Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Cylons: Can't live with them, can't live without them

Some interesting musings from another fan about the nature of the Cylons here.

Quote:

Lingering behind all this is the entire issue of how the "toaster" Cylons went away for 40 years and returned with their humanoid masters. Who -- or what -- is in charge? Did the Cylons truly evolve or just encounter something which gave them human form. Why are there only 12 master types of humanoid Cylon? (One for each colony? Or one for each of the 12 entities buried in Athena's tomb?)

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Rome. Booty.

Julius Caesar, played by Ciaran Hinds, a Scott.

Why is it so hard to make an entertaining movie about ancient Rome? Isn’t that an intriguing setting rife with possibilities for good stories?

[Don’t mention Gladiator to me. You know and I know that movie was bullshit.]

I watched HBO’s Rome on TiVo today and I was underwhelmed. Two minutes into the program I had already lost any hope of understanding who was who and connecting to any of the characters. I tried to watch ABC’s Empire earlier this summer and found that boring too. Worse yet, the viewer was put in the position of being expected to root for the heir of a dictator as the heir runs around in hiding plotting to regain a throne that was stolen in the first place.

One last question:

How come they always use British actors to play Romans instead of Italians? If I was Italian, that would really piss me off.

Monday, August 29, 2005

The best thing about...

The best thing about the Curacao kids that I mentioned in the previous post were their names. Because of the mixed Spanish, Dutch, English and African history of the island, the kids' names are all over the place.

Check these out:
  • Denjerick Virginie
  • Dienston Manuela
  • Ingemar Haime
  • Jurickson Profar
  • Naeem Laurens
  • Rayshelon Carolina
  • Rudmichael Brandao
  • Sherman La Crus
  • Sorick Liberia

Cool!

These are like the results you'd get if you used a random name generator.

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Kudos to Curacao

Still winners in my book.
Hat's off to the defending Little League World Champions from Curacao who, though they lost in dramatic fashion to Hawaii yesterday, were an exciting bunch of kids to root for.

Quiet as it's kept, the tiny Caribbean nation of Curacao is a Little League superpower. They have made it to the International finals in five of the last six years, beating out well-established Japanese and Chinese teams to do so.

The Curacao team took an early 3-0 lead in the championship game, let Hawaii tie it late, then pulled ahead with two homers to make it 6-3. But they just couldn't hold the lead. In the bottom of the sixth with two outs to go they failed to turn a double play that would've ended the game and Hawaii tied them 6-6. Into extra innings they went.

Trash-talking Hawaiian pitcher Vonn Fe'au mowed down the big men (LOL, I'm talking about 11 and 12-year-olds, you know) in the Curacao lineup in the top of the 7th for a 1-2-3 inning. Throwing at 46 feet from the plate at 78mph, this man-child was hurling fastballs at the equivalent of 101mph on a Major League level.

In the bottom of the 7th, leadoff batter Michael Memea ended it with a walk-off homerun. The Curacao kids showed class, though. Instead of whining, they saluted the winners and the fans before joining their parents. There were a few tears, of course.

Only four of the Caribbean team's fourteen members will be too old to enter the tournament next year, so hopefully Curacao will get a chance to avenge their loss next year.

Saturday, August 27, 2005

BSG: Home, Part 2

Number Six plays with Baltar's dick while he's having a CAT scan. Ho hum.
This is the second episode in a row that I haven't liked too much.

Things I Liked:
  • Although I'm bored with the Baltar/Number Six relationship, part of the mystery of what's going on with him is solved in this episode. Six flips the script on Baltar and tells him there isn't any chip in his head -- he's just crazy. Baltar goes to Doc Cottle for a CAT scan that proves not only that there's no chip in his head, there's no tumor either. So his craziness isn't the result of some physical thing.
  • Adama tells Laura that she saved his life and that of everyone else in the fleet by having them flee the colonies. An interesting admission.
  • Kara tries to talk to Laura on the trek to the tomb and tells her that there's a resistance going on on Caprica that they should support. But Laura blows her off and says she can't think beyond getting to the tomb. Kara says nothing, but is sullen about Laura's dismissal of her. A lost opportunity for bonding, but a good scene.
Things I Didn't Like:
  • The Tomb of Athena thing was anti-climactic, although I did like that they have a reference, of sorts, for determining if any given planet they land on is Earth. They now know that the other twelve constellations can be seen in a specific pattern only from Earth.
  • But what was the deal with the Arrow of Apollo transporting them somewhere? Was that magic? If so, why weren't they more freaked out or more profoundly moved? And how did they get back?
  • Sharon saves Adama from an assassination plot by Zarek's boy Meier and then she swears she doesn't have any deep level programming to turn against them. Why should anyone believe that?
  • How can everyone let Zarek off the hook for his guy trying to kill Adama? Ironically, he really isn't responsible, but why isn't he held responsible anyway? Nobody trusted him before, so why give him a pass now?
  • Adama and Laura are acting like friends now. I'm sorry, it's just too abrupt, too pat, too Star Trek. He put her in jail. He suspended the rule of law. Civilians got shot opposing the Marines (okay, that was under Tigh's watch). That's beef that takes time to resolve. How can the civilians trust the military not to impose martial law the next time there's a disagreement with the President?
Fears:
  • There will probably be tension between Helo and Tyrol over Sharon. How tired is that?
  • Where does the fleet (physically) go from here?

