Full House

Growing up, my life revolved around so many TV shows that impacted my life.  There were the fun shows like Pokémon and Digimon, and educational ones on PBS like Arthur and Bill Nye the Science Guy.  But when it came to sitcoms, there were few.  Not counting animates series like the Simpsons, the only sitcoms that I watched were TGIF shows, such as Boy Meets World.  Everyone loves that show, as do I, but its run wasn't perfect (don't get me started on seasons 6-7).  There was a show before that that influenced me even more on that same network, though, which was Full House; that lovable show with Danny, Uncle Jesse, Joey, and his daughters, D.J, Stephanie, and Michelle.

Full House is something that I've revisited recently because my sister bought the complete series a few months ago.  I had wanted to buy and watch it for so long, but I put it off because other things got in the way.  Now that I have the time, though, I'm been rolling through the episodes, already on season 4 in a little over a week.  Re-watching the episodes, it's great to see the lessons/morals in every episode, and the togetherness of family.  Yes, it's cheesy and lame at some parts, but that's the appeal of it.  And honestly, I miss family sitcoms like Full House now because they can't be made now with the way society is.  Not to mention, the role social media plays has killed it altogether.  They can try on ABC Family with their shows, but the feel and writing isn't the same.  I might be being cynical on that subject, but that's how I feel.

So with that in mind, let's celebrate a loved, but underrated show in terms of how often it gets talked about.  Full House isn't the greatest show ever (who can determine that?), but it brought plenty of laughs and tears.  And on weekdays, thanks to syndication, it became a daily part of my life.  Now, thanks to my sister having the seasons, it's like I'm growing up all over again, and it's great.  Here's to the memories past and present!

Anime Length

I'm no expert on anime, but in a way, I suppose we all were at point in our lives, because as kids, we watched cartoons that were really anime.  We just didn't know at the time that they were dubbed (unless of course you were really smart).  I remember as a child thinking the U.S. was the best because they created all the shows I watched; then I realized that Japan created them.  I wasn't disappointed, just surprised that one place could create so many shows I loved like Pokémon, Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, etc.  My love of those shows still carries over to now, but now that I'm older, I don't watch as much anime anymore.  Now, I just watch cartoons or regular sitcoms.

That got me to a conversation I had with one of my friend's recently.  He's big into anime, but doesn't watch any series that are very long, which makes sense in theory, but if that was the case, he would miss out on classic shows like Dragonball Z, Gundam Wing, Naruto, Pokémon, etc.  I understand the rationale behind it, since people rarely have time to do things, but what do you think about that?  Do you think animes are too long, and if you had had a choice, would you have wanted a show from our childhood to be shorter?

TV Shows I Wish Were On DVD

Recently, I found out that Bill Nye the Science Guy is coming to my graduation as one of the commencement speakers.  I wasn't planning on going since technically, I'm just walking, not graduating, and I start summer classes the next day, but it's pretty cool that someone I idolized and watched is coming to my school.  With that news, I've been checking out clips of his show, and other shows from my childhood on Youtube.  And I came away with the realization that a lot of the shows I like, besides being mostly cartoons, aren't out on DVD.  I understand why that is with copyright issues, and fear of low sales, but I still wish it was out, just so I could own it.  I know with Netflix and downloading, no one wants to buy stuff anymore, but as I always say, if you love something, you're willing to use money on it, and I love films and TV shows.  So without further ado, here's an alphabetical list of shows I love that aren't out on DVD, that I wish were.

(P.S, some are out, but the collection stinks, so I'm not counting them).  Here's the short list so far...

• Arthur
• Bill Nye the Science Guy
• City Guys
• Jackie Chan Adventures
• Monster Rancher 
• Mucha Lucha
• The New Adventures of Winnie The Pooh
• Recess   
• Static Shock
• Xiaolin Showdown

Soap Opera Tragedy

I've watched lots of TV over the years, but one thing I can't understand is the fascination with soap operas.  They're hard to define, but to me, they're shows with amateur actors and lots of melodrama about things that don't make sense with relationships, secrets, etc.  The first time I was exposed to soap operas was when my sisters constantly used to watch Days of Our Lives and Passions after school.  And while they were interesting because of their plot, that's about the only positive I could say about it besides the fact they usually had good looking casts.  The plot, while interesting, was terrible, the music didn't add anything, and the effects on some of the shows were so unbelievable, that they made me question if I was watching an Ed Wood film.

