Weekend wrap

Random reflections and reads on this bright and sunny Sunday afternoon. ...

Almost all of the snow the covered our yard earlier this week is gone, and spring can never come soon enough for me. ...

Yesterday, Phoebe was begging to go outside. Given a choice of things to do, she wanted to ride her scooter. So she rode while I walked briskly behind her and we headed to the university campus -- where I realized there were several activities taking place that we could enjoy further. Given another choice of going to the basketball games or the show choir festival, she opted for the show choir festival. ...

It was like an episode of "Glee" exploded inside the performing arts center with girls overloaded with makeup and glittery costumes, guys in colorful tuxedos and duffel bags lining every wall of the building. Phoebe and I watched two schools perform -- they were several hours into the competition with a couple more to go -- before she said she was hungry and we headed to the student union for a snack; she had a bowl of ice cream, while I grabbed a slice of pizza and made a salad.

What started out as a simple walk in our neighborhood turned into a fun, quality afternoon with Phoebe. ...

* * *

So Brian Williams has announced he's taking a leave from the anchor desk at NBC News after the stunning revelation last week that he had "conflated" a story of him riding a helicopter that was shot down in Iraq.

It's no small thing, for sure, for a journalist of his stature. But, geez, it's been a rough year for some of the public figures I most admire. Here's a good read from The New York Times' Maureen Dowd ...

Although there was much chatter about the “revered” anchor and the “moral authority” of the networks, does anyone really feel that way anymore? Frothy morning shows long ago became the more important anchoring real estate, garnering more revenue and subsidizing the news division.

Here's hoping Mr. Williams survives ... 

* * *

Oh, Grey's Anatomy, I do miss you.

Kates and I have no idea what's happened on the show since our old TV blew up and our series of moves messed up our TV-watching routine. ... So I remember the good times and fond memories of when it was the darling of ABC and a Sunday night staple that jumpstarted our weeks. Which is why this story caught my eye during my morning reading: "I'm Still Not Over... George O'Malley's death on Grey's Anatomy."

* * *

This video of a train plowing through snow is pretty amazing. ... 

* * *

And finally, Jimmy Fallon pulled off a pretty awesome reunion this past week by getting together the "Saved by the Bell" cast. Watch below ... Plus, there's this about a lost pilot I didn't know existed.

Taking our TV time back

I’m shunning my graduate studies tonight. Kates and I are taking our TV time back.

Lately, I’m gaining a deeper understanding of what couples are really saying when they say they don’t watch TV.

When it comes to keeping up with our favorite TV shows, we are waaaaaaaaay behind. Thanks to our TV exploding last fall, our exhausting house hunt and, well, life in general.

We caught up on “The Office” over the summer … And we’ve got a few more episodes of “Modern Family” to burn off before we can start in on Season 3. Favorite scene of Season 6: Phil calling his car the “Cone of trust.” I’m going to start calling my car that.

On the other hand, we haven’t seen a pixel of “Big Bang Theory” or “Grey’s Anatomy” in the last year, which is too bad because I saw a lot of positive reviews. … We saw last season’s premier of “Glee,” and then lost track of the rest of the season, which I’m not as sad about because I’ve read and heard a ton of bad reviews about the last season. I’m not even sure why we’re still holding on. … Yeah, it’s the music.

Last night, we forgot about the season premier of “Sing-Off.” But I’m totally stoked that Sara Bareilles has joined the judges table this year. … We also missed the season premier of the Charlie Sheen-less “Two and a Half Men,” which apparently was huge. The DVR is set now to record them, and we’ll catch up next week.

Tonight, we started with “New Girl” -- the new one starring the adorable and multi-talented Zooey Deschanel. She's one of those actresses who I'll watch no matter what she's appearing in, and I consider it  a travesty that we haven’t taken time yet to watch “500 Days of Summer.” … My expectations were low going in, mostly because, well, when’s the last time Fox produced a really outstanding comedy -- that wasn’t animated? As much as I admire Zooey, my instincts were on. The comedy mostly fell flat, and the premise is predictable: Broken-hearted girl moves in with a group of clueless guys, and one of them develops feelings for her. I’ll keep watching only because it stars the adorable and multi-talented Zooey Deschanel.

Humming along

Our DVR has been positively humming the last few days. Like it or not, fall is here and so is a brand new TV season ...

Kates and I finally found time to watch President Obama's appearance on Letterman ...

Mr. Obama showed aces with his comment that he was "black before the election." Beyond that, aside from his eloquence and charm, I thought his answers to questions about healthcare and the wars we're fighting were on par.

Although, I do think there was some truth in President Carter's statements last week. My hope is that Obama doesn't get too caught up in the discussion and remains focused on his agenda while allowing the race debate to take place outside the White House.

* * *

Now that we've almost completed the round of Fall Premieres '09, I can follow-up on my earlier list of new shows Kates and I planned to watch ... I can also report there have been some pleasant surprises ...

On Monday night, it was thoroughly enjoyable to get reacquainted with our old pals on CBS's comedy lineup. ("How I Met Your Mother:" Barney and Robin are totally a couple!) ... We're also quite intrigued with the possibilities of "Accidentally on Purpose."

After reading some not-so-great reviews beforehand, I had low hopes going in ... But I think one morning show DJ said it best: You've just got to buckle up and enjoy the ride!

I don't think any of CBS's Monday night shows made me laugh more than "Accidentally." And if you can make me laugh, you've won ... Sure the pace of Billie's and James's meet-up/baby news/moving in together was a little unrealistic, but I also thought the episode had about as much charm and wit as the stuff James showed in snagging Billie in the first place/wanting to stay with her/painting the baby's room, all by the end of the episode.

The pilot was hilarious. But only time will tell if the show can stand up beyond its first date.

On Wednesday ..."Modern Family" gets the prize as our favorite new show (I'm not counting "Glee," which technically debuted last spring) ... I love the premise, and I'm really excited to see Julie Bowen doing some comedy (sigh ... I miss "Ed."). ... The bit with the family looking over their appointment calendar to schedule a time that Dad could fire a BB gun at his son as payback for shooting his sister was beyond funny. And then, when the time came, the plan went haywire and Dad shoots his teenage daughter's senior class boyfriend ... It's also good to see Jesse Tyler Ferguson on TV again (sigh ... I miss "The Class." ... Here's an old, but still good read I dug up about it.)

