1. Heroes - Monday nights, NBC. What a GREAT show. I don't think anything like it has been tried before; at least, the premise seems refreshing to me, and I watch a LOT of TV (a LOT). Some of the characters make likely heroes, some make very UNlikely heroes (and those tend to be my favorites). My favorite character is, of course, Hiro Nakamura (he seems to be a popular favorite). He's just so... innocent, with his sense of responsibility and ideals of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong. He's so darned enthusiastic about being a super hero. Gotta save the Cheerleader, save the World? Will do, just pick a direction and go. Nothing is unattainable. We need more people like that in the world.
   
   I also like the imagination behind some of the "super powers". Sure, you've got your standard ability to fly, invisibility (new this week's episode), and whatnot. But there's this guy that paints the future on huge, cartoon-like canvases. And a teenager that keeps throwing herself off of things to confirm that she's indestructible. And a chick that can make you do anything she wants you to do, just by thinking at you. And Hiro, who can slow and reverse time, and jump back and forth between past, present, and future. Peter Patrelli just seems to absorb the power of whichever superhero he's around at the moment. Which, if you think about it, has gotta be uncomfortable. And a couple of villains that really didn't start out that way and seem more bewildered than anything else that they're all of a sudden the arch nemeses of the show.
   
   The character development goes further than just "leaping tall buildings" with the characters. There's angst and mystery and personal lives that are getting screwed with. All the harbingers of a good (and long-lived!) television series.



2. Indianapolis Colts - and more specifically, Peyton Manning. Okay, so I must hedge this "Best Thing" with the statement that I am indeed NOT happy that they beat out the Pats to go to the Superbowl. The Patriots are My Boys, and though they've had a great run of it over the past few years making it to the Big Game, I do not, in fact, share the seemingly widespread opinion that it should be "someone else's turn". The Pats should go to the Superbowl every year, and that is that.
   
   That being said, I'm sick of hearing the "Yes he's great during the regular season, BUT..." about Manning. He's a super player and fabulous leader, and he's got some suck post-season stats. Which are NOT all his fault (I'm looking at YOU, offensive line, with those sack stats...), though some of them are ALL his fault (hello Interception City). In the end, I'm glad that Manning gets the chance to add The Big Game to his repertoire, and end the speculation that he's not a finisher. So, since the Pats are out, I'm Colts over Bears ALL THE WAY, BABY.



3. Ridgemont Reserve 1792 Whiskey. Yes, Calvin and I are branching out from our standard litany of beer/vodka/tequila. I don't quite remember what possessed us to buy a bottle of whiskey during our Holiday Booze Run, but we're sure glad we did. This stuff is smooth, sweet, a little bit woody, and has just the right amount of burn to warm you up on a cold night (and it's been getting down below freezing around here lately folks, so don't ever be fooled into thinking that the desert never gets FUCKING COLD.) We've tried a couple of other brands, but keep going back to this one. Next we'll be tapping into the non-US whiskeys (helllloooo, Ireland!), but I'm sure this one will continue to grace our stash.

Labels: best things

Posted by Laura on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at 2:13 PM | Permalink