Month: November 2008

More Stuff in November

“Hawaii v. Illinois” – the battle for Barack Obama as a favorite son. Can’t we all just get along?

Actually, that headline looked like a college football or college basketball game.

When the economy tanks, Spam and similar canned meat or meat substitute make a comeback.

Time Magazine’s Joel Stein wants his readers’ help in naming his and his wife’s upcoming baby. Hilarious reading.

“Fringe” on FOX has still managed to entertain me, even if it isn’t exactly great tv. I think it’s because the cast is amusing, so there’s much room to improve (as opposed to “Heroes,” which doesn’t seem to want to listen to my advice about focusing on a core of characters rather than becoming a sprawling thing). Anyway, so on “Fringe”: this week’s episode, the boss, Broyles, is all-business but for the creepy-crazy situation about his friend’s heart being engulfed by a Venus-flytrap looking parasite (umm, eeewww!), and Broyles was amusingly confused by crazy mad-scientist Dr. Walter Bishop (Broyles, didn’t you know Dr. Bishop’s a weirdo?).

Peter, Dr. Bishop’s bright and sort-of-sane son, is still coming to terms that his father experimented on him and that they’re working with the government on weird shit (no kidding, ex-Pacey of “Dawson’s Creek”).

Agent Olivia Dunham meets up with an ex-boyfriend (who so far seems honorable – maybe he’ll sort of die in the next couple of episodes and also turn out to be a traitor), and she’s still confused by the Conspiracy, for which Broyles tells her “You want answers? You’re not going to get them anytime soon!”

Hmm. This really does feel like “X-Files”/”Alias”/”Lost” redux here, but it’s forgiveable, because Walter’s a sick combination of crazy and sweet. (“Do you have a mint?”).

“Law & Order” – also entertaining, mainly because I’m turning into a sucker for good-looking men on the show (I guess I really am that shallow). Detectives Lupo and Bernard have to deal with a mentally-challenged witness to a murder. Lupo was so kind – he’s growing on me as a cute charmer (hmm, and he seems to be still taking his night classes at Alma Mater Law School? Thumbs up!). Exec. ADA Michael Cutter takes on a challenge to bluff the parents of the witness – a little twisted, but apparently DA Jack McCoy approves because that’s the kind of crazy tactic he’d take.

Bond, James Bond, is back, but various critics seem to want him to be a bit witter or amusing. Hmm. Maybe it is time to go campy again? I haven’t seen it yet, but it is on my must-watch list.

A strangely entertaining short film that I found on YouTube:

Post-Election Day Stuff and Veterans’ Day As Is

We can hope, America, as Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne says.

Frank Wu, law professor and former Wayne State University Law School dean and writer (author of “Yellow: Race in American Beyond Black and White,”) on parental expectations and how they affect a career – particularly fascinating from the APA perspective. I thought it was funny that he started that article with, “My mother is still hoping I’ll go to medical school.” (I certainly empathized with his point about how his parents weren’t thrilled about his wanting to be a writer; it’s tough, really).

“Law & Order” is back – yeah! So glad we didn’t have to wait until January for it! Last week’s season premiere had the usual twisty legal knots to untie (DA McCoy decides that an anti-terrorism law can be used to charge vigilantes for their acts of murder, manslaughter, and assault, since – arguably – their actions of taking the law unto themselves threatened the legal system); tough investigation (umm, jeez, Detectives, can’t you do a slightly better job than that?). Exec. ADA Cutter disagrees with McCoy’s legal theory, but pulls off a pretty darn good closing argument; and yeah, he’s pretty still hot as ever (uh, yeah, continuing my crushes on British actors playing Americans, of course). The episode ends with some nifty plea bargaining and someone from the media at the press conference asking McCoy if he’s joining the Obama administration… (yeah, some last minute editing obviously threw that in!). Speaking as someone who usually doesn’t watch L&O, thumbs up.

So, if Obama’s imaginary Cabinet could include McCoy, who else could be picked? Television Without Pity posted some ideas, including Donald Sutherland’s millionaire/billionaire Tripp Darling (of ABC’s “Dirty Sexy Money” for Secretary of Treasury and Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer (of FOX’s “24”) as (what else?) Secretary of Homeland Security (what? Both Sutherlands?). They also nominate James Spader’s Alan Shore (of ABC’s “Boston Legal”) as Attorney General — but, really, over Jack McCoy?! No way!

Good stuff by NY Times’ Bob Herbert, on America’s pride at making this moment in history with the historical election of President-Elect Obama.

On Time.com, Pico Iyer on meeting Obama in Hawaii two years ago and seeing the future of America.

Take a moment to think about our veterans on this Veterans’ Day and salute their service and that we as a country can serve them better too.

We Do Live in Interesting Times – Yes, We Can!

It’s for real now: President-Elect Barack Obama.

NY Times’ Thomas Friedman on the moment of history that we’re in, dating back to the Civil War era.

NY Times’ Bob Herbert on how it’s nice that there’s history, but there’s a boat load of work to do to engage with this “fierce urgency of now.”

Obama’s speech – it was awe-inspiring; realistic; humble; and optimistic. It reminded me why I ended up being a supporter since the primaries. This is what I voted for. But, yeah – let’s be realistic – the hard part of governing’s coming.

But, it was a moment of living in history, as Newsweek’s Anna Quindlen notes. Cherishing and honoring the legacy of the work of those before us and acknowledging the collective strength of organization – community organizing does work. The first Black President. The beginning of something, no matter what may happen.

On an amusing note: soon to be in the White House, someone from Alma Mater (which hasn’t had a US President – FDR and Teddy Roosevelt were Columbia Law dropouts and Eisenhower was a University President, never a graduate). US Presidents can’t all be Harvard and Yale people (okay, yes, Obama’s a Harvard Law alumnus, but still this is cool. Heck, Occidental College can take a claim here too!).

Slate’s John Dickerson on the fascinating lines of the Obama speech.

The hilarious Time.com live blog of the Election night results.

John McCain’s concession speech was gracious. We have to be united, even if we disagree with each other.

What will we do without the endless campaign? Well… maybe some of us ought to spit and polish our resumes…!

I changed the channel several times once I got with the election coverage at 9pm last night. Stuck with the network stuff, since I wasn’t going to touch FOX News. I miss Tim Russert. I miss Peter Jennings. Election Night wasn’t the same without Tim Russert’s good spirits and Peter Jennings’ authoritative facilitation.

But, we move on, as best we can. We can hope for the best, work for the best and see what’s next.