My brother continues to live to see another birthday, having made much better choices than last year. The kid may be alright.
78 thoughts on “November 15, 2012: Nick”
Finished BSG last night. Meh.
It felt to me like a series that had a lot more potential than it delivered on. I think the closest parallel for me is Harry Potter (which chose possibly the single worst ending available), but HP did more along the way. I know BSG was already a remake, but it really feels like it needs another one - and none of this movie/from the cylons' perspective crap.
There were some high points along the way, but the low points left a pretty awful taste in my mouth. I'm ultimately surprised the series gets as much love as it does. How did this get 4 seasons and Firefly only got 1? Where were you on that one, Syfy?
Firefly was FOX, so there you go.
Yeah, but Syfy should have come to the rescue. That's all I was saying.
There was a big push for Sci-Fi to buy the rights but it didn't happen. Now, Syfy just enjoys re-broadcasting marathons of it, presumably to insult the few viewers remaining.
I would be happier if Firefly actually got a season instead of its 0.6 season.
The world would be a brighter place.
I think we're all pretty much in agreement on this.
BSG >> Firefly for me. Obviously in the minority but there it is.
Firefly was alright, I guess, but I never really understood the rabid obsession. I also don't 'get' wilco.
I'm a pretty big Joss Whedon fan, but I don't love Firefly. It's probably my least favorite of the series he's helmed, honestly.
I love some of the stuff Wilco has done, but it's been years since they've put out a record I loved. Summerteeth is probably a top 20 all time album for me, though.
I read somewhere someone reviewed "The Whole Love" and said something along the lines of "Jeff Tweedy hasn't made a great album since he got clean", which seems to be anecdotally true, however icky the suggestion is.
wilco's worst is still better than a lot of other's best. i haven't minded the last two albums, but no, not as great as their earlier works.
Sure, I get this, but man if you're not in love, in l-o-v-e, with jeff tweedy it's not enough for most* fans of the band. I like their sound, but I can take it or leave it.
*SSS in effect
So many people on teh Interwebz with wrong opinions!!
Firefly was much, much better than Dollhouse, IMO.
part of the problem was Fox being clueless, and part was that the series was not allowed to develop. Think of how bad ST:TNG was for much of its first season. Yet, within a couple of years, the characters had developed, there was tremendous rapport among the cast on screen, and the writing had gotten much, much stronger.
Firefly, in contrast, started with a tremendous set of characters and great (again, IMO) on-screen rapport. Several of the episodes have enduring quality, while others are just fun. It just seemed to me that Firefly picked up in overall quality (writing, acting, humor) where it took shows like Buffy and Angel two or more seasons to achieve.
+ Christina Hendricks
[insert appropriate jpg here]
I actually prefer Dollhouse to Firefly, but I think there was a ton of problems with Dollhouse. They spent too much time focusing on stupid crap and the series took way too long to get started. But the stuff I liked about it was really good. They probably could've boiled it down into one excellent season, but it is what it was.
My feeling on Firefly was that it was definitely the quality of a good season of Whedon's work for sure, but I felt like it was remembered so fondly because he didn't have a chance to f everything up.
I don't really know what it is, but something about the series just clicked completely for me. If I see any actor from it in something else, my chances of liking that show or movie go up (though Castle hasn't clicked with me, but that's mostly because I don't care for procedurals).
I've never sat down to make a "favorite seasons of shows of all time" list (idea!), but if I had, Firefly would rank right up by the top (also, Breaking Bad, season 4 - sweet christmas, is that show good).
BSG is one of my favorite TV series of all time. The series I would compare to Firefly is Space: Above and Beyond. It was a sci-fi, also on FOX and given no chance after one season after being continually overrun by football(yeah, networks used to 'continue in progress' new episodes of scripted shows).
I watch zero TV that's not related to sports or politics. I'm not sure that's an entirely good thing, but it is what it is.
I loved BSG, but the low points were impossible to ignore. After years of setting things up, the ending sputtered. Starbuck's situation seemed like a "Wouldn't this be cool and weird?!" thing on behalf of the writers, more than a story that could be logically explained, which is how the show usually operated.
The way I see it, the show found big moments that they wanted to do, rather than focusing on the plots that were in play, and they worked toward those ends whether they were logical ends or not. As such, they do attempt to explain most everything, but there are some "Oh, come on" moments.
I'll give them credit for attempting to explain some things. There were a few loose ends, but ultimately not too bad.
I definitely would like to see what a more skilled group of writers could do with the concept though.
Yep, this is a pretty good analysis of my feelings too, especially regarding Starbuck.
