1. Just saw the latest Clint Eastwood movie, Gran Torino. I thought that Eastwood was excellent and his performance reminded me of John Wayne in The Shootist. If Eastwood would act his acting career with this performance it would be a great way to do it.
2. NBC is going with Jay Leno Monday-Friday at 10 pm with a talk show. The rest of the schedule will be devoted to their few hit shows and the never ending cheap programming of reality TV and game shows. I mean, come on now, do we really need more reality shows?
3. What is the big deal about American Idol? I can only name two winners, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood who have any kind of music career at all. The other one I know is Jennifer Hudson, who did not even win the stupid title. Why do people watch this crap, all it is karaoke!
4. With NBC giving up on quality tv, I have to wonder why there are so many good shows on cable. TNT has The Closer, Saving Grace, and Leverage. USA has Monk, Psych, and Burn Notice. FX has Damages. These are good quality shows with great acting performances from their star studded cast. Maybe these cable network guys should be running NBC.
5. Another thing about Clint Eastwood, look at his career. I remember in the late 70's you could not find any books about Eastwood's films. Now, almost 30 years later, tons of books and two movies that he directed as Oscar picks for Best Film. Amazing how so many people back then could not see the talent in this fine actor and director.
6. Finally, a rant about OctoMom. Why in God's name did anybody OK the medical expenses for this woman who is psychologically damage, who cannot afford to take care of her six kids let alone these new eight, yet has money for plastic surgery to make herself look like Angelina Jolie. I cannot get my health insurance to pay to remove skin tags from my back because they say it is cosmetic, yet this woman gets all these medical treatment to have eight kids. Unbelievable.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Random thoughts on TV shows
I am going to write about some thoughts I have on the current TV scene, there may be spoilers so beware.
1. Lost: I never liked Benjamin Linus, I thought he was a bad guy from the get go and wanted to see someone put him down like the dirty egg sucking dog that he is. Then we get played into thinking he may be a good guy. Now in the latest episode it is clear, BENJAMIN LINUS IS NO DAMN GOOD! He kills Locke and fakes his suicide so he can get back to the island, what a scumbag. Now, Lost creators, bring us some justice and do this guy in.
2. NCIS: This is the best season of this show since I started watching it. Every story is dead on and is clicking. I can even stand the annoying character of Tony, because this season has been so good.
3. Desperate Housewives: I was not that happy about the five year jump, I do not like Mike and Susan splitting up. Actually Susan is totally out of character this season and is unlikable. I was hoping that Bree and Orson would have a happy life together, but no, plenty of problems. And why can't Orson go back to being a dentist after he got out of prison? The only episode that I liked this season was the one about the Beau Bridges handyman character. Not only did the underrated Bridges do an excellent job of acting, but the characters that I have liked from the start of this show were back in force. That episode showed all that was missing from this five year jump shows.
4. Heroes: I am really getting bored with this show and now am convinced that the creators only had enough decent ideas for one season.
5. Ghost Whisperer: Sorry this whole Jim dies, comes back as a ghost, and now is possessing the body of a guy that crossed over when he died, it is not working. Why couldn't they just have Jim and Melinda have a kid and have things work out. We have seen from the first episode that there are beings, angels maybe, who escort the souls of newborns who die back to the hereafter. Melinda needs a big time angel backing her up. And I miss Alisha Tyler and Jay Mohr.
Oh well.
1. Lost: I never liked Benjamin Linus, I thought he was a bad guy from the get go and wanted to see someone put him down like the dirty egg sucking dog that he is. Then we get played into thinking he may be a good guy. Now in the latest episode it is clear, BENJAMIN LINUS IS NO DAMN GOOD! He kills Locke and fakes his suicide so he can get back to the island, what a scumbag. Now, Lost creators, bring us some justice and do this guy in.
2. NCIS: This is the best season of this show since I started watching it. Every story is dead on and is clicking. I can even stand the annoying character of Tony, because this season has been so good.
