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  • Some TV Highlights of 2017

    Here it is. As usual, my personal TV Highlights of 2017 is not really a best/worst list and, as noted in previous years, it doesn’t help that I’ve really cut back on tv viewing (shocking, I know; I’ve gotten behind on everything). I still don’t have Showtime or HBO (so no to the return of “Twin Peaks” – and I was rather sorry to not get to see the weirdness of the return of “Twin Peaks” – and no to “Game of Thrones” ).  And I have not pursued streaming tv  (so, still no to any of Marvel’s streaming stuff, or “The Handmaid’s Tale”). But, I managed to catch “Star Trek: Discovery” via a friend.  So maybe I’m not totally hopeless? Anyway, consider the following, which is in no particular order. Extra long post ahead!

    Elementary (CBS) / Sherlock (BBC/PBS) – Holmes and Watson, no matter their incarnation, continue to suck me in. CBS or the BBC/PBS versions remain perplexing (as in, what are you doing to these characters?), but watchable.

    Legion (FX) – Weird but incredible. Fun watch and the season finale left me wanting more (especially because the cliffhanger was super weird). Sublimely ridiculous, visually astounding. Dan Stevens, the ex-Matthew of Downton Abbey, was compelling as David and how David’s conflict with mental illness, romance, and reality can be – well – mindblowing.

    The Vietnam War by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (PBS) – I still have to plow through all of it, but I was especially moved by the last episode.

    Star Trek: Discovery (All-Access CBS)

    I’m still taking the stand to not subscribe to All-Access CBS, and wound up watching ST: D with a friend, who did subscribe. Sonequa Martin-Green, who plays Michael Burnham, the alleged first Starfleet mutineer, has been a great actress to watch (I say “alleged” regarding Burnham’s status as the first mutineer because I still don’t believe that she could or should be the first – maybe she was the first one who was so baldly mutineering?).

    But, as NPR’s critic Eric Deggans noted in NPR’s 2017 favorite television year in review, the enigma of ST:D is Jason Isaacs’s Capt. Gabriel Lorca (Deggans observed, “But the real wild card is Jason Isaacs’s Gabriel Lorca, Starfleet’s most ruthless captain, whose actions constantly raise the question: If you give up your values to win a war, is the victory worth it?”).

    Really, Lorca is the weirdo Starfleet captain, in a show that was supposedly using a non-captain like Burnham to be the primary point of view character. Lorca’s fate is going to be curious; when you’re violating Starfleet’s ethics or going right at the edge of those standards of ethics, in the name of protecting the Federation, can you ever be redeemed or come back from the darkness? Hard to say, and it’s curious to ask if Lorca is the “good” captain (however we define it), as opposed to Captain Philippa Georgiou (played by Michelle Yeoh), who – by merit of her dialog and the sheer charisma of Yeoh, seemed to be the clearer good Starfleet captain.

    The Klingons haven’t interested me (I’ve yet to find the portrayal of Klingons to be that compelling, beyond the characters of Worf, Keylehr, Martok, and B’elanna Torres). And, I would really hate it if a certain Starfleet character turns out to be a Klingon in disguise. Well, we’ll see how the rest of this season of ST:D will go.

    Endeavour (PBS) – Under the Masterpiece Mystery umbrella, this series is what’s left of the universe of Inspector Morse, as the prequel to the Inspector Morse series and its spinoff, Inspector Lewis. This season, Endeavour continues – in a darker way – its exploration of Morse as a young man in 1960s England, solving crimes and pursuing a bitter path to becoming the inspector that he will one day become.

    Late Night TV – Late Night with Stephen Colbert (CBS) and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) are my main go-to’s for late night satire. I’d check in for John Oliver on YouTube/other outlets. Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) has had some key 2017 moments.

    The Oscars (ABC) – Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Oscars this year. That odd error of giving La La Land the Best Picture Award and then correcting it to give the award to Moonlight was the priceless live tv moment for me, as noted on this blog.

    Adventure Time (Cartoon Network) – Finn the Human and Jake the Dog are still on a journey.

