My First Night of Class

So, the first night of class has come and gone, and even though I initially dreaded for school to start up again, I think it's going to be a good term. The course material will be interesting, the assignments should be fairly easy, and the class has a good vibe to it.

It does suck that I won't be done until 9:20 at night, and I have to walk clear across campus (which is a lot longer than you might think), but I'm only taking one class this term, so I'm pretty much done for the week.

Also, I'm actually interacting with some of my fellow classmates which has made things more entertaining. Going to class is so much more fun when you have people to talk to and make jokes with.

So, despite my initial unwillingness, I really cannot complain, and it was a good first day. I hope it's an indicator of where the rest of the year is headed.

My Summer

Even though it is late September, my summer is finally coming to an end. On Monday, classes start up again, and I am not looking forward to it. Part of my hesitance is because I don't like sitting in boring classes, but another reason is because I'm not ready for summer to be over especially since I didn't get to do anything that I wanted to do.

I had a relatively short to-do list for this summer, and unfortunately I didn't cross much off of it. For example, I wanted to hit the Oregon coast. One of the benefits of living in Portland is you live in a metropolitan area, but are really close to the ocean and mountains. Last summer, I had the chance to go to the coast and I remembered how much I like being around water (something I realized while in Ireland). Sadly, I didn't have the chance to re-visit the beach, and I don't know if I'll have the chance to go back before I leave Oregon. Ah well.

Also, I really wanted to head up to Seattle for a Mariners game. I had all summer to put together a trip, but I waited until the last series of the season, and didn't ask anyone to go until the day before the game. The planning was a little short-sighted to say the least. Now, I'm not a huge Mariners fan (especially this season), but I do love baseball, and since I can't go to any Astros games this summer, Seattle's my only option. The good thing is, I'll should have a chance to go to a game next season.

Luckily, I did have the chance to head back to Texas for a quick visit, and it was much needed after 8 weeks of summer school. Living so far away is starting to take its toll on me because I don't get to see my family as much as I'd like. I'm lucky if I'm back in Texas every six to seven months, which is OK but not great. My trip back to Midland will hold me over until I go back in December, and then I'll be heading back for good in June (maybe???), so I'll be back home before I know it.

Overall, it wasn't a wasted summer but I do wish I accomplished more. Then again, I was able to cross some classes off of my list, which will make this school year a little more manageable. At least I won't have to sit through as many boring classes this time around.

My Two-Cents on Scrubs: The New Class

For those who don't know me all that well, I only get excited about a handful of things one of which is Scrubs. I jumped on the Scrubs bandwagon after I rented the first three seasons from Netflix, and I started watching the show regularly on NBC starting with Season 5. I've stuck by the show over the past three seasons, and I was excited that it was going to get a proper final season...then the WGA Strike happened, which created an interesting scenario for my favorite show. I originally posted this entry on my Xanga on June 22, 2008 after I read some rumors that Scrubs may go on after the new season on ABC:

So, apparently there are some rumors going around that this upcoming season of Scrubs on ABC may not be its last. There are some talks that Scrubs may continue if this 8th season is a successful one, but it may go on without Zach Braff and Bill Lawrence. This really isn't too much of a revelation because Scrubs has been preparing to go on without Braff for the last few seasons, but this was supposed to be its swan song, so why keep it going rather than bowing out gracefully?

As a fan, I've been waiting for the final season of Scrubs for some time now. Season 5 should have been its last, but it's somehow survived for an additional three seasons, but the last two have lacked that special something that made the show great. Bill Lawrence promises that season 8 will return to form, so why run the risk of the show getting stale again? It needs to take its bow and exit stage left, not stick around for a possible encore. Then again, it's no secret that ABC is in need of traditional sitcoms to add to its lineup, so another season of Scrubs makes sense on paper, but can it survive without J.D.? My first reaction is no.

The show has always revolved around J.D. and his life at Sacred Heart, so No J.D. = No Scrubs. I'm not in favor of continuing Scrubs post-J.D., but I'm open to the idea of a possible spin-off because that's the only way this crazy idea could possibly work. Of course, spin-offs are not new to TV, and they're always hit or miss, but I can't help but think about the Scrubs spin-off possibilities.

I think there are only two possible spin-off scenarios that could work. The one that I'd probably like to see the most would revolve around Elliott and her life as a private practice doctor (which I know sounds like another ABC medical spin-off). Now, this show depends on what happens between J.D. and Elliott in season 8. If the two end up together, then this spin-off shouldn't happen because it would have to involve J.D.'s character. Sure, they could split-up yet again prior to the new show, but that could piss off potential viewers, but if they don't end up together this show could potentially work. I think Elliott's character is the most developed after J.D., and with a few tweaks, she can be a solid lead character of her own show. I would like to see Sarah Chalke become a regular on How I Met Your Mother, but the thought of her own TV show is kinda cool too.

