Today marks the begining of a new way to search the web. A new search engine debuted today at the Wall Street Journal D Conference. The engine called mahalo features results pages for the top 4,000 searches as edited and maintained by their search experts. Each results page gives you all the links that they think are the most useful without having to sift through useles links and old sites. Here is a link to their press release for Mahalo's Alpha launch.
http://www.mahalo.com/Mahalo_PR
Not a lot of the search pages are done yet but the pages I searched had all the useful links on the first page. Searches without a custom result page load with a list of mahalo results that you might be looking for and a summary google result page.
I like the idea of a human written search results page. It means that things that just contain the words from my search are left out and only pages that actually pertain to the subject I'm looking for are included.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Listen to the Latest Geekerati Radio Broadcast
Monday evenings have become an exciting time for the Cinerati crew. We now have our own online radio show hosted over at BlogTalkRadio.com. You can listen to the show live at 7pm PST and call in to chat with the Geeks, or you can listen to our archived episodes at our show's host page. From the host page you can also download our past episodes and listen to them at your convenience.
I am joined on the radio show by an interesting panel of friends who share many similar interests with me. Wes, Eric, Steven, Shawna, and I discuss everything from movies and television to video games and roleplaying games. We even sometimes make rpg references during television discussion and vice versa. We think it is a good show and would like all of you to join in the conversation.
Here are some of the topics we have covered in our prior episodes:
This next Monday the Geeks will be discussing the ever increasing interactive nature of entertainment. It is a brave new world when an audience can choose not merely how and when to watch the shows they like, but also contribute to what stories are being told in more direct ways then ever. What is the future of entertainment now that the "Choose Your Own Adventure" generation is getting more and more control of many media? Steven Merrill will also be reviewing The Complete Champion, the most recent class book for Dungeons and Dragons.
Stop by and give us a listen.
I am joined on the radio show by an interesting panel of friends who share many similar interests with me. Wes, Eric, Steven, Shawna, and I discuss everything from movies and television to video games and roleplaying games. We even sometimes make rpg references during television discussion and vice versa. We think it is a good show and would like all of you to join in the conversation.
Here are some of the topics we have covered in our prior episodes:
- Summer Blockbusters with the Geeks: During this episode the panel discussed the, then, upcoming blockbuster season and talked about what films we planned to see and which ones we planned to avoid. It was a lively conversation and a nice premiere for the Geeks.
- Downloading the Upfronts: The upfronts are the event where the major television networks discuss the shows they will be adding to this year's fall schedule. It is when those employed in the television industry jump for joy, sigh with relief, or cry with panic. The geeks discussed which shows they were looking forward to in the upcoming fall season, and which ones they thought wouldn't last until Halloween. Minus a couple of technical difficulties with Skype, the show was an excellent discussion. This show also featured the beginnings of a playtest of Out of the Box game's Cineplexity.
- Cinema, Cineplexity, and TV Wars: In this show you can begin to see the development of our format. We began the show with a discussion of two of the blockbusters which have already been released in theaters, Pirates and Spider-Man. We then moved on to what will soon be a regular feature, Wes's MMORPG Moment. Wes reviewed Lord of the Rings Online and discussed a growing controversy over CCP's EVE game. If you have an opinion on the CCP controversy, you can comment on the Geekerati site. This was followed by our weekly game review where Christian Johnson gave Cineplexity a full review, listen in to see what I thought. Then Shawna and Christian discussed the summer television season when many cable networks run their big shows during the broadcast network's summer hiatus. We also had our first listener giveaway, a copy of Free Enterprise.
This next Monday the Geeks will be discussing the ever increasing interactive nature of entertainment. It is a brave new world when an audience can choose not merely how and when to watch the shows they like, but also contribute to what stories are being told in more direct ways then ever. What is the future of entertainment now that the "Choose Your Own Adventure" generation is getting more and more control of many media? Steven Merrill will also be reviewing The Complete Champion, the most recent class book for Dungeons and Dragons.
Stop by and give us a listen.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Dr. Strange Returning to the Silver Screen
You may be too young to remember Dr. Strange's first foray onto the Silver Screen, but it did leave something to be desired. It was a quintessentially 70s movie (the review at RevolutionSF concurs) and the opening of the YouTube link above makes one wonder if"Porno Chic" had more influence than the comic books on the production of this television movie.
I have always been a big Dr. Strange fan. Unlike most other Ditko creations, Strange lacked the underlying Objectivist world view. Where the worlds of Mr. A, the Question, The Avenging World, and even everyone's favorite wall-crawler were worlds of black and white morality, the world of Dr. Stephen Strange was surreal. Add to this Objectivism's rejection of any non-materialist metaphysic and Dr. Strange becomes Ditko's most inventive creation. This isn't to say that the morality of Dr. Strange isn't traditional good vs. evil, rather that Strange isn't continually punished every time he chooses his private life over justice. Take Spider-Man as a comparison. Every time Spider-Man takes any action remotely in his own self-interest, particularly in the first 38 (the Ditko) issues, he is punished horribly. Doctor Strange's origin might be rooted in the Objectivist selfishness = death/justice = life dichotomy, but once Strange becomes a hero, he isn't continually tested in the same way that Spider-Man is. Spider-Man's crises are personal, Strange's are epic. All of which makes Dr. Strange a very interesting character in print.
Last week, Lionsgate Home Entertainment and Marvel Enterprises recently announced the release of Marvel's latest direct to dvd animated feature. Doctor Strange will be available on DVD on August 14th on both a DVD and Blu-ray Disc release. This is the first time that Marvel will simultaneously release on DVD and Blu-ray format.
The film stars Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme as he uses his powers to face the terrifying entity threatening humanity. You can watch a short trailer promoting the release at the website linked above. I have to say that the animated movie looks to be about the same quality as the earlier Ultimate Avengers movies, which were both around 3 out of 5 stars. My only concern is that they have Dr. Strange using a sword in the trailer. Dr. Strange in a sword duel? I dunno. I prefer the Dr. Strange levitating crosslegged in a MAGICAL DUEL. That said, I am looking forward to the release, and the cover art by Steven McNiven (Civil War) is a very good interpretation of one of my favorite comic characters.
Descriptions from the press release are below:
I have always been a big Dr. Strange fan. Unlike most other Ditko creations, Strange lacked the underlying Objectivist world view. Where the worlds of Mr. A, the Question, The Avenging World, and even everyone's favorite wall-crawler were worlds of black and white morality, the world of Dr. Stephen Strange was surreal. Add to this Objectivism's rejection of any non-materialist metaphysic and Dr. Strange becomes Ditko's most inventive creation. This isn't to say that the morality of Dr. Strange isn't traditional good vs. evil, rather that Strange isn't continually punished every time he chooses his private life over justice. Take Spider-Man as a comparison. Every time Spider-Man takes any action remotely in his own self-interest, particularly in the first 38 (the Ditko) issues, he is punished horribly. Doctor Strange's origin might be rooted in the Objectivist selfishness = death/justice = life dichotomy, but once Strange becomes a hero, he isn't continually tested in the same way that Spider-Man is. Spider-Man's crises are personal, Strange's are epic. All of which makes Dr. Strange a very interesting character in print.
Last week, Lionsgate Home Entertainment and Marvel Enterprises recently announced the release of Marvel's latest direct to dvd animated feature. Doctor Strange will be available on DVD on August 14th on both a DVD and Blu-ray Disc release. This is the first time that Marvel will simultaneously release on DVD and Blu-ray format.
The film stars Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme as he uses his powers to face the terrifying entity threatening humanity. You can watch a short trailer promoting the release at the website linked above. I have to say that the animated movie looks to be about the same quality as the earlier Ultimate Avengers movies, which were both around 3 out of 5 stars. My only concern is that they have Dr. Strange using a sword in the trailer. Dr. Strange in a sword duel? I dunno. I prefer the Dr. Strange levitating crosslegged in a MAGICAL DUEL. That said, I am looking forward to the release, and the cover art by Steven McNiven (Civil War) is a very good interpretation of one of my favorite comic characters.
Descriptions from the press release are below:
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION This August, delve deep into a world of fantasy and magic, filled with mystical creatures and perils beyond human awareness as Marvel Enterprises (NYSE: MVL) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) release to DVD Doctor Strange, the latest title in the incredibly popular Marvel Animated Features DVD series. The fourth release of a multi-picture direct-to-DVD deal signed by the two companies, Doctor Strange marks the DVD franchise's first-ever day and date DVD and Blu-ray Disc release, and it stars Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme as he uses his powers to face the terrifying entity threatening humanity. With CGI animation and a storyline that stays true to its comic roots – a constant theme across all Marvel Animated Features – the Doctor Strange DVD and Blu-ray disc features a First Look at the Avengers Reborn feature, concept art, the "Who is Doctor Strange?" featurette"and the Best of Marvel Game Cinematics, as well as other engaging bonus features to satiate any comic fan . Doctor Strange will be available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on August 14, 2007 for the suggested retail prices of $19.98 and $29.99, respectively.
SYNOPSIS
Peel back the layers of reality, and behold a stunning realm hidden beneath. One of magic and wonder. Of sorcery and enchantment. Of ancient spells, secret doors, and remarkable heroes who protect us from evil. Because this is also a world of dark mysticism, malevolent forces, and unspeakable horrors. And within the shadows around us, a supernatural war is waged. But the balance is shifting. Darkness is winning. Yet there is hope….
