Author: ssw15

Slate.com’s new ad commentator, Seth Stevenson, presents a hilarious review of the ad for “Levitra” (a Viagra competitor). He’s different from Slate.com’s previous ad commentator, Rob Walker – Stevenson’s quite sharply funny (with fine tuned opinion-making), while Walker was more analytical and less ha-ha funny (but still witty and critical).

David Bianculli, tv critic of Daily News, the NY hometown paper, did his year-end list. I wouldn’t exactly put out a list, as I would have trouble ranking things. But, I’d note a couple of things.

ABC:
I’m still hoping ABC will improve its outlook (having long been my old favorite network), but it’s a slow climb to travel up the ratings.

– I agree that “Alias” is still strong – although it’s not as fun without Lena Olin as Secret Agent Sydney’s Evil Spy Mom, I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing Isabella Rossellini as Sydney’s Evil Spy Aunt (yet another European actress of a certain age making a shot at American television) – should be good viewing for 2004.

– “Karen Sisco” – will ABC put it back on? It had such potential, but, I kept wanting… more. Too bad actor Gary Cole only had a few episodes in the show – he was fascinating as Karen’s counterpoint.

– I’m pleasantly surprised that “8 Simple Rules…” has continued to do all right so far. Not bad. I still miss John Ritter as an actor, but good to see that his okay show is on.

– “Threat Matrix” is still on? Wow. I still don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.

WB and WB-related stuff:
– “Buffy” is sorely missed, even as it ended its run on UPN. But, “Angel” during the last quarter of 2003 has been amazingly picking up the slack in the Buffy universe/timeline. I didn’t quite like how the previous season of “Angel” ended back in May, but it has been solid so far in this television season. Let’s see who is the Big Bad Villain really is in 2004.

– “Everwood” on WB is good viewing, even in reruns. But, I wouldn’t get too excited about the WB otherwise; I’m not sure what to make of the so-called angst on the “One Tree Hill” (only knowing what I see when I see commercials and channel-change). Oh, and let’s not forget that 2003 said “so long” to “Dawson’s Creek.” It was a strangely moving series finale – satisfying, in an unfair way (for instance, did Kevin Williamson really have to do in Jen? But, ah, nice way of making Pacey and his brother settle down and making Dawson move on with his life (the Dawson storyline was the only thing predictable)). Anyway, the Dawson crew have moved on; so have we.

CBS:
Fall 2003 introduced us to “Joan of Arcadia” – and I’m still very impressed about it. It’s almost making me like CBS again (otherwise, I get so tired of being jerked around by the “huh?” plotlines of “The Guardian” and the “Good grief” plotlines of “JAG” and “Judging Amy” and tended to avoid the sitcoms, except maybe “Raymond” – and I have yet to forgive CBS for cancelling an old favorite show from long ago). “Survivor” still rules, apparently. Whether I like the rest of reality tv is a different story.

Cable:
I agree with Bianculli about “Monk” – it’s a fun, light show. A further plug for cable – I enjoyed much of the “MI-5” series on A&E (thanks to my sis for the cable access), a Brit-imported series about Britain’s counter-espionage agency. You never know who’s going to die in that show, unlike most American shows.

NBC:
I will miss “Boomtown.” Not an easy show to grasp, with its weird storytelling, but a creative tout-de-force nonetheless, even if NBC tried to make it simpler. I caught a bit of the episode yesterday (regrettably missing the marathon on Saturday – shame on me!), as NBC burns out what’s left of the first-run episodes – Neil McDonough as David McNorris, the deputy DA of LA – such a good tv actor. Can’t believe it’s time to say goodbye to “Friends” in 2004; and will we really say goodbye to “Frasier”?

FOX: “Arrested Development” is a strangely interesting. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are… well, my brothers like “A Simple Life.” ‘Nuff said, I guess. “World Idol” has been a fun holiday thing, even if not very holiday-relevant. “American Idol” is what it is.

It has been quite a year for tv news – but, news junkies already know that. 2004 won’t end the media mayhem, but we should be hopeful for more positive news. Maybe.

I’ll say it now, while I can – Happy New Year! See you in 2004.

The Explainer on Slate.com notes, “Which Movie Critics Really Matter?” to help us figure out which year’s end award to take seriously (I still wouldn’t take the Golden Globes that seriously, but it’s fun to watch on tv).

Consider the following: Some weeks ago, I noticed that the TD Waterhouse commercials no longer had the actor Steven Hill on as the spokesman. Hill, for those not in the know, was the DA Adam Schiff on “Law and Order” (the original incarnation); he was also the original team leader of “Mission Impossible” (but, really, I think “Jim” was the team leader best remembered). Hill played his spokesman role as the crotchedy old guy who made you feel stupid for not saving your money. Then, lo and behold, instead of the old guy, TD Waterhouse has… Sam Waterston? The Deputy DA of “Law and Order” – Mr. McCoy?! (no, not the Star Trek chief medical officer). I was thinking, geez, what’s with TD Waterhouse and “Law and Order”? And, here’s the Slate.com with an interesting analysis, on what TD Waterhouse is doing with the “Law and Order” folks. It is too funny.

