SPAM IS SATAN, SO COMMENTS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED (updated)


** Comments are now open again on all entries. Write away!

Some unknown tool (hey Mom, that means a-hole) has sent a virus to this site. Invisible technology villains blow.

Long story short, I was receiving about 20 spam comments every 5 minutes, so I had to close the entire blog to real comments. Apologies to the ten or so of you who actually contribute.

If you would like to leave a comment on any entry, please email me and I will make sure that it gets posted when this is resolved.

Thank you for your patience.

- Jo

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A VISTA INTO MY WORLD: MLB PREDICTIONS


Warning: this is going to be a dull blog entry. I had a hectic day and am feeling quite uninspired. But I am working on some fun posts for later this week, so stand by.

I am now operating on Windows Vista. Well, that and caffeine.

Some might say I have entered the dark side. To which I respond…whatever, it came with my brand new laptop. I use my personal computer for the following tasks: blogging, reading, and watching DVDs. Apparently, four years of doing those three things almost daily led to the demise of my previous laptop. I am loyal, however, and have moved on to yet another Dell.

For years, Mac people have been trying to convert me. Frankly, I don’t feel I need a Mac if writing is my primary function. Yes, they’re prettier and seemingly easier to use, but I’m not sold. Clearly. For what it’s worth, Vista seems to mimic many of the Mac’s visual qualities and Microsoft appears to be inching closer toward the enemy. Perhaps they’re feeling the pressure from those Mac v. PC commercials. You know, the ones featuring Justin Long, who is now dating Drew Barrymore. Anyway…

Since ‘my’ team finished the baseball season in the bottom of the division, I have to root for someone else. Because I love the game and am familiar with just about every single player on every team.

Here are the teams I have always hated strongly disliked, in order:

  1. The (Los Angeles is 25 miles away) Angels of Anaheim
  2. The Boston Red Sox
  3. The New York Yankees
  4. The Los Angeles Dodgers

Of course, the first three are in the playoffs, which narrows down my choices to:

  1. The Arizona Diamondbacks
  2. The Chicago Cubs
  3. The Cleveland Indians
  4. The Colorado Rockies
  5. The Philadelphia Phillies

I am an American League girl at heart, and for sentimental reasons, I like to look at which team’s post-season roster contains the most ex-Oakland A’s. I’m also a sucker for an underdog and overcoming a curse. All of which have nothing to do with my final pick.

I do love Eric Byrnes, but is that enough to make me a D-back fan for a few weeks? No.

It’s hard not to believe that the road to the World Series is all but paved for the Rockies, who have gone on an impressive run to win the Wild Card. But I don’t think they have the energy or experience to get them there. Although it would be nice for Todd Helton.

I have casually followed Philadelphia and love to watch Jimmy Rollins play. But other than that, I don’t have a compelling reason to choose them as my team. Apologies to my friend Derek at Cinematically-Correct. I’m sure he’ll leave me a lengthy comment trying to convince me otherwise.

The Cubbies are this year’s ’04 Red Sox. They’re on a mission and if Zambrano and/or Pinella don’t implode, this might be their year. And they do have Jason Kendall now (not that his bat will contribute). Out of all four NL teams, I will jump on the Cub bandwagon.

But my overall choice is the Cleveland Indians. So I envision (or hope for) a Cubs-Indians World Series. And should that occur, my prediction is Cleveland in 6.

So bring it, people. Throw some baseball grief in my direction, and let me know what jersey you’ll be sporting during October ball.

And by the way, whoever chose Dane Cook as a baseball enthusiast/spokesperson should be fired.

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FADE TO BLACK…


I am about to go on vacation, so there will not be any posts here for two weeks. That gives you plenty of time to catch up on older entries and peruse/make fun of my insane Lost theories, leave comments, or play the silly movie game. Or not.

My mind has already wandered far. I have been thinking about vacation movies, or at least the ones which feature traveling and/or beautiful locales. So here you go.

  • 50 First Dates & Blue Crush (aloha)
  • Amelie (the Paris I would like to see, not the one I experienced many years ago)
  • The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (fabulous!)
  • Brokeback Mountain (quite possibly the most visually stunning setting ever for a film)
  • Cocktail (although Tommy wouldn’t be in my tropical paradise)
  • Dirty Dancing & A Walk on the Moon (for family cabin camping and drama in the Catskills)
  • Little Miss Sunshine (the van of my childhood was more spacious and reliable)
  • National Lampoon’s European Vacation (I prefer it to the original)
  • The Talented Mr. Ripley (sans the stalker/murder stuff)
  • Under the Tuscan Sun (I heart Italy)

Obviously there are far more that would fit this list. By all means, please remind me what I’m missing!

Soon I will be firmly planted in a deck chair aboard a giant ship headed to Alaska, bundled up, photographing glaciers, listening to my iPod and drinking hot chocolate…with Kahlua. No cell, no email, no blog. Yikes. Good times!

Bon voyage.

