Lantern7

It's a mixed blessing . . . now he either wears a suit of armor (Wisconsin) or dresses in spandex (Duke). Good concept, though.

Damn, I've been watching the show for too long. After the first few names, everything is a blur to me. And Kimmi Kappenberg? Wow, that's a blast from the past. There are five slot from Worlds Apart? It should be interesting to see those people take up time at the Reunion, trying to get a head-start on the campaigning.

For some reason, I thought it was Survivor. Was that a Dome challenge? The episodes kind of blur together for me, and I don't really want TAR and The Challenge to mix under any circumstances.

Well, that was painful. It's hard to look for bright spots this week. To wit: 1. Hey, reindeer! And I think the one with the taskmistress tried to eat a clue. 2. The top two teams deserved their positions, running the race with little difficulty. Now if I can only be bothered to tell them apart from the rest of the herd. 3. The "Behind The Scenes" pseudo-commercial was pretty neat. Why not put a longer version online, like how Survivor shows how challenges are created? 4. Rochelle rocked. Sure, she and Mike can't drive stick, but she sucked up her fear of heights and managed to race another day. Bonus: they got the Date Night. Everything else? Not Emmy-worthy. Stick mishaps, another lost fanny pack, and one team just peters out in the end, forcing a Phield Philimination. And Hayley. I bet Blair can put up with it like a champ. Otherwise, this show would be on ID, with a title like My Blind Date From Hell or something like that. Free Blair!

I think Archer was right. The gang had been set up to fail so many times. I mean, why call upon that motley crew to get miniaturized? Dennis Quaid probably wouldn't have made as big a mess. Plus, you have unforeseen stuff, like TV's Michael Grey pulling a Pam/Cheryl and stowing away. What's next? I'm sure it'll be good, but the crew has a limited set of skills between them. Also, without Krieger's access to tech, Ray's probably a dead man.

Nearing the end of my first week. It's a little tedious, but I've managed to keep interested. I've run into all sorts of interesting documents. Going to bed around 10:30 p.m. is weird, but I've gotten used to it.

I got the latest TV Guide today. We'll be getting a two-hour episode of TAR on April 17. With our luck, ninety minutes of that will be Hayley bitching at Blair.

Forgot about Ray being a Whovian. That's enough for me to not root for him to get brain damaged. If he suggests that Clara might be the worst companion ever, I'll have to be on his side.

Did Jenn set a record? That was six (seven?) votes negated by a hidden idol. I don't think somebody saved themselves (or others) on that scope before. Poor Kelly . .. . at least she can get her head checked for a concussion. I'm liking Shirin. "Merica" is a dumb name for the merged tribe. She might have struck some as pissy, but somebody had to roll their eyes at the name. Also liked the high-fiving Jenn at TC. She recognizes good gameplay, so that's another positive. I'm lost about strategy . . . all I knew was Joe winning Immunity would mess up others' plans, so he was worth rooting for. Sucks to be Dan and Will, not being able to work the poles because of their weight. Only thin missing was Probst shouting "BOOM badda BOOM badda BOOM" as they trudged to the bench.

Damn. The writers like going big. No way the genie is going to be shoved back into the bottle, even if Roy does fancy flips to make it happen. Anybody else amazed that Quentin's heart hasn't given out? He's been raging like a Red Lantern ever since he found out Sara died. Also: punk move by Ra's telling Quentin about Ollie outright. And that was to push him into becoming the new Ra's? Silly long-lived tyrant .. . Ollie would rather have manpain than to reign in hell. I'm not bugged by Ray. I'm guessing Felicity jabbed him with the nanotech because she was probably going to go to jail for helping Oliver out anyway, so why not help the big lug. And yes, I'm hoping the deus ex macchina kicks in, and we have a canon Atom on our hands. ETA: I kinda miss Gothlicity. That's where my mind went seeing her mother. Well . . . one of the places my mind went.

Damn, I completely forgot about it. That's what having a new job will do for you.

It's Barry Allen in My Three Dads! He learns to mistrust Science!Dad, gets another heart-to-heart with Police!Dad, and reveals his secret to Actual!Dad. And Eddie. Is it a reflex to unveil that that? Nice to see Mark Hamil, especially outside the spandex. It's kind of weird seeing somebody channeling the Joker without the clown makeup, though it is kind of cool. Pity Axel Walker was a wanker, though. I'm hoping Joe lives past this season. I like the pep talks with Barry.

Bad news . . . One Piece won't be running repeats at 8:30 after Dragonball Z Kai anymore.

According to [as], the next episode slated to air is "A Once in a Lifetime Chance."