"Cougar Town" also got our thumbs-up -- although I feel a little dirty saying that because the show is geared so tightly toward and about so-called cougar women ... Nonetheless, for me, Courtney Cox broke her Monica mold within the first two minutes of the show, and the casting is wonderful ("The Drew Carey Show," "Scrubs" and now "Cougar Town" -- Christa Miller, like Julie Bowen, gets me every time.)

(Here's a good read on "Modern Family" and the rebirth of the family comedy.)

Thursday night is stacked ... And it's looking like we'll be spending most of our time -- for now -- with "Flash Forward" and "Grey's Anatomy," while "The Office" and "30 Rock" get put off to Friday nights. ... We dropped "Community," deeming last week's premiere just plain dumb.

Starting with "FlashForward." ... Seriously!? There's a million questions going through my mind after watching the premiere. Like, why was a kangaroo jaunting through downtown Los Angeles after the flashforward? And who the heck was the guy in Detroit?! ... The acting, the "Lost"-like mysteries and the action-movie production are all factors that have me wanting more ...

But here's my beef: "Lost" has set the bar so high, and there will never be another show like it. I'm also skeptical of the glimpse of a future on April 29, 2010. Setting a specific date so near in the future -- not too mention the visions and the inherent desire to change circumstances -- reminds me too much of "Heroes." And those of us who fell so hard for that show during it's first season know how that turned out. What are we going to be left with when next April passes?

About last night's "Grey's" premiere ... Indeed, our roller coaster love affair with the docs at Seattle Grace will continue. Last night's episode succeeded again at pulling our heartstrings with real characters and raw emotions, with the laughter that's born from strong bonds mixed in. The twisted scene with the gang laughing hysterically at George's funeral is one that has stuck with me most. Yep, George died and Izzie lived -- the worst kept secret of TV's summer offseason.

Yet, my lingering thought on the episode is that it marked the end of an era for the show. With George gone and now the impending merger -- plus a handful of new characters (I do enjoy Arizona) -- "Grey's" is resembling less of its original self every season.

* * *

The death notices just keep coming ...

Last week: Patrick Swayze and Mary Travers.

I pulled out my "Peter, Paul & Mary: Ten Years Together" album for a good listen the other night ... It's easy to get caught up in the tributes and emotions of another great loss, but I must admit now that I don't listen to that album as much as I should. I hadn't realize how good their songs are.

* * *

While cleaning off our DVR, I also watched last week's "VH1 Divas" show. Is it wrong that I think Miley Cyrus gave the best performance of the show -- which was otherwise utterly boring?

On Tuesday, I did something I never ever thought I'd do. I downloaded a Miley Cyrus song. "Party in the U.S.A." from iTunes.

* * *

I stumbled onto this video last week ...

Every time I watch it, I break out laughing ... Ha-larious.

Sunday reading

A collection of reads that caught my attention during the last week or two ...

Have fun.

Sports ...
a Taking another look at instant replay
a Baseball salaries should outrage, but don’t
a Unconventional wisdom: How to improve Hall of Fame voting
a Baseball Hall of Fame Needs to Change 5 Percent Rule ... I think I agree more with this philosophy then the one floated in the story above.
a It's the offseason of hope
a From the Phillie Phanatic, a Family of Mascots
a Chris Ballard reads athletes blogs
a Watching Favre From Baghdad Evokes Memories

Music ...
a Carly Smithson's post-'Idol' blues
a Hootie And a Hollerin':Rucker Finds Unlikely Success In Country Music

TV ...
a Role is a Joy for Jaime Pressly
a Denny Ghost Story Twist Revealed
a Leno decision shows retreat from 10 p.m. dramas
a Jay Leno to prime time: Why NBC is doing it

Politics ...
a On weekend before Jan. 20 inauguration, Obama to arrive in Washington by train ... Very cool.
a Games by Gov. Blago ... Yes, Rod duped Illinois. But if I remember correctly Judy Baar Topinka wasn't exactly a solid public official either.
a The Rules, Washington Edition
a Chicago's Karma
a Friends Say Kennedy Has Long Wanted Public Role
a The Young Know Caroline’s a Kennedy, but Which One? ... A good read about the different perspective people have of the Kennedys.
a Between Obama and the Press
a For Obama, Job First
a The Obama Speechwriter: Helping to Write History

Media & the Internet ...
a 20 years in the making ... I sent a resume to The Onion a few years ago. Never got the call.
a CNN Ticker, 2001-2008 -- R.I.P.
a ESPN Strives to Eject Clutter From Its Site ... 'Bout time.
a News About News, in 140 Characters ... I've been slow to get on board with the whole Twitter thing (I don't have that much time on my hands ...) but the site described here is really great ...
a Mr. Obama’s Internet Agenda
a Life on Blago's enemies list
a Advertisers Face Hurdles on Social Networking Sites
a MediaNews Sees Bad Timing on Newspapers, Not Bad Bets

Life & other stuff ...
a To Teach, They Reach For Obama
a Plane hits cow on emergency landing ... From my friend Raechel, with accompanying video.
a Sometimes, Fists Fly at Chuck E. Cheese's ... Also from my friend Raechel.
a Dad afraid his daughter will be Drew's next wife ... From the 'You've got to be kidding me!' file ...
a Wait a second: 2008 gets extended by timekeepers
a When Mommy takes the hit

Seattle mess

Kates and I watched Thursday's “Grey’s Anatomy” last night …

Come on. Five minutes in, and I was totally turned off …

Lexie and the whole lip reading thing at the beginning of the episode was, yes, totally “bogus.” And dumb …

And then the idea of the Chief sending Lexie to break the news on who got the solo surgery? Even worse, the show pulled some kind of stunt by having Lexie point her finger at the winner, but not show who she was pointing at? Come. On.

