Legalize it!

I would like to state before we begin that I do not smoke. I have only tried it twice and have never even gotten high. I believe this should give more weight to my argument though. Yes, I do believe marijuana should be legal. I believe anyone that wants to do it, can easily obtain it. In fact, marijuana is used by roughly 25 million people annually. Under the current system, all we are doing is putting money in the hands of criminals rather than making it legal and taxing the bejesus out of it.

Legalizing marijuana could be very beneficial. The most obvious reason, taxing it and using that money for worthwhile government projects. Not only would that extra money be gained, but we would also save money that is wasted on prosecuting people for using it. So much money is wasted every year for cases involving marijuana use. These cases usually lead to nothing more than a slap on the wrist. So much of this money could be going to more important issues.

People say that marijuana is a gateway drug, and this may be true, but I believe those that are going to do something harder are most likely going to do it anyway with or without marijuana in the equation. A legal market for the drug, however, might in fact reduce the chance to purchase something harder. If you are purchasing it illegally from a drug dealer, they are most likely going to push a harder, more expensive/addicting drug on you. Thats just good business. A legal establishment just selling marijuana reduces the risk of being offered any other drug.

I do think that one negative factor of doing the drug is it will kill brain cells. But no more than going out and getting drunk every weekend. (I base this fact on no research). I can’t remember ever hearing about a marijuana overdose though. I do not see how smoking can be worse than getting sickly drunk each weekend.

It can be argued that marijuana has some positive attributes. Such as providing relief to pain and stress and can be used as a way to relax. Not that I am saying you should do it every time you want to relax. The good outweighs the bad when it comes to legalizing marijuana. Extra money to benefit our country rather than sending it back to criminals is enough of an argument alone. Also, lets not ignore the jobs it could create! We are talking about a whole new market for hemp. I believe one day we will see it legalized, but that day may not come anytime soon.

END OF YEAR LISTS (continued)

Merry Christmas and happy holidays 3184ers! Today we will continue my year end lists with favorite albums and tv shows. Enjoy!

Top 10 Albums

10. Godsmack - The Oracle - After a bit of a hiatus Godsmack is back and better than ever. Great album.

9. Minus the Bear - Omni - Just a good mellow rock album.

8. Apocalyptica - 7th Symphony - The best symphonic metal band out there. Great mix of cello and hard rock.

7. Depswa - Distorted American Dream - It only took 7 years for their sophomore album to come out, but it was worth the wait.

6. Sevendust - Cold Day Memory - Awesome hard rock album. Doesnt hold back.

5. Two Steps From Hell - Power of Darkness - Great classical epic score.

4. Jimmy Eat World - Invented - Another solid effort from JEW.

3. Hans Zimmer - Inception Soundtrack - Great score. Zimmer is the best composer in the business.

2. Ozzy Osbourne - Scream - Ozzy is still the man. Despite his age this album is one of my favorites of his.

1. Disturbed - Asylum - Best rock album of the year. ‘Nuff said.

Top 5 TV shows

5. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - I am gonna throw this on the list because I believe this season is a huge improvement over last. Hopefully this trend will continue.

4. The Walking Dead - I have yet to watch this show, but from what I have read and heard it is amazing. Throwing it on the list cause I am sure it would have ended up here anyway.

3. The Office - Despite being in its 7th season, The Office is still one of the best comedies on tv. Consistently funny.

2. Community - The only comedy that might be better than The Office. Continually great. The best show you’re not watching!

1. Boardwalk Empire - Best new show of the season. Great stories and so much going on. Can’t wait to see where it goes.

END OF YEAR LISTS

As 2010 reaches its end, I would like to share with you my "top of" lists for the year. We will begin with my top 10 movies. Enjoy!


Top 10 Movies


10. The Book of Eli - This one made the list because there were a lot of other movies that were probably better, but I just havent seen yet. But it's Denzel walking the earth armed and kicking ass. Immediately awesome right there.


9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 - A little bit longer than it should have been, but one of the best Potter movies to date. A great set up for the conclusion.


8. The Town - What would have been just another generic heist tale is taken above average by Affleck's directing as well as the great acting. 


7. Jackass 3D - I would have to say this was the funniest comedy of the year. It had me crying cause I was laughing so hard from some skits. Also, having grown up watching the show on tv there is a fondness in my heart for seeing it still going strong. 


6. Shutter Island - This was a great film. Leonardo DiCaprio (in his second movie on my list) proves yet again he is one of the best actors out there. Scorsese still has it. Slightly predictable but enjoyable none the less.


