Sunday Morning Political Musings

Say what you will about our president-elect. I'm not a fan of his liberal leanings with regard to progressive taxation and income redistribution. Nor his opposition to marriage equality. Nor his flat-earthiness. And supposedly, he'll be on 60 Minutes calling for a college football playoff (which I oppose).

But on the other hand, he is a big old geek.

And he's a smoker.

And he's a CrackBerry addict.


In other political news, I like singer Melissa Etheridge's solution to protesting the ridiculous and bigoted passage of Prop 8.

And with the wreckage of the SS GOP washing up on shore, lots of column inches have been devoted to "what now?" for the elephants. Here's something from the always entertaining P.J. O'Rourke. Here's a feedback form, taking ideas on rebuilding the party. (definitely worth checking out, and I'll come back to that in a moment). Here's what the so-called "evangelicals" think about candidates. Here's a clear-headed article entitled "Free The GOP."  And here's a discussion of the "Libertarian Temptation."

Currently, the thinking about the GOP retrenchment seems to fall along two lines:

1. Retreat further into "the base," and organize the party around supernatural underpinnings, "cultural" issues, and using government and politics to advance an intolerant, judgmental and constitution-warping theocracy.
2. Embrace the "big-tent" theory, and move the party more toward an inclusive, small-government and Libertarian philosophy.

I don't think I need to point out which one of these I would support. And even if you support option 1, does anyone really think that stands any chance of short or long term success? Especially on a national scale? Just looking at it from a pure statistical standpoint, wouldn't that automatically strip out several huge blocks of potential voters (not to mention candidates)? The young? Women? Minorities? The agnostic? The tolerant? The Northeast? The West? The multi-cultural? How could that do anything except permanently make the GOP a small, clique-ish, nuisance?

Go back to that "Rebuild the Party" site, and look at the ideas in order of the votes:

• Reach out to Ron Paul.
• Make room for Libertarians.
• Fiscal conservatism, limited government, constitutional rights.
• "Small c" conservatives (removing the dogma).
• Embrace the Fair Tax.
• Be inclusive.
• Embrace science.

How could any of those things be bad? The opposing forces in the "Right Fight" do share a couple of things in common. A desire for smaller government, and the need for government to steal less of the money that individuals earn. If you start there as an organizing central philosophy, what is going to bring more people to a movement:

• A party that wants to give you the freedom to believe what you want to personally believe, without infringing on anyone else's rights? Or...
• A party that will only accept you if you adhere to their dogmatic, insular, prejudiced and theological constraints?

It really does seem like a simple choice, doesn't it? But logic, I fear, as it so often does, will evade those in positions of power on the right, and doom the GOP to a generation (or more) of minority party status. And when the tax burden goes below the 50% mark (meaning, more than half of the voters wind up not paying any taxes at all, and realize they can suck off the teat of the successful by virtue of their alignment with the left), as it surely will after a couple of Democratic regimes, then all hope will be lost for conservatives. So, GOPers, wrap yourself in an ideological blanket and continue to erode your significance, or be open to larger ideas and freedoms and stand a chance at staying relevant? Proceed at your own risk.

CrackBerry home screen wallpaper of the day

 

Yep, that will work, won't it?

I'll take potpourri for $3,700, Alex

I09 on why Dollhouse will be Joss's greatest work.

I'd buy an "US Magazine" covering these folks: "Not believing in fairy tales...they're just like US!" Related: happy holiday wishes! Hee.

Should I pimp out my new CrackBerry? I can tell you one thing, there will be no orange involved.

This has been buzzing around the interwebs this week (and even made Countdown with Keith Olbermann): a supposed UGA coed, in a version of "I fought the stall, and the stall won." Turns out, she was a fucking Gator. Don't we all feel better about our diplomas now?

30 sci-fi bromances.

The new Harry Potter trailer. Even if you've already seen the trailer, click the link to watch the video from the Warner Brothers "PR Guy."

The awesome first two minutes from the next Doctor Who X-Mas special.

Thoughts on James Bond one-liners. And a smattering of Bond double entendres. (And though she was the absolute worst Bond girl, I did enjoy the line about Denise Richards" nuclear scientist).

Auburn CB calls Stafford "best QB in the nation."

Thoughts on two wannabe pulp classics. I must admit, I've seen both of these movies, multiple times. I love the whole "pulp hero" genre (with The Phantom, The Shadow and others, like Doc Savage), and have read scores of their original novels. Of the two discussed here, Baldwin's Shadow was by far the more entertaining flick. There's a rumor that Sam Raimi also adores the property, and would like to do it justice on the big screen. I'd buy some coke and a popcorn for that, especially if the casting suggested in the AV Club article is realized: The Shadow/Lamont Cranston = Jon Motherfucking Hamm.

America's top 40 showrunners. Given how many shows are actually on TV, the list seems a little large. However, you know who is on there, as expected.

100 movie spoilers in less than 5 minutes. I knew them all, so nothing was spoiled for me, but DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!! If you don't want movie endings spoiled for you, don't watch.

First look at the "new" NCC-1701. The trailer should be on the intertubes any minute now.

20 classic toys that aren't movies....yet. As always when we reference "classic" toys, yep, I had almost all of these. And a blog devoted to Major Matt Mason.

Whiskey x-mas comes early

I think everyone knows by now that I love the purple-bagged nectar of the gods. I went grocery shopping tonight after work, and not just for the usual staples of coffee, frozen pizzas, diet Coke, half and half, detergent/bleach/softener and cat food. I also swung by the liquor store to pick up a bottle of Crown in preparation for the Tigers/War Eagles/Plainsmen vs. Dawgs game tomorrow. Thanks to a helpful sales dude (thanks, rare friendly customer service person in the mid-Atlantic!), I realized that it was "gift set time," whereby you can purchase your regular bottle 'o booze and receive, at no additional cost, some type of liquor logo tchotchke. In the past, I've received high ball glasses, low ball glasses, bottle stands, bottle tops and all types of assorted accoutrement. But tonight, I think I got my new favorite gift from the fine folks at my favorite distillery:


It's a handy metal and purple bag-wrapped hip flask. Awesome, no? And while it certainly isn't utilitarian or voluminous enough for a Dawgs game (that sucker wouldn't make it through the first quarter - though taking homecoming against Vandy into account, would have probably been a wiser choice), it's certainly a nice addition to the bar ware. And will probably come in handy the next few weeks at work.

Fuck Santa. Ho, ho, ho, I'm going to the liquor store.

New Watchmen Trailer

Courtesy of Yahoo Movies, check out the awesome:

How I met your show killer

No, noted "show killers" Ted McGinley and Paula Marshall aren't joining the cast of How I Met Your Mother. But they might as well be. You see, on television -- just as in real life -- babies ruin everything.