Friday, August 26, 2005

Vile Brother

Too bad we can't get some U.S. politicians to sign on for something like this.

From Reuters.com:

Four Mexican politicians completed a three-night stay in a spider- and scorpion-infested shack on Wednesday as part of a campaign to raise awareness about poverty dubbed "Vile Brother."

In contrast to the typical house on the reality television show "Big Brother," the shack was made of sticks, tin and plastic sacks, lacked a sewage system and had a dirt floor.

The group tore down the shack as they left, after buying a new concrete house for the seven-member family that had lived there, Mexican television news reported.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

I'm Bored

Fishies
I have nothing to say today, so I'm posting a picture from the pond at the butterfly farm in St. Maarten.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

BSG and the "Pegasus" Storyline

I think we can stomach one teeny spoiler about Galactica, right?

We all know by now that Cain and the Pegasus are going to show up near the end of this season.

Ron Moore has the following to say (from Trekweb.com):

With Cain I wanted to maintain that kind of superior warrior attitude of someone who wants to concentrate on the battle against the Cylons as opposed to the survival of the human race.' Moore told the magazine 'There's a twist, through, in that we've made Cain an Admiral, and that throws a wrench into everything. Adama is no longer the senior military officer, and therefore not in command of the fleet any more.
Read more:

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Venezuela: The Next War?

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Brace yourself -- the next country our soldiers may get the opportunity to die in may be Venezuela.

Why?

Well, they've got oil. They're America's forth largest oil-supplier. Venezuela own Citgo. You've heard of them, right?

Of course, we can't just march in there and take the oil. I mean, even we have a little subtlety.

No, what we do is the usual thing. We say their leader is evil and he's trying to destabilize the region. Ho hum. Haven't we seen this before? At what point are we going to stop needlessly making new enemies and creating the next generation of young people with beef against us?

President Hugo Chavez doesn't like the U.S., okay? He runs his mouth. SO WHAT? Fuck that guy. Ignore his ass. Take the high road, for God's sake.

The only new thing about this current pre-aggression dance is that Pat Robertson is in on the demonizing too. Why this particular dictator irks him I don't know, but Pat recently suggested that we avoid a messy war and just assassinate Chavez.

I guess this is what Jesus wants.

From TIME.com: Why Pat Robertson's Statements Help Hugo Chavez

Monday, August 22, 2005

Being Bobby Brown

Bobby in the good old days.
I'm surprised at myself, but I have to admit I like Being Bobby Brown, the reality show on Bravo about the ex-New Edition star and recurring jailbird.

Bobby is surprisingly likeable in a pathetic loser sort of way. We watch him as he gets out of jail, gorges himself on lobster like he has no home training and goofs around with his three illegitimate kids and one legitimate one. The theme of the show, if there is one, is that Bobby is trying to make yet another comeback. He's working on an album of mediocre R&B songs and showing up at photo shoots with swelling under his eyes that he vainly tries to get rid of by applying Preparation H to his face.

In one touching episode he showed up at the Jimmy Kimmel show, unsure of what he was supposed to do, but managed to summon up a performance of Roni that made you remember that this man was once the shit. Watching from back stage, Landon, Bobby's eldest bastard son (I swear this kid looks twenty. Bobby fathered him at 15??) was practically in tears as he cast adoring looks at his dad on the monitor.

But you KNOW what the real reason to watch this show is.

Mrs. Brown.

Whitney. Houston.

OHMYGODWHATTHEFUCKHAPPENEDTOYOU??

As you stare into her junkie eyes and wince as every other word out of her filthy mouth has to be censored, you remind yourself that this woman was once the black "girl next door."

This was once America's sweetheart.

And the more I watch this show, the more I have to say to myself, Bobby didn't do this to her. The "good girl" image had to have been a sham from the get go. No human being can bring another to this level unless they were already there.

Sunday, August 21, 2005

Are You Ready to Tanqueray?

Tony Sinclair. Fake?
The other day I mused over the curious choice of Snoop Dogg as a spokesman for Chrysler. Ironically, the spokesman job he should've been tapped for was for Tanqueray gin. One of Snoop's greatest hits is the immortal Gin & Juice in which he mentions Tanqueray by name!

DUH!

