a Fiesta Platter? Probably. B-

Gatorade: Thirsty dog. Man’s best friend. Meh. C-

Bud Light (Will Ferrell’s new ABA movie ): “Refreshes the palate. And the loins. Suck one.” B+

Hyundai Genesis: Not flashy, in a commercial sense. But I think they’re getting their point across. B

Victoria’s Secret: Tom Brady just threw a pass to put the Pats ahead. And will probably have all these chicks by the time he leaves the locker room. B-

Amp: Dude jump starts a lady’s car via nipple clamps, an energy drink and “Push It.” When I think of nipple clamps, this is not what I want in my head. Premise makes sense, but makes me queasy. And not in the mood for an energy drink. C-

All in all, not a stellar lineup of commercials tonight. Bridgestone rocked, salesgenie.com sucked cock and many, many companies wasted their money. And Clydesdales and Dalmatians are always cute. Oh, and the New York Football Giants won! I don't think Tom Brady will be getting those models after all. And this probably means we'll be doubling our quota of Manning commercials on Sundays next fall.

Hey, there's a new House on!

Super Bowl LXII Ad Blog: Third Quarter

Cars.com: Plan B was having a witch doctor shrink the head of an unhelpful sales guy. This is such a terrible campaign. And I can’t believe Hodgins from Bones was slumming in this one! D

Salesgenie.com: psychic pandas, and another offensive stereotype. Where’s an animated Mickey Rooney from Breakfast at Tiffany’s? F

Vitamin Water: Shaq as a jockey. Decent CGI. I laughed at the play by play guy’s “he’s coming up like an angry Viking.” Did the water help the horse? Meh. C-

Bud Light (cavemen): You can usually count on Bud Light commercials to bring the funny, but the batting average isn’t great this year. This one was okay (“Bottle opener sucks!”). B-

Ice Breakers: Carmen Electra is impressed by gum. D-

Bridgestone tires (deer in headlights): Bridgestone is rocking this year. You think you’re in another, run of the mill “avoid the deer” car commercial, when all of a sudden Alice Cooper – and his snake – pop up. Then Richard Simmons, followed by a gunning of the engine. Great. Demonstrate the product benefits, surprise me, make me laugh. A+

CareerBuilder (wish on a star). Not bad, but a big let down from the beating heart leaping out of the chest. C+

Hyundai Genesis: Hyundai is entering the luxury market. We all laughed when the Japanese car makers did it. Wonder if the Koreans can pull it off? Salesgenie should follow this up with animated Koreans complaining in thick accents about getting not getting enough leads, while they’re dining on a Budweiser Dalmatian. The car doesn’t look too bad. Simple, straightforward approach. B

Movie (Wall-E): Pixar can do no wrong. A

Movie (Jumper): The flick will probably be terrible, but for some reason, the trailers and the premise really intrigue me. B

E-Trade: Oh fuck, talking baby. Makes me want to put on a condom. And I’m alone. F

Bud Light (Fly): I’m not sure what to make of these “ability no longer included” ads. Kinda amusing. B-

NFL.com (NFL Stories): I play the oboe. A tale well told. Cute, heartwarming. (I heard the “uncut version” featured a story about beating David Carr within an inch of his life with the oboe). A-

Super Bowl LXII Ad Blog: Second Quarter

Movie (Wanted): Badass gunplay, based on a videogame. Bonus points for having Angelina Jolie back in Mr. and Mrs. Smith mode. Could be dumb fun, but probably a stinker to watch on Cinemax after a bottle of cheap whiskey. C+

G2 Gatorade: A baseball field follows Derek Jeter around while he drinks the beverage. Product tie is not bad. Of course there’s a Peyton Manning cameo at the end. Not bad. B+

Go Daddy: Attempting to drive you to their website for “Exposure,” a supposedly racy Danica Patrick commercial. She takes herself waaay too seriously to be worth an extra mouse click. Good thing they sell cheap domain names. D

Dell (Red): guy gets congratulated and mobbed for buying a laptop with the “Red Campaign” benefits for saving lives. Mick Jagger sings in the background. You wanna save lives? How about giving the $2.7 million that lame commercial to starving folks in Africa. That could buy a lot of beef jerky and Snapple. D

FedEx (carrier pigeons): guy solves shipping problems with trained carrier pigeons. Not just regular size, but also dinosaur size mutant pigeons. With robot looking helmets. Very funny scenes of the chaos they cause on the streets below. I laughed out loud as the pecked on cars. A

Cars.com: Fighting Gondor in the circle of death. Mildly amusing, but will never, ever relate that to cars.com again. C-

Tide to Go (talking stain): Communicates the product benefits beautifully, shows the product clearly at the end and makes you laugh. I rewound just to hear the babbling stain. A

Budweiser (Horse and Dalmatian) Undersized Clydesdale trains with dog to make the beer truck team, all set to Rocky music. These are always adorable and touching. Both animals are established icons for the brand, and this one (as usual) made me smile. A

Move (Iron Man): Every teaser and shot I’ve seen from this looked fantastic. One of my most eagerly anticipated movies of 2008. Robert Downey Jr. should make a spot on Tony Stark. Was it just me, or did that last scene, where old shell-head takes down a tank, look fake like a video game? Not a fan of the music, either (Sabbath’s “Iron Man” from the teaser was perfect). Some good, some bad. I was underwhelmed compared to expectations. Still, they’ll have my $10. B-

Toyota (quiet cabin and sleeping badgers): Tied to product, and funny. What can I say, badgers are amusing. B+

Movie (Leatherheads): Not much too it, but looks like a good cast and fun flick. B+

Garmin: LOVE the product, but not too sure about Napoleon here. What the fuck does a French dictator and his tiny pony have to do with a GPS system? D

CareerBuilder (follow your heart): Loved the payoff, and the chest-bursting was the right amount of shocking, gross and funny. A-

Lifewater: A chick and lizards doing “Thriller.” D

Out of work drug dealer: Surely you can find better ways to spend almost $3 million on fighting drugs. Maybe on subsidies for the alcohol industry so people will drink instead. Because Clydesdales and Dalmatians are cute. D-

GMC Yukon Hybrid. Very stark and fascinating graphic approach to the execution, with a figure pushing a huge boulder up a hill. However, it has nothing to do with an SUV. That would have been great for an investment firm. Or a marriage counselor. Graphics: A. Effectiveness: F

Bud Light (Mencia and English pick up lessons): slight tie to previous commercials. Not that funny. Well, maybe the guy with the chicken. C-

Movie (Narnia / Prince Caspian): I’m not down with the C.S. Lewis message. Whatevs. C-

Planters: Head turning unibrow gal, because she dabs with cashews. D

TMobile: DWade finally gets into Barkley’s Fave Five. Ongoing campaign, and this was the funniest of the bunch. B+

Pepsi: Justin Timberlake gets carried across down in cartoonishly violent way. Each sip “gets you closer to Justin.” Message connected to offering, and smug popstar abuse is always appreciated. B+

Doritos (mousetrap): Much better than some lame song I’ve never heard. Bonus for antagonistic, vengeful guy in felt mouse costume. B

Halftime: I like Tom Petty as much as the next guy, but I can’t see anything topping Prince’s fantastic turn last year.