But after Monday's HIMYM, it appears that's just where we're heading. I guess part of this is in response to Alyson Hannigan's real-life pregnancy, and there's only so much "I'm carrying a big bag" or "I'll be over here standing behind the counter" you can do on a show with 5 central characters so intrinsically involved in the plots (and lots of time-jumping to periods where Lily wouldn't be pregnant), but I hate to see one of my favorite sitcoms go down this road. Sigh. I could put up with Ted's cloying and self-absorbed need to spawn, because it was balanced with Robin's logical and Barney's narcissistic aversions to the demon seeds, but even they appeared to be overcome by the motherfucking "sock."

And if that wasn't bad enough, the guest star IQ on the show is dropping precipitously (if that was even possible after Britney's appearances last year): "reality" morons and whores will now be infecting a great half hour.

Here's a nice article on the "best show nobody is watching" (which in my book, is still Pushing Daisies -- or depending on how you parse the expectations and rating, Battlestar Galactica or Mad Men) that obviously predates Monday's developments.

I guess my reaction is best summed up by Dexter's Debra Morgan:

Deb: "A baby? A motherfucking roly-poly chubby-cheek shit-machine; Are you kidding me?"

I'll take potpourri for $3,600, Alex

Remember my post about my "days in hell?" Well, I forgot to mention this: I also got a letter from the IRS. (Sadly, not the old record label). It seems that both the state of GA and my former mortgage company made errors in reporting. So I had to waste a couple of hours getting that straight with my accountant. Fair Tax, anyone?

A handy list of the most commonly misspelled words. I always have problems with "judgment."

Featurette about the world of Terminator 4.

Good news? An awesome new Dollhouse trailer. Bad news? It appears Joss is getting shafted again by FOX, which just announced their upcoming schedule. Instead of getting a cushy spot on the Monday sched with 24, Dollhouse is now paired with Sarah Connor on Fridays, the TV graveyard. Seems I recall another Whedon show on FOX, a little thing called Firefly, airing on Fridays. We know how that worked out. Fuck. Of course, depending on the expectations and patience of the "new" FOX regime, perhaps there's a silver lining. Maybe TPTB will realize where the stabilized ratings are for T:TSCC, and that will create lowered performance expectations for Dollhouse, and they will accept a non-American Idol number on Fridays, letting both shows breathe and attract a nice geek demo. Optimism, right?

Speaking of Joss, nice interview about Fray. (And how cool has it been to revisit that world in the Buffy Season 8 comics?)

Ray Wise, the delightfully snarky Devil from Reaper, chats here.

Q&A with HIMYM creators.

Joan Holloway (and YoSaffBridge) was in an Everclear video! Yep, she was smoking hot then, with shorter hair. More on the hotness that is Christina Hendricks here.

Unexpected storylines on college football. 4 and 5 are dismaying, of course.

Why Bones is the best procedural on TV. I'm still fond of CSI: Original Recipe too, though. (Thursday's ep, with Lady Heather, didn't disappoint. And did anyone notice that Roger Sterling's new bride showed up in that one also?)

I'm trying to keep an open mind about the Big O, but his whole idea of "fair" makes me want to vomit. FAIR is that people keep what they make, period. FAIR is that nobody gets a free ride, period. FAIR is that people are NOT rewarded for sloth, idiocy or rampant spawning.

Is this where the whole "red" and "blue" designations started? Oh, and Oregon adds yet another uni debacle to their closet.

Did anyone know you're supposed to calculate the tip on the pretax bill?

Why Pushing Daisies is the best show you're not watching. (and probably won't be for much longer. Rumor has it that PD won't get the "back 9" pick up, and Bryan Fuller could head back to try and resuscitate Heroes).

The women of Watchmen. And if Carla Gugino isn't #1 on my "list", I don't know who is.

Is Best! New! Show! of the summer dead? Sigh.

Does anything good ever happen at a Days Inn? Evidently, the Bulldog hubby got pwned just like the team did.

I'd hang myself. Except the noose would break.

What a fucking couple of days.

Wednesday, I go to a local lab to get a blood test, for an upcoming physical. Have all my paperwork, insurance card, everything is in order. You have to fast for 12 hours prior, so I don't eat dinner the night before, and only drink water. I wake up at the ass crack of dawn, even for me, to get to the lab before 6 AM, to be first in line (and so I can get back ASAP to my beloved smokes and java. Hmmmm. Wonder what that physical will reveal?). Wait until they open the doors, get first in line, wait another (inexplicable) 20 minutes to come up to the desk, and they tell me the Doc forgot to check the "reason" for the test on the front (all the tests to be taken were dutifully checked on the back of the form). I tell the automaton behind the desk that it's just for a regular old physical, and not any of the other exotic reasons listed. Seems logical that it would be "wellness." But no. This fucking drone says I have to come back, after getting the doc to check the form. I say let's call the doc. Of course the office isn't open at 6:20 AM. I say let's take the blood, you know what to test for (back of the form) and I'll have the doc call it in at 9 AM when his office opens. Nope, says the fucking Borg. More "debate" (me making logical points, her staring vacantly and continuing to say "no") ensues, and I leave in a thunderstorm of loud profanity that would make the cast of Scarface blush. So, I'm going to fast Sunday night, and try this bullshit all over again Monday morning. (The doc, cool dude that he is, just said in a phone call "check the 'wellness' box in black ink. And here's my cell phone, so they can call me at 6 AM if they have a problem Monday AM.")

I finally turned off the A/C in the apartment on Monday, when it got down in the 40s here. Of course, Wednesday, it got back up in the 70s, so I turn it back on. I hear it running, but I don't feel it getting cooler. I wake up at 5 AM Thursday in a pool of sweat, and it's like 78 in here. Apparently, the A/C isn't working now, and just blowing warm fucking air. When I get to work, I call the repair people, tell them of the EMERGENCY! and they say someone will come over that day. Well, no one shows up, I call to remind them again, they say someone will come over, no one does (again) and I spend the whole night boiling like a crawdad.

To top that off, last night, I have a major problem with my CrackBerry synching with my PC at home. I could recount about 12,000 words of all the troubles and travails, but needless to day, I spent 6 hours (!) on the phone (while suffocating in the sauna) with "elevated BlackBerry tech support" trying to resolve the problem, which consisted of downloading, deleting, uninstalling, reinstalling, rebooting and so much high-tech hackery I thought I was going to enter into the Matrix, free the human batteries and go on to make a really shitty third movie. I forgot to eat dinner, being on the phone until the wee hours.