3. Desperate Housewives: I was not that happy about the five year jump, I do not like Mike and Susan splitting up. Actually Susan is totally out of character this season and is unlikable. I was hoping that Bree and Orson would have a happy life together, but no, plenty of problems. And why can't Orson go back to being a dentist after he got out of prison? The only episode that I liked this season was the one about the Beau Bridges handyman character. Not only did the underrated Bridges do an excellent job of acting, but the characters that I have liked from the start of this show were back in force. That episode showed all that was missing from this five year jump shows.
4. Heroes: I am really getting bored with this show and now am convinced that the creators only had enough decent ideas for one season.
5. Ghost Whisperer: Sorry this whole Jim dies, comes back as a ghost, and now is possessing the body of a guy that crossed over when he died, it is not working. Why couldn't they just have Jim and Melinda have a kid and have things work out. We have seen from the first episode that there are beings, angels maybe, who escort the souls of newborns who die back to the hereafter. Melinda needs a big time angel backing her up. And I miss Alisha Tyler and Jay Mohr.
Oh well.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Richard John Neuhaus RIP
When I was younger, I was planning on becoming a Lutheran minister in the Lutheran Church of American (LCA). I used to attend the Lay School of Theology every August which was held at Gettysburg Seminary, and there I became acquainted with the Lutheran Forum.
This was an independent publication that commented on Lutheran topics of the day. The editor was Richard John Neuhaus, who was a noted theologian and wrote quite a lively commentary. I strayed from this path and ended up going into behavioral neuroscience where I am currently gainfully employed.
In the last few years, I have re-discovered my Lutheran roots and wanted to find out what was still being published out there. Neuhaus had left the Lutheran church and joined the Roman Catholic Church where he became a priest. He also started up a new publication, First Things which was a conservative publication on religion. I was surprised in this as Neuhaus was fairly liberal expect on the abortion issue where he was pro life.
I read this statement on why he became a Roman Catholic, in his view Lutheranism was a reform movement and once said reforms where adopted by the Roman Catholic Church, Lutherans had a duty to return to the fold. Lutherans were not meant to be a new Protestant denomination. I was not very convinced by his arguments and felt that Lutherans had progressed a lot further that the Roman Catholics all for the better.
I have a subscription once again to the Lutheran Forum and in the latest issue of Forum Letter there are a number of remembrances of Neuhaus. It seems that he started out as a minister in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which is a lot more conservative than the LCA or what it is currently today, Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA). Women, unlike the ELCA, cannot be ministers in the Missouri Synod and Biblical literalism was the norm. Neuhaus rejected this and joined the LCA/ELCA.
His pro life stance on abortion was not in agreement with the ELCA, and this I think lead him to the Roman Catholic church, no Biblical literalism like the Missouri Synod, and Pro Life on abortion unlike the ELCA. A happy medium for his beliefs.
He is remembered as a noted theologian and the writer of the Naked Public Square an important book on religion and civic life.
This was an independent publication that commented on Lutheran topics of the day. The editor was Richard John Neuhaus, who was a noted theologian and wrote quite a lively commentary. I strayed from this path and ended up going into behavioral neuroscience where I am currently gainfully employed.
In the last few years, I have re-discovered my Lutheran roots and wanted to find out what was still being published out there. Neuhaus had left the Lutheran church and joined the Roman Catholic Church where he became a priest. He also started up a new publication, First Things which was a conservative publication on religion. I was surprised in this as Neuhaus was fairly liberal expect on the abortion issue where he was pro life.
I read this statement on why he became a Roman Catholic, in his view Lutheranism was a reform movement and once said reforms where adopted by the Roman Catholic Church, Lutherans had a duty to return to the fold. Lutherans were not meant to be a new Protestant denomination. I was not very convinced by his arguments and felt that Lutherans had progressed a lot further that the Roman Catholics all for the better.