Join us as Dr. Stephen Strange embarks on a wondrous journey to the heights of a Tibetan mountain, where he seeks healing at the feet of the mysterious Ancient One. But before his wounds can mend, Strange must first let go of his painful past, and awaken a gift granted to very few. The gift of magic. Empowered as the new Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange now tests his limits, rising up against monsters that push at the gates, facing the most terrifying entity humankind has ever known.
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*:
• Best of Marvel Video Game Cinematics
• "Who is Doctor Strange?" featurette
• Doctor Strange Concept Art
• First Look at Avengers Reborn feature
• Trailer Gallery
*DVD Special Features subject to change
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Acclaimed Fantasy and Adventure Author Now Exploring the Undiscovered Country
May 17th, at his home in Drexel, PA, Lloyd Alexander died. And while the New York Times and The Washington Post provided serviceable obituaries, a part of my soul wishes that the news made the society a little more filled with sorrow than it seems to have done. To be honest, the Washington Post article seems a little labored and clumsily written, magnifying my desire for a larger communal acknowledgement of grief. One imagines how sad the children of England and America would be if J.K. Rowling were to die years from now. I imagine that there would be many who would write eloquently regarding how the adventures of Harry Potter were the first forays into a life of literary exploration. That is what Lloyd Alexander was for me.
Alexander was my first encounter with written Fantasy as a genre of fiction. My first reading obsession was the Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing series by Judy Blume (but that is another topic). My fourth grade teacher noticed that I was reading Edith Hamilton's Mythology and recommended that I read the "Chronicles of Prydain" series. I did. I loved them. They were rooted in a mythic system, heavily influenced by the Mabinogion and Sir James George Frazer, that I had yet to encounter. At the time, I was very familiar with Greek mythology and was already a firmly committed "Sword and Sandals" fan, but I knew little of Hern the Hunter. So the adventures of an assistant pig keeper named Taran were the perfect introduction to Fantasy and set a firm foundation which helped me to understand the "deeper" and more difficult prose of T.H. White. If not for Taran, I never would have gotten to know Wart. I would also never have ventured into Narnia. The Prydain books and the Narnia books shared the same publisher.
In 1985, at a mature 14, I went to the theater to watch a film adaptation which combined elements of the first two Prydain books. The Black Cauldron was a disappointment. I liked the representation of Gurgi, who is very Pooka-esque in the film, though it was very different from the representation in the books. In fact, there was a lot different between the two. To the point that the movie seemed to be afraid to deal with the "darker" aspect of the narrative. One would expect that a film featuring the art of Tim Burton and Mike Ploog might be a little on the dark side, but the film's (and the story's), darker moments are much brighter in the film. Even with the changes, I still enjoyed the film. I still do. I just wish they had let Burton and Ploog go a little wild and had kept the directors originally slated to direct the film, John Musker and Ron Clements. Instead, Musker and Clements went on to direct The Great Mouse Detective, one of my all time favorite Disney films (not to mention The Little Mermaid and Aladdin).
I can understand those who don't have the same warm place in their hearts for Prydain that I do. When one has read a larger amount of Fantasy, the stories can appear less inventive than they did to me at the time. On of the most famous, in Fantasy circles, of Alexander's critics is Michael Moorcock. Moorcock wrote in his seminal Wizardry and Wild Romance (As an aside, Moorcock also complains of the use of Hern the Hunter as an overused legacy from Frazer. I don't know about you, but I don't know many fourth graders who have an intimate knowledge of The Golden Bough, though you should have at least passing knowledge of it by the time you read the Pratt/de Camp stories.) :
I don't know about you, but that read pretty interestingly to me. Especially considering that this is an encounter that Taran has while searching for his lost pig. This is an epic encounter occurring on what, at first, appeared to be a very mundane task. That is what I liked about Alexander. His epic adventure begins with a seemingly mundane, and yes very stalwartly middle-class, activity. Moorcock doesn't like stories rooted in bourgeois morality, and that is his right, he finds such stories staid. But I found the prospect of a chore leading to great adventure, one where the struggle between good and evil is clear rather than shaded, great fun at my young age. I still find it fun. I think I'll curl up tonight and revisit the reason I have read so much.
Alexander was my first encounter with written Fantasy as a genre of fiction. My first reading obsession was the Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing series by Judy Blume (but that is another topic). My fourth grade teacher noticed that I was reading Edith Hamilton's Mythology and recommended that I read the "Chronicles of Prydain" series. I did. I loved them. They were rooted in a mythic system, heavily influenced by the Mabinogion and Sir James George Frazer, that I had yet to encounter. At the time, I was very familiar with Greek mythology and was already a firmly committed "Sword and Sandals" fan, but I knew little of Hern the Hunter. So the adventures of an assistant pig keeper named Taran were the perfect introduction to Fantasy and set a firm foundation which helped me to understand the "deeper" and more difficult prose of T.H. White. If not for Taran, I never would have gotten to know Wart. I would also never have ventured into Narnia. The Prydain books and the Narnia books shared the same publisher.
In 1985, at a mature 14, I went to the theater to watch a film adaptation which combined elements of the first two Prydain books. The Black Cauldron was a disappointment. I liked the representation of Gurgi, who is very Pooka-esque in the film, though it was very different from the representation in the books. In fact, there was a lot different between the two. To the point that the movie seemed to be afraid to deal with the "darker" aspect of the narrative. One would expect that a film featuring the art of Tim Burton and Mike Ploog might be a little on the dark side, but the film's (and the story's), darker moments are much brighter in the film. Even with the changes, I still enjoyed the film. I still do. I just wish they had let Burton and Ploog go a little wild and had kept the directors originally slated to direct the film, John Musker and Ron Clements. Instead, Musker and Clements went on to direct The Great Mouse Detective, one of my all time favorite Disney films (not to mention The Little Mermaid and Aladdin).
I can understand those who don't have the same warm place in their hearts for Prydain that I do. When one has read a larger amount of Fantasy, the stories can appear less inventive than they did to me at the time. On of the most famous, in Fantasy circles, of Alexander's critics is Michael Moorcock. Moorcock wrote in his seminal Wizardry and Wild Romance (As an aside, Moorcock also complains of the use of Hern the Hunter as an overused legacy from Frazer. I don't know about you, but I don't know many fourth graders who have an intimate knowledge of The Golden Bough, though you should have at least passing knowledge of it by the time you read the Pratt/de Camp stories.) :
Lloyd Alexander is another American writer who has had considerable success in his books set in an invented and decidedly Celtic fantasy world, but for my taste he never quite succeeds in matching the three I have mentioned [ed. note: Ursula K Le Guin, Gillian Bradshaw, and Susan Cooper]. He uses more clichés and writes a trifle flaccidly:The Horned King stood motionless, his arm upraised. Lightning played about his sword. The giant flamed like a burning tree. The stag horns turned to crimson streaks, the skull mask ran like molten iron. A roar of pain and rage rose from the Antlered King's throat.
With a cry, Taran flung an arm across his face. The ground rumbled and seemed to open beneath him. Then there was nothing.
The Book of Three 1964
I don't know about you, but that read pretty interestingly to me. Especially considering that this is an encounter that Taran has while searching for his lost pig. This is an epic encounter occurring on what, at first, appeared to be a very mundane task. That is what I liked about Alexander. His epic adventure begins with a seemingly mundane, and yes very stalwartly middle-class, activity. Moorcock doesn't like stories rooted in bourgeois morality, and that is his right, he finds such stories staid. But I found the prospect of a chore leading to great adventure, one where the struggle between good and evil is clear rather than shaded, great fun at my young age. I still find it fun. I think I'll curl up tonight and revisit the reason I have read so much.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Second BlogTalkRadio Show Completed With Only Minor Technical Difficulties
Last night, Wes Kobernick, Eric Lytle, Steven Merrill, and I hosted our second online BlogTalkRadio show. The episode, "Downloading the Upfronts," covered last week's network upfronts and discussed what shows we can all look forward to next fall. Our guest speaker for the show, who we hope will become a regular, was the very knowledgeable Shawna Benson of the Shouting into the Wind blog.
Shawna guided us through the 3 major network's proposed schedules in a presentation filled with good information and entertaining opinion. In fact, the conversation was so much fun that we didn't cover Fox or the CW's schedule until the "after show" which you can only hear on the show's host page. Stop by the page, have a listen to the 70 minute show, and let us know what you think.
Other than a couple of technical difficulties, primarily in the 16th minute when we were discussing the upcoming "Bionic Woman" show, the show went smoothly.
In upcoming weeks we hope to have Luke Y. Thompson, of the OC Weekly, discuss genre films and his thoughts on the summer season so far. We also hope to have Shawna return many more times to talk about her thoughts on the summer hiatus television season (which includes shows like "The Closer," "Monk," and "Psych", and on the upcoming fall season as more information comes available. Heck, I'd even give her a half an hour (without me butting in) to talk about Battlestar Galactica the television series.
That gives me an idea for an upcoming episode based entirely around BSG. Shawna could cover the show, and I could cover the upcoming Roleplaying game by Margaret Weis Productions (the manufacturers of the Serenity rpg).