This morning, I wake up (sweaty, and not for a good reason) for a cross town meeting at 5 AM. (It goes well). I come back home, and STILL NO GODDAMNED MAINTENANCE ON MY A/C. I work from home in the afternoon, call them again, and the dude finally shows up. Well, the unit is low on coolant, but something is frozen (if it's fucking frozen, then why do I feel as if I'm living in a kiln?) and they can't add the coolant until it thaws. On Monday. When they're back at work. (Oh, I'm so looking forward to Monday. Come home for the maintenance dude, AFTER fasting the night before, getting no java first thing in the morning and getting up at 5:30 to go visit my friends, the zombiefied dumbfucks at the lab. To get stuck with a needle). However, today, maintenance dude did leave a "portable A/C" unit. It's about 4 feet tall, and loud as hell (which reminds me of the humidifying units I had to have installed all over my house for two weeks, back when the white trash Jenna Jameson and clan did $70,000 worth of damage to my beautiful casa). And boy, it has the cooling power of dropping a single ice cube into a stadium cup full of whiskey. Oh, and did I mention that while all this was going on, I was on phone with crackberry support for ANOTHER 6 MOTHERFUCKING HOURS?! And I forgot to each lunch.

Well, here I am now, and the crackberry issue is finally *kinda* resolved. I ate a sandwich. I have a huge Crown and water beside me. And it's cooled down to a balmy 305 Kelvin. I think I've lost 8 pounds, so I guess that's good.

And best of all? You know what spurred all the crackberry software issues? This sweet bitch:


Yeah, baby. I'm BOLD.

Yeah, but they didn't have money to redistribute in the 23rd century

Well, the election has come and gone and we have a new POTUS-elect. I enjoyed watching the election build up and coverage, from the strategic, journalistic and sporting perspectives, but I didn't really have a dog in this hunt. I'm "trapped in the middle," being a Libertarian.

Both parties, and candidates, have positions that don't exactly thrill me. However, we have what we have now, so let's look for a silver lining:

Our new president is a trekkie.

The Big O is currently evaluating candidates for top level positions, so I'll just throw out Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy for Surgeon General. However, given what happened in the White House during the Clinton years, I would suggest keeping Jim Kirk away from the interns.

My cat almost burned down the apartment complex. Again.

Okay, perhaps that's a bit of hyperbole and exaggeration.

But, as they say on Pushing Daisies, the facts are these:

• On ball game Saturdays, particularly when we lose, I tend to over-pour my whiskey.
• In the midst of a drunken stupor, I'll see a Dominos or Papa Johns commercial, get an instant craving, and decide that the only thing to fill the empty hole where victory used to be is a pizza So I'll log on, and order a 'za.
• I continue to over-pour, the pie arrives, and I gobble it down while watching Granny Clampett and Mister Potato Head tell me how my alma mater sucks cock by choice.
• In the old days, I would take the empty pizza box out to the garage and put it in the rolling dumpster and be done with it. However, I don't have a garage now. Nor a rolling dumpster.
• Of course, all cats have different personalities and quirks. I have some dear friends who have a house full of felines, and they can set out a party platter full of fresh seafood and chicken fingers, and their cats will politely walk around on the floor, and not think once about jumping up on the table to treat themselves to a buffet full of people food.
• However, not my guy. Mulder is obsessed with people food. If I take something out of the microwave, set it on the counter, and turn my head for 3 seconds -- he'll be face first in the plate. (And it's not only food. If I don't pay attention to beverages -- diet Coke, orange juice, coffee, whiskey, whatevs -- he'll be lapping out of the cup like a bedouin stumbling upon an oasis after five months in the desert).
• So what to do with a bulky pizza box? The only place to put it where the cat won't knock it around the kitchen and dig into it all night is the oven. So I put the box in there, have a few more cocktails, and go to bed.
• Sometime the next day, I get hungry, and decide to cook something. In the oven. So I turn on the oven to preheat, and go about my business. (Yesterday, I also decided to take a walk, take out the trash, drop off the rent, and catch up on some podcasts while the oven was preheating).
• Well, I get about a quarter of a mile from the door when it dawns on me that there is still a cardboard box in the oven, which is preheating to about 450. (This being a shitty apartment with a knob, instead of a digital touchpad, to set the temp, it was plus or minus a few degrees. It could have been 451, which as we know, is not only bad for reading in a totalitarian future society, but also for pizza boxes with paper flyers glued to them).
• I run my ass back to the apartment and manage to pull out the smoldering pizza box while it was still only smoking, and before a blaze had erupted that would have put me on the local news, hungover, cursing and being the only person in the mid-atlantic standing outside a five-alarm fire wearing a "Go Dawgs" t-shirt.
• Believe me, nothing pleases the olfactory senses quite like a day-old smoky pizza box doused in the kitchen sink.

So, you see, it's really quite simple. If my team didn't get their ass kicked, or my cat could behave himself and not try to eat any morsel of food not locked away in a safety deposit box, I could have easily avoided almost burning my apartment complex to the ground for the second time in a year. Dammit.

Turn back time

Don't forget to set your clocks back. One of the (few) benefits of my move, is that now I have 15 fewer clocks to reset twice a year.

Additionally, given a choice, I think many of us would also like to set our clocks back to about 3:o0 PM yesterday, just before kickoff at the Cocktail Party. Then, with a few extra minutes:

• Penn Wagers and crew could have been replaced with actual, observant, competent human beings.
• A UGA alum group could have hired Jeff Giloolly and Shawn Eckhardt to sub-contract out to Shane Stant a "pipe to the knee" hit on Tim Tebow. Or, someone in missionary clothes could have slipped Tebow a note, telling him that there was a penis in trouble in the congo that needed his immediate attention.
• I know UGA has changed jersey colors a few times in the past couple of years, with all this "blackout" hullabalo, but someone could have explained to Matt Stafford that we were wearing red, and the opponent was wearing white. Might be useful for targeting purposes.
• 30 minutes is more than enough time for Willie Martinez to update his resume.
• If the term "onside kick" comes up in pregame planning, you could just shut down that conversation.
• Someone could remind Urban Meyer that Urban Meyer needs to save Urban Meyer's second half time-outs for the last minute.
• I'm sure Rachel Ray has a recipe for "humble pie" as part of her "30 minute meals" collection. Ummmm, who's hungry?

I'll take potpourri for $3,500, Alex

Perhaps absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Here's an extended trailer for the upcoming season of 24.

Unhappy 40th birthday, MPAA. Nice list.

Don Draper on 30 Rock? The world might explode. (And I posted one clip from Jon Hamm's SNL appearance last week, where he was in character as Don Draper. But if you can find the "Vincent Price Halloween Special" sketch around -- it's not on Hulu -- go see it. Hamm does a fantastic James Mason).

A cornucopia of expansive and thoughtful Matt Weiner interviews. Here, Here and Here.

