Gary on TV (and stuff)

My Technorati Profile

2006-12-03T17:37:00.000-06:00

And Stuff: I am Schindler's List

2006-07-22T08:56:00.000-05:00

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

And stuff: Wet Pookie

2006-07-09T23:22:00.000-05:00

Here's some pics of Vegas a.k.a. "Pookie" after trying to catch the water coming out of the hose. Unfortunately, I missed getting shots of her chasing the water.

Books: The DaVinci Code

2006-04-26T00:04:00.000-05:00

It took me awhile, but I finally got around to reading Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code. I wanted to read it before the film came out, because the likelihood of me reading a book after seeing the movie is next to nil.

The story is most certainly an interesting page-turner. However, Mr. Brown is a little ham-handed in dangling his carrots. (Sorry, just some metaphors left over from Easter dinner.) He must have learned his technique from watching Ryan Seacrest on American Idol. It seems as if he might reveal something, but knowing that the show/book is far from over and you know there is no way he is going to reveal the winner/secret.

Brown is also not adept at characterization or writing dialogue. Much of the verbal exchanges were awkward, even painful. If I were not so interested in the story, I would have bailed out in the first quarter of the book.

I hope they do a good job on the movie – punch up the dialogue, bring some life to these characters. If they do, there will be absolutely no reason to waste your time reading the book.

TV: American Idol

2006-03-22T18:52:00.000-06:00

Tuesday/Wednesday on FOX (times vary)

I skipped last season of American Idol, but I'm back this year and I think it's the best season ever. (Even though I missed last year, I heard it wasn't that great.)

Chris Daughtry is, hands down, the best vocalist / performer in a very talented bunch. His rendition of 'I Walk the Line' was just incredible. When they said he was going to do the Johnny Cash song, I thought, "Oh, no. Big mistake. There's not much range in the song – it has a very repetitive rhythm – horrible song choice." I was never so rewarded for being wrong in my life. Generally, I like my songs the way I'm used to them – the way they were originally recorded and made popular. I would buy a recording of Daughtry's 'Walk the Line' today, if it were available. Whether or not he wins the competition, this guy has a big future in the music business.

I really like Taylor Hicks, though his song choice was terrible last night.

I don't think Bucky Covington is very good and I'm not as impressed with Elliot Yamin as the judges are.

Ace Young had one of his best nights last night, but I still don't think the pretty-boy can compete with the juggernaut that is Chris.

Kevin Covais showed a lot of improvement last night, but I still think he's GOT to go. He might do well in musical theater, but not as a pop artist.

Mandisa has the best pipes among the girls, but Paris Bennett and Katherine McPhee are really good, too.

I like Kelly Pickler (who doesn't?) but she is stuck in her country niche and doesn't look too comfortable moving around the stage.

Lisa Tucker has an AMAZING voice, but doesn't appear too confident/comfortable with contemporary pop.

Whoever is left standing after tonight's elimination, will be doing the American Idol tour. I really don't want to see Kevin in concert. I'll just wait for Chicken Little: The Musical.

Movies/Television: The 78th Annual Academy Awards

2006-03-06T23:04:00.000-06:00

I watched the Oscars last night. I thought John Stewart was great. I LMAO! But based on the audiences response (or lack of response) to him and the fact that many of the targets of his humor were the very telecast that he was presiding over, I didn't think that "the Industry" or the Academy would feel the same way. I was happy to find that the critics all had great things to say about him in the newspaper and online and nothing I read was negative. I hope we see him host again.

I was very pleasantly surprised that Crash won Best Picture. I did not see all of the nominees – in fact, the only other one I saw was Brokeback Mountain. I found Crash to be the better of those two films. I don’t see how it would have been possible for any film to win best original screenplay other than Crash.

As I said, I did not see many of the nominees, only Crash, Brokeback, North Country, Cinderella Man, Junebug, & Walk the Line.

I am interested in seeing Capote and Transamerica (I love Felicity Huffman).

Random thought: what was up with that HUGE bow on Charlize Theron’s shoulder?

