I'll be direct: If you're not watching The Clone Wars, you should be. If there was ever a time in your life when you believed in Star Wars, this newest TV show will re-affirm that belief. If you shook your head in sorrow or raised a fist in anger while watching the most recent three movies, this series will redeem that emotion.

I hear from a lot of people that they don't like the look of the new series. It's computer generated and very angular. I'll admit that I glommed onto this design before I even saw the movie. (The movie, released at the end of this last Summer, was the first three episodes of the series.) I like the design— a lot! At some point I heard that the show was designed to resemble the old Rudolph puppet TV special, even down to character movement, which is very puppet-y. It does a spectacular job at that imitation.

If you feel the need to watch the episodes in order, and that is holding you back from watching at all, I would just jump in now. At least skip the movie. The movie is the weakest 'episode' of the series so far. (Although, the movie has its own strengths.) All you really need to know is that this series takes place between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The clone army is under the direction of the Imperial Senate and the Jedi Council, and they are at war with the Separatists, headed by Count Dooku. The only character relationship established in the movie is that between Anakin and Ahsoka: she is Anakin's padawan. There's nothing else you really need to know before starting in on the series.

Oh, and if you don't have access to the Cartoon Network on Friday nights, you can watch the series online at the link above.

I try not ot watch much television. I gave up cable about ten years ago now. It was too expensive and too time consuming. Since then, I have learned to live without television as a habit. Oh, there have been a few certain series over the years that I have tried to keep up with, to greater or lesser success, but I don't have the TV habit any longer. I can live without it. Were I not able to watch the few series that I do watch, I feel that wouldn't be a great loss either. (Although, I really do like The Clone Wars!)

The only other current show that I've been watching is Pushing Daisies, which I became a fan of last year. Seeing as how the network (ABC) recently announced the cancellation of this show, I only have another three episodes to try and catch some time— if ABC puts them online ever.

I suppose I should add 30 Rock to the list. After not watching it since the first few episodes, I have been catching it again regularly this year. It's a very well written show.

In the not-current category, I've been watching Arrested Development at hulu.com. I never watched this show when it was on, and the first time I saw part of an episode, while I was recently in North Carolina, I found it hilarious. Hulu has the entire series online, in standard and hi-def resolutions. I've just finished watching the first and second seasons. Thumbs up.

That's probably enough chatter about my shows. Back soon!

"Do or do not. There is no try."— Yoda

In a change from other recent trips to Starbucks, tonight I am NOT enjoying a Vanilla Rooibos Latte. I would probably enjoy it as tea— and tea alone— but it's not working for me in this form. It tastes like there should be a sweetness to it, but the sweetness is far too subtle. It tastes like warm milk that had a teabag dropped in it briefly.

I am trying to be very honest in this blog. I don't know if that has come through. When I was actively performing comedy a few years ago, I found that there were many topics I wanted to talk about but which I was hesitant to bring up. Some topics I could bring up, but I couldn't dive very far into. I don't know if this is a result of my conservative upbringing or not. I tend to think it is. Growing up I cannot recall a single time anyone in my family ever discussed or revealed an emotional state. It was repression by absence. I have grown up without the slightest sense of how to talk about my emotional state with anyone. Worse, if the subject is brought up, I am more than likely going to fight back tears. It's as if merely tapping my emotional core causes decades of unexpressed emotions to erupt.

I believe— as many comics better than I have told me— one of the keys to comedic success is to expose as some vulnerability to the audience. The audience will latch on to that vulnerability like nothing else. So, there we have my quandry: I have a very hard time exposing things about myself. Then, when I do, I tend to blurt out things so bluntly that they make me about as vulnerable as an explosion. So, one of the purposes of this blog is to make myself comfortable with revealing very personal things. As time goes on, I hope that I can speak more freely about anything with fewer intentional omissions.

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Hey, if anybody out there needs work done on their computer(s) at reasonable rates, let me know. I could use a little unreported income and something to do. 

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I was struck by the funniest sight tonight before I got here to Starbucks. I wanted to buy a small sketchpad so I cruised by the local Staples to see if it was open. In front of Staples' doors there are four of those concrete posts that I suppose are there to prevent car-driving terrorists from crashing their mobile bombs into America's stationery targets. You know the posts I'm talking about. They're about 2½ to 3 feet high and maybe 18 inches in diameter. As I drove slowly past the front of the store, there were four young women about 16 years old also in front of the store, one at each of the concrete posts. Two of the girls were leaning against their posts in different poses and the other two girls were sitting on their posts, one with a single knee kicked up. I thought for a second I had stumbled on a photoshoot for Girls Aloud. It really made me laugh the way only a joke you find for yourself can make you laugh.