Dr. Horrible is one of Time's "Best Inventions of the Year." Damn straight.

Cats and dogs living together? A sign of the apocolypse, or the coming of the Stay-Puft marshmallow man? Perhaps. But damn, this story is cute enough to make even my black heart beat a little.

Some much deserved love for BSG and Sarah Connor hottie, Stephanie Jacobsen.

Empire asked David Fincher to scribble down his favorite movies of all time. His list makes me appreciate him even more. What he scribbled (and my agreement on "favorites" in yellow):

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Chinatown
Dr. Strangelove
Godfather 2
Taxi Driver
Being There
All The Jazz
Alien
Rear Window
Zelig
Cabaret
Paper Moon
Jaws
Lawrence of Arabia
All the Presidents Men
8 1/2
Citizen Kane
Days of Heaven
Animal House
Road Warrior
Year of Living Dangerously
American Graffiti
Terminator
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Exorcist
The Graduate

David Tennant is leaving Doctor Who. My Whovian experience only goes back as far as the new series, but the casting of both "new" Doctors has been spot on. I have confidence the next one will be an inspired and talented choice.

Here and here are some options for making Firefox as dark as night.

Part 1 and Part 2 of a long interview with Jon Favreau about Iron Man, The Avengers and more.

How cute is this hoodies for geeks? I need to meet someone who would wear this.

Holy Shit! MTV does music videos? Online, at least. The "channel" is still littered with reality whores, though.

A can't miss interview with Michael Taylor, BSG writer. Lots of good stuff for fans in there (and of course, as all good writers should be, he's a fan of Mad Men).

Joss talks about what the hell has been going on with Dollhouse.

The "Big O" thinks that success and keeping what you earn is "selfishness." Sigh. Ayn Rand rolls over in her grave. Can we all go John Galt next week after the election?

I fucking hate clamshell packaging. It's a wonder anyone has fingers left after frakkin' with those things. But check this out!

Readin', Ritin' and Rithmatic? Fuck dat shit.

It seems that the proverbial "3 Rs" are taking a backseat to the Cocktail Party in the Classic City.

Call it a case of the Red and Black flu.

Tired of struggling to find enough teachers to staff its classrooms on the Friday before the annual Georgia-Florida football game, the Clarke County (Ga.) School District -- which includes Athens, home of the University of Georgia -- decided to cancel school altogether.

According to area media reports, 137 teachers last year called in sick the day before the big game, and the district was able to find only 113 substitutes

Priorities, people, priorities. That's your government indoctrination working for you.

If you follow the link to the story at the WWL, you can see a video with Mel Kiper and Todd McShay debating the merits of the game. While they both pick the Jorts to win (asshats), you can also watch the helmet-haired one bitchslap his usurper when it comes to one Matthew Stafford. (And damn, I can't keep it straight anymore. Is 7 "overrated" or "underrated?" Early on, it was all "great arm, but what's he done?" that made you think of Crash Davis evaluating Nuke LaLoosh. Recently, it's been "yeah, Knowshon is awesome, but the Dawgs' fortunes ride on the right arm of Stafford" and "watch him check into the right plays" and "finally, someone can catch a fucking ball." {AJ Green is The Truth, y'all.} I will say this: if on the field success comes down to only the ability to perform circumcisions, get photographed with melon-breasted coeds or blather shamelessly about the supernatural, we're in trouble).

Technical updates for y'all

Two quick "tech things" for TNRLM readers:

1) Is everyone getting their regular RSS feeds for the blog okay? I noticed something was hinky with feedburner early in the week, but it appears to be straightened out now. Let me know in the comments or via the email link on the right side if you've been having problems (and perhaps I'll come to your home and personally read the posts to you).

2) Your geeky editor has added a new toy to the blog:



You'll notice this little button at the end of each post. It's the "AddThis" button, and makes it easier than ever to share the content here with friends. If it works like it should, you just put your mouse over it and you'll get a drop down menu that will let you share these brilliant musings with others you love.

Oh, and just for good measure: Gators suck.

Dawgs vs. Tigers: The Gameday Experience, Vol. V

TNRLM Editor's Note: I didn't make the sojourn to Louisiana for the epic beatdown the Dawgs laid on LSU last weekend. However, TNRLM contributor the fabulous Freebird (you may recall the Sugar Bowl recap) did, and following is his account (complete with pictures!) of the experience.

I'm sure that many of the dozens of regular blog readers of TNRLM were wondering where their usual tailgate recap was following the Georgia/Vandy game.

Unfortunately, your regular correspondent spent most of the postgame afternoon napping in the Jeep Cherokee, so I suppose that there was not much to recall.

[Ed: Image pixelated to protect the incoherent. Or perhaps that's just an unusual skin condition caused by the combination of flu medication and whiskey].

Ms. Freebird and I blame ourselves, since thanks to the good Doctor, we were able to "move on up to that deluxe apartment" in the Sky Club, as the good Doctor and Ms. M chose not to attend the Dores battle.

Without proper supervision, the above is the type of event that occurs, and you, faithful readers, are left without a tailgate recap.

Nevertheless, I was asked to share a few details of our trip to Red Stick with the Blog readers, and am happy to do so.

The Scrats, Freebirds, and a host of North Georgians spent the weekend at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi. [Ed: I got engaged there once, long ago. And it lasted almost 6 weeks! Post engagement pictures would probably resemble the photo above, including "pixelation."] The rooms were comped, and three card poker was kind, so it was all good.

The ladies stayed at the casino while Scrat and I jumped on a charter bus to the game on Saturday. We stopped in Slidell where we received half of a chicken, a BBQ pork sandwich, and a fried pie. Jake and Elwood Blues were nowhere to be seen.

Upon arriving in Red Stick, we made the obligatory visit to see Mike the Tiger. They keep him in a glassed-in enclosure, and he doesn't really seem to do a lot.


He was in the shade, but unlike UGA, apparently doesn't get air conditioning, or a nice bag of ice to lay on.

I was surprised that the outside of the stadium looked as much like a "Soldier Field" type of stadium as it did. Its also been a while since there was any significant remodeling inside. Lots of pipes and concrete from back in the day from when Governor Long was firing LSU football coaches.

For those that haven't heard that story, Louisiana Governor Huey Long loved his LSU Tigers. He attended every game, traveled with the team, and even led the band in parades. In the early 1930s, it was also apparent Long didn't have much love for coach Biff Jones. Jones was the coach at LSU for three seasons, from 1932-34. In those three years, Jones compiled a 20-5-6 record, which, however, did not please Long. At halftime of the 1934 season finale, LSU was losing to Oregon 13-0. Long approached Jones in the locker room, wanting to talk to the team. Jones said, “No,” to which Long responded, “Who’s going to stop me?” Jones again refused, and Long said, “I am sick and tired of losing and tying games.” And he added, “You’d better win this one.” Jones quipped, “Well Senator, get this: Win, lose, or draw, I quit!” Long bellowed, “What a bargain!” The Tigers won that day 14-13, but Jones stood by his word. (From Scout.com)


Great SEC environment at the beginning of the game, as one would expect.