5. Toy Story 3 - The perfect conclusion to everyone’s favorite toy's story (see what I did there). The perfect amount of comedy and heart. If you are a fan of the first two, or any Pixar movie in general, you will no doubt love this movie.


4. The Expendables - What can I say about this? If you are a fan of classic 80’s action movies staring the likes of Stallone and Schwarzenegger, you will love this movie. Worth the price of admission alone for the scene with Sly, Arnold and Willis. 


3. The Fighter - A great movie. Best boxing movie since the Rocky’s. Great performances across the board. Especially Christian Bale. Every scene he is in your eyes will be glued to the screen. Must see.


2. True Grit - Another great movie to grace the cinemas at year end. Not only is this a great drama/action/western, but I would also say it was the funniest movie I have seen all year. Amazing cast. The Coen's continue to prove themselves as some of the best filmmakers working today.


1. Inception - My favorite movie of the year. Christopher Nolan got everything about this movie right. Great casting, story, action, drama, score, etc. I can keep going on and on. Hands down the best movie of the year. Lived up to the hype. See it if you havent yet.


That is it for my favorite movies of 2010. Next up, best albums!

I Am Born, and then the Trouble Begins

If we do indeed have readers, which I seriously doubt, this may prove to be a very specific post that is not for everyone. Doc and I were speaking recently about underrated movies and I thought I would do a post talking about a film I think is greatly underrated. I don't know if this will turn into a movie review or a synopsis or if it will be entertaining to anyone but myself, but we will see how this goes.

As far as underrated movies go, I wanted to pick one that was beyond underrated and closer to unknown territory. Also I wanted to find one that was packed full of meaning and incredibly experimental and interesting. And so, last night I found myself watching Schizopolis. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh who directed Traffic, Erin Brokovich and Ocean's 11. All of these films I do not really care for that much, with the possible exception of his Out of Sight.

Schizopolis is like no other film I have ever seen. It is meaningless, yet there is so much meaning in it. The movie is told in three chapters, each introduced by the appearance of a number in a random place in normal everyday moments. The first chapter is told from the point of view of Fletcher Munson, a lowly employee for the new age religion, Eventualism. This is a clear satire of Scientology. Now when I say it is told from his point of view this is something that can not be easily understood right away. It is totally told from his point of view. When he sees someone smoking the audience then sees that person having several medical procedures and eventually dying from this. When he hears of someone having a heart attack a doctor comes on screen explaining the medical problems this man has with a medical chart included. When he is bored in having the same conversation over and over again with his wife the words are replaced by words which describe what they are saying, for example:

Fletcher: Generic Greeting

Wife: Generic Greeting Returned

Fletcher: Question about upcoming sustenance

Wife: Well rehearsed speech about how hard raising a family is

And so on. This is what makes the movie really amazing. It captures how mundane life can be in a way which is entertaining and endlessly creative. Chapter two is told from the point of view of Fletcher's doppelganger, who is a successful dentist. Both of these characters equally have a problem with their boring existence, even though one is successful and one isn't. The final chapter is told from the point of view of all the women in the film, including main ones and ones which have had just one line in the film. Here we see the other side of the conversation illustrated above when Fletcher's wife literally hears her husband speak in another language. This illustrates just how far away their communication has become.

Oh and this movie is hilarious. There is also a great subplot about a spy trying to bring down Eventualism and a want to be action star speaking nonsense parodying action films, while at the same time proving to be an important player in the film's ending. Explaining the movie anymore will ruin the excitement of watching it. However, it is a great film which is perfect for those tired of boring big budget movies and is a challenging watch which may require multiple viewings to make sense of everything. Also, the movie has a lot of meaning in its seemingly unrelated and bizarre actions that, like all great works of art, will mean something different to each viewer. I guess the movie may not be for everyone but it is definitely and underrated film which deserves attention for its creativity, exploration of the banality of every day life, satire on new age religions and dark humor.

Aren't we forgeting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa.

I am gonna have to agree with Dos on this one. The holidays are just annoying. I can't even drive near malls or best buys or wal marts after thanksgiving hits cause theres so much traffic around them. And another thing, why don't more people just do their shopping online? Amazon is often cheaper than the big retail stores and with cyber Monday there is really no need to deal with the lines at the stores. But we can save that argument for another day. Back to the holidays.

Christmas, Chanukah, etc. are good if you are a kid. But once you learn there is no Santa or Chanukah Leprechaun (that's what they believe in, right?) its just not the same. The problem with these holidays are their commercialization. As you get older, you just realize more and more what little significance these holidays have. Especially if you are non religious. And let me just say, I hate the people that only go to Church or Temple (tribute Dos) just during the major holidays a few times a year. Either commit to it fully or don't go at all! You are the worst people of all. You and fat chicks.