Eventually, we found out Christina was a unanimous choice to get the solo surgery … But, oh wait, she was deemed ineligible, so the Chief once again fails to show any leadership skills, cops out on another major decision and puts its on Christina’s shoulders to decide who should get the surgery. And thus we were forced to watch the Grey’s gang kiss up to Christina and gush about how each was the most qualified …

Sexie Sadie. Yeah, she sure made a quick recovery after nearly dying at the hands of the interns’ cutting club.

And why, oh why, oh why! is Denny still around!?

And why is Dr. Dixon still around for that matter, too? After she told off Bailey a couple weeks ago and spouting off about how uncomfortable she was around the Seattle Grace staff, we were teased into thinking she would never show her face at that hospital again. Crazy me for actually believing the show couldn’t bring Dixon back, because it never happens that way when Grey’s Anatomy introduces a new character.

Stupid show.

That I continue watching for reasons I can’t explain.

At least the music’s consistently rocks.

30 Rock returns!

Great Thursday night TV!

Aside from 'The Office' ... Snoozer, I agree ...

Kates and I eagerly looked forward to last night's "30 Rock" return, which didn't disappoint ...

And Grey's Anatomy, for the first time in a long time, tugged at our hearts while throwing in some, good, quirky, adorable fun at the same time. It was almost like watching a Season One episode again ...

Here's some good reads about "30 Rock" ...
a Tina Fey Returns to Her Thursday Night Not-So-Live Gig
a '30 Rock' tilts at success with Fey's high profile
a '30 Rock' still on a roll as third season begins
a Tina Fey goes back to her day job: The delightful '30 Rock'
a 30 reasons you should watch '30 Rock'

Ready or not, here it comes

Here it is, that time of year when the new TV season rushes over us like a wave ... We get drenched whether we're ready or not.

Monday night … I skipped out on the two-hour “Heroes” premiere so Kates and I could get our laughs with the CBS shows. Monday night’s comedy lineup: Highly recommended! “The Big Bang Theory,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and “Two and a Half Men” each returned strong. And “Worst Week,” the only new show that garnered any interest from me, had Kates and I laughing non-stop. We loved it!

… It was Thursday evening before I finally got around to watching “Heroes” …

Not bad. I’ve resigned to the fact it’s never going to be as fresh and gripping as its first season, but I remain a huge fan of the show. And like “Lost,” I’m sticking with it in hopes all the questions will be answered in the end …Now, it looks like we’ve got a whole new set of villains to watch. But Sylar could be, arguably, one of the creepiest characters on television; I’m not sure he’s done.

As for the premiere … I never guessed Peter being Nathan’s assassin at the press conference (Did they reveal that at the end of last season? If they did, I missed it.) … I didn’t like the way Claire allowed herself to be so vulnerable against Sylar in her house -- really, what was she doing hiding in the closet!? … And I really didn’t like suddenly-stoked-up-on-steroids-man Dr. Suresh. And the steamy scene with Maya? C’mon.

On the bright side, I’m gonna love that new speed demon chick.

Later Thursday night, Kates and I managed to split time between “Grey’s Anatomy” and “The Office” -- which seemed to take a little of the hilarity out of “The Office,” on top of the sketchy signal for our NBC affiliate. Ahh! ... We caught the first half of “Grey’s” on our DVR, then went back to watch “Office,” before catching the second half of “Grey’s.”

But, “Grey’s Anatomy?” I totally called the whole dream thing with Meredith watching Derek die on the surgical table. Blah, blah, blah. … And why the heck was it snowing?!

Aside from those developments, I thought the first 45 minutes or so of the episode were uncharacteristically low-key for “Grey’s,” especially for one of their two-hour escapades … Then Christina went and got stabbed by a falling icicle. Ah yes, that’s the over-the-top “Grey’s” we’re used to. Meredith whines about her love life until tragedy strikes in front of them, they spend an eternity watching the icicle fall without making any attempt to avoid it and then waste the next 10 minutes figuring out what to do about it …

About the second half of the episode? Christina and Big Tough Soldier Guy are so hooking up. Not digging the whole Izzie-Karev vibe. Lexie and George are going to end up just being cute friends … Callie and Hahn, on the other hand, are so hooking up. I think that’s cool ... Bernadette Peters, Mariette Hartley and Kathy Baker were welcome guests to the episode, too. (Read EW's best and worst of Season Four)

On “The Office,” the whole weight-loss contest was pretty funny. Kelly nearly starving herself to death was hilarious … Jim’s proposal to Pam in the rain was pretty sweet … But perhaps the best kick I got out of the premiere was watching Angela dial Dwight every time Andy tried to pitch to her a wedding idea … (Read EW's Season Four recap)

Coming up, we'll be all over the premieres of "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers & Sisters" on Sunday night. And we're looking forward to the long-awaited return of "Pushing Daisies" on Wednesday.

Killer finales!

Kates and I passed up a chance to go to a "Sex and the City" premiere tonight ...

Whatever. We'll catch it on DVD.

We had to watch the Lost finale baby! Aw yeah.

First things first -- Ben's whole island disappearing act explained a whole lot for me. It's no wonder why rescuers couldn't find the castaways, why Widmor's crew was so ecstatic to find the place and why we had all those what-the-heck questions about the time continuum -- Now we know how Ben ended up face-down in the middle of a desert.

I'm also thinking I called it when I said the scenes being shown in this season's flash forwards weren't showing the end of the series but rather some things we could see play out, say, next season ...

And, after the name Jeremy Bentham was dangled in front of us for the entire episode, we finally got a look at who was in the much-debated coffin -- Locke.

There were quite a few other good moments in the finale, too. Perhaps the best was the scene involving Ben and Locke in the depths of the Orchid stations and Ben sitting Locke down in front of an ancient television -- that still worked! -- to watch the latest orientation video. Meanwhile Ben is tossing into the time travel chamber any piece of metal he can find -- just as the video is explaining to Locke that whatever you do, do not place any metal into the chamber. ... I also got a good kick out of the bit of dialogue with Sawyer crawling back onto the beach after his dive from the rescue helicopter, and finding poor Juliet getting drunk on rum as she watched the freighter go up in flames ...

