'Best of TBH Politoons'
Baron Dave Romm
New TV Season -- so far
By Baron Dave Romm
The Return of
the Podcast!
Shockwave Radio Theater
Podcasts
for iTunes and iPods, with pictures
Even newer!
Shockwave Radio
broadcasts on archive.org. Bookmark my bookmark page.
Recent
additions include:
2006
Elvis vs.
George W.
2005 Katrina
Aftermath: Lake George
Fall is here. The temperatures plummet, gas prices go down for political reasons, conservative politics get ugly, leaves turn color, kids are in school and the new season of tv has started. Herein are a few observations, made very early in the run of shows. I may change my mind later, but for now here are my first impressions. In general, I'm not impressed by any of the new shows, and the returning shows have lost a step.
Eureka premiered over the summer on Sci-Fi, but still counts as a new show. The eleven episodes aired are all good, and none of them great. They seem to be on Technobabble Cruise Control, and this is a bad thing. It's still early and I'm still watching, but it's on the bubble. The characters are set up, the town is built, they need to go to the next level.
I'm still avoiding the Sci-Fi Channel's web site and "webisodes". Your Mileage May Vary.
When they were first announced, Kidnapped looked very similar to Vanished. Vanished started earlier (so Fox could interrupt its schedule for baseball playoffs) and almost immediately became a joke. Too many weird things that weren't explained, high-level government conspiracies and plot twists that didn't make a lot of sense. Still, it's slickly produced and well acted, though the camerawork is a bit fast. The conspiracies are beginning to gel, at least a little, and some of the plot threads are beginning to intersect. Meanwhile, the one episode of Kidnapped has been terse and fast-moving. All the subterfuge except for the actual kidnapping seem far more real. I'd say Kidnapped is like a season-long episode of Without A Trace while Vanished is riding the same occult power-trip as Alias.
'Til Death is one of the few new comedies, and while I didn't like the pilot I gave it another episode. I was never a big fan of Everyone Loves Raymond, and Brad Garrett's comic foil as Ray's brother didn't do much for me. Still, this one has promise. The basic Situation of this sit com is that a newlywed couple has just moved in next door to a couple married 20+ years. The foursome are not exactly The Ricardos and the Mertzes, but I do like the idea that there are no villains and no stupid humor. They establish a situation, with young love rekindling old, and cynical observations on relationships are played out on two levels of commitment. I'm not going to give it a recommendation just yet, but it's on the bubble in a good way.
I'm not quite sure what to say about Justice. It's not really working, but it's like watching a train wreck. I've seen all the episodes for the same reason I watched the first season of Boston Public: When is it going to implode? Victor Garber, who was great as Jack Bristow on Alias, is horribly miscast as the head of a money-grubbing, conscienceless, law firm. They love to go to trial, and make money, and win at all costs. None of the characters are sympathetic, even the defendant, and deliberately so. The producers have made the odd decision to show the reality of the crime at the end of the show. The defense lawyers have so screwed with reality that it's hard to remember just what their arguments were. And it's very hard to determine if justice has been served. Justice is up against Criminal Minds, which premiered last week with a good, though not great, resolution to last season's cliff hanger.
Meanwhile, Shark is about a defense attorney who, in a moment of conscience, brings his conscienceless win-at-all-cost courtroom tactics to the District Attorney's office over the objection of Seven of Nine. The first episode was directed by Spike Lee, of all people. The new Asst.. District Attorney is saddled with/softened by his 16-year-old daughter who stays with him after the divorce. Maybe Shark and Eureka could have a Humanizing Daughter Exchange. Anyway, the two episodes so far have been okay. Woods' character is still being honed, and the rest of the cast is still working to be a good ensemble. They are not there yet. Everyone involved is good enough that the series is going to come down to the writing, and it's too early to say.
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip started out as biographically about creator Aaron Sorkin while referencing and taking digs at lots of other tv executives and personalities. The first episode was an okay retelling of Network/Putney Swope with an open ended hiring of the Sorkin doppleganger (Bradley Whitford, aka Josh on West Wing) and director Thomas Schlamme doppleganger (Matthew Perry aka Chandler on Friends). One episode does not a season make and I have high hopes with the cast and crew, but the pilot wasn't impressive.
Bones, in it's second season, is the fictionalized adventures of real life forensic pathologist Kathy Reichs. The fun part is watching her (and her team at "The Jeffersonian") recreate long-dead faces and reconstruct the distant past. Reluctantly turning away from anthropology, they are tapped to help the FBI reconstruct crimes. Fine as far as it goes, when it's a mystery and unlocking clues is like a combination of the forensics of CSI with new information about the past as in Cold Case. Now, the scientists are crime hunters, and digging out old bones comes with a ticking clock. For a show built around lab science, Bones is becoming too immediate. C'mon guys and gals, get back to what you're good at. You've already escaped the parent trap that doomed Crossing Jordan. Let's dig them bones!
The pilot for Standoff was awful and is dropped. The first episodes of Smith (Heist without the love) and Jericho (post-holocaust Colorado) weren't exciting, but I'll probably give them another ep or two.