Instead of Snoop, Tanqueray is using someone named "Tony Sinclair" in their new commercials. According to their website, Tony is a "socialite" and a DJ from London's East End. In the commercials, Tony, who unfortunately has bad teeth and looks like total skeezer when he smiles, is at upscale parties commenting on other people's "lack of moderation" or having his ice cubes perfectly shaped by a jeweler.

Again, here's the question:

Will black Americans buy more Tanqueray because of a black Briton, who's gotta be a fake?

Will old white guys (the primary purchasers of gin) be grossed out by this guy?

Saturday, August 20, 2005

BSG: Home, Part 1

I love you, Starbuck! Smooch!
I didn't like this episode too much. It didn't suck, but I felt a lot of characters were acting, well, out of character.

Things I Liked:
  • Laura was pretty slick in dealing with Sharon (at first). She told everyone to put their guns down, then told her peeps to put Sharon out the airlock. LOL! Of course they didn't go through with it, but I thought that was a strong move.
  • Zarek comes clean in private with his second-in-command, Meier. Neither believes in the religious thing going on, but they'll use others' beliefs to further their ends. I liked Zarek's quote: "I believe in the power of myth."
  • Birch, the guy Adama picks to replace Lee as the "CAG," is a total fuck up. He takes too long to do a routine refueling mission and later he nearly gets two "nuggets" killed when his orders on a training run are unclear. Tigh speaks up, of course, but even Gaeda says to Adama that the guy is too green to handle the job.
  • Baltar in his brief scene, was introspective about what happened with Sharon. He regrets not having asked Sharon for more detail about the eight remaining Cylons when he had a chance, and it seems that he regrets this because he could've helped others with this knowledge.

Things I Didn't Like:
  • Do I have to say this again? Sharon can't be trusted. It's insane to listen to her, no matter how you slice it. Whatever.
  • Adama's scene where he has Dualla in his quarters just rubbed me the wrong way. Not that there was anything sexual going on, but he's a basically by-the-book guy and it's inappropriate for the Commander to have a young female petty officer in his quarters. More importantly, it didn't seem like she'd be the person he would confide in about his fears.
  • I never cared for Elosha (AKA "Miss Cleo"), but I think the character was killed off prematurely. She did have an important function with regards to Laura. Laura is going to be totally winging it now on the religious front.
  • Lee runs up to Starbuck and kisses her when she returns. Fuck that guy. I just don't like him. His emotions are all over the place. One of the last things he did last season was punch her in the face. Then he tells her in this episode that she should confide in him and he loves her (you know, platonically). What a prick. Sorry, that just wasn't believable.

Fears:

  • Adama seems realistically different after his shooting, but I'm concerned about a permanent change because, frankly, I liked his mature machismo. Maybe the personality change is necessary because the Olmos Adama is a lot more like the Lloyd Bridges Caine in the original show. And since Caine is coming (sorry for the mild spoiler), the personalities of the two commanders need to be sharply defined and very different.

Friday, August 19, 2005

Snoop Dogg and Chrysler. For Shizzle?

Homies
I wonder how the staff meeting in which it was proposed that making a commercial with Lee Iacocca and Snoop Dogg was a good idea went down?

Don't get me wrong -- the commercial is cute. Snoop and Lee are depicted as golf buddies and Snoop is wearing some goofy pastel argyle stuff. And I've heard that Snoop really does like Chrysler cars. Supposedly he personally called Chrysler company president and CEO Dieter Zetsche last year asking for a 300C sedan. I'm not sure why he couldn't just go to a dealership to get one though.

But...

Isn't Snoop a convicted felon? Wasn't he busted on cocaine charges in 1990? At what point did he become wholesome enough to push cars for an institution like Chrysler?

The real question on my mind is, who is the commercial supposed to attract? White (adult) consumers would be turned off by Snoop, I would think. And will (young) black consumers consider Chrysler cars fly because of Snoop? He's getting kinda old for that market, isn't he?

Thursday, August 18, 2005

BTK Bitch

Bitch
They sentenced Dennis Rader, the "BTK" killer today in Kansas to life imprisonment for the ten murders he committed from 1974 to 1991.

Can you believe this guy had the nerve to cry in court and also draw parallels between his life and the lives of the people he murdered?

Life imprisonment is a travesty for guys like this. Kansas didn't have a death penalty at the time of the murders, so he gets a pass.

Huh?

Hopefully the men in whatever prison Rader is sent to will take care of business and avenge the Otero family.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

BSG: The Farm

Spc. Callie cools her heels in the brig after shooting Boomer last week.
Another good episode, but a little weak on the Caprica side.




Stuff I liked:

  • Apollo couldn't make the tape denouncing his father and Laura and Zarek were pissed at him. LOL!

  • No Baltar in this episode. He's best used sparingly.

  • Adama does look like a man that has had a brush with death. His movements are slower and more deliberate. Good!