... And my heart was never racing as hard as it was when Jack and the gang finally boarded that helicopter to head to the freighter, and knowing Michael, Desmond and Jin were back on the ship trying to un-wire the explosives -- and all that was happening while Ben and Locke were in the Orchid chamber with Mean Army Dude, whose armband was set to detonate the explosives the moment his heart stopped beating ... which it did. Riveting TV folks!

Oh, and Jin -- yeah, I'm thinking he's still alive too; he dove off the freighter before it burst into flames ...

But here's another question -- What happens to him and Faraday's life raft? What's their fate now that the island is gone and they're floating in the middle of the ocean?

Lost reads ...
a 'Lost' season finale should answer questions
a For Durand, playing the 'Lost' psychopath can be a blast ... A good read on Mean Army Dude meantioned above. Didn't expect him to go as fast as he did. He was one mean dude ... Then again, I had a feeling he wasn't dead the first time. Should've shot him in the head when they had the chance -- Though that wouldn't have been good for Sun, who was still on the freighter at the time ...
a Josh Holloway finds himself on 'Lost'

And here's a look at the two other big finales in our household ... both of which I give a big thumbs up.
a Grey's Anatomy: Big kisses ...I never thought I'd be enjoying Izzie as much as I did this spring. And lo and behold Derek and Meredith are fawning over each other again ...
a 'Desperate Housewives': Five-Year Plan ... A terrific end to a terrific season. Tom finally canned Kayla, and we finally got some answers in the whole Dylan saga. Now we've got to figure out what happened between Susan and Mike!

Notes from the week

... Trying to catch up a little on the last seven days, though they've been such a whirlwind, there's no chance I'll be able to remember everything I wanted to write about ...

* * *

Sunday was Mother's Day. Besides being our first one, it was pretty low-key. We dressed Phoebe in her "strawberry shortcake" outfit, as we call it. And Kates got cards from both Phoebe and I -- plus a bonus card from both of us that read:

Wishing you a Happy Mother's Day to the wonderful, proud new mom!

(open it up)

Keep this card. You can read it again at about 2 a.m.

 

Pheebs made her debut at church on Mother's Day ... We were running late -- as usual -- which meant we arrived just as the service was starting. But it worked out for the better because we got to carry Phoebe down the aisle and draw oohs and ahhs from the congregation as people got their first looks at her ... Phoebe was quiet and well-behaved for the entire service. Although, Kates had to take her out for a feeding toward the end, which left me stranded at the end of the service with an empty car seat as people were coming over with hopes of meeting Phoebe ...

The afternoon was spent sharing dinner with Kates' family and watching baseball games -- something I'm sad I haven't had a whole lot of time to do yet this spring.

* * *

... When I came home at one point earlier this week, Kates gleefully announced she was getting Phoebe into a routine! ... Which is something I had wanted to do in the very beginning, before an unexpected return to the hospital threw off those plans. But I could tell Kates was excited about whatever words-of-wisdom baby book she had read, and I didn't say anything ...

We're still amazed at how well Phoebe sleeps during the night ... Needless to say, getting her to take naps during the day this week has been a little tougher.

Ah, but we've quickly discovered she loves Enya. Before she was born, I built a playlist of good baby-type Enya songs, thinking we could put them to use. Sure enough, put a little Afer Ventus on and it's put her to sleep every time ... On the downside, I'm not sure how many more nights Kates and I are going to be able take before that angelic music gets grating ...

* * *

... So there's a gigantic kids festival coming to town in July. "The Ultimate Kids Fest," they're calling it. Raven-Symoné and other big kids stars are going to be there ...

My office is playing a role in it and selling the tickets. And I wrote a piece about the festival ...

So on the day before the tickets were available, my phone was ringing with parents desperate to spoil their children. "What am I supposed to do when those tickets go on sale tomorrow morning and I need to get my daughter tickets!? I need to know what I'm supposed to do!" one irate mother screamed at me.

... All the while I'm thinking, sooner than I know it Phoebe's going to be wanting tickets to the show of some heartthrob, too.

And then it it really hits me. I'm a father ... of a girl.

* * *

Speaking of heartthrobs ...

The New Kids on the Block have reunited ...

And Kates and I watched our DVR recording giddily tonight of their performance on the Today show.

The phrase "blast from the past" doesn't even describe it. Seeing and hearing the adult crowd screaming like it was 1989, I laughed and said "This is like our parents seeing the Beatles reunite ... "

Hardly. But it was the best I could come up with ... and The New Kids still sound good. Here's some clips ...

* * *

There's been some good TV this week too ...

On "How I Met Your Mother," Britney's return was forgettable (when are the TV execs gonna learn ... A good thing never works twice ...), but watching Marshall and Lily sell their stuff was fun. And oh yeah -- guyforceshiswifetodressinagarbagebagforthenextthreeyears.com is an actual Web site ... nice!

Grey's Anatomy is as good as it's been in a long time ... Though I'm loathing the idea of two-hour season finale next week. Grey's has never done those well ...

Lost is getting really good ... And my mouth is watering over that season finale ... (I'm contending these flash-forwards we've been seeing aren't necessarily things that happen around the end of the series. In other words, these flash-forwards could be the foundation for some plot lines before an eventual return to the island to reunite or rescue the rest of the passengers ...)

And last night's "Office" ... was pretty darn good, too. Amy Ryan was perfect as the new HR girl; here's hoping she stays ...

Thursday night TV

It’s fun to have a full slate of Thursday night TV again. Sort of like the good old days “Must See-TV” on NBC. Only now, the once lowly ABC is stacked, too …

Scrubs … J.D. and Elliott had better hook up when the series ends next week … I’ve never gotten that deep into Scrubs, but it is a charmer like no other. It’s been a good run at Sacred Heart.

The Office … I enjoyed the Stanley vs. Michael storyline (Seriously, who fake-fires?!)… And Pam’s glasses dilemma -- I can relate. I’ve been wearing my glasses all week because my contacts, which I ordered weeks ago, haven’t arrived. I think I missed a step in the online ordering process … The story of my week. I've temporarily lost my desk and I've been feeling as though I'm living in "The Office." Or worse yet, "Office Space."

30 Rock … I liked it. And it's still ranking as my favorite sitcom on TV right now. Not only is Tina Fey the coolest, her on-screen chemistry with Jason Sudekis (Overland Park, represent!) is worth watching. Last night’s show, once again, was chock-full of great lines … and I totally got the Peter Venkman reference.