I could have done without the film noir and bio-pic montages, but the gay cowboy montage was hilarious.

Possibly the best line of the night: “I think it just got a little bit easier to be a pimp out here.”

...and Stuff: Family

2006-02-02T23:07:00.000-06:00

Wanted to post this closer to the holidays, but here it is now. Clockwise, that's Mary, me, Lady and Vegas .

Television: Tonight on TiVo

2005-11-10T23:16:00.000-06:00

Smallville from tonight - James Marster's character comes into play more. For the life of me, I can't seem to remember that much about Brainiac from the comics. What his origins or powers were. I want to find out so I can compare with what they are doing with him on this show. (I hear they're spinning off Aquaman, who appeared a couple episodes ago, into his own series. It'll be interesting to see if they can do anything with it.)

Bones from Tuesday - this is an okay crime procedural. Not a must see, but my wife likes it. In this episode they try to explain why we react differently, more emotionally when a child dies/is killed. Apparently it's our maternal instincts. To me, one life should not be valued any higher than another, but that would be a long debate for another blog.

What would be a good term for a TV show that would be the equivalent of a "Chick Flick". Anyone care to take a stab at coining a term? Put it in the comments and we'll see what sticks.

TV: What I'm Watching

2005-11-09T23:42:00.000-06:00

On TiVo tonight:

King of Queens from Monday - Not one of the show's better episodes. Doug and Carrie go away for the weekend. Haven't we seen this before?

West Wing - the live debate episode from Sunday - great idea, televise a live debate as... a live debate. Unfortunately, not as riveting as a regular episode. Even a little boring. Still, a daring attempt.

Veronica Mars from tonight - good episode. Neat to see Joss Whedon as the rental car clerk. Missed Charisma Carpenter and her bikini. Hope to see more of her (wink, wink) in future episodes. I hear that there will be an episode with Charisma and Allyson Hannigan. Maybe they'll rent a car from Joss. :)

Rambo R.I.P.

2005-10-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

We'll miss you.

Movies: Serenity

2005-10-06T08:49:00.000-05:00

Movies: Serenity
NOW PLAYING

This film is based on the tragically under-watched and prematurely cancelled TV series "Firefly". I have been looking forward to this movie for nearly two years. Waiting and wondering if it would be as good as the show or if Hollywood would make a mess of it.

Serenity picks up the story of a band of brigands-for-hire in space. Serenity is the name of their Firefly-class space vessel. Writer/Director Joss Whedon does a superb job of establishing all of Serenity's crew in about the first 10 minutes or so, giving the uninitiated a good idea of who these people are and what drives them. He does this with natural dialogue and bits and behavior. It never feels like you're being hit over the head with exposition.

A young girl named River (Summer Glau) and her brother Simon (Sean Maher)are being harbored on the ship, or boat as the captain calls it, because River is being sought by the Alliance after Simon steals her away from their experimental labs. She has psychic abilities and some other gifts no one is aware of at first. The Alliance fears she's gleaned some secrets and wants her back at all costs.
The rest of the crew includes the darkly glib captain, Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion); Jayne (Adam Baldwin)the ships public relations rep (AKA muscle); second in command, Zoe (Gina Torres), pilot Wash (Alan Tudyk), and mechanic Kaylee (Jewel Staite).

This movie is edge of your seat suspense, with great effects, clever, funny dialogue (a mixture of future-speak, 19th century english, and a splash of Mandarin), and more than a few surprises. This is as much an action film as it is a space opera.

Just about all the questions remaining from the series are answered. If there is a sequel, and I pray there is, I'm not sure where they will go with it, given that everything is pretty much wrapped up with a bow. But I have great faith in Mr. Whedon.

One of the biggest hazards in movie-going (and perhaps my greatest downfall) is getting one’s hopes up too high. Harboring high expectations for a long awaited film or buying into all the media hype can often lead to major disappointment. None of that applies here. I’m here to tell you Serenity delivers. BIG TIME. I'd even go so far to say it's the shiniest movie in the 'verse.

FOUR STARS

And stuff: TomKat

2005-10-06T07:51:00.000-05:00

So Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are having a baby.

