TV - The Leftovers. Plus, a Shameful Admission!

A TV post. Huh. Well, I must say, I'm starting to get a little tired of TV. For the past week and a half or so Mrs Titan and I have been watching EVERYTHING we possibly could on the TiVo to free up some room for our pending 10 day vacation. Yeah, that's right, we've filled up out TiVo, what's it to ya?

You see, the TiVo is our friend. We can set it up to record every episode of a particular show that we like and just watch whenever we feel like it. Yeah, shades of my TV Addiction are coming back, but, thankfully, the TiVo has limited (albeit huge) space. So, what are the shows that I watch "on the side." These are shows that I like, but don't have to see every episode of. If I have to delete some to free up some room for the good stuff, I will. Let's look at some, shall we?

Ax Men

This is a fun show on the History Channel. I think it's a little like Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel, but I have not seen that show. Anyway, this show essentially follows four logging crews in Oregon as they cut and haul timber. It's really interesting to see how the four companies approach the business with different strategies, and to see how successful or not they are. There is also a sense of adventure and danger that plays out in every episode. Along with tons of bleeped cussing. Loggers!

The Universe

This is another great History Channel program. This one is really fun and interesting because they take really very complex physics and science and boil it down to the simplest basics using great metaphors to help morons like me to figure out what is going on. These metaphors, along with great commentators and some really neat animations and pictures make this a great show. The one unfortunate drawback to this show is the narrator. He has a really nice, soothing voice. This is a problem. Mrs Titan cannot stay awake for more than 10 minutes of this show and even I, myself, can get heavy-lidded at times while watching it.

Big Brother

There, I admitted it. I've exposed my shame. Please, keep the razzing and mocking to a minimum. I have watched way more seasons of Big Brother than I am willing to admit. There is something about this show that is very intriguing. It is interesting to see how people act while they are locked in a house for three months. I just wish that every once and a while CBS would cast someone with some redeeming moral value. Guess that just won't bring on the viewers. Also, I have to say, I usually watch this series in the summer when the rest of the shows are in hibernation, and I watched the most recent season because of the writer's strike. But, it's over now, so please forgive me.

Free Radio

This little half hour, improvised show isn't too bad. It has a very simple premise. There is an idiot who filled in at a popular LA radio show and the audience loved him so much that the station had to hire him on full time to host Moron in the Morning. Lance Krall is the improv genius behind this show and he plays the stupid moron main character. Each episode has about three celebrities (or semi-celebs) that Lance and his cohost, Anna, interview, much of the times with mixed results. Some of these episodes are just not funny, but every once and a while there will be a celeb who comes on and is fun enough to make this show work.

There are a few others that are just so-so shows that we tune into on a regular basis, but these were the ones that popped into mind after this long week and a half. I will say that none of the other shows I watch are as embarrassing as Big Brother. I wouldn't keep secrets from you.

Would I?

Fable Time!

Now, I am sure many or most of you may know about the comic, Fables by Bill Willingham, but for those who haven't, boy are you in for a treat.

Fables is a great fun mash-up of fantasy and modern story-telling. Very basically the comic is about fable, fairy-tale, nursery rhyme, and fantasy creatures forced to live in the real world after being kicked out of theirs by an unspeakable evil force. These creatures and characters do not age (although they can be killed), and work to keep their existence secret from normal people.

The leader of the Fabletown, their secret community, is Snow White, of course, and her sheriff is none other than the Big Bad Wolf, who can change into human form (all the better to blend in now, dear). Many, many characters from your favorite old stories show up, and all interact with each other in new ways due to their unual circumstances.

One of the most interesting aspects of their new existence is the fact that they don't all look human and, therefore, can't all fit in. There are giants and dwarves, talking pigs and all sorts of other animals that just don't fit in with normal folk. So, the Fable community purchased a large plot of land in upstate New York for them to live together in peace and comfort away from prying eyes and ears. This is the Animal Farm and the second Fable adventure takes place there.

What really makes Fables unique, instead of coming off like Enchanted with more characters, is the fact that it is written for mature audiences. So, what does this mean exactly? Well, the Fables are kinda violent in their new environment. The first issue open a story about the violent murder of Red Riding Hood, and by the end of the second story at least one of the beloved characters is dead.

My favorite character, also, why I need a scanner.

Anyway, as you can see from Mr. Bunny up there Fables is awesome, and should be read by anyone who loves old fables, fairy-tales, nursery rhymes, and/or fantasy stories. You can check out the first trade by clicking below. With over 10 trade paperbacks out and a spinoff in Jack of Fables, this series is going to entertain me for a very long time.

Baby Mamas and the Temple of Doom

Another light movie weekend. We only watched two this weekend, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the new movie Baby Mama.

First, if you have read my movie post from last week, you will know that I am trying to watch the first three Indy movies before I go see the next movie in about a month. What I remember most about Temple of Doom is being terrified. Pulling hearts out of chests, freaky mind-controlling blood, giant bats, and, of course monkey brains. And, yeah, that's pretty much what this movie is all about.

I didn't like it as much as Raiders of the Lost Ark. There was no archaeology, no relics (unless you count a stone), and, most importantly, no Nazis. I think what makes Indy so fun is his discovering tombs and mysteries from the past. Temple of Doom does not do much exploration of the past, it deals with a modern cult. No, don't get me wrong, it is still a great movie. It is a ton of fun and the action set-pieces are phenomenal. This sounds bad, but these set-pieces made me even more excited for the upcoming Lego Indiana Jones (coming June 3rd!!).

I was afraid that I would be annoyed by Short Round, but I wasn't, I thought he made a great addition to the movie and he was fun to watch as he kicked butt and helped Indy. Kate Capshaw as Willie, on the other hand, was not nearly as entertaining as Karen Allen as Marion, and I look forward to seeing Allen again in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This movie is great fun, and if for some reason you haven't seen it, then what the heck is wrong with you?! Check it out!
Okay, on to the new movie, Baby Mama. Again, as you remember, this was one of the 5 movies I was most looking forward to. Well, I have to say, I was slightly disappointed. I was under the impression that Tina Fey wrote the script, not Michael McCullers, the man who wrote such gems as Undercover Brother, Austin Powers in Goldmember, and Thunderbirds. The script wasn't bad, it just wasn't quite at the caliber of say, Mean Girls, by Tina Fey.

