There are SPOILERS for this episode. Fair Warning to those who haven't seen this episode.
Seinfeld always had the mantra of "no hugging, no learning." That meant the characters didn't learn anything following what they did throughout its run. The Stock Tip is an interesting one in its own right. Not because of the plot idea, but the way Larry David and Jerry wrote this episode. It was still in its infancy and they were trying different things while still straying from most typical sitcoms of the time.
It's another Jerry and George episode. For this one, George looks at the stocks and decides to invest in one involving opera. He gets Jerry to get a piece of the stock as well. Things go south and Jerry panics. No one knows where the man in charge is following the stock going down a few points. George tries to visit the main guy, but fails at trying to talk to him. In the end, he keeps his stock, while Jerry sells his.
I know this is a very, very early episode in its run, but it's an extremely rare sight to see George on the receiving end of something good. The end of the episode shows him acting like a big shot and explaining a new stock to Jerry and Elaine, but we also get to see a bit of cheapness with footing a meal bill. As with the other episodes of this season, David and Jerry are still trying things with the characters that would eventually mold them and make them really loved.
Jerry has a B-plot for The Stock Tip. He is still with Vanessa, the woman who he staked out a few episodes before. An idea in his mind is taking her for a weekend getaway. Elaine offers ideas of where to go and George thinks it would ruin the relationship. It's funny that even Vanessa shares the same sentiment as George, although a little more optimistic. The predicament for what happens next is expected. A romantic together leads to a break up with Jerry knowing how bad of an idea it was.
Elaine's story is another relationship one. Her newest boyfriend is a delight, but has cats which gives her allergies. One thing to see is how she is regarding animals. She was a bit like an activist in the early seasons. Still, she has her moments. Kramer is only in a couple scenes. His stuff is smiling at Jerry's misery because of the stock decline and another idea he has. I think his roll out tie dispenser is not a bad idea in itself.
Really, all four characters have funny moments throughout the episode. There is a bit of Superman humor and a couple other small bits that make the episode good. For a very short first season, Seinfeld may not had been strong, but it was consistent at getting laughs.
Score: 7 out of 10
I'm taking November off from TV review blogs. I'll come back sometime in December and start doing some reviews of The Simpsons. Enjoy the reviews of both Seinfeld and The Simpsons for now.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Seedi Retro CD: CD Emulation for the Future?
One of the first blogs I wrote back in February was for a new retro system called the Retroblox, now known as the Polymega. It was a system that had the ability to play early to mid 90s CD systems. Within the last month, there is another group that is looking to etch their name into delivering a classic experience for the new generation. That would be the Seedi Retro CD Gaming System.
What systems are they going after? Like the Polymega, it's going towards the early to mid 90s CD systems. Particularly the ones that didn't set the world on fire. Overall, there is four systems that they are doing. They are the Neo Geo CD, Sega CD/Mega CD, PC Engine/Turbografx-CD, and the original PlayStation. For people who have grown up on these consoles and add-ons, the wear and tear is prevalent. Although PlayStation did very well, it had a lot of issues early on with the hardware. Sega CD is known for having blown fuses. These systems lasers can go out. The drives may not work well after a long time. Eventually, the stuff breaks.
Seedi had an Indiegogo campaign going, but fell short of the 50,000 dollar goal. Nevertheless, they are still looking to iron out issues by sending out prototypes to people. They allow people to use their original CDs and go through them the same way like playing on the original systems. It allows wireless controllers and the original systems controllers. They are also allowing use of playing DVDs and music CDs. Added is an open source for a lot of emulators.
They are also allowing other systems with roms. Included in the mix they listed are the NES, Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, the Game Boy line, MAME (arcade games), and the Turbografx-16 (PC Engine). Computer games are also slated, but limited to adventure games, DOS games on 386 and lower, and games optimized. Planned for release is cartridge adapters for the Genesis and Game Boy. Online play is going to be allowed on some games along with typical modern retro system features like video filters and save states. Essentially, they are looking to stand out from other modern retro systems such as storage, Wi-Fi, and like the others, being region free.
One complaint some might have are other systems not being on there, which they addressed. They are looking at other systems such as the SNES, Sega Saturn, and 3DO for potential future support. There are systems not support like the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 that they said could be done if they make a second version of Seedi. They are taking a huge chance on some of the systems that they look to add. The Saturn is pretty infamous in regards to emulation, but from what I've heard has gotten better. No one has really done 3DO, or other systems they mentioned like the Jaguar CD and Philips CD-i. If they can work hard on some of systems, this could pave the way for future retro CD systems.
Still, let's see if they even get these produced. A number of these companies try and typically fail. This seems legit and the CD aspect is enticing. If this and Polymega don't live up, the effort may not be made to keep interest in these older CD systems.
What systems are they going after? Like the Polymega, it's going towards the early to mid 90s CD systems. Particularly the ones that didn't set the world on fire. Overall, there is four systems that they are doing. They are the Neo Geo CD, Sega CD/Mega CD, PC Engine/Turbografx-CD, and the original PlayStation. For people who have grown up on these consoles and add-ons, the wear and tear is prevalent. Although PlayStation did very well, it had a lot of issues early on with the hardware. Sega CD is known for having blown fuses. These systems lasers can go out. The drives may not work well after a long time. Eventually, the stuff breaks.
Seedi had an Indiegogo campaign going, but fell short of the 50,000 dollar goal. Nevertheless, they are still looking to iron out issues by sending out prototypes to people. They allow people to use their original CDs and go through them the same way like playing on the original systems. It allows wireless controllers and the original systems controllers. They are also allowing use of playing DVDs and music CDs. Added is an open source for a lot of emulators.