I'm hitting the character thread on the official site. I want to attach names to the faces. Ryuko Matoi: punk girl. Not the perfect daughter, but wants to avenge her father's death. Wields a giant scissor blade that was used to impale her dad. Wears a sentient schoolgirl outfit that amplifies her abilities. Senketsu:The aforementioned uniform. The exact term for it is “kamui." Gets powered up by Ryuko's blood, revealing more of her skin in the process. Has a bit of a temper. Likes being ironed. Probably not the most insane thing about this anime. Mako Mankanshoku: Ryuko's self-appointed best friend. Bit of a ditz. Comes from a family (parents/older brother/dog) that operates a back alley clinic in the slums outside the Academy. Usually good for one friendship speech per episode. Was the president of the Fight Club that Ryuko set up, but bailed out because power corrupted her. Satsuki Kiryuin: Scary, scary, scary girl. She rules over Honnouji Academy with an iron hand. She also controls the Big Four that controls the school . . . and that was before trying on a kamui. Suspect Number One in the death of Ryuko's father. Usually good for one "people are pigs in disguise" speech per episode. Did I mention she's scary? Aikuro Mikisugi: Ryuko's homeroom teacher. Comes across as a perv, at least to me. Might be a nudist, though I'm not sure. Probably knows more about what's what than he lets on. Has shiny nipples. Uzu Sanageyama: Member of the Big Four. Had a special technique related to his eyes that gave him an edge in battles . . . then Ryuko covered up his eyesight in battle and shredded his Three Star Goku Uniform. In order to get back in Satsuki's graces, he got the president of the Sewing Club (I shit you not) to seal his eyes shut. Doing so has unlocked freaky new abilities, which he used to defeat Ryuko. Ira Gamagoori: Big Four. He's allllllllll about the discipline. Big dude. His Goku Uniform allows him to bulk up while being attacked. No clue as to whether he gets aroused in battle, but that wouldn't surprise me. Also: what kind of Japanese name is "Ira"? It's like "Chad" in Bleach. Houka Inumuta: Big Four. Tech guy. Has a uniform with a collar that snaps shut every time he stops talking. Probably has techno mojo for his Goku Uniform. Nonon Jakuzure: Big Four. Only female member. Runs the non-athletic clubs. Dresses like Hell's majorette. Is there anybody else that needs to be spotlighted?

Just want to see if anybody caught the latest episode. Spandam got his snail transponders mixed up, and he invoked a Buster Call on Enies Lobby itself. For added yuks, his tirade about trading lives to many more gets broadcast all over the island. Not much else goes on, save for the Galley-La/Franky Family alliance getting tied up and held captive, and the giants going down by force. I think Nami called Kalifa a bitch, but I'm not 100 percent on that.

Article for Topless Robot about Adult Swim's "drive-in" event. For the record, the longest-running show is now know as Aqua Teen Forever.

I started a new job today. Bad news: I had to be there at 8 a.m., and I think I'll be expected to show up then, which means waking up before 5:30. Also, it took several calls for me to get somebody to retrieve me, because the address provided by the temp agency was a loading dock. I got cut loose at 3, though, so that was good. Also good: my late night schedule from Comedy Central is in repeats this week, which means less stress on my DVR (though I'll have to record the Roast of Justin Bieber tonight). The job itself isn't too hard, though I do tend to be a little messy about it. It's supposed to be an eight-month assignment, so fingers crossed that I can last that long.

I'm in. I can't tell you the names of any of the characters beyond the dog (Guts!), but the show is unique enough to merit deep thought. In the latest episode, Maitou (??) and her ditzy friend (I'm so not good with names) spend a quality car ride with the disciplinary chair. The guy's first name is "Ira," I can remember that much. This happens after the Academy's queen bee declares a battle royale posing as a school election, and Ira (I know, he's better known for his last name) becomes a target for a merged afterschool club (automotive and aircraft). He dispatches them easily enough with his Goku uniform. In the next episode, he's set to face off against Maitou, who's currently 1-1 against the Big Four of the Academy. Also, we get a flashback of Maitou seeing her slain father for the last time, with the scissor blade stuck in him, and it's heavily implied that the queen bee did the deed . . . which probably means someone else killed him. ETA: The 1-1 record comes off the same guy. To give you a taste of how hardcore this anime is, he's a dude that formerly used his superior eyesight to gain the upper hand against his opponents. After getting his Goku uniform shredded, motherfucker has his damn eyes sewn shut. Now, he's basically Daredevil with cool sunglasses.

Agreed about "Death Gun" . . . it sounds ridiculous. Like a mid-90s Image Comics antihero. We didn't get much of Kirito being "l33t," but I'm sure his MMORPG skills are still sharp. The big question is whether he's going to bring Asuna with him. After the events of the second season of SAO, I wouldn't blame her for swearing off gaming forever.

Just a quick heads=up: with Sword Art Online II running at 1 a.m., Shippuden has been moved to 2.

From Grantland: David Jacoby has mixed emotions about the finale. He lost me when he labeled Sarah as a "new villain." To Johnny and Nia, maybe.

Well, if you want animation, the third season of China, IL kicks off next Sunday. Here's a teaser I found on YouTube, which pales to that of S2. I don't know if they're sticking to the half-hour format or not.

CBR has a preview of the comic, which comes out next week. I'll say this much, the writer has the voices down pat.

I forgot about the Spandam/Robin scene. That is rough to watch, because Spandam is such a pantload. Forgive me if I'm repeating myself, but I like it when One Piece arc villains are wicked strong. Sure, Lucci might be considered the Big Bad, but Spandam is his boss, and it's been established that the wanker is weaker than an average Marine.