Baby Mama stars Tina Fey as a very successful business woman who wants a baby, but is infertile. So, she goes to a company that hooks people up with surrogates to carry their babies. This company, by the way, is owned by a crazy (and crazy-fertile) Sigorney Weaver, in an awesome role. Now, obviously, Tina's surrogate is Amy Poehler. The movie really doesn't get good until Amy moves in with Tina, when we start to get some fun Odd Couple scenarios (assuming Oscar was pregnant with Felix's baby). I have to say, Poehler's character is hilarious and truly acts like a child the way only Amy Poehler can.

The film does have one twist about half way through that was pretty surprising to me and changes the dynamics of the characters. There was also another "twist" at the end that I saw coming for at least half an hour. I don't like, and probably never will like, Dax Shepard who had a slightly too big role in this movie. But, I will say, Steve Martin, as Tina Fey's boss, was fantastic. He played such a fun and unique character that I think he needs to star in something again. I was very happy to see him be so great in this movie.

Baby Mama was a really good movie. As usual for me, my expectations were quite high, so I think I was a little disappointed, but ultimately, this is a really good movie and I would recommend it to you all.

Called Away From Duty 4

A lot of my pop culture went un-experienced this week due to one simple thing: Call of Duty 4.

I played the first Call of Duty when it came out on the PC in 2003. At the time, this was a really revolutionary game because you weren't just some lone soldier fighting WWII all alone. You had friendly soldiers that fought with you and they actually helped. This kind of became the series' "hook."

I remember really loving the first and second games, but I was pretty upset when I found out the 3rd chapter in the series would not be released on PC. Luckily, my brother-in-law picked it up for the XBox 360, so I was able to enjoy it anyway. Although, there really is no replacing the mouse and keyboard setup.

Now, the first three Call of Duty games were set during WWII, so they had a common theme (along with teammates who actually help), so, when I heard that CoD4 was going to be set in modern times, I was a little surprised. And, to be honest, I thought it was just to copy all of those Ghost Recon/Rainbow Six games. But, when my brother-in-law picked it up (thanks again, Scott!) he let me try it out.

Turns out, I was wrong. Call of Duty 4 really is an extension of the series. Yes, it's based in the modern era, with nuclear weapons, high powered hand-held weapons, RPGs, and flashbangs, but it still has teammates who help you. They can get you out of a jam and save you in a minute. This is one of the best first person shooters I have played in a long time, even if it was on the XBox. I have spent the last week and a half playing it every free minute I got, and one of my biggest disappointments about this game is that it ended too quickly!

One of my favorite levels was controlling the weapons system on a helicopter to protect a crew on the ground. You look through a view-finder and can switch between 3 different shell sizes. The view looks just like real military view finders (heat is white, cold is black), allowing for a realistic looking level. This is a fantastic game, just a little short, but well worth it.

Check out the original WWII games on PC or get Call of Duty 4 for PC or XBox 360, they are all great games, and can really allow you to ignore everything else of value in your life.

Book Post? Sorta...

I'm sure none of you are surprised to find out that even after two weeks, I still haven't finished another book. I am half way through Eifelheim and am loving it, but that's not what we're here to talk about today.

I really want to talk to you all about why this kind of blogging is difficult. It seems that most blogs out there really have a theme. They are about comics, or even more specifically manga, they are about TV, or movies, or music, or whatever. I am trying to do all of that here on my little blog, and I am not an expert in any of it. I am truly just trying to share things that I enjoy with my readers and try to share with my readers the things in pop culture that are truly enjoyable and worth experiencing.

I enjoy all of the things I blog about immensely, but enjoying a broad variety of media doesn't allow me to delve too deeply in anything. I enjoy it all and have a pretty eclectic taste in all of in (although admittedly with a geeky bent). I also am really digging blogging and writing about this stuff daily!

I hope this broad overview is as appealing to my readers as it is to me. If there is something I write about that you really enjoy or really hate, please leave me a comment. I definitely want this blog to be a place that you check out every day.

Okay, Thursday is book day, so let me change it up a little bit. This isn't going to be a full review because I read the book so long ago. It is also different because for once I won't be praising something. I read Case Histories by Kate Atkinson about a year ago. First, let me say that I don't usually read crime novels, but I checked this one out because of a glowing review in Entertainment Weekly and from my favorite author Orson Scott Card.

This was one of those occasions where I was quite disappointed with the book after the reviews. The story is basically about a detective who tries to solve three cases. These are all crimes that had taken place in the past and I had assumed they would somehow be connected. They were also all graphic and disturbing crimes. I have nothing against crime novels and stories. I do watch the occasional movie (but skip the procedural TV shows, they all bore me), and the graphic nature of most pop culture doesn't bother me most of the time.

However, this book had long sections that bored me and was overall very depressing. It wasn't moving emotionally as I had hoped. I didn't feel an emotional connection to any of the characters. I also tend to lean toward books with antagonists with a strong moral background (which is part of why I like OSC's books so much), but I didn't really feel that in this book. Anyway, feel free to check it out if you are in to mysteries and crime novels, I guess it is a pretty good one, as these things go. But, it really wasn't for me.

Guilty Pleasure: Big Bang Theory

First, I have to say: new Flight of the Conchords album out today! Check it out! This makes me very happy.

Well, I have to admit something today. I am a really big fan of The Big Bang Theory on CBS. This surprises me as much as it does you, I mean this show is by the same guys who created and wrote for Roseanne, Dharma and Greg, and Two and a Half Men, bill Prady and Chuck Lorre. I could stand Roseanne and Dharma and Greg had some funny episodes, but I really don't like Two and a Half Men. However, I think these guys have really done something great with this show.

