Monday, May 24, 2010

Don't step out of this house if that's the clothes you're gonna wear. I'll kick you out of my home if you don't cut that hair.

Quick Hitters and Random Thoughts

--My foray into sports radio didn’t begin until just after Jose Lima’s Astros career ended. But like most people I learned Lima through John and Lance. They were always incredibly entertaining together and you stayed in your car to listen, sometimes up to a commercial, but usually long enough to hear one more segment. I don’t have any personal Lima stories and never met the man, but one of the best things about him was the fact that if you were like me you still felt like you knew Jose anyway. You knew that Lima simply loved life and loved sharing life with whoever was around him at that particular time.
Lots of good stuff from Lance's Z-Report and Sean's Houston Press blog.
RIP Lima Time



--In the end Lost gave us an episode of solid, solid television that provided more questions than answers, but would they have had it any other way? Sticking with the Island stuff first, Desmond was kind of a letdown after we were led to believe he was the key to everything. Didn’t turn out that way although I loved Bernard and Rose rescuing him. I also would have liked to see Jack finish off Locke without Kate’s help or at least it could have been Ben with the kill shot. Didn’t like seeing him return to this season’s form as a background character, but did like seeing Lapidus and Richard whose enthusiasm for going gray I don’t share. The Jack/Hurley talk was great and Hurley is the perfect Island guardian. I didn’t put it together, but several reviewers are working along the thinking that Hurley created the Sideways/Purgatory as a gift to everyone who formed his island community’s core. Makes about as much sense as anything else as an explanation to its creation. In the end they got off the Island on that Ajira plane for one reason and one reason alone, yep, duct tape.
The best parts of the finale were easily the awakenings. Claire and Charlie made my eyes fill up like I was chopping a bag full of onions for a lasagna for one.

Juliet and Sawyer also gave me an inflammation in my tear gland.

Sun and Jin with Juliet kicked up more dust in the room. The awakenings were just perfect devices to use that were central to the moments those characters were in and where they were going while it also provided us a brief clip show so the audience relives those moments with each character. Great, great stuff.
As for the Sideways/purgatory, well I have no idea. It’s left open to interpretation what exactly all that was because I don’t understand why only some people were there or others weren’t. And did Ben not go in because he wanted more time with Alex? Seemed more like a series wrap party than anything else. Always nice to see Maggie Grace though and Kate cleans up nicely.
I loved the closing shot with Jack in his spot with Vincent running up to him while his eyes close for one last time.

Lost was at its best when it focused on the characters and their emotions than when it waxed philosophy and mythology. To that end, "The End," gave me what I wanted. Resolution for most of the characters who were on the wildest ride of television I’ve ever encountered. While not my favorite series of all-time this finale left me with a feeling of loss that no other show has. I’m going to miss that hour every week. I’m going to miss those headaches caused by so many questions of science and faith. I’m going to miss being frustrated by unsatisfying answers or no answers at all. I’m going to miss scenes between Locke and Ben. I’m going to miss reading and talking about the episode the next day. I’m going to miss Smokey. I’m going to miss Doc Jensen’s 12 page columns that would inevitably lead me to spend hours on Wikipedia or Lostpedia. I’m going to miss Michael Giacchino’s music. I’m going to miss Sawyer’s nicknames. I’m going to miss hearing those three words, “Previously on Lost.” I'm going to miss the sugary sweetness of Rose and Bernard. I’m going to miss frantically changing the channel when Lost previews would air. I’m going to miss seeing an outrigger and thinking okay finally we’re going to get to who was shooting at them. I’m going to miss the brain exercise. I’m going to miss those characters, every last one of them, well not Zoe. Thanks Lost, it was fun.
Favorite review I've read thus far comes from The LA Times.


--Dear Community: When you have episodes centered on Jeff’s love life the show suffers. It’s just that simple.
What a letdown of a season finale with an end that was both predictable and pointless. While it’s nice to see John Oliver used once again and he was good, there’s so much fun to be had in the study group (usually) I’d rather spend time with them. Hopefully this show picks up some new viewers during the summer so it has a fighting chance against The Big Bang Theory when they face off next season at 7.