As to the game, Stafford played probably his best game at UGA. Moreno won't go down. AJ Green is indeed "The Truth". Our line pass protected very well for Stafford. The main concern I had was how easy LSU moved the ball on us in the second half. Incredibly sloppy tackling. Will have to improve that for this Saturday. [Ed: Freebird was right about Stafford. However, he didn't get the benefit of hearing the color analysis on CBS by Gary Danielson, who was effusive in his praise of #7. So effusive, I'm surprised we didn't hear about a post game sexual assault, with the former Lions QB attempting a locker room reach around while Uncle Verne queued up some Barry White in the background].

By the beginning of the 4th qtr. and a three touchdown Georgia lead, things had thinned out a bit.
Despite their reputation, we had no problems with the LSU fans. Probably as noisy a group as I have ever heard, but didn't really find anyone wanting to pick a fight or otherwise.

The guy right behind us was as loud for the Tigers as any fan I've ever heard (and this coming from a pretty loud fan); but once Georgia got up by three touchdowns in the third quarter, he got on his cell phone and began giving instructions to his wife for the post game setup. However, he was still quite loud, and Scrat and I found out that you need the charcoal really hot for the pork tenderloins, that you don't want the fire too hot for the jambalaya, and that a garlic and ginger rub, mixed with the marinade under the table, makes for a tasty post game LSU treat.

A 2 1/2 hour bus ride home put us back at the Beau Rivage about 9:45 PM. Unfortunately, our Slidell caterer apparently misjudged how many cans of cold beer would be required by 30 Georgia fans, so we had to finish off the trip with Budweisers. [Ed: did you get pixelated?] The Candidate would have been happy.

All in all, a great SEC road trip. The Gators await.

Ed: There you have it. A first person account of the Dawgs - Tigers Gameday Experience, a bit of history about Huey Long, and post-ass-whipping tailgate tips straight from the mouth of a bona fide cajun. What more could you ask for? Many thanks to Freebird for his diligent correspondence and photo essay. Bring on the Jorts.

I might have a problem with Step 4

I didn't make it to last night's SNL, hosted by Jon Hamm, but thanks to the miracle of Hulu, I didn't have to.

Here's "Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women:"



Don't forget: Mad Men season finale tonight at 10 on AMC.

Who would be that stupid?

By now, I'm sure everyone has heard the story of one Ashley Todd, the 20 year old who claimed she was attacked by a 6'4" black man, who became so enraged that she had a McCain/Palin bumper sticker on her car, that he robbed her at an ATM and carved a backwards 'B' on her face.

Many things in the story didn't make sense. Why didn't she call police immediately? Why did she wait 45 minutes to report the attack, from a friend's apartment? If she's standing at an ATM, why would the robber only take $60? Why would the attacker be looking at bumper stickers, and how would he know that the car featuring the GOP sticker was hers? Why would he carve a 'B' on her face (presumably for 'Barack') instead of an 'O?' Isn't an 'O' easier to carve than a 'B?' Wouldn't a 'B' be just about the toughest letter to carve in the whole damned alphabet? Why did he carve it backwards? Was he behind her, dragging her to the nearest storefront mirror to do his carving, and didn't realize the letter wasn't facing the right way (see, if he had carved an 'O,' he could have avoided the whole backwards letter thing). Do most committed ATM robbers/political assailants only carry dull knives? And if the attacker, supposedly an Obama supporter, really wanted to hurt the McCain fan, couldn't he have just waited a couple of months until his candidate's tax policies went into effect, and dimwitted Ashley went back to that ATM only to find that all her money had already been siphoned off to the federal government?

Obviously, the story was exposed as a complete and total fraud. But who would be STUPID enough to think that this whole charade would fly, even for a minute? Who could possibly be that monumentally IDIOTIC?

As they say, every picture tells a story:


With a sweatshirt like that, you don't even need a caption. Oh, I get it.

On a related note, the Tide rolls in Knox-Vegas. Was that the Great Pumpkin's last game in the rivalry? (Note: 5XL sweatervest not included in crime fabrication kit).

I'll take potpourri for $3,300, Alex

Settle in for a long (and interesting!) collection of news, miscellany and tidbits, y'all. My Google notebook floweth over.

In addition to starring in an upcoming Dick Wolf show, Starbuck will guest on Law & Order.

I'm sure you've seen the teaser for the next season of Lost. Here are the titles for the first 6 eps!

I don't have a dog in the hunt in the World Series, but this could almost make me pull for the Phils.

How is the universe going to end? (I thought it may have happened when Arrested Development got cancelled, during the first half of the Bama game, or when my house got destroyed by itinerant, trollopy gypsies, but here are some alternate theories).

5 best Atari 2600 games! Man, I loved the faux wood paneled console, and a controller with just a joystick and a button.

The 25 cheesiest hits of the 70s. Awesome.

Stewie Mandel has something nice to say about Dawgs fans.

Hot new SMG photoshoot. Yowza.

Speaking of which, here's a "where are they now" feature about the cast of Buffy.

Effete party boys weep. Zima is no more.

Funny fake Twitter feeds.

If you don't like the hockey team, unleash the dildos!

I assume these are very popular in Columbus, GA.

When you're a former stripper and drug addict, of course Simon Cowell is to blame. (Paula just said "you really took that 8-ball and made it yours, and wrapped it in a rainbow of your special you-ness.")

A completely geeky BSG home computer.

Perhaps someone didn't get this early learnin' in the art of making checklists.

This makes me want to ride a bus. Or donate money to a bus advertising campaign.

Christina Hendricks in black. Nice. Speaking of space vixens, I was watching a random episode of Numb3rs this week, and caught the gorgeous Morena Baccarin (now with cute as pie short hair) in a guest starring role. As a hooker. (though one without her own shuttle or mysterious syringe). In a Whedonverse connection, DB Woodside (Robin Wood) was also in the ep.

Mad Men, in delightful illustrations. (Season finale tomorrow!) And play Mad Men Jeopardy!

A must see: "Truthful TV Title Cards." Funny.

Top 10 obscure Google tricks. How many did you know? (I knew 2).

Okay, now that the CrackBerry has FINALLY announced a release date for my beloved Bold, they tease us with an upcoming model that has a full qwerty keyboard AND a touchscreen. Dammit.

"Global warming?" Still crap.