Grey’s Anatomy … I’m not sure I’ve ever enjoyed watching Katherine Heigl in an episode of Grey’s more than I did tonight. Izzy’s finally in a decent place, it seems, and some of the looks on Heigel’s face were melting -- the scene with her chomping on a bag of chips while Addison (Nice to see her again ... Leave that Private Practice and get back to Seattle Grace, Addie!) was talking to her was pretty comical … And the final scene with McDreamy and all three of his women -- past, present and future? -- stepping into an elevator, and then McSteamy’s face when he found them together -- priceless. To quote EW: "... the banter, the humor, the awkwardness, the sexual tension — those key ingredients were all cooking." ... And best line goes to Meredith: "We screw boys like whores on tequila." Ha-larious!

Lost … I’ve ceased to try predicting the next moves on this one. I have a hard enough time keeping up with all of the subtle clues and twists … I did like tonight’s flash forward featuring Jack and Kate. It was kind of reminiscent of the good ol' days when Jack and Kate were swooning over each other, and before we had to deal with all the mind games of Locke and Ben. After all, the episode did start with the opening of an eyeball. Always good ...

Fun and games

I read this passage yesterday on a music blog that was talking about the sorry state of our world and challenging, for a lack of a better description, the little people to do what they can to make things better ...

dream big, you f**kers -- start with an idea, think it through, make it happen

I’m making it my mantra for 2008.

* * *

It's been bitterly cold here the last couple days ... Bring back the 60-degree tornado weather.

* * *

Kates and I have officially started work on the baby’s room. We’re re-doing what once was Kates’ office …

The room is already orange, which we decided to keep because there are bits of orange in some of the décor we’ve picked out …

We also thought it would be a great idea to paint the ceiling yellow -- also taken from bits of our décor.

But when the yellow went on the ceiling Sunday night, Kates hated it … And for the record, I wasn’t exactly keen on it at first, either. But the more I studied it, the more I liked it -- it gave the room sort of a cool, whimsical feel, I thought.

Still, after 24 hours, Kates wasn’t bending …

So guess what I was doing last night?

That’s right -- painting the ceiling back to its former wedding cake white.

* * *

I’m still enjoying the respite from trying to keep up with a constant flow of TV shows. Sorry, Writer’s Guild.

Two weeks ago “Desperate Housewives” signed off with the cap on its tornado saga. (How interesting was that -- and then we had an actual tornado the next day!?)

Thursday we watched the final “Grey's Anatomy” -- which, for all my whining about how bad it’s become, actually shaped up decently in its last few episodes.

And Sunday night we caught the final “Brothers & Sisters.” Love it. Wonderful, human drama.

But for all the crying about reality shows taking over the primetime airwaves, so far the networks are doing a decent job of filling some of the slots …

Kates and I do like the new “Cashmere Mafia,” … though reviews have been less than favorable.

And we’re welcoming back “According to Jim,” “Old Christine” and “Lost” -- Lost!! -- with open arms …

That, and bring on the Jayhawk basketball. I watched Saturday’s win at Nebraska and last night’s blowout of Oklahoma with glee (good to see George Brett at the game!) … But I shutter every time an analyst calls them the best team in the nation, because that only sets us up for another choke …

* * *

Time for some Internet fun.

I got this Frank Sinatra spoof from a friend who suggested this be played at all airports ...

I also received this video from a friend. The video apparently is of a phone call placed by a boy to a Houston radio station ...

Bloody good Grey's

Ok, so I've been a little sour on Grey's Anatomy this season ...

But last night's episode -- the second half of a two-parter, I might add (All the multi-part Grey's episodes have bombed, in my opinion ...) -- was the most I've enjoyed a Grey's episode in a looooooooong time ...

Though, I'm not so sure Seth Green's blown-artery-guy really would've been so talkative with half his blood dousing poor Lexie ...

Talking TV

So I haven’t been much for talking about TV this fall. Sorry.

I blame it partly on getting so wrapped up in the postseason baseball. Then, I was racing to catch up with so many shows on the DVR that I hardly had time to soak up a lot of them. And now Hollywood is in a writer’s strike that’s halting our favorite shows and there's no signs of them resuming.

I also blame it on the fact I haven’t exactly been blown away by anything I’ve been watching this fall -- at least not the way I was always blown away by the hilarity of Friends, Fraiser, Raymond or Will & Grace. Or the soaring drama, action and charm of West Wing, or the early episodes of Lost and Heroes… Which is sort of surprising because it’s a rarity I don’t really like at least a handful of the new shows ...

This year has been a rarity … I was turned off by Caveman and Carpoolers in just five minutes. We stayed with Samantha Who for two episodes before cutting that one loose. And Reaper hung around on our DVR for about three or four episodes before we dismissed that one too …

Oh, and Private Practice? Yeah. Still boycotting it.

We’ve kept up with Big Bang Theory (I do really enjoy Sheldon …) and Back To You, but those are starting to wear too … Even How I Met Your Mother and The Office seem to have lost their edge (Although I must admit the first couple episodes of this season's Office, despite being an hour long, were pretty stellar -- Angela to Dwight, referring to her cats: “I don‘t want Garbage! I want Sprinkles!” And later during their breakup: “I will leave your toothbrush on your tire.”) ... That said, 30 Rock may be the sitcom I've most enjoyed watching this fall -- and that's something I never thought I'd be saying last fall ...

If a show has any premise remotely about crime and cops, or even smells of sleaze, I'm not getting near it. I don’t care how well it’s written or produced -- I get enough of that in my every day work …

There have been some signs of TV life lately, though … mostly in Daisies, a tornado and a favorite from last season that couldn’t have returned at more appropriate time.