Baron Dave Romm is a conceptual artist and a noble of Ladonia who produces Shockwave Radio Theater, writes in a Live Journal demi-blog, plays with a very weird CD collection and an ever growing list of political links. Dave Romm reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E. Podcasts of Shockwave Radio Theater. Permanent archive. More radio programs, interviews and science fiction humor plays can be accessed on the Shockwave Radio audio page.
Thanks to everyone who has sent me music to play on the air.
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Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Ruth Conniff: Innocent Victim of U.S. Torture Policy (progressive.org)
The Canadian government blames the United States for withholding information from Canadian authorities, and sending Arar to Syria without notifying his family or the Canadian consulate, and for ignoring Arar's objections that he would be tortured. And, of course, there is the matter of his innocence.
Nat Hentoff: Stoning Women to Death (villagevoice.com)
These are mass murders by stone-throwing members of the community, having the kind of festive time common among American mass lynchers of blacks, when the murderers brought their children to join in the fun. In Iran too, kids are present to witness the sinners' redemption.
Arianna Huffington: On Becoming Fearless (beliefnet.com)
All I wanted to know was why? After five months of living in my womb, my baby had been born dead. "Why?" I asked of the nurses, of anyone, of no one, of God. For five months my heart had swelled with love as my belly had swelled with new life. How was I to know that I had cradled my child in his grave?
Arianna Huffington: Not All Charity Is Created Equal (beliefnet.com)
If we're serious about solving social crises in America, we must stop defining charitable giving as donating to any old 501(c)3.
Pro-gay church rebuffs IRS challenge to tax-exempt status (advocate.com)
A liberal, pro-gay church in Pasadena, Calif., that has been threatened with the loss of its tax-exempt status over an antiwar sermon delivered just days before the 2004 presidential election said Thursday it will fight an IRS order to turn over documents on the matter.
Kyle Rice: I hate being gay (advocate.com)
Thiis Washington State teen faces a daily battle between the sexual attraction he feels for other men and his religious convictions that tell him being gay is against God's word.
Jonathan Martin: In Tennessee, testing the limits of liberalism (jewishworldreview.com)
Will Steve Cohen become the Congressional Black Caucus' token Jew? (jewishworldreview.com)
Rabbi David Aaron: Spare Change? The Power of Personal Change for a Blessed New Year (jewishworldreview.com)
Tzedaka really means "justice." According to justice, you must help someone who has less than you. It's not giving because you feel like giving, and want to think of yourself as sweet and generous. Tzedaka is an obligation.
Harold Goldberg: Video Game Review (villagevoice.com)
Become an Artist of the Gods: Okami
Hubert's Poetry Corner
BITE OF THE BIG BLUE SNAKE
SO UNIVERSALLY FEARED!
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Still sunny & dry.
Eager To Meet Chavez
Noam Chomsky
Author Noam Chomsky, whose three-year-old book shot to the top of the Amazon.com bestseller list after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez touted it at the United Nations, reportedly said he would like to meet Chavez.
The American author told the Times he received "10,000 e-mails" after Chavez recommended his 2003 book "Hegemony or Survival" in remarks before the United Nations General Assembly.
Chomsky, 77, told the newspaper he would not use the same words -- "alcoholic," "sick man" and "tyrant" -- that Chavez used to describe resident George W. Bush.
But he said he understood where the Venezuelan president was coming from.
"The Bush administration backed a coup to overthrow his government," Chomsky said. "Suppose Venezuela supported a military coup that overthrew the government of the United States? Would we think it was a joke?"
Noam Chomsky
Camden, NJ
Farm Aid
It's hard to find enough green space here for a soccer field, let alone a farm. So why is Farm Aid coming to this concrete-covered city known for crime, poverty and political corruption rather than a place known for corn, beans and hogs?
Camden, recently named the nation's poorest and most crime-ridden city, is at the center of a region full of small, family owned farms, strong farmland preservation efforts and people who care deeply about where the stuff they eat comes from.
"Our campaign is for farmers, whether they're living on a 500-acre corn farm in Iowa or a 1/2-acre sustainable farm in the heart of Philadelphia," said Ted Quaday, Farm Aid's program director.
This year's Farm Aid concert is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Tweeter Center, an amphitheater on the Camden waterfront.
Farm Aid
Doesn't Wears Prada
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep, who plays a tyrannical fashion magazine editor in the film "The Devil Wears Prada," does not wear shoes by the Italian fashion house.
"I own one pair of Prada shoes. They make my feet hurt," the American actress told the latest edition of French magazine Madame Figaro, published at the weekend.
"It's not the shoes' fault: they are exquisitely made. I blame my feet. I've got my mother's feet."
Meryl Streep
Controversial German Director Beats Up Critics
Uwe Boll
German cult film director Uwe Boll was so fed up with people bashing his movies that he went postal and knocked out some of his harshest critics in the boxing ring.
The jovial director challenged his detractors - most of whom ripped his movies to shreds in online reviews - to take a swing at him in the ring. Five people were selected.