They are also allowing other systems with roms. Included in the mix they listed are the NES, Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, the Game Boy line, MAME (arcade games), and the Turbografx-16 (PC Engine). Computer games are also slated, but limited to adventure games, DOS games on 386 and lower, and games optimized. Planned for release is cartridge adapters for the Genesis and Game Boy. Online play is going to be allowed on some games along with typical modern retro system features like video filters and save states. Essentially, they are looking to stand out from other modern retro systems such as storage, Wi-Fi, and like the others, being region free.
One complaint some might have are other systems not being on there, which they addressed. They are looking at other systems such as the SNES, Sega Saturn, and 3DO for potential future support. There are systems not support like the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 that they said could be done if they make a second version of Seedi. They are taking a huge chance on some of the systems that they look to add. The Saturn is pretty infamous in regards to emulation, but from what I've heard has gotten better. No one has really done 3DO, or other systems they mentioned like the Jaguar CD and Philips CD-i. If they can work hard on some of systems, this could pave the way for future retro CD systems.
Still, let's see if they even get these produced. A number of these companies try and typically fail. This seems legit and the CD aspect is enticing. If this and Polymega don't live up, the effort may not be made to keep interest in these older CD systems.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Wii Shop Shutting Down
For the last generation of gaming, it saw the rise of services of games digitally. From originals to classics, all three competitors and the computer market are all going for the slice of that pie. Nintendo had its Wii Shop Channel just as the Wii launched. With an announcement in September, it will be gone after January 2019 as they are intending to shut it down.
So what is going to disappear? Well, everything. Virtual Console is going to take a huge hit and probably anger quite a few. When it first started it had NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografx-16. Eventually, they added Sega Master System, Neo Geo, and Commodore 64 with Commodore shutting down back in 2013. The amount of titles are staggering, especially considering how small the Turbo and Neo Geo libraries were when they were around in the 90s. Some of these titles go for quite a bit of money, so this alternative to getting the expensive stuff is not going to sit well with some.
WiiWare will also disappear as well. These were titles that were made from indies or big name companies. It didn't have a huge library, but it was getting a decent stream of titles from 2008 through early 2013. I'm not sure how attached people are with this compared to Virtual Console, but it will not please some. There are a few other features I can't think of at the moment, but overall, it's all going to be gone.
What does mean at all? It means that you're never going to see some of these games ever again for WiiWare. I doubt people will go out and go after systems like the Turbografx and Master System to get titles. Whether the WiiWare stuff gets emulated, I don't know. It will be a while for its generation to get emulation going, but it needs a lot of time and patience. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are going to go through this as well, but they will last longer due to people still playing on these systems. Maybe they will shut down in the 2020s. Online is still being used on stuff like the Call of Duty's, GTA V and a couple other titles that still have servers going.
It's a surprise but not one at the same time. Nintendo gave it a good life. Points will not be allowed after late March of 2018, followed by the January 2019 shutdown. With all the other stuff they shut down, it was to be expected. An era will truly end in more than a year.
So what is going to disappear? Well, everything. Virtual Console is going to take a huge hit and probably anger quite a few. When it first started it had NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and Turbografx-16. Eventually, they added Sega Master System, Neo Geo, and Commodore 64 with Commodore shutting down back in 2013. The amount of titles are staggering, especially considering how small the Turbo and Neo Geo libraries were when they were around in the 90s. Some of these titles go for quite a bit of money, so this alternative to getting the expensive stuff is not going to sit well with some.
WiiWare will also disappear as well. These were titles that were made from indies or big name companies. It didn't have a huge library, but it was getting a decent stream of titles from 2008 through early 2013. I'm not sure how attached people are with this compared to Virtual Console, but it will not please some. There are a few other features I can't think of at the moment, but overall, it's all going to be gone.
What does mean at all? It means that you're never going to see some of these games ever again for WiiWare. I doubt people will go out and go after systems like the Turbografx and Master System to get titles. Whether the WiiWare stuff gets emulated, I don't know. It will be a while for its generation to get emulation going, but it needs a lot of time and patience. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are going to go through this as well, but they will last longer due to people still playing on these systems. Maybe they will shut down in the 2020s. Online is still being used on stuff like the Call of Duty's, GTA V and a couple other titles that still have servers going.
It's a surprise but not one at the same time. Nintendo gave it a good life. Points will not be allowed after late March of 2018, followed by the January 2019 shutdown. With all the other stuff they shut down, it was to be expected. An era will truly end in more than a year.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Seinfeld: The Robbery Review
The Robbery is an interesting one in the short first season of Seinfeld. It sort of is based on some stuff that did happened to Jerry. Unfortunately, it's somewhat of a weak episode, but still holds on to some funny moments. It is also one of the few times that George's job as a real estate agent is used in the early days of its run.
Jerry goes to Minneapolis to do some stand up. He has Elaine in charge of watching his apartment with a set of demands. When he gets back however, a number of his items are stolen, all thanks to Kramer leaving his door open. Questions arise before and after the robbery about Jerry and the possibility of finding a new apartment due to problems with the building. Luckily, George has the keys and with badgering from him and Elaine, Jerry decides to look at the apartment.
For the rest of the episode, it becomes a fight between Jerry and George for whoever wants the apartment after Jerry decides he's going to move in. It's stuff that children would do. The ending for it is not one of its strong points, but it does shows the idea of what the characters could have had or not had. Honestly, I don't have much to say for it. It's a straight forward episode with a focus on one thing and that's it. Jerry's story is the apartment with George and Elaine in the mix.
George is basically doing his job for his friend and gets a bit jealous and envious of what Jerry is going to get. That's the stuff that makes the character great. Elaine doesn't have much other than wanting to get out of her own apartment because of her roommate. It won't be the last time she has issues with her. She has a few funny moments for this episode. Kramer's scenes are explaining what happened that led to the robbery and about a neighbor who he thinks robbed Jerry. His stuff isn't too funny.
