Bye Bye Michael Scott

     The season premiere of the Office was this past Thursday, well, there are certainly changes and surprises. Such as the main one, no more Michael Scott as the boss of Duder Mifflin. I wonder if the Office can really survive without him. I mean sure, Steve Carell was basically half the show, but is it stable enough to stand without their fearless leader. Then again, they still do have Toby. From what I had knew prior to watching this episode was hearing something about James Spader joining the Office. Foolishly I had assumed that he was replacing Steve Carell's character. Well that wasn't the case, it just so happened that James Spader's character had replaced Kathy Bates' character as the CEO (what a twist).

     So, then the question is asked, who's the new boss? Well it turns out to be Andy. Andy has one main goal, which is getting a half-day on Columbus Day. Surprisingly Dwight is actually pretty cool about it. Even Dwight has a new morning routine, which he has grown accustom to. Pam is pregnant again, as well as Angela. Also “planking” has become quite popular around the office. The whole episode was based around theses lists that James Spader's character had left around the office. The list had different names of the members of the office. Assorted on either the left or the right side. It just so happens that Spader's character is doing the same idea as people who doodle, just Spader's character makes lists of different scenarios.

     Like, in many situation comedies, this has been situation where comedic stuff is about to happen. So members of the entire office try and figure out what the list means. Spader's character later takes employees that are on the left column out to lunch, well the others, ones that are on the right column, stay back and have a pizza party. It is later revealed that those employees are the winners of the office and the others are the losers. Of course this plays well, Kevin takes it to heart and send a office wide text to the left behinds, more or less insulting them. Andy makes a heart-fill speech which makes it all good with Spader's character and the members of the office. Andy had accomplished his goal of getting a half-day on Columbus Day. So it's a win win. And Andy did do good, I suppose with him at the helm. He will do just fine as a Michael Scott replacement, but he might want to step up his game though.

     To be honest, I thought the episode was pretty descend, for one that they don't have Steve Carell anymore. Nevertheless, the show still had the same level of humor as when they had Michael Scott (so there's going to be less “That's what she said” jokes, of course just a guess). Then again, I guess having B.J. Novak write this episode, was a plus on keeping it the same. I suppose it isn't that fair that I'm basing this whole season on one episode. I suppose I will just have to watch next weeks episode. And one more thing thought it's getting off topic, during the Office, there was this commercial for the movie, the Rum Diary and I'm pretty psyched about another Hunter S. Thompson film.

Are Zombieland Tips, Actually Legit?

     Well what I did this past weekend, besides going to UWM, was watching the movie Zombieland, again. Sure it's got humor, blood, Jesse Eisenberg, and of course zombies. But I wondered, to myself if any of the tips that Eisenberg's character spoke of could actually have done any good in a real zombie apocalypse. The tips were: 1. Cardio, 2. the Double Tap, 3. Beware of Bathrooms, 4. Seatbelts, 5. Travel Light, 6. Don't Be a Hero (which is later changed to Don't Be a Hero), 7. Limber Up, 8. When In Doubt Know, Your Way Out, 9. the Buddy System, 10. Check the Back Seat, and 11. Enjoy the Little Things. Hmm it sounds like some could be legit. Then again, who knows?

     I suppose that the idea of Cardio never crossed my mind, and this also goes the same for Limber Up, but I suppose when being chased by “ravenous freaks” (coined by Eisenberg's character), it's always good to be in shape, but that should be a rule of thumb, whether there are zombies or not. So those two rules are out, and they were pretty much eh anyways. The Double Tap, however I found to be quite useful. And it doesn't only apply to this film, but really could be used in any situation where the antagonist(s) just doesn't want to or seem to die, which is basically any slasher movie (and those characters could really benefit from this). Now the Beware of Bathrooms, I personally can see were Eisenberg's character is coming from (though, I don't think we have the same fear in mind, but whatever). They still can be a very scary place to be in (especially a certain latrine that resides in a certain restaurant in Indiana, which has been burned into my memory, it wasn't good). It also goes along the same lines as Check the Back Seat, because god only knows what's back there anyways. But a simple look over the shoulder could be a matter of life and death. Yet that is an extreme case. Who has really ever heard of a zombie breaking into a car and camping out in the back seat? Now I felt that the Seatbelts tip, though one should always wear them, was just applicable in rare circumstances, which, in this case, happened to be flying through the windshield (yea, you know that common thing).

     Travel Light seems to be actually quite reasonable, especially when it's in some form of an apocalypse (it's really a guess). I mean bringing all of one's belongings along is just rubbish. So good work Eisenberg's character! It seems to me that a zombie apocalypse would be like packing for a family vacation; sounds fun. Next, Eisenberg's character really lives by this next tip: Don't Be a Hero. Even though he later does breaks it, it's only to save Emma Stone's character. So, even the main character throws it out. Just like most things, there are a time and a place for everything, and Eisenberg's character does prove that. But all and all, in the midst of all that jazz, there could be dire consequences.

     When In Doubt, Know Your Way Out: this could also, in a certain way, be tied to the Beware of Bathrooms tip. Whether it's a terrible conversation, house fire, or an apocalypse, knowing one's exits are important. The Buddy System has been around for thousands years or so (once again, that's just a guess). It does come in handy, believe it or not, when your in Six Flags or DisneyLand; well, at least for the most part. So nothing can go wrong, right? Possibly not, but there is always a chance that your buddy has, or will, turn into a zombie, and therefore the system failed. Oops! Enjoy the Little Things is a tip that reminds me of something that my high school health teacher might/would say. But in all reality, this really isn't much of a survival tip, which is why I am also throwing it out. 

     Well, these tips all do serve a purpose in the film, and actually do help out the characters at times. Without an actually zombie apocalypse there isn't a good way to test this theory out, so they might all be legit, or just crap. Still I found the Double Tap to be my favorite tip that could actually save one's live, assuming they would have the right materials.