Shawna guided us through the 3 major network's proposed schedules in a presentation filled with good information and entertaining opinion. In fact, the conversation was so much fun that we didn't cover Fox or the CW's schedule until the "after show" which you can only hear on the show's host page. Stop by the page, have a listen to the 70 minute show, and let us know what you think.
Other than a couple of technical difficulties, primarily in the 16th minute when we were discussing the upcoming "Bionic Woman" show, the show went smoothly.
In upcoming weeks we hope to have Luke Y. Thompson, of the OC Weekly, discuss genre films and his thoughts on the summer season so far. We also hope to have Shawna return many more times to talk about her thoughts on the summer hiatus television season (which includes shows like "The Closer," "Monk," and "Psych", and on the upcoming fall season as more information comes available. Heck, I'd even give her a half an hour (without me butting in) to talk about Battlestar Galactica the television series.
That gives me an idea for an upcoming episode based entirely around BSG. Shawna could cover the show, and I could cover the upcoming Roleplaying game by Margaret Weis Productions (the manufacturers of the Serenity rpg).
Friday, May 18, 2007
Ten Years! Ten Years Man! Happy Anniversary Jody!
Ten years ago today Jody Lindke and I were married in a lovely ceremony which was followed by an equally lovely, but totally breakneck, honeymoon. Since we were friends for a couple of years before we actually started "dating," it has been a swift decade filled with adventure.
What about that breakneck honeymoon? What do you mean breakneck?
Okay, okay, I'll tell you. Those who read last year's entry can skip below the blockquote if they have a very good memory.
The ten year anniversary is, traditionally, the "tin or aluminum" anniversary so Jody and I got each other gifts with some tin or aluminum. I got her mugs, a framed ceramic tile, and an aluminum sign featuring the artwork she drew for our card last year.
She got me a framed (in aluminum) Twister poster. It is the most romantic thing I have ever received. If you are wondering why, it might illuminate things if I mention that we watched Twister almost everyday during our honeymoon. Looking at the poster was like reliving the entire honeymoon. Tonight, as we do every anniversary, we will watch the Bill Paxton vehicle while cuddling on the couch.
Our kids, when we have them, will wonder what our attraction to the film is, but we will be mentally back in Seattle on our honeymoon.
What about that breakneck honeymoon? What do you mean breakneck?
Okay, okay, I'll tell you. Those who read last year's entry can skip below the blockquote if they have a very good memory.
Jody and I planned our wedding for a year, honeymoon and all. We were to get married at Arlington Gardens, Arlington Gardens Country Garden catered the wedding, a local nursery/small shop area that has a beautiful central area. Our cake was from Josef's conditerei and our honeymoon was going to be at Disneyworld.
But then Jody decided, rightly so, that she wanted to bring her childhood pet into our household. Our apartment let us have cats, but Oreo was a lovely 14 year old and 10 pound dog. Jody missed Oreo, who had lived in Nevada City with Jody's father, and Oreo missed Jody. Oreo was a wonderful addition to our lives, she was love personified, so finding a new place to live was not a burden. It did mean finding a place that allowed dogs and in a short timeline. We found a place and the necessary number of roommates (some friends), but given the short notice our friends couldn't pay the deposit up front. They were able to pay it rapidly after moving in, but not the day (May 1) that we were moving into the new place. This meant Jody and I had to put down the deposit, and this meant no Disneyworld. We still have yet to go to Disneyworld, but that is another story and the perfect gift for a future anniversary.
Having no place to go for our honeymoon turned out to be more of a blessing that a curse. Unbeknownst to us Jody's mother and step-father had arranged for us to spend a few days in the Napa Valley and at Fort Bragg. Both places that have significant emotional importance for Jody. It was a lovely gift. Fort Bragg, BTW, is where they filmed both Overboard (with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn) and Kindergarten Cop (with der Governator), and a lovely Northern California Costal community. The only drawback was that the arrangements Jody's mom made started on Sunday and we were married on a Saturday. What to do, what to do?
Jody immediately booked us a room at a Hotel Casino up at Lake Tahoe (not the view from our hotel room). We had a wonderful night, watched a magic show, had an exquisite meal and prepared for Napa and Fort Bragg. Family members had also given us spending money for our honeymoon, in addition to the money they gave us for our Wedding. So we planned additional days away, in fact we decided to continue our journey up the coast and to finish our honeymoon in Seattle at the Seattle International Film festival. We drove the north along the California coast and continued to Washington and Seattle. It was a wonderful, and long, drive through redwood forests.
Of course, Jody and I, being who we are we watched a ton of movies along the way in preparation for the festival. We also watched Twister and inordinate number of times. We were gone for about two weeks in total and when we were done we had not a dime to our name (we still had Wedding checks for beginning our lives, but none of those were in the bank) and prayed that the gas in the car would get us back to Reno safely. It took us many days to drive to Seattle as we meandered along seaside roads, but we made it home in a single day. Along the way we learned some interesting facts of life.
- The rain in Washington is very hard to drive in.
- There are apparently no 7-11s in Oregon. A lot of convenience stores, but no 7-11s. We looked frantically, longing for Slurpees, but to no avail. We might have missed them, but it was eerie.
- You cannot pump your own gas in Oregon.
- Twister is a great road trip movie and pretending that you are in the film while driving on the highway is fun.
- Jody didn't really want to go to Law School, rather she wanted to make movies.
- Jody has the uncanny ability to make me smile, inside and out. She still does.
- Oregon rest stops serve free coffee.
- Most importantly, you can make a wonderfully romantic honeymoon from scratch and a spontaneous honeymoon is far more romantic, in my experience, that a prepackaged vacation.
The ten year anniversary is, traditionally, the "tin or aluminum" anniversary so Jody and I got each other gifts with some tin or aluminum. I got her mugs, a framed ceramic tile, and an aluminum sign featuring the artwork she drew for our card last year.
She got me a framed (in aluminum) Twister poster. It is the most romantic thing I have ever received. If you are wondering why, it might illuminate things if I mention that we watched Twister almost everyday during our honeymoon. Looking at the poster was like reliving the entire honeymoon. Tonight, as we do every anniversary, we will watch the Bill Paxton vehicle while cuddling on the couch.
Our kids, when we have them, will wonder what our attraction to the film is, but we will be mentally back in Seattle on our honeymoon.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
ABC Schedule and thoughts
Earlier this week ABC announced their upcoming fall lineup, but I was too busy to make my comments regarding the upcoming schedule. Now...at last, my time has come.
Continuing the trend of other networks, the majority of ABC's new orders are for Dramas (7), with a few Comedies (4) added for good measure. The current era of television seems to be as dominated by the Drama and Dramedy as the 90s were with the half-hour comedy. Which is one way of saying that TV networks will go with a good thing until they beat it to death and then they'll see if they can kick a couple of death throes out of it. Only then, will they move on to the next best thing. A less cynical way of saying that might be that networks go with what works.
The new television series include everything from modern man to cavemen. Yes you read that right, ABC is premiering a series based on the Geico commercials. Some of these series are: “Big Shots,” “Carpoolers,” “Cashmere Mafia,” “Cavemen,”
“Dirty Sexy Money,” “Eli Stone,” “Miss/Guided,” “Private Practice,”
“Pushing Daisies,” “Sam I Am” and “Women’s Murder Club.”
The proposed fall lineup, and my comments are below (with the new shows in italics):
MONDAY:
8:00 p.m.: “Dancing with the Stars” -- I only watch this show in spurts. I understand the appeal, heck I used to love "Circus of the Stars," but like "Circus" this is more of a one time thing for me than a weekly commitment.
9:30 p.m.: “Sam I Am” (new comedy series) -- This is Christina Applegate's new series about a person who has an accident and forgets who they are, only to discover they weren't very likable. The show's tension will rest on a "nature vs. nurture" irony, she wants to be good but isn't. (deadpan)I am laughing already. This is such a funny idea. No one ever though of a bad person trying to be good, but can't actually succeed at being good story before.(end deadpan) I will watch the show once, but I won't be very forgiving.
10:00 p.m.: “The Bachelor” -- The fact that people watch this show makes me worry for the state of our civilization. "Look ma! It's women being treated like cattle by a man who they all plot in Machiavellian fashion to seduce."
TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Cavemen” The commercials are funny, but somehow I think that placing this show in the suburban South will spell quick doom for this show. That and the fact that the dinosaur version of the "Honeymooners" didn't last too long either.
8:30 p.m. “Carpoolers” -- Hopefully this show will have moments that take place outside of the car. Though that makes me wonder how that would be different from an Office Space show. I'll watch it once, but if they don't get out of the car I won't be back. I want you to remember that this show is about 4 people. That seems to be a theme.
9:00 p.m. : “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show” -- See above.
10:00 p.m.: “Boston Legal” -- Glad to see the show back for another season. Shatner!
WEDNESDAY: A night completely filled with new shows? That is a potential risk.
8:00 p.m. “Pushing Daisies” -- I am intrigued by this twist on a procedural and the romantic tension possible has potential. Ideal scenario for me as viewer is if this show is a well thought out single season narrative with a final episode that resolves the season long arc.
9:00 p.m.: “Private Practice” -- "Grey's Anatomy 2?" No thanks. I stopped watching "Grey's Anatomy" when they killed the dog just to end a romantic storyline. I still like Kate Walsh, but I won't watch this show. The best "Grey's Anatomy" moment, in my opinion, was during the last season of "The OC" when Summer's father moved to Seattle.