Super Bowl LXII Ad Blog: First Quarter

Bud Light (Firebreathing): I’ve liked some of the “ability not contained in Bud Light” commercials before. This one didn’t do anything for me. C-

Audi R8: Great take on the classic scene from The Godfather. The brand message and the original scene aren’t a 100% match (to owners of other luxury cars need to be intimidated into giving Audi a “fair chance,” a la Johnny Fontaine?), but it’s funny enough to let that slide. Plus, the car looks badass. A-

Diet Pepsi Max (Nodding Off): Featuring Haddaway’s tune from the SNL “Butabi Brothers” skits, shows people nodding off from lack of energy, which the soft drink fixes with a pick me up. Eh. Only truly amusing moment is a cameo from Chris Kattan at the end. You know you don’t have a winner when a Chris Kattan appearance is the high point. C

SalesGenie.com (Acme cartoon): stylized cartoon, with a sales rep that sounds like Apu. Awful. D-

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Nothing we haven’t seen before, but this one is focused on scenes with Summer Glau’s terminator kicking ass and spouting deadpan lines. Love it. A

Bug Light (wine and cheese party): Similar to one from days gone by with men having Bud Light in hidden sections of the women’s clothing department of a store, except the beer is hidden in cheese and baguettes. C+

Under Armour: People training in a stylized urban environment. “The future is now!” I get what they’re trying to say – “hey, you fucks in Beaverton, we’ve arrived!” – but it left me flat. Solid strategy, boring execution. Not a good way to spend a ton of dough. Pay a college team to get a uniform endorsement. C

Bridgestone (Squirrel in road): Demonstrates product features, features always popular cute animals. Looks of terror and shrieks of horror from the woodland creatures was cute and well edited. A

Doritos: some online contest featuring voting for unknown artists. Snack chips and songs you’ve never heard before. Good time for a bathroom break. D

Unhitched: A new FOX comedy that looks awful just like every other sitcom they’ve attempted besides Arrested Development. When that didn’t garner ratings (just universal critical acclaim and Emmys), it seems they’ve gone out of their way to make every other offering as insipid as possible. Mission accomplished. F

"Let's all have sex."

That was Owen's response to the imminent destruction of London, on last night's Torchwood episode, "Sleeper." Can't say that I blame him, though I wonder if that's a bit of residual influence from last week's Captain John visit.

Overall, the episode was entertaining, and continued last week's trend of taking an "action" premise, and psychologically disturbing story (the poor sleeper agent! Didn't know what was happening to her, or how she would eventually wind up treating her boyfriend) and suffusing it with a fair amount of wit and playfulness. It's only two episodes thus far in S2, but the producers seem to be hewing more closely to the Whedon model this year, challenging the writers and actors to skillfully balance sci-fi adventure, character development, pathos and devilish humor all in one hour. It all makes for an entertaining romp, and I'm in definitely warming to the rest of the team (besides Jack and Gwen, who I already liked) who are showing more shades and more off the cuff funny.

I also like that Torchwood's more adult bent and the English sensibilities treat sexual orientation and interracial relationships like a mundane point of fact, rather than the "dun-dun-DUN" hammer frequently present on US TV.

Screw Hannah Montana in 3-D, I'm buying advance tickets for this

All week long, many of the entertainment journos have been marveling about the tracking numbers for a limited release Hannah Montana in 3-D movie hitting selected theatres this weekend. It seems parents who couldn't swiftly obtain a second mortgage to scalp tickets for her sold out concert shows (or come up with a fake, heart-tugging story about a dead dad in Iraq) can take their overcaffeinated tweens to a movie theatre in order to see that rare young starlet who hasn't showed her prepubescent birth canal getting out of a car, walked out of nightclubs looking like she had rubbed Dolly Madison powdered donuts under her nose, filmed a grainy amateur porn tape with a "producer" or "artist" banging her like a horny wolverine, or humped a swarthy paparazzo in a c-store bathroom amidst the empty Red Bull Cans and crumpled bags of Cheetos. Fandango and other online ticket retailers report extraordinary advance sales for the concert flick, which could top the box office this weekend, while most people sit on their couch knocking back beer after beer wondering what the fuck Ryan Seacrest has to do with the Super Bowl.

However, this morning I ran across this article which hints at preliminary talks ("a round of sniffing," according to Jason Bateman) for assembling an Arrested Development movie. You could tell me that there was a cure for cancer and peace in the Middle East and I wouldn't be happier. The Bluths back together? Come on! How awesome is that?

Can you buy advance tickets for a movie that doesn't have a release date yet? For a movie that hasn't even been filmed -- much less agreed to -- yet? I checked out Fandango this morning, attempting to rent an entire theatre for myself, but it wasn't listed.

While I'm always skeptical about "recapturing the magic" I think an AD movie could be a great thing, much like Led Zep's recent one-off concert.

Bring back our Bluths!

Did Mr. Universe live in Cumming, Georgia?

Here's a fun article from I09 about "high tech lairs." It's cute. Go read it. Come back.

Okay, as I was reading through that, I was daydreaming about how frelling cool it would be to have one of those. Especially the Mr. Universe set up from Serenity (which I think I've watched about 7 times in the last month). Their summary:

Mr. Universe's Satellite Broadcast Station from Serenity: If you're a reclusive techno-geek who intercepts signals and watches television 24 hours a day, then you'd want your own giant, orbiting headquarters that could snag signals down from everywhere in the universe and rebroadcast them whenever you felt like it. Sort of like your own personal intergalactic YouTube. Plus in your spare time you can build a hot love-bot to marry and get busy with. All the comforts of home. Of course, it wasn't that "secret" of a place, since no one seemed to have trouble finding it.

And then it dawned on me. Didn't I really spend a couple of years exactly like that? Okay, my McMansion wasn't really orbiting greater Forsyth County, and I didn't send videos out over the broadwave that lowered the stock price of Blue Sun, and I didn't build any hot love bots. But I did have a richly appointed and spacious Death Star all to my own, hermetically sealed off from virtually all human contact with everything I need neatly organized alphabetically or by size/shape. I had hundreds of channels beaming into every nook and cranny of the house 24/7, with so many TiVos I could record all of human history and still have room for a few "suggested" random episodes of Arrested Development to make their way onto the playlist. Between the PC and the crackberry, I could blog, email and text without ever getting out of my bathrobe or hearing the shrill din of the human race. I pushed my self-absorbed, manic depressive and random musings out into the universe for all to read and most to ignore. The "lair" was right there on a hill for all to see and find via Google maps or see on Google earth, yet the palpable stench of angst and bitterness acted as a force field to repel all but the most intrepid. And while I could repair a hard drive, change the lights in a Bimmer (harder than you think) and solve the most vexing MS Office problems, I couldn't really build my own love bot (Noted philosopher William the Bloody: "sex with robots is more common than people think"). Yet I still managed to connect with the occasional honey who would make a visit to Mister Universe's suburban annex for a dip in the deranged end of the pool.