As time progressed, my feelings about soap operas began to change because of shows like The O.C.  They had similar issues as other soap operas, but at the time, something about it seemed different.  The cast was good looking, but seemed rugged.  And the plot, while unbelievable at times, at least seemed like it could happen to real people, compared to what I used to watch on Days of Our Lives and Passions.  With time, I eventually stopped watching the O.C., but eventually began to miss it as time passed by.  Once I re-watched it again though, I understood why I stopped.  It just wasn't that good anymore.

Now, with my sisters being home, I've been exposed to Degrassi; a show that isn't really a soap opera, but seems like it with how long it's been on the air and the ridiculousness of it.  I haven't seen enough episodes to really critique it (because why would I), but I hate the fact these shows exist!  They might be entertaining to viewers, but they're a waste of time.  What merit do they have?  Do they teach any morals?  I remember coming home from school as a child and being able to find quality TV programming that was either educational or taught lessons I could use in real life.  But now, it's all this soap opera garbage, which is the biggest tragedy out of all of this.   

Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving again!  That wonderful time of the year when autumn is in the air, the pigskin is being thrown around, and there's a delicious aroma of food.  I usually have a hard time picking my favorite days of the year because there are so many that I like and dislike, but there's no doubt Thanksgiving is one of my favorites for the reasons I just said previously.  Even in school, the day before Thanksgiving was always the best because we had pep rally's that were always a lot of fun, and since it was a half day, I could always hang out with my friends afterward.  In my mind, hanging out with my friend's on holidays is always a highlight because you get to experience it differently with people you care about, but doing it the day before isn't that bad either.  I miss those times, but I still have those fond memories of simpler times.

Since it's Thanksgiving, there are a limited amount of things on TV today.  There's the parade, football, and even wrestling (depending on if you like TNA).  But if you want an alternative to those things, you can do what I always do and watch Thanksgiving specials of your favorite shows and films.  Here are some suggestions I have...

The Recess episode "The Great Can Drive"

 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Not to mention other Thanksgiving episodes of shows, like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, King of the Hill, The Simpsons, etc.  There are so many things you can watch and do on this day, but regardless, have a good holiday and eat well!

Halloween

Forgive my bluntness, but Halloween sucks!...

I bet some of you are probably wondering why I think this since Halloween is a holiday of dressing up, candy, and fun overall, but to me, it is anything but that.  Halloween does evoke some of those things, but it's a drag because of my past experiences with it, and the fact I don't think of it as a real holiday.  To explain the latter, any holiday that you have to go to school for isn't a real holiday in my book (the child in me talking).  Also, it's lost meaning because children don't trick or treat as much for safety issues, which I understand, and the fact the media has changed Halloween's image.  It used to be about scariness, but now it has shifted to sexiness and parties.  Maybe it's college influencing some of my way of thinking, but if you look at ads, you'll see what I mean.

As for my own experiences, besides going trick-or-treating once with my friends and at the mall, which was alright, I didn't have many Halloween experiences growing up (sad I know).  Maybe it's an Asian thing, but at my house, normally we closed all the shades, and then turned off the lights to give off the impression we weren't home for the night.  It's not like we didn't want to give out candy, but we just didn't feel like it.  Other times, my parents would take my siblings and I out to eat and then we would just get a huge individual bag of candy from CVS.  I don't know what candy I would choose now, but back then, Starburst Hard Candy was my sweet of choice.  A shame they don't make it anymore.  It doesn't sound fun since you're with your parents, but those experiences were memorable.  And looking back, it was better eating real food than candy all night.