10:00 p.m. “Dirty Sexy Money” -- I think it is good to see the return of the evening Soap, but this just doesn't seem to do it for me. Besides wasn't the "I'll have access to a lot of money to do good things" tension a part of 2 Week's Notice? (Minus the Soapy mysterious death etc.) This show would have to be funny to attract me. And the "Darling" clan? Please, shoot me now.
THURSDAY:
8:00 p.m.: “Ugly Betty” -- One of my favorite shows, but I hope they do like a real telenovella and let the story end at some point.
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy” -- As I said, I stopped watching it when they killed the dog just to eliminate a romantic rivalry.
10:00 p.m. “Big Shots” -- It's "Carpoolers," but serious. By the way, what is up with the whole "4 friends" thing? Can't we have three friends? Or even five friends?
FRIDAY:
8:00 p.m.: “MEN IN TREES” -- Don't watch it, so I have no opinion one way or the other.
9:00 p.m.: “Women’s Murder Club” -- "CSI: Vigilante" with a dash of possible romantic subplots? Okay, I'm down for that. But what is with the whole 4 friends thing again?
10:00 p.m.: “20/20” -- For those who have no internet or are baffled by the "tubes" that make the interwebs work.
SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m.: “Saturday Night College Football” -- Depends on who's playing.
SUNDAY:
7:00 p.m.: “America’s Funniest Home Videos” -- Watch Jimmy hit someone in the crotch! No. Don't watch this. Won't watch this.
8:00 p.m.: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” -- I watched one season of this show. I like the premise, but don't watch it.
9:00 p.m.: “Desperate Housewives” -- I don't watch this, but I have nothing against it. I have to read books some time.
10:00 p.m.: “Brothers & Sisters” -- Sunday at 10? I might be watching "Lipstick Jungle" on NBC. I might not.
The remaining shows will be mid-season pick ups after “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Bachelor” conclude their fall seasons. I will probably watch both "Cashmere Mafia" and "Miss/Guided" at least once.
Continuing the trend of other networks, the majority of ABC's new orders are for Dramas (7), with a few Comedies (4) added for good measure. The current era of television seems to be as dominated by the Drama and Dramedy as the 90s were with the half-hour comedy. Which is one way of saying that TV networks will go with a good thing until they beat it to death and then they'll see if they can kick a couple of death throes out of it. Only then, will they move on to the next best thing. A less cynical way of saying that might be that networks go with what works.
The new television series include everything from modern man to cavemen. Yes you read that right, ABC is premiering a series based on the Geico commercials. Some of these series are: “Big Shots,” “Carpoolers,” “Cashmere Mafia,” “Cavemen,”
“Dirty Sexy Money,” “Eli Stone,” “Miss/Guided,” “Private Practice,”
“Pushing Daisies,” “Sam I Am” and “Women’s Murder Club.”
The proposed fall lineup, and my comments are below (with the new shows in italics):
MONDAY:
8:00 p.m.: “Dancing with the Stars” -- I only watch this show in spurts. I understand the appeal, heck I used to love "Circus of the Stars," but like "Circus" this is more of a one time thing for me than a weekly commitment.
9:30 p.m.: “Sam I Am” (new comedy series) -- This is Christina Applegate's new series about a person who has an accident and forgets who they are, only to discover they weren't very likable. The show's tension will rest on a "nature vs. nurture" irony, she wants to be good but isn't. (deadpan)I am laughing already. This is such a funny idea. No one ever though of a bad person trying to be good, but can't actually succeed at being good story before.(end deadpan) I will watch the show once, but I won't be very forgiving.
“Sam I Am”
When a terrible accident leaves Samantha “Sam” Newly in a coma for eight days, she wakes up with no recollection of any past experiences, memories or events. Faced with amnesia, Sam must start over. To her dismay she discovers that she wasn’t a particularly honest, good-hearted or loving person. In fact she was self-involved, narcissistic and devoid of real relationships - essentially a bitch. Sam must now struggle with her desire to be good and her temptation to be...not so good. Finding the line between good and evil is never easy.
10:00 p.m.: “The Bachelor” -- The fact that people watch this show makes me worry for the state of our civilization. "Look ma! It's women being treated like cattle by a man who they all plot in Machiavellian fashion to seduce."
TUESDAY:
8:00 p.m. “Cavemen” The commercials are funny, but somehow I think that placing this show in the suburban South will spell quick doom for this show. That and the fact that the dinosaur version of the "Honeymooners" didn't last too long either.
“Cavemen”
Cavemen is a unique buddy comedy that offers a clever twist on stereotypes and turns race relations on their head. Inspired by the popular Geico Insurance commercials, the series looks at life through the eyes of the ultimate outsiders - three modern cavemen - as they struggle to find their place in the world. Joel, his cynical best friend, Nick, and easy-going little brother, Jamie, are contemporary cavemen who live in the suburban south and simply want to be treated like ordinary thirty-something guys. Despite their attempts at assimilation, Nick doesn’t believe mainstream society will ever completely accept them, Jamie seems to take it all in stride and Joel straddles the middle, torn between his friends, his more traditional values and his loving fiancée.
8:30 p.m. “Carpoolers” -- Hopefully this show will have moments that take place outside of the car. Though that makes me wonder how that would be different from an Office Space show. I'll watch it once, but if they don't get out of the car I won't be back. I want you to remember that this show is about 4 people. That seems to be a theme.
“Carpoolers”
Less about saving the environment than male bonding, four guys from very different backgrounds relish their daily commute as they commiserate about their lives, jobs and families in the carpool lane. There’s Laird, the recently divorced playboy; Aubrey, the timid homemaker and breadwinner; the conservative and traditional Gracen; and eager newlywed Dougie. Together, between the pressures of home and work, these men find time to be themselves while driving to and from the office.
9:00 p.m. : “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show” -- See above.
10:00 p.m.: “Boston Legal” -- Glad to see the show back for another season. Shatner!
WEDNESDAY: A night completely filled with new shows? That is a potential risk.
8:00 p.m. “Pushing Daisies” -- I am intrigued by this twist on a procedural and the romantic tension possible has potential. Ideal scenario for me as viewer is if this show is a well thought out single season narrative with a final episode that resolves the season long arc.
“Pushing Daisies”
From Bryan Fuller (“Heroes”) and Barry Sonnenfeld (“Men in Black”) comes an unprecedented blend of romance, crime procedural and high-concept fantasy in a forensic fairytale about a young man with a very special gift. Once upon a time, a mild-mannered boy named Ned realized he could touch dead things and bring them back to life. Grown-up Ned puts his ability to good use, not only touching dead fruit and making it ripe with everlasting flavor, but working with an investigator to crack murder cases by asking the deceased to name their killers. But the tale gets complicated, as all tales do, when Ned brings his childhood sweetheart, Chuck, back from the dead and keeps her alive. Chuck encourages him to use his power to help others, instead of merely solving mysteries and collecting the rewards. Life would be perfect for Ned and Chuck, except for one cruel twist: If he ever touches her again, she’ll go back to being dead, this time for good.
9:00 p.m.: “Private Practice” -- "Grey's Anatomy 2?" No thanks. I stopped watching "Grey's Anatomy" when they killed the dog just to end a romantic storyline. I still like Kate Walsh, but I won't watch this show. The best "Grey's Anatomy" moment, in my opinion, was during the last season of "The OC" when Summer's father moved to Seattle.
“Private Practice”
From Shonda Rhimes, the Golden Globe-winning creator of “Grey’s Anatomy,” comes a story about new beginnings and old friends. Addison Forbes Montgomery is a renowned neonatal surgeon, respected by her friends and colleagues at Seattle Grace Hospital. Deciding she can no longer healthily co-exist with her ex-husband, McDreamy, and her ex-lover, McSteamy, Addison heads to Los Angeles for sunnier weather and happier possibilities. Reunited with her once-married, newly divorced medical school friends, Naomi and Sam, Addison joins their chic private practice. Featuring an all-star cast including Kate Walsh, Amy Brenneman, Tim Daly and Taye Diggs, “Private Practice” tells the story of a woman unafraid of change and willing to begin a new life.
10:00 p.m. “Dirty Sexy Money” -- I think it is good to see the return of the evening Soap, but this just doesn't seem to do it for me. Besides wasn't the "I'll have access to a lot of money to do good things" tension a part of 2 Week's Notice? (Minus the Soapy mysterious death etc.) This show would have to be funny to attract me. And the "Darling" clan? Please, shoot me now.
“Dirty Sexy Money”
Some people say money is the root of all evil. They may be right. Nick George’s whole life has been lived in the shadow of the Darling family, but as an adult he’s leading the perfect life as an idealistic lawyer, until his father’s suspicious death. The absurdly wealthy Darlings of New York have asked him to take over his father’s job as their personal lawyer, but the money that will allow him the freedom to be an altruistic do-gooder is only part of the picture. That same money pulls him into the dubious doings of the Darling clan. Power, privilege and family money are a volatile cocktail.
THURSDAY:
8:00 p.m.: “Ugly Betty” -- One of my favorite shows, but I hope they do like a real telenovella and let the story end at some point.
9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy” -- As I said, I stopped watching it when they killed the dog just to eliminate a romantic rivalry.
10:00 p.m. “Big Shots” -- It's "Carpoolers," but serious. By the way, what is up with the whole "4 friends" thing? Can't we have three friends? Or even five friends?
