random Youtube link. good for about 10 minutes. Got it from Digg.

I used to think the similar Honda ad was CG, but apparently it isn't.

Battlestar Galactica, New Evangelion, Lost, and Studio 60

One entirely unsurprising aspect of this year is that since I haven't really found an effective way to study pharmacology, I've been finding a lot of time to watch TV. For instance, I've watched both seasons of Lost again, and began noticing small things. Like how in S2E21 (semi-spoiler), there is a hidden third person when Eko wakes up from his dream, which neither Eko nor Charlie notice. I've even started posting on lost-theories.com because, well, I have a lot of time.

In contrast to my academic career, I've got high hopes for the fall TV season, which I usually don't pay much attention to. Lost's season premiere is next Wed, Oct. 4. New characters should make for new flashbacks, which should address some of the repetitiveness of last season. On the other hand, I think the producers are pushing it a little too far with regards to how little plot has actually progressed. I know the show is mainly driven by suspense and mystery but it's kind of too much when you can summarize everything known about the plot in two lines.

Battlestar Galactica is also scheduled to re-premiere that week, on Friday night. I used to think this show was TV's salvation, but something about it has gotten stale for me. I think it was better when it was only 13 episodes per season, like the first year. Anymore than that and the writers come up with complete crap for filler episodes, like the 2nd year. And this blog. I think I've started to judge shows entirely on how many episodes and scenes can be cut off and still contain a novel, compelling plot. I think under this standard, BSG Season 2 was about five episodes long.

To start wrapping this post up, I watched the series premiere for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip this last monday. It was good. I already saw it on the advance screener that was released last month too, and it was just as good. Basically if you liked West Wing, Sports Night, or I guess even A Few Good Men, you will probably like this show.

Last thing I want to mention is that Hideaki Anno and Gainax just formed a new studio with the goal of completely remaking Evangelion. Not too many details are available so far. If it's anything like the last series, this next mindfuck will consist of four movies released from 2007-2008. That probably means the next 10 years of many anime productions after that will be a whole new slew of imitations.

The King is Dead, Long Live the King!

At the risk of further indulging this blog's spryly irreverent irrelevance (I know that hurt), I regret to inform you that the King of Tonga, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, died today in New Zealand.

Here is the wikipedia entry as well as some other site for those of you keenly interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taufa%27ahau_Tupou_IV

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=484284

To be honest, I thought the joke would end somewhere around here. But it's actually kind of interesting. For one thing, the King died at age 88, which is kind of surprising for a guy who used to weigh more than 450 lbs. To me the weight and being a modern Pacific Islander suggests diabetes, which is what makes his age at death beyond my expectation.

Anyway...

Let me summarize, just for effect. There is a King of Tonga. An actual legitimate title. He was born on the fourth of July, on the last year of WWI, and died on the fifth anniversary of September 11. The consistency of at-best-tenuous coincidence here is astounding.

Wikipedia says that on official visits to Germany, the Germans had to build special chairs to support his weight. Quote, "The king used to take them home, considering them as state presents." Obviously the lack of context leaves open the suggestion that the Germans thought otherwise. But it's nice to think that only the King of Tonga could get away with receiving special accommodations, and then stealing them.

What surprised me the most was that the King of Tonga had a Court Jester. Even if Jesse Bogdonoff's appointment as Court Jester was mostly a gimmick to attract tourism, and even though he went on to swindle the Tongan nation of millions of dollars, FROM 1999 to 2001, THERE WAS A COURT JESTER ON THIS PLANET SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC!

Three whole years I was deprived of this knowledge that would have made my life marginally happier. Woe is my ignorance.

Apparently the British Monarchy got wind of the idea and appointed their own Jester in 2004. A little too late to the party though. King Taufa'ahau gets all the credit in my book. He is now the historical character that I would most like to meet. I mean, how awesome would it be to, for instance, eat with an overweight island King? I'd bet that dude had an appetite. For some reason I am imagining him downing an entire turkey, all the while keeping a completely expressionless face. As would befit royalty.

Long live the King.

I so completely told you so

http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/erupted.html