With that in mind, let me tell you what you should all do for Halloween.  You should do what I'm going to do and just watch all the Halloween specials of my favorite TV shows from The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes, The Weekenders, Arthur, Recess, all the way to classic things such as "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".  If you aren't a fan of watching TV, then you may find this boring, but these things never change, which you can't say about Halloween.  Regardless of what you do, whether you go trick-or-treating, party, or stay in, be safe, and don't forget to set your clocks this weekend.  I'm trying to remember to.

Happy Halloween!

 

One of my favorite Halloween traditions.  Who can forget Charlie Brown getting nothing but rocks?

City Guys

People can classify themselves as rural or city people depending on where they live, but how many people can call themselves City Guys?  Literally, many people can, but in the TV sense, only the people from the TNBC sitcom City Guys can do that.  The show, which was about 6 high school friends (Jamal, Chris, Cassidy, Dawn, Al, and L-Train) and their principal (Ms. Noble) dealing with everyday teen issues, may not have been as popular as Saved By The Bell was, or had the theme song California Dreams had, but I think that's what made it stand on its own.  It wasn't as campy or preppy as Saved By The Bell, and even though the theme song wasn't as good as California Dreams, I still like it because of how catchy it is, and the fact it depicts Jamal and Chris having fun living in New York, which every person wants to do.

Out of all the shows on TNBC, each has their own special place in my heart.  Saved By The Bell will always be there because that was the show my siblings and I grew up on, and deep down, every guy probably wishes they could be like Zack Morris (although his grades were terrible).  California Dreams wasn't as deep too me, and is the one I remember the least, but the theme song, and the fact that it was about friends playing in a band together seems so deep.  City Guys though, is by far my favorite because of how realistic it is to my life.  The cast was diverse like my high school was, the jokes were hilarious, and it depicts friends in school, dealing with real life issues, as well as recalling the good times, which my friends and I do all the time.  I wish TNBC or shows like this still existed because of the humor, and what their influence on kids, but I suppose it isn't possible now with the way TV is.  It's sad, but we'll always have the memories, and the catchy theme song: "C-I-T-Y, you can see why, these guys, the neat guys, are smart and streetwide"...

Jesse's Past and Breaking Bad's Ending

I thought it fitting to start this post with a video I found on Youtube when Aaron Paul (known as Aaron Sturtevant back then) was on 'The Price Is Right".  Why?  Because it's hilarious, and it shows how consistent Aaron Paul's personality has been, which doesn't just describe who he is, but it describes his character Jesse Pinkman from the show Breaking Bad, which ended less than a week ago (still hard for me to believe).  Despite being a drug/meth cook/dealer, Jesse used to be a happy guy.  Okay, maybe happy is the wrong word since he had a history of drug and family problems, but before he met Walter White, at least he smiled.  After that, his life was never the same.  And as the seasons of Breaking Bad went on, we saw the Jesse who used to scream "BITCH" all the time disintegrate before our eyes.  In some ways, it was good, since Jesse became more serious and his relationship with Mr. White was defined closely, but I do miss the simpler times.  With that in mind, I hope you guys find this video as entertaining as I did.  Aaron Paul seems like a great guy, and I wish he won the car on the show, but it's safe to say he found greener pastures later on in life.

As for Breaking Bad's series finale "Felina", like many, I thought it was very well done.  It wasn't as spectacular as "Ozymandias" or 'Rabid Dog" from a few episodes before, but unlike Dexter, Seinfeld, and other series finale's that have let me down, at least Breaking Bad stayed true to who it was and gave fans a satisfying ending.  There were some things I had quips with, but they were small, and looking back, they don't change how I feel about the episode.  I honestly just wish it wasn't over because this was one of the few consistent shows that I never got tired of, which is a credit to creator Vince Gilligan, and the actors from Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, etc.  I still have many questions about the episode, like what happened to Jesse, but since he was one of my favorite characters from the show, I hope he finds happiness.  He deserves it!  And man, was I glad Todd, Lydia, and all the other villains got their just desserts.  That may have been the most satisfying thing of all, besides finding down how it all went down.  I honestly predicted most of it, but I never could have predicted how much a show like this would impact me as much as it has.  Good-bye Breaking Bad!  You are definitely one of the best shows ever created!