It feels like a different approach compared to the other episodes, but you can see how much more they were trying to get Elaine in a number of scenes alongside Jerry and George. The second half feels like filler with the stand up, which is very funny in itself. It was probably hard to write any humor considering how straight forward it was. Like I said, it has its moments, but overall, the weakest of Season 1
Score: 6 out of 10
Next week, Jerry and George invest in stock.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
2017's MLB Surprise
While no doubt millions will talk about the Boston Celtics and the gruesome injury that may have ended Gordon Hayward's season, baseball has a bit of a series in the American League Championship Series. At the time of this blog, the Houston Astros and New York Yankees are tied, each with two games a piece out of seven. The Yankees staged late inning heroics in the seventh and eighth to even the series as they finish their home stretch of the ALCS. What makes them tick?
With the last two games, there has been a surge in their offense. These are the two top home run teams and the Yankees have shown their biggest strength. It all starts with Aaron Judge, who has cracked a few long balls in these last two games. Other big contributors in the postseason include Aaron Hicks, Greg Bird, Didi Gregorius, and Todd Frazier in getting those runs in. They are capable of getting guys on base as well, which has lead to these home runs.
One of the bigger surprises is the starting group of pitchers. Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia have shown up in October, especially Tanaka. Getting quality starts have been the key for these two in the Division Series against the Cleveland Indians and this series against the Astros. The starting rotation hasn't given up too many runs and have one of the lowest E.R.As in the playoffs this year despite some flops for Luis Severino. They need to step up their game if they want a shot at that World Series title.
The bullpen is the lifeblood of the Yankees. Considering some of the moves in the summer, it might be stronger than ever. Consistency will be the big factor as they continue with the series and possibly World Series. The team has to stop the big starters of Houston in Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. They are about as deadly a duo, though I feel like Keuchel is doctoring his pitches. No one's pitches are that nasty when they hang low. Verlander has the playoff experience considering his time in Detroit and it has paid off. The Astros got a solid offense with guys like Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa.
Both these teams have the necessary tools. One of them is bound to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although it's too early to predict them as the ones winning the National League pennant, they look to be the easy favorite to get back into the World Series for the first time since 1988. It will certainly be tough dealing with Clayton Kershaw if it does come down to that unless the Chicago Cubs can stage a huge comeback. For now, the Yankees are making the 2017 playoffs a year to remember for Major League Baseball. No one expected them to get this far. With the veterans and young players gelling together, they have the makings of a contender/dynasty for a good five, six years.
With the last two games, there has been a surge in their offense. These are the two top home run teams and the Yankees have shown their biggest strength. It all starts with Aaron Judge, who has cracked a few long balls in these last two games. Other big contributors in the postseason include Aaron Hicks, Greg Bird, Didi Gregorius, and Todd Frazier in getting those runs in. They are capable of getting guys on base as well, which has lead to these home runs.
One of the bigger surprises is the starting group of pitchers. Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia have shown up in October, especially Tanaka. Getting quality starts have been the key for these two in the Division Series against the Cleveland Indians and this series against the Astros. The starting rotation hasn't given up too many runs and have one of the lowest E.R.As in the playoffs this year despite some flops for Luis Severino. They need to step up their game if they want a shot at that World Series title.
The bullpen is the lifeblood of the Yankees. Considering some of the moves in the summer, it might be stronger than ever. Consistency will be the big factor as they continue with the series and possibly World Series. The team has to stop the big starters of Houston in Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. They are about as deadly a duo, though I feel like Keuchel is doctoring his pitches. No one's pitches are that nasty when they hang low. Verlander has the playoff experience considering his time in Detroit and it has paid off. The Astros got a solid offense with guys like Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa.
Both these teams have the necessary tools. One of them is bound to face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although it's too early to predict them as the ones winning the National League pennant, they look to be the easy favorite to get back into the World Series for the first time since 1988. It will certainly be tough dealing with Clayton Kershaw if it does come down to that unless the Chicago Cubs can stage a huge comeback. For now, the Yankees are making the 2017 playoffs a year to remember for Major League Baseball. No one expected them to get this far. With the veterans and young players gelling together, they have the makings of a contender/dynasty for a good five, six years.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Seinfeld: The Stake Out Review
Some of these episodes of Seinfeld are from the minds of these writers during its nine season run. A good chunk of them coming from Larry David, who wrote The Stake Out with Jerry. The basis is Jerry and Elaine talking about a friend Elaine knew when the two were together A deal is made where Jerry goes to a get together at a bar for the friend and Elaine goes to a wedding with a number of Seinfeld family members.
At the bar, Jerry makes small talk and jokes with a woman who works in law. He can't believe how beautiful she looks, but can't make any moves because of Elaine sitting next to him. He does catch the name of the law firm. This is also the first episode with the parents of Jerry, Morty and Helen. Jerry explains his situation to them, which Morty suggests a stake out, and Jerry gets George to stage a thing at the law firm.
Things do go smoothly with Jerry and Vanessa, the law firm woman, but go a little sour when Elaine catches wind of what happened. That's the gist with this episode. While it is focused on him, there is a bit of fear in him. As Jerry explains to his parents, he doesn't feel comfortable with saying certain things regarding other women to Elaine. Maybe it's the idea of saying something to a person you used to go out with, but are friends today.
Speaking of friends, Elaine gets the big focus in this episode, having a handful of scenes despite most of them in the beginning of it. George and Kramer don't have many scenes compared to the first two episodes, but George has his defining moment with the architect idea, something they would use throughout the entire run. Also the name Art Vandelay would be used. Kramer is simply comic relief. For the parents, it's a little different. While most will think of Barney Martin as Morty, Seinfeld had a different route in 1990 with Phil Bruns. Bruns version is a little more natural and not as buffoonish compared to Martin. Helen is a character that stays the same throughout its run, with Liz Sheridan playing the mother role of Jerry's pretty well.