The second spin-off would be about Dr. Cox's Sacred Heart. It would pretty much focus on Dr. Cox as the Chief of Medicine and how he runs the hospital. This idea probably makes the most sense because it has the best chance to maintaining the Scrubs universe. It would be like Scrubs, only not. Plus, you could keep most of the original cast around like Carla and Turk, The Todd, maybe even Ted and Janitor. They've also introduced some interesting, young doctors over the years (i.e. Keith, Rex, and Boone), and Dr. Cox could take a new "Newbie" under his wing. Again, this idea has the most potential, but I'm not sure if it would catch on at all.

There are some ideas that I think have no chance of working. I don't think a Turk-Carla spin-off would do so well because I don't feel Turk is developed enough without J.D., and I just don't like Carla's character. I can't see some of the other minor characters holding their own either. Could you imagine a show just about the Todd or Snoop Dog Attending?

In the end, I hope that season 8 is the end of Scrubs once and for all because it deserves to go out on top, and it shouldn't wear out its welcome and tarnish its reputation.

NOTE: There have been some new developments since I posted this entry, including the news that Judy Reyes (Carla) will not becoming back for a possible ninth season.

My Fanaticism is in Question

I originally posted this entry at MySpace on August 19, 2008 as a response to the whining that was coming from Harry Potter fans after Warner Bros. decided to push back Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince's release date:

I've considered myself to be a decent Harry Potter fan, but I'm starting to rethink how much of a "fan" I really am. For those not in the loop, Warner Bros. has decided to push back the opening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and I was a little bummed at first, but then I started reading some of the backlash from other fans, and I immediately wanted to distance myself from these nutjobs.

People have been leaving posts about how they started crying when they heard the news, or how it was the worst day of their lives, or how they hate the capitalist pigs known as the WB, and so forth and so on. Seriously? People are getting that worked up over a movie being pushed back a few months?

I guess I can appreciate this kind of dedication, but it's also a little scary, and I'm not going to lie, a little pathetic. These kids need to realize that what Warners did is nothing compared to the travesties that others have to face on a daily basis. There are people who don't have the money to buy food, while these fanatics complain about having to wait eight months to drop $20 bucks to see HBP in IMAX. This was the worst day of your life? Ask some Georgians about their worst day, and see if waiting a little longer to watch a movie about a boy wizard compares.

I'm not defending what Warner Bros. did. It was sneaky, and underhanded, but I also understand where they're coming from. They needed a big-name summer movie for 2009. Harry Potter is a pretty big name, so the move makes sense. Are they trying to make a few extra bucks, sure, but the last time I checked that was business. Sure, the WB could have treated the hardcore HP fans with a bit more respect, but this move really doesn't impact the casual fan, which is the bread and butter of the movie industry. It's not like every person who saw The Dark Knight knew all of the Batman mythology. Hell, I didn't even read the HP books until after I saw the first three movies.

What I find most humorous about this whole ordeal is how fans are threatening to boycott this movie, or skip out on the opening weekend, or wait until the DVD comes out. OK, let's look at this from a different point-of-view. Skipping the opening weekend won't do much good if you end up watching the movie a few weeks later. Your money is still going to Warners. The same is true if you buy it on DVD. Now, a true boycott could work, but I doubt the die-hard fans would really do that. And that's the brilliance of the WB's move. Sure, they may have lost a few fans, but most HP fans are still going to see the flick, and they make up the difference by bringing in more casual fans. In the end, this movie is still going to make a nice chunk of change.

So, maybe I'm not a true Harry Potter fan, and I'm OK with that. It's not like I was going to be waiting hours on end in some wizard costume on November 21 to begin with. Now, that's just odd...

My Cut Ties

Apparently I'm on a blogging binge because this is my fourth new blog account over the last few years. For the last two years or so, the majority of the blogging that I did took place on MySpace. The main reason I've started using this account is because I'm tempted to turn my back on MySpace altogether. Recently, I've started to use the new and improved Facebook for my social networking needs, but the lack of a real blog feature caused a need for an alternative. I also use Xanga, but that account is for more personal blogs so I'm not quite ready to open up that can of worms.

MySpace didn't do anything to upset me. I was just tired of the wonkiness of the site, especially compared to the new Facebook. Now, I know that I'm in a huge minority here, but I like the new Facebook layout. I feel that it just looks cleaner and less clunky. I'm glad that I don't have to scroll down past 50 different applications just to see someone's wall, but I digress because this post is not about Facebook.

Over the next couple of days or weeks I'll be re-posting some of my entries from MySpace so I can officially cut ties once and for all. Stay tuned...