I have a subscription once again to the Lutheran Forum and in the latest issue of Forum Letter there are a number of remembrances of Neuhaus. It seems that he started out as a minister in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, which is a lot more conservative than the LCA or what it is currently today, Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA). Women, unlike the ELCA, cannot be ministers in the Missouri Synod and Biblical literalism was the norm. Neuhaus rejected this and joined the LCA/ELCA.
His pro life stance on abortion was not in agreement with the ELCA, and this I think lead him to the Roman Catholic church, no Biblical literalism like the Missouri Synod, and Pro Life on abortion unlike the ELCA. A happy medium for his beliefs.
He is remembered as a noted theologian and the writer of the Naked Public Square an important book on religion and civic life.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Comic Curmudgeon
One of my favorite blogs is the Comic Curmudgeon written by Josh Fruhlinger. This is a very witty, very funny blog on the daily newspaper comic strips. Reads knows his material well and produces insights that give this comics a new perspective.
Shylock Fox, a comic for young kids, is regularly reviewed by Reads. Cassandra Cat, Reeky Rat, and Count Weirdly, Shylock's rogue gallery, can be viewed with a fresh perspective and Josh's commentary on these characters makes me laugh.
Apartment 3-G and Mary Worth are comics that I have never read, but Josh does such a perfect job lampooning them it makes me want to check them out. Pluggers is another strip that I never knew about until Josh's blog. Some of the riffs that he has done on this comic, really are classic.
Even some of the jokes that Josh regularly uses, like the old computer that writes the Archie comic strip, have made appearances in the comic. All in all this is one blog that I never miss reading.
One day, I may even make a contribution to it.
Shylock Fox, a comic for young kids, is regularly reviewed by Reads. Cassandra Cat, Reeky Rat, and Count Weirdly, Shylock's rogue gallery, can be viewed with a fresh perspective and Josh's commentary on these characters makes me laugh.
Apartment 3-G and Mary Worth are comics that I have never read, but Josh does such a perfect job lampooning them it makes me want to check them out. Pluggers is another strip that I never knew about until Josh's blog. Some of the riffs that he has done on this comic, really are classic.
Even some of the jokes that Josh regularly uses, like the old computer that writes the Archie comic strip, have made appearances in the comic. All in all this is one blog that I never miss reading.
One day, I may even make a contribution to it.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Musings of Victor, Feb 2009
The late Joe Falls, sports editor for the Detroit News, wrote a column for the Sporting News for years. Every once in the while, he would titled his column Something Musings and write out a number of random thoughts. In his honor, here is my first musings blog.
The best place for breakfast that I have been to is The Waffle Shop in State College, PA.
I always wondered why people who think gay marriage will ruin the sanctity of marriage are okay with crap like the Bachelor or Bachelorette that really makes a mockery of marriage.
And why I am thinking of gay marriage, if two people are so in love that they want to make a commitment before society, more power to them.
I am really getting tired of the winter.
I wonder at times why reality TV shows are so popular.
My favorite omelet is ham, Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms covered with mild salsa and served with crispy well done bacon.
I voted for Monsters from the Vault in the 2009 CHFB Rondo Awards for best magazine.
"Never refuse an offer that has not been made" was the only thing that I learned in four years of graduate school.
Naked News is the only news program that I actually get real news from.
Oh well.
The best place for breakfast that I have been to is The Waffle Shop in State College, PA.
I always wondered why people who think gay marriage will ruin the sanctity of marriage are okay with crap like the Bachelor or Bachelorette that really makes a mockery of marriage.
And why I am thinking of gay marriage, if two people are so in love that they want to make a commitment before society, more power to them.
I am really getting tired of the winter.
I wonder at times why reality TV shows are so popular.
My favorite omelet is ham, Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms covered with mild salsa and served with crispy well done bacon.
I voted for Monsters from the Vault in the 2009 CHFB Rondo Awards for best magazine.
"Never refuse an offer that has not been made" was the only thing that I learned in four years of graduate school.
Naked News is the only news program that I actually get real news from.