Sheriff Carter gets a new love interest on Eureka, and it's Mindy O'Dell!

I've turned several friends on to the fantastic political website, 538, which blends statistical baseball analytical principles with polling and electoral college wonkery. Here's a great profile of the man behind it all, Nate Silver.

20 most awesome sci-fi theme songs.

Who is playing for the massive government bailout? Probably not most taxpayers. On a related note, I think the founding fathers had it right: "Madison and others therefore made it a "first object of government" to protect personal property from unjust confiscation." That "unjust confiscation" also includes the imperial federal government, too, asshats. Who wants to dump tea in a harbor with me?

The 10 least intimidating college mascots. Aaaaah! A duck! With no pants! And no one knows what the fuck a "hokie" is. At least the tree gets drunk on a regular basis. Of course, there's always college's BEST mascot as a counterbalance.

A sci-fi version of the Odyssey. When I was a kid, and writing and illustrating my own comic books, I did the exact same thing, in graphic novel format. I should have copyrighted that shit.

The GOP has to get its ass kicked, in order to return to a party of reason. Hopefully, the coming electoral debacle will spur the party of low taxes and limited government to return to its roots, and ditch the neocons and theocrats.

First, kill Mohinder

I was initially on the Heroes bandwagon. It was nice to see someone bring the superhero mythos to the small screen. Sure, it had been done before, with known characters (Adam West's camp-fest Batman) and those created for the tube (such as poofy-haired theme song, Greatest American Hero). You could even argue that Buffy and Angel were sideways takes on the superhero, wrapped in the supernatural. But this was a genre show that put its geek aspirations right in the damned title, and sought to create an original lineup of "heroes," even if the superpowers and storylines were a bit familiar (if charitable) or derivative (if not so charitable).

The first season mostly delivered, with a couple of slices of top shelf television ("String Theory" and "Company Man"), before fizzling out with one of the most disappointing season finales I can remember. The less said about the strike-shortened terrible second season, the better (though anytime Kristen Bell is on my TV, it's is a good thing).

So now we find ourselves in the midst of the third season. Ratings are down considerably and the show has lost some of its cultural cache and buzz. Granted, the show has improved over last season (not a very high bar to jump), but it's still not on solid footing creatively. Yeah, I still watch, but Heroes has gone from "must watch live" to "I'll watch it later Monday night after catching up on Sarah Connor and Chuck" to "oh, that's in the Now Playing list, I guess I'll watch it." EW just did a cover story on the show, and how to fix it. I agree with many of their findings and recommendations. Here's my take:

Thin the herd.
I appreciate the attempts of S3 to quicken the pace and keep things moving. However, there are just too many new and old characters to care about. Marked for death in the TNRLM reaper's ledger: Mohinder. I know, the ladies like him because he's hot. Hell, I have my own set of Heroes eye-candy, too (Claire, Claire's real mom, Elle, and Daphne, to name a few). But the ponderous voice overs, Cronenberg Fly rip-off plot and shallow acting doesn't really add that much. And Maya? Dear god. Not only is that one of the lamest superpowers ever (my eyes get black and kill everyone!), but no one's going to be polishing an Emmy for that performance. Niki/Jessica/Whatever. I didn't care about the stripper, and I don't care about the mistress of ice cubes political handler. Peter. First, he was wimpy and confused. Then, he was waaaaay too powerful. Then, he was trapped in a caricature of an Irish mob movie. Finally, he's been de-powered, but the fact remains that I loathed him on Gilmore Girls, and I loathe him now. Buh-bye. Parkman. I actually like Greg Grunberg, and find him a talented actor, but his plot has gone nowhere. Why doesn't he read minds with everyone he comes in contact with?

Stop with the time travel.
Yeah, it's a cool power. Yeah, it can fuel plot twists. But it's just too damned much. And worst of all, they don't seem to have an internal logic about how it works. Lost, for example, has "time travel" plotlines, but they've worked out a logic and methodology that actually makes sense, is easily understandable, and they stick to it. With Heroes, sometimes it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. They throw out "butterfly effect" explanations, but abandon them when it's inconvenient. It's a limitless power, but too many people have/had it and it's inconsistently applied. Just stop.

Stop using the world "abilities."
If this was a drinking game, we'd all have engorged livers.

Abandon the "formula to give everyone powers" plot.
The 4400 already did this, and did this better.

Make death count.
How many people have died and come back? Hell, I've lost count. Virtually every genre show has had the "shocking death" and return (including top tier programs like Buffy and Angel) but it reaches ludicrous levels with Heroes. Just off the top of my head, we've seen Sylar, Claire, HRG, Ando, Adam, Linderman, Nathan, Niki, Peter and others all "die," only to come back in one form or another. If everyone does it, it loses its power to shock, move and surprise.

Put the best actors front and center.
Heroes has a telegenic and appealing cast, but they're not all blessed with the same acting talent. Give the meaty stuff to the actors who can pull it off: Adrian Pasdar, Robert Forster, Jack Coleman, Kristen Bell, Zachary Quinto, Christine Rose, Malcolm McDowell.

Stop making the characters stupid to service stupid plot points.
Nathan, the conniving politico, finds god because he survives an assassination attempt and sees Linderman? In a world he knows is populated by people with awesome superpowers? Really? Hiro is told expressly not to open the safe, and then he does, only to lose a game-changing formula? And can't go back in time 5 minutes to NOT open the safe? Peter does....well....Peter does just about anything that Peter does. STUPID. Shows like Buffy and Lost have characters operating in a world with extraordinary circumstances, unnatural powers and twisty plot machinations, but they all behave in a way that is true to the characters.

Save the logic, save the show!

I'm still watching, but unless some of the nonsense stops, and stops soon, I probably won't be for much longer. I could go on, but that's my short list. What's yours?

Desktop Drive In

A few early morning videos for your viewing pleasure:

The first Lost S5 promo has arrived!

100 Seinfeld quotes.

Bill Maher suggests (rightfully) that Sherri Sheppard, should visit Bellevue.

Deleted scenes from BSG season 4.

How does Dwight Schrute stand up to geek torture?

Marcia Brady chats about anal sex.

Behind the scenes of the girl-on-girl terminator fight from Monday's Sarah Connor. (Limited special effects -- the gal was a contortionist!)

New Watchmen footage (interspersed with some we've seen before) from the recent Scream Awards.

When geek worlds collide

Don't forget to tune into tonight's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, where Stephanie Jacobsen -- last seen as Kendra Shaw on the awesome Battlestar Galactica movie Razor -- checks in for an appearance as a woman with a past who becomes involved with Derek Reese.

In other great T:TSSC news, the show was just picked up for the full "back nine," giving us a full season order of 22 eps.