It's a stepping block into the direction of having Seinfeld become the way it would dominate television once audiences started noticing a few years later. The humor is there. How the characters are feels like they have ironed out a few things. Just getting all four equal time on screen is the thing that they had to fix back then. This is a solid episode and hits the right stuff in its short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review has Jerry thinking of moving out to another apartment.
At the bar, Jerry makes small talk and jokes with a woman who works in law. He can't believe how beautiful she looks, but can't make any moves because of Elaine sitting next to him. He does catch the name of the law firm. This is also the first episode with the parents of Jerry, Morty and Helen. Jerry explains his situation to them, which Morty suggests a stake out, and Jerry gets George to stage a thing at the law firm.
Things do go smoothly with Jerry and Vanessa, the law firm woman, but go a little sour when Elaine catches wind of what happened. That's the gist with this episode. While it is focused on him, there is a bit of fear in him. As Jerry explains to his parents, he doesn't feel comfortable with saying certain things regarding other women to Elaine. Maybe it's the idea of saying something to a person you used to go out with, but are friends today.
Speaking of friends, Elaine gets the big focus in this episode, having a handful of scenes despite most of them in the beginning of it. George and Kramer don't have many scenes compared to the first two episodes, but George has his defining moment with the architect idea, something they would use throughout the entire run. Also the name Art Vandelay would be used. Kramer is simply comic relief. For the parents, it's a little different. While most will think of Barney Martin as Morty, Seinfeld had a different route in 1990 with Phil Bruns. Bruns version is a little more natural and not as buffoonish compared to Martin. Helen is a character that stays the same throughout its run, with Liz Sheridan playing the mother role of Jerry's pretty well.
It's a stepping block into the direction of having Seinfeld become the way it would dominate television once audiences started noticing a few years later. The humor is there. How the characters are feels like they have ironed out a few things. Just getting all four equal time on screen is the thing that they had to fix back then. This is a solid episode and hits the right stuff in its short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review has Jerry thinking of moving out to another apartment.
Friday, October 13, 2017
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Blade Runner 2049's Mediocre Start
For this past weekend's set of films, nothing stood out. My Little Pony didn't do much, but could be worse, and The Mountain Between Us was between Blade Runner 2049 and It. For Blade Runner, it could have been a number of reasons why it made just over 30 million dollars domestically. Unless it gets strong legs, which I doubt, it will be looked at as a box office bomb.
A problem most sequels have is when to release one. The original Blade Runner released in 1982. Although it didn't do too well, it's considered one of the greatest films in science fiction. Some are rather quick to have a new film such as the horror movies like Saw, which has a new one at the end of the month. Then there is ones that come out after a long time. People wanted new Anchorman and Dumb and Dumber films and they got their wish. I think you can get away with it in certain science fiction films with the idea of futuristic stuff.
Releasing in the fall is not always a bad thing. You can avoid the headaches of the summer blockbusters. Blade Runner 2049 seemed to catch on with the idea, but maybe people not knowing about the original could have hurt it a little bit. The original isn't really on TV a lot. It has more of a cult status despite the classic status is gets. Then again, the average person may not be interested in either one. Maybe it not being your typical popcorn flick is something that rubs some the wrong way. I don't know.
Regardless of reception (which has a lot of praise at the moment), Blade Runner 2049 has a lot of competition in these next few months. With it being October, there is the usual glut of horror movies. November has a few big name films with sequels. Most notably is another glorified Marvel popcorn flick in Thor: Ragnorak. At 150 million for its budget, 2049 better hope it can get a strong foreign performance, which was strong this past weekend. Unless there's a surge at some point, it could be tough getting to 100 million domestically.
A problem most sequels have is when to release one. The original Blade Runner released in 1982. Although it didn't do too well, it's considered one of the greatest films in science fiction. Some are rather quick to have a new film such as the horror movies like Saw, which has a new one at the end of the month. Then there is ones that come out after a long time. People wanted new Anchorman and Dumb and Dumber films and they got their wish. I think you can get away with it in certain science fiction films with the idea of futuristic stuff.
Releasing in the fall is not always a bad thing. You can avoid the headaches of the summer blockbusters. Blade Runner 2049 seemed to catch on with the idea, but maybe people not knowing about the original could have hurt it a little bit. The original isn't really on TV a lot. It has more of a cult status despite the classic status is gets. Then again, the average person may not be interested in either one. Maybe it not being your typical popcorn flick is something that rubs some the wrong way. I don't know.
Regardless of reception (which has a lot of praise at the moment), Blade Runner 2049 has a lot of competition in these next few months. With it being October, there is the usual glut of horror movies. November has a few big name films with sequels. Most notably is another glorified Marvel popcorn flick in Thor: Ragnorak. At 150 million for its budget, 2049 better hope it can get a strong foreign performance, which was strong this past weekend. Unless there's a surge at some point, it could be tough getting to 100 million domestically.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Seinfeld: Male Unbonding Review
POTENTIAL SPOILERS:
Now this is what we're talking about. The look, the theme, the characters. A big blueprint for what Seinfeld would become. It was a gamble to make four more episodes. Note that I am going by production order rather than when these episodes originally aired. So onto Male Unbonding, the only episode without "The" in it. (I think Seinfeld should have let the writers come up with some creative episode names. Some of them during its run are B-plot and not the main focus)
It's a Jerry episode for the most part, but with Kramer creating the reason for it. Jerry gets a call from a friend since childhood, Joel Horneck, who talked to Kramer. The comedian cannot stand the guy as he complains to his neighbor and George. An idea to end the friendship is skeptical but tried. Joel, played by Kevin Dunn, is a huge prick with a very short attention span. He doesn't care for what Jerry says and harasses a waitress at the coffee shop. Jerry decides to end it, but it backfires, resulting in his "friend" crying and tries to make amends.