Oh well.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Oscars 2009
I used to watching the multi-hour Oscar presentations, but they are so dragged out and so many damn commercials, that I gave up. Now I just go to CNN at 11 pm and see who won. I usually make predictions, this year I entered a contest at Entertainment Weekly to win a 44 inch plasma HD tv. Needless to say, no tv is coming to my home.
So hear are my picks, let's start with the ones I got right.
Best Actress: Kate Winslet in The Reader. I had a good feeling that this was Winslet's year, one of our best actresses who has given a ton of great performances. I did not see anybody else who was nominated that I thought would beat her.
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. This was a no brainer, momentum has been building for a while that he would win, combined with the backlash that The Dark Knight was not nominated for Best Picture, it was an easy call.
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelonia. Woody Allen has a great track record in his films for getting Oscar winning performances out of his players. Michael Caine, Diane Wiest, Mia Scorvino, they have all won Oscars in Allen films. Cruz had been getting a lot of positive feedback on her performance and had the momentum going into this, plus a field where Streep and Tomi already had Oscar wins (Tomi will continue to get nominated and lose to make up for winning it for My Cousin Vinny) and the rest will have other opportunities.
Animated Feature: Wall-E. Some folk thought that this should have been a best picture pick, I thought it was very good, and Kung Fu Panda was also very good. This has been a great category as there are so many strong animated features out there, and I saw 2 out of the 3 nominated movies while I only saw one of the Best Picture nominees.
Now for the ones I got wrong.
Best Picture: My pick Milk Winner Slumdog Millionaire. I thought that the Brokeback Mountain backlash (I thought Crash deserved the win and was far better than Brokeback Mountain) would bring Milk the victory, but Slumdog Millionaire got a lot of positive momentum riding it to victory. The only picture I got to see of those nominated was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, was I thought was over rated, way too long, and moved in slow motion. Everyone in this film talked slow, moved slow, and the WWII battle scene was the slowest moving I ever saw.
Best Director: My pick Gus Van Sant for Milk. Winner Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire. Usually best director goes to the director of the Best Picture winner, I got it wrong.
Best Actor: My pick Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Winner Sean Penn for Milk. So why did I pick Brad Pitt when I thought that movie sucked. There was so much talk about how great this movie was, that I thought Pitt would get it. Bad choice, should have stuck with my gut reaction. Of course, Out of Africa won for Best Picture, and I did not like that at all, but compared to Benjamin Button it is a masterpiece. I also thought that Penn and Mickey Rouke would split the voters and Pitt would slip in there. Why I wish I was right, I am glad Penn won.
As for the other categories, I don't really care about them. Screenplays, I guess I could have picked a winner but I feel the director is the one who makes the film, lots of screenplays were saved by great directors. Best song, none I hear on the radio, so who cares.
One last thought, lots of folk were mad that The Dark Knight did not get a Best Picture nod. I actually thought Iron Man was a better made film. The end piece with Harvey Dent turning into Two-Face cluttered up the film and wasted a great Batman villain. Iron Man was very well done and was almost a prefect film in laying out the origin of a hero.
So hear are my picks, let's start with the ones I got right.
Best Actress: Kate Winslet in The Reader. I had a good feeling that this was Winslet's year, one of our best actresses who has given a ton of great performances. I did not see anybody else who was nominated that I thought would beat her.
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. This was a no brainer, momentum has been building for a while that he would win, combined with the backlash that The Dark Knight was not nominated for Best Picture, it was an easy call.
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelonia. Woody Allen has a great track record in his films for getting Oscar winning performances out of his players. Michael Caine, Diane Wiest, Mia Scorvino, they have all won Oscars in Allen films. Cruz had been getting a lot of positive feedback on her performance and had the momentum going into this, plus a field where Streep and Tomi already had Oscar wins (Tomi will continue to get nominated and lose to make up for winning it for My Cousin Vinny) and the rest will have other opportunities.
