Darko Director's Cut DVD Release

Greetings Darko fans and "cellar door" searchers...

While in Tahoe, I noticed USA Today did not one, but two stories about the DVD release of the Donnie Darko Director's Cut. I have yet to bite, but it will be a must purchase for future comparison.

I see the extras include commentary by Kevin Smith of "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy" fame. Kinda perplexing, as I have no idea what relevance Smith will bring to the commentary. Missing from the extras is the (superior, I think) original cut with the audio improvements.

My original review for the Director's Cut is here. Though it is must viewing, I stand by my belief that the Director's Cut overexplains way too much. And the music changes are blasphemy for anyone who fell in love with the original.

For those that can't get enough dissection of the movie's plot, I see that salon.com has a summary and analysis here.

Richard Kelly says he's not interested in doing a sequel. As a writer, I can only imagine that such a sequel would feature a teenage Donnie having slipped through time and showing up at Gretchen, or his sister's door. "Frank says... you're in danger."

Meanwhile, those of us in the know are getting our Mary McDonnel fix over on Battlestar Galactica, easily the best series to ever come out of Sci-Fi Channel.

Yes, this week's link lacks comedy, but its impressive in the scope of its pure uselessness.

Pop vs Soda maps out the controversy, and I can vouch for the findings in Daviess county Kentucky. Whenever offering a soft drink, it was standard to suggest a "coke" even if all you had was Sprite and Dr. Pepper.

Internet-iquette??

Back from vacation... my first priority tonight was to catch up on a week's worth of internet activities that stacked up. But while reading three-day old emails and trolling my regular sites, I chance-noticed something...

While I was gone, someone at a certain site, removed me from their friends list!

I have no idea why they did this and I'm unfamiliar with the ettiquette for what I should do about it.

Funny... when someone adds you as a friend at these sites it's like the entire web does a jig and pats itself on the back.

Congratulations! User54 has added you as a Friend! May our Lord and Savior bless your friendship with lol's and a multitude of smiling emoticons!

It's the internet equivalent of receiving a bouquet of balloons. It has absolutely no value, but it still makes you smile.

But the site chose not to inform me when my "friend" removed me from their list. Was it just too awkward for them? Not even a simple form email?

Dear Harold -- We're sorry to inform you that User54 has banished you from their friend's list. This was not a mistake, as we asked if they were sure about their decision and they confirmed.

Twice.

We should also mention that User54 didn't do this to anyone else, just you. They quite deliberately scrolled down, found your name and hit delete.

We've also noticed that User54 has lots of friends and you have very few. Perhaps this would be a good time to refrain from finger-pointing and instead take a long look in the mirror and consider what kind of friend you really are.

I've thought of removing this person from my own list as a form of retaliation. But this action is flawed for two reasons. First, it implies that I care (which I do, but I don't want them to know that). And second, it reeks of pettiness (which I'm usually not). But what good is having a friend on your list if they've turned their back on you? It would be living a lie for me to go on with life as usual.

I should also mention that this friend is not even someone I've ever met. We exchanged a handful of quips, then an obligatory message made us friends. You might think this would diminish the impact of being defriended, but it actually does the opposite. I can't make any of the usual me excuses for this -- I know that something I said was not taken well.

What's the protocol here? Should I write this person? Why don't you like me? What did I do? At least if we'd met, you could say I had egg-breath. Or see that I have stupid hair. Instead, it was my callous, careless words. Which ones? Let me know because I probably think they're funny and am running around using them on other people.

I feel my only option is to accidentally delete my entire account at this particular service, start over, add back my other friends, then simply forget to add back this one person. Oh silly me! -- did I miss someone??

That way, instead of appearing neurotic and petty, I can simply appear forgetful and incompetent.

It's actually close enough to the truth that it wouldn't be a lie.

Gone Skiin'

Off to Tahoe for a week, but updated the new link before I go.

Missing my old Dell

Anybody out there about to buy a laptop? My advice??

Don't buy a Sony Vaio!!

I spent top dollar for this machine thinking I'd get what I paid for, but have had little quirky troubles with it from the beginning. The touchpad sticks... the left click of the mouse wore out... it once got stuck in Hibernation mode and had to be serviced... now the LCD has gone out.

The only way I can see to type is by illuminating the screen with an intense desk lamp. sigh....

Meanwhile, to stay with the Trek theme, check out What Would Captain Sulu Do? Cycle through some of the previous questions asked of Sulu... some are very funny.

New Star Trek Series Planned

Fans of the Star Trek franchise are up in arms about the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise. But not to worry! Several new Star Trek series are already planned to carry on the Trekkie torch!

Star Trek: Watchtower

The Hook: Though most religions no longer exist in the Trek universe, this new series follows the evangelical adventures of three Jehovah’s Witnesses as they bring the "Watchtower" to starships and colonies across the Federation.

Pilot Cameo: Marina Sirtis reprises her role as Counsellor Troi. In one of the pilot’s most exciting scenes, the empathic Troi senses the approach of our heroes in the turbolift and quickly retreats to her quarters, pretending not to be home as they knock.


Star Trek: Hobos

The Hook: Opting to see the Trek universe from a different perspective, Star Trek: Hobos follows two unshaven vagrant “tramps” as they hitch rides aboard freighters and starships just hoping to “catch a break” elsewhere in the galaxy.

Pilot Cameo: Brent Spiner, reprises his role as Commander Data. In one scene, Data watches curiously as one of our hobos pulls a leather shoe from the food replicator and proceeds to eat it for dinner.


Star Trek: Morning Zoo

The Hook: In an obvious attempt to bring levity to the franchise, a rip in time brings Rob and Tom, two morning DJ’s from the 20th century to the Federation starship Intrepid. When Rob and Tom’s zany drive-time antics bring a smile to the face of a belligerent Cardassian General, a galactic war is averted and the ships captain decides to make the DJ’s permanent members of the crew.

Pilot cameo: Levar Burton reprises his role as Commander Geordi LaForge. Geordi is the 94.5th caller on the comm line, gives the “phrase that pays” and wins $20 gift certificate to Appleby’s restaurants.


Star Trek: Wisconsin Dairy Farmers

The Hook: ST:WDF is an ambitious attempt to return the franchise to an Earth setting. Fed up with food replicators that just can’t get the subtlety of their best cheddar, five unconventional 25th century dairy farmers pull two cows out of a zoo and begin making cheese from scratch!

Pilot cameo: Patrick Stewart, as Captain Jean Luc Picard, cameos in the pilot by beaming down from the Enterprise to compliment our heroes on their exceptional gouda!


Star Trek: CSI

The Hook: We follow this special Federation task force as they investigate Starfleet’s most grisly death scenes. How did a Klingon warrior manage to invert the subspace polarity of the deuterium conduit and turn his captain into tiny crystals?

Pilot Cameo: Reprising his role as Captain Riker, Jonathon Frakes guest stars (briefly) as a starship captain whose head is “beamed away” by a psychotic transporter operator. This is science fiction that will have you holding back vomit!

Be sure to cast your vote for which Trek series you think will be the biggest hit!