--Let me reiterate a big F U to NBC for moving Parks and Recreation to midseason. Just stupid. Anyway, it was clearly the best of the Thursday finales. I’m not sure what’s funnier than watching Ron Swanson trying to suppress a grin. And now we have a Swanson – bacon wrapped turkey leg.

And now we know Ron likes to dress up like Tiger Woods the day after sex.
And April and Andy kissed!
As did Anne and Andy, damn!
Loving the roles Rob Lowe and Adam Scott are playing.

--Office, I don’t even know what to say about that season finale.

--The other outstanding new comedy, Modern Family, had a much better OBP than Community and a pretty comparable slugging percentage as well. Its finale was solid and I finally caught up since I missed Hawaii’s episode. Phil getting busted for staring at his wife’s sunglasses to see Gloria/Sofia Vergara coming out of the pool was classic Phil.
Luke’s Hurt Locker or Squirt Locker (nice Cam) was hilarious.
I really don’t know anyone who wouldn’t like this show. Its appeal is so broad and accessible and it hits on so many jokes while still getting its little life lesson across to the audience. I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t watch this show, but if for some reason you don’t you need to do yourself a favor and watch online or wait for summer reruns because a mass appeal show like this doesn’t come around all that often. Some of my favorite Phil Dunphy lines from this first season:

Phil: What a mom. Sometimes I wish you were my mom.
Claire: Oh God, Phil, I’m already feeling a little queasy.

Phil: Every realtor is just a ninja in a blazer. The average burglar breaks in and leaves clues everywhere, but not me. I’m completely clueless.

Phil: I’m cool dad, that’s my thang. I’m hip, I surf the web, I text. LOL: laugh out loud, OMG: oh my god, WTF: why the face.

Phil [on his fists]: I'm gonna introduce him to the Captain... and Tenille.

--David Barron pointed this out and it’s worth repeating that Houston has one of the largest growth rates for Stanley Cup viewing on Versus. We’re up 67% over a year ago. Nice.

--Congratulations to the one, the only Randy “Macho Man” Savage on his recent marriage.


--Deadspin’s Dead Wrestler of the Week features are always great reads. Last week’s was about The Junkyard Dog who I remember well from his days in Mid-South. Mid-South Wrestling is a DVD I’d like to see on the shelf sometime. I think the first time I ever really used YouTube was to watch old WCW and WCCW footage.

THUMP!

--Gus Johnson doing Madden 2011 is nice, but I think this is the first year I don’t buy it. Of course, this is the 7th year in a row I’ve said that. Between FIFA and NCAA Football I think I’m set for late Summer/Fall.

--I had The Informant! from Netflix for about three weeks until I finally got around to watching it. I’m usually a mark for Matt Damon movies, but this one had me opting for old Lost episodes before it was even half way through. Looking forward to watching The Messenger this week, well at least as “forward” as you can to something that looks fairly depressing.

--Finally got around to watching the newest Doors doc, When You’re Strange, narrated by that one guy who was on 21 Jump Street. Not Richard Grieco the other one. Anyway, there wasn’t a lot or any new ground broken, but if you’re a Doors fan I don’t know why you wouldn’t like it. Anytime I see things like this about the Doors I come away with the same thought. Ray Manzarek was one incredible f’n musician. I mean Robby and John are fantastic and insanely talented too, but Ray’s work always just blows me away when I listen.


--It didn’t last nearly as long as any of the first three, but Vasquez/Marquez IV was one-sided, but fairly entertaining. Rafael Marquez started out just as fast as he’s done in the past and all it really took was a few good shots to Israel’s already f’d up left eye and this one was, for all intent and purposes, over. And those shots probably could have been anywhere on Israel’s face which looks to have as much scar tissue as Ric Flair’s forehead. Appropriately each fighter won 2 fights apiece. We don’t need to see a 5th or Israel in the ring again at all. Nice job Rafael, now let’s see how your brother does against Juan Diaz in July.

--Sticking with boxing, congratulations to the Oakland Police Department. You gotta work damn hard to get yourself banned from boxing events. In this case it was a card sanctioned by the International Association of Boxing and said card was of course a “Badge vs. Badge” card. Apparently all hell broke loose during the night’s last fight. Stay classy Oakland PD. Oh and nice job killing Bambi a few weeks ago.

Questions, comments or if you're barely hanging on with Treme...

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