If I'd known she had a thing for older men, I never would have stopped stalking her.

:)

Television: Emmy thoughts

2005-09-19T17:40:00.000-05:00

Last night was the Emmy telecast. It's not the big event that it used be at my house. They don't award quality. Popularity and inertia are the major factors in who gets nominated and, too often, who wins.

I used to look forward to the red carpet pre-shows, but those have been turned into a shadow of what they once were. Too much focus is placed on plugging the designers of the stars' outfits. On E!, Star Jones, who has no sense of humor, gets to interview celebrities while the irreverantly funny Kathy Griffin is locked away on high, presumably where she can do no harm.

Moving on to the main event - Not enough Ellen. She seemed to be more of a servant than a host. She pretty much just greeted us at the beginning and showed us the door at the end. She wasn't given enough of an opportunity to do anything. The show would have been funnier with more Ellen.

What the hell was with that opening number??? Rapping about the past TV season? It was nowhere near funny or clever. Thanking television for bringing us the Michael Jackson trial?

Loved the Emmy Idol songs. Especially Shatner and the mezzo-soprano's rendition of the Star Trek theme. Really enjoyed Kristen Bell singing Fame, too (on many levels, mainly visually).

"Lost" is the best drama???? The West Wing has continued to be excellent despite the loss of Aaron Sorkin. "Lost" is nothing but a popular fad. Just cuz everybody watches something is no reason to give it an emmy. Why then didn't "Desperate Housewives" win Best Comedy?

Just cuz a show is going off the air after a 9-year run, is also not a good reason to hand out Emmys. This had to be one of the worst seasons for "Everybody Loves Raymond". Granted, at one time, this was a top-notch sitcom and I don't deny the vast talent of it's cast. It just slipped in quality to the point that I could no longer watch it. It was too much of a disappointment. Bad emmy voters! Bad! But then, what do you expect from the folks that refuse to recognize the brilliant writing of "Gilmore Girls" and the wonderfully talented Lauren Graham?

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the voters chose Felicity Huffman, the best actress from the "Desperate Housewives" nominees, rather than going the obvious route and giving it to the Golden Globe-awarded Teri Hatcher. The most stunning member of the cast had to be Marcia Cross in her emerald green strapless, exquisitely complemented by her long red tresses.

Although it holds less excitement for me than it used to, I guess as long as I’m a TV fanatic, I’ll be tuning in to the Emmys.

Television: Dogs That Watch TV

2005-09-04T23:59:00.000-05:00

An article on MSNBC talks about TV-watching Pets. I thought our Vegas was unusual in this respect. I was apparently wrong.

This first picture shows the view we often have of our television, with the Vegas-shaped silhouette at the bottom of the screen a la Mystery Science Theater 3000.

She takes particular interest in animals - dogs, cats, cows, and especially horses. Animation and anything moving quickly across the screen also grabs her attention. One of her favorites is the movie "Shrek". The character Donkey is her favorite as he is both animated and horse-like.

In the next picture you can see the crate in front of the television. That was placed there as a Vegas barrier.
Prior to its placement there, Vegas would jump at things on the screen with her paws hitting the base, changing the channel, turning the volume way up, switching the video input, or just turning the TV off.

For some reason, she has an unbridled hatred of the TiVo Guy. If we ever play the opening animation on our TiVo, she goes absolutely berserk. Even when TiVo Guy is just sitting quietly in the corner of the menu screen, she whines and sometimes jumps at him. We often find her behavior funny and cute, but it can in time become increasingly annoying.

But, of course, my dog would have to be a TV nut.

Television: Comedy Central Roasts Pamela Anderson

2005-08-17T22:27:00.000-05:00

WARNING!!!  I feel a rant coming on.

Why on earth was Courtney Love there?????  It’s a roast!  And what was with the “Coming up on Comedy Central Roasts Pam Anderson” at each commercial break?  So we get to hear the jokes twice?  Once for each breast I’m assuming.

