Shows and Survey
Normally, I'm somewhat excited about the new shows every fall. But the last couple of years, I found myself less and less excited. I'm not sure if it's because I'm old or if I'm just out of the target audience or both. So far, this year, I've tried The Orville, Star Trek: Discovery, and The Gift.
The Orville
From previews and such, I expected it to basically be Galaxy Quest, the TV show, by Seth McFarlane. So I expected it to basically be a comedy spoofing Star Trek. But it turned out to be an hour long show which doesn't seem to know if it wants to be a comedy/spoof or a serious show. I'm guessing it's going for light-hearted adventure, but I think it just comes off as a poor Star Trek ripoff, which isn't funny or interesting enough. So after about three episodes, we gave up on it. It's a shame since Adrianne Palicki (Bobbi from Agents of SHIELD) is in it.
Star Trek: Discovery
I didn't really follow much about Discovery before its release. I mainly knew that Sonequa Martin-Green was going to be a non-captain main character in a prequel with Michelle Yeoh as the captain. So when it was released, I tried it and I really enjoyed the first two episodes. I think it's the most "Star Trek"-y feeling that I felt in a long time (probably since I gave up on Voyager). So that's definitely good! The series turns a bit after the first few episodes, but it's fairly interesting. I'd say I'm not a fan of the "re-imagined" Klingons, but I do think the Starfleet uniforms and all the ships look nice. And somehow, my biggest gripe with the show is the science aspects. First, no matter how much they say it's based on real theories, I can't get behind the bio-drive, at all. Not only is it too "out there" (hippy), but it's also instant travel (too strong). Additionally, since this is a prequel, it kind of begs the question why we haven't see/heard of such a monumental discovery. But I am generally liking Discovery, minus the science, which actually is fairly central to the series. After four episodes, I'd say I very much liked 1 and 2, 3 was good, and 4 was kind of eh-okay. So I'll definitely continue with Discovery and hope it'll revive the dead Star Trek television franchise.
The Gifted
Again, another show that I didn't really know much about except it was Fox's show about mutants. And that was all I knew about it. It turns out that Amy Acker is in it, so that's great since I like her a good deal. After two episodes, its okay. I think the characters are non-annoying so far, so that's good (and actually rare enough that it needs to be said). It also is building on the "no X-Men" theme from Logan, so I'll be interested to see how that's handled and if it ties into the movies. The show suffers a bit from too many mutants having a generic (similar) telekinetic/pushing power, but I guess that's generically what's popular? Anyway, I'd so after two episodes, it's good enough to continue with.
In other news, I was rooting for the Indians, who lost last night. But I guess I don't mind the Yanks, so I wasn't too invested, like last year's World Series. I'll be now rooting for them Yanks against the Astros. In the NL, I'll root for the Nats > Dodgers > Cubs, but I guess I'd generally be for the Yanks in totality.
stolen survey
Tattoos: None, definitely too permanent for me!
Surgeries: I don't know if it counts as surgery, but I was knocked out and they put a camera in me to look at an ulcer at some point.
Broken bones: I don't think I've had broken bones, but lots of stitches.
Shot a gun: A few times at shooting ranges. Once was in NYC. We had to shoot .22 rifles because of wacky laws but it was fun because it was my first time. Then we shot 9mm USPs in NJ because NJ is clearly superior to NYC. And the last time was in Las Vegas, where they're crazy, so we were able to shoot lots of fun guns like sniper rifles and fully automatics (SMGs and AKs/M4s). All the times were fun, the first was the first, the second was the most educational, and the third was the craziest.
Quit a job: Actually I haven't since I only had a few and all of them were mutual leaving because of timing (starting college, ending college, etc).
Flown on a plane: Yes. I hate short domestic flights and enjoy long international ones, which seems to be the opposite of most people.
100+miles in car: 100+ miles seems quite short. Obviously life-time. But also done that in one day and one outing, so yeah.
Gone zip lining: Yeah, it's much less extreme than advertised. It's actually quite relaxing. In Cancun (Xplore), I did zip-lining through waterfalls and into water, which was quite fun. The previous time was in Puerto Rico where it was above a rainforest canopy, which was relaxing as stated.
Watched someone give birth: Negative; seems very personal and kind of scary, so it's not something I'd look for.
Watched someone dying: No humans, just pets.
Ridden in an ambulance: When I hit my head against a mailbox while throwing rocks at my brothers since that's what little boys do for fun while walking home from school. I think I was in first grade.
Been to:
... Canada: Several times since my uncle and cousins live in Toronto. I also went with Angie and we did the Niagra Falls/Toronto area.
... to Europe: Yes, we've been to Greece, France, England, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria. I thoroughly enjoy our European trips!
... to Washington D.C: A few times. I feel like I did a school trip once, a family trip, and recently a trip with Angie for Jessie's wedding.
... to Florida: We went to Florida several times as kids, then as our senior class trip, and a few times with Angie (2 or 3).
... to Colorado: We stopped by Colorado Springs, Denver, and Pagosa Springs on our roadtrip from Las Vegas to Mount Rushmore.