There are definitely good parts of the holidays though. And I think Dos is a little harder on them than I am because he is Jewish. Everyone knows Christmas is where its at. And he is just upset he doesnt get to celebrate it. No tree. No Christmas lights. No Charlie Brown Christmas marathons in his house. Dos, I feel for you. I know deep down you wish you were Christmas.

I was expecting to go on a bigger rant about why I dont like the holidays, but turns out, they dont piss me off that much. I just want to end by saying Dos, your parents are right. You are a bad Jew.

Merry....umm.....Happy....ummm....ugh just forget it

Well, the holiday season is upon us and I would like to complain about it. However, before I do so, let's just close some lose ends. This will be fun because I get to use bullet points.

- Just because Gervais/Merchant wrote a few episodes of the American Office does not mean I have to like the show, or even like those episodes. In fact, I probably won't because I was talking about the different tones in each show.

- Just because I have never seen a blu ray movie does not mean that I can't say that I do not view a better quality DVD as a necessity, which was my argument.

- The run the cop off the road thing, ugh, let's just move on.

Back to me complaining about things. The holiday season has become a topic which has made me divided. I don't want people throwing around words like "scrooge", "no good atheist" or "guy who is complaining about having some time off from work," but there are some issues I have with this holiday season. I don't care what anyone says, this season does not bring out the best in people. It brings out the worst. I will not step foot in any type of store because of how insane people are. remember the movie Jingle All the Way? Yes, I know a waste of Phil Hartman's talent and some of Shwartzanager's best work. However, I do not want to talk about the acting. All of those store scenes are so accurate it hurts. People are insane and are going nuts so they can get three cents off a firby, tickle me elmo, tomigotchi, pet rock or whatever crap is deemed "hot" this season by toy producers and consumers blindly follow. Yes, consumerism bothers me. In fact, gift giving bothers me. Can't we all just agree to buy ourselves something we know we will enjoy and forget the gift giving? This gets rid of the whole I don't know what to buy for anyone problem.

Now, let's get to the bigger issue. The holiday season and what it really is. I personally find little religious significance in the holiday. I celebrate Chanukah's and Doc celebrates the birth of Martin Luther or something. I have to ignore the religion issue for the time being, just to say that I don't assign much to it. Perhaps, it is the absence of this which makes me have trouble with the season. In fact, and I am not going to hold any punches here, Santa Claus legitimately freaks me out. Creepy old man wanting kids to sit on his lap, gross.

The multitude of holidays also brings up the awkward issue of being politically correct and bizarre people arguing that they need shop keepers to wish them a merry Christmas instead of a happy holidays. This does create an awkward feeling in areas with much diversity. In fact, and I am not offended by this, but I never know what to say when people with me a Merry Christmas. My parents, for example, would probably stop and point out to this well-meaning person that they do not celebrate Christmas and give a lecture about diversity. I usually just say thank you or wish it back, but there is that awkwardness there that does annoy me. Perhaps it only annoys me because I react the way I do and hear my parents' voice in my head at the same time. Anyway, I have successfully explained the title of my post so let's move on.

I was watching community the other day and it really made a great point. In reality, there is no meaning to the holiday season. We all push our own meaning into it to give it a purpose. Its lack of true meaning, due to their being different holidays being celebrated and all combined into a season, is its meaning. It gives us something to assign meaning to just so we can spend time with friends and family. That is why the holiday season is so great. That and those red and white tic tacs. Why can't they just make those all year round? Oh, and I also like A Charlie Brown Christmas and my parents think this makes me a bad Jew.

Well, that was my first attempt at doing a "complaining" post. I think it was OK, I look forward to Doc agreeing with me about the annoyances of the holiday season and see what he does with it.

Monkey? MONKEY! I'm a fucking gorilla, you clown!

What was it that motivated me to post Dos's rant and pass it off as my own? Laziness? To annoy Dos? Did I agree with him 100%? Maybe it was a combination of all three. But yes, I admit it. I took what Dos said and passed it off as my own work. I thought he would be glad to share it with our fans. Perhaps I misjudged him.

We all get a little lazy sometimes. I didn't feel like coming up with another topic. So this brings me to my next point. The blog will be changing, however slightly, in the coming days. We will now be posting about things that annoy us. Id say we have at least a year of material of that. We will also be keeping the current format as well. And I will continue to throw up ridiculous youtube videos.