And where did they get the audience?  With their sympathetic awww’s and ooooooh’s.  Did anyone tell them this is a ROAST.  The jokes are cutting to the extreme and nothing is off limits.  That’s what they do at a roast.

I was so annoyed I didn’t watch the whole thing.  They should leave the roasting to the Friar’s Club.

Television: The Closer

2005-08-16T23:12:00.000-05:00

Mondays at 9/8c on TNT

It took me a couple or three episodes, but I decided that I like this show.  Good scripts, good character-development.  Kyra Sedgewick plays a police chief that excels at getting people to confess.  She has a great way of getting what she wants by being straight-forward and aggressive (many of her co-workers see her as a bitch) while politely smiling the whole time.

The only thing is, there seems to be something wrong with the sound. It’s either TNT’s feed or my cable company or the sound editing of the show itself that makes me have to turn on my close captioning to catch everything that is being said.

I guess that means the dialogue is good too, since I go to such great lengths to get it all.  Definitely worth checking this one out.

Movies: Fantastic Four

2005-08-11T23:22:00.000-05:00

Still in theaters at the time of this posting.

I went to see this today in spite of the horrible reviews. I had to. The Fantastic Four was my favorite comic book as a kid (next to Spidey, natch). The relationships between the characters were interesting. Most other super groups just came together to battle evil, the F.F. as we called them in comic book circles, knew each other before getting super powers. Johnny (the Human Torch) and Sue Storm (the Invisible Girl) are brother and sister. Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) was romantically linked with Sue. They eventually married. And Ben Grimm (the Thing) was a long-time friend of Reed's. This created a different dynamic from other comics I had previously read and I especially liked The Thing.

Hollywood tried to bring this story to film once before. The movie was never released, though I did once see a bootlegged video tape of the disasterous attempt. The effects were laughable, obviously low budget - even for 1994 and the script made it virtually unwatchable. Read more about the 1994 version here.

So, now they have the chance to get it right- AND THEY BLOW IT AGAIN! I thought the effects were pretty good this time around. I've heard them referred to several times as "cheesy", but - c'mon - it's a movie based on a comic book - it has comic book style special effects. I even liked the actors chosen for the roles. But the script/dialogue were terrible. Surely, "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" deserves better than this! Maybe someone will get to take another shot at it in ten or so years and maybe - just maybe - they'll get it right. Unfortunately, the current film is credited with breaking the long box office slump and has grossed more than $143 million. This could mean a sequel. And how often is the sequel better than the original? Perhaps if Bryan Singer ("The X-Men") directs it....

Television: House

2005-08-11T22:50:00.000-05:00

Tuesdays on FOX 8/7c

I started watching this show when it first came on last year. I quit watching after about 4 episodes and picked it up again this summer after hearing everyone rave about the show. One or two people said it got even better later in the season.

I'm still waiting for the better part.

Don't get me wrong - House is a fascinating character and Emmy-nominated Hugh Laurie is fantastic in the role of the misanthropic addict physician, who is brilliant in spite of (or because of) these obstacles. I also love Lisa Edelstein (always do). She is a great foil to House. Though very good here, she is such a great comic actress, I prefer to see her in a comedy. Perhaps one of the reasons she turned to drama was the recent death of the sitcom. Oliver Shulam.

While, this show was unique when it first bowed, after about 2 or 3 episodes an obvious pattern began to emerge. Patient gets sick - House's team diagnoses the illness and begins treatment - treatment doesn't work - patient worsens - AHA! That wasn't the problem, this is - no, wait, that still isn't it - Eureka, it really was this other thing (or combination of things) all along.

I stopped watching because this "unique" show was becoming the same every week. You now know without a shadow of a doubt that the first and second diagnoses are wrong. There's no surprise. The only thing that keeps me watching (for now) is Hugh Laurie. They need to start mixing things up a bit or I won't be back in the fall.

And stuff: More Doggie Pictures

2005-07-30T15:52:00.000-05:00

My friend Mark took some fantastic pictures of our dogs a few weeks ago. Here's one of Lady.

Click here to see more.