... to Mexico: Been to Cancun twice, once at a couples resort with Angie and once because my brother got married there.
... to Las Vegas: A few times: once before the age of 21 with my family. Once during the World Series of Poker with a few friends (they played in some events; I did not), and recently because Mark (who lives there) got married. We roadtripped out of it (as stated above).
Sang karaoke: Does Rockband count? It should right?
Had a pet: Pretty much perpetually except when I was super young and a few college/post college years (although I did have a betta during college at some point).
Been downhill skiing: Not skiing, but snowboarding.
Gone snowboarding: I used to do a few times a season, but we haven't gone in a while because of no real good reason. Should get back to it someday before I totally forget everything.
Ability to read music: Yar, I took piano when I was very young, so it's something I can always remember doing. Now playing is a different matter since I haven't played in so long.
Rode a motorcycle: No, but it was something I really wanted to get after I got a job, but never did. Now, I'm not sure the cost effectiveness of it.
Rode a horse: A vacation a few times: once in the Caribbean which was extra cool since we went through the water on them. I want to say that wasn't the only time, but I can't recall another specific time.
Stayed in a hospital: I don't think I've ever stayed overnight in a hospital. I was treated after the ambulance ride of mailbox hitting as spoken of above, but I don't even remember it (maybe I was concussed?).
Driven a stick shift: Yes! My current car is manual transmission because I wanted to learn and it'd be weak to have an automatic sports car. I pretty much tried/learned the basics on a weekend, then just jumped into it and bought a manual car and had to learn. I remember thinking that first week was terrible and I totally regretted my decision, but after getting used to it, I'm very glad that I did it.
Ride in Police Car: I don't think I ever did.
Driven a Boat: Only if you count rowboats and kayaks.
Eaten Escargot: Yeah, I liked to try lots of foods so I probably ate escargot when I was pretty young. And I had to try it when we were in France. But in honestly, I eat it enough that it's rare, but not exotic.
Seen a UFO: Negative.
Been on a Cruise: Several: Carnival with my family when I was 18-20ish, Holland America with Angie after we were married, a Disney Cruise with Angie's family, and two Royal Caribbeans with Howie/Judy and my family (both included Angie). It's okay, but I think I'd only like to go on a cruise once every few years, which is way less than the people around me want me to go on them.
Run out of Gas: I'm someone who puts off getting gas, but until this year, I've never driven myself out of gas. But I've been adding several additives to my gas tank (and before filling up), so I think it kind of flooded the tank that one time. So I'm more careful now. Oh, I also did once, but it was because of other car issues that I wasn't aware of the level.
Eat Sushi: Yep and often. When we were in Japan, I even tried a really strange (and bad) horsemeat one =P (ick instead of fun face).
Seen a Ghost: NaBrO
The Orville
From previews and such, I expected it to basically be Galaxy Quest, the TV show, by Seth McFarlane. So I expected it to basically be a comedy spoofing Star Trek. But it turned out to be an hour long show which doesn't seem to know if it wants to be a comedy/spoof or a serious show. I'm guessing it's going for light-hearted adventure, but I think it just comes off as a poor Star Trek ripoff, which isn't funny or interesting enough. So after about three episodes, we gave up on it. It's a shame since Adrianne Palicki (Bobbi from Agents of SHIELD) is in it.
Star Trek: Discovery
I didn't really follow much about Discovery before its release. I mainly knew that Sonequa Martin-Green was going to be a non-captain main character in a prequel with Michelle Yeoh as the captain. So when it was released, I tried it and I really enjoyed the first two episodes. I think it's the most "Star Trek"-y feeling that I felt in a long time (probably since I gave up on Voyager). So that's definitely good! The series turns a bit after the first few episodes, but it's fairly interesting. I'd say I'm not a fan of the "re-imagined" Klingons, but I do think the Starfleet uniforms and all the ships look nice. And somehow, my biggest gripe with the show is the science aspects. First, no matter how much they say it's based on real theories, I can't get behind the bio-drive, at all. Not only is it too "out there" (hippy), but it's also instant travel (too strong). Additionally, since this is a prequel, it kind of begs the question why we haven't see/heard of such a monumental discovery. But I am generally liking Discovery, minus the science, which actually is fairly central to the series. After four episodes, I'd say I very much liked 1 and 2, 3 was good, and 4 was kind of eh-okay. So I'll definitely continue with Discovery and hope it'll revive the dead Star Trek television franchise.
The Gifted
Again, another show that I didn't really know much about except it was Fox's show about mutants. And that was all I knew about it. It turns out that Amy Acker is in it, so that's great since I like her a good deal. After two episodes, its okay. I think the characters are non-annoying so far, so that's good (and actually rare enough that it needs to be said). It also is building on the "no X-Men" theme from Logan, so I'll be interested to see how that's handled and if it ties into the movies. The show suffers a bit from too many mutants having a generic (similar) telekinetic/pushing power, but I guess that's generically what's popular? Anyway, I'd so after two episodes, it's good enough to continue with.