(By coincidence, I’m currently watching Sam Waterston on “Much Ado About Nothing” on Channel 25 (NYC’s alternate PBS selection); it’s a television filming of his work from the 1970’s or early ’80’s of a Shakespeare play he did in NYC where made his first claim to fame. Waterston is such a good actor – from “I’ll Fly Away” to “Law and Order” and… TD Waterhouse commercials). Maybe TD Waterhouse like the alliteration they had in common with Waterston.

The comic strip “Stone Soup” (profiling the life of the Stone family) has a funny spin on reflecting and regretting the year’s end. As Grandma Stone says, “What’s DONE is DONE! What will be will be. You all THINK too much! You’re just wallowing in pointless angst. Enjoy the dang sunset…” Yeah, but don’t we like our angst because it makes us think we’re such deep folks? Funny thought – Grandma is right, really.

Finally saw the third movie of the “Lord of the Rings” today. Great movie. Great acting. Sean Astin ought to be nominated Best Supporting actor for his role; I’m not just saying that because his character was good, but because his acting was so strong. He stood out. Viggo Mortenson as Aragorn was also great. I can only say “great” so many times, but it was such a rich movie, despite some plot holes (then again, I have yet to read the books, and I probably should); suspension of belief makes one accept anything so long as the acting itself is believable.

Such a great movie; worth the money and time to see it.

NY Times’ Quotation of the Day of December 25, 2003:

“I understand. It’s not the same kind of world it once was. I think everybody understands that.”
– ROANNA GLYNN, a Los Angeles schoolteacher who was supposed to fly from Los Angeles to Paris, but her flight was canceled.

Yes, our world is what it is, and not what it once was.

Jason Mraz’s “The Remedy” is quite a song. Nice to hear it while I’m doing this particular post. “It amounts to nothing in the end… I won’t worry my life away…” A motto we should all have in an age where it could seem too easy to panic and surrender. Yes, Ms. Glynn, we do need understanding and a whole lot of it.

Whether you’re for death penalty or against it, the Washington D.C. Sniper cases have to give one some pause for thought about the death penalty issue. Consider the NY Times’ “Penalty for Young Sniper Could Spur Change in Law.”

Brent Staples’ editorial in the NY Times has an interesting view of the relevation about Strom Thurmond’s long-secret daughter. I’ve been following the various articles about it on Slate.com and the Washington Post online, and I haven’t been entirely satisfied by the coverage, since the situation seems so very complicated to me – yes, there is the big picture of how we view race and class relations in America, but there are also the very human elements behind the revelation – Essie Mae Washington-Williams had to deal with her own story for all these years; her father’s views about the past may never be known, since he has passed away and left it to historians to figure out what is his legacy; and the rest of his family – their opinions (for there probably is more than one opinion about it) are still unfolding. To me, Staples’ editorial somewhat captured the complications; indeed, I think Ms. Washington-Williams’ story is rich in depth for what it means for so many.

Enjoy the post-Christmas shopping; I know I will…

Try this link for the “Yule Log,” and enjoy a tradition with a 21st Century twist as you open the gifts… Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Peace be with you.

Interesting NY Times articles, law-related and otherwise:

Lenny Bruce, comedian arrested and convicted in 1964 for using obscene language in his stand-up, received a posthumous pardon by Governor Pataki, a first in NY. Considering that much of that kind of language is in stand-up these days, the pardon was probably long in coming. But, what is the precedential value of this, I wonder?

Selection of judges in NY is problematic…

China is a haven for those trying to leave the conditions of North Korea – but it’s not a simple situation, according to Nicholas Kristof.

Christmas poetry: former poet laureate Robert Pinsky presents Thomas Hardy’s “The Oxen” on Slate.com. I like the imagery of the poem.

Christmas music: PBS in NYC is showing “Andrea Bocelli: Sacred Arias.” The tenor has such a nice voice. He’s a former attorney, whose biography indicated that his time as a law student was “fondly recalled as a highly enjoyable period in his life.” Uh, sure. 😉 Either way, listening to a voice like this singing sacred music is very nice.

“The Nutcracker” is on PBS and and other networks, in a wide variety of versions. Watch one of them and you’ll feel good. Really. Or at least watch something with holiday-relevance, if you haven’t already.

Merry Christmas, everybody!!! Happy Chanukah!!! Happy Holidays!!!

US News and World Report has an interesting article on the presidential candidates from Yale University. It’s a fascinating article. Is there any precedence about so many candidates from one undergraduate school, having attended during the same decade? And, there’s always a good backstory about that – for example, I remember watching, about a year or more ago, this interview that Ted Koppel had with Garry Trudeau, the Yale alumnus/Doonesbury cartoonist; one question was about whether he (Trudeau) recalled George W. Bush at Yale. The answer was along the lines of, “Yeah, I remember that he was a nice, fun guy during the inter-fraternity meetings. He selected good beer. Pretty much it.” At least it can be said that Yale must have been quite a place for the undergrads back in the ’60’s, I daresay. (Disclaimer – Yale’s not my alma mater; heavens knows, I’m not silly enough to pick on Yale, since it’s not like my school produces presidents or even candidates for higher office – not the undergraduate schools anyway; the law school produces candidates of an assorted variety, including one named George Pataki, a Yale undergrad alumnus who became the governor of my home state).