I will admit that I came to this show with low expectations. I mean, the creators did not have a great track record in my mind. But, it was on right after How I Met Your Mother, so I thought I would give it a shot. This show is a very basic sitcom. Just two uber-geek, physicists, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) rooming together across the hall from a good-looking neighbor (Kaley Cuoco) that Leonard has a crush on but won't ask out. Honestly, it sounds kinda stupid.

However, there are two things that bring this show up to must-watch status for me: Jim Parsons' Sheldon and pure geekiness. While sometimes a little over the top, Sheldon is always fun to watch and steals every scene he is in. He is the ultimate geek genius who has no understanding of normal social interactions. He is like all of us, just taken to the extreme in his anti-social behaviors.

The geekiness factor is also a ton of fun. Most shows (sitcoms especially) that feature a geek character portray him as someone who literally cannot function in the real world, has no friends and no understanding of the real world (while Sheldon can occasionally seem this way, he is still a sympathetic character). The geekiness in Big Bang, however, is real. These geeks know real geek facts, they care about technology and geek culture. They are smart and even if they struggle socially, they still have friends and a real, believable place in their world as researchers.

Okay, one YouTube clip combining my love for Superman and crazy geek science that only this show can provide:


If you are a geek like me, you should check this show out, you will enjoy it.

My First Adventure in Manga

Well folks, I read my first manga comic! Are you proud of me? Do you care? Is anyone there? Does anyone reading this even know what manga is? According to Wikipedia Manga is "the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons." More specifically "Manga as a term outside of Japan refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan." Well, so I guess I didn't actually read manga, I read "In the U.S., manga-like comics are called Amerimanga, world manga, or original English-Language manga (OEL manga)." So...close enough.

I picked up Mail Order Ninja by Joshua Elder, which was recommended by Dave Campbell over at Dave's Long Box (you will be missed by the way). I bought it only because it was cheap, at only $6, and I read a couple of comic strips in the Denver Post a couple of years ago by the same name, which I enjoyed. While it was cheap, about the cost of two standard comics, what I got was $6 of the funniest and awesomest comics I have ever read and at about the length of about four comics, this is quite the bargain.

It's a classic story, a young boy, Timmy, of course, is picked on by bullies at school, so he sends away for a ninja. Sure enough, the Ninja, Jiro arrives 2-3 weeks later to serve little Timmy. Timmy uses Jiro to defend against bullies and to generally make his life awesome. The writing is hilarious and non-stop fun. The book is really for all ages but can be seriously enjoyed by everyone.

Now, I don't have a scanner yet, so I am stealing some of Mr. Campbell's scans, because this comic really has to be seen to be appreciated.

Here's Timmy getting his brand new Ninja!

It's like the time I brought that puppy home:

This may be the best ad for toys anywhere ever!If you liked these, pick up this book, it is seriously all like this: non-stop funny and fun. Mail Order Ninja vol. 2 will be the next manga I buy and vol 3 is out in October! Joshua Elder is a great, witty writer and I hope he keeps it up. If all manga or "Amerimanga" is like this then sign me up!

PS. Dave, I'm sorry I stole your scans, but you quit blogging, so it's okay, right? Right?

Movie Mondays - Sarah Marshall and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Watched two movies again this weekend. Probably would have been more, but Mrs Titan and I are trying to clean up the TiVo to make room for a vacation coming up in a couple weeks. There better be room to record everything we want to watch!

We watched Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It has been years since I have seen Raiders, but every time I watch it I am reminded of how great it is. We decided to go back and watch the first three Indiana Jones movies before May 22, when The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull comes out. The movie came out a year before I was born, but I can only imagine how incredible it must have been to see in theaters. I'm sure I don't really need to review the movie for everyone, but I will say that my favorite scene by far was where Indy is in Cairo and the huge Arab man comes out swinging a sword. Just as we all get ready for a big fight, Indy pulls out his gun and shoots him dead. Classic.

As you all recall Forgetting Sarah Marshall was on my Top 5 films I am looking forward to list. It was the first one released and in fact everything but Pineapple Express is out in the next two months. Oh well, good for us! Well, this was the first film ever written by Jason Segel, the star, and I must say, it does not disappoint.

The story is pretty obvious from the trailer. Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), an actress, dumps Peter Bretter (Segel), a musician. Peter is devastated, so to clear his head and try to move on, he heads to Hawaii. And, who should be there? Well, Sarah Marshall, of course, and with her new boyfriend no less. Romantic and uncomfortable hijinks ensue.

The overall film was pretty darn hilarious. Some of the plot was kind of easy to see coming from miles away, but I have to admit that about 15 minutes before the climax of the film the ending was really not obvious to me. This kinda surprised me with as many movies as I watched, but Jason Segel was really able to write something that felt real enough that it might not have that happy Hollywood ending.

What surprised me most about this film was the way Jason Segel was able to write the characters. Each character had redeeming qualities, and frankly, all of them were likable. Mila Kunis, who I didn't even realize was in the movie beforehand, almost had "quirky girl"syndrome, which is something I see a lot in romantic comedies. This is essentially the cute, odd girl, usually damaged in some way, who comes along and forces the guy to open up and come out of his shell while being almost perfect herself. This archetype always annoys me, probably because I met a couple of girls like that in the past and they are never the way they seem in the movies, the damage is real and is not fun to deal with. Thank goodness Mrs Titan came along. Ok...where was I? Right, Mila Kunis' character almost fell into this stereotype, but was able to avoid it in my eyes.

I really loved the side characters as well, especially Russell Brand, who played Aldous Snow, a sexed-up rock lothario and Sarah's new boyfriend who can and does sleep with anyone he wants too. I also really liked Paul Rudd as Chuck, the 44-year old surf instructor who has spent his whole life smoking pot and laying on the beach and really can't function in the real world anymore (as a side note, when Mrs Titan and I were in Hawaii for our honeymoon, there were guys like this, scary, but hilarious). I also liked Jonah Hill as the waiter who is not-so-secretly in love with Aldous Snow and Jack McBrayer (from 30 Rock) as the virgin on his honeymoon who hates and is terrified by sex.