  • Callie earned 30 days in the brig for shooting Boomer. Good! Discipline must be maintained.

  • Laura makes a religious appeal to the people of the fleet to follow her back to Kobol. And a third of the ships join her, much to Adama's irritation.

  • Tyrol comes to Adama to speak on Callie's behalf, but Adama is more interested in quizzing Tyrol about Boomer -- "Did you love her?" Later, Adama cries when he looks at her body in the morgue. He has been shaken to the core because, evidently, he loved her as a daughter.

Stuff I didn't like:



  • Starbuck, why did you sleep with that jerk from the Caprica Buccaneers? Jeez, what a ho.

  • We learn that Starbuck had all of her fingers broken in childhood. So, a woman can't be strong unless there's abuse in her past.

  • Starbuck gets a pelvic exam from a Cylon. Disgusting.

  • How did Starbuck get shot and captured? She was standing right next to Helo.

Fears:



  • I think the filthy Cylons may have taken some of Starbuck's eggs to use in breeding experiments. Vile!
    • Monday, August 15, 2005

      Sunday, August 14, 2005

      Back Home

      I'm too tired to post the last vacation picture. I'll do it tomorrow.

      Good news! Beren isn't depressed. Usually he's very sad when we pick him up from the kennel, but he was playing in the car on the way home and he seems happy. I guess he learned how to handle himself in the joint.

      Saturday, August 13, 2005

      Cruise: Day 7 - Nassau

      A hotel and Senor Frog's restaurant.
      Weather: Stank

      Mood: Exhausted

      We went on the "Ghosts of Nassau" walking tour today. Boy, what a mistake that was! The sun had no mercy and there was little shade. I quickly got dehydrated. I have such a raging headache now.

      The tour was light on the ghosts and the obiah aspect. We saw one small dungeon under a library and we walked up to an old fort. The guide described some man who fell victim to a spell imbued in coo coo soup and she described how it felt to be "hagged," or attacked by spirits. That was it.

      By the time we made it back to the shopping area, I was too tired to shop. I bought two shirts because I had run out of clothes (!), but that was it.

      Even though this trip was a bust as far as buying jewelry, I got some nice pictures taken by me and of me. The portrait photographer took two nice shots of me on Thursday. My skin looks gorgeous.

      Oh, the midnight buffet sucked! :(

      I'm not taking this cruise line again. I require good meals.

      Friday, August 12, 2005

      Cruise: Day 6 - At Sea

      A different towel animal has been left on our bed each day.
      Weather: Low 80's

      Mood: Bored

      Nothing to do today. I could've gone to a seminar to learn how to make towel animals like the bunny they left on our bed last night, but I passed on that exciting proposition.

      The food sucked again last night. I had an uninspired rack of teeny lamb. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?? Tonight there is a lobster and crab dish. It better be good.

      We're on our way to Nassau, the last stop on our trip. I haven't bought anything worthwhile. My money was spent on this Internet connection and some photos.

      Tonight there is a comedy show, the third parade of the trip, and a late buffet. I hate to turn in early, because the night is so long, but, wow. I really don't want to fight people for food at midnight.

      I hope to find a nice piece of jewelry in Nassau. I haven't seen shit that says, "buy me," to me. Very disappointing. I came with money to be spent, yo. Looks like I'm going to leave with money too.

      Thursday, August 11, 2005

      Cruise: Day 5 - St. Thomas

      Our ship, as seen from the shopping district.
      The weather was better today. Warm, but not as oppressive.

      We had to go through customs at 7 a.m. this morning. Not sure why.

      We went on a tour of Blackbeard's Hill, which the tour guide said actually had nothing to do with Blackbeard. The streets were very clean and the shopping district was nice, but I haven't found anything I really wanted to buy in the last two ports.

      We had a lousy lunch that cost us $66 dollars at a restaurant by the waterfront.

      The "Planet Ice" show last night actually didn't suck. Since we were way down front in the second row, I could see the costumes clearly and the facial expressions of the skaters. One girl fell down twice, though, so every time a skater leaped I held my breath. I felt sorry for her. The ice was all chopped up. I guess the rink is too small for a Zamboni machine.

      I bought another picture of myself. Another $19.

      Wednesday, August 10, 2005

      Cruise: Day 4 - St. Martin / St. Maarten

      The butterfly farm
      Again, very hot today, but it was a drier heat. We arrived at the port at 8 a.m. The water was very clear -- I could see the fish swimming from the balcony.

      The "Yoda Guy" shop was bullshit. It was a regular art gallery and he had a couple of framed pages from the OT scripts and some storyboards which he was signing for people. False advertizing.

      Later we went on a tour that stopped at a butterfly farm then the French side of the island. The French side looked crappy. The Dutch side (where the cruise ships land) has all new houses and clean upscale shops. The French side looked depressed and unclean.