I introduced the dogs in these previous postings:
Gary on TV (and stuff): And stuff: Lady Vegas
Gary on TV (and stuff): And stuff: Rambo

Television: Firefly

2005-07-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

7:00/6:00 Central - Friday Nights on the Sci-Fi Channel

It's not often you're given a second chance in life. Okay - this is a second chance to see a TV show, but a darned good one that was cancelled way too soon.

Starting this Friday, July 22, Sci-Fi Channel will begin airing episodes of "Firefly", a very entertaining sci-fi western.

" Five hundred years in the future, Mal Reynolds ends up on the losing side of a war. He escapes with little more than his own skin, one trusted friend, and his ship, the Firefly-class freighter Serenity.

Every day since then, his mission has been a simple one: Hire a crew; find a job; and just keep on flyin'.

Then, one day, he takes on a couple of mysterious passengers — and his life gets a whole lot more complicated….

Now you can see creator Joss Whedon's vision of the future as he intended it to be seen: SCI FI is going to air the entire run of Firefly, in the order specified by Joss Whedon himself. Don't miss a single exciting moment of this unique show, and prepare yourself for its leap to the big screen in the feature film Serenity, out in theaters on Sept. 30, 2005."

When the DVD
of the full series was released, including episodes unaired in it's initial run on FOX (aka WEASEL), it sold so well it helped land creator Joss Whedon a film deal for a feature length theatrical version starring all of the original cast.

"Firefly" is strong on character and story. The effects are quite good too, but this show is not about the special effects. There is a wonderful juxtaposition of futuristic technology and the feel of the old west. They said the original "Star Trek" was supposed to be a western in outer space. It ain't got nothin' on "Firefly". There is constant internal conflict aboard Serenity. There are also very strong female characters (note the plural).

So don't miss out on this chance to see a truly marvelous television experience; A chance to meet these wonderfully complex and diverse characters before they come to a multiplex near you on September 30th. Watch it on Sci-Fi Channel, buy it, rent it or borrow it. Just see it. You can thank me later.
(4 stars)

Television: The Emmy Nominations

2005-07-14T21:32:00.000-05:00

As much as I tell myself that awards don't mean anything, I always get caught up in the Emmy Nominations and the Emmy telecast itself.

I only need to look back at past Best Actress in a Comedy winners Isabel Sanford and Candice Bergen (5 times!) as proof that these awards are far cry from an indication of talent or humor or timing. And yet, I still register shock, surprise, and indignation when performances that I feel would be a lock to a nomination in anyone's book, are blatantly overlooked.

"Will and Grace" - tied for the most nominations of any show??? (15!) I stopped watching when the show stopped being funny almost two years ago. "Scrubs" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" were both nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series and were quite funny at one time, but they've both been in a severe slump since at least late last season. Although you could argue that the sitcom as a form is, itself caught in a terminal slump and I would be hard pressed to find enough funny shows to fill this category. (How about "Two and a Half Men" or "The King of Queens"?)

"Desparate Housewives", a show I enjoy a great deal, is the other show nominated for 15 awards this year. Three of the actresses in the show occupy spots in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy category - Marcia Cross, Teri Hatcher, and Felicity Huffman. I like all three, but do we really need three "Desparate" actresses taking up spaces in the category when Lauren Graham has been consistently overlooked for her superb turn as Lorelai Gilmore on "The Gilmore Girls"? These are the kinds of things that should make me give up on the Emmy's entirely. Still, every year I hope they'll get it right and I root for my favorites anyway. Call me a glutton for punishment.

There will be more on the Emmy's in the days to come. Stay tuned.

Television: Inside Out?

2005-07-13T23:08:00.000-05:00

According to the Ask Ausiello column on tvguide.com, Fox's great new show "The Inside" has not been renewed past it's original 13 episode order. They haven't even given it a chance. It's the middle of summer for cryin' out loud. How can they expect a show to find an audience now, when people are outside playing or have just assumed that there's nothing on TV now except repeats?

I think 6 episodes have run so far, and tonight they advertised the next one airing in two weeks. I wonder if they'll even run all 13. Or will Fox pull another "Tru Calling" and air every episode except the last one and then release the whole series on DVD. They should change the name of their network from FOX to WEASEL!

