If I Could Have a Moment of Your Time...

I'd like to take this opportunity to plug a few things that I like. I realize this isn't going to do much good in the grand scheme of things, since anyone reading this probably already knows about everything I'm referring to. This is intended for the rare outsider who stumbles into my little corner of the Internet here.

So, without further adieu, here is my list of things that don't get the attention or respect they deserve:

• You Damn Kid - This is one of the best web comics I've come across. I've been known to read comics online that I absolutely cannot stand, just because they've sucked me in with their stupidity. This is most assuredly NOT one of them. The writing in this comic is phenomenal, and the subject matter is relateable and hilarious. Growing up Catholic and attending a Catholic school for at least SOME of my education makes it all the more enjoyable. A lot of what the author talks about is from before our time, but it's still very funny. It's about being a kid, and that really never changes that much. I strongly encourage everyone to take a look. Probably my favorite strip can be found here. My only issue is that the update schedule can get sporadic, but that seems to be a running theme with online comics. Anyway, read some of this. You won't be disappointed.
• Pokey the Penguin - My love for this comic is discussed at length here.
• Arrested Development - This is, in my opinion, the best show to have come on television since Family Guy. It may be better than Family Guy. I haven't quite decided yet. I haven't seen American Dad yet, but I know Arrested Development is better. I can just tell already. This is one of those shows that Fox stumbled into and doesn't know what to do with. It is pointed squarely away from Fox's core demographic. What I mean is that this show isn't for the typical Simple Life or NASCAR viewer. Anyone who plans to watch Fox's next gem, Life on a Stick, probably won't undertand half the jokes that are made on this show. Arrested Development is extremely well written and incredibly funny. I've seen most of the episodes at least twice, and every time I watch I catch some joke that I didn't see before. The humor ranges from incredibly subtle to hitting you in the face with a frying pan. The show contains running inside joke after running inside joke, which is right up my alley. You have to pay attention to catch all the little jokes, but the writers really reward you for doing so. There's actually a fairly good chance that the show won't be renewed by Fox for next season. Things like that really test my faith in humanity. Fox finally comes up with a show which appeals to someone other than the lowest common denominator, and they're seriously considering canceling it. There's actually a website which is doing everything it can to keep the show on the air. I strongly encourage you to check it out. And, if you're my friend, you'll start watching Arrested Development at 8:30 on Sundays. It needs all the support it can get. And buy the DVDs. Or at least borrow mine. You'll be glad you did.
• Ten Feet Tall - My good friend, and only Chinese sibling, the real Rob Lowe is quite the musician. He is in this band, which I've seen once. They play a good mix of music, strongly influenced by rock, blues, and a little hip-hop. Rob is a huge Blues Traeveler fan, and that works its way into their sound. He's also quite a harp (harmonica for those not in the know) player. Go to their website, read about it, download some of their songs. They're playing the Grog and Tankard on March 25. I saw them there last month. It's a good venue. Maybe not the most convenient place in the world, as it is basically on the upper edge of Georgetown. They have a lot of beers on tap and it's really small, so you can get pretty up close and personal with the bands that play there. The cover last time was like $7, and I saw four bands. Pretty good. One of the bands even had a guy get up on stage and do some fairly impressive beatboxing. Go here, and check out Krayola, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

That's pretty much it, for now. If you haven't heard of some of the stuff I've mentioned, I really hope you'll check it out. Hell, even if I've already jammed this cram down your throat, check it out again. Maybe you'll notice something you didn't before. If I've already converted you, tell others. All of these things will benefit greatly from any kind of publicity.