“Big Shots”
This is the story of four friends at the top of their game...until the women in their lives enter the room. Lines between boardroom and bedroom blur when these competitive but dysfunctional CEOs take refuge in their friendship, discussing business, confiding secrets, seeking advice and supporting each other through life’s surprising twists and turns.
FRIDAY:
8:00 p.m.: “MEN IN TREES” -- Don't watch it, so I have no opinion one way or the other.
9:00 p.m.: “Women’s Murder Club” -- "CSI: Vigilante" with a dash of possible romantic subplots? Okay, I'm down for that. But what is with the whole 4 friends thing again?
“Women’s Murder Club”
Based on James Patterson’s bestselling novels, The Women’s Murder Club, four working women in San Francisco - a detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner and a reporter - use their expertise and unique talents to solve murder cases. Each woman is successful in her own field, but because of their unique friendship, they realize that pooling their resources during investigations leads to undiscovered clues and answers in both work and their personal lives.
10:00 p.m.: “20/20” -- For those who have no internet or are baffled by the "tubes" that make the interwebs work.
SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m.: “Saturday Night College Football” -- Depends on who's playing.
SUNDAY:
7:00 p.m.: “America’s Funniest Home Videos” -- Watch Jimmy hit someone in the crotch! No. Don't watch this. Won't watch this.
8:00 p.m.: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” -- I watched one season of this show. I like the premise, but don't watch it.
9:00 p.m.: “Desperate Housewives” -- I don't watch this, but I have nothing against it. I have to read books some time.
10:00 p.m.: “Brothers & Sisters” -- Sunday at 10? I might be watching "Lipstick Jungle" on NBC. I might not.
The remaining shows will be mid-season pick ups after “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Bachelor” conclude their fall seasons. I will probably watch both "Cashmere Mafia" and "Miss/Guided" at least once.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Chat with Christian and Some of the Cinerati Gang at Geekerati Radio
WHAT: Geekerati Radio discusses the Summer Blockbuster Lineup
WHERE: BlogTalkRadio
WHEN: 10PM PST May 14, 2007
WHO: Christian Johnson and Friends
WHY: Because you like us.
Hello Everyone. Tonight is the first of what I hope will become a weekly tradition. I will be hosting an online "radio show" on blogtalkradio where friends of mine and I will discuss various geek topics. The list of topics includes, but is not limited to, Movies, Video Games, Television, Comic Books, Baseball, SF/Fantasy, and Roleplaying/Board Games.
In future weeks, I hope to expand the number of contributors to include David and Julie Scott and Luke Y. Thompson. I would have invited them for the pilot episode, but this was a split second decision.
There are a lot of topics to cover, so we will try to address them one at a time. Tonight at 10PM PST my friends and I will be discussing the Summer Blockbuster season, both what has already been released (specifically Spider-Man 3) and what is yet to come.
Come and join us at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?host_id=4843 tonight at 10PM PST.
If you want to call in and tell us we're crazy, you can call us at (646) 478-5041.
WHERE: BlogTalkRadio
WHEN: 10PM PST May 14, 2007
WHO: Christian Johnson and Friends
WHY: Because you like us.
Hello Everyone. Tonight is the first of what I hope will become a weekly tradition. I will be hosting an online "radio show" on blogtalkradio where friends of mine and I will discuss various geek topics. The list of topics includes, but is not limited to, Movies, Video Games, Television, Comic Books, Baseball, SF/Fantasy, and Roleplaying/Board Games.
In future weeks, I hope to expand the number of contributors to include David and Julie Scott and Luke Y. Thompson. I would have invited them for the pilot episode, but this was a split second decision.
There are a lot of topics to cover, so we will try to address them one at a time. Tonight at 10PM PST my friends and I will be discussing the Summer Blockbuster season, both what has already been released (specifically Spider-Man 3) and what is yet to come.
Come and join us at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?host_id=4843 tonight at 10PM PST.
If you want to call in and tell us we're crazy, you can call us at (646) 478-5041.
Rock, Paper, Scissors Your Way to Fame and Fortune
This last weekend in Las Vegas, 300 finalists met to do "Rock, Paper, Scissors" battle in the hopes of walking away with $50,000. May 11 - 13th marked the 2nd annual USARPS Tournament Finals in Las Vegas.
Image from USARPS.com
The league was founded 16 months ago by Matti Leshem, a 44-year-old Hollywood producer, if you consider the Executive Producer on "Pepsi: Play for a Billion" and Paula Abdul: Cardio Cheer a Hollywood producer. Though if you want to challenge Matti to a private match, it's a minimum of $100 a round. People who keep track of these things know that Phil Gordon, who is a USARPS member, hosts the World Series of Rock-Paper-Scissors each year at the World Series of Poker.
As of this writing, the results of the 2007 USARPS Tournament have not been released. Much like the World Series of Poker, any official word will have to wait until after this summer's broadcast on ESPN. Let's hope it is as exciting as last year's titanic bout where Dave "The Drill" McGill defeated his opponent in dominant fashion. (You can watch the bout at the USARPS website on the bottom of the page.)
Who knew when Bud Light ran the RPS commercial during the Super Bowl they were advertising an event they actually sponsor. Unlike in the commercial, "The Drill" won his $50,000 with a triple-paper call.
You might be able to get the results early if you subscribe to Obscure Sports Quarterly or watch ESPN 8 "The Ocho," but there isn't much chance of that.
Image from USARPS.com
The league was founded 16 months ago by Matti Leshem, a 44-year-old Hollywood producer, if you consider the Executive Producer on "Pepsi: Play for a Billion" and Paula Abdul: Cardio Cheer a Hollywood producer. Though if you want to challenge Matti to a private match, it's a minimum of $100 a round. People who keep track of these things know that Phil Gordon, who is a USARPS member, hosts the World Series of Rock-Paper-Scissors each year at the World Series of Poker.
As of this writing, the results of the 2007 USARPS Tournament have not been released. Much like the World Series of Poker, any official word will have to wait until after this summer's broadcast on ESPN. Let's hope it is as exciting as last year's titanic bout where Dave "The Drill" McGill defeated his opponent in dominant fashion. (You can watch the bout at the USARPS website on the bottom of the page.)
Who knew when Bud Light ran the RPS commercial during the Super Bowl they were advertising an event they actually sponsor. Unlike in the commercial, "The Drill" won his $50,000 with a triple-paper call.
You might be able to get the results early if you subscribe to Obscure Sports Quarterly or watch ESPN 8 "The Ocho," but there isn't much chance of that.
NBC Announces Fall Line-Up
NBC's Upfronts may be at 3pm EST today, but that didn't stop Variety (among others) from reporting NBC's upcoming fall schedule. Though I was sad to see that Raines wasn't among the listed shows (I didn't really expect it to be), the list looks pretty interesting. Below is the line-up with my thoughts (new shows in italics):
MONDAY
8-9 p.m.: "Deal or No Deal" -- I know that this show gets good number, but I just don't get it. All I can do as I watch this show is chant "Choose Wisely" like the knight in Indiana Jones 3. I just can't take seriously a show that adds dramatic tension to a hidden information game where the contestants seem to be selected based on their ignorance of probability.
9-10 p.m.: "Heroes" -- This was one of my favorite new shows this year and I am glad to see it has been renewed for the fall. I also can't wait for the "fill in" show "Heroes: Origins" which will be running this while the main show is on hiatus.
10-11 p.m.: "Journeyman" --Based on the description (below) this is a combination of "Quantum Leap" and "The Unit." Not only do we get the "Sam travels through time fixing stuff" narrative, but we also get the "what's happening in his home life" as well. It sounds like an interesting enough combination for me to watch a re-envisioning of an idea I enjoyed before. The added element of the protagonist having to deal with his home life does intrigue me, so I'll be either staying up or Tivo-ing this show.
TUESDAY
8-9 p.m.: "The Biggest Loser" -- Ah, lame reality programming, renewed. I'll pass.
9-10 p.m.: "Chuck" -- A new show from Josh "pop culture" Schwartz and Mc"king of high concept"G, that seems to be an interesting combination of "Jake 2.0," "The Six Million Dollar Man," and The Computer Wore Red Tennis Shoes. Based on the creative crew, "The OC" and "Supernatural" are two of my favorite shows, alone I was sold. Add a semi-SF/espionage back story and Adam Baldwin from "Firefly" and I'll give the show 8-10 episodes to prove itself to me.
10-11 p.m.: "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" -- Don't watch it. Not because it's bad or anything, just not enough time in the day.
WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m.: "Deal or No Deal" -- Two days a week of bad decision making? No thanks.
9-10 p.m.: "Bionic Woman" -- My demands of remakes of my favorite childhood shows are very high. Given that this has "Battlestar Galactica" connections, I expect to be disappointed.
10-11 p.m. "Life" -- "A cop given a second chance after serving time for a crime he didn't commit?" Like the old Life cereal commercial, I'll be like Mikey. I'll try it out, but I don't expect to like it. Who knows...It might be good. It might be terrible. I'll find out what I think.
THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m.: "My Name Is Earl" -- I don't watch it, but Fritz thinks it's very funny.
8:30-9 p.m.: "30 Rock" -- I don't watch it, but it looks very funny.
9-9:30 p.m.: "The Office" -- One of my favorite shows.