Mad tidbits

Anyone else watch last Sunday's Mad Men and wonder "what the fuck is Don Draper doing?" Yeah, me too. But it was entertaining and thought-provoking nonetheless. And who was he calling as "Dick Whitman?"

Remember that gorgeous cover shot of Christina Hendricks I linked to yesterday? The whole story is now up here. Mostly about fashion and her va-va-voom figure, with several nice pics. (And I always thought Crown Royal was the best looking thing in purple). I missed her during her early guest shots on John Wells shows (didn't really watch any of those), but first took notice after her fantastic turns as "Yo-Saf-Bridge" on Firefly. As one of the commenters put it:

Fans of "Firefly" have known about Christina for years. It's great to see her get the recognition and roles she deserves, not to mention an appreciation of her very abundant charms!

I'll be in my bunk.

I'll be in my bunk, indeed.

Also, great news: Mad Men has (rightfully) earned a third season.

I'll take potpourri for $3,200, Alex

The shroud of secrecy surrounding the new Trek movie has been lifted. Check out some awesome new pics from JJ Abrams franchise reboot here. The cast looks great.

"Big Stars in Horror Movies" quiz. I got 7 right. You?

Legendary artist Frank Frazetta did some art for the original Battlestar Galactica. Check it out.

Time lapse camera records what cats do when you're sleeping. Yep, that's about right.

Stewart Mandel's latest mailbag takes a few shots (about one a page) at "whiney (sic) UGA fans." Does only the worst element of the Dawgs fanbase email him, or does he have a point?

Bailouts and nouveau socialism are circling. Time to go "John Galt?"

Great cover shot of Christina Hendricks. Or, as they call her, the "SILF."

Childhood fave V is coming back in a new form. How will it be handled? More Knight Rider, or more BSG?

Good news. Burn Notice and Psych get picked up for another season.

Dawgs vs. Vols: The Weekend Travelogue and Gameday Experience, Vol. IV

After last week's Tolstoy-like screed, I think I'll keep it short and sweet this week. Bottom line, nothing of bloggy note really happened.

As for the tailgate and travelogue:

• There were no harbingers of the apocalypse or bad omens.
• I had the flu all week, and felt like crap for most of the weekend. And probably a little still today.
  
• There were no unexpected guest stars, nor an incident of "The Whitney Factor." (though we did agree on some of the particulars - it has to be an extended, in-person sighting, not just attendance without an up close encounter).
• The plans and trains and automobiles arrived on time.
• Everyone remembered their tickets.
• No pedestrians were run down.
• All the electronics performed as expected.
• There was an amusing comments about "lap sitting," but it would take too long to explain, and dammit, I'm tired.
• Don't buy liquor at Firehouse package store on Broad street on gameday. WILDLY overpriced.

As for the game itself:

• We won.
• I still hate the Vols and all their baby-eating-carrots-shitting-in-a-diaper-orange.
• Phat Phil is probably not long for this world.
• The score doesn't accurately reflect the total control we had of this game, and the whoop ass we laid on the visitors from Knox Vegas. Realistically, there probably should have been another 10 - 14 points added to the scoreboard. Sadly, with a few exceptions (Aloha!), it's characteristic of the CMR era to play to the level of the opponent and win, but not napalm the scoreboard. I guess we can be grateful for talented kickers.
• Unless he's just bone-tired from playing corner leading into a punt, I think Prince should be returning punts.
• MoMass is a man.
• Despite the picks, 7 had a hell of game. (Though those picks did contribute mightily to the lackluster total on the scoreboard).
• After the face plant at Neyland last year, a win is a win.
• 1 net yard rushing? That's damned impressive.
• That was a terrible call on the defensive holding in the red zone. "Repeat third down" my ass.
  
• Another bad day to be ranked in the top 5.
• Vandy and LSU look less daunting than before (but still a challenge, don't get me wrong), and of course the big circle on the calendar is for the Cocktail Party. And yes, goddammit, the game is still called "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." (Just like I referred to last weekend's clash as the "Red River Shootout." PC mavens go fuck yourself).

Another weekend, another trip, another game. Maybe I'll feel back to normal in a couple of days. Go Dawgs.

A reason to believe in the justice system

In which the Lord smites those who would make a craven image of his holiness, or put another God above Him.

A couple of years ago, one of the many TiVo / DirecTV receiver combos on my old house went on the fritz. I called the good folks at DirecTV, and they said they would FedEx me a new one right away as a replacement. They asked if I wanted an original TiVo model, or one of the "new, enhanced" DirecTV DVRs. Out of a perverse curiosity, I asked them to send me one of "theirs." I hooked it up a day later, and I was aghast at how user-unfriendly and horrible it was. Everything was uncomfortable, barely functional and decidedly inferior. (One of my favorite things was watching two programs at once, utilizing the dual tuners, and pausing one to switch to the other for a while, then pausing that, then switching back to the first one. While you could watch one and record one on the DirecTV DVR, you couldn't perform the viewing described above, let alone just by hitting one button to go back and forth).

I promptly boxed it up shipped it right back for a TiVo branded model, and have never looked back. In fact, I think (other than the whole moving thing) the main reason I haven't yet migrated to HD is that there wasn't a DirecTV HD receiver with TiVo. And I couldn't draw breath without my beloved TiVo. Fortunately, DirecTV and TiVo have patched up their differences and are now blissfully in cahoots again, so when I get into my next home, that will be one of the first things on the shopping list.

Anyhoo, I'm happy that TiVo is getting the rightful and legal credit for their life-altering ingenuity.

Do your civic duty and vote

What president do you want in a crisis? Perhaps it depends on whether or not you face one of the following scenarios:

• A highjacked Air Force One
• Alien invasion of the planet Earth
• Giant asteroid on a collision course with Earth
• Nation on the brink of nuclear hysteria during the Cold War
  
• Possible extinction of the human race by malevolent toasters
• Martian invaders bent on world domination

We don't need a insomnia-curing debate to determine this. Go here and pull the lever for your favorite president.

I'll take potpourri for $3,100, Alex

Everyone else enjoying How I Met Your Mother this year? I know I am. And it makes a nice pairing with the increasingly funny and endearing Big Bang Theory. Here's a fun interview at TWOP with HIMYM creator Craig Thomas. As if you need other reasons to like him and the show, he's a huge fan of Veronica Mars, Buffy and Angel. (great taste, that one). And he hated Connor. (Though Season 5 Connor, along with the weaselly Pete Campbell on Mad Men, have made me almost forget the whole Season 4 thing).