      Dinner tonight sucked again. The jerk chicken from the restaurant across the street from my house is better.

      We are going to an ice show tonight. This should be good for a few laughs.

      Tuesday, August 09, 2005

      Cruise: Day 3 - San Juan

      Mom -- Oh my God! I have to use _all_ of my coupons before we leave port!
      Portrait of Michelle's mom. After 40 minutes in the linen store in Old San Juan, did she buy anything? Nope.

      --

      The dinner last night was better -- roast duck. Oh, and I didn't wear the stockings.

      I had some camera trouble as we were pulling into San Juan. The lenses on all my cameras were fogged up because of the difference between the heat and humidity in the room and outside.

      The seven of us made an ill-fated attempt to walk to the San Cristobal fortress. We never got there. Only two of us are not overweight and we have three ladies who are over seventy and one in her fifties. And people got bored on the way.

      My mom had a lot of fun using the coupons in her shopping book and she bought me two Hawaiian shirts, so she is happy.

      I will be happy when I can buy some electronic stuff.

      I was bored today, but tomorrow should be more interesting. I'm going on a tour of a butterfly farm, so I hope to take some nice pictures.

      I need a photographer's vest so I can store my stuff distributed across my body. My shoulder is killing me from carrying this bag.

      Monday, August 08, 2005

      Cruise: Day 2 - At Sea


      I had a hellish night. I was fine until about 1 a.m. I got up and went to the bathroom and went I climbed back into bed. I couldn't get comfortable and I soon had a cramp in my right shoulder. This lasted another seven hours. I don't like the mattress and the pillows.

      I skipped breakfast and had lunch at 11:30. The food once again was shitty, even at the buffet. I then attended a shopping seminar where they gave us a map and told us where to shop in St. Thomas and St. Martin. It was 90% jewelry stuff, but there is a Star Wars shop (yep) that's on the list that I will visit. I also need a couple accessories for my camera -- a lens hood, a lens cleaning kit and a thing to keep the lens cover from getting lost. I can live without all this stuff, of course.

      I went to the photo place and picked up the photos taken of us at dinner and when we boarded. $97! HOLY SHIT! I wasn't paying attention.

      I signed up for the "Cyber Cabin" deal as soon as I got on board so that I could get Internet access. The cost was a flat fee of $100. But it's dial up! They handed me a plastic box with a phone in it, some cords and a manual. Unbelieveable. I almost said forget it, but it is cheaper. I would prefer the wireless broadband access, but it's .50 a minute -- $30 an hour. And I'll probably go over three hours in a week.

      Actually, now I'm thinking I should go for that. Dial-up is just so fucking slow it makes me crazy. I could probably force myself to only spend three hours online, right?

      I experimented with my new wide-angle lens and the circular polarizing filters. They make the sky very blue and everything is darker and more saturated. I probably won't use them unless I'm in the open and there's exteremely strong sunlight. I also re-familiarized myself with setting exposures manually. I fucked up many good picture opportunities in Alaska by relying on the automatic setting. So many of my pictures were severely overexposed. SIGH!

      Tonight is "formal" night and my mother is already irritating me by asking me what I'm wearing. I don't care about clothes and shoes and shit. She tossed a pair of panty hose at me and I tossed them back. I said I'll eat at the buffet if she keeps this up. I came on this vacation to relax, not to have someone tell me what to wear. The waiter last night said we don't have to wear formal wear, so I won't.

      Sunday, August 07, 2005

      Cruise: Day 1 - Miami


      I ended up staying up until 2:30 in the morning, despite having packed a week before. I always do that.

      The taxi ride to La Guardia was quick and unevenful. No problem with checking in at the airport. There wasn't much available to purchase for breakfast so I had two bites of a ham and cheese croissant and threw the rest away.

      I dozed through the 3-hour flight, but I was very uncomfortable. The flight was packed.

      The transfer from the Miami airport to the pier was smooth. They put our bags in a truck and we went in a separate bus to the pier. We breezed through the check in since I had filled out the forms online. We had our picture taken on the gangplank, then we boarded Explorer of the Seas.

      Our room has a balcony, a welcome change from the last two cruises we took, both with interior cabins. Cheaper, but claustrophobic.

      We've been on Renaissance and Norweigian cruises before. I had no problem with the other two cruise lines, but I was surprised to see that this Royal Caribbean ship is nicer. The decor is a bit more elaborate and I like the Promonade area that looks like a mall, complete with cafes and shops.

      There have been a smattering of non-whites on the previous cruises we've been on, but there are a lot more minorities on this cruise. There are also a lot more children and teens.

      The only disappointment so far has been the food. It was average to poor and the portions were small.

      Saturday, August 06, 2005

      BSG: Resistance

      I'm so amazed at this show. I was prepared not to like this season. I was sure it was going to start to suck. But the first four episodes have been great. They've exceeded my expectations.

