Not Very Convincing...

...but it's the result that counts. Let's hope they stay in the First Division for longer this time around.

Face...Off!

Life imitates John Woo.

I'm not sure whether thanking Jeremy for this is appropriate, as it creeps the heck out of me, but behold The Subservient Chicken. Now I'm going to have to have a very long shower and possibly lobotomise myself to recover...
I'm also a little creeped out by that Blogger button at the bottom of the page. Since when did it go from "Powered by Blogger" to "I Power Blogger", and do I really want to be powering Blogger? Do I have any choice? Should I just return to my bath of pink jelly and pretend nothing's changed?

Goggle Box

I've been looking through the upcoming television season here in the States, to see if there's anything worth watching, and specifically, anything worth watching that we can get in on the old rabbit ears. Here are some highlights:

Gunther (NBC)
You know him as Friends' mild-mannered coffee shop server, but now he's going solo! Join Gunther (James Michael Tyler) as he travels to California to start his new life as a crime scene investigator in this spin-off from the classic sitcom Friends.

CSI: Law & Order (CBS)
See how things are done in one of New York's toughest crime scene investigation units.

Law & Order: CSI (NBC)
See how things are done in one of New York's toughest crime scene investigation units.

American President (FOX)
Join host Ryan Seacrest and judges Simon Cowell, Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney as they pick the next Commander-in-Chief from hundreds of hopeful industrialists from all over the South. Sponsored by Haliburton.

The Vicar Of Dibley (NBC)
In the fine tradition of Coupling and The Office: An American Workplace, this faithful update of the British classic stars Matthew Perry (Friends) as John Vicar, a New York crime scene investigator who quits his job to become a lawyer/doctor in Dibley, Wisconsin. As his big city values clash with small town tradition, hilarity ensues.

American Countdown (ABC)
From the people that brought you Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Dog Eat Dog and The Weakest Link comes the latest smash hit game show from the UK. Join Jessica Simpson and America's smartest wordsmiths as contestants jumble letters and numbers in an attempt to win ONE MILLION DOLLARS!

Survivor: Abu Ghraib (CBS)
Sixteen people from all walks of life undergo electrocution, beatings, mutilation and humiliation at the hands of America's finest experts on "abuse", all for a chance to win ONE MILLION DOLLARS!

Evertree Hill Creek (WB)
Dysfunctional New York teen Joey Blaine finds out about a brother he never knew he had, and travels to Evertree Hill Creek, Wisconsin where he learns a number of lessons in life and love. Also starring Greg Evigan as Joey's estranged father, crime scene investigator John Blaine.

Extreme Makeover: Nation Edition (ABC)
Join Ty Pennington and the US military as each week they drop in on an unsuspecting nation and give it a makeover fit for the 21st Century! In the first show, Kim Jong II is surprised at home in North Korea by the team!

Losing Face And Blasting Frenchies

I wonder, does it really look worse in the eyes of the general populace to say "Yes, we bombed an innocent wedding party, and we're very very sorry. We make mistakes, and we'll try not to make them again." rather than "How many people go to the middle of the desert to hold a wedding 80 miles from the nearest civilisation? These were more than two dozen military-age males. Let's not be naive...I don't have to apologise for the conduct of my men"? The current administration here in the US obviously doesn't really care about how the world views them, but do they really think that the average American will approve of this John Wayne attitude?

Sorry for all the recent posts about America's Atrocities Abroad, by the way. I haven't really felt like commenting on anything else. I've been busy behind the scenes here at Brainsplurge, but not doing anything of public interest as yet. I should have a couple of interesting things to report pretty soon, but we'll see.

One thing worth mentioning, sad as it is, is that a number of hours have been wasted this week blasting away at (mostly French) terrorists in Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain. It's one of those "special forces" games that seem to be everywhere nowadays, and that I normally don't have much time for, but I've really been enjoying this one. Well worth a rental at least. And not just for the Frenchie-blasting, either. :)

More Military Doublespeak

I'm either very naive or highly optimistic, but whenever I heard about "civilian contractors" getting into trouble in Iraq, I assumed that they were builders and technicians, the kind of people that you'd expect to be there during the rebuilding of a nation. I really didn't think that "civilian contractors" actually meant "mercenaries".
Is it just me that finds the idea of America hiring mercenaries to fight its wars a little odd?

A Question Of Morals and Meanings

How come when they do it to us, it's "barbaric torture", but when we do it to them it's only "abuse"?

Hey Hey 16k

Brilliant. Time to fire up the emulators again...

It's Just Rounders For Fat Blokes, Innit?

There are many very very good reasons to deride baseball, but this story highlights surely one of the most damning aspects of the game: apparently, exactly 79.4% of its fans are complete knob-ends.

Liam Won't Be Pleased...

We finally saw 13 Going On 30, and you know what? It's actually pretty good. It's a good solid romantic comedy that does what it sets out to do and does it well. Cynical viewers have said that all it is is an unacknowledged remake of Big, which is quite true, but it's actually better than that film, largely because the performances are so much better. That's not something I thought I'd ever say of Jennifer Garner, and is probably a sign of the Apocalypse...