dog

(S02E03) First of all, the animation keeps getting better and better. The opening scene at the park had so much happening, and the show pops off the screen in a vibrant way it didn't during the first season. Not that the first season had bad animation, far from it, but the look is improving as it does in most animated shows. I also loved the bubbles foaming in the sink in the final scene when Bloberta is scrubbing a turkey and a lobster.

On Sunday December 10, the National Geographic Channel will premiere In the Womb: Animals, a two-hour special that uses ultrasound imagery along with computer imagery and visual effects to show how different species such as elephants, dogs and dolphins develop while in utero. Call me a sucker for nature programs, because damn it, I live for these kind of specials. You'll see how a dolphin learns to swim while still in the womb, and get a glimpse of the wonders of evolution when the elephant fetus develops ducts like a fish, and the dolphin fetus develops "legs" of sorts.

Okay, now I'm starting to sound like a commercial for the program, but what can I say, this science stuff fascinates me. Just look at that picture on the right of an elephant developing in the womb and tell me it doesn't blow your mind*. Okay, I'll stop with the awe now, but if you're as into this stuff as I am, you should check out some video previews here.

*It's actually a CGI, but it's still pretty damn cool.

While Duane "Dog" Chapman awaits trial to decide if he'll be tried in Mexico after his recent arrest for illegal detention of convicted rapist and Max Factor heir Andrew Luster, twenty-nine members of Congress have asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to deny the Mexican government's extradition request to have Chapman sent there for trial. Chapman, along with his son Leland and partner Tim Chapman, were arrested by Mexican authorities for illegal detention after capturing Luster in 2003. The three posted bail but never returned for their court date. Bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico, and Chapman refused to relinquish Luster to the Mexican authorities. Plans to have Chapman extradited to Mexico were put in motion only a few days before the statute of limitations was set to expire.

If you're a fan of bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman and want to stay current about what's been going on with him since his capture last month, A&E has a page on their site where Dog's wife Beth gives fans quick video updates on how Dog is doing, as well as his son Leland and his brother Tim, who were also arrested in connection with the arrest of convicted rapist Andrew Luster in Mexico. I've been trying to follow this since it happened, and not much new news has developed in the last few weeks. Beth's updates reflect this, and she mostly just talks about how everyone is doing emotionally. In that respect, I can only recommend this to those who are diehard fans of the series. People looking for the cold, hard facts aren't going to learn much, at least not at this time.

Bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman, who was arrested in 2003 on charges of illegal detention after his 2003 capture of Max Factor heir Andrew Luster that eventually led to the A&E series Dog the Bounty Hunter has been released from federal prison along with his son Leland and his partner Tim after posting bail (Dog's bail was $300,000 whereas Tim and Leland's was $100,000 each). The three have had charges pending against them for posting bail but never returning for their court date. A judge has ordered the men to wear monitoring bracelets, not to possess any firearms and to remain in Hawaii until they return to court for extradition hearings which will determine whether they'll go to trial in Mexico. If convicted, Chapman could face six months to four years in prison.

A crowd of supporters gathered at the court house, and A&E filmed the event for the next season of the TV show.

Next to Boba Fett, Dog the Bounty Hunter is probably the best known bounty hunter out there. While I usually can't stand shows like Cops or Real Stories of the Highway Patrol, Dog the Bounty Hunter has a cool kind of heart and soul to it I can really get into. Dog has that tough but lovable Mr. T or Hulk Hogan vibe to him that makes his A&E series quite entertaining. There's just one tiny little complaint I have about last night's episode, and that was Dog's inability to pronounce the word "Valentine's" correctly. Throughout the entire episode, which took place on Valentine's Day, Dog continuously pronounced it "ValenTIMES Day." Dog isn't the only one guilty of this, I hear other people pronounce it that way all the time. Also, to be fair, I know I'm guilty of mispronouncing the occasional word. Of course, now I'm going to be known in my apartment complex as that weird guy who was yelling "Damn it, it's ValenTINE'S!" over and over again. I suppose that would sound kind of strange out of context, and in the middle of July. Next week I'll complain about Elmer Fudd's inability to say the letter "R."

Family Dog is one of those shows that has remained a question mark in my mind ever since it aired, for one season, back in the early '90s. I was in high school, and had been a huge fan of both Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton for many years before that, so when I heard they were both involved with a new animated sitcom, I couldn't wait to see it. However, I was incredibly disappointed in the show, and found it arduous and bland. As the years have gone by and I hear occasional praise for the show, I wonder if maybe it was actually better than I thought. Something tells me Present Day Adam may have enjoyed Family Dog much more than High School Adam. Of course, if they'd release the damn show on DVD, I'd be able to know for sure. In the meantime however, we can all thank this YouTube user for posting the original "Family Dog" short which first appeared on Spielberg's Amazing Stories. The series was created by Brad Bird (The Simpsons), and I have to say, I like what I saw on YouTube. According to this, though, Bird was not involved with the actual series that spawned from his original creation.

[via Cartoon Brew]

(S10E07) When you reach her room, Butters will keep a look out while Kenny opens the bedroom door, Kyle puts a pillow over my mom's head, and Stan shoots her in the face. --Cartman, plotting his mother's demise.

It's been an interesting season, and this wasn't a bad episode to go out on. Cartman's mom, both the sluttiest and most malleable woman on the planet, has almost given up on Cartman, who, as we know from his past exploits, has a tendency to engage in acts of complete, unmitigated evil. No matter how hard she tries, Cartman continues to manipulate her, so she does what any hip mother would do in this day and age, she relies on a reality TV show to try and set her son straight.

Unfortunately, hiring the nannies from Nanny 911 doesn't work, as Cartman's knack for manipulating authority figures sends one away screaming, and another to the insane asylum. Unfortunately, they never send Nanny Skesis, a nice little allusion to The Dark Crystal.