Movin' On and Movin' Up

Yay! Sports news that has nothing to do with South Africa!!! (a rarity this summer)

It's officially official!  The Utes are saying so long to the Mountain West Conference and saying hello to the PAC-10 (soon to be PAC-12, I'm sure).  This is exciting for a number of reasons, which I shall now enumerate:

1. The Utes can now be recognized as legitimate contenders in the BCS.  Not that they weren't legitimate contenders before, but since the "My crap don't stink" nitwits from the BCS refuse to let anyone get in the way of Ohio State or USC or Florida's red-carpeted road as perennial champions, this is the best for the Utes in terms of ever being able to pull off a national championship.  By way of the Boise State-TCU Fiesta/Baby-Sitters Bowl, the BCS has shown that they're never, ever, ever, ever, EVER going to let the "small fry" teams in, no matter how badly they beat Michigan State (and with USC out of contention in postseason play because of suspension from the NCAA, this is akin to the news of Michael Jordan's retirement after the second Bulls-Jazz NBA Finals.  But this time, there's not a lockout to screw with veteran players' health, thus thwarting any chance the Jazz had at the title).    Like they say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

(By the way, I've been waiting my whole life for a Utah-based team to come away with a national title and so far, I've been given the finger by The Greater Cosmos(tm).  The Jazz had their shots in the '90s, as did the Utes basketball team, but we've always had to settle for second place and it gets pretty tiresome.  I do take great pride in the Fiesta and Sugar Bowl victories, but I want that darn national championship!!  Real Salt Lake's soccer title doesn't count because (a) the game ended in a tie and they won the shoot-out, which is like deciding a World War II on a game of horseshoes (b) if the whole of the European continent says I must love soccer simply because the rest of the world loves soccer, that is immediate grounds for me to hate soccer with a passion unbridled)

2. No more listening to The mtn!!! Or, as I like to call it - Sports Broadcast School Rejects.  It's like they got the UNLV student journalism class to run that stupid station (yes, Otis, I'm sure it looks good on your resume, but I want my football game, dammit!)  If have to listen to them interview the football coach from Timpview High School while the Utes are running a pick-six on BYU one more time, I'm going to slit my wrists with a rusty spoon.

3. Speaking of the Zoo... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! You guys had this wonderful season, even beating the Utes in the grand finale (thank you Maxie-poo) - and YOU GOT SNUBBED!!  The BCS never even sneezed in your direction and the Utes got in twice!  And won - twice!!  And now the Utes are one step closer than you've ever dreamed of being! (your 1984 "title" doesn't count - that was pre-BCS.  In fact, I'm willing to bet it's your fault we have to deal with all this crap).  I think I speak for all Ute fans when I say - See what clean living does for ya?

Enjoy your continued success against UNLV and Wyoming.  No, really, I mean that with all sincerity (it's amazing I can say all that with a straight face ^_^)

Also - Brad Rock chimes in on the news.  I knew he would.  And he's almost as giddy as I am (with a touch more professionalism - eh, whatever).

More Fangirly SQUEE!!

Good golly, gee whiz, my goodness!  There is plenty to talk about today!

- Numero Uno - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader trailer is out.  I knew this movie would be vastly different from the other two Narnia movies - they didn't just change director - they changed studios.  But still... Iiiiii'm a little confused.  Why are Peter and Susan in this thing - in Narnia? (not that I'm upset about that but... we established in the last movie that the older Pevensie siblings would not be coming back to Narnia.  I mean, I know 20th Century Fox took over from Disney, but still...)  And is Edmund trying to join the British army?  And... what the... White Witch??? EXCUSE ME???  Isn't she dead and gone?  I know my re-read of "Narnia" was a few months ago, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't make an appearance... Oy - I will withhold judgment until December - but I have to say that it's a nice touch morphing Lucy's face into Susan's when she's reading the magician's spellbook.

PS - I've nearly given up hope that either "The Magician's Nephew" or "The Horse and his Boy" will ever be made into movies simply because they don't focus on the Pevensie kids.  Which is too bad because "The Horse and his Boy" is my favorite of the Narnia books.  Don't ask me why - it just is.  Maybe it's because it doesn't depressingly end with everyone going back to boring old reality.  Not that I don't love the rest of the books - I just wish they didn't have to go home at the end all the time.

(by the way - I'm not a fan of the whole "every new movie coming out is in 3D" thing.  But that's Hollywood for you - they find some new thing that looks cool and eeeeeeeeverybody and their dog has to try it until it ceases to be cool.  I swear, that's the only reason they made more "Shrek" and "Toy Story" movies - just to have something to make into 3D.  I'm waiting for George Lucas to announce the next "Star Wars" trilogy to be released entirely in 3D).

Boy, that was a downer of a schpiel - let's go on to something fun!

- Numero Dos - I finished the first season of "Doctor Who" and have started into the second season.  That last episode of season 1 was INTENSE!  I LOVED IT!!!  Then, the Christmas special from season two - the Doctor's out cold for most of it, Rose, Mickey, Mum and the Prime Minister are freaking out - then Doctor #10 comes out of his regeneration coma and is all "What is everyone so scared of?" and proceeds to kick alien butt all over the freaking place!!!!  In a word - amazing!  Honestly, I love how flirty the "new" Doctor is (episode 1 of season 2 had me giggling nonstop.  Cassandra has no shame! ^_^)  From what I've been able to gather, Doctor 10 and Rose are a pretty popular ship and I can pretty much say why - I am quickly becoming a David Tennant fangirl.  Not that I didn't love Christopher Eccleston - he definitely brought his own little personality to the Doctor, but I am going to enjoy season 2 (I'm deliberately not rushing through this one because I want to savor the "SQUEE!" ^_^)

- Numero Tres - "Superman" was on AMC this morning, so I DVR'd it and watching it this afternoon.  But stupid me didn't realize that "Superman II" would be on after it and I didn't tape that one!  I'm a little miffed because I've heard the second one is brilliant!  First one was good too - and it pains me to say that I've never seen either one all the way through until today.  Now that I've seen one, though - I think they should have let the original movies stand on their own and if they wanted to do new Superman movies, just do what they did with Batman and make a whole new re-imagined series.  I keep going back to "Superman Returns" ... and it wasn't that great, which is a crying shame.  Superman is, like, the granddaddy of all superheroes!  To let that movie be the last of the Superman movies is really sad.  I think so, anyway.

- Numero Quatro (I'm now wishing I would have just done this in English) - I finished "Cordelia's Honor" and went on to the next omnibus edition, which is "Young Miles."  I have to admit, I was expecting to really get into this one fast because I went through "Cordelia" like it was tissue paper (it was that good).  But "Young Miles" ... the first book in the edition is "The Warrior's Apprentice" and it took so long to figure out what was going on, even though I had a handle on Barrayaran culture from "Cordelia."  I think it was all the Betan stuff that got thrown at me all at once - I can't quite handle them.  But the next part in the book is "Mountains of Mourning," which is basically a short story that chronologically goes next and it takes place on Barrayar and I got into that just fine.  So, now the third part is "The Vor Game," which I assume is more about Barrayar and I'll probably get into that okay.  At least, I hope so.  It took me a week and a half to get through "Apprentice," and I don't like taking that long on a book that I'm reading for fun.  But - eh, whatever.

(Wow, it feels like it's been so long since I've done a really fangirly post like this - I love it!  But I have to go now.  I've got a church activity tonight and I probably ought to make an appearance)