    Duck Tales (Disney) – The series is back, but in a 21st century way. I watched maybe two episodes, the first one and something else. It was strange to hear actor David Tennant’s voice as Uncle Scrooge McDuck (the voice – while genuinely Scottish, didn’t quite have that gruff old man charm, and when I think of the old tv series voice actor, Alan Young, who did Scrooge McDuck for a real long time (I didn’t even realize that he was once Wilbur to Mr. Ed on tv).

    Doctor Who (BBC / BBC America) – There’s going to have to be a separate post to address how the Doctor had a very good season in 2017. NPR’s review, by Eric Deggans, of the Christmas episode has spoilers. There will be time enough for Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor, the 1st woman as the Doctor (meanwhile, you can always watch her in that 1st season of “Broadchurch,” – in my mind, still the best season of that series, but that may be just me). But, I generally agreed that we can appreciate this final moment of actor Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor. Capaldi earned it, with his acting out the trajectory of the 12th Doctor and making the viewer feel, not just watch, the 12th Doctor’s journey. He made us appreciate what kindness really means. Thanks, Capaldi. Looking forward to seeing what you’ll do next!

    The era of “#me too” involved seeing all kinds of people get their comeuppance for sexual harassment/sexual assault, and at the substantive level, we’ll see how this may be a cultural shift. But, considering how it affects television, this has created a different television landscape – at least, no Mark Halperin, no Charlie Rose, no Matt Lauer, and even no Tavis Smiley. At the very superficial level, this has felt really strange to me, since I used to watch a lot of Charlie Ross, and well, so that goes.

    Seeing Washington Week (PBS) without Gwen Ifill on the series also made for an odd 2017 in tv for me. Her passing away left such a gap; I kept wondering what she would have thought or said about the craziness that was 2017.

    Saturday Night Live (NBC) was uneven as ever in 2017 (this is a perennial complaint or issue with SNL), but the segments of Weekend Update have been fun for seeing whether Colin Jost and Michael Che would hit the ball out of the park with their lines and zingers.

    The Great British Baking Show (BBC / PBS) – The show will have changes (or already has, since its latest season already aired in Britain), since it left BBC. But, what looked like its last BBC season aired on PBS, and it was entertaining and relaxing to me.

    Dancing with the Stars (ABC) – The show is just fun. I’m not looking for much when I watch it. I will also never understand the show’s music selection for some dances, but I suppose that’s part of its charm? Oh well.

    Honorable mentions: Victoria (under the Masterpiece umbrella on PBS); Blackish (ABC); Fresh off the Boat (ABC); and We Bare Bears (Cartoon Network).

  • Pantone

    Pantone Color of the Year for 2018 is NYU Ultra Violet!
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  • October as the Odd Month

    It’s been an unseasonably warm October. The headlines haven’t been great, and I keep wondering what’s the one bright spot out there.

    Well, okay, the World Series is on – Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Houston Astros. It’s strange to even think of that, since I keep thinking of the Astros as a National League team, but oh, hey, maybe Astros can pull something off for their town (they beat the Yankees to get here, and who had the Yankees in the playoffs this year anyway?). Then again, the Dodgers have been great, so… we’ll see.

    The other strange bright spot – Alma Mater football team beat Dartmouth at homecoming this past weekend. Alma Mater football team hasn’t lost so far at all – a record of 6-0, with the 3-0 in the Ivy League. Sole possession of first place in the league? We haven’t seen this kind of winning season since 1996? Wow. I usually don’t follow college football, except to see how Alma Mater pulls it off, and this is impressive.

    Who would have imagined that the Alma Mater football team would be the winning in town, other than the Yankees? This past Sunday, in the dead tree newspaper, I came across how the NY Daily News even did a two-page article about the Columbia football team – and it’s not about how they’re perennial losers for once.

    The passing of actor Robert Guillaume. I remembered watching the show “Benson” (watching when I was probably too young to watch – but wasn’t it arguably family viewing anyway?), and laughing over his great, witty acting.