On a related note, I started on The Wire again. Given that I know what happens, I thought the first episode was excellent laying out the Universe of the show. You get a nice dollop of the main characters, their motivations and how their worlds are about to intersect. I really look forward to tackling this series once again.
i really enjoyed going through the wire a second time (and will most likely go through it a third time sometime in the future). you pick up so much more when you're not struggling to keep up.
EDIT: before the pirate gets to it, i'll throw this link out there. i didn't read through it when i re-watched, but i most likely will if/when i do next time)
Yes, the second season is incredibly great on a re-watch.
I've been through the wire 3 times now, and every time I feel like it gets better. You can clearly see that the writers had the arc of the story, and even individual characters, mapped out from the beginning. Re the second season, man I really didn't enjoy watching i the first time. I'm glad that we didn't give up on the show, and after having seen it again I can firmly say that it's excellent TV.
I really liked the first season of BSG but Season 3 just had too many lulls for me. I just can't bring myself to finish the series. Even the people that liked it don't really seem to like it enough to convince me.
I liked some of the times they departed from more genre-encumbered conventions, but the Starbuck resolution was too much of a departure.
"Resolution"?
So here's a few things that still bother me about BSG... (beyond the obvious)
First, the whole "Daniel/8th Cylon" thing was a bit of a red herring, and I was disappointed they never went back to it.
Second, I'm still really let down by the "Final 5". They just weren't anything all that special. And I still don't think their placement within the fleet makes sense, given that Sol and Adama worked together in the previous Cylon war.
Third, I still think Dee's suicide was moronic. Didn't fit her character at all. And Billy was a much more effective character than Tori ever was. I'm guessing that was an off-script issue with the actor or something, but having that switch really dulled the ultimate impact of that reveal.
Fourth, I really wanted them to do more with the "angels" that Caprica and Baltar saw. And then that whole thing where the two of them "saved" Hera (the opera house stuff)... it just didn't quite work for me. They didn't really do anything that saved her.
Alright, I'll stop for now. Sigh.
Timberwolves sign Josh Howard on a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum. Seems better than playing 4v5.
I hope he has something left in the tank. I am getting increasingly concerned about Brandon Zumaya.
The complete lack of new info or any sort of timetable for Roy's return has me convinced that he is done. I am expecting him to retire once and for all any day now. It was good of him to give it another go, but knee problems like that just don't get better.
I don't know if his playing days are absolutely over, but it was pretty clear from watching him that he has no athleticism left. He has to be a below the rim enabler. This team needs a scorer at the two, not a distributor.
In related news, Grant Hill is expected to return to active status (with the Clippers) in the next week or two. He's 40.
Just for fun, does anyone remember who the T-Wolves drafted when Howard was still on the board?
I know the answer, but only because I ran across it on one of the Wolves blogs I scanned through this morning.
I knew the answer. I remember that draft very well. It was the last time anyone thought Darko would be good.
the Wolves drafted Rick Richert in the 2nd round
Ah, Rick Rickert- he was like Kris Humphries, just worse but without the stink of Kardashian on him. Also, this-
Kevin Garnett punched Rickert during a 2004 pick-up game, leading to stitches and a chipped tooth.
I think its surprising Kris Humphries has turned into a half way decent player.
But yeah, 'the punch' will always be Rickert's legacy.
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RedBarons Yankees announced their new name "RailRiders". Yawn.
Colors: Navy, Maroon, and Gold (as in not yellow, more like the Brewers). Yawn.
Their unis aren't bad, but bland, they scream "Triple-A". (Like the Red Wings' do.)
Why do I mention this at all? Because their Road cap is PHENOMENAL. I think this monogram is better than even the St. Paul Saints'.
I say, trash the rest and build on this. If I had any connection to SWB, I'd already have ordered one.
I like the script, but I'm not a huge fan of the metallic thread. Would have looked better in goldenrod.
And really, what does Southwestern Bell have to do with it?
I'm not so sure about Goldenrod, goes too much with that Old Nuggets/Cavs palette.
White would be rad, but might tempt them to go for a drop-shadow.
The maroon ain't perfect either, but that's all minor tune-ups on something that's otherwise major-league. (Or better, if you consider the Rox.)
I'm not a big fan of "RailRiders", but almost anything is better than "Yankees".
I'm still trying to figure out if RailRiders is a reference to hoboes or to an ignominious exit from a community while wearing tar and feathers.
Yeah, I was disappointed when Steinbrenner (or his minions) had the team renamed. Only the Braves get to do that!
disappointed is too strong a word.
mildly irritated? Like a tag that doesn't sit right in a shirt you don't really like except it reminds you of Nick Punto in AAA.
