Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles occurs after the events of Terminator 2 and effectively shoves the plot of Terminator 3 into "alternative universe" land, which is code for "please pretend it never happened".

The acting and dialog were terrible, the effects were passable, a Terminator without Arnie's accent is wrong-wrong-wrong, but repeating everything the Terminator says in Arnie's accent is fun-fun-fun, the use of simulated underage nakedness was morally dubious, time travel is awesome, and it still doesn't make any sense that all non flesh items are removed during time travel but the metal insides of Terminators can still get through.

I came out of it feeling the same way I did after watching the pilot of the modern Bionic Woman series.

I'll give it a few more episodes, but so far, I'm not full of confidence.

My new favourite word: gubernatorial.

"Arnie is busy with his gubernatorial duties."

Or it was, until I read this:

Entymology: Latin gubernator governor, steersman, from gubernare to govern

Gubernator!

I remember snippets of talk about Michael Jackson from when I was a child. I remember watching the video for Thriller on TV. By the time I was old enough to remember, the album had already been out for years.

Michael Jackson recently released a statement in which he said "To be able to say that Thriller still holds the record as the biggest selling album of all time is just mind-blowing."

Undercover news complains that this isn't the case, stating that no-one really knows as there are no global sales records, and quoting sales numbers for Eagle's "Their Greatest Hits" as proof that "Thriller" is not the biggest seller even in the USA.

I would hold that "Thriller" is the biggest selling album of all time based simply on the fact that Eagle's "Their Greatest Hits" is not an album.

It's a compilation.

In the recent movie "I Am Legend", Will Smith's character at one point holds up Bob Marley's "Legend" CD and says it is "this is the greatest album of all time." Although I agree "Legend" is a brilliant CD, it is a compilation, not an album. To say "it's the greatest album of all time" diminishes the decades of music culled to create it and ignores everything involved in crafting an album.

I don't deny the skill involved in crafting a compilation. I don't deny that a compilation or "best of" full of excellent songs points to a strong and sustained song-writing career.

What I am saying is that suggesting "Thriller" isn't the best selling album ever because a "best of" has out sold it, is completely unfair, and perhaps one of many indicators that the iTunes music single-song buying public may have diluted what an album means to something that is almost meaningless.

Today, anyone can make a compilation, without ever picking up an instrument. It's as easy as taking a photo.

To craft a collection of songs, in the one period of recording, and release it to the public in one package, and have it continue to sell for Twenty Five years straight, is an achievement that should be applauded.

That a best-of compilation release 33 years ago is the only "album" that has been able to out-sell it deserves little more than a congratulatory nod of the head.

Nerdy note: I must note this definite definition of the "album" is entirely my own, but I feel it should be pointed out how significant it is that usually a compilation release is described as a "compilation album", qualifying it against the default "album".