Yeah. So how about that tornado on Wisteria Lane last night!? Captivating at times (Lynette's scream at the end), funny at others (Edie vs Gabby; Victor vs Carlos -- I saw Victor getting pinned with that fence post a mile away), and sometimes just dumb -- No one predicts a tornado hours before it's going to hit and then prepares for it. McClusky driving up in her car and yelling to the neighbors (who were standing under a sunny sky) at 9 in the morning that a tornado had hit Mt. Pleasant and they'd better get under cover for the 4 o'clock tornado was the worst. And c'mon, aside from the Scavo clan, why was nobody worried about Julie and the rest of the kiddos!? ... If you ask me, the Halloween episode was the best so far of a season that's almost reached First Season levels. Danielle playing Bree might have been the funniest thing I've ever seen on Housewives… Still, more recent Sundays have been like watching “a very special episode” of Desperate Housewives. Between Lynette’s cancer battle, Mike’s drug user/abusive husband persona and now Andrew moving out ... Seriously.

Keeping with the Sunday night lineup, Brothers & Sisters quietly endures as the new age thirtysomething … Sally Field. Rob Lowe. Calista Flockhart. A large, beautiful California family. Wonderful plots. A good wedding. I love the dynamic Rebecca adds to the family ... If B&S lost any points with me this season, it happened when they brought in that creepy Leena to sleep with idiot Tommy ...

On to Monday nights ... Heroes didn’t start out so hot, and I was beginning to doubt my draw to the show I fell so deeply in love with last year … Ah, but the last few weeks have turned almost as stellar as the high points of last season’s fight to save the world … With every new episode, new character and new power revealed -- it’s like one giant game of rock, paper, scissors! Seriously. It's like regeneration beats electricity, which beats flight and -- you get the idea … I'm comfortably on board again. Except, now it's over for a few weeks. (Who assassinated Nathan!?!)

As for Greys Anatomy, however, I've resigned to the notion it's never going to be as good as the pre-Super-Bowl bomb-era Grey's. … Our fearless, gonna-save-the-world interns are growing up; they're not so innocent anymore. They're more cynical and mean now. And these days they appear to be more concerned with who can have the most closet sex than they are with being chummy at the cafeteria table. I miss those days ... At least Bailey finally got to be a chief.

And that leaves me with the colorful and dazzling Pushing Daisies ... Why the buzz on this show is so subdued baffles me. (Kates was slow to warm to it too, but I finally got her hooked after a couple episodes) Did I mention how colorful it is? I love the straight-on camera angles of the characters during their conversations. I love the narration. I love the idea that Ned and Chuck are so deep into each other but it's impossible for them to touch, and the way your heart sinks for them every time they get close. And I love that each episode is a 40-minute fantasa-magical who-dun-it adventure with four people I'd love to spend my days with ...


Oh, and that show that couldn't have returned at a more appropriate time? I'm talking about Notes From the Underbelly, baby! The critics can and will say what they want about it. Yeah, so it's not the greatest premise ever, but it's darn fun and cute for a young couple that's sharing the same experiences -- and I'll watch anything with Rachael Harris ...

TV talk

Ok. So I just finished cleaning off the DVR and watching the first round of premieres. This is a rare year for TV: I haven't been overly impressed or blow away with anything I've seen this time around; Or maybe I'm just becoming jaded and more picky in my old age ...

Here's a rundown of the few highlights ...

Reaper. I never would have imagined watching this one. I saw it on a what-not-to-watch list. It looked terribly cheesy. And it's on the CW. But my friend Liz said she wanted to watch it and suggested I might actually like it ... The plot revolves around Sam, a 20-something guy who works with his buds at a Home Depot-like improvement store. He discovers that his parents sold his soul to the devil after he was born and now must do the devil's work by capturing the bad guys ... It turned out, the more I watched the premiere, the more I got into it -- and the more I caught myself laughing out loud -- although I could've done without the blood and gore of the guy getting sucked up by the Zamboni. But the writing is smart, the character chemistry is charged and the hilarity of Sam having to use a Dirt Devil as his "vessel" to suck up the fire-throwing arsonist, and then having to go to the DMV /"Hell on Earth" /The Portal to turn in the vessel, was beyond comical. The icing on the cake is Tyler Labine as Sock; loved him in the dearly-departed Invasion and I think I'm gonna love him in Reaper ...

The Big Bang Theory. Also didn't expect to be watching this one, but I figured CBS put it in with their Monday night sitcoms -- there has to be something to it. So I watched -- and I liked it ... It's about a group of science geeks and their trials and travails in life and relationships. The episodes are way overloaded with nerd talk and science-geek references (We get it! They're nerds!) ... But the chemistry and banter among the characters is strong enough to keep me entertained. I found myself doing double-takes at Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons -- his character is reminiscent of David Hyde Pierce's Niles on Frasier, and I love it! And Kaley Cuoco as Penny, the girl across the hall, is surprisingly good, mature and fun to watch, far from the eldest daughter she played on 8 Simple Rules ...

Pushing Daisies. Talk about huuuuuge expectations ... I'm a sucker for anything that's as wildly colorful and whimsical as this show -- it reminds me of "Big Fish" ... More great character chemistry! Lots of potential! I'm in ...

Cavemen. Call me crazy, but I expected a little more out of this one ... It was awful. I stopped after the first commercial.

Private Practice. Ok, so I said I was boycotting it ... But I had to watch the first episode, just to be sure. Yep. I'm sure now. It's nonsene. And I'm not watching it ...

And the old favorites? ...

Survivor ... Eh. I'm not really digging the whole China thing, or this season's cast for that matter ...

Grey's Anatomy. I've settled on the notion that it's never going to be as good as the first season ... But I think Lexie's gonna grow on me ...

Heroes ... It's still mystifying, but the lust is wearing off this one too ... especially after that anti-climatic season finale last May ...

How I Met Your Mother ... still good. Mandy Moore in the premiere?! I'm set for another season ...

Two and a Half Men. Sorry guys. It's been fun ... but after watching the premiere, I have to say the jokes are wearing thin, and Jake has grown beyond them. Kates and I have removed it from our DVR ...

The Office ... Jim & Pam are dating! Dwight killed Angela's cat. And Michael hit Meredith with his car. Good stuff!

But my thing with The Office is this: As a whole, I don't think it's consistently funny. Rather, it's individual scenes that make it so good; they're instant classics. So in honor of the HA-larious-ness that is the The Office, I give you my three favorite Office scenes of all time ...

Enjoy.