Also, let me take this time to reply to Dos on a number of things that have been bugging me. First off, in his argument about The Office he posted a quote from the US version, that, taken out of context is not funny. However, fans of the show know this was a character moment and that it was funny in the way the line was delivered from that character. Something Dos does not understand. Also, Dos loves the UK version because of creators/writers Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant. Dos, you do know they are executive producers on the US version as well as WROTE episodes for it. Dos would like the US version if he gave it a chance. But he is just a difficult person.

Now, in his argument about blu ray, Dos admitted he has never even watched a Blu Ray movie, so he has no argument!! End of discussion. I would also like to point out that Dos recently tried to run a police officer off the road. Is this a man that can be trusted? I think not.

In closing, Dos.... please don't sue me.

Prince Machiavelli himself couldn't have orchestrated a more murderous coup!

What the hell is this?

The last few weeks has proven to be a renaissance period for the 3184 blog. Our output is high and we were working on our quality control issues.

And now this.

I wake up excited to see the new argument of the day and find a explanation of why lost ended poorly written by doc. I will ignore the fact that this is not a direct argument as one could argue it ended well. Although I would hate to meet such a person as they probably are dumb like a brick or something. However, that is not the issue at hand. The issue is that this post, by Doc, is almost exactly like an e-mail I sent him on May 24, 2010. I was so outraged about the terrible ending that I wrote an e-mail to him about it. I was amazed to find that we agreed. Well, apparently we agreed so much that he pretty much stole the e-mail word for word and published it on the blog under his own name. Just to put everything on the table, here is a copy of my exact e-mail to Doc during those depressing days after the horrible lost season finale:

why lost ended horriblyInboxX
Jason show details May 24
well, the more i think about the lost finale the more annoyed i get. If the ending was to be that they all went to heaven in a little row boat that is fine, but the problem is that this does not even make sense with the rest of the episode. Over the credits they showed the wreckage of flight 815 with no survives. The only explanation this could mean is that there were no survivors. If there were no survivors that means that they died several times. People died in the plane crash, then on the island again, then moved on from an alternate reality where things were perfect for them to heaven. How can someone die twice? Does this mean that the island was purgatory? One of the things that the producers clearly state was not the ending. Furthermore, why were there only certain people in the church? This can not all be blamed on casting as Anna Lucia was in the previous episode and not in this one. Unfortunately, all of this negates one of the most impressive scenes this season, when Eloise was trying to convince Desmond not to change the alt reality. What has happened is clear, the writers had to end the show and if they said they wanted to end it on their own terms they would not have to admit that they were making it up the whole time. They gave an ending that would guarantee to satisfy some (all of them going to heaven) and put holes in this so others can make up a theory if they did not like the ending. I can even do this myself! If i had to find some logic in the ending, even though I was unhappy with the heaven storyline I would look to hurly. Hurly became the protector of the island and now can make any rules he want (just like jacob) and his rule was that he wanted everyone who died to be happy (he is such a sweet guy) so he e the rule that when u die on the island you get to live out ur fantasies before going to heaven. See, it is easy with the fractured pieces they gave us to make up anything we want with the finale if we were unsatisfied. If i had to apply logic to the story to make sense of it myself i would have much preferred it ended last season. The bomb went off and killed everyone. Even if it did erase the island from the post-1970s world, all of our characters present there would still die because as miles said "we can all die because this is our present." The crew in present day could not have been there since the island blew up and they just ceased to exist based on a time anomaly. I prefer this ending as the show has yet to jump from the logic train yet and it is nice and ironic that jacob and mib's games to try to prove the true nature of man end up destroying their home. Since season 6 does not exist here, we can simply say that jacob and mib were two supernatural being (aliens or gods are fine) who have been playing a game for centuries trying to decide about the nature of humanity. The conclusion to this bet is that humans are a mixed breed and these gods are no better than the humans in regards to morals as they are playing with people's lives. The point of making a TV show is to make money. You want the show to exist as long as it was profitable. The ratings were going down every season since the 1st one. The plan was to keep making mysteries so ppl stay with the show and to give it momentum and keep it on the air. The producers knew that the ratings were dropping off so they made a deal to end the show and slapped on a happy ending, very sloppily. Unfortunately, i think i was the victim of the long con. Lost gave us some unforgettable scenes so i appreciate that. However, the ending was a complete cop out and they had plenty fo time to give us a reasonable explanation that i could hold onto and point to and say, "see this is what happened in this show, the story has reached a conclusion and the plot makes sense." All i can say now is that i was correct in saying that those two executive producers were indeed cocky, annoying and did not end the show well. The worst thing is that not i have to tell lisa bro rob that he was right....they just made it all up as they went along Reply Reply to all Forward

I have even kept in all the inbox and reply all to prove this was in an e-mail. Doc, in the words of the best classic sitcom, you got a lotta 'splaining to do.