With that in mind, time to end the night with a few clips of our favorite corrupt lawyer Saul Goodman.  Even though Breaking Bad is over, we still have Saul's new spinoff to look forward to.  Hope you all enjoy!

Good-bye Dexter Morgan

After days of being behind and hearing the controversy about the series finale of Showtime's hit show Dexter, I finally saw the last two episodes I missed, and like many, I have to agree that the show's finale was a huge letdown.  Everything that happened was predictable, and while things were patched up, it seemed shoddy; not to mention unsatisfying.  For those of you who haven't seen it, I won't spoil it for you.  But honestly, if you never saw the series finale, you wouldn't be missing anything, whether you were a fan of the show or not.

I have to admit, I'm disappointed with Showtime because the first few seasons of Dexter were great (although season 3 stunk).  Season 4 with John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer, left images and performances I'll never forget, but from there, the show lost direction and got ridiculous with its plot and villains.  On the plus side, many characters were developed more, and the acting of the cast a whole got better.  Not to mention, Michael C. Hall returned from cancer to play Dexter with his usual uncanny and enigmatic charm.  Even though I support the death penalty for the most part, I don't support murder or serial killing, but like many people, I was just captured with the show and its relation to life.  Dexter may not have been a perfect show for me, but it was a show I liked, and a place I could turn to Sunday nights.  Now, it's time to find something new and say good-bye to Dexter for once and for all.    

I'm Livin' For The Weekend: My Top 20 Weekenders Episodes

After many months waiting, I have finally finished the list that everyone has been waiting for: My Top 20 Weekenders Episode.  This seems like an odd list that would be what everyone has been waiting for, since you think they'd want something film or sports related, but I've looked at my statistics, and they show that people like my TV show posts and The Weekenders.  Mix them both together and you got my list.

For those of you who don't know what The Weekenders was/is, it was a TV show that aired on ABC in 1999, during the One Saturday Morning block.  The plot of the show revolved around 4 kids, Tino, Lor, Carver, and Tish as they got through their everyday lives with real word issues.  But the show had a few trademarks that made it distinct, such as only having things happen during the weekend, and having everyone wear different clothes.  Along with that, they also had numerous running gags, such as the local pizza joint changing every episode, Tino's mom's cooking, and everyone misunderstanding Tish's mother.  It was a great show, and while it was on, it was one of my favorites.  That's why when I finally got the DVDs, I was so excited to re-watch it and experience the memories.  It took a long time to do it, but now that I've had the free time to watch every episode and compile it, here's my finalized list.

20. Throwing Carver: Tish takes an art class at the museum, and makes her first masterpiece, a statue of Carver.  The only problem is that it's hideous, and the guys (especially Carver) don't know how to tell her.  This episode was great because it tackled the real life issue of how to tell someone something hurtful.  Although, I wish real life was as funny as this episode.  

19. Shoes Of Destiny:  Carver gets new shoes and is accepted by "The Cool Kids".  Now that he's cool though, he can't hang with his old friends anymore and has a tough decision to make.  This episode is here because I can relate to it in so many ways with my struggle to get cool shoes growing up.  I never really did to be honest, but luckily, people in college don't care.

18. Super Kids: After a seminar by a snotty, successful kid named Trip Nickerson, the gang decides they aren't doing anything with their lives and decide to try different things.  I remember this episode solely for how annoying Trip was yelling all the time, but I felt for him too since he was lonely.  The guys way of taking him out in the end was a sweet moment in this episode.

17. To Each His Own: Everyone in the group wants to go to different events that cater to their social interests, but no one is interested in what the other wants to do.  This episode screams real life since I think people are always put in situations where they do things they don't want to do.  I don't remember much humor in this episode, but I thought it was cool we got to see every person's individual interest.

16. Dead Ringer: Everyone has to sign up for a sport, but Tino's usual choice, chess, isn't there anymore, leaving him helpless until he discovers horseshoes.  Too bad it embarrasses him though.  This is another episode I could relate to because I stunk at sports back then, and I still do now.  I don't even think I'd be good at horseshoes, but I'd love to try.