Also, I really hope that someday they really make "A Taste For Love," Peter Bretter's Dracula musical using puppets. Yes, you read that right, there are scenes of the Dracula puppet musical, and really that is pure awesome!

Google Searches - Foot Deformities Anyone?

Alright everyone, it's Friday (Happy Friday!!), so I just want to try something a little different. Let's go over some of the searches people have used to get to my site. Seriously, they are a little weird, and looking through the searches is kinda fun.

Google Searches:

• "flight of the conchords" - not too shocking, I mean, this is a pop culture blog. What is weird is that I have gone through the first 10 pages of the Google search and still didn't find my page, this person must have read everything ever written about Flight of the Conchords
• the last man comic - again, this isn't too surprising. However, this was a search from the Mexican Google site and I am listed sixth on the search! Score one for me. Just call me Tomas!
• hugh jackman - ok, this is a little odd. I mean, I only mentioned Hugh Jackman once, briefly, in my Fountain review, it's not like I went on about him. Again, I went through 10 pages of Google links, and most of them were about Hugh Jackman shirtless (that will up my hit count) of his new comic book, so who knows why that person came here.
• men's haircuts geek - alright, this is just starting to get odd. Haircuts? This one was really odd, but I figured out how it happened. When I wrote about The Areas of My Expertise, I mentioned a chapter name "History's Worst Men's Haircuts" and the word geek in the same sentence. Ah.
• foot deformities - okay, okay, that's it. The internet is freaking weird. Why would someone come to a pop culture blog based on foot deformities? Well, turns out it was the same reason as the haircuts, it was a chapter title in The Areas of My Expertise. It's official, John Hodgeman is my hero and the king of the internet.
• how i met your mother catch phrase - okay, things are getting back to normal again, this is a reasonable search.
• the sims 2 - whew, also normal, although again, how many pages did this person go to to get to me?
• orchestration music - from the Philippine Google. Huh, I must be an international superstar now. Huh, who knew?
• when did comic prices jump to 12 cents - I'm the #1 search result for that exact search! Wow! My mom saved me again. I would like to thank all the little people for making me the #1 search result. Thank you. Thank you.
• titan bonus - I think this has something to do with poker, as all of the other sites linked to are for poker. Hmmm...how can I take advantage of this?
• movie - alright, where do I even start with this one? First, who the heck just searches "movie", and second, how many millions of pages did they go through before getting to me? I mean, there are only 132 million hits. Sheesh!
• secret invasion theory - # 1 search result again! Weird, I don't even have any theories? Doesn't anybody else have theories that that guy can link to? Poor guy with no good Secret Invasion theories.
• blog flight of the conchords - back to the basics. Add the word blog and I am # 5.
• the fountain movie - this one is from Russia! Anyone read Cyrillic?
• the office nbc - hurray for the Office! Did you watch last night?
• Pop Tv old tom - this one from the UK. This is the only one where I have no idea what they were searching for. I am # 6, but the first link is for a Diet 7up commercial with a peeping tom. Nice.
• "secret invasion" - my most popular search hit. I think this will now be Tom the Secret Invasion Titan's blog.
• sex titan.tv - uhhhh...this is from Morocco and is a search all in Arabic. I am the # 1 result for that seach and also very very uncomfortable.

Well, that's it folks, that's how people get to my blog. How do you get to my blog? I hope you enjoy the site, and feel free to link to me so that people can get here from some other, more legitate means. Anyway, have a great weekend and I will be back for a fun-filled next week!

Guest Post: Everybody Loves Robert A. Heinlein

Well, I've been teasing the guest post all week, and now, here it is. Shockingly, I decided to request a guest post for a Thursday. As we all know (at least those of us who regularly read this blog), I have a hard time finishing enough books to fill my Thursday book posts. But, you're all in luck, because I found someone to write a guest post for me!

I am sure you are all dying to know who I got. Well, it's none other than my Mom! I know, you were all probably expecting somebody important and well known, right? Well, too bad, she reads more books than anyone I know, so I turned to her for a post. You all should know, she is the person got me into comics and sci fi, so technically this whole blog is her fault! So check it out, and leave a comment so my Mom knows how awesome she is!
___________________________________________________________

Tom asked me if I’d be willing to write a post on my favorite science fiction author and his impact on my life. I agreed to do it, but I told Tom that it would be really hard to fit it into only 800 words or so. I decided avoid reviewing specific books and focus on the impact of reading the whole body of work. So here goes.

The author is Robert A. Heinlein and he had a huge impact on my thinking and, therefore, my life. I started reading his books when I came across a copy of “Have Spacesuit – Will Travel” in my Junior High School library (it sounded like a corny title even then). That must have been in about 1965 and I would have been 11 years old. I enjoyed the book so much, I started looking for other Heinlein novels. I had soon exhausted everything I could find in the school library and the local public library, so it was on to the used bookstores. By the time I graduated high school I had read every one of Heinlein’s published books that I could find and was then required to await new publications, which I did with great eagerness until Heinlein’s death in 1988.

So why did I like these books so much? At the time I would probably have said that they were great adventures, in exciting environments, and that I learned a lot of science while reading them. All that is true. But what I would say now in hindsight is that they gave me far more than just an exciting read, and that what I learned went deep. Here are some examples of what I learned: I learned tolerance for people who are different; I learned that my cultural norms are not the Truth; I learned that women can be strong and smart and beautiful all at the same time; I learned that study is important and not going to a great school is no excuse for not learning; I learned the importance of critical thinking – get the facts; I learned that human beings should be capable of and competent at many different things (“specialization is for insects”); I learned that individual liberty is paramount and that we owe a duty to our fellow human beings; I learned that promises to friends must be kept; I learned that color, creed, social status, wealth, or education level are not the ways to judge others – behavior and principles are; and I learned that “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” (TANSTAAFL).

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that I would not have had the confidence to pursue an engineering degree in the early 70’s if not for the interest and passion generated by reading Heinlein for years. As it was, I did enter an Aerospace Engineering Sciences program (after crashing the “Father-Son Open House” with my Dad). I graduated with honors.