I wonder if I can sue him for intellectual property theft. If there are any lawyers who read this blog please let me know if you would be willing to represent me. Also, if your a lawyer, why are you reading this stupid blog? Your not getting paid to go on the Internet. Go right up a brief or something. I'm serious, go! You're still here? Jeez, I didn't go to law school because I assumed being a lawyer was hard. I guess you proved me wrong. Stupid lawyers.

P.S. Yes, I realize the irony of me stealing a quote from the show Stella as the title of the post to complain about Doc stealing my intellectual property.

Why LOST ended horribly

Well, the more I think about the lost finale the more annoyed I get. If the ending was to be that they all went to heaven in a little row boat that is fine, but the problem is that this does not even make sense with the rest of the episode. Over the credits they showed the wreckage of flight 815 with no survives. The only explanation this could mean is that there were no survivors. If there were no survivors that means that they died several times. People died in the plane crash, then on the island again, then moved on from an alternate reality where things were perfect for them to heaven. How can someone die twice? Does this mean that the island was purgatory? One of the things that the producers clearly state was not the ending. Furthermore, why were there only certain people in the church? This can not all be blamed on casting as Anna Lucia was in the previous episode and not in this one. Unfortunately, all of this negates one of the most impressive scenes this season, when Eloise was trying to convince Desmond not to change the alt reality.

What has happened is clear, the writers had to end the show and if they said they wanted to end it on their own terms they would not have to admit that they were making it up the whole time. They gave an ending that would guarantee to satisfy some (all of them going to heaven) and put holes in this so others can make up a theory if they did not like the ending. I can even do this myself! If I had to find some logic in the ending, even though I was unhappy with the heaven storyline, I would look to Hurley. Hurley became the protector of the island and now can make any rules he want (just like Jacob) and his rule was that he wanted everyone who died to be happy (he is such a sweet guy) so he made the rule that when you die on the island you get to live out your fantasies before going to heaven. See, it is easy with the fractured pieces they gave us to make up anything we want with the finale if we were unsatisfied.

If I had to apply logic to the story to make sense of it myself I would have much preferred it ended last season. The bomb went off and killed everyone. Even if it did erase the island from the post-1970s world, all of our characters present there would still die because as miles said "we can all die because this is our present." The crew in present day could not have been there since the island blew up and they just ceased to exist based on a time anomaly. I prefer this ending as the show has yet to jump from the logic train yet and it is nice and ironic that jacob and mib's games to try to prove the true nature of man end up destroying their home. Since season 6 does not exist here, we can simply say that jacob and mib were two supernatural being (aliens or gods are fine) who have been playing a game for centuries trying to decide about the nature of humanity. The conclusion to this bet is that humans are a mixed breed and these gods are no better than the humans in regards to morals as they are playing with people's lives.

The point of making a TV show is to make money. You want the show to exist as long as it was profitable. The ratings were going down every season since the 1st one. The plan was to keep making mysteries so ppl stay with the show and to give it momentum and keep it on the air. The producers knew that the ratings were dropping off so they made a deal to end the show and slapped on a happy ending, very sloppily. Unfortunately, I think I was the victim of the long con. Lost gave us some unforgettable scenes so i appreciate that. However, the ending was a complete cop out and they had plenty fo time to give us a reasonable explanation that I could hold onto and point to and say, "see this is what happened in this show, the story has reached a conclusion and the plot makes sense." All I can say now is that I was correct in saying that those two executive producers were indeed cocky, annoying and did not end the show well.

Under "Weaknesses" you've put eczema

I am not going to hold any punches here. This is a very serious issue to me. Well let's start.

I am not going to take the easy argument and say that because the British office was the original and, therefore, better. There are plenty examples of remakes being superior to the original. The key differences between the American and British office are two fold, and my arguments will flow out of two sections. These two differences are profit vs art and the use of reality in each version.

Reality

The big difference between the British and American office is the humor. There is a difference in their use of reality. The British one is entrenched in reality. There are many episodes where one feels terribly bad for characters. The laughter does not always come out of silliness, but also comes out of empathy. It also comes out of recognition of the types of situations as ones which have occurred in real life. Everyone knows someone like Keith who just comes to work, does not try at all and just tries to get the day done with. Everyone knows the sometimes pathetic David Brent who just so desperately wants to be liked. Everyone knows someone like Tim who is clever, smart and stifled by a dead end job. Doc claimed that Brent is the only character of significance, but this is not true as these others, as well as many not mentioned, are just as important. The British office is truly a dramedy as most of its humor comes from character faults which are addressed in the show.