      Things I liked:


      • Callie as Jack Ruby. Wow! I didn't see that coming at all! That was a great scene. They're leading Boomer to her new cell, everyone is screaming and throwing shit at her, then BOOM! Callie jumps out of the crowd and shoots her.
      • Baltar playing hardball. Again, wow! He poisoned Tyrol so that he could force Boomer to give up the number of Cylons embedded in the fleet.
      • The "Boston Massacre" scene. I shouldn't have been surprised, but when spooked the Marines fired on the civilians who were refusing to supply the Galactica, I didn't expect it.

      Things I didn't like:

    • Saul and Ellen's "rough sex" shit. Fuck that. I'm not interested in that.
    • Friday, August 05, 2005

      BSG: Fragged (5)

      Tigh declares martial law.
      Callie knows she’s not qualified for this, and even if she were qualified, the person creating the diversion for Crashdown will be killed. Crashdown orders her to move and when she says, “I can’t,” he quickly puts a pistol to her head and says he’ll count to three. At the count of two, Tyrol has his gun out, imploring him to stop. But at the count of three it’s Baltar who shoots Crashdown in the back, killing him.

      Everyone is stunned except the Cylons, who couldn’t help but hear the gunshot. They open on their position. Tyrol orders everyone to fall back, but he stops to rip the dog tags off of Crashdown’s neck. Baltar has the presence of mind to pick up Crashdown’s rocket launcher before fleeing after Tyrol with the girls. Number Six appears to him and says, “Now you’re a man.”

      Meanwhile, the Raptor is approaching. Tyrol and crew are hauling ass, going for the dish. The medic gets shot and Callie goes back for her, draping her arm over her shoulder and dragging her forward. Tyrol tries to take a shot at the dish and gets shot by the Cylons. The dish swivels around and points at the Raptor. Tyrol yells, “Gimme the launcher!” at Baltar, who exposes himself to fire in order to reach the Chief. Baltar competently covers Tyrol with pistol fire at the Cylons, giving Tyrol a clear shot at the dish, which he takes out.

      The Cylons do manage to fire some missiles, but because the dradis was taken out, the missiles fail to lock and sail harmlessly past the Raptor. Tyrol is out in the open and gets shot. Baltar has partial cover behind a tree and he continues firing and protecting the two women. Knowing he can’t reach cover, Tyrol stands up, takes out his pistol and starts firing, fully expecting to get wasted. Suddenly the Cylons blow up and Tyrol looks at his pistol in surprise. Then he notices the Raptor overhead that just nuked the Cylons and saved his ass.

      They two women hold Baltar’s hand and they all look like they’re going to burst into tears.

      Back on the Galactica, the Quorum of Twelve, escorted by Tigh, approach the brig. Tigh is gleeful. “Viewing time at the zoo!” he cackles.

      “I’m glad to see you hold the President in such high esteem,” remarks Tom Zarek.

      “Your day is gonna come, moffit boy,” threatens Tigh.

      [What the fuck is a “moffit boy”?]

      They come into the brig and Laura is sitting staring into space. She doesn’t acknowledge their presence.

      They start to get nervous and Tigh says, “Okay, the show’s over. Let’s give her some privacy. Let’s talk about where to proceed from here.”

      Then Laura stands.

      “Thank you all for coming. I have a statement I would like to make. The attempted military coup against the lawful government of the Colonies is illegal, ill-advised and totally doomed to failure. I have not resigned the presidency. I will fight this action with everything I have.”

      Tigh, seeing the situation slipping out of his control says, “She thinks she’s a prophet! Go on – ask her! She thinks the ‘Arrow of Apollo’ will open the Tomb of Artemis.”

      “Everything I’ve done has been logical,” Laura says calmly. “We have found Kobol. We have found the City of the Gods. And when we receive the Arrow, we will open the Tomb of Athena and we will find the road to Earth.”

      The Gemonese councilor is particularly impressed. “Madame President, have you read the scrolls of Pythia?”

      “Carefully and many times. I humbly believe that I am fulfilling the role of the leader.”

      Even Tom Zarek looks like he may be buying this.

      Tigh has had it. “Enough of this nonsense. Everybody out!”

      Zarek doesn’t budge. “Sarah, you represent Gemenon. You know more about the scrolls than any of us.”

      “The scrolls tell us that a dying leader will lead us to salvation.”

      “She’s not dying!” interrupts Tigh. “She’s crazy!”

      “I am dying,” Laura replies. “I have terminal breast cancer. Dr. Cottle will verify the diagnosis. I have a few months to live, and in that time I will lead the people to salvation. It is my sole purpose.”

      “Praise be to the gods!” someone says, and the whole Quorum gets down on its knees and reach out their hands for her to touch them.

      [Okay, this part I don’t buy. They can’t all be zealots like the Gemonese.]