It's alot to hope for, but maybe some cable station will pick it up. TNT, are you listening? USA?

Check out series creator Tim Minear's blog.

Movies: War of the Worlds ('53)/Auto Focus/In Good Company

2005-07-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

Saw three movies this past weekend and am just getting around to writing about them. Pardon my brevity.

The War of the Worlds (1953) - Starring Gene Barry
Bought this one on laser disc and hadn't screened it til now. From the prices I saw on Amazon.com, I believe the DVD is currently out of print. You'd think they'd try to capitalize on the new Spielberg version. I would think that many people, like me, might want to see the old version as well. I'd seen it on television several times, many years ago and wanted to revisit it before seeing the new one. It held up very well. Great effects for it's time. Classic alien invasion story. (3 stars)

Auto Focus - Starring Greg Kinnear and Willem Dafoe
This film tells the story of the rise and fall of Bob Crane, star of TV's "Hogan's Heroes". It was kind of odd to see a story of sexual addiction told with a colorful '60's backdrop. Good performances but kind of creepy. (2 stars)

In Good Company - Starring Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace, and Scarlett Johansson
The best of the bunch. Dennis Quaid plays an ad executive who gets demoted and is replaced by someone young enough to be his son. My wife and I both enjoyed this one. Funny and true to life, anyone who has worked in Corporate America will be able to relate. (3 1/2 stars)

Television: The Inside - Revisited

2005-06-29T21:58:00.000-05:00

Wednesday nights on Fox 9/8c

This is ammending my first post on this show.

Tonight's episode "Everything Nice" was terrific. My pulse is still pounding.

An 8 year old boy is grusomely killed in the gated community in which he lives. One of the residents plays poker with the mayor, calls in a favor and gets the FBI special team involved. That's all I can say about the plot without giving anything away.

I was really involved by the great performances, especially that of the victim's mother played by Anne Dudek, who I've usually seen in comedic roles. She excels here. I really felt her loss.

We're starting to see more of the agents' personalities and there was more of an attempt to inject some welcome humor into this dark show. This is not a happy show. It tries to show how dark and twisted some people can be. I hope it doesn't get dragged down in that. But based on this episode, I'm changing the status of this show from "keep an eye on this one" to "set TiVo to Season Pass".

Music: Anna Nalick-Wreck of the Day (POP)

2005-06-28T22:07:00.000-05:00

I don't usually buy a CD based on just one song. However, I made the exception this
time, because of the fantastic song Breathe (2 AM). I was drawn by Nalick's smoky voice, depth of emotion and strong lyrics in this one song. So much so, that I thought it was worth the risk (plus it didn't hurt that the CD was on sale for $8.99).

Most of the rest of the CD is rather lackluster. Not bad, just nothing out of the ordinary. The only other song I really liked was Satellite. If I were to pick the second single off the album it would have to be Satellite. The song starts out with a lilting quality, then builds to a kick-ass power chorus. If they really want to sell this album, they need to get this one on the radio.

To me, Nalick's voice is a mixture of Lisa Loeb and Alanis Morrisette. This is a good thing, since I enjoy both artists. If only the whole CD lived up to the grand promise of Breathe.

And stuff: Rambo

2005-06-25T15:36:00.000-05:00

Here he is. This was taken today.

As I said yesterday, Rambo does not like having his picture taken! Poor guy!

He and Lady are Shelties, mother & son.

And stuff: Lady & Vegas

2005-06-24T23:15:00.000-05:00

Here's some of the "and stuff" you will see from time to time. It could be rantings on current events or something that has happened to me recently.

Today it's doggy pictures. Or as my wife and I (mainly my wife, tho) fondly refer to them, our poopies.

Here's Lady also known as "Princess". She's a Sheltie.

This little cutie is Vegas, often referred to as "Pookie" or "Pookus". She is a mix: long-haired dachsund and Tibetan Spaniel (?).