Throughout the episode after that, Jerry tries to do whatever he can to avoid Joel. For the most part it works. George's story is pretty small, but he does serve as an important part of Male Unbonding. He has a decent relationship with a woman that goes south following an incident at a theater. However, he is the main reason for Jerry wanting to end the friendship with Joel. Not much else is there for him other than rolling coins from a huge jar of change and flipping out on Jerry for giving up tickets to the Knicks game.
Kramer, much like the pilot, has very small screen time. As mentioned, talking to Joel over the phone is the catalyst for the episode. This is also the episode with mentions of Kramerica Industries and a pizza place where people can make their own pizza, ideas that would resurface when the show got big. This is also the first produced episode with Elaine Benes. Like Kramer, she doesn't have much screen time as well. She has no story other than helping Jerry with his problem with Joel and hearing the sob story.
As I watch this, you can see the stuff that got Seinfeld and Larry David's feet wet. They needed a good impression and hit it out of the park. The characters feel a bit like what millions would watch throughout the years. It's got the stuff that they obsess over such as the relationships. Really, the only thing that isn't good is the lack of both Kramer and Elaine in the episode. Even George a little bit, but that part is minor. Despite that, it was a step in the right direction back in 1990. It's another solid episode in it's very short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, Jerry decides to stake out a woman he saw at a get together.
Now this is what we're talking about. The look, the theme, the characters. A big blueprint for what Seinfeld would become. It was a gamble to make four more episodes. Note that I am going by production order rather than when these episodes originally aired. So onto Male Unbonding, the only episode without "The" in it. (I think Seinfeld should have let the writers come up with some creative episode names. Some of them during its run are B-plot and not the main focus)
It's a Jerry episode for the most part, but with Kramer creating the reason for it. Jerry gets a call from a friend since childhood, Joel Horneck, who talked to Kramer. The comedian cannot stand the guy as he complains to his neighbor and George. An idea to end the friendship is skeptical but tried. Joel, played by Kevin Dunn, is a huge prick with a very short attention span. He doesn't care for what Jerry says and harasses a waitress at the coffee shop. Jerry decides to end it, but it backfires, resulting in his "friend" crying and tries to make amends.
Throughout the episode after that, Jerry tries to do whatever he can to avoid Joel. For the most part it works. George's story is pretty small, but he does serve as an important part of Male Unbonding. He has a decent relationship with a woman that goes south following an incident at a theater. However, he is the main reason for Jerry wanting to end the friendship with Joel. Not much else is there for him other than rolling coins from a huge jar of change and flipping out on Jerry for giving up tickets to the Knicks game.
Kramer, much like the pilot, has very small screen time. As mentioned, talking to Joel over the phone is the catalyst for the episode. This is also the episode with mentions of Kramerica Industries and a pizza place where people can make their own pizza, ideas that would resurface when the show got big. This is also the first produced episode with Elaine Benes. Like Kramer, she doesn't have much screen time as well. She has no story other than helping Jerry with his problem with Joel and hearing the sob story.
As I watch this, you can see the stuff that got Seinfeld and Larry David's feet wet. They needed a good impression and hit it out of the park. The characters feel a bit like what millions would watch throughout the years. It's got the stuff that they obsess over such as the relationships. Really, the only thing that isn't good is the lack of both Kramer and Elaine in the episode. Even George a little bit, but that part is minor. Despite that, it was a step in the right direction back in 1990. It's another solid episode in it's very short first season.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week, Jerry decides to stake out a woman he saw at a get together.
Friday, October 6, 2017
MLB Playoffs 2017
With the Division Series set in stone and a few games played already, let's get into who I think has the chance to make the World Series. I see it as an easy choice in the National League. The American League, on the other hand, could have some upsets if it gets to that point by either the end of this week or next week.
What I view in the National League is very simple. I see it coming down to either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Arizona Diamondbacks winning a pennant. The Dodgers have good pitching. There is some power at the plate. Having a strong closer and a decent reliving unit helps. They shouldn't be too cold following that huge losing skid at the end of August into early September. The key for the Diamondbacks is their starting pitching, which improved a lot compared to last year. They aren't exactly a team that has big home run hitters everywhere, but they could net a few hits here and there. How far this team goes depends on the starters. That bullpen could potentially struggle.
As far as the other two NL teams go, I don't feel confident in the Chicago Cubs. I think it'll be too much if they have to face the Dodgers or D-Backs pending if they can beat the Washington Nationals. There is some power, but the starting pitching will be the reason they either advance or finish out of the playoffs. Their bullpen is a decent group that could help out if things go south fast. Regarding the Nationals, they got guys that can hit for contact and power. They also have a speedy runner in Trea Turner. In a way with their pitching, it's the opposite of the Cubs. The starters will help the team out with a good trio of pitchers that can get through innings quickly. For the bullpen, they could be the factor of advancing or being eliminated. Washington needs a number of things to happen if they want to get to the Championship Series or World Series.
In the American League, it's not an easy thing to predict. Each of the four have a chance. Beginning with the Cleveland Indians, they have probably one of the best trios in the game for starting pitching. They are playing it smart with Corey Kluber if things go to a Game 5. I see them as the team going to the World Series. They got good power and speed at the plate and on the bases. Not to mention their bullpen is one of the better ones in the league. If this next team plays their cards right, the Houston Astros could be the next favorite. The batters are a big mix of contact, speed, and power. They can win in various ways. However, a big issue lies in the pitching. Their starters aren't exactly a must watch, and the bullpen has a few blemishes, although they aren't that bad. Getting Justin Verlander added much needed insurance to their September run. They will need sweeps to avoid relying on some of the other starters.