9:30-10 p.m.: "Scrubs" -- Just when you think ratings are the only consideration when renewing shows, they renew "Scrubs." Not that I'm complaining, I really like this show. I'm just saying. It's not every show that looses 2.1 million viewers from the previous hour that gets renewed. (On May 3, "The Office" had 7 million viewers, "Scrubs" had 4.9).
10-11 p.m.: "ER" -- This show will be on in twenty years. I stopped watching it when they dropped a helicopter on one of my favorite characters. That was a year or so after they had a helicopter cut the same character's arm off. It was just too much for me.
FRIDAY
8-9 p.m.: "1 vs 100"/"The Singing Bee" -- Could we get a new host for "1 vs 100"? I like the concept, but Bob Saget? As for "The Singing Bee," I might just watch this to see how many interpretations of "Blinded by the Light" I can hear.
9-10 p.m.: "Las Vegas" -- Until a show demonstrates just how dull and mechanical the behind the scenes of a casino is, I will be disappointed. As someone who was a 21/Craps dealer for a couple of years, I can't watch the "Casinos are so exciting" narratives. Puhleese. It's all about old ladies loosing their Social Security money in the hopes that the few moments of "friendship" they receive from casino staff can substitute for family who doesn't visit or call. Casinos are dull, depressing, and filled with the desperate.
10-11 p.m.: "Friday Night Lights" -- It makes more sense to me that this show be broadcast on Fridays. Well...except for the fact that a good part of their target audience are out watching the games that this show fictionalizes! Hello?
SATURDAY
8-9 p.m.: "Dateline NBC" -- Um...there's still cable news and the internet right? Pass.
9-11 p.m.: Drama Series Encores -- Space for "Raines" here if they give it a shot again. I'll go light a candle.
SUNDAY (Fall 2007)
7-8 p.m.: "Football Night in America" -- I'm a baseball and college football guy myself, but I'll probably watch this semi-regularly.
8-11 p.m.: "NBC Sunday Night Football" -- Ditto.
SUNDAY (January 2008)
7-8 p.m.: "Dateline NBC" -- The internet still here at this point of the post? Same answer.
8-9 p.m.: "Law & Order" -- Long after our society crumbles, the Eloi will still be watching this show.
9-10 p.m.: "Medium" -- Sorry, I read James Randi's website during this hour.
10-11 p.m. "Lipstick Jungle" -- Maybe, maybe not. If it is just another show about catty women sleeping around in the workplace, no. If it is a show about the genuine obstacles women face in the entertainment industry, yes. As someone with friends, and family, who hope to be in the basic circumstances of some of the characters in this show, I'm intrigued. But I still don't trust it. The fact that the show stars Brooke "nothing gets between me and my Calvin Kleins" Shields leads me to believe that the show will likely be the first. Based on the description though, I am ordering the novel today.
MONDAY
8-9 p.m.: "Deal or No Deal" -- I know that this show gets good number, but I just don't get it. All I can do as I watch this show is chant "Choose Wisely" like the knight in Indiana Jones 3. I just can't take seriously a show that adds dramatic tension to a hidden information game where the contestants seem to be selected based on their ignorance of probability.
9-10 p.m.: "Heroes" -- This was one of my favorite new shows this year and I am glad to see it has been renewed for the fall. I also can't wait for the "fill in" show "Heroes: Origins" which will be running this while the main show is on hiatus.
10-11 p.m.: "Journeyman" --Based on the description (below) this is a combination of "Quantum Leap" and "The Unit." Not only do we get the "Sam travels through time fixing stuff" narrative, but we also get the "what's happening in his home life" as well. It sounds like an interesting enough combination for me to watch a re-envisioning of an idea I enjoyed before. The added element of the protagonist having to deal with his home life does intrigue me, so I'll be either staying up or Tivo-ing this show.
"Journeyman"-- From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Kevin Falls ("The West Wing") and Emmy Award-winning director-producer Alex Graves ("The West Wing"), "Journeyman" is a romantic mystery-drama about Dan Vasser (Kevin McKidd, "Rome"), a San Francisco newspaper reporter and family man who inexplicably begins to travel through time and change people's lives. Along the way, he also must deal with the difficulties and strife at work and home brought on by his sudden disappearances. However, his freewheeling travels through the decades reunite him with his long-lost fiance Livia (Moon Bloodgood, "Day Break") -- which complicates his present-day life with wife Katie (Gretchen Egolf, "Martial Law") and their son. Reed Diamond ("Homicide: Life on the Street") and Charles Henry Wyson ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") also star. "Journeyman" is a production of 20th Century Fox Television. Falls is executive producer and writer; Graves is executive producer and director of the pilot.
TUESDAY
8-9 p.m.: "The Biggest Loser" -- Ah, lame reality programming, renewed. I'll pass.
9-10 p.m.: "Chuck" -- A new show from Josh "pop culture" Schwartz and Mc"king of high concept"G, that seems to be an interesting combination of "Jake 2.0," "The Six Million Dollar Man," and The Computer Wore Red Tennis Shoes. Based on the creative crew, "The OC" and "Supernatural" are two of my favorite shows, alone I was sold. Add a semi-SF/espionage back story and Adam Baldwin from "Firefly" and I'll give the show 8-10 episodes to prove itself to me.
From executive producer, Josh Schwartz ("The O.C.") and executive producer-director McG ("Charlie's Angels," "We Are Marshall") comes a one-hour, comedic spy thriller about Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi, "Less Than Perfect") - a computer geek who is catapulted into a new career as the government's most vital secret agent. When Chuck opens an e-mail subliminally encoded with government secrets, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data into his brain. Now, the fate of the world lies in the unlikely hands of a guy who works at Buy More. Instead of fighting computer viruses, he must fight assassins and international terrorists. With the government's most precious secrets in Chuck's head, Major John Casey (Adam Baldwin, "My Bodyguard") of the NSA assumes the responsibility of protecting him. His partner is the CIA's top agent (and Chuck's first date in years) Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strzechowski, "Gone"). They'll keep him safe by trading in his pocket protector for a bulletproof vest. Also starring are Joshua Gomez ("Without a Trace") as Chuck's best buddy Morgan and Sarah Lancaster ("What About Brian?") as Chuck's ever-supportive sister Ellie. Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak wrote "Chuck," which is produced by College Hill Pictures and Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television.
10-11 p.m.: "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" -- Don't watch it. Not because it's bad or anything, just not enough time in the day.
WEDNESDAY
8-9 p.m.: "Deal or No Deal" -- Two days a week of bad decision making? No thanks.
9-10 p.m.: "Bionic Woman" -- My demands of remakes of my favorite childhood shows are very high. Given that this has "Battlestar Galactica" connections, I expect to be disappointed.
10-11 p.m. "Life" -- "A cop given a second chance after serving time for a crime he didn't commit?" Like the old Life cereal commercial, I'll be like Mikey. I'll try it out, but I don't expect to like it. Who knows...It might be good. It might be terrible. I'll find out what I think.
THURSDAY
8-8:30 p.m.: "My Name Is Earl" -- I don't watch it, but Fritz thinks it's very funny.
8:30-9 p.m.: "30 Rock" -- I don't watch it, but it looks very funny.
9-9:30 p.m.: "The Office" -- One of my favorite shows.
9:30-10 p.m.: "Scrubs" -- Just when you think ratings are the only consideration when renewing shows, they renew "Scrubs." Not that I'm complaining, I really like this show. I'm just saying. It's not every show that looses 2.1 million viewers from the previous hour that gets renewed. (On May 3, "The Office" had 7 million viewers, "Scrubs" had 4.9).
10-11 p.m.: "ER" -- This show will be on in twenty years. I stopped watching it when they dropped a helicopter on one of my favorite characters. That was a year or so after they had a helicopter cut the same character's arm off. It was just too much for me.
FRIDAY
8-9 p.m.: "1 vs 100"/"The Singing Bee" -- Could we get a new host for "1 vs 100"? I like the concept, but Bob Saget? As for "The Singing Bee," I might just watch this to see how many interpretations of "Blinded by the Light" I can hear.
9-10 p.m.: "Las Vegas" -- Until a show demonstrates just how dull and mechanical the behind the scenes of a casino is, I will be disappointed. As someone who was a 21/Craps dealer for a couple of years, I can't watch the "Casinos are so exciting" narratives. Puhleese. It's all about old ladies loosing their Social Security money in the hopes that the few moments of "friendship" they receive from casino staff can substitute for family who doesn't visit or call. Casinos are dull, depressing, and filled with the desperate.
10-11 p.m.: "Friday Night Lights" -- It makes more sense to me that this show be broadcast on Fridays. Well...except for the fact that a good part of their target audience are out watching the games that this show fictionalizes! Hello?
SATURDAY
8-9 p.m.: "Dateline NBC" -- Um...there's still cable news and the internet right? Pass.
9-11 p.m.: Drama Series Encores -- Space for "Raines" here if they give it a shot again. I'll go light a candle.
SUNDAY (Fall 2007)
7-8 p.m.: "Football Night in America" -- I'm a baseball and college football guy myself, but I'll probably watch this semi-regularly.
8-11 p.m.: "NBC Sunday Night Football" -- Ditto.
SUNDAY (January 2008)
7-8 p.m.: "Dateline NBC" -- The internet still here at this point of the post? Same answer.