15. Home@Work: Lor fails another exam, and has to pass her next one or else her dad is sending her off to military school.  Can the guys help?  I think this episode is hilarious because of how everyone tries to help Lor.  And who can forget Tish's annoying scream, along with the fact that video games save the day yet again.

14. Pudding Ball: The guys compete in the annual Pudding Ball competition, except it's Tino and Tish vs.Carver and Lor.  Personally, the plot of this episode is one of the simplest in the series, but I just love the whole competition aspect of it, and the fact that it reminded me of laser tag as a child. 

13. Murph: After one kid doesn't like Tino, he fears other kids don't like him, but it's only this one kid Murph, which Tino can't understand.  Because of this, he tries to do anything to gain his approval, which leads to hilarious and truthful results.  This episode speaks to the real life truth that no matter what you do, even if you're not bad, someone will dislike you.  Although, painting their house would be a good way to start changing that.

12. Best: Tino doesn't win a "Best" superlative in the yearbook, including "Best Tino", so he and the guys try to find something he's the best at.  I think this episode speaks to something everyone has wanted since childhood, just to be good at something.  And when you look at it that way, this episode is sweet.  Also, how could Tino not win "Best Tino"?  He's the best!

11. The Awful Weekend: We start off with the guys messy, injured, tired, etc, yet they can't stop laughing.  Why is that the case?  And how did they get to where they are?  This episode is fantastic to me because it shows how even when life sucks, as long as you have laughter or your friends, you can get through anything. 

10. Taking Sides: Carver costs Tino and him the pool championship by showboating, leading to a fight between them, and a rift between Lor and Tish as they must decide who was right.  I think the life lesson here is obvious, DON'T SHOWBOAT!  But it's hilarious to see Tino and Carver fight, along with Lor and Tish.

9. Tickets: Tino wins tickets to Chumbucket after being the 1,000,001 customer to order from the snack shack, but he can only take one friend, leading to hilarious competition between everyone, agonizing decision making for Tino, and one of my favorite endings of the whole series.  Everything is better when you spend it with friends.  And always read the fine print!  After playing so much Yu-Gi-Oh, I think truer words were never spoken.

8. Lone Wolves Club: Tino is invited to the exclusive and highly desired Lone Wolves Club, but the only way he can be a member is to do embarrassing things and leave his friends.  He's okay with doing one of the options, but obviously not the other, leading both parties to question what's right.  This episode is really funny because of all the nonsense Tino does, but I think it's high on my list because of the deepness of it.  Tino has to decide if he should ditch his friends, and when they find out, they have to realize if it's the best thing for him to leave. 

7. Vengeance: Carver is humiliated by this girl named Christy, so for the whole episode he tries to get revenge on her, which he eventually does, but he's too nice a guy to really do anything mean.  I loved the ending of this episode since it showed how much of a better person Carver and real people can be when they walk away from a situation.  Plus, after seeing him yell "CURSE YOU", that's what I do all the time now.

6. Secret Admirer: Someone has the hots for Carver, and it's driving him crazy trying to figure out who it is, but after he realizes who it is, he's not so happy anymore.  This is a sweet episode in the series because it's about love, which I always like.  While, it of course has humor because it's an animated TV series, it's serious in handling issues such as being shallow.  I do love how in this episode though, we find out Carver's head is pineapple shaped while Tino's is pumpkin shaped.

5. Nevermore: Halloween is here, which Tino is excited for, but the rest of the guys feel too grown up for it.  Will Tino spend his holiday alone, or does he have a plan up his sleeve to show his friends the true meaning of Halloween?  Out of all the episodes of The Weekenders, this one may be the most memorable because of the setting, which was a spooky living room, and all the lines and jokes in this episode, such as "Creepington, and "I'm Living' For The Weekend".  Who could also forget Tino's threats to his friends or his passionate speech?  Watching this episode, I was reminded of my own Halloween experiences, which were disasters. This also spoke to me of "It's A Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", which is the highest compliment I can give anything.