It'll be tough for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to even get a win or two. Even advancing could be something that they envy. The Yankees have power at the plate. There is some speed, and a few of their batters can hit for average. Their bullpen is one of the best, and the starters can hold their own. The question lies in whether these pitchers can bring their talent to the next level in order to win. Don't rule them out these next years, though. This is a young team that will catapult them into the new generation of baseball. Don't rule out the Red Sox, either. There are good contact hitters combined with a little power and speed. Craig Kimbrel is lights out as a closer in a questionable bullpen, and when healthy, the starters could be one of the most dangerous in the league. Similar to the Yankees, this is a young team, and both these teams could make these next few years some of the most exciting baseball that hasn't been seen in a good while.
What I view in the National League is very simple. I see it coming down to either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Arizona Diamondbacks winning a pennant. The Dodgers have good pitching. There is some power at the plate. Having a strong closer and a decent reliving unit helps. They shouldn't be too cold following that huge losing skid at the end of August into early September. The key for the Diamondbacks is their starting pitching, which improved a lot compared to last year. They aren't exactly a team that has big home run hitters everywhere, but they could net a few hits here and there. How far this team goes depends on the starters. That bullpen could potentially struggle.
As far as the other two NL teams go, I don't feel confident in the Chicago Cubs. I think it'll be too much if they have to face the Dodgers or D-Backs pending if they can beat the Washington Nationals. There is some power, but the starting pitching will be the reason they either advance or finish out of the playoffs. Their bullpen is a decent group that could help out if things go south fast. Regarding the Nationals, they got guys that can hit for contact and power. They also have a speedy runner in Trea Turner. In a way with their pitching, it's the opposite of the Cubs. The starters will help the team out with a good trio of pitchers that can get through innings quickly. For the bullpen, they could be the factor of advancing or being eliminated. Washington needs a number of things to happen if they want to get to the Championship Series or World Series.
In the American League, it's not an easy thing to predict. Each of the four have a chance. Beginning with the Cleveland Indians, they have probably one of the best trios in the game for starting pitching. They are playing it smart with Corey Kluber if things go to a Game 5. I see them as the team going to the World Series. They got good power and speed at the plate and on the bases. Not to mention their bullpen is one of the better ones in the league. If this next team plays their cards right, the Houston Astros could be the next favorite. The batters are a big mix of contact, speed, and power. They can win in various ways. However, a big issue lies in the pitching. Their starters aren't exactly a must watch, and the bullpen has a few blemishes, although they aren't that bad. Getting Justin Verlander added much needed insurance to their September run. They will need sweeps to avoid relying on some of the other starters.
It'll be tough for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to even get a win or two. Even advancing could be something that they envy. The Yankees have power at the plate. There is some speed, and a few of their batters can hit for average. Their bullpen is one of the best, and the starters can hold their own. The question lies in whether these pitchers can bring their talent to the next level in order to win. Don't rule them out these next years, though. This is a young team that will catapult them into the new generation of baseball. Don't rule out the Red Sox, either. There are good contact hitters combined with a little power and speed. Craig Kimbrel is lights out as a closer in a questionable bullpen, and when healthy, the starters could be one of the most dangerous in the league. Similar to the Yankees, this is a young team, and both these teams could make these next few years some of the most exciting baseball that hasn't been seen in a good while.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Nintendo's Internet Incompetence
While 2017 will, no doubt, be something Nintendo will remember, it also has a few blemishes that taint a strong debut of the Switch. For most people, this company is very, very bad when it comes to understanding the Internet. In recent years, they have ordered cease and desists on a number of fan projects. They have gone after emulation and ordered websites to get rid of ROMs of their games. Just recently, they have updated a part of their Creators Program.
For the last few years, Nintendo has partnered up with YouTube for monetization. Despite existing, it has been met with quite a bit of scrutiny. From games that are whitelisted to every video needing to be reviewed for their approval, it's clear they don't understand online. With the banning of live streaming on YouTube, it's another sign that they are not in the right century. No way in hell are users going to create another account just to stream games. I get what they're doing, but this squeaky clean image they are trying to show is not always going to work. This isn't 1985 where the audience is mostly 10 year olds. It also shows just how incompetent these idiot executives in Japan are.
Japan has mostly been a very strict area for companies. Sega's Japan branch did not care for Tom Kalinske and his approach with the Genesis. While they did approve a few of his suggestions, the tensions between the Japan and America offices got to the point of the company being in the red and struggling in the second half of the 90s. Nintendo is in that realm, only with billions of money. How the Switch does in its second year next March will tell if they succeed or struggle. I really think Japan has the final say on everything and the presidents of the American and European divisions can't do anything about it. If they defied something, the odds of them being fired would be very high.
I get the emulation thing. A number of their titles are on Virtual Console and they want customers (or repeat idiots who will buy them for a fifth or sixth time) to play them legitimately. Here's the thing, though. There is no way they can go after every site that carries ROMs and ISOs. Not to mention the Virtual Console ports are the exact same games with nothing additional added to them. This is a gray area and Nintendo is trying to do whatever it takes to get money.
Much like the emulation, I get what Nintendo is doing with the fan projects. It is their own IPs. They are, unfortunately, within their rights to have them removed. Once again, here's the thing. There are lots of fan projects that get no cease and desists. Sonic 3 Complete is something I doubt Sega cares. Hell, even Tecmo doesn't shut down any of the Tecmo Super Bowl hacks people make, adding updated rosters for the NES hit. NHL 94 even gets updates with modern rosters, and that has one of the biggest followings for anything that doesn't involve RPGs and platformers. It seems like Nintendo is the only one that tries to do anything most of the time.
One of these days, these executives need to realize how loved the IPs and franchises are on social media. This isn't the 80s and 90s where you have one to three others together playing an NES or Nintendo 64 game. Nintendo has to understand how useful the Internet is and realize it's not a bad thing. Not everything is G-rated, and they have to suck it up and realize that. If they don't, they will get way more hate than they would ever think down the road.