    Plus, Guillaume was a pioneer as a black actor who won Emmy awards, as well as Emmy and Tony nominations. His character Benson was more than wisecracks – he was the man who was smarter than everyone and had great arc – rising from a former butler to lieutenant governor – and that unforgettable series finale – the cliffhanger of who won that election for governor was left hanging, but for ABC’s ending the series (I like to think that Benson won, but we’ll never know!). I didn’t fully appreciate “Sports Night” (although that was a great Aaron Sorkin show, pre-West Wing), but Guillaume had quite a career. He’ll be missed.

  • Don’t Back Down

    After it occurred on the night of Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, the tragic Las Vegas shooting causes us as Americans to share our thoughts and prayers, at a time when we have thoughts and prayers for the natural disasters, and our sad state of political affairs and racial divide – at a time when we wonder where are and what are our moral values.

    How strange that we look to our late night tv show hosts for hope and inspiration, and articulation of substance. Stephen Colbert’s right – no one will knock thoughts and prayers. But “Think about what you need to do, and then pray for the courage to do it.” – Stephen Colbert. Pray for the will to do more indeed.

    Meanwhile, the passing of Tom Petty has been confirmed. This one also came to my mind – the moment during the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, when Tom Petty and just about everyone did “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” for George Harrison. Of course, that Prince solo – that was just amazing. I’ll embed the video below. Notably, here at triscribe, FC had shared the link to that same video as the soundtrack of the day when Prince had passed away last year. I like to think that Tom Petty is joining Prince and a whole bunch of other musicians – George Harrison and John Lennon, and all of the caboodle – in making sweet music.

     

    I suppose we all have our favorite song from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I remembered listening to “I Won’t Back Down” (okay, and “Free Fallin’“) a lot back in college, which arguably was the last time that I really listened to music (I’m not much of a music person as it is). “I Won’t Back Down,” wasn’t even a song from the 1990s, but it got me in a mood. Actually, come to think of it, a lot of music from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers got me into moods. I was reminded that the song even got a lot of play back around the time of Sept. 11, 2001, when we probably needed it.

    I hope Petty got to know that his music did/does something for us, especially on a day of horror in Las Vegas – don’t back down, people. Don’t give up and do something right.

  • Taking a Moment to Pause and Reflect 2017

    Try to remember the kind of September

    When life was slow and oh, so mellow.

    Try to remember the kind of September

    When grass was green and grain was yellow.

    -“Try to Remember,” from The Fantasticks.

    Earlier tonight, I walked over to the Brooklyn Promenade after work, to make sure to see the Tribute in Light. I feel sadness, and I reflect where we were then, and where we are now. I wonder.

    Here’s a link to Gothamist’s post today on the Tribute in Light. Gothamist also posted images of the Oculus’ retractable roof opening at 8:46am, and allowing a beam of light at 10:28am, on September 11, 2017.

    Above that photo I had taken some years ago at the Brooklyn Promenade.
    I had also taken this photo a couple of years ago at the Brooklyn Promenade.
    I took this one on Sept. 10, 2012, via my old phone.
    Photo that I took on Sept. 10, 2012, via my old phone.

    Also, please do check out the previous post of 2016, to access the links to earlier posts here on triscribe on this day.

    — ssw15

    (cross-posted at sswslitinmotion.tumblr.com)

  • Summer is Just Flying By Edition

    Where has the summer gone?  I barely got to see much movies, and read enough books!

    I know that this sounds strange, but to this day, when summer winds down and we get closer to Labor Day, I start thinking about Jerry Lewis and the MDA telethon.  Ironically, Jerry Lewis passed away on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017. I’m reminded that he was more than just a comedian but also an entertainer, filmmaker, and philanthropist who made an impact. The obituary over at Entertainment Weekly by Chris Nashawaty highlighted Jerry Lewis’s film innovations, in addition to his comedy work, MDA work, and his time with Dean Martin as an entertainment duo.