8-9 p.m.: "Law & Order" -- Long after our society crumbles, the Eloi will still be watching this show.
9-10 p.m.: "Medium" -- Sorry, I read James Randi's website during this hour.
10-11 p.m. "Lipstick Jungle" -- Maybe, maybe not. If it is just another show about catty women sleeping around in the workplace, no. If it is a show about the genuine obstacles women face in the entertainment industry, yes. As someone with friends, and family, who hope to be in the basic circumstances of some of the characters in this show, I'm intrigued. But I still don't trust it. The fact that the show stars Brooke "nothing gets between me and my Calvin Kleins" Shields leads me to believe that the show will likely be the first. Based on the description though, I am ordering the novel today.
Based on the best-selling novel by Candace Bushnell ("Sex and the City"), this fun dramedy follows three high-powered friends as they weather the ups and downs of lives lived at the top of their game. Nico (Kim Raver, "24"), editor-in-chief of a hot fashion magazine, wants to replace her boss as CEO. Movie exec Wendy (Brooke Shields, "Suddenly Susan") finds even her most earnest efforts may not be enough to balance career and family. And free-spirited designer Victory (Lindsay Price, "Beverly Hills, 90210") longs to make her dreams come true, and maybe find Mr. Right along the way. Armed with humor and strength, these three modern New York women support one another through the triumphs and tears that are all part of making it big in the Big Apple. Written by executive producers DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler (both for "How I Met Your Mother," "Three Sisters") and based on the book by Bushnell, "Lipstick Jungle" is from NBC Universal Television Studio. The pilot is directed by Gary Winick ("13 Going on 30").
While in Paris Hilton is my favorite hotel chain.
In his Regarding Media column in the L.A. Times on Sunday, Tim Rutten raises a number of interesting questions regarding the proper role of the media when it comes to reporting the misbehavior of celebrities. After reading books like Anger's Hollywood Babylon, I wonder if Rutten’s doom and gloom is misplaced, but I get some of his point. There are interesting legal and philosophical concerns about a judge “making an example” out a defendant not based on the seriousness of her crime, but because she is infamous enough that other people will notice her fate. I’m going to ignore all of that to concentrate on one rather minor paragraph. Rutten writes,
Now, obviously, Rutten was exaggerating; there is no way that Cinerati, by posting the name Paris Hilton repeatedly in an otherwise unrelated story, would generate tens of thousands of hits in extra traffic. I think that Rutten’s point is that Paris Hilton, or Lindsay Lohan, or Britney Spears, are known brands, which, by themselves, empty of all other content, generate interest and, thus, readership. The question remains, however, how much traffic would we generate if we repeated the words Paris Hilton over and over again? Will we see an appreciable spike in readership?
So, watch this space for updates. We’ll try to keep you apprised so that if it does in fact work you too can drive traffic to your site by incorporating the words Paris and Hilton in your posts.
If you inserted Paris Hilton's name into your grocery list and posted it on the web, you'd get tens of thousands of hits. They don't mean anything, but that hasn't stopped desperate news editors from grabbing onto what they mistake for useful information the way a drowning man or woman clutches at anything that might keep them afloat.
Now, obviously, Rutten was exaggerating; there is no way that Cinerati, by posting the name Paris Hilton repeatedly in an otherwise unrelated story, would generate tens of thousands of hits in extra traffic. I think that Rutten’s point is that Paris Hilton, or Lindsay Lohan, or Britney Spears, are known brands, which, by themselves, empty of all other content, generate interest and, thus, readership. The question remains, however, how much traffic would we generate if we repeated the words Paris Hilton over and over again? Will we see an appreciable spike in readership?
So, watch this space for updates. We’ll try to keep you apprised so that if it does in fact work you too can drive traffic to your site by incorporating the words Paris and Hilton in your posts.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Great Art Attracts at Any Wage
Ewan McGregor is returning to the stage at the Donmar Warehouse in London. Unlike his high paying film gigs though, this time McGregor will be making the Equity minimum wage (according to The Press Association). McGregor will be playing Iago in a production of Othello set to open in December.
It is no mystery to me why a highly paid actor would want to take this role instead of (or in addition to) another higher paying gig. McGregor will be playing on of Shakespeare's most famous villains and one of literature's most interesting characters. As a reader, I want to read wonderful things, and actors want to act in wonderful things. If you can afford to, which McGregor certainly can, then you do it at any price.
Though I am still waiting for the version of Othello where Iago is represented as a projection from Othello's own psyche, but that will have to wait. As it is, I wish I were going to be in London this Winter to watch one of my favorite actors.
It is no mystery to me why a highly paid actor would want to take this role instead of (or in addition to) another higher paying gig. McGregor will be playing on of Shakespeare's most famous villains and one of literature's most interesting characters. As a reader, I want to read wonderful things, and actors want to act in wonderful things. If you can afford to, which McGregor certainly can, then you do it at any price.
Though I am still waiting for the version of Othello where Iago is represented as a projection from Othello's own psyche, but that will have to wait. As it is, I wish I were going to be in London this Winter to watch one of my favorite actors.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Flash Gordon Returns to DVD on August 7.
I have fond memories of the weekend of January 10th, 1981. It was the weekend when I celebrated my 10th birthday and finally achieved what my father called "double digit midget" status. It was also when I was finally able to see Mike Hodges' Flash Gordon on the big screen. The film had been out for almost a month and I wanted nothing more than to watch a "modern" big screen adaptation of my favorite serial at the local theater. I had been watching episodes of the serial at my grandparent's house on the weekends and I was hooked. Sam Jones might not have been Buster Crabbe, but it was still Flash! by God. I am sure my dad was fed up with my begging by that weekend, but he happily designed the day around a trip to the film.
It was a wonderful day, yet in the present I look back at the day with a mild sense of nostalgic melancholy. Not because of my distinct memory of the local DJ sawing the soundtrack in half "on the air," all because the station's listeners had decided the album was destined to be "Trash" and not a "Smash." Given how much I like soundtrack, I have distrusted democratic systems ever since.
The day has melancholy because it was wonderful. I went with my two best friends, Stephanie and Joe. Two people who wouldn't be friends for much longer, likely due to the day's activities. You see...Joe tried to pick up on Stephanie at the film, in the awkward way that 10 year-olds flirt. All of which is represented in the awkward classroom note passed surreptitiously asking the target of your affection the most important question of all:
The note was almost universally returned with the aloof Maybe handwritten in and checked. Even at 10 women know how to be mysteriously alluring.
Stephanie was my maybe. I have memories of walking to her house to play Atari during the afternoons after school. We would talk, laugh, and shoot each other's tanks while playing Combat. I can still think of no better date than two friends spending time together doing something they both enjoy. Atari with Stephanie was wonderful, but after Joe did his subtle "stretch while putting his arm around her" move at the theater those days didn't happen any more. Of course, I can't just blame Joe. My bizarre 10 year-old version of jealousy certainly contributed. It amounted to me attempting my own version of Joe's move. Needless to say it wasn't my best moment.
Regardless of strain attending a movie put upon my friendships, I loved the movie. I loved everything about it, especially Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin. He captured a version of Barin I had yet to experience. Gone was the doughy and dim version from the serials, here was a dashing and charismatic rival for Flash. I could finally understand why Aura might be attracted to Barin, a concept that totally alluded me when watching the Buster Crabbe version. I hadn't read any of the comic strips at this point, so my Barin experience had been limited. Timothy Dalton was perfect for the role and brought an Errol Flynn aura to the movie.
Flash Gordon is one of the few times that I have liked a campy version of one of my passions. A good campy film is a rare gem because it requires both integrity of adaptation while simultaneously taking jabs at the source material. I thought, and still do, that Flash Gordon achieves this delicate balance. The only thing I don't like are some of the visual effects, the weird reddish purple clouds get old, but I can forgive that.
I recently wanted to purchase a copy of Flash on DVD, but was shocked that region 1 versions were running upwards of $50 on Ebay. I had resigned myself to wait for a new release and it looks like I won't have to wait long. Flash Gordon is returning to DVD on August 7th with it's "Saviour of the Universe Edition."
The new digitally remastered version includes a painted cover by fan favorite comic artist Alex Ross (Marvels) and the first chapter of the classic Buster Crabbe serial, in addition to a couple of other cool bonus features. Though the version is campy, it remains honest to the source material and captures a lot of what attracted me to the 4 color strips when I finally discovered those. When watching the film, look for moments that inspired Star Wars that were drawn from the strips and the serial. Though Flash came out in 1980, the source material is much older and the "imitation" is of the source and not of Lucas' work. They were both inspired by the same muse, the pen of Alex Raymond.
If they were to do a special theatrical release the same weekend I would wait in line for this film, melancholy memories and all.
It was a wonderful day, yet in the present I look back at the day with a mild sense of nostalgic melancholy. Not because of my distinct memory of the local DJ sawing the soundtrack in half "on the air," all because the station's listeners had decided the album was destined to be "Trash" and not a "Smash." Given how much I like soundtrack, I have distrusted democratic systems ever since.
The day has melancholy because it was wonderful. I went with my two best friends, Stephanie and Joe. Two people who wouldn't be friends for much longer, likely due to the day's activities. You see...Joe tried to pick up on Stephanie at the film, in the awkward way that 10 year-olds flirt. All of which is represented in the awkward classroom note passed surreptitiously asking the target of your affection the most important question of all:
I like you.