I couldn't find a good enough picture of Rambo (Lady's son - we have 3 dogs). He will rarely stay in one place long enough to have his picture taken. His picture will be posted in the future.

Music: The 80's

2005-06-22T23:28:00.000-05:00

Think you know your 80's songs? Take this quiz:
People are What?
I'm ashamed to admit I only scored a 71.15

Television: Beauty and the Geek

2005-06-21T19:23:00.000-05:00

Wednesdays 8/7c on the WB

Yes – I’ve been sucked in by another reality show.

Yes – it has babes in bikinis getting slathered in oil.

But there’s more to it than that. This is indeed the “ultimate social experiment” with more than just the goal of showing that there’s more to a person than meets the eye.

There are several couples (the guys are the geeks and the girls are the beauties, natch) trying to win $250,000. Each week they compete in different challenges: the girls have to change a tire or build a rocket; the guys have to learn to dance or give a massage. The winning teams then get to send another team into the elimination round. Fairly standard reality show structure.

However, instead of the usual back-stabbing and strategizing, many of the contestants seem to have a greater goal. They realize and take advantage of the opportunity that they have been given here. They have the chance to venture outside of their usual comfort zones and see this as an opportunity to grow.

Who knew that Ashton Kutcher would produce a show with a beneficial message for us all: There are potential rewards in stretching outside of our self-inflicted boundaries.

Beauty and the Geek has already been renewed for a second season.

I wonder if it was the positive message or the oiled up babes...

Television: The Inside

2005-06-17T23:37:00.000-05:00

Wednesdays 9/8c on FOX

Caught this on TiVo tonight from this Wednesday. Pretty good so far. A little graphic at times.

Special FBI agents investigate serial killings. (Hmmm. This seems to be turning into a blog about serial killers. see previous post) The leader of the team (Peter Coyote) appears to have hand-picked the agents based on their pasts. He seems to manipulate them using their quirks/foibles into solving the crimes. Is he ingenious or just a bastard? or both? This could be interesting. I'll keep watching for now.

Books: Broken Prey

2005-06-16T23:41:00.000-05:00

by John Sandford – Highly Recommended

Just finished reading this last night.

If you have not read Sandford and you like detective fiction / police procedurals and don’t mind a little explicit violence, you’re missing out.

The “Prey” series revolves around Lucas Davenport, a detective with the Minneapolis police department. Davenport has a software company on the side which turned out to be rather lucrative for him. He has suffered through bouts of depression, bad relationships, and dealing with the media, all the while putting together the pieces of the puzzle on one mystery after another. The character, well-developed from the start, continues to be revealed and grow with each additional volume. After sixteen books, it's like a reunion with an old friend.

Aside from Sandford's exceptional writing, one of the things that set this series apart from other detective novels is the setting. Rather than setting his novels in one of the largest cities in the world like New York, L.A. , or even London - John Sandford chose Minneapolis. It's a refreshing change and the author's familiarity with the locale and attention to detail make it a great choice.

Broken Prey is one of the best in the bunch. Here is the synopsis from the dust jacket:

"... there is nothing easy about what Lucas Davenport faces now. The first body is of a young woman, found on a Minneapolis riverbank, her throat cut, her body scourged and put on display. Whoever did this, Lucas knows, is pushed by brain chemistry, there is something wrong with him. This isn't a bad love affair.

The second body is found three weeks later, in a farmhouse six miles south. Same condition, same display -- except this time it is a man. Nothing to link the two victims, nothing to indicate that the killings end here.

A suspect emerges early: a man recently released from a prison hospital who now seems to have cut himself free from his court-imposed ankle bracelet and disappeared. But the more Lucas investigates, the more he wonders: Is this really the man? Could he really have done this all by himself? And where has he gone? ...."

I quoted the jacket so I wouldn't inadvertantly give away any of the surprising twists and turns of the plot.

I have read - no, devoured all 16 books in this series and I have never been disappointed. If you are new to the Davenport saga and wish to start from the beginning, you should start with Rules of Prey. You can jump in anywhere, but to get a real feel for Davenport's development, go back to the beginning.