Shoot, that's from A-ball Batavia Muckdogs. (But wearing a Phillies-type jersey, from minor-league spring training maybe?) Page it's from.
David Thorpe, Mr. Rookie, on Shved:
Watch him patiently dribble while waiting for a cutter, especially when Andrei Kirilenko is on the court. Shved is also adept at finding someone moving to the rim while he is on the attack, as he keeps his head up and his eyes searching all while hunting the best scoring play for himself or a teammate. This is advanced point guard play -- more advanced than any guard the Wolves have employed other than Ricky Rubio in years.
Shved finds everybody -- cutters, open post players near the rim, same-side shooters and opposite-side snipers waiting for the long pass that most guys don't make. But Shved does, and he does so without ever appearing to be in a rush. This has enabled him to stand out among the rookie guards in this class, as he leads the guards who play significant minutes in both assist and turnover rate.
Shved is struggling as a shooter, but in time he should be at least serviceable. He and Rubio have that, and a lot more, in common. Perhaps most importantly, both guys have proved to be players capable of helping their team win as rookies.
That's pretty high praise from Thorpe.
Small Sample Size caveat, but that write-up is the exact opposite of how Shved played yesterday.
Marilyn Hagerty, whose earnest review of a new Olive Garden for the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald went viral earlier this year, says she's not sure she agrees with Wells' approach.
"I don't do negative reviews," Hagerty, 85, wrote in an email to Yahoo News. "I do mention the good and the bad. If it's all negative I wonder, 'What is the point?'"
Leaving in just a while to head down to Joplin, MO with 9 others to help with some tornado cleanup (yes, it's still going on) -- probably help with some painting and moving. Looking forward to coming back Sunday afternoon sore and refreshed. And hopefully in time (and with a joke in mind) to submit my Fiction 59 entry
Is that the same guy who voted for Todd Jones in either CYA or MVP voting back in 2006? I remember some writer from Detroit did something silly like that.
Mauer with one 8th place and three 10th place votes.
both Twin Cities writers left him off the ballot
LaVelle gave him a 10th place vote.
you are right. my eyes got crossed
Understandable, I had to highlight the row before I replied to make sure I hadn't done the same.
The three non-Minnesotans who did also had Trout in first.
I guess the mythicalness of the Triple Crown trumps all.
the guy from the hometown Orange County paper had Cabrera over Trout.
the guy from his own outfield (and now Cabrera's outfield) would have voted for Beltre.
Boo.
What I find amusing is that the people who spend all season telling us the importance of "doing the little things that don't show up in the box score" decided that, in the final analysis, all that really matters is home runs, batting average, and RBIs.
Yep. And winning one's division.
Another way of putting it is that the people who constantly deride mere fans and nerdy stat guys for not understanding the game are the ones who went, "OMG! He won the triple crown!"
Yet another way of putting it is that the people who always tell us "You can't just look at the numbers" just looked at the numbers.
It's really a big "Who cares?" at this point.
I know. I just find it amusing, that's all.
Oh, neat. Buffalo gets a chance to embarrass itself on the national stage tonight. Cool.
So far they've set themselves up for a come from in front loss.
Molina was left off one ballot altogether. What the eff?
Finished BSG last night. Meh.
It felt to me like a series that had a lot more potential than it delivered on. I think the closest parallel for me is Harry Potter (which chose possibly the single worst ending available), but HP did more along the way. I know BSG was already a remake, but it really feels like it needs another one - and none of this movie/from the cylons' perspective crap.
There were some high points along the way, but the low points left a pretty awful taste in my mouth. I'm ultimately surprised the series gets as much love as it does. How did this get 4 seasons and Firefly only got 1? Where were you on that one, Syfy?
Firefly was FOX, so there you go.
Yeah, but Syfy should have come to the rescue. That's all I was saying.
There was a big push for Sci-Fi to buy the rights but it didn't happen. Now, Syfy just enjoys re-broadcasting marathons of it, presumably to insult the few viewers remaining.
I would be happier if Firefly actually got a season instead of its 0.6 season.
The world would be a brighter place.
I think we're all pretty much in agreement on this.
BSG >> Firefly for me. Obviously in the minority but there it is.
Firefly was alright, I guess, but I never really understood the rabid obsession. I also don't 'get' wilco.
I'm a pretty big Joss Whedon fan, but I don't love Firefly. It's probably my least favorite of the series he's helmed, honestly.
I love some of the stuff Wilco has done, but it's been years since they've put out a record I loved. Summerteeth is probably a top 20 all time album for me, though.