4. Tino's Dad: The final episode of the series, and it's a memorable one to say the least.  Tino see's his dad for the first time since the divorce, which he's worried about, but it all turns out fine.  After the initial dust has cleared though, he realizes he has no time to spend with him.  Usually last episodes are the first on my rankings, but not this time.  I enjoy the episode since it truly shows the power of a father-son relationship, as well as friendship, but there were just a few episodes I enjoyed more.

3. Real Fake: The guys are videotaped by a student who tells them to be themselves.  By real, the guys think they have to be the people from their favorite TV show Teen Canyon, leading to hilarious and questionable behavior from our protagonists.  With the whole reality world craze we're in presently in, I thought this episode was perfect with the acting from all the characters and humor.  I just wish real reality shows had heart like this episode did.

2. Makeover: After Lor receives interest from Thompson, she catches the eye of two conceited girls who want to change her to look like a supermodel and get Thompson for good.  Luckily, in the end, Lor gets Thompson's attention, and does it by being her beautiful self.  I believe this episode is ranked number 2 for me because a guy or girl can relate to it.  We all have self esteem issues, but if you're a good person, then your beauty will show.  It also shows that you should never change who you are for someone else.

1. Worst Holiday Ever: The gang spends their December holiday together with Lor's granny, only to get stuck in the RV during a snowstorm.  It ruins their weekend plans, but they keep each other company by telling their worst holiday experiences, which were all diverse and different.  This is my number 1 episode because I love the plot of the episode, the overexaggerated humor, the ending, and being stuck talking with my friends over the holidays is something I always wish could happen.

All I can say after this is "Later Days"!  I hope you all enjoyed the post.

The End Of Summer

Summer isn't officially over for another month, but it feels over to me because I start school soon.  I'm sad summer is basically over, but I'm glad things can progress with my life since being at home can be a drag sometimes (even though I enjoy it mostly).  If I had to reflect back on my summer, I think it's been pretty successful considering how I felt when school ended in May.  I felt good that I did well in all my classes, but was saddened that a good majority of my friends were leaving to begin their lives in new places.  And to make things worst, I didn't even write much.  Luckily, I was able to blog a lot, be with family, and I met someone unexpected who has impacted my life for the better; she's amazing!!!  I may not have accomplished all my goals for the summer, but overall, I did everything I wanted and felt good about myself.

To celebrate the end of the summer, I thought it fitting to post this Arthur episode where he goes crazy that he lost the list of things he wanted to do before the summer ended.  He thinks he wasted his whole summer until he realizes he didn't and appreciates the summer after all.  Hope you all enjoy!

ESPYS Opening Monologues

When you ask most people what the ESPYS are, most of them are probably confused by the question, which is understandable considering unless you follow sports or watch ESPN, you won't have a clue what the ESPYS are.  For those of you who don't know, the ESPYS are an award show hosted annually by ESPN to honor sports accomplishments from the past year.  Usually, they're such a drag since they're just an excuse to see celebrities, but occasionally, the opening monologues are hilarious.  That all depends on who the host of the event is though.  This past year, it was Jon Hamm from Mad Men, who did an admirable job following previous hosts who were failures, but the best host of all time has to be Justin Timberlake back  in 2008.  The ESPYS are not an important event compared to real life events, but the opening monologues with those guys was hilarious, which is why I wanted to post the videos to end the night.  Like I said before, they may not be that important, but laughter is necessary to live a healthy life.  With that in mind, here are the ESPYS opening monologues from 2008 and from this past year.

The 2008 ESPYS opening monologue with Justin Timberlake.  Everything he says is GOLD!