      Tigh knows he’s totally played himself. He has the guards come and usher everyone out. He shoots Laura a look of mingled respect, fear and fury.

      The religious corporal comes to Laura after the others have left and she thanks him for his help. He smiles and says, no, thank the gods.

      [Have you noticed that Laura has three disciples, all black? Elosha the female priest, the corporal, and the Gemonese councilor. Hmm!]

      Back on Kobol, Tyrol gives Lee the dog tags of the three dead men. “A hell of a butcher’s bill,” he says. Then he asks the dreaded question – How did Crashdown die?

      Baltar is quick to answer. “Leading the charge. He gave his life for me in the finest tradition of the service.”

      Baltar looks at Tyrol pleadingly behind Lee’s back, then Tyrol backs him up. “Yes, he was a hero.”

      [Since Baltar looks so anguished, no one is going to question this. Ironically, Baltar was the actual hero in the assault on the dish.]

      Number Six shows up and says she’s proud of him. “Because I’ve taken a life?” he says unhappily.

      “Well that makes you human,” she says.

      “Is that it? It’s not poetry, art, music or literature? It’s murder? Murder is my heritage? Is that the lesson I’m supposed to pass on to my child?”

      About this time Lee starts screaming for Baltar to come on and board the ship.

      Back on Galactica, Dr. Cottle has a smoke outside the plastic sheet separating the rest of the infirmary from the OR. He tells Tigh that Adama will live and he’ll “wake up when he damn well wants to.”

      “I really frakked things up for you, Bill,” Tigh says to the sleeping Adama.

      Tigh then further fraks things up by holding a press conference, dissolving the Quorum of Twelve, and declaring martial law because “it’s obvious the government can’t function.”

      The episode ends with a huge uproar and the reporters surge forward toward Tigh while the Marines try to hold them back.

      Thursday, August 04, 2005

      BSG: Fragged (4)

      Tom Zarek and the Quorum of Twelve demand to see the President.
      Back in the brig on Galactica, Laura’s ramblings makes the corporal stand up and take notice. “It sounds like she’s quoting the scrolls of the prophet Pythia,” he says to Billy. “She foretold that a leader would bring humanity to salvation.” The corporal reveals that he is from Gemenonon, where “we believe in the literal truth of the Scriptures.”

      Billy seizes his chance and asks the guard if he knows about chamalla, the herb used by priests to aid in visions.

      Cut to Tigh’s quarters where he’s getting his drink on with Ellen. He laments about his various stresses – Adama is still in surgery, the press wants a piece of him and the Qurom wants to see the President. Let them, Ellen says. She assures Tigh that Laura is so crazy, once everyone sees her, all of the military’s actions will seem justified. And Tigh will be in complete control, since the vice-president is missing or dead. Just until the old man gets back, he says. Of course, she says.

      Apollo’s raptor makes the jump to Kobol with the rescue team.

      On Kobol, Callie dutifully practices setting up her weapon over and over again. Baltar has another vision. Number Six warns Baltar that someone will betray the others during the mission. Crashdown gives Baltar a weapon then puts on the dog tags of Socinus and Tarn, presumably for good luck.

      Dualla calls Tigh in his quarters and informs him that the Quorum is adamant about seeing the President. He tells her to tell them to shove their demand up their collective asses. On the other end of the line Dualla rolls her eyes and makes the universal sign of drinking to Gaeda. She remains professional on the phone and repeats the Quorum’s request and says she needs instructions for the sentries. Tigh laughs and says, “Tell them they’re going to get to see what has become of their precious President.” Tigh smiles at Ellen, who giggles, loving this shit.

      The religious corporal comes through and returns from the infirmary with a bottle of chamalla extract which he hands off to Billy.

      Apollo’s Raptor approaches Kobol and locks on the transponder of the downed Raptor.

      Crashdown’s group takes one last look at the Cylons. Crashdown orders Callie to take the point, but then Tyrol notices that there are five Cylons below, not the three that they counted before. Tyrol interprets this to mean that the dish is unprotected. He urges Crashdown to consider a new plan – go back and take out the unguarded dish instead of attacking all five Cylons head on. Crashdown refuses to listen. He can’t be sure that there aren’t still two Cylons at the dish.

      As they are arguing whether there are five Cylons or seven, they hear a sonic boom overhead – the Raptor has entered the atmosphere. That seals it for Crashdown. He orders them to follow his plan and move out. Again he orders Callie to go down and create a diversion.

      Only, she can’t do it.

      Wednesday, August 03, 2005

      BSG: Fragged (3)

      The ambitious Ellen has plans for husband Saul.
      Laura gets a surprise visitor in the brig – Ellen Tigh. Laura is in bad shape. She’s mumbling in her sleep and she when she gets up, she fails to recognize Ellen. She is coherent enough to ask for an attorney, but Ellen snorts, “Sure, right.” Ellen leaves quickly, bursting to tell this new development to her husband. The religious brother guarding Laura reaches for his prayer beads.