Much later, I went on for a Ph.D. in Strategy, Organization, and Management. I had passed my written comprehensive exams and was nearing the end of the 2-hour grilling that was my oral comprehensive exam. Near the end, one of the professors asked me what author had had the most influence on my thinking. I’m sure he was expecting me to say the name of some academic in the field. Instead I said, “This might sound strange, but the author who had the greatest impact on me was Robert A. Heinlein, a science fiction writer.” And I went on to explain how and why. I don’t think it was my reference to Heinlein that did it, but I passed comps with distinction!

I’d encourage anyone who likes speculative fiction to check out the works of Robert A. Heinlein. I have many favorites, including “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,” “Stranger in a Strange Land,” “Glory Road,” “Citizen of the Galaxy,” and “Time Enough for Love.” Most of his books are still in print, years after his death. This is perhaps the most telling accomplishment of the first Grand Master of science fiction. Enjoy!

Here are some sites to check for more info:
The Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein
The Heinlein Society: http://www.heinleinsociety.org/

The Office - It's Back Baby!

Things are looking up for the Titan household! Not that they were really looking down. After a couple of days focusing on things most certainly not pop culture related (sprinkler system repair, a job that actually pays cash money, and general out-doorsy things) we finally get to get back to the things we love.

The Office came back last week, the new Kooks album came out yesterday, and you all get a special guest post tomorrow. Things couldn't be better!

I might have mentioned this before, but I am mentioning it again here and now. The Office is the best show on TV right now (well, maybe in a tie with How I Met Your Mother and Lost). Anyway, it may be the most real and cringe inducing. Just how awkward can things get on that show? That's a rhetorical question, they can get pretty darn awkward. Did you see last week's episode "The Dinner Party"? It was one of the most uncomfortable things I have ever seen on TV (unless you count Curb Your Enthusiam). It was also one of the funniest and most real.

You see, the Office, and the original British series, thrives on awkward and uncomfortable situations. Michael Scott (Steve Carell), as the manager a small New Jersey branch of a paper company, can say some of the most offensive, stupid, and annoying things. However, he usually comes off as real. I could see a desperate and/or pathetic manager doing most of the things Michael does. He is desperate for attention, friends, and love, and will do whatever it takes to get those things. Just look at how Jan treats him. Yet, he still puts up with it, because it's "love."

All of the characters on the Office come off as flawed and genuine. While this can lead to uncomfortable and awkward moments, they are also very real, and in my mind, this makes the best comedy. I would rather watch realistic situations with realistic characters over some of the weird and stupid spoof movies any day.

Now, I think you need to watch this show if you haven't. I know, I know, I say this all the time, but come on, don't you want to see the great things that pop culture has to offer, and not just whatever is easiest to see. I value my free time, away from the sprinkler systems and jobs, away from the things that we all have to do in this life just to get by. Why would I waste my spare time on junk like According to Jim or by flipping through the channels for hours on end? Why should you?

Check out the Office on DVD to catch up, on NBC Thursday nights for new episodes, or, if you are cheap and still not sold on the show, check out hulu.com and watch full episodes, including the episode from last week "The Dinner Party". Yes, these are full episodes that you can watch for free, with minor and unobtrusive commercial breaks. And the best part is, it's legal! Have fun and don't forget to come back tomorrow, remember, we have a very special guest post!

Secret Invasion or Why I'm No Fanboy

Just like the rest of the world (well, not really) I picked up and read through the first issue of Secret Invasion last week. I moved it to the top of the pile just so I could read it for this post! Anyway, I haven't heard great things about Marvel's latest event. Or really any of the events lately. Most bloggers and fans, etc, seem to be kinda annoyed at Marvel and just don't like what is going on.

I usually think of myself as having good taste in popular culture. I mean, I did start a blog and call myself The Pop Culture Titan, so I must think I know what I am talking about. However, I haven't really agreed with most of Marvel's critics. I truly enjoyed Civil War and World War Hulk, and I am looking forward to Secret Invasion. I think that Tony Stark, while pretty arrogant with maybe a hint of God-complex, is just trying to do what he thinks is right. I really have liked just about everything Marvel has done lately (with the exception of One More day).


So, why then do I like this stuff which most of the other critics and fans (well, vocal ones at least) don't like? I have spent the last year trying to figure this out, and the other night it just came to me (just in time for this post it seems ; ).


I have a theory as to why I enjoy these turns of events while other fans do not. I am not a life long Marvel fan. For those of you who have read this blog in the past, you will know that I grew up reading my mom's old DC books from the Silver age. I grew up with them and really cared about them and their world. That's why when I tried to read them a couple of years ago I was frustrated and confused. They were not the characters I grew up in. There was a lot of mythology and history that I did not understand.



Not so with Marvel. I had no history with these characters. I had no emotional connection to them. I don't care if the status quo changes or if main characters die or are reborn or whatever. While I knew the basics of who everyone was and what their powers were, I did not have 40 years of continuity to turn to and look back on nostalgically. I am able to experience all of this as if it were new. Because to me it is. I like the overall world and universe of Marvel. I like that the world really does seem to change in the "world changing" events.

Now, I may grow into a fanboy at some point. One who feels that Marvel owes me something for being a loyal reader (besides great stories and art). One who gets upset and threatens the lives of comic book company employees for what they do with a copyrighted character that exists solely to make that company money. One who decides to boycott a company because it killed off a character or decides to change direction with another. But, I doubt it, that's all pretty stupid. I doubt I will ever become the kind of person who gets angry, bitter, resentful, or moody because of a comic. They are pure pop culture and that is all they will ever be.

Now, trust no one, the Skrulls are everywhere. Make Mine Marvel, and whatnot. Tune in tomorrow where we welcome back The Office (where I'm pretty sure Jan and Andy are Skrulls by the way). And don't forget to show up on Thursday for a special guest post!

Oh Snap! Tom the Titan is a Skrull!!

Movie Mondays - Sometimes What They Say is True!

Watched two movies this weekend. Tried to watch a little something that Mrs Titan might enjoy this weekend, so we watched Enchanted and License to Wed. One was pretty good and one was pretty crappy, and guess what, the critics were spot on this time.