For the last few years, Nintendo has partnered up with YouTube for monetization. Despite existing, it has been met with quite a bit of scrutiny. From games that are whitelisted to every video needing to be reviewed for their approval, it's clear they don't understand online. With the banning of live streaming on YouTube, it's another sign that they are not in the right century. No way in hell are users going to create another account just to stream games. I get what they're doing, but this squeaky clean image they are trying to show is not always going to work. This isn't 1985 where the audience is mostly 10 year olds. It also shows just how incompetent these idiot executives in Japan are.
Japan has mostly been a very strict area for companies. Sega's Japan branch did not care for Tom Kalinske and his approach with the Genesis. While they did approve a few of his suggestions, the tensions between the Japan and America offices got to the point of the company being in the red and struggling in the second half of the 90s. Nintendo is in that realm, only with billions of money. How the Switch does in its second year next March will tell if they succeed or struggle. I really think Japan has the final say on everything and the presidents of the American and European divisions can't do anything about it. If they defied something, the odds of them being fired would be very high.
I get the emulation thing. A number of their titles are on Virtual Console and they want customers (or repeat idiots who will buy them for a fifth or sixth time) to play them legitimately. Here's the thing, though. There is no way they can go after every site that carries ROMs and ISOs. Not to mention the Virtual Console ports are the exact same games with nothing additional added to them. This is a gray area and Nintendo is trying to do whatever it takes to get money.
Much like the emulation, I get what Nintendo is doing with the fan projects. It is their own IPs. They are, unfortunately, within their rights to have them removed. Once again, here's the thing. There are lots of fan projects that get no cease and desists. Sonic 3 Complete is something I doubt Sega cares. Hell, even Tecmo doesn't shut down any of the Tecmo Super Bowl hacks people make, adding updated rosters for the NES hit. NHL 94 even gets updates with modern rosters, and that has one of the biggest followings for anything that doesn't involve RPGs and platformers. It seems like Nintendo is the only one that tries to do anything most of the time.
One of these days, these executives need to realize how loved the IPs and franchises are on social media. This isn't the 80s and 90s where you have one to three others together playing an NES or Nintendo 64 game. Nintendo has to understand how useful the Internet is and realize it's not a bad thing. Not everything is G-rated, and they have to suck it up and realize that. If they don't, they will get way more hate than they would ever think down the road.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Seinfeld: The Seinfeld Chronicles Review (Good News, Bad News)
WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
If there was ever an auspicious way to begin a good run on television, Seinfeld might be a prime example. It may be hard to think today it was deemed to fail, but in 1988, test audiences were not impressed with what creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote. For NBC, they let it die off in the summer of 1989, airing it in July. It was one that could have been on Fox or a couple of other networks, but it took some convincing to even get a first season. NBC took a shot. They did with Cheers after a dreadful debut in 1982 and it grew into one of the 80's biggest sitcoms.
For the pilot, The Seinfeld Chronicles, it is such a different animal. Outside of its initial broadcast, your only chance of watching the original version is on DVD, which they provide that and the revised broadcast with the familiar sounds you know and love. Some things will be familiar like Jerry's apartment despite looking a little different. Kramer is Kessler, which they would address very late in the show's run. And the local coffee shop, Monk's, is not here.
Getting into the pilot, Jerry and George Costanza are in a talk throughout the episode of a woman Jerry met doing stand up. George doesn't buy into the woman being serious into his friend and Jerry is confused at times during most of it. This is the kind of stuff that would be a staple during the show's run. It's talking about the little things such as signals and even talking other stuff like laundry. One of the bits early on was Jerry's stand up, which they integrated heavily in the first season. They certainly add a bit to how Jerry feels during the episode and adds to the humor of it, which is surprisingly solid for a pilot.
Really, it's mostly a Jerry episode. There isn't much for George, but you can see the chemistry between Seinfeld and Jason Alexander with the scenes they have. They provide strong humor with how they interact in the facets of life. Kramer isn't seen in much of it, but how he is is a start to the wackiness he would add to many episodes. One thing people will find odd is no Elaine. Obviously, they were trying something different before they created her with the waitress Claire. For that character, played by Lee Garlington, her very brief moment in the pilot is somewhat funny, though it is a monotone approach to acting.
It is a little rough around the edges. The original theme is very outdated and cheesy, even for the 80's. Kramer's dog feels out of place. As I said, it's mostly a Jerry episode, but that shouldn't deter anyone from watching it. I expected it to be the norm of most pilots, but I find it to be a surprisingly solid one. The novelty of its initial broadcast makes it a much watch just to see what it was like back in July of 1989.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review involves Jerry trying to end a friendship with an obnoxious guy.
If there was ever an auspicious way to begin a good run on television, Seinfeld might be a prime example. It may be hard to think today it was deemed to fail, but in 1988, test audiences were not impressed with what creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld wrote. For NBC, they let it die off in the summer of 1989, airing it in July. It was one that could have been on Fox or a couple of other networks, but it took some convincing to even get a first season. NBC took a shot. They did with Cheers after a dreadful debut in 1982 and it grew into one of the 80's biggest sitcoms.
For the pilot, The Seinfeld Chronicles, it is such a different animal. Outside of its initial broadcast, your only chance of watching the original version is on DVD, which they provide that and the revised broadcast with the familiar sounds you know and love. Some things will be familiar like Jerry's apartment despite looking a little different. Kramer is Kessler, which they would address very late in the show's run. And the local coffee shop, Monk's, is not here.