I read somewhere someone reviewed "The Whole Love" and said something along the lines of "Jeff Tweedy hasn't made a great album since he got clean", which seems to be anecdotally true, however icky the suggestion is.
wilco's worst is still better than a lot of other's best. i haven't minded the last two albums, but no, not as great as their earlier works.
Sure, I get this, but man if you're not in love, in l-o-v-e, with jeff tweedy it's not enough for most* fans of the band. I like their sound, but I can take it or leave it.
*SSS in effect
So many people on teh Interwebz with wrong opinions!!
Firefly was much, much better than Dollhouse, IMO.
part of the problem was Fox being clueless, and part was that the series was not allowed to develop. Think of how bad ST:TNG was for much of its first season. Yet, within a couple of years, the characters had developed, there was tremendous rapport among the cast on screen, and the writing had gotten much, much stronger.
Firefly, in contrast, started with a tremendous set of characters and great (again, IMO) on-screen rapport. Several of the episodes have enduring quality, while others are just fun. It just seemed to me that Firefly picked up in overall quality (writing, acting, humor) where it took shows like Buffy and Angel two or more seasons to achieve.
+ Christina Hendricks
[insert appropriate jpg here]
I actually prefer Dollhouse to Firefly, but I think there was a ton of problems with Dollhouse. They spent too much time focusing on stupid crap and the series took way too long to get started. But the stuff I liked about it was really good. They probably could've boiled it down into one excellent season, but it is what it was.
My feeling on Firefly was that it was definitely the quality of a good season of Whedon's work for sure, but I felt like it was remembered so fondly because he didn't have a chance to f everything up.
I don't really know what it is, but something about the series just clicked completely for me. If I see any actor from it in something else, my chances of liking that show or movie go up (though Castle hasn't clicked with me, but that's mostly because I don't care for procedurals).
I've never sat down to make a "favorite seasons of shows of all time" list (idea!), but if I had, Firefly would rank right up by the top (also, Breaking Bad, season 4 - sweet christmas, is that show good).
BSG is one of my favorite TV series of all time. The series I would compare to Firefly is Space: Above and Beyond. It was a sci-fi, also on FOX and given no chance after one season after being continually overrun by football(yeah, networks used to 'continue in progress' new episodes of scripted shows).
I watch zero TV that's not related to sports or politics. I'm not sure that's an entirely good thing, but it is what it is.
I loved BSG, but the low points were impossible to ignore. After years of setting things up, the ending sputtered. Starbuck's situation seemed like a "Wouldn't this be cool and weird?!" thing on behalf of the writers, more than a story that could be logically explained, which is how the show usually operated.
The way I see it, the show found big moments that they wanted to do, rather than focusing on the plots that were in play, and they worked toward those ends whether they were logical ends or not. As such, they do attempt to explain most everything, but there are some "Oh, come on" moments.
I'll give them credit for attempting to explain some things. There were a few loose ends, but ultimately not too bad.
I definitely would like to see what a more skilled group of writers could do with the concept though.
Yep, this is a pretty good analysis of my feelings too, especially regarding Starbuck.
On a related note, I started on The Wire again. Given that I know what happens, I thought the first episode was excellent laying out the Universe of the show. You get a nice dollop of the main characters, their motivations and how their worlds are about to intersect. I really look forward to tackling this series once again.
i really enjoyed going through the wire a second time (and will most likely go through it a third time sometime in the future). you pick up so much more when you're not struggling to keep up.
EDIT: before the pirate gets to it, i'll throw this link out there. i didn't read through it when i re-watched, but i most likely will if/when i do next time)
Yes, the second season is incredibly great on a re-watch.
I've been through the wire 3 times now, and every time I feel like it gets better. You can clearly see that the writers had the arc of the story, and even individual characters, mapped out from the beginning. Re the second season, man I really didn't enjoy watching i the first time. I'm glad that we didn't give up on the show, and after having seen it again I can firmly say that it's excellent TV.
I really liked the first season of BSG but Season 3 just had too many lulls for me. I just can't bring myself to finish the series. Even the people that liked it don't really seem to like it enough to convince me.
I liked some of the times they departed from more genre-encumbered conventions, but the Starbuck resolution was too much of a departure.
"Resolution"?
So here's a few things that still bother me about BSG... (beyond the obvious)
Timberwolves sign Josh Howard on a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum. Seems better than playing 4v5.
I hope he has something left in the tank. I am getting increasingly concerned about Brandon Zumaya.
The complete lack of new info or any sort of timetable for Roy's return has me convinced that he is done. I am expecting him to retire once and for all any day now. It was good of him to give it another go, but knee problems like that just don't get better.
