Reflective Thoughts on 2008

As I look back at the past year and the experiences that have shaped my life and current direction, my mind focuses on a select few I thought I'd share as 2008 comes to a close.

Although several of my favorite television programs were canceled this past year, I'm still pleased that Chuck hasn't been axed yet.

I've finally lived up to one of my perpetual resolutions and got out to the movies quite a bit this past year. Looking back, I suspect that had more to do with the number of interesting movies released more than a general desire to get out to the show, however.

As I wear my new pair of glasses with my updated prescription lenses, I begin to realize how much I must've been squinting when watching TV or movies with my old pair.

I've updated my list of fake names to include "Funky Buckwald" and "Dr. Quincy R. Mason", putting my total at five fake names to hold onto when the situation calls for it.

I still haven't gotten sick of Coke Zero, egg salad sandwiches, four cheese Bistro Crustinis, and fruit and yogurt bowls, despite the frequency with which I enjoy those food items.

I've unexpectedly found myself attracted to my barber, a comely young woman with a fondness for dyeing her hair and tattooing her hips. I think, more than all of the other indications offered throughout the year, that the fact I considered asking her out a sign that my troubles with depression are improving. And thanks to the wonders of the internet I was able to discover she's (sadly) currently attached, sparing me the embarrassment of asking her out and making things awkward, especially since she's 'almost' got my haircut right. If only that technology were around when I was in high school.

And then the obligatory ten ten list...

My favorite comic books of the past year (in no particular order):

True Believers (five issues, Marvel Comics)
Green Arrow/Black Canary (twelve issues, DC Comics)
Justice League of America (twelve issues, DC Comics)
Amazing Spider-Girl (twelve issues, Marvel Comics)
Captain America (twelve issues, Marvel Comics)
Avengers: The Initiative (twelve issues, Marvel Comics)
Shadowpact (five issues, DC Comics)
Captain Britain and MI13 (eight issues, Marvel Comics)
Ghost Rider (twelve issues, Marvel Comics)
Blue Beetle (twelve issues, DC Comics)

Hard to say which is my favorite of the lot, but there they are. Not to say I haven't also enjoyed X-Force, the Flash, Vixen, I Hate Gallant Girl, Manhunter, or any of the other series I regularly followed, but those are the ten that spring to mind when I'm thinking of titles I particularly enjoyed or put at the top of my reading pile.

And with that I conclude my personal year-in-review. Are there other things worth noting? Perhaps. An exciting story there, the fact I might be a published author under one of my fake names, the numerous games of online scrabble and wordscraper, the comfort and affordability of the Klobo... but what's the fun in boring you, humble reader, with minutia (however nice the Klobo's turned out to be). Here's to a decent year and the hope that the next will be better yet, and the fact I can finally get around to using two of my favorite seasonal jokes -- saying "wait 'til next year" on January 1st, and toasting to "peace on earth" just as an attractive woman walks by and saying "piece of that fine ass". Slightly crude, true, but amusing to me, no matter how often I pull that old chestnut out.

See you for now, and have a happy new year.

Hi there.

Still feeling fine. Had a veggie delite sub for dinner and got "Extras: The Complete Series" on DVD. Hoping to do some writing.

Here's a link to an interesting article about the modern action hero (featuring my favorite new show "Chuck").

By the way -- NBC aired what would turn out to be the last new episodes of "Chuck" last Thursday night. While it was nice having two all-new episodes air in the same night (albeit sandwiched between... uh, "Celebrity Apprentice"), I question the logic of burning off some of the few new hours of scripted television NBC still has on the same night. And in January. Wouldn't it have been wise to save them for February sweeps? Or two different evenings. Still, the episodes were pretty good, and I'm all but convinced I'll be getting "Chuck" on DVD.

Hi there.

I was writing a long post about what I'm watching on TV nowadays, and it got erased. Still figured I'd leave something here since I haven't written a good post in a little while. I guess I point was a lot of my favorite shows are off the air now -- Arrested Development, Alias, Stella, Justice League Unlimited, and Veronica Mars, for example -- and, amid much apprehension, I was able to find a quartet of new series -- Chuck, Pushing Daisies, Bionic Woman, and Dirty Sexy Money -- to ably fill the void.

And let me tell you, it was a really great post. And long too. I was barely half way through, and we're talking like, six paragraphs. A real kick the balls, is what that is. Oh well.

By the way, I don't know if I mentioned I'm now a writer for the Marvel Appendix website, having contributed two profiles so far, with two waiting to be added. The site is run by one of the guys who handles the Official Marvel Universe Handbooks for Marvel, and some of the contributors to the site have also written for the books, so it's a little daunting and nerve-wracking, but I'm enjoying it. I mean, they haven't said my stuff sucks so far, which, you know, is a good thing.

Anyway, here's a funny picture for some additional filler. Bye for now, then.