      Back on Kobol, Baltar scales a tree and observes the Cylons for Crashdown. He loses his binoculars, but makes it back to the camp unseen. He reports the number of Cylons to Crashdown, who then asks him if he’s ever fired a gun before. “I’m not a soldier!” Baltar wails, seeing where this is going.

      “Don’t worry, I’ll give you the simplest assignment,” Crashdown reassures him.

      “You’re not suggesting we attack the Cylons!” Baltar wails.

      Tyrol takes Crashdown aside and advises against this plan. Crashdown argues that they have to do it for Socinus and Tarn, the other guy that got killed. Tyrol counters that he fails to see what this has to do with the two men who died.

      “Maybe that’s why I’m an officer and you’re not,” says Crashdown, cementing his position as biggest asshole on Kobol.

      Baltar talks to the ladies. The medic says she hasn’t fired a weapon since Basic and Callie says, don’t look at me – I joined to pay for dental school. [LOL!]

      Crashdown drafts a very by the book plan of assault and draws little pictures in the dirt and moves sticks and leaves to represent various obstacles. Baltar looks even more dismayed as he realizes that Crashdown is seriously going to force them to try this. Baltar can’t take it any longer. He points out the absurdity of the plan – five Cylons vs. five humans does not spell equal odds. Baltar tries to organize a vote and Tyrol cuts him off by saying this is not a democracy, it’s a military mission.

      The plan basically calls for Callie to create a diversion and the medic girl and Crashdown will assault the “dradis” (Galactica-speak for radar dish). This virtually assures that Callie will die.

      Tuesday, August 02, 2005

      Palmeiro Suspended for Steroids

      Oh, shit! I got busted!
      You big dummy!

      Steroids must really be like crack. Palmiero was outed in Canseco's book, he was called to testify before congress in March, and he still couldn't stop! He failed a drug test and yesterday it was announced that he'll be suspended for 10 games.

      What an ass! He might not make it to Cooperstown now. What a waste of a career.

      Read more

      Monday, August 01, 2005

      BSG: Fragged (2)

      Tyrol and Baltar become unlikely allies.
      [By the way, have I mentioned that I hate the new theme music? It’s sort of minimalist. I liked the music from last season. It’s actually the same melody, they just added some (too) soft vocals and removed more prominent the strings.]

      Billy comes down to the brig to see Laura. The religious black corporal is very concerned with the way she’s been moaning and shrieking. Laura confides in Billy what he already knows – she’s finding it hard to think because of the chamalla withdrawal. He promises her that he’ll try to get her some more.

      Baltar has another familiar hallucination where he’s back at his swinging bachelor pad on Caprica. Number Six continues to work on him about how savage humans are and how he must save their baby and the baby is the path to salvation. He says he’s not ready to be a father or a guardian. She says, “Be a man, Gaius.”

      [Same ole, same ole.]

      Crashdown’s group observes the missile battery and they try to get a count of how many Centurions are guarding it. Crashdown gets the bright idea that need to take it out, since they realize that the sole purpose of an anti-aircraft battery is to take out any Raptors that come to Kobol to rescue them.

      In Galactica’s hangar bay, Lee accesses the state of the Vipers – seven are down. Dualla gives Tigh a stack of messages, all of which are marked priority. Tigh asks how long before Lee can get his raptor in the air. When Lee estimates 90 minutes, Tigh explodes.

      “90 minutes! We’ve got men down on that frakking planet! Get your head in the game. Do your job or go back to the brig.”

      Everyone stares at him. Lee turns away and rolls his eyes.

      Tigh meets with the Quorum of Twelve in the ward room (?). They demand to know why the president is being detained. Tigh forcefully defends Adama’s actions. “She caused a key military asset to be lost! The Commander felt he had no choice but to remove her from power.”

      Tom Zarek speaks up. “Adama knew exactly what he was doing. He was paving the way to declare martial law and declare a military dictatorship. Isn’t that right, Colonel?”

      Tigh reaches for a drink... of water. “I can’t speak for the Commander. He’s still in surgery.”

      Zarek won’t let him off the hook. “Well, you seem to be in command here. So what exactly are you planning to do? Are you going to declare martial law?”

      “Absolutely not. The old man hated the very idea of martial law. He believed in freedom and democracy and all that good stuff.” Tigh raises his glass in a toast that mocks the Quorum.

      “If this is still a democracy, I move that the Quorum demand immediate access to the President.” The motion is quickly seconded and they unanimously agree.

      “We demand immediate access to the president,” says the Gemonese councilor.

      Tigh looks both irritated and amused. He gets up and walks to the door.

      “I’ll take your demand under advisement,” he says as he turns his back on them.

      [More]