Ahhhh, those were the days. Until The Operative (aka real life, aka the mortgage company) came to put an end to The Signal.

Hey, who's up for drinking on a Friday night? Suddenly, I want to watch Serenity again and go buy a house. With a basement, a T1 line and a huge fucking satellite dish. And a hot robot.

I'll take potpourri for $200, Alex

John Byrne, comic icon that I fondly remember from my youth and his time on the X-Men, will be doing a "Lorne" gig for the new (and quite good) Angel: After the Fall comic.

We missed an ep of the new Sarah Connor show on Monday so some empty suited hypocrites could lie to us, but I did stumble across this somewhat cogent breakdown of the various Terminator timelines. Well, as cogent as timeline breakdowns can be when the producers can't even remember the fucking years clearly spelled out in the previous movies. If you're making a show like this (or even one of the movies), wouldn't you have a huge-ass white board up in your writing room with meticulous documentation of all the various timelines and key dates?

Hey, Dinner for Five has an ep tonight! THAT is one of the many reasons I pray daily at the shrine of TiVo. I didn't delete my D5 season pass, and out of the fucking blue a new episode pops up in the To Do List. Just like it should. I've almost forgotten the ass-raping horrors of the three months with Comcast and their antediluvian, ersatz "DVR".

I'm really digging the new iPod and iTunes. More sometime soon on my experiences with this little gem.

Too bad the Super Bowl isn't in Columbus, Georgia. I'm sure the prices are cheaper.

Speaking of which, did anyone catch little Wilbur's question to Christian in the latest Nip/Tuck? "Daddy, is mommy a skank?" Assuming, of course, that a child of two parents who barely have a GED between them will ever learn nouns and verbs, I'm sure this question will be asked repeatedly in Georgia very soon. (And if ya want a real answer to that one, Junior, just ask me. Or any of about 21,387 local area used car salesmen, sweaty insurance agents, college drop outs, random strangers, workers at the area free clinic, drug dealers, construction workers, pimps, sugar daddies, your granddad's co-workers, fry-cooks, or...well....you get the idea).

Nina the werewolf is getting married to a pie-fucker!

Could Cutthroat Bitch be back on House? Pretty please? Could she be the "mystery girlfriend" of Wilson? And how sweet is Anne Dudek's triple play? House, Mad Men and Big Love? Quite impressive. There are the "triple play" actors from the Whedonverse, like Jonathon Woodward, Andy Umberger -- look at this dude's credits! he's the shrink on Mad Men and has been on a lot of quality TV in addition to the Jossverse -- Jeff Ricketts, and Carlos Jacott. But to bag some time on House, Mad Men and Big Love, all from different head writers/producers, makes a TV geek's heart grow two sizes larger.

I can see the future, brotha!

Find out Which Lost Character Are You at LiquidGeneration.com!

Well, that doesn't exactly surprise any friends of TNRLM, does it? Of course, I would have easily understood a "manipulative southern smartass" or "drunken, bitter leader with a god complex," too. Who are you, dear readers?

Other thoughts on last night's Lost:

• Several recaps and blogs I checked out today from professional critics who have seen the next couple of eps say that next week's is even better. Holy shit. Grab your bloomers and get ready.
• Sawyer didn't call Kate "Freckles" (or any other nickname, for that matter) when they split.
• The dude who came to see Hurley in the loony bin, who represented himself as a business card-less representative of Oceanic Airlines, said his name was "Mister Abaddon." A helpful tour of wikipedia says that "abaddon" is a Hebrew word for "destruction." Read more here.
• Jack makes his screwdrivers like a pussy. Of course, maybe this is just when he's casually drinking away the horrors of his time being kidnapped, beaten, hunted, starved and godknowswhatelse on craphole island, and before he really starts to miss his time there, and begins growing an untamed angry badger on the chin beard, and finally starts making his drinks fucking manly enough so that he loses his surgical privileges and hallucinates (maybe?) his dead father and thinking about jumping off a bridge. Easy on the OJ, heavy on the vodka, Jack-ass, and cowboy up.
  

That makes sense

Here's a headline for you.

Of COURSE you want to kill yourself. You're NOT SMOKING ANYMORE!!!

I wonder if the "control group" taking the placebos also wanted to kill themselves. Personally, I don't care if I was I was eating Flintstones chewables by the fistful after quitting smoking, I'd be prominently featured in "reports of depression, agitation and suicidal behavior."

Who are the other three?

Note: sometimes, I get friends who read this blog not knowing that I'm going to reference plot points from a recently aired show that they've saved to their Tivo. I won't go into great detail about last night's Lost "The Beginning of the End," but if you haven't watched it yet, "star" this one in Google Reader and read it later. That's a long way of saying: SPOILERS.

Questions and observations:

So Hurley gets off the island, along with Jack and Kate, making up half of the "Oceanic Six." Who are the other three that are occasionally followed by paparazzi and sought for autographs? (Apparently, it had nothing to do with choosing "Team Jack" or "Team Locke.") And Hurley freaking out in a c-store, driving recklessly and winding up in a nuthouse? When did Hugo become Britney?

Ben and Rousseau seemed to have some "parenting" issues.

Death becomes Charlie, no?

The basketball scene obviously takes place before the "we've got to go back!" scene from the s3 finale, since Jack considers growing a beard and vows never to go back to the island. Also, despite his fragile mental condition, an NBA team should consider signing Hurley, since he doesn't miss.

Why did Hurley lie about knowing Ana Lucia? Granted, I would have too, since she was so fucking annoying.

Who was the freaky "Oceanic Lawyer" who didn't have any business cards? Who does he want to know about?

Who was in Jacob's cabin? Was that Jacob? Jack's dad? Who was the "eyeball" in cabin? Locke?

Does Hurely's painting of the igloo and eskimo have anything to do with polar bears and/or Penny's "listening team?

How did Locke know about Charlie's message (Not Penny's Boat)? Did they just skip over the part where Hurley tells him? Did I miss something? Did this strike anyone else as strange?

Jack "shooting" Locke. Holy Frak! He pulled the trigger! Equally cool was Locke's calm reaction about the gun not being loaded.

Line of the night: "Better call the boat. Tell them she's getting a really big bundle of firewood."

Jorge Garcia? Dude, you can act.