Jon Hamm's opening monologue from this past year.  I love his jokes about Dwight Howard and the Miami Heat

Infomercials

When it's late at night like it is right now, the only thing on TV are repeats of shows and infomercials.  And while I enjoy repeats of TV shows, I can't stand infomercials!  Yes, some of their products are intriguing, and some of them even work (such as the Magic Bullet), but there are so many negatives to them.  First off, most products on infomercials don't work, or aren't what they seem, which I can tell from people who have ordered off them firsthand.  Secondly, they deceive people by saying 4 payments of $49.95, which sounds like you're saving money, but it's still $200.  Lastly, the products may seem trustworthy because of the people on them, but when you see the same person selling different products for different companies, just walk away.  You know you can't trust them because most likely, they're just being paid to use it.  I'm not saying this for everyone on infomercials, just for some of them.  And I'm not telling you not to buy from them, because I'm sure there are some products that work, but when it comes to buying something on TV or giving out information, a person should always be careful.

The Green Hornet Show

Over the weekend, I was flipping through the channels, when I landed unexpectedly on The Green Hornet TV show.  I had heard about it before because I knew it had Bruce Lee in it, but had never seen it before.  Watching it, I thought it was ridiculous with it's plot and special effects, but it was what I expected, considering it was made by the same people who made the Batman series with Adam West.  What I did like though, was the seriousness of it, and the fact that Bruce Lee's martial arts skills were on display.  It wasn't anything spectacular, but I still thought it was pretty cool to see the legend in action at all.  In today's culture, it seems like people forget about Bruce Lee because he lived so long ago, and there are other martial arts stars/actors, like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, but let's not forget who started it all, and paved the way for them and Asians in the United States.

Jackie Chan Adventures: My Top 12 Talismans

Recently, I've been getting back into the show Jackie Chan Adventures, the cartoon about a fictional Jackie Chan, who is an archaeologist that saves the world from evil villains.  Looking back, the show was pretty ridiculous with what it had Jackie do, like fight with fish, or on pyramids, but the show's concept was cool.  And all the stunts they had Jackie do were borrowed from his film career, which is something I didn't figure out till recently.  I'm only on season 2 of series, which is with the demon portals, but I did watch all of season 1, with the talismans, which are stone objects that have powers based on each Chinese Zodiac animal. They're all pretty powerful, but here's my top 12...

12. Tiger (Power Of Balance): As cool as it would be having two of myself, I'd hate my good and evil half being split up since that would weaken me, so that's a no.

11. Pig (Laser/Heat Beam-Eye Blasts): I like firepower as much as the next person, but if I want that, I can just use the Dragon Talisman.  Plus, having this talisman would mess up my glasses.

10. Sheep (Astral Projection): One of the most useless talismans in the series that it was sparingly used.  The only reason it's not last is because I'm a sheep myself, and astral projection isn't that bad.  I could float through the astral plain, and visit my friend's in their dreams.

9. Monkey (Animal Shape-shifting): I like this power, but it seems utterly useless besides for humor and enjoyment. 

8. Dragon (Power Of Combustion/Pyrokinesis): Shooting fire from my hands isn't anything special, but it's better than the Pig Talisman, and more convenient.

7. Snake (Invisibility): Being invisible would be cool, and I could get away with a lot, but eventually, I'd just want to be seen.
 
6. Rabbit (Super Speed): Speed is a bit overrated, but I still like this talisman, and the thought of being faster than anybody in the world.  Looks like instead of Superman vs. The Flash, it should be me instead.
 
5. Horse (Healing): I love the concept of the horse being the healing talisman (despite not fully understanding why it does that).  The only problem, like some talismans, is that it's only necessary in certain situations.  It is cool thinking of never being hurt though.  Wish I had that when I lost my fingertip.

4. Ox (Super Strength/Durability):  Need I say more?  Super strength would be great, and it would help me out at the gym, no problem.

3. Rat (Power Of Animation): The Rat talisman is so high because it would fulfill every childhood kid's dream of playing with their toys, and help me whenever I feel lonely.

2. Dog (Immortality): Living forever and being young at the same time definitely has it's perks (Look at Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z), but it would suck to live so long and see those I love pass before my eyes, so that's the negative of this talisman.

1. Rooster (Levitation/Telekinesis): This takes the top spot because I've always wanted to fly more than anything in the world.  Not just for the exhilarating feeling I would have, but because of how convenient it would be too.  I'd never have to do anything for myself; I could just use my mind.