A while back, I blogged about "go to bed shows." Meaning, shows that I let rack up on the bedroom TiVo and watch when I go to sleep. They typically aren't that serialized and are usually procedurals. For a while, I would watch shows like Numb3rs, Crossing Jordan or CSI:Miami (before that got too inhumanly stupid and hammy to even tolerate for a laugh). Lately, I've added NCIS to the rotation, which is an entertaining procedural, and sampled Supernatural, which my TiVo helpfully suggested for me. In fact, I think I may move Supernatural to the main TiVo it's so good. I don't know why I never got into this program when it first aired (on the CW? On at the same time as other shows?) but it's really damned good. It features lots of folks behind the scenes that were associated with The X-Files, and has a laugh out loud sense of humor in addition to a compelling mythology and solid scares.

The 10 Worst spinoffs ever. (I actually liked The Lone Gunmen, though).

There WILL be a Wonderfalls crossover with Pushing Daisies this year. Awesome.

Several online writers have seen some of Watchmen. Sounds mind-blowing.

10th anniversary DVD for SportsNight. An underrated gem.

The censored Chuck Lorre vanity card from Monday's Big Bang Theory. Censors are morons.

New "blood" (including Admiral Cain and Zack from Gilmores!) on True Blood, which is getting better every week. The dimwitted brother makes me laugh in spite of myself, and I actually liked Tara last week, so it must be doing something right.

Interesting directorial rumors. Will Thor take on a Shakespearean quality?

Deadspin ladies discuss the Idaho cheerleading outfit controversy. One of the gals offers this insight about the cheerleaders and coeds of the SEC, which has long been a mystery:

That said, I have spent many football-watching afternoons deconstructing the hotness of SEC cheerleaders. (Consensus seems to hold that 'Bama and Ole Miss have the prettiest girls on the sidelines. We can never figure out why Georgia doesn't, when Athens is full of the most gorgeous coeds you've ever seen).

Whiniest coaches in the NCAA. Lots of SEC coaches in there.

Thought-provoking stats comparing the Jorts Jesus and Stafford.

What does college football have to do with scarecrows? Check this out. UGA appears to be playing another team, who all wear the number 0. Funny.

Video of halftime interviews gone wrong. Anyone else think that last one with Joe Kines sounds like Boomhauer?

Bill Maher and chatty serpents. And why again, don't cults pay taxes?

Michael Muhney, who was the caustic Sheriff Lamb on Veronica Mars, seems like an awesome, and gracious, dude. Here he talks about not getting cast as Seely Booth's brother on Bones, nor as Paul Ballard on Dollhouse (with lots of nice things, of course, to say about Joss and the guy that got the role, Tahmoh Penikett. Speaking of which, if you're a Helo fan, check out this interview with Tahmoh conducted by the folks at Galactica Quorum at DragonCon. Another down to earth, appreciative and insightful dude).

If I was a cop, I'd give this guy a pass for driving erratically, simply for having good taste.

Do you have manly skills?

According to Popular Mechanics, here are the 100 skills every man should know.

I scored myself at 45. Does that make me an average Joe, or a panty-wearing Nancy boy?

Some things I think I know how to do, but have never actually done (such as perform the Heimlich, or escape a sinking car). Some things I have done, but don't want to do any more (like use charcoal in a grill, when I can twist a knob and press a button; or change a tire when I can just call AAA). Others are kind of sketchy. I've been near tornadoes when I was a kid, and experienced my fair share of lightning on a golf course (and even begged for it to hit me once in college, but that's a long story). I didn't give myself a point for surviving floods, although logically, what do you do except go for higher ground, and look for floaty stuff?

I think they were missing a few, too. What about mixing a perfect martini or cocktail? Tie a real bow tie? Grill a steak? Handle a skid or hydroplane when driving? Give a speech? Hook up a home theatre?

So, what did you score? And what's missing? And Quien es mas macho?? Fernando Lamas o Ricardo Montalban?

Perfect placesettings, kinky sex, rubbin' is racin' and John Madden

For a nominal fee, I just upgraded my XM radio package. We're seeing the first benefits of the XM-Sirius merger, and I was only too happy to add the "Best of Sirius" to my current lineup. Included:

• Howard Stern - eh. Never cared much for Howard. But it's there if I'm in the mood.
• NFL - NFL talk, plus play-by-play for every single game. In a word: AWESOME. Now, with NFL Sunday Ticket and the XM radio, I can always check in on how my fantasy team is taking it in the ass.
• Speaking of which, there's also Playboy Radio. For those who don't drive a 5-speed, I guess.
• Marta Stewart - Just in case I was ever driving down the highway and needed to know how to make a centerpiece out of a gourd and dried flowers.
• NASCAR - Yep, I'm a closet good ole' boy.

TV Quickies

Random thoughts on the Fall TV Season:

Newly minted Emmy Winning Best Drama Mad Men returned Sunday night with a fantastic episode. I started writing a long treatise on the sad, urine-stained career arc of Freddy Rumson, the meaning of a “name,” Roger Sterling’s end of the episode surprise and Betty Draper’s desperate housewife days, but realized that a couple of professional critics had already done the job quite well. Check out some thoughtful examinations of “Six Month Leave” here and here.

It’s sad that the ratings for Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are cratering. I think this season has been even better than the last, and Monday’s eppy with a look at Cameron’s story was fascinating, and very well acted by Summer Glau. Rumors addressed here.

Dexter returned Sunday night, and Jimmy Smits will be a welcome addition to the cast. All the elements that make this show a must-watch are there, though I hope the writers don’t feel compelled to make Dex’s latest victim a total scumbag in order to give our serial killer an easy, moral “out.” If the Sopranos and Mad Men and Deadwood have shown us anything, it’s that intelligent audiences will stick with a compelling character that operates outside the boundaries of traditional morality. One major complaint, though. The end of episode reveal introduced something that is typically a “show killer” for me. Why? Can’t even a show about a serial killer stay away from this? Gah.

Heroes season 3 is still an incomprehensible mess, plot-wise. (Examples: if future Peter can travel in time, why shoot Nathan? Why not just tell him what happens if he makes his reveal last year? Or transport him someplace else, away from the media? And if you have mastery over time, why let any of this happen in the first place? Same with Hiro. Why not go back BEFORE he let “the formula” get out of the safe?). Still, for the time being I’ll keep watching, if only because I find some of the characters and performances (HRG, Daphne, Sylar, Hiro, Nathan, Elle, Angela, Claire’s mom) entertaining. At least they’ve picked up the pace of the stupidity this year. Oh, and check out Jack Coleman’s (HRG) blog on TWOP. Much better than the show.

And here’s a funny take on how to grade Heroes episodes on a curve.

Anyone else digging Fringe? I really like it, and think the interplay between the three leads is amusing. And any chance for John Noble's character to talk about cocaine, LSD, root beer floats and cows is fine with me.

Still on board with the quirky detective on House.