The empty box in my living room now has meaning

Holy mother of god, it's finally back. Yes, I'm talking about Lost. Motherfucking Lost. Lost is on tonight, y'all.

As a reformed spoiler whore, I'm still committed to staying on the wagon. I know nothing about tonight's hour of island goodness except for spoiler-free articles and blurbs here and there. I've heard virtually nothing but praise from critics, who say S4 starts off with the same mindfrakkin' pace and quality that marked last year's stellar season finale. (And doesn't feature people sitting in a cage for six hours eating fish biscuits).

Anyone else as giddy as a schoolgirl? To tide you over for the next couple of hours, Here's a fun list of 48 Lost questions (in honor of the 48 remaining eps) to be answered. You can also enjoy some character music videos (h/t: Pop Candy) here: Sawyer, Kate, and Hurley and Locke at ABC.com.

Time to start gettin' the drink on in preparation for the return to "craphole island."

Hand jobs for strangers

So I tuned into HBO's latest series, In Treatment, last night. For those of you who may be unaware, the series is based on an Israeli show with the same set up and format: each episode is a 30 minute "shrink session" with one psychologist (Gabriel Byrne) and one patient. The unusual thing is that the show airs every weeknight, and patients keep their regular "appointment." For example, every Monday is always the same patient, former Alias hottie Melissa George. Tonight (and every Tuesday) will feature Blair Underwood as the patient. And on Fridays, Byrne's shrink will visit his own doc, played by Law and Order black whole of charisma (but otherwise extraordinarily talented) Dianne Wiest. Bonus points are sure to be scored when Byrne's wife, played by Michelle Forbes (BSG's Helena Cain and ST: TNG's Ensign Ro) shows up.

The format and pacing of last night's show was a little off-putting. I mean, how many 30 minute dramas are there? And completely staged on one set with only two characters talking? However, I found it interesting enough to keep checking out for a while, especially in this script-free wasteland. Maybe I just like hearing other people bitch about how miserable their lives are, even to break up the monotony of my own complaints. Maybe it's a diverting study in acting, and different enough to stand out. Maybe it's better than the tedious and caterwauling early stages of Idol. Or, maybe I just like spending 30 minutes looking at Melissa George's lips and runny mascara.

Frak! That's Frakkin Awesome! And Frak you, too!

From I09, here's a handy summary of sci-fi swear words. With summer coming up, I think I need to invest in some geeky t-shirts adorned with otherworldly profanity. Farscape's "Frell Me Dead" has always been a favorite, though I'd also be proud to sport one featuring any of the chinese amalgamations from Firefly.

("Frakkin Toaster" is a must).

Also featured is a highlight clip of S1 BSG "Fraks."

Enjoy.

"That was a poodle."

Torchwood returned to the tube last night, and it was worth the wait. The Beeb's oversexed Doctor Who spinoff is the closest thing we have to a modern day X-Files, and the season 2 (or "series 2" as they say across the pond) premiere was everything we've come to expect from the better episodes of the show. Captain Jack was more the saucy adventurer we knew and loved from the parent show, and less the brooding "immortality sucks"enigma that appeared too often in season 1. It helped that he had another time agent, played by James Marsters as a raging id combination of Spike and Adam Ant, to liven up the game.

The central plot was more of a poorly thought out macguffin (SPOILER WARNING/SWIPE TO READ: Captain John was looking for a diamond he killed someone to get. When he finds it, it turns there was no diamond. It was a trap designed to blow up the person who killed her to get the diamond. But if there was no diamond at all to begin with, why make the bomb? She would have never had a need to make a "revenge bomb" if she hadn't come up with the fake diamond story in the first place!) but the ride was fun and all the characters got a chance to shine. Plus, how can you not love a show with a talking blowfish who steals a sports car and an alien the gives lecherous looks towards a poodle?

From USA Today's Pop Candy, here's an audio interview with the gorgeous and talented Eve Myles, who plays Gwen.

Welcome back, Torchwood.

This week's Ledger

PLUS:

• More options for sportstalk on a road trip. Having the XM makes a huge difference for passing the hours in a car voyage. Now, XM Sports has added Tony Kornheiser in the morning, followed by Dan Patrick. Say what you will about TK on MNF (and I find him passable, but not as good as he is on PTI. But then again, I liked Dennis Miller), but he kills on radio.
• The return of Chuck. I forgot just how damned enjoyable that show is.
• Speaking of TV, Torchwood returns tonight, and Lost next week.
  

MINUS:

• Running out of the last "Georgia Priced" ciggies.
• Getting a cold.
• Not having a garage right beside the kitchen door to unload groceries. For some reason, I feel that I must take everything in one trip. Sure, you can cut off all the bloodflow to your fingers looping 14 plastic bags around your digits, but it really gets complicated when you have additional items like cat litter, 12 packs and dry cleaning to schlep up the stairs and down the hall like an abused burro.
• It's tax time. Also, on the "plus" side, Mike Huckabee is a fairy tale believing loon, but it was nice to hear someone speak up for the Fair Tax in a national forum.
  

Boldy go...

The teaser trailer for the JJ Abrams Star Trek revival, that aired before weekend showings of Cloverfield, is now live at the official movie site.

Excellent teaser that captures the imagination of space travel the way the original Trek did back in the 60s (with obvious links back to that era).

Beam me up.

Sunday Morning Potpourri

Random thoughts and links:

In a post yesterday, I offered my take on the "who we hate" as a Dawg fan. Obviously, your mileage may vary based on a number of factors (where you grew up, who was a pain in the ass during your time 'tween the hedges, experiences with rival fans, etc.). What I didn't point out at the end of the listing is that I would still pull for all the SEC teams -- even Phat Phil's orange-clad cornholers -- out of conference. It's a strange sensation to be watching a team that you despise with every fiber of your being for approximately 50 weeks out of the season, and find yourself cheering them on. Take this past bowl season, for example. From my rankings, we all know that I wouldn't piss on the Vols if they were burning (unless I had just downed a bottle of Everclear, and it might somehow add to the combustion), but I was pulling for them to whip the Wisconsin Badgers -- and I spent a decade in the cheese state and attended my first college football game there! Ahhh, conference loyalty and southern pride is a strange mistress.

Last week, GOP hopeful Mike Huckabee said that he would prefer to change the constitution so that it was more in line with god's word. How did this not get more play in the press? I heard more about Bill and Hil and casino worker unions than I did the ramblings of this wingnut. How can he still get a vote from anyone with an IQ in triple digits? This is also the same doofus who proudly raised his hand during a debate to say that he didn't believe in evolution. Perhaps he'll just go ahead and put fellow intellectual luminary Sherri Shepherd on his Flat Earth ticket.

Yet another reason to want the WGA strike to end? Eliza Dushku is excited about working with Joss again on Dollhouse.