Enchanted was a great, fun film. It is essentially the story of a Disney fairy tale princess who comes to the real world. Giselle, played perfectly by Amy Adams, is kinda like a combination of Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty all rolled into one. After a brief romance with a prince she ends up in New York City. This is, obviously, where the movie gets fun, there are big musical numbers with animals and people, and Giselle brings her idea of true, unconditional love to the real, cynical world of modern New York.

This really was a great film, but I do have one nit to pick about it. It seems as if every other romantic comedy or drama out there involves an engaged couple where one or both parties cheat. Usually the other person is a jerk to the main character, so, I guess that means that it is acceptable. Other times, like in the Notebook, or Enchanted, there is nothing at all wrong with the fiance(e). They are perfectly nice people, just not fleshed out characters. This seems to be a common theme and always seems to annoy me. For Enchanted, however, this was easy to over look as the film as a whole was great fun to watch and is very enjoyable, check it out!

License to Wed on the other hand was not so great. I ignored the critics to check this one out for a mainly one reason, the actors. This film stars Mandy Moore and John Krasinski as an engaged couple who have to go through a rigorous and intrusive pre-marital class before their pastor (Robin Williams) will marry them.

I actually have two things to praise this movie for before I get into it. First, I am a strong believer in pre-marital courses. Mrs Titan and I took one before our big day and more than anything it brought up issues and scenarios that we had not spent much time thinking about before we got engaged. In that sense it was nice to see a movie based on this important part of a marriage. Secondly, and shockingly, Robin Williams did not annoy the crap out of me. In any of his recent stuff I can't stand the guy. Did you see his American Idol scene? I wanted to gouge my eyes and ears out! Anyway, while he was (unintentionally) a terrible pastor, setting a bad example for children and his flock, his character was trying to help others and had none of the usual annoying habits of most of Williams' characters.

Now, what I didn't like about the movie was just about everything else. The characters really weren't all that likable. I think Jim Krasinski is pretty incredible in The Office, but he did not have much of that charm in this movie. Especially towards the end where he is frustrated with the class and resorts to breaking and entering and just being a jerk. Mandy Moore (great in How I Met Your Mother and Scrubs) is equally obnoxious, there really is no chemistry between these two. Robin Williams, while not annoying, was nothing special. Even though I did not have high hopes for this movie I was still disappointed by the two leads. Oh well, sometimes the critics can be right I guess!

I have a great week lined up for everybody, with Secret Invasion, and the return of The Office. Also, I have a special guest post on Thursday!

Friday - The Sims and Other Time Wasters

No, this post isn't all about Chris. I'm talking about the computer game. You know, the one that came out over eight years ago. Wait! Don't leave!

I was addicted to the Sims when it first came out. I played it like crazy. I'm sure I spent all of my free time for a couple of months glued to my computer playing it. Seems odd considering that it is a life simulator and I could have been living my own. Oh well, it was fun, and I really loved trying to earn as much money as I could and upgrading all of my stuff. I wish I could upgrade all of my stuff that quickly in real life!

I got about 4 of the expansion packs and enjoyed those as well, but by the time Sims 2 came out in 2004 I had kinda lost interest, and in fact, I only picked it up to try to entice the future Mrs Titan into spending time with me. (PS it worked!). Anyway, she immediately got hooked. Since then we have purchased four of the seven expansion packs.

I think I have mentioned before that my computer is old. I can no longer pick up new games to play, so I kinda rely on the graphics-low or older games. I recently spent the last month playing Civ IV off and on. I love that game, and will always enjoy going back to a Civ game. Well, I finished playing (I won diplomatically for the first time, but I felt like such a pushover giving trade routes and technologies to everyone who asked, what a brown-noser!), and guess what? That's right, I saw Mrs Titan's Sims game and decided to check it out again.

Sims 2 is still great, and all the new content added by the expansion packs (which I have never played before this month) are great. I really enjoy playing and wasting hours in this sandbox style game. I still want a new PC so I can play bleeding-edge games like Crysis, Fallout 3, and Starcraft 2. There are so many great games coming and I will have to settle for whatever comes out on the Xbox. Oh well.

Anyway, if you haven't played Sims (you know, you, the guy living under a rock), check out Sims 2 pick it up from Amazon. You can get Sims 2 and an expansion pack in the Sims 2 Deluxe package. Buy it below so that you can waste hours and hours and help me to afford a new computer all at the same time! It's a win-win (except for your free time!)

Have a great weekend! See you all on Monday, I'm off to spend hours living a fake life through a screen!

Books - Coalescent

Well, I did it! I finished the book in time. It was barely, and I had to stop reading everything else to do it, but I did it for you, my one reader. Don't you just feel so special?

Coalescent by Stephen Baxter, was really a different kind of book than I expected. On the outside, like the cover and the blurb on the back it is a science fiction novel. On the inside...not so much. There are basically two broad stories being told in this novel. The first is that of George Poole, a man looking for his long lost sister in modern England and Regina, a young woman who is a Roman citizen in fifth century Britain, during the fall of the Roman empire.

These stories, as well as the story of one other young woman, are all intertwined. If you decide to pick up the book and read the back, you will quickly find out how and then, of course, wait 200 pages or more to watch it happen (see my Book post from last week). If you are wise and avoid that pitfall, I have a feeling that the reveal would be quite rewarding.

I have to admit that between the two stories I really enjoyed Regina's quite a bit more. Something about the history of Britain during and after the fall of Rome really appealed to me. It was neat to see the way she thought about things "getting back to normal" and trying to survive when they don't. I had a really hard time relating to George as a character, as he just did not seem believable to me. It does, at times, seem that Baxter has a hard time relating believable emotions of characters, which I can see considering he is an engineer. ;)

The ending of this book, while not a twist, was a bit odd. I won't spoil it for you here, but two of the last chapters take quite a turn that really force a stretch of the imagination. I suspect that these lead into the three sequels, which it seems will be much more sci-fi oriented. While it is the first book of a series, I do think that it could stand on it's own, but I look forward to checking out the next books in the series.