Animated Feature: Wall-E. Some folk thought that this should have been a best picture pick, I thought it was very good, and Kung Fu Panda was also very good. This has been a great category as there are so many strong animated features out there, and I saw 2 out of the 3 nominated movies while I only saw one of the Best Picture nominees.
Now for the ones I got wrong.
Best Picture: My pick Milk Winner Slumdog Millionaire. I thought that the Brokeback Mountain backlash (I thought Crash deserved the win and was far better than Brokeback Mountain) would bring Milk the victory, but Slumdog Millionaire got a lot of positive momentum riding it to victory. The only picture I got to see of those nominated was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, was I thought was over rated, way too long, and moved in slow motion. Everyone in this film talked slow, moved slow, and the WWII battle scene was the slowest moving I ever saw.
Best Director: My pick Gus Van Sant for Milk. Winner Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire. Usually best director goes to the director of the Best Picture winner, I got it wrong.
Best Actor: My pick Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Winner Sean Penn for Milk. So why did I pick Brad Pitt when I thought that movie sucked. There was so much talk about how great this movie was, that I thought Pitt would get it. Bad choice, should have stuck with my gut reaction. Of course, Out of Africa won for Best Picture, and I did not like that at all, but compared to Benjamin Button it is a masterpiece. I also thought that Penn and Mickey Rouke would split the voters and Pitt would slip in there. Why I wish I was right, I am glad Penn won.
As for the other categories, I don't really care about them. Screenplays, I guess I could have picked a winner but I feel the director is the one who makes the film, lots of screenplays were saved by great directors. Best song, none I hear on the radio, so who cares.
One last thought, lots of folk were mad that The Dark Knight did not get a Best Picture nod. I actually thought Iron Man was a better made film. The end piece with Harvey Dent turning into Two-Face cluttered up the film and wasted a great Batman villain. Iron Man was very well done and was almost a prefect film in laying out the origin of a hero.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Animal Planet's Lost Tapes
I don't normally watch Animal Planet, for some reason my mother loves to watch this channel. And since she just has basic cable in her home with no Internet access, I usually end up watching it with her when I visit. She loves some show called Its Me or my dog about these really dumb people who cannot train their dogs and this English woman who loves to dress in leather like a dominatrix has to come and help them learn to train their dogs. She also likes to watch Animal Cops which has a bunch of stories about abused animals.
The last time I visited, I noticed these ads for Lost Tapes. I figured I would check it out when I came back to CT. This show is a blend of Monsterquest and The Blair Witch Project. The premise is that they find these tapes of people encountering strange creatures and show them with some facts about the creatures interspersed. Pure fiction but it is really creepy and pretty well done.
One episode had a park ranger who wants out in the woods with a bear poacher and a friendly Bigfoot. You get some glimpses of the Bigfoot and then when the poacher comes after her, Bigfoot protects her. Another episode had these Goth kids attacked by a Hellhound. There also was a really creepy one about a woman sailing solo around the world that gets attacked by a sea monster.
On one level, it is pretty hokey and another level it is a lot better than Monsterquest or Scare Tactics. I never thought that I would see a program on Animal Planet that I would watch. Check it out sometime.
The last time I visited, I noticed these ads for Lost Tapes. I figured I would check it out when I came back to CT. This show is a blend of Monsterquest and The Blair Witch Project. The premise is that they find these tapes of people encountering strange creatures and show them with some facts about the creatures interspersed. Pure fiction but it is really creepy and pretty well done.
One episode had a park ranger who wants out in the woods with a bear poacher and a friendly Bigfoot. You get some glimpses of the Bigfoot and then when the poacher comes after her, Bigfoot protects her. Another episode had these Goth kids attacked by a Hellhound. There also was a really creepy one about a woman sailing solo around the world that gets attacked by a sea monster.
On one level, it is pretty hokey and another level it is a lot better than Monsterquest or Scare Tactics. I never thought that I would see a program on Animal Planet that I would watch. Check it out sometime.
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