This is so sweet and so sad, I can't muster up anything snarky to say about it. A must read if you're a pet lover. All together now: Awwwwwwwwww.

Paul Finebaum ranks SEC coaches. Guess who tops the list? (hint: he's not wearing a visor, nor is he a threat to bankrupt Knoxville area Golden Corrals)

College football recruiting. The rich get richer? Or is that the Richt get Richter?

Encores of TV's best new show (and newly crowned Golden Globe winner for best drama) Mad Men start tonight. If you haven't watched it, add it to your TiVo for an infusion of quality in the post strike, reality saturated horror. If you've watched the show, you'll appreciate this awesome holiday card from the guy who plays Harry.

Need a little Browncoat goodness to cheer up your cold and snowy Sunday? Check out this Firefly / Serenity video tribute to the Big Damn Heroes, and notice how perfectly the lyrics correspond to the video clips chosen.

Joseph Campbell is responsible for every sci-fi epic. With a nifty chart to prove it.

A lot of college kids had a "skull bong." One takes it a wee bit further.

Another reason to love my favorite female Lostie, Elizabeth Mitchell (her scenes with Angelina in Gia notwithstanding): she loves Battlestar Galactica. Good interview about Lost and Juliet.

Okay, who do I hate now?

From a link on SI on Campus, I found this summary of "current SEC grudge status." From the prison work detail safety vest orange at the top, you can surmise that this is a UT blog. So take the opinions and commentary with a "Cracker Barrel is fine dining" grain of salt. I do give props for the faux SI Saban cover, though.

According to the post, here are the UGA grudges:

-Georgia hates Florida, Alabama, and Auburn. Always looking north and feeling penis envy towards their orange-clad big brother.

It's funny, every Dawg fan has their own particular "hate" list. Several folks I know loathe the North Avenue Trade School with every fiber of their being ("Clean Old Fashioned Hate"), and would rather spend a year in Siberia following a loss the Wreck than listen to the 74 English-speaking, football-supporting Tech grads crow for 365 days. Others, for obvious reasons (a decade plus of misadventures in Jacksonville, Tebow, Wuerffel, Darth Visor, the educational system that taught Emmit Smith elocution, Jorts!) despise the Gators. With so much antipathy to go around, how do you actually classify these grudges? Here's my take:

1. Tennessee: First and foremost, there's that color. It's like you fed a baby nothing but strained carrots for a two months, emptied the shit stained diaper and wiped it on a jersey. The mind-numbing repetition and idiocy of "Rocky Top." Phat Phil, a black hole of personality, intellect and strategy. The worst stadium facilities known to man. Did I mention the most horrific shade in the spectrum? Also, where I grew up was on the Georgia / Tennessee border (thankfully, on the good side) and all the media -- radio, TV, newspapers -- came from the bad side. So even though press in Chattanooga ostensibly served everyone in their signal range, including a sizable demographic from Georgia, it was all Vols, all the time. I fondly recall my mom writing a letter to the editor of the sports page complaining that the Dawgs obliteration of a highly ranked Gator team got pushed to page 6-E, while the orange clad douchebags win over some patsy like MTSU was splashed across the front page. Plus, their fans make the short bus look like a rolling caravan of Rhodes Scholars.
2. Florida: See reasons listed above. Even when the streak was lopsided in UGA's favor, I still hated the Gators. They wear orange, too. After coaching at Clempson (more orange! and "p" intentional) AND Florida, no wonder Charlie Pell tried to kill himself.
3. Georgia Tech: Even though they are no more than an annoying gnat to be swatted away, they are still technically an instate "rival." Plus, there's the aforementioned history, and a fan base that deludes themselves into thinking they are Citizen Kane when they are really more like Plan 9 From Outer Space.
4. Clempson (spelled phonetically, just like their "grads" say it): This I-85 rivalry isn't what it used to be, but good god, the orange. Not to mention the asshats that have patrolled their sidelines.
5. South Carolina: Let's keep our hate in the palmetto state. While I do loathe the poultry, I actually have a measure of respect for their fans and their passionate support of inarguable and abject mediocrity. (For more, see this old chesnut). Still, any place where Steve Spurrier and Lou Holth coached, Steve Taneyhill played and George Rogers lucked into a Heisman deserves some contempt.
6. Auburn: A fierce rivalry, to be sure. The deep south's oldest. Both squads have suffered soul-crushing losses to the other, often with the SEC in the balance. But there's that weird symmetry thing going on between the two schools. Vince went to Auburn. Pat Dye went to UGA. The numerous parallels between Herschel and Bo (without question, the two best RBs ever to lace 'em up in college football). The bizarre "visiting field advantage." And Auburn legend Shug Jordan actually founded the UGA chapter of my frat. They only feature orange as an accent.
7. LSU: I always respected them from afar, and never had too much of a beef with them. And how can you not love the tiger eye on the field? But some of my close friends have encountered the inbred belligerence of the fanbase up close and personal too many times to ignore, so I'll just call this hate by proxy.
8. Alabama: Growing up in the south, how could you not respect the history and tradition of the Tide and the man in houndstooth? A best friend went to law school there. You almost felt pity for them during Shula years. But now that they've added Nick Saban, 'Bama could be moving up this list with a bullet.
9. Arkansas: a latecomer to the SEC party, there's no history of animosity with the Hogs. In fact, the ramblings of Houston Nutt and his adventures with the Springdale boosters was quite amusing. But as noted with 'Bama, a new coach can make all the difference in the world. Put a set of headphones on the walking spineless excrement that is Bobby Petrino, and a desire for multiple 0-12 seasons greatly increases.
10. Kentucky: Now we're getting into the "don't really have a feeling at all" section of the list. They're good at basketball, right? Not so much this year? Okay.
11. MSU: Don't give them a thought, really.
12. Vandy: It was easy to score tickets there.
13. Ole Miss: Nice unis, and they have The Grove.

This week's Ledger

PLUS

• Snow. It can be kinda cool.
• Make your own mocha frappucino. Because nowhere around here is a convenient drive thru, I experimented like a mad scientist with various ingredients to make my own frosty treat. Somehow, between doses of chilled coffee, Starbucks ice cream, Nestle Quik, sugar, ice and milk, I found a mix that was passable.
• The new Sarah Connor show. Yes, some of the time travel paradoxes can make your head hurt, and some of the established "rules" are bent (how did the "head" go through the time bubble?), but it's a decent enough attempt at fun sci-fi and stands out like the Fountains at Bellagio in a desert of reality glop.
• Text messaging.
• iLounge. A must visit site for new (and old) owners of iPods.
• EZ Pass. No more fumbling for change at a toll booth.