Getting into the pilot, Jerry and George Costanza are in a talk throughout the episode of a woman Jerry met doing stand up. George doesn't buy into the woman being serious into his friend and Jerry is confused at times during most of it. This is the kind of stuff that would be a staple during the show's run. It's talking about the little things such as signals and even talking other stuff like laundry. One of the bits early on was Jerry's stand up, which they integrated heavily in the first season. They certainly add a bit to how Jerry feels during the episode and adds to the humor of it, which is surprisingly solid for a pilot.
Really, it's mostly a Jerry episode. There isn't much for George, but you can see the chemistry between Seinfeld and Jason Alexander with the scenes they have. They provide strong humor with how they interact in the facets of life. Kramer isn't seen in much of it, but how he is is a start to the wackiness he would add to many episodes. One thing people will find odd is no Elaine. Obviously, they were trying something different before they created her with the waitress Claire. For that character, played by Lee Garlington, her very brief moment in the pilot is somewhat funny, though it is a monotone approach to acting.
It is a little rough around the edges. The original theme is very outdated and cheesy, even for the 80's. Kramer's dog feels out of place. As I said, it's mostly a Jerry episode, but that shouldn't deter anyone from watching it. I expected it to be the norm of most pilots, but I find it to be a surprisingly solid one. The novelty of its initial broadcast makes it a much watch just to see what it was like back in July of 1989.
Score: 7 out of 10
Next week's review involves Jerry trying to end a friendship with an obnoxious guy.
Annoying Commercials
For as much as I want to rip on New York City based newspapers and their armchair sports reporters, there are many things I can't say. Instead, I'll go a different approach and talk annoying commercials. It seems like most now these days aren't clever or even well made. Some might be ones I mentioned in other blogs. Others may be new. So without further ado, lets begin.
Truth: This is an anti-smoking ad that usually airs on something like MTV. Typically, they use cheap ways to say things about how bad smoking is. It wouldn't be annoying if they just backed what they say up. They don't put up anything that they reference. I'm not against smoking even though I don't smoke, but the effort is not there. It's a cheap gimmick, much like the Ad Council. People are still going to smoke and these commercials are a huge waste of time.
Little Caesars Pizza: I love a good pizza. Local or franchise based, a good slice is excellent. Little Caesars likes to promote how much more cheese and pepperoni they have on their pies. Do I have a problem with that? No. What I do have a problem with is how they act like it's a bad thing such as the one ad with the dad not getting a Little Caesars Pizza. It comes off rather obnoxious. A pizza is a pizza, no matter what. Honorable mention is the Di'Gornio commercials berating anyone who orders pizza instead of their overpriced ones.
Geico/Progressive: I'm lumping these two in since these are truly wastes of ad space. Geico's not even about car insurance anymore. It's a waste of resources and money to do set pieces such as the music ad with the triangle guy acting like Marty McFly from Back to the Future. It's a shame. One bright spot is that it doesn't have the abysmal mascot idea like Progressive. The less said about Flo, the better. One thing I forgot to mention in a previous blog is that talking insurance box. I don't think they even try with this ad. It feels forced and out of place. Yet, they have turned it into mascot type of campaign. Overall, it's a shame that they don't get the point across 95 percent of the time.
DirecTV: Most of the time, I don't have a huge problem with DirecTV commercials. Usually, they are funny. With the recent ones, however, I don't get it. In a nutshell, they are saying people that stick to cable are stupid, hence the bad things they show people doing. (spoiled milk, sleeping in poison ivy) There is trying to do things better than the competition, but this isn't even something I would put on the air. It's similar to ads they did five to six years ago, but today trying to act like cable people have a low I.Q. I'd rather see the "don't crash into a dinner party" ad again.
I suppose I'll end here and give the wrap up. These are the ones I find annoying. There are many more I wish I could write, but that will take forever. Why can't these commercial writers be smarter with how they come up with ads? We'll never know.
Truth: This is an anti-smoking ad that usually airs on something like MTV. Typically, they use cheap ways to say things about how bad smoking is. It wouldn't be annoying if they just backed what they say up. They don't put up anything that they reference. I'm not against smoking even though I don't smoke, but the effort is not there. It's a cheap gimmick, much like the Ad Council. People are still going to smoke and these commercials are a huge waste of time.
Little Caesars Pizza: I love a good pizza. Local or franchise based, a good slice is excellent. Little Caesars likes to promote how much more cheese and pepperoni they have on their pies. Do I have a problem with that? No. What I do have a problem with is how they act like it's a bad thing such as the one ad with the dad not getting a Little Caesars Pizza. It comes off rather obnoxious. A pizza is a pizza, no matter what. Honorable mention is the Di'Gornio commercials berating anyone who orders pizza instead of their overpriced ones.
Geico/Progressive: I'm lumping these two in since these are truly wastes of ad space. Geico's not even about car insurance anymore. It's a waste of resources and money to do set pieces such as the music ad with the triangle guy acting like Marty McFly from Back to the Future. It's a shame. One bright spot is that it doesn't have the abysmal mascot idea like Progressive. The less said about Flo, the better. One thing I forgot to mention in a previous blog is that talking insurance box. I don't think they even try with this ad. It feels forced and out of place. Yet, they have turned it into mascot type of campaign. Overall, it's a shame that they don't get the point across 95 percent of the time.
DirecTV: Most of the time, I don't have a huge problem with DirecTV commercials. Usually, they are funny. With the recent ones, however, I don't get it. In a nutshell, they are saying people that stick to cable are stupid, hence the bad things they show people doing. (spoiled milk, sleeping in poison ivy) There is trying to do things better than the competition, but this isn't even something I would put on the air. It's similar to ads they did five to six years ago, but today trying to act like cable people have a low I.Q. I'd rather see the "don't crash into a dinner party" ad again.
I suppose I'll end here and give the wrap up. These are the ones I find annoying. There are many more I wish I could write, but that will take forever. Why can't these commercial writers be smarter with how they come up with ads? We'll never know.
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