As Gervais has stated in interviews, this version of the office seemed to depressing to an American audience. The average American does not enjoy deep rooted satire. They come to their televisions to forget, not to analyze their life and find the humor in its banality. So, it had to be changed for mass appeal. Thus, we have more cartooney one dimensional characters as well as more large belly laughs about some incredibly implausible situations. Dwight is certainly no Gareth. Dwight is capable of things that not human being is capable of, such as locking someone up in a barn. His over the topness makes one able to see no one like this could exist, but it is still a funny thing to watch. Gareth on the other hand is a deluded character who does not understand how to act socially with others. His comedy comes from the fact that he is trying so hard for the audience to like him, but ultimately fails because he does not understand what is likable. No one cares about his faux military life or the fact that he is assistant to the regional manager. It is very funny that he thinks these things will impress people. Also, this is a true personality type that is found in real life that is very rarely seen on TV. All of this is true without even mentioning how the show exposes the hypocrisies and ridiculousness of working in an office.

Profit vs. Art

Yes, there are more episodes of the American office. However, there is a reason for this. In America, and sometimes in England, television shows are created for one reason, to make money. The British office was very popular and was ended after two seasons and two specials. This was because nothing else could have been done with the show. The story lines met their conclusions. However, the American office keep chugging along using the same formula over and over again. The need is to make a profit as opposed to achieve artistic endeavours and move on. Many other American shows have done this, including one which Doc and I often argue about, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

My post was not very funny and I think I missed an opportunity to explain just how hilarious the British office is. So, I will leave you with some quotes from my favorite episode and than one quote from the American office, purposely picked because it was not funny.

Dawn: He proposed on a Valentine's Day, although he didn't do it face to face, he did it in one of the little Valentine bits in the paper. I think he had to pay for it by the word, because it just said "Lee love Dawn, marriage?" which you know, I like, because it's not often you get to something that's both romantic and thrifty.

Rowan: Gareth, what's your ultimate fantasy?
Gareth: Two lesbians. Sisters, probably. I'm just watching.
Rowan: Okay.. umm, Tim?
Tim: I never thought I'd say this, but can I hear more from Gareth please?

And, possibly, the biggest laugh from this episode, while Brent was doing some role playing during training:

David: I'd like to make a complaint please.
Rowan: Don't care.
David: Well, I am staying in the hotel..
Rowan: Don't care, it's not my shift.
David: Well you're an ambassador for the hotel...
Rowan: I don't care what you think..
David: I think you'll care when I tell you what the complaint is...
Rowan: I don't care!
David: I think there's been a rape up there! See, I got his attention. Get. Their. Attention.

Really funny, right? Now, check this out:

Erin: Did you grow up around here?
Kevin: No.
Erin: So, you must have grown up around somewhere else?
Kevin: Yes.

Not so funny, right? Ok, I'll give you a picture that I know will make you smile:

I learned improv from the greats, like Drew Carey and Ryan Stiles

The Office VS The Office. US VS UK. Same but different. When it comes to which is the better of the two, there is a clear winner: the US version. Even though it got off to a rough start, the US version of The Office eventually found its groove and became one of the best sitcoms on television.

One of the reasons the US version stands on its own is because it's not just a carbon copy of the UK version. It is it's own interpretation. It took what was great about the UK version and added even more to it. The biggest addition being that it added more heart. A great sitcom has those heart warming moments in addition to great comedy.

Whereas in the UK version the stand out was Gervais, the US version's supporting cast is just as entertaining, if not more so, than the show's lead (Carell). Each member of the cast is hilarious in their own way. Another drawback of the UK version is that there were only 14 episodes in addition to a Christmas special produced. There are only so many times you can watch these episodes before you have seen enough.

I should note that I do like the UK version. But overall, if I had to choose, I would prefer to watch the US version. Dos prefers the UK version, but he is one of the few that gets British humor more than the average human being. Also, he never really gave the US version a fair shot. Prove me wrong Dos, prove me wrong.

Wii Would Like to Play

Nothing could match my excitement of the news of the wii's development. Even though it was just a few years ago, it feels like decade. There are times when I may go weeks without playing it, forgetting those days. Think about it, before the wii you just played a video game. After we were truly involved with the video game. Nothing can match the child-like faces on adults when they first swung their controller to play wii sports. It truly is an amazing system, that blew those graphic heavy systems away.