    So, time flies, and we keep moving on. Remember the past, but look to the future – even if the present is a whole load of mess.  Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath over Houston, TX, reminded me of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy – and maybe we haven’t learned much?  NY1’s Bob Hardt raised a good point – you could donate your petty cash, “or you start calling your elected officials and make a real plea for something to get done. Cry all you want when you see something sad on your television this week but save some more tears for our friends in Washington D.C.”

    Maybe it’s high time we develop real policies – but then again, we have a current presidential administration that had our country pulling out of an agreement that was trying to aim for global cooperation against climate change.

    Oh, and Bob Hardt raised a good point in his post about being wary about the American Red Cross. Look, it’s not like I don’t respect the better parts of the American Red Cross’s history, or the successful work it has done or even its good intentions. But, there’s a reason why NPR suggested donating blood but not money to them, per their post on resources to help – the American Red Cross doesn’t know what money will actually go to Harvey relief, according to NPR’s report. So, just consider where your money is going (which, honestly, the American Red Cross has to do a better job themselves about where they put our money).

    Anyway, I’ll link to the Texas Bar info on free legal help and other resources. New York State Bar Association has a webpage up to assist with efforts, as does the ABA. More from the ABA Journal.

    The summer has been weird, as it is, with human tragedy on the one end of the scale, and the “oh, so this is like a stupid tv show?” on the other end with the shenanigans of the current president (I won’t detail that here; you can catch that elsewhere).  But, I’ll share this bright item from ex-Vice President Joe Biden, from earlier this week, when the country was as embroiled as ever on the divisiveness of white supremacists (the very kind of people you’d think we’re all against, despite their having free speech rights), while seeing what would happen with Hurricane Harvey:

    You, me, and the citizens of this country carry a special burden in 2017. We have to do what our president has not. We have to uphold America’s values. We have to do what he will not. We have to defend our Constitution. We have to remember our kids are watching. We have to show the world America is still a beacon of light.

    Perhaps we’ll finally realize that we have to work together for that more perfect union? We do live in interesting times, but that’s surely always has been the case.

    Perhaps I’ll catch up to more blogging as the summer reaches its official end. We shall see!

     

     

  • Happy Independence Day 2017!

    Happy 241st Birthday, America.

    Bear in mind: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” and in the end, when the Founding Fathers declared at the end of the document: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” They were about to do something dangerous, and they knew it. The experiment continues, 241 years later. It hasn’t been easy, but don’t give up.

    And, so NPR did its annual reading of the Declaration of Independence. Yes, it was the Founding Fathers’ airing of grievances against the King of England, but it was more than that – it was about creating a nation – imperfect, but paving a way for revolution.

    Amid the celebrations, take a moment to reflect on the meaning of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” and don’t forget that the Constitution does say we’re “to form a more perfect union.” I was listening to Brian Lehrer’s show on WNYC the other day and he made an interesting point about America’s birthday: like any birthday, acknowledge it, warts and all, and hope (and work) for better. (btw, I’ll link to the Brian Lehrer show segment – it was interesting to hear listeners call in to say how they felt about being American).

    Lots of cool things happened on 7/4. Weirdly: both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4.

    July 4, 1827 is also Emancipation Day for NYS, as the day that slavery was finally abolished in NYS.

    July 4, 2017, is also the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal, which transformed NYS and NYC (see here for a WNYC item on this).

    July 4, 2017, is also the 20th anniversary since Pathfinder made it to Mars.

    Well, at least I’m trying to be on the bright side on this holiday.  You should too!

  • What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law

    A U.S. constitutional law podcast by UC Davis Law Prof. Elizabeth Joh and 99% Invisible’s Roman Mars – well done! trumpconlaw.com
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  • MUNCHIES: The Podcast Gets Smoked Out in Toronto

    Toronto Jamaican Chinese pitmaster and his 90 year old grandma on making ham choy kau yuk – braised pork and pickled mustard greens. http://ift.tt/2qjr5Qd
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  • A Brief Guide to Fan Tuan, the Delicious Rice Rolls of Taiwan

    Taiwanese Fan Tuan – Chinese jung/Japanese rice ball/burrito mashup.
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