MINUS

• Snow. It can be a pain in the ass.
• Cardboard is flammable. Earlier this month, I used a coupon to order a free pizza. I didn't eat it all, and put the box in the oven to keep the cats - mainly Mulder - from trying to have a feline Papa Johns feast. In the old days, I'd just take the box out to the garage and put it in the dumpster. However, I now have neither a garage nor a dumpster, so I have to remember to take the box to the central facility dumpster the next day. Oooops. So this week, I was going to preheat the oven to cook some snack, and just turned the knob to 450 (sadly, no digital touchpad here in apartment land. Nor an eye level window into the the top of two stacked ovens. Just a floor level device that looks like something June Cleaver used) and went about my business. About 20 minutes later, I smelled something. I thought it was outside, so I walked out there, but didn't find burning couches (I don't live in West Virginia, after all). After a while, the whole pizza box in the oven thing dawned on me, and I discovered a smoldering cardboard box in the oven, with charred remnants of a former pie going smoky in the tiny kitchen. I made like Tommy Gavin (without the drinking, fucked up family and sex with random hot chicks) and put the box into the sink, while opening the door to the deck to let the smoke out. Of course, it was about 5 degrees outside. Great experience, and killed my enthusiasm for warming up some cheese sticks. I haven't seen anything this stupid since some college buddies, under the influence of the devil's happy lettuce, tried to cook a Tombstone pizza with the cardboard circle still attached to the bottom.
• Only 3 more football games left.

Not exactly earthshaking news

71% Geek

Looking for payday loan?

This week's Ledger

PLUS

• In a tiny matchbox of an apartment, the AC can really change the temp quickly. In the old "McMansion," you had to start the AC on a Wednesday in order to get every room to a comfy 67 by Friday. That, or retreat "cave." Of course, I loved it in the cave. Here, when some unseasonably warm weather comes, crank that sucker down and 5 minutes later you can feel the glorious cool of artificially frozen air.
• The combination of XM radio for the desktop and iTunes when searching for new (more likely, old – since I try to avoid anything "new," since they all have a "featuring" in the artist credit) music. Just scroll along all the genres and formats and you'll find something that makes you go "oh, cool. I wish I had that." Then, one click and 99 cents later, you do!
• Special Guest Bloggers!
• The Onion AV Club in general (though the hipper than thou commenters are a bit precious), but particularly the "My Year of Flops" movie review series. Here's a link to the latest, about Prince's Graffiti Bridge. But if you have some time, read through as many as you can. Funny stuff.
• Mini bags of microwave popcorn.
• Profit on DVD. I'm more than halfway through, and damn, is this show good.

MINUS

• Once More With Feeling (the soundtrack, not the ep, which I already have on DVD) is not on iTunes.How can that be?
• Only 7 more football games until we enter the vast wasteland of sports, with only hockey and hoops to sustain us.Crops aren't the only thing barren in the winter.The WGA strike makes it even worse, as far as being continually entertained and distracted by the big expensive box in the middle of the living room.
• Parking lot spaces in Maryland.They paint parking spaces here like proprietors of Neyland Stadium do seats:way too small for a normal vehicle/ass.
• Lack of good interweb blog "countdown timers."I wanted to put up three "countdown timers" in the sidebar:one ticking down until the return of Lost, one for the return of Battlestar Galactica (everyone catch the awesome "Last Supper" pic in EW?) and one for kickoff between the Dawgs and Georgia Southern. The only ones I found are clunky and not that customizable.

Linkapalooza

There really is no narrative thread for the following links. Just some things I found amusing or interesting, and have kept posted on a "sticky note" in the crackberry for a while. So it was either keep looking at the note/links while vainly trying to find some editorial connective tissue, or just post them all and finally delete the damned note. Yes, OCD carries over into crackberry note management.

Five things you didn't know about Seinfeld. I have a pretty good grasp of useless trivia, yet these came as a surprise to me.

A case for Dale Murphy in the Hall of Fame. Yeah, I'm a homer, but I think the guy deserves a spot -- or at least a more considered debate. Today's numbers are so overinflated by bandbox ballparks, watered down expansion pitching and this "steroids" thing I keep hearing about, that it's difficult to compare players from different eras. But Murph but up very solid and frequently spectacular numbers, and was among a handful of players that that were true standouts of his era. (And I don't think we'll be seeing any testimony from clubhouse attendants or personal trainers alleging that they frequently jabbed Murph in the ass with a syringe). And though our personal lives and belief systems are not exactly congruous, you have to respect a dude that carried himself with that much humility, dignity and integrity.

While this happened in Poland, I'm sure it won't be long before a similar story emerges from south Georgia.

The only reality show I watch is American Idol. I skip all the audition bullshit, and generally loathe all the "real stories of real people" dross that infects so much of the TV landscape now. Thank the lord for having my beloved TiVo back, so I can FF through all the hometown hijinx, interviews and non-singing/non-judging crap the public seems to have clamored for, and that they are adding back into the mix this year. (Programming Note: once we get to the final 12, look for my TNRLM recaps a day or two after the new Tuesday night show airs). However, if the "behind the scenes" interviews were as illuminating as this one, about one-time contestant Jessica Sierra, I might be less inclined to reflexively hit that 30 second skip button.

I commented previously on the poor quality of the announcers for FOX's Sugar Bowl coverage. This little bit of perfection, courtesy of EDSBS, sums it up.

A great pantheon of sci-fi movie babes. My personal favorites: 50s/60s: Anne Francis in Forbidden Planet. 70s: It's really, really hard to argue with Princess Leia, but I always had a soft spot for Jenny Agutter in the cheesetastic Logan's Run (plus, she was Dr. Pepper Dude's girlfriend in American Werewolf in London). 80s: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was great in the underrated The Abyss; Cindy Morgan was not only in Tron, but she was Lacy Underalls!; Athens, Georgia hottie Kim Basinger was absolutely top shelf in the decade (and after, too, and will probably one day release an "Alec Baldwin's Greatest Voice Mail Messages" CD), but I worshipped at the shrine of Kirstie Alley's Saavik. 90s: I just can't choose here. I remember suffering through the shrill and not-good-campy Tank Girl and wondering who the hell the hot blond Jet Girl was; 12 Monkeys is one of my favorite movies, and I've always lamented the fact that Madeline Stowe wasn't a bigger star (last seen in NBC's too-quickly cancelled Raines); Dina Meyer is another underrated babe who frequently pops us in genre fare (and was even a Romulan in the last Trek movie); I can't wait to see Agent Scully again in the new X-Files movie; Jennifer Connelly is a very talented actress who desperately needs to spend a week or two in a Golden Corral; but their number 2 is my number 1 for the decade. Black leather and short hair goes a long way for me. 00s: Another embarrasment of riches. Queen Amidala? ScarJo? Famke? Angelina? Claudia Black, who could read the ingredient label on a Swanson TV dinner and make it sound sexy? However, based on quality and quantity, I have to go with their choice for number 1: The women of Firefly/Serenity.