My Two-Cents on the Astros

I know that the city of Houston has more important things to worry about than what happened to the Astros about a week ago. For those who don't pay attention to baseball, the Astros were supposed to host the Chicago Cubs for a three game series. Then Hurricane Ike disrupted things, and Major League Baseball moved the series to a neutral site in Milwaukee, WI. The Astros were on a hot-streak that was halted due to this change of venue, and it could have cost the Astros a possible playoff berth.

So, apparently the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Bud Selig is trying to apologize to Astro fans, and he should because having the games played in Milwaukee is far from "neutral" because Cubs fans can travel there fairly easily to create a home field vibe. Also, Brewers fans could have attended the games to help create a hostile environment for the Astros since they were only a few games ahead of Houston for the Wildcard. Either way, Miller Park was not a neutral site. Of course fans are upset because Astros had the chance to come back from the dead to make the playoffs for the third time, which is not an easy task, but MLB played a role in hurting their chances of doing such an amazing feat.

Some non-Astro fans are accusing Houston fans of being whiners because they're still bitching about the crappy hand that was dealt to their beloved team. Let's just turn things around for a bit. If this series was in Chicago, and a huge blizzard hit thus moving the series to let's say Arlington, the Cub fans would be adding the Curse of the Blizzard along with the Billy Goat and Bartman.

Fans are fans. They support their teams and feel shafted when stuff like this happens, so let them complain if they want. I'm an Astros fan, and I was not happy when I heard the news, but I got over it fairly quickly. Some other fans are more invested, and they can feel slighted all they want because we've had to listen to Cubs fans whine and Red Sox whine (up until recently). It's time for the Stros fans to raise some hell.

I do agree that the players shouldn't be as outspoken because it makes them look less professional. They still played the game, and while they weren't at 100% they still had the chance to win, but people cannot discount the mental and physical fatigue the players had to endure. Flying from Houston to Milwaukee on such short notice, worrying about your family, friends, and homes, and playing in a hostile environment will have an impact. It's only human.

So, the players should be quiet and move on, but fans can whine all they want because that's what fans do best!

My Way Home

It's been a week since Hurricane Ike ravaged the Texas coastline, and I'm surprised (and a little mad at myself) that I haven't been keeping up with the aftermath. This is the second time my family's been impacted by a hurricane, and while I know that my sister and her daughter made it safely home to West Texas before the storm hit, that's the extent of what I know. You'd think I'd be more in tune with the goings on in my home state after such a tragedy. Unfortunately, I'm in my own little world up in the Pacific Northwest.

Being so far away has contributed to my ignorance because I'm not in the thick of it up here in Portland. I can watch the footage on CNN or the Weather Channel and be informed, but it doesn't directly impact my daily life, but it should. My family and friends are dealing with the fallout while I sit up in Oregon complaining about a few clouds in the sky. I feel guilty. I feel like I should be back in Texas recovering like my brethren.

The one way that Hurricane Ike did affect me was it convinced me that I need to move back as soon as possible. Over the last couple of years I've learned the valuable lesson that at the end of the day all you have is family. I've been away from mine for too long now, and I need to be closer to them. I need to be there the next time something like this happens so I can take the punches alongside those that mean the most to me.

My family, friends, and fellow Texans are in my thoughts and prayers...no matter how few and far between they may be.

My Booty Embargo

I'm not good at being single. I've always been the relationship kind of guy who enjoys being with someone over being alone. Now, I'm not the kind of person who always has to be in a relationship, and I do enjoy the single lifestyle, but I like having that special girl in my life. Since I've been up in Portland, I've been going through a minor dry-spell, and it's been frustrating but also good for me. I've had a few potential suitors, but nothing serious, and I'm OK with that because each one was special while it lasted, so I'm grateful rather than bitter.

The few near misses have helped me in the long run because they allowed me to sit and examine what I'm looking for right now. After some thinking I've decided to put my love life on hold for the next couple of months. That's right, I'm installing a full booty embargo on myself. No more searching for Miss Right for the foreseeable future. The reason I've decided to do this to myself is because I have no idea where I'm going to be next year.

I made the decision a while back that I'm moving back to Texas once I'm done with graduate school. While I've loved living up in Oregon, I knew it was not going to be a permanent home for me. Texas will always be home, and I can't wait to be back. So, the conclusion I've come to is there really isn't a point in searching for love up in Portland, knowing that I'm leaving in about 9 months. Why put someone or myself through that?

The thing is, I'm the "never say never" type. If the woman of my dreams shows up in the next couple of months, I'm not going to let her pass me by, but I'm not going to dedicate time searching for her either. I'll just let things happen for once...