Month: January 2004

More snow – heavy stuff. NYC public school kids have already been told of closing! (of course, I’m still bitter about never having a snow day during my entire NYC public school life, and in high school, senior year, we had this one horrible winter when it should have been closed; ironically, schools did close, one year later…).

NY Times’ Quotation of the day for 1/27/04:

“There has been an enduring idea that one day everyone would fly in space. But now young people are saying maybe we all go into space but we go mentally, virtually, electronically — we don’t go with our bodies.” – Howard McCurdy, author of “Space and the American Imagination.”

According to the corresponding article, the excitement of the Mars rovers (who are cute little things to which people are attaching personalities and sympathies) are apparently making science/astronomy nerds out of all of us. It doesn’t hurt that NASA’s website is making it easier for people to feel the attachment – the pictures are amazing and our imagination just soars with them. Maybe something positive can come out of the Mars effort, assuming that the government and politics don’t co-opt it (perhaps wishful thinking on my part).

Okay, okay, so this is the article wherein the NY Times wonders if the cold’s making NY’ers’ brains go numb. Hmm. Makes me like the other article from yesterday, with the Icelander saying that this weather was worse than what he knew in Iceland. I just don’t like the idea of my brain going numb because of the cold weather. The idea sounds like a wacky B movie or something. Besides, malapropism is a problem that may not have anything to do with the cold weather numbing our brains; a person saying she’s “preparing for winter” when she meant “for summer” may be reflecting the thoughts deep in her mind – a Freudian slip to express one’s fondness for much warmer temperatures…

NJ Nets’ firing of head coach Byron Scott was rather stunning news. I mean, it was already unsurprising that he didn’t quite care about the possible move to Brooklyn, since he was more worried about his job security (the Nets weren’t going to make any move until 2005, and Scott, understandably, couldn’t imagine looking to that year if his team wasn’t doing so hot in 2004). But, they really terminated his employment fast.

Currently watching Nova – spooky and fascinating episode on the Mayans. An oldie but a goodie. Check it out when your PBS rebroadcasts it.

I have got to stay away from political stuff already, but – as the NY Times notes – these Vermont tapes of Dr. Dean’s gubernatorial days are fascinating for the nuance he has demonstrated in the past (but has been pressed to show these days). Then again, do voters want nuanced candidates (which Kerry sort of is, if we listen to him or check his voting record) or something else?

Right now on Mars – the little rover Opportunity has landed. This is amazing stuff.

As someone who majored in history in college, the impending release of Justice Blackmun’s papers sounds exciting to me. It also shows one pro argument to being a pack rat – you get to be adored by scholars for your treasure trove. (of course, we still have to think about the one con argument, like that guy in the news who was almost crushed by his piles of stuff; you can’t keep everything, unless you’re a Supreme Court justice with a Library of Congress to which you could donate the stuff).

Well, I’m all caught up on “Angel” now, and am eagerly awaiting for more.

According to the tv guide and the commercials, this week’s “Star Trek: Enterprise” is back on a rerun, just when I was eager for it to push on already – and it’s a rerun that I didn’t particularly like (time-traveling episodes that rely on the reset button are never my favorites). Then again, feel free to check it out; the acting was good and the writing seemed all right. I just didn’t too much for the episode’s plot.

I actually watched more of “The Apprentice” last night – NBC’s shameless attempt to get viewers on a night that they cannot plug in with a mere movie. It’s scary watching office politics play out as a “reality gameshow” – eww. But, it’s hard to resist, much like most of reality gameshows. I need something else to do on Saturday nights, evidentally.

“Monk” on ABC – the return of Tony Shalhoub as the Defective Detective on network tv – yeah! a way to catch up on Season 2’s episodes when I lack cable at home. Good fun, even if I was able to figure out the murderer too easily. The fun is in watching Monk figure it out the mystery’s solution. The mix of drama and comedy is also solid as ever.

Guilty viewing television – “The Forsyte Saga”(Series 1) on PBS’ “Masterpiece Theatre” is engaging and addicting as a soapy/serious drama. Actor Damian Lewis (who was in “Band of Brothers”) is scary and empathetic as Soames Forsyte, a British 19th century lawyer who would do anything to stay with Irene Heron, a woman who didn’t want to be his wife and who has managed to enchant every Forsyte man.

The rest of the Forsytes, a Victorian English family making its way into respectable circles, has been no less dysfunctional. This isn’t as trashy as American soaps, but no less engrossing. I kept trying to avoid it, but avoiding hasn’t worked. Series 2 starts in February, right after PBS finishes re-broadcasting Series 1; Series 2 is where the Forsytes’ messiness in love and hate continues into the 20th century. I’d recommend it, especially if you don’t mind watching sumptuous historical pieces mixed with intense emotional stuff and classy British accents.