Speaking of geeky things, here's a list of the Top 10 genre eps of the year. I disagree with several of their choices (I liked the 4400, but top ep? Don't think so. And I never watched Jericho). But the expected choices are there, too, including stellar outings from Heroes, BSG and Lost.

A running feature on Deadspin has been AJ Daulerio's "Cultural Oddsmaker" column. It's truly the web highlight of a Friday, and I frequently find myself laughing out loud scrolling down the page. Here's one from earlier, on Karma. And here's one of his final columns (sadly, the series ended today) on selecting the Playmate of the Year, and includes must-read sections on which athletes these Rhodes Scholars will wind up with, and my favorite part, their preferred sexual positions. +1 for a reference to the Alma Mater.

A comprehensive look at Simpsons movie homages.

Merv Griffin brings a smile from the grave

Courtesy of EW, here's a look at Merv Griffin's tombstone. Very amusing.

Plus, I have to give props to any blog post that references both Buffy the Vampire Slayer AND Conan the Barbarian.

We're Number One! We're Number One!

No, there wasn't an uprising by the AP voters to declare UGA number one this year. The Dawgs did finish two in the AP (deservedly so) and three in the coaches poll (debatably so). While there wasn't enough evidence to put USC or UGA atop the AP poll (loss to 41 point underdog Standford, ass-whipping by the accursed Vols, respectively), I'm fine with LSU, even with two losses, being the mythical champ this year. They legitimately won the World's Best Football Conference, their two losses were both in triple overtime, and they continued the honorable and amusing postseason tradition of exsanguinating THE Ohio State University.

What I'm talking about is NEXT year. Barring any preseason keg lifting incidents or hookups with women of questionable moral and medical composition (stay away from Columbus, Matt!), or freakish Soula Boy knee twisting dancing accidents, the Dawgs should come back in the fall loaded, hungry and inspired. And enter the season ranked extraordinarily high. Number One high, in fact.

No less than noted UGA backer (cough, cough) Stewart Mandel of SI has proclaimed the Bulldogs his preseason poll topper.

I just saw on ESPN (home of "oh wait, there's a college football team in Athens?") that Todd McShay has put the Canines number one on his 2008 list.

College football historian and all around southern gentleman Tony Barnhart also says the Dawgs are number one.

However, on that same SportsCenter with McShay, doddering doofus Lee Corso (he of the "Buckeye Head" last night) put UGA number five. Not this year. Number five for next year. Herbstreit put us number two, behind USC (although he did say that the top three were really a toss up). I didn't see any comments from Mark May, though I'm sure he has us just outside the Top 25.*

Of course, we all know how much preseason chatter and rankings really means when the first whistle blows (off the top of my head, I think about the Tigers/War Eagles/Plainsmen traveling to The Coliseum, or Appy State visiting the Big House). But this is the first time in my post-graduate life where I can honestly say (and not just in the tiny, hopeful, deluded fan voice within) that we have a damned good shot at the mythical national championship. And certainly the first time when I can honestly say that I expect a damned good shot at the MNC.

One thing we can be sure of, to paraphrase legendary Larry Munson, is that there sure is gonna be some property destroyed "tonight" after the Cocktail Party. The world should hang in the balance with that game. (That is, unless the world is hanging in the balance the previous week, when we visit the defending National Champions, and all the property in North America is destroyed that week. Either way, I think there will be some property destroyed late October / Early November).

*Where in Bristol do we have to send a squadron of top flight hookers to get a little love and respect from the World Wide Leader? There's no way the regular reach-arounds for Pete Carroll and his merry band of prophylactics will stop anytime soon, but the Dawgs typically get mentioned on ESPNs various programs about as often tax cuts do at the DNC. Will they still ignore us every week if we're ranked number one heading into next season, or will we still be on "upset alert" every goddamned weekend?

Well, this should dispel any lingering doubts about evolution

We haven't really come a long way from the poor hairy bastards that preceded us, now have we?

Except for inflation.

Dawgs vs. Rainbow Warriors: The Game Day Experience Vol VII

TNRLM Editor's Note: You're in for a treat. A "Special Guest Blog" from the Fabulous Freebirds, who made the trek to the Sugar Bowl. After the game, we were exchanging emails, and I suggested the guest hosting gig so someone who was actually at the game could tell us a little about the "Game Day Experience." I hoped to get a few bullet points along the lines of:

• Got drunk.
• Saw transvestite urinating in the streets.
• Lost $300 at poker.
• Got drunker.
• Listened to jazz, had hurricane, got drunker.
• Moreno for TD! Bada Bing -- (cue music) -- "you got the Know-shon."
• Colt pummeled, assures team doctor that he IS Batman, put into witness protection.
• Got drunker.
• Dawgs win!
• Flew home.

Instead, I got a recapping of the trip and game, TNRLM style, filled with superfluous and fascinating details. Awesome. So, without further ado, wish you were there, and read on....

Your usual genial host asked the Freebirds to provide him with a “guest blog” of the Sugar Bowl Experience in Nawlins. Although, I’m not sure that anyone is even slightly interested in these details, we will recount the proceedings to the best of our ability (especially given that the vast majority of our time in Nawlins, was of course, spent on Bourbon Street).

First, a note about New Orleans hotels over New Years Weekend – Extremely expensive. Once decided who was attending, a conference call between Freebird, H.B., and Mel Kiper determined that nothing in the French Quarter could be found for less than $225.00/night. So, the group decided to splurge on the Ritz for a paltry $300.00/night. It was one of those “pre-paid” stays on Travelocity in which we all prepaid for all three nights. Ms. Freebird is firmly convinced that the most comfortable place on earth is the bed at the Ritz. It was freakin’ fantastic!

As Freebird arrived home from work on Friday night the 28th, Ms. Freebird advised that the “Wee Free” had an odd looking, blotchy rash on her tummy (although she acted perfectly fine). This led to a Saturday morning trip to the doctor’s office.

It should be known that, without question, Freebird’s first concern was for his child. However, it must also be admitted that there was a bit of concern for the three non-refundable nights at the Ritz, and the already cashed in frequent flier miles. Luckily for all concerned, especially the “Wee Free”, it turned out to be a minor allergic reaction easily treated with Benadryl.

Lesson Learned: those with small children probably have no business booking non-refundable trips. However, with the good news, on Sunday evening, the “Wee Free” was dropped off in Dacula, and the Freebirds were on their way to New Orleans. The flight was uneventful, and we arrived at the Ritz at approximately 10:00 pm.

Apparently, the Hornets and Raptors had played that afternoon, and the Raptors were staying there as well. I did see an extremely tall bald headed Caucasian with a goatee, whom I thought was Matt Geiger (but a quick perusal of NBA.com indicates he last played in 2002 – so I suppose not him. I’m guessing one of the three or four Europeans on the Raptor’s roster).