Sunday reading

The stories and the headlines that caught my eye this past week ...

World & Politics ...
a The Two Obamas
a Dept. of Cheap Shocks
a Iraqi orchestra finds harmony amid war

TV & Entertainment ...
a Silverman calls Spears VMA joke ‘innocuous’
a 'Grey's Anatomy' spinoff 'Private Practice' in need of surgery

Music ...
a The album: Obsolete to whom? ... Um. Not me!
a Amazon takes a stab at iTunes market ... very interesting.
a Will.i.am goes solo for 'Songs About Girls'

Baseball ...
a These guys didn't live up to expectations
a Yost’s Bad Week Leads to the Brewers’ Elimination

Life & Other stuff ...
a Kids must run, not clop along in Crocs
a Long wait at the license bureau: "Jenny, I've Got Your Number" ... I remembered this story from several years and stumbled across it again this week. It's still a good read.
a There Are No Gray Areas

... And finally check out this video. Very cool ...

Not ready for primetime

It can’t start. I’m not ready yet.

For the fall TV season that is.

There’s still too much good baseball left, dang it.

( … and it’s not looking good for the Brewers right now, folks. Stayed up and watched ‘em blow an extra innings affair against the Astros on Wednesday night. Then Kates and I hooped and hollered watching the come-from-behind thriller on Friday night. And we endured the heartbreaker yesterday during which they came from behind once again and went up in the top of the 10th on a Corey Hart home run, only to see the Braves tie it up again in the bottom of the 10th on a Scott Thorman home run, and then we watched the Brewers lose it in the bottom of the 11th …All the while, the Cubs have kept on winning, and as of this evening, the Cubs are 3.5 games up with six left to play … Ah well. The Red Sox are in. The Angels are in. And at least all is well in Packer country … )

On Wednesday night, Kates and I caught the premiere of “Back to You.” ... Not bad. It is a change from Fox’s usual style of programming, and Patricia Heaton's and Kelsey Grammer's and Fred Willard's comedic chops will be enough to keep me watching for awhile … Though I’m not betting on this one. Frankly, it reminds me too much of “Good Morning, Miami.” And we all know how long that one lasted ... On the other hand (and I'm disagreeing on this one with my cohorts who also watched the show) there could be some strong possibilities with Kelly Carr's daughter Gracie and the idea that Chuck Darling is her father. It could be fun to watch how Darling adapts to the news, which Carr broke to him at the end of the premiere, and then how the parents raise her while serving as co-anchors of the Pittsburgh news station.

Then on Thursday night, only because we couldn’t find anything else to watch for the time, Kates and I ran through the DVR and watched the “Grey’s Anatomy” Addison Montgomery lovefest that originally aired on Wednesday night … Seriously. That thing featured everyone on the People Magazine staff, including the janitor, (and probably paid them handsomely) gushing about how strong and smart and vulnerable and dignified Addison is …. And blah, blah blah … bleh!

Whatever. I’m boycotting “Private Practice.” (see why here.) I wish I could predict that it will barely last a season, but the reality is that Grey's has such a strong fan base and PP has such a cast of TV stars that it will probably stick around. And before we know it Grey's is going to be ABC's version of "CSI" ... bleh!

Still, the premiere of "Survivor" remains on our DVR, unwatched. And tonight “Desperate Housewives” and “Brothers & Sisters” come back.

I’m not ready yet.

But here’s what I do plan to watch during what looks like an otherwise disappointing year for new shows …

a Pushing Daisies ... This reviewer, and the fact it has Kristin Chenoweth was enough to pique my interest ...

"... Chenoweth calls this show "fantasmagorical," and when you see it, you’ll know precisely what she means. Pushing Daisies is bizarre and strange and wonderful and vivid and has all the makings of a great new TV love affair."

a Samantha Who? ... Same reviewer.

a Cavemen ... which I'll bet doesn't make it past a third or fourth week. But, hey, the commercials make me laugh ...

Good TV reads ...
a CBS aims to be the talk of the Web
a The joke's on sitcoms as dramas get the laughs

Back from the farm

Kates and I spent the holiday weekend at the family farm …

Which means a lazy weekend spent reading, hiking, good eating, doing puzzles, playing with the dog, playing Phase 10, sleeping and watching movies …

On Saturday night, we caught “Must Love Dogs” … Your standard chick flick, featuring the beautiful Diane Lane as the recently-divorced preschool teacher Sarah and the charming John Cusack, the recently-divorced Jake, a boat builder who finds Sarah’s profile on a dating Web site.

Mostly, it’s a predictable -- Sarah initially starts to fall for a father of one of her students and then gets her heart broken when she discovers he was sleeping with another teacher -- and forgettable film, with a few good chuckles and fun scenes mixed it -- like Sarah and Jake racing all over the city to find an open drug store so they can purchase a condom to, you know; or Sarah’s father’s girlfriend (Stockard Channing) who says, while showing Sarah the ways of online dating profiles, “I love this Internet. It’s part fantasy, part community and you get to pay your bills naked.”

Expectations were understandably higher on Sunday night when we popped in “Sideways,” considering it was an Oscar contender a couple years ago … A pretty good movie for sure, but I’m not so sure I’d want to see it again.

With a strong cast -- Paul Giamatti as Miles, Thomas Haden Church as Jack, Virginia Madsen as Maya and Sandra Oh as Stephanie -- to boot, the movie is about two middle-aged men (Miles and Jack) who take a road trip across California wine country, a week before Jack is set to be married. Along the way they meet up with Maya, a waitress at a restaurant that Miles frequents, and Stephanie, a friend of Maya’s who works at a vineyard. Jack, looking for one last fling before he has to settle down, doesn’t waist anytime swooning Stephanie. Miles and Maya, meanwhile take things a little slower, but end up better off (or so you’re led to believe … ) when the credits start rolling …

Giamatti steals just about every scene he's in. Virginia Madsen always impresses me. And Sandra Oh showed me that she can do much more than just play Christina on "Grey's Anatomy." Thomas Haden Church's character was just a dweeb.

Still, almost every conversation in this film revolves around Miles’ and Maya’s obsessions with wine …

If only I liked wine. I don’t.