Years later, the wii has found itself in troublesome times. The competitors are catching up. They are copying the technology because it is that good. However, they all fail in one respect. The games! The games made by Nintendo are the best for this new type of game play. Wii sports is still an amazing game that I play more than any other. The games created or the wii are the best games out there for any system. Case in point: the new epic mickey game.

Playstation 3 is like the realist painters of the early modern era. These painting/games are fascinating in their accurate portrayal of real events. But they are not entirely fun. Wii games are like the moder impressionist and surrealists. There are no boundaries and they are fun and incredibly creative. I ask you, which world would you rather live in? I would rather live in the boundless interesting fantasy of the wii.

And yes, xbox is for douches. Playstaion 3 is for the borring realist. Wii is the best because it has no limits and a history. We all remember the first time we played Mario and it is nice how Nintendo retains a sense of history and I can still play Mario in a great and new way.

Man, this topic was kinda boring. Or was it just my post? I am not a fan of this post. What was I doing comparing video games to paintings? Was that supposed to be funny or serious? I don't know, maybe was it the topic? Or maybe it is just hard to describe video games. Anyway, I just want you to know that I feel like this post was not up to my usual high standards, but I do not feel like trying to rewrite it. So, there you are. I guess I will just end it with a picture of the muppets. Man, do I love the muppets. That new movie coming out next year with them looks exciting. I mean compared to the crap of the last three muppet movies. Why did they just recreate books? Where is the creativity in that? And Tim Curry was in one of them. Man, what a waste.

Video Sunday

While we wait for Dos to come up with a lame attempt at why the Wii is better than the PS3, check out this video. If this doesnt get you in the mood for P I Z Z A, nothing will.

Playstation is King

This post is going to be about why Playstation 3 is better than the Nintendo Wii. I won't even bother discussing the Xbox 360 because I can't fathom why any intelligent human being would purchase one. The Xbox was created for every douche out there. Seriously, how does it even exist? Ugh. But thats another argument for another time.

Now, I understand the merits of the Wii when it first came out. It got you active. Got you moving. More family friendly. Etc etc. But with the Playstation Move now out and about, there is no reason for the Wii to exist other than their exclusive games. The most obvious one being Mario.

The Playstation Move does everything the Wii is capable of, but better. Better at tracking movements and better graphics. Now, on top of that, the PS3 has more advanced in-depth games. Dos himself became addicted to Red Dead Redemption after just playing for a brief time. Which game is the better value, that or Kirby's Epic Yarn? Come on now!

The next MAJOR benefit of the PS3 is that it is a blu ray player as well. Even the Xbox 360 doesn't do this. Seriously, why does anyone buy a 360?!?!?!? So with the PS3, not only do you get a gaming system, but a blu ray player as well.

What else about the PS3 is great you ask? Well, online gaming is FREE and easy. Again, Xbox 360 charges you to play online (why does anybody buy xbox?!?!?!??!). Does the Wii even have online gaming? Nobody knows.

Other great features about the ps3 are that it is ready out of the box and overall, cheaper in the long run taking into account extra purchases you need to make for the 360 and wii. The PS3 Has Great Games To Satisfy the Mainstream and the More Discerning Gamer. The PS3 Has Lots of Multimedia and Non-gaming Features.

Based on the above reasons, the obvious choice for gaming is the Playstation 3. Wii is a good back up though, I will give it that. Xbox 360? You are a disgrace. Your controller is ridiculous and it boggles the mind that you are around. Go away.

FIGHT!

Greatness takes time. Yes, I did say to Dos that I would update the blog yesterday. However, I did not want to rush out a post that did not live up to our high standards. I have too much respect for our readers (English or Spanish speaking) to do so.

I did ask Dos if he wanted to take the lead on the next topic. And he declined. So all the pressure lies on me. Its not an easy task. How do I follow such great topics as nicktoons, teenage mutant ninja turtles, action figures and fruit?!

Perhaps rather than complain, Dos can come up with a topic of his own? Hmmmm? Yes? No? Maybe? Although, do we even want the guy who thinks Lucy is better than the Honeymooners coming up with topics? I guess not then.

I would just like to end on this note: Dos stinks at video games. FACT. Okay, thats not the real note I will end on. Going forward Dos is banned from taking the lead on post topics. So you all can rest assured you wont have to read such silly nonsense again. Thanks for your time.

Where is Doc's Post?