Do you like me?
Put a check by choice:
Yes _____
No _____
The note was almost universally returned with the aloof Maybe handwritten in and checked. Even at 10 women know how to be mysteriously alluring.
Stephanie was my maybe. I have memories of walking to her house to play Atari during the afternoons after school. We would talk, laugh, and shoot each other's tanks while playing Combat. I can still think of no better date than two friends spending time together doing something they both enjoy. Atari with Stephanie was wonderful, but after Joe did his subtle "stretch while putting his arm around her" move at the theater those days didn't happen any more. Of course, I can't just blame Joe. My bizarre 10 year-old version of jealousy certainly contributed. It amounted to me attempting my own version of Joe's move. Needless to say it wasn't my best moment.
Regardless of strain attending a movie put upon my friendships, I loved the movie. I loved everything about it, especially Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin. He captured a version of Barin I had yet to experience. Gone was the doughy and dim version from the serials, here was a dashing and charismatic rival for Flash. I could finally understand why Aura might be attracted to Barin, a concept that totally alluded me when watching the Buster Crabbe version. I hadn't read any of the comic strips at this point, so my Barin experience had been limited. Timothy Dalton was perfect for the role and brought an Errol Flynn aura to the movie.
Flash Gordon is one of the few times that I have liked a campy version of one of my passions. A good campy film is a rare gem because it requires both integrity of adaptation while simultaneously taking jabs at the source material. I thought, and still do, that Flash Gordon achieves this delicate balance. The only thing I don't like are some of the visual effects, the weird reddish purple clouds get old, but I can forgive that.
I recently wanted to purchase a copy of Flash on DVD, but was shocked that region 1 versions were running upwards of $50 on Ebay. I had resigned myself to wait for a new release and it looks like I won't have to wait long. Flash Gordon is returning to DVD on August 7th with it's "Saviour of the Universe Edition."
The new digitally remastered version includes a painted cover by fan favorite comic artist Alex Ross (Marvels) and the first chapter of the classic Buster Crabbe serial, in addition to a couple of other cool bonus features. Though the version is campy, it remains honest to the source material and captures a lot of what attracted me to the 4 color strips when I finally discovered those. When watching the film, look for moments that inspired Star Wars that were drawn from the strips and the serial. Though Flash came out in 1980, the source material is much older and the "imitation" is of the source and not of Lucas' work. They were both inspired by the same muse, the pen of Alex Raymond.
If they were to do a special theatrical release the same weekend I would wait in line for this film, melancholy memories and all.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Playing Games Illegal in South Carolina
For some time state Rep. Wallace Scarborough, R-Charleston has been trying to add an exception to Title 16, Chapter 19 of the South Carolina Code of Laws to allow for charity Poker tournaments. According to the Post and Courier, it seems that his plan has run into a little snag. It appears that Title 16, Chapter 19 makes the playing of any game that uses dice or cards an illegal act.
When I first read the Post and Courier article I giggled. I assumed that the article was a delayed April Fool's Day joke, and the snarky tone of the article contributed to my assumption. The author of the article couldn't refrain from inserting as many game names as possible into the piece, which detracted from the article's credibility. Sadly, the fact is that the law is pretty clear. In fact, "dice and cards" aren't the only thing that makes a game illegal. Let's have a look at the law:
I'm going to excerpt portions, hopefully without changing meaning, which make this law absurd.
So it is illegal to play most games that exist on the market today without technically breaking this law. In the Post and Courier article the Attorney General's office is quoted as saying, "Our research and reading of the law suggests that Candyland, for the moment, is safe in South Carolina," but this is actually an inaccurate statement. Given that Candyland, traditionally, uses cards to determine movement, it violates the wording of the law. The travel version of Candyland with its spinner based movement might be legal, but for one clarification in the law. You will notice that the law contains a list of games that are excepted from punishment. These games include draughts (checkers), chess, and billiards. Correct me if I am wrong, but checkers, chess, and billiards all lack dice or cards in game play. It should also be added that none of those three could be considered "games of chance" as they are either "perfect knowledge" or a "dexterity based" games. By including examples of games to exclude from conviction games which contain neither dice nor cards, the law broadens the definition of gaming.
To be honest, it is pretty clear that the law is intended to exclude games played for the purpose of betting, but the language is vague enough to allow for a broad reading. And to be fair, it is within the "proper" scope of police powers to exclude any kind of gambling, regardless of the game being used as the basis for betting. But given that the law makes it clear that chess, checkers, and billiards are okay to play when there is no betting, but doesn't exclude the play of any game so long as there is no betting involved, this is a poorly written law. It is an example of how legislatures don't often think when they create legislation.
The law could have been simple. Instead, it is vague and unenforceable as written.
When I first read the Post and Courier article I giggled. I assumed that the article was a delayed April Fool's Day joke, and the snarky tone of the article contributed to my assumption. The author of the article couldn't refrain from inserting as many game names as possible into the piece, which detracted from the article's credibility. Sadly, the fact is that the law is pretty clear. In fact, "dice and cards" aren't the only thing that makes a game illegal. Let's have a look at the law:
SECTION 16-19-40. Unlawful games and betting.
If any person shall play at any tavern, inn, store for the retailing of spirituous liquors or in any house used as a place of gaming, barn, kitchen, stable or other outhouse, street, highway, open wood, race field or open place at (a) any game with cards or dice, (b) any gaming table, commonly called A, B, C, or E, O, or any gaming table known or distinguished by any other letters or by any figures, (c) any roley-poley table, (d) rouge et noir, (e) any faro bank (f) any other table or bank of the same or the like kind under any denomination whatsoever or (g) any machine or device licensed pursuant to Section 12-21-2720 and used for gambling purposes, except the games of billiards, bowls, backgammon, chess, draughts, or whist when there is no betting on any such game of billiards, bowls, backgammon, chess, draughts, or whist or shall bet on the sides or hands of such as do game, upon being convicted thereof, before any magistrate, shall be imprisoned for a period of not over thirty days or fined not over one hundred dollars, and every person so keeping such tavern, inn, retail store, public place, or house used as a place for gaming or such other house shall, upon being convicted thereof, upon indictment, be imprisoned for a period not exceeding twelve months and forfeit a sum not exceeding two thousand dollars, for each and every offense.
I'm going to excerpt portions, hopefully without changing meaning, which make this law absurd.
If any person shall play...in any house used as a place of gaming...any game with cards or dice,...except the games of billiards, bowls, backgammon, chess, draughts, or whist when there is no betting...upon being convicted thereof, before any magistrate, shall be imprisoned for a period of not over thirty days or fined not over one hundred dollars
So it is illegal to play most games that exist on the market today without technically breaking this law. In the Post and Courier article the Attorney General's office is quoted as saying, "Our research and reading of the law suggests that Candyland, for the moment, is safe in South Carolina," but this is actually an inaccurate statement. Given that Candyland, traditionally, uses cards to determine movement, it violates the wording of the law. The travel version of Candyland with its spinner based movement might be legal, but for one clarification in the law. You will notice that the law contains a list of games that are excepted from punishment. These games include draughts (checkers), chess, and billiards. Correct me if I am wrong, but checkers, chess, and billiards all lack dice or cards in game play. It should also be added that none of those three could be considered "games of chance" as they are either "perfect knowledge" or a "dexterity based" games. By including examples of games to exclude from conviction games which contain neither dice nor cards, the law broadens the definition of gaming.
To be honest, it is pretty clear that the law is intended to exclude games played for the purpose of betting, but the language is vague enough to allow for a broad reading. And to be fair, it is within the "proper" scope of police powers to exclude any kind of gambling, regardless of the game being used as the basis for betting. But given that the law makes it clear that chess, checkers, and billiards are okay to play when there is no betting, but doesn't exclude the play of any game so long as there is no betting involved, this is a poorly written law. It is an example of how legislatures don't often think when they create legislation.
The law could have been simple. Instead, it is vague and unenforceable as written.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Where Have I Been?!
Those of you who stop by this site every now and then, both of you, might just be wondering why I haven't posted since April 18th. It certainly isn't because nothing has been going on in the world, rather it is due to the fact that I have been wandering the wilds of Wisconsin. Oh, and catching a game at Wrigley Field.
From time to time, I have to travel for work and the past week has been one such occasion. While in Wisconsin, I spent time in the wonderful city of Racine discussing ways to inspire young people to vote in next year's elections (primary and general). I was able to meet with a number of exciting individuals who work for some remarkable organizations. The work was very rewarding and I came away from the get together with a tremendous amount of energy and ready to get back to work.
That said, I love Wisconsin. I don't know that I ever want to live there, the winters are too harsh, the springs (even the 40 degree raining springs) are beautiful.
Of course...Chicago is pretty cool too.
From time to time, I have to travel for work and the past week has been one such occasion. While in Wisconsin, I spent time in the wonderful city of Racine discussing ways to inspire young people to vote in next year's elections (primary and general). I was able to meet with a number of exciting individuals who work for some remarkable organizations. The work was very rewarding and I came away from the get together with a tremendous amount of energy and ready to get back to work.
That said, I love Wisconsin. I don't know that I ever want to live there, the winters are too harsh, the springs (even the 40 degree raining springs) are beautiful.
Of course...Chicago is pretty cool too.
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