Sunday reading

Some of the reads that caught my eyes this past week ...

Books ...
a An in-depth look at the assassination of President Kennedy

TV ...
a ABC News's Charlie Gibson Calls the Shots, Lands on Top
a Getting upfront and personal for network advertising dollars
a 'Grey's Anatomy' spinoff leads ABC's new lineup
a Five networks in search of a brand
a A death in the TV family
a Sitcoms take another hit
a When Child-Star Egos Attack

Movies ...
a 'Shrek 3's' Miller': Screen green writing machine

Music ...
a The Sound of Copy Restrictions Crashing
a Paul Simon, The Sound Of America
a Artists and labels seek royalties from radio

Baseball ...
a Bonds-bashing: bad sport
a No tag on 2007 Brewers: Baseball's long history laced with nicknames

Everything else ...
a Wrapping My Arms Around Memories
a Scientists Cast Doubt on Kennedy Bullet Analysis: Multiple Shooters Possible, Study Says
a Frisbee at fifty: Plastic disc's freestyle fun now includes organized sports
a Still going on vacation but closer to home
a Key to prayer is understanding the ritual
a This Bright Idea Is a Glowing Achievement

It’s all consuming

Kates continues to plug away on her masters degree. I just started a new role at work. And if I'm not trying to solve the world's problems in that seat, I'm tinkering around in our yard or on our house. Or I'm playing baseball ...

We've been so busy, we’ve hardly had time to watch our TV shows. Our DVR is so jammed full with shows, we had to watch this week’s Desperate Housewives and Heroes online because the DVR couldn’t hold ‘em. (But seriously, how cool is it to watch a TV show on the Internet!?)

... Last night's Lost was a good one. Jack and Juliet finally seem to be jiving with the good guys back on the island. And Charlie gives in to death in an attempt to try flipping some underwater switch to boost the castaways' favor... But when he gets to the underwater hatch, he finds air and seemingly defies death. Then a set of rifle-toting women burst from doors in every corner -- setting us up for what should be a jaw-dropping finale. Aw yeah!

Then there was tonight's Grey's Anatomy season finale (...BTW, I couldn't agree more with Gregory Kirschling's review) ... I was really liking it -- until the last 10 minutes. As Christina was fretting with the girls at the back of the sanctuary, Burke began walking down the aisle to go after her. As he got closer to the door, all I could do was wait for it to swing open with Christina declaring she was ready to go.

Nope. Too easy for the Grey's writers, I guess. Instead Burke tells Christina she'll never be ready and calls off the wedding.

And the whole chief thing. Callie got the chief-resident post (why!?), so when Chief was telling candidate after candidate that he/she didn't get the chief of surgery role, I thought for sure it was going to Bailey, who would've been great! to watch in that role ... Nope. It went to Shepherd, who then turned it down.

The Chief and Adele reunited (Was she really saying the Chief is the father of that baby!?). We find out George failed his exam ... and we get a glimpse of some immature new cheeseball interns in the locker room. Seriously!? Those new characters!? That's what we have to look forward to next year!?

Now I understand why Meredith tried to drown herself ...

At this point, I think I've been more excited just to see some of these shows end for the summer than I have about the finales themselves ...

Bring on the baseball games.

* * *

What’s with all the babies everywhere lately!? I mean Kates and I are talking about it, but c’mon. All this baby talk surrounding us lately isn’t putting the pressure on at all … It's every-where!

All of our closest friends/cousins/brother are having babies. Then it’s all the celebs having babies -- we caught Amanda Peet, to name one, discussing her pregnancy/new mom experiences on Conan the other night. Or it’s Kim and J.D. on Scrubs. Or it’s Dana on According to Jim. Or Callie and George on Grey's Anatomy. Or Christine on New Adventures of Old Christine or Ted and Robin on How I Met Your Mother -- who thought they were going to have babies. Or it’s all the baby snatching on Lost. Or it’s everything on Notes From the Underbelly …

Kates will have her masters finished in seven months ...

Then ...

* * *

Then there’s the matter of these Brewers medallions …

It all started about three weeks ago when we went to a Brewers game. The promotion of the day was a picture album to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1982 American League Championship season. But there was a catch -- to complete the album, fans had to collect each of 23 medallions that would be sold at any one of 300 locations in the region over the ensuing three weeks. A different medallion would be available each day for $2.99, but to get it you had to have a coupon that could only be found in that day’s Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel …

Got all that?

And the collector that I am, how could I resist!?! The chase was on …

For each of the first few days, I was driving on my lunch break to a Walgreens 15 miles north -- one of the closest locations selling the medallions -- to make the pickup. But that routine changed about a week into my pursuit when I nearly missed getting the day’s medallion and concluded the other guys out to get these things were getting a little more savvy. After all, each store only had about 10 of the pieces. I had to adjust my game …

So instead I started heading out before work in the morning, and began hitting up a corner gas station about 10 miles up the road. I’d pick up a copy of the Journal-Sentinel on the way, and then, every morning around 8 a.m., the older lady behind the counter could expect to see my little green machine pull up, and I would get out with my little newsprint coupon, lay it on her counter and pay the $2.99, plus tax, to get that colorful little medallion …

“You know, you time this really well,” she told me on Wednesday. “Every day you come in here you manage to get my last one.”

Lucky me.

Now the end of this crazy newspaper promotion is finally in sight …The 23rd and final medallion comes out tomorrow.

When I arrived at the station this morning, there was another man at the counter in front of me buying a cup of coffee and hoarding papers. As usual, there were a couple more guys gabbing by the side window and watching the traffic go by. And I was paying for today’s medallion …

“Doesn’t that thing end tomorrow?” one of the guys by the window says.

“Thank God,” says the man hoarding the papers, now tearing out the coupons on the counter beside me.

“Yeah, now their paper sales are going to drop like crazy,” another guy by the window says.

I chuckled and nodded my head. If it wasn’t for this whole medallion thing, I’d wouldn’t be buying these newspapers. Kudos to the marketing department on that one …

“They’ve probably never sold so many papers,” another man says.

Probably not. But it sure was fun while it lasted … I’m such a dork. But darn it, this is going to be a sweet collection when it’s completed tomorrow …