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I have a proposal. Why is it we have mascots for all of our major holidays and gift-giving occasions, but we have nothing for birthdays? Santa brings gifts for good boys and girls at Christmas. The Easter Bunny brings candy at Easter. But, for our birthdays, we are forced to rely on our fellow human beings to bring us gifts and material happiness. To overcome this gap, I propose the Birthday Badger! The birthday badger waddles his way out of his burrow for good people who blow out all the candles on their cake. He brings gifts and joy and a background odor of damp fur and mustiness. What's more, he inspires all of to try even harder when it comes to blowing out our candles. If you don't manage to get all the candles, not only does he refuse to bring gifts, but he launches into a hellstorm of sharp claws and pain.

I should contact the greeting card companies now so they can get started with all the new cards they're going to need.   :D

"Oh, you've squashed me!"— Melanie B, of The Spice Girls

I'm so unorganized... and forgetful. I was having a couple 99-cent burgers at Del Taco tonight for dinner and started to jot down a To Do list for myself in a little notebook. One of the items on my list is to maintain a list of blog topics. (Yes, my To Do list contains other lists!) While I was writing up the master list, I thought of a great blog topic. But, I didn't write it down. Now, a whole hour later, I can't remember what that topic was. I blame the double-edged sword of caffeine, which gives me focus and clarity but also seems to rob me of memory. Of course, it could be old age...

I seem to be wandering down Memory Lane quite a bit these days. As I've mentioned before, I've been swapping a lot of memories with my new old friend Russell about our days in New Jersey. In addition, I received a short email from my good friend Lori, whom I also went to school with, but in Illinois rather than New Jersey. Lori encouraged me to get involved in a couple school activities— radio club and drama club— on top of my involvements in the school newspaper and literary journal. Unlike Russell, I have kept in loose contact with Lori ever since leaving Illinois, even though several years may pass between communiques between us. You'll also see her picture on facebook, where she is one of my friends.

Short post today. More tomorrow.

"Every man's memory is his private literature."— Aldous Huxley

Downer

I'm afraid this is not going to be an uplifting post.

As I mentioned a few days ago, I met some friends this afternoon and we visited Leo's grave. If you never met Leo, you missed a helluva guy. He was the most irreverent person I ever met, and I miss his sense of humor.

Because I spent the first half of the day with a migraine, I met the group at the cemetery. I can count on one hand the number of times in my life that I've been to a cemetery, and if you filter that list to occasions I remember, there are a few fingers to spare. I just don't go much. The first time was only seven or eight years ago, when Lisa (of Lisa and Pat) decided to swing through Forest Lawn during a day outing. It was a pleasant day. We got out and walked around for awhile, enjoying the cemetery more as a park (with less Frisbee throwing). Lisa told us how she and her friends or family used to visit cemeteries as picnic spots. I suppose, with the right cemetery, that's a fun thing to do. It's nothing I ever thought of doing though.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Chicago area overnight, and I was able to have dinner with my Aunt and Uncle. In advance I asked if we could visit my maternal grandparents' graves. They both passed away in the 80's and I had never had the opportunity to visit their cemetery. In contrast to Forest Lawn, which is all green grass and sunshine, my granparents are buried in a much smaller cemetery. There are trees and fallen leaves and old cracked sidewalks. It is primarily a Lutheran cemetery and is very much more a cemetery than it is a park. Perhaps it was the time of day or the weather, but it also seemed more somber— maybe because of my grandparents' presence, both of whom I have nothing but the best memories of.

Today's visit was moving because it was the first time I ever visited a contemporary who had died. I was fine with it all, giving hugs to Mercy (Leo's Mom) and Laura and Alison. We cracked a few jokes. I was good right up until it was time to leave and Mercy had to say Goodbye to he son for the day. Her pain brought me to the edge of tears.

I plan on going to visit Leo again soon when I can "talk to him" on my own.

I am part of a remarkably healthy extended family. At the age of 46, I still have one grandmother left, and by all accounts she is very healthy. Until a few days ago, all of my aunts and uncles were still alive as well. I was informed tonight, however, that my Uncle David passed away this last week. He lived in Minnesota with my Aunt Mary and had been in rapidly deteriorating health for some time. Unfortunately, I only met him once and that was 30+ years ago. He was a professional artist, and I know that his life with my Aunt Mary was a happy one.

There, I told you this wouldn't be any fun.

"When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half."— Gracie Allen