Anime Dubbing

Out of all of my friends, I'm probably the only one that doesn't read manga or watch much anime.  Although, in terms of anime, I've watched my fair share from Full Metal Alchemist to Inuyasha.  Then there are the shows from my childhood, like Pokemon, Digimon, and Dragon Ball Z.  I realize now they are anime, but as a child, I thought they were cartoons made in America because I thought all cartoons were American.  Boy was I wrong.  One thing I always hear people complain about, when it comes to anime, is when they're dubbed since usually the dub is terrible, and not authentic because of editing.  And while that may be true for the most part, I'll always believe that anime dubbing isn't nearly as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying anime dubs are better than originals because almost 100% of the time they're not.  I'm just saying, they aren't that bad.  A good recent example for me is with Dragon Ball Z.  I bought the first two seasons of it on DVD and have been watching them non-stop in English.  I know some of you are rolling your eyes at me because the dub messes up the voices, but watching anime in English is how I and so many other children growing up watched them.  Maybe it isn't authentic, but it's comfortable to me, and reminds me of my childhood, so I wish people would stop bashing it.  Yes, most anime dubs are bad, but there are good ones like Cowboy Bebop, so please just stop generalizing. 

The Weather and the Shows That Go With It

With the heat in Boston yesterday, and what what's coming up this weekend, I can honestly say I'm not looking forward to going outside (even though I know that will most likely happen).  I'll trek though that when it comes, but in the meantime, here are some episodes of shows I like that have to do with the heat.  It won't take away the heat, but it will hopefully take your mind off it.

An episode of Arthur called The Blackout!

A Recess episode called The Coolest Heatwave Ever

Dragon Ball Z

I just bought the first two seasons of Dragon Ball Z yesterday off Amazon because recently, I have been getting into the show.  Most people I know watched the show as kids, but that wasn't the case for me because my family, of course, didn't have cable.  Because that was the case, I was never able to watch Dragon Ball Z, but despite that, I knew who Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, etc were.  I always felt so out of group circle's not being able to talk about Dragon Ball Z like my friends, but that will never be the case anymore because now that I've made the purchases, I'm finally part of the group.  Yes, I'm far behind, but I can't wait to catch up!

One Saturday Morning

As a child, Saturday was always the best day of the week for one reason, and one reason only: cartoons and TV shows.  Despite everyone having that unity of thought though, everyone had different preferences of what they watched.  If you had cable with Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, you were basically set, but I didn't have cable back then, so I was stuck with normal channels, which wasn't a bad thing.  WB had Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, Fox had Digimon, etc.  But one of the most underrated networks with cartoons and shows for me was ABC's One Saturday Morning.

Now, I'm not sure how many people know about One Saturday Morning, because like I said, everyone had their own preference, but One Saturday Morning was great!  They had real people hosting the slot time, but then basically aired cartoons and shows like Recess, The Weekenders, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Pepper Ann, Fillmore, etc.  They were aimed to be educational, always saying "Illuminated Television", but their shows had plot, and dealt with real life issues children went through, which looking back on, was wonderful, especially considering how Saturday morning cartoons are now, and what Disney has unfortunately become (Disney Channel).

Because of everything I just said, today is a throwback to the old days.  I won't post up episodes of all the cartoons and shows since that would take forever, and you can find most of them on Youtube (like I have).  One thing I will do though, is post the intro to One Saturday Morning, which was catchy, and a reminder of better Saturdays.

Zoom

As a child, one of the shows I used to watch frequently was Zoom.  I'm not sure why that was since there were other shows on at the time, but I think I was drawn into all the experiments the kids did on that show, and the fact I could relate to them being a child myself.  When I was in elementary school, I had a chance to be on Zoom since they were holding auditions to find the next group of kids, but like an idiot, I didn't try out.  Looking back, I should of though because who knows what would have happened?  Plus, it would have been cool to be on TV.

So why am I posting about Zoom?  Because I was looking up stuff on Youtube and Wikipedia one day and was brought back to memories of my youth.  Zoom may not have been the greatest or best show at the time, but like TV back in the day, it was better than the stuff on now.