Kicking television...

I’d combine these into one big coherent thought but coherency just has not been my strong suit today. However, I’m kicking ass in terms of completely random happenings…

1) Ok, I first saw this a few weeks ago and only now am I finding time to write about it. I was surfing Yahoo this afternoon (and I’d like to personally thank the state supreme court of New York for protecting my right to surf the web at work) and while reading a news article I look at one of those ads that they have on the side and they have a picture of Julie Delpy. Obviously, this is the highlight of my day as random Julie sightings make life much more bearable. Well, clicking through the ads I found that Julie is keeping a blog this month on Women and Money. So, this is just another thing that we have in common that I can talk to her on the off chance that I ever run into her and can actually bring myself to speak. Here’s the site http://blogs.health.yahoo.com/intlwomen/intlwomen/

2) Strange television sighting #1: I spent part of this evening watching the Ultimate Obstacle Course Challenge on ESPN2, as apparently there has been a shortage of World Strongest Man competitions. I’m not making this up, it is a Japanese game show (naturally) consisting of some of the most insanely challenging competitions imaginable. It’s tough to describe, but basically think of the monkey bars from hell and yes, you will have the dreaded rope climb. But here is the amazing thing, this gets prime time coverage on ESPN2 while playoff hockey falls in between duck hunting and a pro bullriders event on Outdoor Life.

3) Ok, there is one thing more disturbing than World Strongest Man competitions and that is World Strongest Woman competitions. Especially when you come across one of those late at night after you’ve spent a little too much time at the bars. You flip it on and go, “Hey she’s kind of cute… oh, wait a minute.”

4) Strange television sighting # 2: TLC, previously known as “Trading Spaces all the time” and still well regarded in my mind for Junkyard Wars, is now showing “Honey, We’re Killing the Kids.” This is another in those family makeover shows except that where as the other ones at least have a bubbly exterior “Look, it’s Supernanny to the rescue” here you get a very dour counselor trying to get a family to change its ways. This is done by using “computer simulations” to show what the kids will look like in forty years. These computer simulations are apparently done by grabbing a mug shot book and picking photos at random. They might as well just say “Little Robbie will be serving a nickel for jacking a car while Timmy will be the Tuesday Night DJ at the Pussycat Lounge.”

5) Strange television sighting #2 continued: The thing is, this counselor does not look like someone you want to take advice from. She is serious to the point that even I’m going, “Dude, lighten up.” Like her kids probably stand ramrod straight, have never eaten at McDonald’s in their lives, and will be dating the bass player from a death metal band when they turn nineteen. It’s a good thing to get kids to lay off the junk food and the video games but that shouldn’t equate to taking all of the fun out of life. That said, you’ll take the Playstation out of my hands over my dead body.

6) How I Met Your Mother Update: Ok, this episode doesn’t have any great similarities to my life and I’m happy about that. Two points to make. First, nice to see Marshall use “Lawyered” as a put down whenever he proves someone wrong. I’ll have to steal that one (and then have the readers with JDs really hate me). Secondly, is it me or is Robin being a bit of a bitch over this whole “Ted said he had broken up with Victoria when he actually hadn’t yet.” She’s the one who invited him over at two in the morning, knowing that he still had a girlfriend. She’s at least as much to blame as he is.