One fight took place in Malaga, Spain, in September and the other four on Saturday at an outdoor venue in downtown Vancouver.
One by one, Boll knocked out his opponents in the boxing ring amid a glitzy, rock 'n' roll spectacle with loud German techno, heavy metal and hundreds of screaming Boll fans.
Uwe Boll
First Tour In 15 years
George Michael
George Michael, who has caused as much controversy as he has won critical acclaim, kicked off his first tour in 15 years with a mixture of dance hits, ballads and political commentary.
Having sworn only last year that his pop days were over, Michael has started a 47-gig tour called "25 Live," celebrating a quarter of a century in the music business.
"Well it just goes to show, doesn't it? Never say never," the 43-year-old singer wrote in the tour programme.
George Michael
Joins Choir
Yusuf Islam
The singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, who converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusuf Islam, joined the furor over Pope Benedict XVI's recent comments about Islam by criticizing the pontiff on Sunday.
The singer, whose hits such as "Moon Shadow" and "Peace Train" made him a star in 1960s and 1970s, said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp. that the pope's words proved he was not infallible.
"At one point, I used to believe that the pope was infallible," Islam said, referring to teachings he received while attending a Catholic school as a boy.
The pontiff "should have looked elsewhere if he wanted to quote but we respect the pope and his position," he said, adding it was good Benedict had retracted his statement "in a way."
Yusuf Islam
Severed Head Surprise
Burglars
Burglars in Vienna opted for a speedy getaway after they found eight severed human heads when breaking into the basement of an apartment building, Austrian police said Friday.
A dentist had stored the mummified heads, which he used for research, in a chest in the basement. Burglars stumbled upon the collection when they broke in, police said.
"The burglars were looking for loot when they discovered the heads," said a spokeswoman for Austrian police. "From what it looks like, they just left them lying and bolted away."
Burglars
Peru Seeks Dog Breed Status
Chiribaya Shepherds
An ancient Peruvian culture loved its dogs so much it buried them alongside humans and even tossed in some tasty treats for the afterlife. Now, researchers are working to get these very same dogs official breed status.
The dogs, billed Chiribaya shepherds for their llama-herding abilities, were prized by the Chiribaya people who lived in southern Peru before the Incan empire.
Archeologists digging to discover more about the culture have found 43 dog remains dating back 1,000 years. Their bodies were naturally mummified by the region's desert sands -- making their identification as a possible distinct breed much easier.
Ultimately, their goal is to convince the Belgium-based World Canine Organization that the dogs buried in Peru's Ilo valley represent a new and distinct breed, indigenous to South America.
Chiribaya Shepherds
XM Satellite Channel Debut
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey will make her radio debut on Monday on a new channel by XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., which hopes the media powerhouse can bring her legions of loyal fans to the nascent service.
With "Oprah & Friends," XM hopes to woo Winfrey's primarily female fans to the pay radio service, whose stock has been battered this year on concerns about aggressive spending on programming, a slowdown in automobile production and federal probes related to its radios.
Winfrey, whose TV show has been on for more than 20 years, is expected to broadcast live only on a limited basis. A full schedule for the channel is expected to be announced on Monday at a press event in New York.
Oprah Winfrey
In Memory
Etta Baker
Etta Baker, an influential blues guitarist who recorded with Taj Mahal and was awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, died Sunday, her family said. She was 93.
Baker was raised in a musical family in western North Carolina. She made her first mark in music in 1956, when she appeared on a compilation album called "Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians." The recording influenced the growing folk revival, especially her versions of "Railroad Bill" and "One-Dime Blues."
She worked for 26 years at a textile mill in Morganton before quitting at age 60 to pursue a career as a professional musician.
Outside her musical career, Baker raised nine children. She also suffered great losses.
Her husband suffered a debilitating stroke in 1964. That same year she was in a serious car accident that killed one of her grandsons. In the span of a month in 1967, her husband died and one of her sons was killed in the Vietnam War.
Baker toured well into her 80s, but finally quit because of heart problems.
Etta Baker
In Memory
Joseph Hayes
Joseph Hayes, the acclaimed author who transformed his gripping 1954 novel "The Desperate Hours" into a Tony Award-winning play and Hollywood screenplay, has died from complications due to Alzheimer's disease, his son Daniel, said Sunday. He was 88.
Hayes, a novelist, playwright and producer, is best known for the "The Desperate Hours," a fictional tale of a suburban Illinois family taken hostage by three escaped convicts. He adapted the novel into a Broadway play with a cast that included Paul Newman and Karl Malden. It won the 1955 Tony Award for best play.
He also developed the novel into a screenplay that was produced twice. The 1955 version starred Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March. It was remade in 1990 with Anthony Hopkins and Mickey Rourke.
Born in Indianapolis in 1918, Hayes was a graduate of Indiana University. He was a writer for New York television and radio before his first success with the 1949 Broadway release of his play "Leaf and Bough."
Hayes often collaborated with his wife, Marrijane, who died in 1991. In 1962, they penned "Bon Voyage!" The Disney film starred Fred MacMurray.
Joseph Hayes
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