I do believe that this book was well worth my time, and it you are interested in history and unique takes on society check this book out. Treat it as a stand alone novel, and you won't be disappointed.

TV - Creature Comforts

One of the best shows I have ever seen is called Creature Comforts. Created by Nick Park, this may be one of the only nonfiction cartoons (unless you count the biopic Persepolis, or something). This show is simply interviews of British folk as they talk about specific topics. These voices have been animated as animals for hilarious effect.

The show only ran for two seasons on BBC starting in 2003. CBS also aired an American version of the show which only ran for three episodes. I found the original British version on Comedy Central about two years ago at three in the morning. I couldn't sleep and I found an amazing show. How lucky am I?

I'm not sure what it is about this show that is so great. It is essentially everyday people, no one famous or leading amazing lives, just talking about a given subject. What makes it so special for me is Nick Park's amazing style of clay animation. The creatures really come alive and seem real. You have probably seen Park's work before in Chicken Run, Wallace and Gromit, or the incredible Flushed Away.

One of the amazing things about the show is how the personality or background of the speaker will match the animal that is chosen. For instance, the seeing-eye dog is actually a blind woman. There is a hamster in a tiny cage (my favorite) who just feels trapped by his life. The depressed older man is an old blood hound. The runner is a greyhound. Every animal was chosen for these people for a reason, they were no chosen at random.

I will admit that everytime I watch the show I have to put on the subtitles because something will slip by me with those accents and I won't quite understand what was said, but it is always worth it. The American version was easier to understand, but with only three episodes, there wasn't enough time to really begin to care about the characters.

I am going to include one YouTube video for this, but be warned, this is an entire episode (they are only about 10 minutes long), so it is kinda long. Watch it if you have time.



Every episode is available to purchase at Amazon.com, including the full seven episodes of the American version. Check them out along with the rest of Nick Park's stuff!



Tune in tomorrow to find out if I was able to finish my book in time for the post!

Comics - Buying Habits

You know, checking comics blogs, which I seem to do way too much at work (shhh...don't tell anyone), I notice that everyone is always up to date. It seems like as soon as the new issues come out on Wednesday, everyone has read, reviewed and posted on all of them.

This is not me. I buy my comics monthly, I know, the shame. I go down to my local comic shop. Well, not my local one, we only have 3 comic shops in town, one of them treats me like crap, the other is in the mall (I hate the mall), and the third is pretty great, but tiny. It is also the farthest away from my house. So, I only go about once a month. Oh, that and I only read about one comic a day. I really enjoy getting my comics and reading them. I am excited every time I visit the shop, but I just can't see going every week.

I also don't like to browse too much. This is for two reasons:

1) I will spend too much money. There is always stuff I want to check out, and I just know that if I were to go and buy every cool thing I saw I would be broke and Mrs Titan would kill me. Also, many trades, etc are cheaper on Amazon, so if I know what I want, I can save some cash.

2) I just love the ability to see what is going to be released in three months and then place an order for what I want to get. This lets me plan what I want to get and I can be a little organized about it. Anything that I want but don't have budgeted for goes on the list to buy in the future.

That leads me to one last point. Lists. I have tons of them. I make lists of things that I am interested in but can't afford or don't want to pay for at the moment. I have lists for DVDs, books, trade paperbacks (comics), and video games. Each is a list of what I plan to buy in the future. I seems unlikely that I will ever get to buy everything on these lists (as they are always changing), but it is nice to be organized about what I want to read and in somewhat of an order of what I want most. I don't miss anything this way!

Well, that's all for today, but I will be back tomorrow to discuss TV, so tune in!

Movie Mondays - The Fountain, or How I Was Tricked by EW

I only watched one movie again this weekend. I've actually been outside. Enjoying the nice weather and beautiful scenery. I know, it's not very pop culture related, so I hope I do not fail you all as the Titan of pop culture.

This weekend I watched The Fountain. It was billed as a science fiction drama and shows three parallel/intertwined stories about man and a woman set over the course of 1000 years. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz star. It sounds like a great movie. I love sci-fi and time travel stories. I really enjoy Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. All the makings of a great movie, right?

Well, not really, this is actually a case where the sum of the parts is less that the total. There were Mayans and conquistadors, a modern scientist attempting to cure cancer, and a futuristic tree in a space bubble flying into a star. Each one of these stories might have made a great movie (well, maybe not the tree in the space bubble, that was pretty weird), but together, it wasn't great.

There are themes that are obvious through each story, the tree, the man and woman, and immortality. I'm sure there are deeper meanings that I miss. I am not an art critic, and frankly, not the best film critic either, but I it seemed as though I needed to be to really understand the movie. The romance was quite sweet, but ultimately, it was a confusing mess that wanted to be an Important Film, but I don't think was.

Yes, it's all this weird.

Before I started writing this review I went on to Rotten Tomatoes to check The Fountain's rating. I assumed it would be pretty high, because that was what I remembered when it first came out. Well, no, it was at 51%, not great. And among the Top Critics, 26%. Not good at all. I scrolled down the list to see why I thought I wanted to see it. Ah, that's it, the EW reviewer gave it a B+, which is pretty good for them. They tricked me! Oh well, they usually steer me true, so I will give them a pass this time.

Magazines

I mentioned in an earlier post that I spend a lot of time reading magazines. I read numerous magazines, and today I want to tell you what I read and why. See my old post My OCD for a reminder on how I read them and an explanation for why I am currently reading the November 2007 issue of Atlantic Weekly. And remember, I read all of these cover to cover, with just a few exceptions.

Entertainment Weekly
I read this for the reviews and previews of everything coming out. I can get an idea of good movies to go see, new books to read, or interesting TV shows that are on. This is the only magazine that I read right when I get it (eight month old movie reviews and TV listings are kinda useless).

PC Gamer
This is where I go to get all my PC Gaming news. At this point my computer is over four years old and upgrading is no longer a priority (stupid home-ownership!), so mostly I read it and dream. It has historically been my favorite gaming magazine.