Slate.com’s “Ad Report Card” evaluates the Miller beer ad – the one where people are falling like dominoes before the guy at the end avoids falling down and orders his Miller beer. It’s supposed to be an ad where you salute the guy for his having free will and not falling down like an idiot. The Slate.com’s writer’s concluded that it was a decent ad. I see it as silly; then again, I’m too busy still cracking up on the Sprint/Pillsbury doughboy ad. Recall my previous post about this and other fine Sprint ads.

On a more belated observation, check out John Dean’s latest diatribe on the state of Congressional affairs on Findlaw.com. His critique of Congress’ passing the buck on voting on the appropriations bills is a very persuasive argument that the Republican party’s majority is not quite looking out for the public good and that Congress in general isn’t quite doing a superb job as per the Constitution’s own language. Dean is apparently an independent, neither Republican nor Democrat and so he would critique both parties. But, lately, he has been very critical of the Republicans, particularly the Bush administration. He’s now an investment banker, but still talks and writes like a lawyer (I wonder why he no longer practices, but my understanding is that he did minimal prison time for his part in Watergate; that may have put a crimp on his legal career). Dean has a sharp analysis in this article – rather good reading. I had no idea that this was going on in Congress and it sounded rather disturbing.

Three days before Christmas…

Time magazine named the Person of the Year. Now I know no one’s going to believe me as I say this on-line after the fact, but I swear, a couple of days ago, I was telling my family that I think that the U.S. military ought to have be named the people of the year. Like most people, I have certain views of the George W. Bush administration, but I also felt that no matter how one felt about the war in Iraq and how things were going in Afghanistan, one should salute the military for the work done, the fears faced, and the courage and duty with which the troops are continuing to follow through. Of course, I didn’t think Time magazine would really do what I thought should be done. My predictions are never that good (tv shows I like get cancelled; re: 2000 elections; etc).

But, lo and behold – Time did it – the magazine named “The American Soldier” as person of the year. It’s not about one person, man or woman; it’s not about which division or what; or about even in one achievement. Congratulations to the troops; they did so much during the recent years and the work isn’t over yet. Looking forward to the issue in my mailbox.

I got the latest ABA E-Journal and found myself reading the latest The Rodent column. Now, I know he’s supposed to be humorous and sometimes he is funny. He’s more like smile-funny rather than laugh-out-loud funny, with his out-takes on the law profession and how screwy it is. The latest column is no exception. His column photograph is the weirdest thing for me, though. Despite being called “The Rodent” (no doubt meaning to evoke the negative stereotype of the law profession), his “photo” is not of the weasel-like form. No, it’s of a sweet looking, fuzzy head (mouse? chinchilla? definitely not chipmunk) atop of a decent looking suit. Huh? Stereotype bent over backwards – the Rodent not trying to chew you out of hearth and home; he’s your kid’s lovable cartoon figure. Gee whiz, had the column been by The Shark, would we have had little Nemo’s head stuck on?

Ooh, the big Entertainment Weekly Special Double Issue/Year Ender! This is going to be fun to flip through!

Bill Moyer’s Now news magazine on PBS is an enjoyable, informative show. Last week’s interview was with NYS’ Attorney General Elliot Spitzer; this week was a fascinating couple of minutes with former Governor Angus King of Maine (a fierce independent, he told the interviewer that the best time he had was antagonizing both parties; a man who spent his adult years in Maine, he accepts the ribbing about not being a native Mainer with good humor). I like watching the series; it has such a Bill Moyers flavor, gentle but not without toughness. There is an unveiled liberal sense to it, from the way he criticizes big businesses and brings in stories that mainstream media wouldn’t really spend much time on (Moyers was once a member of the Lyndon B. Johnson White House, which may explain the liberal feelings; and, as a longtime news veteran, Moyers knows what the mainstream media isn’t telling us). “Now” has a pretty interesting website too.

This week’s Time magazine was good subway reading. Coverage and analysis of Saddam Hussein’s capture. Coverage and analysis of the latest Afghanistan problems. Coverage and analysis of Howard Dean/Al Gore. Commentary on the early, non-canonical Christian gospels. Pictures of the year. Good stuff. I’m making my guesses about the person of the year, but I’m sure we’ll all be surprised. Maybe.

Slate.com has some good postings: “Do Muslims and Christians worship the Same God?” , which made a lot more sense than the mouths of the politically incorrect/ignorant. Michael Kinsley discusses “the politics of mixed emotions”, wherein Kinsley examines the dilemma of politicians, when they’re not the folks to demonstrate nuanced reactions even if they do feel less than proud about a given situation.