Once again we find Doc causing some problems. Yesterday I spoke to him and was assured that he would have another post for me to respond to today. He wanted to make up for our lack of content recently through doing several new arguments. Do you see Doc's new argument? No, you do not and what you are left with is me rambling about how Doc didn't do his post. If you hate this, please remember that I did not to this. Doc did. He is irresponsible. He probably read some news about the old xmen arcade game coming to PS3 and is just reading it over and over again instead of doing his posts. Also, what the hell is that video about that he posted? Who is that guy and why do I find myself watching it at lease once a week?

And now for our Spanish readers:

Una vez más nos encontramos con el Doc causando algunos problemas. Ayer hablé con él y se le aseguró que tendría otro puesto para mí responder a la actualidad. Quería hacer para nuestra falta de contenido recientemente a través de hacer varios argumentos nuevos. ¿Ves argumento nuevo Doc? No, no lo hacen y lo que queda soy yo divagando acerca de cómo el Doc no hizo su cargo. Si usted odia esto, por favor recuerde que no a este hecho. Doc lo hizo. Es irresponcible. Probablemente había leído algunas noticias sobre el juego arcade de la vieja xmen llegar a PS3 y es que leyendo una y otra vez de hacer frente a sus cargos. Además, ¿qué diablos es eso de vídeo sobre que publicó? ¿Quién es ese hombre y por qué me encuentro viendo en arrendamiento una vez por semana?

In summation, Doc, where is the responsibility and creativity that once made this blog great? If you said you were gonna do a post then you should do it, instead of saying one thing and not doing anything. With an attitude like this, I fear that the whole future of the 3184 blog is in question. Doc has a long way to go to make this mistake up to me and our one reader who stumbles on this blog accidentally by clicking next blog after updating his own. That's right, you have upset Kaicho and, what I can only assume, is his Greek language blog about cars, djing, internet videos and his other interests. And that is really the worst crime of all.

Blu Ray, No Way

This is a tough one as I have to admit that I have never watched a movie on blu ray. However, I have to ask about the question of necessity. To do this, we will have to take a journey into my dvd collection. I happen to be a fan of watching relics from past generations. Older films, tv shows and cartoons are on my list of most frequently watched. In most cases, I have to ask the question; how necessary is it to see these things in state of the art perfection? A coked out George Carlin hosting the very first SNL will have his pant's color bleeding into the background no matter if it is in blu ray or not. I do not think I need to see the nose hairs clearly of Jerry Seinfeld when he asks his girlfriend to have a threesome with her roommate in a hilariously misguided attempted to switch girlfriends. Lastly, the charm of the the original mickey mouse and loony tune shorts or the satirical comedy of Life of Brian do not need the best quality picture.

What is important about works of art will always be the writing and the acting. Sure, the visuals do matter and maybe if I was more of an action adventure fan it would be necessary to go to blu ray. I do not think that not switching to blu ray makes me any less of a fan of my dvds. I have great pride in my collection (surly one of the best in New York State).

There is also something else going on here. It is about consumerism and exploitation. I own many dvds that I have previously owned on VHS. Now, I am expected to buy them again on blu ray? Will this ever end? Can I skip the blu ray revolution and just get on board for the next one? And is the quality worth these purchases truly? I have to stand up and say no! I am pretty sure, without seeing a blu ray dvd, that it is not.

One of the major things that makes life worth living is the ability to enjoy works of art. DVDs are no exception from this. In fact, they are a perfect example of this. However, I can enjoy it just as much on DVD than on Blu Ray, because one does not have to see the perfect picture to appreciate a perfect film.

Blu Ray VS DVD

As the holiday season is upon us, I think now is the time for anyone that had been holding off on blu ray to make the switch. One main concern, one I had myself, is starting a new collection of movies. But is it worth it? Yes. Oh God, yes.

Blu ray brings three major improvements over DVD: superior image quality, superior sound quality and more storage which leads to more special features. With prices dropping for the price of blu ray players and discs, now is the time to do yourself a favor and join the blu ray club.

Some, such as DOS, are concerned that they would need to rebuild their movie collection all over again. But, this is not the case, as blu ray players still play your DVDs. Even upgrading their quality. So you are not starting over like you had to when you went from VHS to DVDs. You are just adding on to your collection. Sure, you can re-purchase some of your favorite movies on blu ray for extra features or if you absolutely want to see them in the improved quality, but its not necessary.

This year, give the gift of blu ray. Personally, I find it difficult going back to watching standard DVDs. If you have a high def television, it is silly not to jump on the blu ray wagon (cough*dos*cough). Do it.