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THE AFTERMATH OF MILCH AND A MAJOR MILESTONE

Tomorrow marks the 2 year anniversary of this blog.  The timing is perfect; last week was the most amazing and surreal experience in the two year history of my site.

It has been estimated that there are more than 70 million blogs in existence. And most of the major pop culture sites receive millions of hits per month. Which kind of gives this site an inferiority complex. But last Wednesday, after actor Jim Beaver responded to my letter to David Milch, my page views shot through the roof.  And there are a few people that deserve a shout-out for playing a major role.

Mr. Jim Beaver is a class act and a refreshing voice in an otherwise disingenuous industry. He doesn’t know me and wasn’t trying to do me any favors. He just took the time to write an honest response to disagree with one fan’s strong opinion. It took me by surprise but I am grateful that he not only set the record straight about Milch’s role in the cancellation of Deadwood and creation of John From Cincinnati, he agreed that the fans of both shows deserved to hear his perspective.

If you haven’t done so already, you need to bookmark Whitney Matheson’s Pop Candy blog for USA Today. It is a daily must-read. As a shot in the dark, aiming high and hoping for the best, I sent her the link to Jim’s response, because I know she’s covered Deadwood, JFC and Milch in previous posts. She not only wrote a little blurb providing back story, she linked
directly to my site! This resulted in at least 3,000 new hits and
introduced me to several new friends with similar entertainment sites
and interests. Keep in mind that before last week, I was averaging
75-100 hits per day. So thank you, Whitney!

If you’re a true Deadwood fan, you must visit Save Deadwood. It is the best source for updates about the status of the cast and series.  I totally appreciate that they posted a link back to Jim’s response on this site as well! I also enjoy visiting and then listening to The Real Deadwood Podcast with Paul Dennis. 

Apparently there are links to my story on HBO’s Deadwood and JFC community boards, as well as on the message boards of Joss Whedon fan site Whedonesque. This saga continues to amuse and overwhelm me at the same time.

Overall, the response to Jim’s email has been 100% positive. And hey, I emerged from this mini-storm relatively unscathed; only one person expressed true umbrage with my letter to Milch. As the dust settles and this becomes tomorrow’s news, I hope to simply retain some new readers. The ride was inadvertent, but worth the journey.

Thank you to everyone who visited and also to those who left comments. I hope you’ll add this site to your list of pop culture perspectives, and return in the near future.

—–

Here is an entirely trivial glance at the last two years of my life as a blogger. To some, these numbers would be a joke. But I am proud of my readership and what I have been able to create and share, especially considering that I have a regular day job.

August 2005 – August 2007
Number of entries posted: 225 (I will increase the frequency, I promise)
Number of subscribers: 10 (small but dedicated, like Mel on The Flight of the Conchords)
Most popular entry: Really Early Oscar Predictions – The Best New Releases of 2006 (no idea why)
Top 3 topics covered: Television, Film, Lost
Number of overall hits: No idea (I was too cheap to purchase a counter)

Now what will I do to celebrate the silly little anniversary of this site? I’m glad you asked! I will be obtaining Season 1 of both Friday Night Lights and Heroes on DVD as soon as possible, and then starting to research new laptop options.  Four years later, my baby is out of style; the technology is sadly archaic and the performance increasingly sluggish. Any suggestions?

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BLOG IDENTITY CRISIS, PARTY OF ONE

If this blog was my kid, I’d have you call Child Protective Services due to blatant neglect.

To be honest, my blog is experiencing an identity crisis of sorts. I am currently researching:

  • Website and logo redesign
  • Google AdSense
  • How to better utilize RSS & other feeds
  • Marketing to new readers
  • How to make this blog a bookmarked entertainment destination site

I have also been contemplating the following questions and answers lately:

Do I have time to write and post every day?
No.

Would I love to?
Absolutely. Having the opportunity to write about what I love is amazing and very satisfying.

If I have just one hour every evening, should I just post the thoughts of the day in smaller entries?
Yes.

Do I write for you or for me?
For you – no question. This space is to share observations and trivial thoughts about pop culture that I hope you can relate to or appreciate. The site is intended to be a diversion and a procrastination tool.

How do I draw people to the site consistently and entice them to read non-Lost related articles?
I’m not really sure. I have a large and loyal Lost constituency, which I love. Although my viewership goes through the roof after each Lost episode post, the number of visits to this site dips severely in the ‘offseason.’

Would I like to consolidate this blog with the home site (www.jopinionated.com) and overhaul both for a more professional look and feel?
Indeed.

Do I have big plans for the blog in the near future?
Yes, including interviews with people who will make you laugh. And sing.

So thank you for your patience.

And Happy 4th.

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IF I WERE A SHOW, I’D BE ON HIATUS…


Hi there, my hundred or so mysterious daily readers who I love and appreciate.

I will not be blogging much in the next two weeks because I am organizing and participating in a very big event. However, after that and all summer long, I will be blogging far more frequently. Look for many movie, music and and summer series TV reviews, as well as pop culture and occasional baseball rants.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!

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