In other news, I was rooting for the Indians, who lost last night. But I guess I don't mind the Yanks, so I wasn't too invested, like last year's World Series. I'll be now rooting for them Yanks against the Astros. In the NL, I'll root for the Nats > Dodgers > Cubs, but I guess I'd generally be for the Yanks in totality.
stolen survey
Tattoos: None, definitely too permanent for me!
Surgeries: I don't know if it counts as surgery, but I was knocked out and they put a camera in me to look at an ulcer at some point.
Broken bones: I don't think I've had broken bones, but lots of stitches.
Shot a gun: A few times at shooting ranges. Once was in NYC. We had to shoot .22 rifles because of wacky laws but it was fun because it was my first time. Then we shot 9mm USPs in NJ because NJ is clearly superior to NYC. And the last time was in Las Vegas, where they're crazy, so we were able to shoot lots of fun guns like sniper rifles and fully automatics (SMGs and AKs/M4s). All the times were fun, the first was the first, the second was the most educational, and the third was the craziest.
Quit a job: Actually I haven't since I only had a few and all of them were mutual leaving because of timing (starting college, ending college, etc).
Flown on a plane: Yes. I hate short domestic flights and enjoy long international ones, which seems to be the opposite of most people.
100+miles in car: 100+ miles seems quite short. Obviously life-time. But also done that in one day and one outing, so yeah.
Gone zip lining: Yeah, it's much less extreme than advertised. It's actually quite relaxing. In Cancun (Xplore), I did zip-lining through waterfalls and into water, which was quite fun. The previous time was in Puerto Rico where it was above a rainforest canopy, which was relaxing as stated.
Watched someone give birth: Negative; seems very personal and kind of scary, so it's not something I'd look for.
Watched someone dying: No humans, just pets.
Ridden in an ambulance: When I hit my head against a mailbox while throwing rocks at my brothers since that's what little boys do for fun while walking home from school. I think I was in first grade.
Been to:
... Canada: Several times since my uncle and cousins live in Toronto. I also went with Angie and we did the Niagra Falls/Toronto area.
... to Europe: Yes, we've been to Greece, France, England, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria. I thoroughly enjoy our European trips!
... to Washington D.C: A few times. I feel like I did a school trip once, a family trip, and recently a trip with Angie for Jessie's wedding.
... to Florida: We went to Florida several times as kids, then as our senior class trip, and a few times with Angie (2 or 3).
... to Colorado: We stopped by Colorado Springs, Denver, and Pagosa Springs on our roadtrip from Las Vegas to Mount Rushmore.
... to Mexico: Been to Cancun twice, once at a couples resort with Angie and once because my brother got married there.
... to Las Vegas: A few times: once before the age of 21 with my family. Once during the World Series of Poker with a few friends (they played in some events; I did not), and recently because Mark (who lives there) got married. We roadtripped out of it (as stated above).
Sang karaoke: Does Rockband count? It should right?
Had a pet: Pretty much perpetually except when I was super young and a few college/post college years (although I did have a betta during college at some point).
Been downhill skiing: Not skiing, but snowboarding.
Gone snowboarding: I used to do a few times a season, but we haven't gone in a while because of no real good reason. Should get back to it someday before I totally forget everything.
Ability to read music: Yar, I took piano when I was very young, so it's something I can always remember doing. Now playing is a different matter since I haven't played in so long.
Rode a motorcycle: No, but it was something I really wanted to get after I got a job, but never did. Now, I'm not sure the cost effectiveness of it.
Rode a horse: A vacation a few times: once in the Caribbean which was extra cool since we went through the water on them. I want to say that wasn't the only time, but I can't recall another specific time.
Stayed in a hospital: I don't think I've ever stayed overnight in a hospital. I was treated after the ambulance ride of mailbox hitting as spoken of above, but I don't even remember it (maybe I was concussed?).
Driven a stick shift: Yes! My current car is manual transmission because I wanted to learn and it'd be weak to have an automatic sports car. I pretty much tried/learned the basics on a weekend, then just jumped into it and bought a manual car and had to learn. I remember thinking that first week was terrible and I totally regretted my decision, but after getting used to it, I'm very glad that I did it.
Ride in Police Car: I don't think I ever did.
Driven a Boat: Only if you count rowboats and kayaks.
Eaten Escargot: Yeah, I liked to try lots of foods so I probably ate escargot when I was pretty young. And I had to try it when we were in France. But in honestly, I eat it enough that it's rare, but not exotic.
Seen a UFO: Negative.
Been on a Cruise: Several: Carnival with my family when I was 18-20ish, Holland America with Angie after we were married, a Disney Cruise with Angie's family, and two Royal Caribbeans with Howie/Judy and my family (both included Angie). It's okay, but I think I'd only like to go on a cruise once every few years, which is way less than the people around me want me to go on them.
Run out of Gas: I'm someone who puts off getting gas, but until this year, I've never driven myself out of gas. But I've been adding several additives to my gas tank (and before filling up), so I think it kind of flooded the tank that one time. So I'm more careful now. Oh, I also did once, but it was because of other car issues that I wasn't aware of the level.
Eat Sushi: Yep and often. When we were in Japan, I even tried a really strange (and bad) horsemeat one =P (ick instead of fun face).
Seen a Ghost: NaBrO