I don't know if his playing days are absolutely over, but it was pretty clear from watching him that he has no athleticism left. He has to be a below the rim enabler. This team needs a scorer at the two, not a distributor.
In related news, Grant Hill is expected to return to active status (with the Clippers) in the next week or two. He's 40.
Just for fun, does anyone remember who the T-Wolves drafted when Howard was still on the board?
I know the answer, but only because I ran across it on one of the Wolves blogs I scanned through this morning.
I knew the answer. I remember that draft very well. It was the last time anyone thought Darko would be good.
the Wolves drafted Rick Richert in the 2nd round
Ah, Rick Rickert- he was like Kris Humphries, just worse but without the stink of Kardashian on him. Also, this-
I think its surprising Kris Humphries has turned into a half way decent player.
But yeah, 'the punch' will always be Rickert's legacy.
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
RedBaronsYankees announced their new name "RailRiders". Yawn.Colors: Navy, Maroon, and Gold (as in not yellow, more like the Brewers). Yawn.
Their unis aren't bad, but bland, they scream "Triple-A". (Like the Red Wings' do.)
Why do I mention this at all? Because their Road cap is PHENOMENAL. I think this monogram is better than even the St. Paul Saints'.
I say, trash the rest and build on this. If I had any connection to SWB, I'd already have ordered one.
More on the unis here.
I like the script, but I'm not a huge fan of the metallic thread. Would have looked better in goldenrod.
And really, what does Southwestern Bell have to do with it?
I'm not so sure about Goldenrod, goes too much with that Old Nuggets/Cavs palette.
White would be rad, but might tempt them to go for a drop-shadow.
The maroon ain't perfect either, but that's all minor tune-ups on something that's otherwise major-league. (Or better, if you consider the Rox.)
I'm not a big fan of "RailRiders", but almost anything is better than "Yankees".
I'm still trying to figure out if RailRiders is a reference to hoboes or to an ignominious exit from a community while wearing tar and feathers.
Yeah, I was disappointed when Steinbrenner (or his minions) had the team renamed. Only the Braves get to do that!
disappointed is too strong a word.
mildly irritated? Like a tag that doesn't sit right in a shirt you don't really like except it reminds you of Nick Punto in AAA.
Shoot, that's from A-ball Batavia Muckdogs. (But wearing a Phillies-type jersey, from minor-league spring training maybe?)
Page it's from.
David Thorpe, Mr. Rookie, on Shved:
That's pretty high praise from Thorpe.
Small Sample Size caveat, but that write-up is the exact opposite of how Shved played yesterday.
Marilyn Hagerty has some advice for Pete Wells:
That's rich.
So does @dadboner
http://flint.craigslist.org/rnr/3411956576.html
Defending Guy's honor, bad boy style.
Awful Announcing with a rundown of whats wrong with ESPN right now
Leaving in just a while to head down to Joplin, MO with 9 others to help with some tornado cleanup (yes, it's still going on) -- probably help with some painting and moving. Looking forward to coming back Sunday afternoon sore and refreshed. And hopefully in time (and with a joke in mind) to submit my Fiction 59 entry
my god, it's full of stars!
John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press had an awesome MVP ballot
Is that the same guy who voted for Todd Jones in either CYA or MVP voting back in 2006? I remember some writer from Detroit did something silly like that.
Mauer with one 8th place and three 10th place votes.
both Twin Cities writers left him off the ballot
LaVelle gave him a 10th place vote.
you are right. my eyes got crossed
Understandable, I had to highlight the row before I replied to make sure I hadn't done the same.
The three non-Minnesotans who did also had Trout in first.
I guess the mythicalness of the Triple Crown trumps all.
the guy from the hometown Orange County paper had Cabrera over Trout.
the guy from his own outfield (and now Cabrera's outfield) would have voted for Beltre.
Boo.
What I find amusing is that the people who spend all season telling us the importance of "doing the little things that don't show up in the box score" decided that, in the final analysis, all that really matters is home runs, batting average, and RBIs.
Yep. And winning one's division.
Another way of putting it is that the people who constantly deride mere fans and nerdy stat guys for not understanding the game are the ones who went, "OMG! He won the triple crown!"
Yet another way of putting it is that the people who always tell us "You can't just look at the numbers" just looked at the numbers.
It's really a big "Who cares?" at this point.
I know. I just find it amusing, that's all.
Oh, neat. Buffalo gets a chance to embarrass itself on the national stage tonight. Cool.
So far they've set themselves up for a come from in front loss.
Molina was left off one ballot altogether. What the eff?