What Are You Watching?

I really think network TV is behind the times.  With a regular television season being 22 weeks they should divide the year up into two seasons.  Forget about the summer of reruns and failed pilots.  Have a winter season and a summer season.  Some of the other networks have taken advantage of the lack of new shows during the summer.  You see new shows on USA, FX, Fox and some of the other networks.  When will the big three (or are they even still the big three) going to follow form?

Actually this post was going to be about what are you watching now that we are in the midst of rerun season.  Are you watching the same shows again?  Or are you watching some of these shows on the other networks?  I'm watching "In Plain Sight" on USA and this is one of my favorite shows on any network.  Also "Royal Pains" is a fun show.  And I've just gotten in "Breaking Bad" in the last few months.

What are you watching?

Five on Friday: Magic

In honor of just finishing reading the latest Harry Dresden novel my playlist this week is songs with "magic" in them.  Go to Trav's site for more Five on Fridays.

If you'd like to join in, here are the guidelines:


1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.
2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.
2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.
3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.
4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Go forth and enjoy music!

New Harry Dresden

The newest novel in the Harry Dresden series came out this week.  I know Travis will be excited by this news.  I normally don't buy many hardcovers, they're just too expensive, but this one I had to get now.  I didn't want to wait the six months or more before it comes out in paperback.

Captain America the Movie

Ok, I have to admit right up front that I was worried about this movie. From the bits and pieces I read about the movie I wasn't all that thrilled.  I wasn't all that thrilled about Chris Evans as the hero.  I wasn't that thrilled about the costume.  Can you tell I wasn't that thrilled about the move?

That is until today, when I went to see it.  This is a really good movie.  The scenes of Evans as Steve Rogers before he became the Captain are some of the best.  I have to give Mr. Evans credit.  He makes this role his own.  They take a character that was always about more than the flag on his chest and recognize the ideals Captain America stands for.

One of the great scenes in the move is when Dr. Eskerine asks the puny Steve Rogers why he wants to join the Army, "to go and kill Nazis."

Steve's reply "I don't want to kill anyone.  I don't like bullies."

Now that's Captain America.

I Hate Apple

Why do they have to make it so hard to transfer music from one computer to another.  I purchased a new computer and am trying to get my Itunes library from the old one to the new one.  I have it all saved on a back up and loaded that on the new computer, thinking I had solved the problem.  Nope, it looks like of 22,000 songs only about 4,000 have downloaded onto the new computer.  Everytime I've changed computers it's been such a hassle to get my music from one computer to the next.  It's late now and I have to get up early so I'm going to stop fighting it and try it tomorrow night.

Five on Friday

Today I go back to what will hopefully be a regular Friday occasion. Five on Friday, created by my friend Travis of Trav's Thoughts. The object is to pick five songs. All on a similar subject, by the same artist or whatever reason. I picked one of my favorite songs done by five different artists. "I Shall Be Released."

If you'd like to join in, here are the guidelines:


1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.
2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.
2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.
3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.
4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Go forth and enjoy music!

The Final Flight

"Touching down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:57 a.m. this morning, the Space Shuttle Atlantis brought to an end an era of 30 years of manned space exploration."

  - CNET News

Comic Con

Right now, even as I write these words Comic Con is going on. It's been about 8 years since I've been and it's grown more than I can imagine.  When I went than it was huge, now it's something that people are waiting in line for literally days to get in to see some of the programs.

I am sorry that I missed the chance to see Sarah Michelle Gellar's appearance.  If I'm right this is her first showing at the con.  Now I might have waited a few hours inline to see her.

Twenty Years Ago

There are a few incidents that you remember for all your life. Most people refer to where they were when JFK was shot.  I was a little young to remember that.  But I do remember the day of the first Moon Landing.  I sitting in our living room, our neighbors were over, it was considered a big thing.  We were all watching.  (This picture is actually of Buzz Aldrin stepping down to the surface of the moon.)

I really don't understand how people can't see the importance of this act.  How much as a race we stepped forward that day.  This is one of the cornerstones of my history.

A Game of Thrones

I didn't watch the HBO show of "A Game of Thrones", mainly because I don't have HBO.  I will be looking for the first season when it comes out on DVD.   From what I've read of the reviews they say it is excellent and it stays true to the source material.

Which is what's important.  I have read the books in the series, starting when the first one "A Game of Thrones" came out what seems like half a life time ago.   (And two more books to go in the series.)  The novels by George RR Martin are some of the best fantasy novels I have ever read.  I have to admit I'm not a big fantasy reader.  I know it's heretical for me to admit, but I've never read "The Lord of the Rings."   Never saw the movies either.  Most fantasy bores me.  But with this series Martin has done what I didn't expect.  Interest me in a fantasy series.  

It's a complex story with many characters and when I say no one is safe I mean it.  Just when you think one character will the main  focus he gets killed.   When you're cheering one character on because he seems to be the good guy, he'll do something that will make you re think your thoughts.  When you're booing what has to be the bad guy he'll do an act that leaves you wondering what's going on.  But none of these acts or deeds are out of character.  That's what makes this series so good, no one is all good or all bad, they have facets of every emotion just like real people.  (There are one or two characters though that I might call just plain evil, but mainly because they think of on one but themselves.)

All I can say is that if you haven't read this series yet give it a try.

Amazing

We Have To Pay Taxes...

....but evidently if you make enough money you don't have to pay any taxes.  Exxon Mobil, which keeps raising our gas prices, paid no taxes even though they made a profit of over 19 billion and they got a refund.  Go read about other companies that make a fortune in profit and pay no taxes here.  Something is seriously out of whack with our government in this case.

I Can't Believe It

Just when I think people can't be any dumber I read something like this.

More on Teachers

Teachers

How important are teachers?  If you think about it we entrust our future to teachers but we treat them like crap and pay they so little.  This video is one of the most inspiring videos I have ever seen.

Quiz

Here's a quiz to see what you know about our government.  I made a 24.  Go take it here.

Good Guys?

I have been and still am a big fan of the current President.  There are so many things he has done right and continues to strive to do right.  There are some things I disagree with.  But this is so wrong, so unlike anything I would have imagined he would have consented to.   And he has to know what's going on.  Yet he does nothing. If there's one thing I know, we here in the U.S. of A. are supposed to be the good guys and I know sometimes you have to do things you don't like to fight the bad guys, but there has to be a line that you don't cross.  Or you're no longer one of the good guys.  Being on the side of good has to mean something.

Shame on you, Mr. President.

Happy Birthday to Fats Domino (A Day Late)

Yesterday Fats Domino turned 83.  About ten years ago I saw him perform at an outdoor concert.  Two guys helped him walk to the piano bench and he looked pretty frail and old.  But once he sat down at that bench and starting playing the years just vanished.  He outplayed everyone there.

Writing

I don't want to jinx anything, it's only been mainly the last few days, but I feel good about it, but I've been writing on this blog again.   Last year was a bad year for me as far as writing on here went.  I had less than 135 post for the entire year.  Lots of things went on last year and I have no idea if any contributed to my lack of writing.  Maybe it was just a year of recharging my batteries and getting back to it.  I only write on here because I like it.  I like writing about whatever hits my mood at the moment, maybe last year I just didn't have a lot that struck my mood the right way.  Well, hopefully I'll be writing here more.  And other writing too.

New Lucinda Williams

March 1 sees the newest album from Lucinda Williams drop.  The album in Blessed.  For my money Lucinda is one of the best song writers we have currently working on there in the music world.