HB, RB, and the Kipers met us, and although there was some question as to HB and Mel Kiper’s ability to do so, they all agreed to go out to the French Quarter with us. We went to a great blues bar, where, as usually occurs, we heard two songs, and the band went on break. (Although, we did catch the end of the Tide’s win over Colorado there).

With Big Al’s victory in hand, and the band on break, we were soon in a club where a band specializing in 70/80s rock and roll was playing. The keyboardist looked like Sammy Hagar, and the lead singer was a long haired 5’4 sample of androgyny, about whom the man/woman debate would have raged about had he not had an excellent voice.

Sammy Hagar introduced the songs, and apparently wanted to sideline in a comedy club. (Best line: I threw my radio out of my window when Nirvana hit #1 on the charts). After hanging there for a couple of hours, we found a new bar in the quarter that wasn’t too crowded, and Ms. Freebird decided she needed a shooter, so the group decided we needed one as well.

Our bartender recommended “Betsy’s Wet Dream” about which the only ingredient still remembered is “sour apple pucker”. It was served in a frozen everclear shot glass. However, not a bad shooter, all in all….. The evening gets a bit hazy from there, as we headed back to the hotel.

New Year’s Eve morning, everyone met in the lobby, where the Kipers and Ms. Freebird were privileged to see former Cowboys coach, and FOX analyst Jimmy Johnson. “See” would be correct, since it is my understanding that he was merely gawked at, not talked to. It is further my understanding that his hair was indeed slightly out of place. (The hairstylist must not have been on duty that early in the morning).

From there, a long walk around New Orleans to find a shop which sold special glasses for “Absinthe” which apparently, Ms. Kiper had been kind enough to acquire for Mr. Kiper for Xmas. There was some talk about the “green fairy”. www.absinthebuyersguide.com.

A slice of pizza for lunch, given the early New Years Eve planned, and a trip to Pat O’Briens. A few samples from their drink list, some viewing of the “Smurf Turf” bowl game, and back to the Ritz for a quick nap. Gandalf was also seen on the streets of New Orleans.

New Years Eve dinner was at 6:00 at MiLa. Several other members of the crew also joined us for dinner. Great six course meal. I went with the venison as my main entrée – Mz. Freebird with the poussin (Freebird did know, and was able to advise the table that this was chicken – two years of high school/one year of college French finally pay off).

Great red wine, but I can’t remember what it was. After the AMEX caught fire from having paid our portion of the bill, we went out on the town. The entire Pogo family (sans the parents) wound up joining us for the evening. We wound up back at the same bar with Sammy Hagar/Androgynous Singer Band and a few of the ladies wound up on stage.

Attempted to eat at Krystal on the way home (Krystal in the French Quarter – what an outstanding idea), but after a thirty minute wait in line, settled for snacks from Walgreens.

On New Years, we received an early morning call from the Kipers that they were at Ryans on Decatur Street (Irish Sports Pub – not a steak house) where Wisconsin/Tennessee were kicking off at 10:00 am central time. Mel Kiper is a Wisconsin grad.

Ms. Freebird, despite strong Tennessee leanings, was not quite ready for kickoff, and we arrived in the 2^nd Quarter. (Ms. Freebird would like to add a note here: I was texting Ms. Mel Kiper as to their location a long time before the hubby even rolled over. I was being courteous by letting my man sleep……and then I get the blame for delaying us! BOO!) The libations begin early in the French Quarter, and by the end of the SEC’s fourth bowl victory, we were ready to continue on.

The Kipers and HB went back for a nap, Mz. Freebird and I headed to Harrahs for a little entertainment and lunch. Didn’t work out too well for us. You win or lose quickly with $25.00 minimum tables. Unfortunately, it was losses for us, and we were on to the Hilton for a special pre-game edition of the Fifth Quarter Show. After that, an “economically” priced van was arranged to transport the group to the Superdome for kickoff, and great tickets in the 200 level were provided by DJ.

The game itself: what can you say? It was quite obvious from the beginning that Hawaii was greatly overmatched. A finer example of “Look Out” blocking has never been demonstrated.

Georgia usually only rushed four, and with Hawaii in a quick paced run and shoot, you would expect Colt Brennan to occasionally have time to throw. Unfortunately for the third place Heisman finisher, he was pummeled unmercifully on almost every opportunity to pass by Georgia’s speed rush, and the Dawgs tackling was great when he did complete his dink and dunk passes.

(Ms. Freebird speaking) One source of disappointment for me was that Kregg Lumpkin did not score a touchdown. I wanted UGA to give him the ball 3 times at the end of the game, but I guess it wasn’t in the cards.

Ms. Freebird really wanted to see the “soulja boy” dance, but was denied despite the promise of some man next to Freebird at the bathroom urinal who promised (through his inside sources) a team dance to soulja boy…..who can you trust these days?

The Freebirds felt badly for Hawaii’s fans who turned our in great numbers, given their travel time and expense to get to this game. However, as Falcons season ticket holders, there was a bit of retribution in UGA’s exposure of the June Jones gimmick offense.

Back to the Ritz after the game, and back to Ga. on Wednesday. Recovery process appears to be almost complete as of Friday evening.

This Week's Ledger

Plus

• Obviously, no "plus" list starts off without mentioning the "tallboy" can of whoopass the Dawgs opened up on our visitors from the island. That was a dominant performance across the board, particularly from the D.
• No more Bryant Gumbel on my TV for the football season.
• My shiny new iPod. More on that later in a separate post.
• Friends -- both expected and unexpected -- who call and text during the "Blackout" in the Sugar Bowl.
• Short work weeks.
• The return of Original Recipe Law and Order. And I like both the new cast additions, though we've yet to see Sisto go Billy Chenowith craaaazy, and the new ADA has got to put down the CrackBerry in every scene.
• New Gawker geek/sci-fi blog: IO9.
• Cate Blanchett looking hot and evil from the new Indiana Jones Flick.
• The fact that I don't write checks any more, and have to constantly mis-date them with "2007" for a few weeks.

Minus

• The FOX announcers on the Sugar Bowl. Obviously, they were disappointed to be part of a blowout with no drama (other than if/when Colt Brennan might wind up like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, bloody and limbless) but their ineptitude and dismal, scolding performance was barely listenable. Figures, one of 'em went to Tennessee.
• Fuck you Maryland Governor. Ciggie taxes are now $2. Not per carton. Per pack! I'm going to have to drive to another state, start doing business with Indian reservations or find kindly friends in tobaccy-friendly states to ship me my fix, man.
• Coupons for free pizza. I admire Papa Johns for sending a coupon for a free 'za when the service was less than spectacular, but damn, if they send it, I will order it.
• No more college football for months.

Amphibians falling from the sky!

I saw this story, and would have been more shocked, if I didn't have Magnolia on DVD.