The Atlantic Monthly
This is my "current events" magazine. Granted, I read it 7 months late, although, it is current enough and almost always interesting. It does seem to skew a little liberal (which can be annoying), but it is usually a good and informed read. I do wish they would bring back their fiction though, that was always a high point for me. Also, they once gave me a free media kit for a class when I asked and were very helpful, even though I paid them nothing and gave them no business. Very classy.

Mental Floss
My most favoritest magazine on this list. Ever issue is full of random and fascinating trivia, all told with a great sense of humor. Where else can you get a list of the 10 Tasty Tidbits about SPAM or The Shocking Truths Behind the Freaks of Coney Island? That's right, no where (well, maybe wikipedia, but that's not as fun).

National Geographic
I was a geography major in college, so this is always fun for me. It's nice to read about other places besides the US every once and a while, as I can get a little sick of the same old thing. Every time I am about ready to decide to drop this magazine, they come out with another stellar issue (you know, like about stars).

Popular Science
This is a new addition for me, but it is always fun. They focus on all sorts of great and interesting new technologies that I really enjoy reading about. If you have never checked this magazine out, do so. It is for the geek in all of us.

Geek Monthly
Okay, maybe this one is for the geek in all of us. This is another new addition for me, but it focuses on geeky things in pop culture (vs Popular Science, focusing on geeky things in science, obviously). This is kinda of like a monthly version of EW that focuses on things I care about (as opposed to Grey's Anatomy or Dancing with the Stars). Lots of geek fun!

Check these out when you get a chance and have a great weekend!

Books - Pet Peeve

I have been having a problem. You see, I started this blog with a goal to write once a week on the topics of Movies, Comics, TV, and Books. Well, since I started writing, I haven't finished a single book. I know, I know, that's bad, I am slow. Well, not just that, I also watch a butt-load of TV and movies, and read lots of comics and magazines. I work a full-time (and then some) job and write this blog, so I don't have a lot of free time to read massive amounts.

Alright, time to stop whining, on to my point. The book I am currently reading, Coalescent by Stephen Baxter, is really great. I am enjoying it a lot and I hope to review it next week. Cross your fingers that I will have time to finish it, it might not happen.

Anyway, I have a major pet peeve with this book, and that is the summary on the back. Back when I still needed to find books to read I would read the backs of books to decide if they looked interesting. I don't do this all that much any more as I have too much to read already and any new stuff I get is through recommendations. However, I still like to read the summary on the back of the book when I am choosing what to read out of my entire large bookshelf full of books I need to read.

Okay, so, I read the summary. I won't repeat it here, but basically it mentioned some plot points in the book. The first point mentioned doesn't appear in the book until page 50 and the next one doesn't show up until page 200. The last point brought up hasn't even showed up yet in the book and I am on page 385! This isn't a thousand page book, there are only 527 pages. So, I am almost done with the book and yet I have been waiting for these things to happen the entire time. Yes, these are important plot points, but there is too much, the back of the book could be much simpler and much more intriguing as well. I will give a brief synopsis when I review the book (either next week or the week after), which will hopefully prove my point.

Either way, I understand that this is the first book in a series of four, but it still annoying to read a book and be waiting for plot points to pop up that you already know are going to happen. This doesn't happen very much any more (unless we talk about movie trailers and "next week on..." TV previews, which I avoid like the plague), but it still happens too much. I think the publishers and/or editors really need to avoid this, as it can make the overall reading of the book disappointing.

I will review (and post a link) to this book at a later date.

TV - Flight of the Conchords

Have you seen this show? I know, it's hard to find and has a weird name, but it needs to be seen by everybody. Flight of the Conchords is all about a band that descibes themselves as "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo."

The show itself is all about their adventures in New York trying to make it. It airs on HBO, but the first season is now out on DVD. I know I wanted to cut back on YouTube videos, but I am going to be putting in long days at the office for the rest of the week, so these can pad them out. Don't think they aren't worth watching, these videos are some of the best I have ever put up. I know they are a little long, but give them a chance. Watch them and then do watch the show. (If you watch only one, watch the last video)







And my favorite:


Binary Solo!!

Comics - Y The Last Man

Well, if you came from a comics blog, or you are a regular comics reader, you have probably heard of Y: The Last Man. If not, you are in for a treat.

I first heard about Y: The Last Man on Amazon.com. I first started reading (modern) comics about four years ago. I started by buying the first trade of Ultimate X-Men. I didn't know much about it, except that it was kind of a reboot of X-Men, which I needed since I missed the first 30 years of continuity not counting the old TV show and the movies. Well, after I purchased this Amazon immediately recommended Y: The Last Man. I think this was because Brian K Vaughan, the creator of Y was also a writer for 21 issues of Ultimate X-Men.

Anyway, long story short, the description looked weird and a little creepy. Also, I was raised thinking that comics were about superheroes, not just any old thing. (Silly me, how much I have learned in the last four years). So, I didn't buy it. Then, about 7 months ago, I noticed a lot of praise from some comics bloggers, so I decided to check it out.

I bought the first trade (a collection of the first five issues). This book was the first story line in the series, and it is amazing. The big picture description of the story: Yorick Brown is the last human male, all other males, of all species, die off. He is on a journey to find his girlfriend in Australia. As you can imagine, society falls apart without men. I don't mean this in a sexist way, think about it: the majority of truck drivers, pilots, farmers, etc are men.

The world Vaughan creates is amazing. There are bands of Amazons who eventually try to hunt down Yorick and kill him. There are many women who believe that God wanted all men destroyed, and think it is a blessing. There are also those who mourn the loss of men and their families and want to try to reverse this.

I have only finished the second trade, but I look forward to many many more. Now, this series wrapped up earlier this year, so I know there is a conclusion and I can't wait to read the rest. There were a total of 60 issues and there will be 10 trades. The last one will be released in June.

This is a great series, so check it out. For those who might need a little extra nudge, Vaughan has also written for Lost. That's right, he has written three episodes including the most recent episode "Meet Kevin Johnson," about the return of Michael to the show. He really is a great writer, and you should check out Y: The Last Man.