A Tale of Two Weekends

Memorial Day weekend and the weekend before marked two big events in my life. The first was the series finale of LOST. For most not exactly a milestone but for this viewer it was the culmination of six years of watching, reading, listening, philosophizing and mostly importantly, it was a moment where I fully immersed myself in a community I hadn't even realized I was a part of. I was lucky enough to go to L.A. for the Lost series finale party organized by Jay and Jack. I got to see a genuine Dharma van and listen to Michael Emerson wax rhapsodic about any and every thing. Listening to that man speak was one of the highlights of my life and seriously made me regret not pursuing acting. He's just a genius.

Surrealism

Saturday night I spent an hour in the presence of a living legend. Since then I've probably recounted the story a million times so I won't do that here. Here is the place where I want to meditate on what the experience meant.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #87

#87: Never Say Die

Today on my day off I watch A LOT of television. Most of it was stuff that's been languishing on my DVR for weeks so I'm happy to get through it all but one was something that I've been saving for just this situation: The Goonies.

For some reason, this movie (along with some others) continues to touch me. I find myself mouthing words and shedding a tear every time Sean Astin says "It's our time, our time, down here!"

I think it's the combination of a lot of elements. One is the friendship. Throughout the movie you see these friends give up everything to support each other. And even though the goal is finding "the rich stuff", what's more important is spending their last day together.

The other thing I love about the movie is the sense of adventure. You don't feel like this is one day but just one of many adventures and that there'll be more tomorrow.

And finally, there's Sloth. How can you not love a guy who's ears move when he speaks? He's the quintessential gentle giant. And I love Chunk and how they relate to each other.

So I laid in bed today and I laughed and cried but most of all, I rested. Just 2 more days til the weekend.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #58

#58: Packed House

Now that we've had a few weeks of new television, I thought I'd give my list of shows I'm loving, shows that are languishing on the DVR and others that have been deleted altogether.

My two busiest nights are Sundays and Thursdays. Sundays are comedy and drama. Animation Domination on FOX (Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, Family Guy, and American Dad) brings the funny as well as Calfornication. And the drama comes with Dexter, Brothers & Sisters and Cold Case. Rounding it all out is The Amazing Race. And until this week's finales there was also Army Wives and Drop Dead Diva. Combined that's 8 1/2 hours. The animated shows usually chill on the DVR until Monday morning while Cold Case and The Amazing Race I enjoy watching the night of. The rest stick around until Tuesday or the weekend.

Thursdays, there's Supernatural, Flashforward, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice (both of whom have earned "night of" status because of their brilliant season openers), Fringe and Bones. Luckily, Fringe and Bones are both on Hulu, but they've unfortunately been relegated to weekend viewing.

Glee, Modern Family and Cougar Town have also earned coveted "night of" status because after the long crazy Wednesdays that I have, I need to laugh. And seriously, if you are not watching at least 2 of these three shows something is wrong with you.

Mondays are hard. I love all the shows that are on Monday but it's hit or miss with some of my favorites like Gossip Girl and Big Bang Theory. How I Met Your Mother has been great though, especially since Robin and Barney got together. And they still bring exciting extras like ItWasTheBestNightEver.com.

Friday has become another hit or miss night. Although Dollhouse is really building on the mythology of the show, some of the engagements have been less interesting. And one of my favorites, Numb3rs, has actually become formulaic to me.

There are some shows that still have legs though. I was hoping to drop 90210 but it's been exceptional this season. On the flip side, some of the shows I was excited about have fallen by the wayside. Castle has become a show that I try to catch but I rarely succeed. One Tree Hill, though promising is also a "try but don't cry" if I miss it show. And then there's the new shows. Eastwick has peaked my attention so I'm trying to catch up on ABC.com. But Melrose Place, and ABC's new comedy block are non-starters for me. FOX also has a new comedy called Brothers but given that it was buried on Fridays, I don't hold out hope. Finally, NBC is dead to me. The shows suck and they won't let the cast of Glee perform at the Thanksgiving Day parade out of fear. The only show I watch on that network is 30 Rock and I'd much rather watch it on Hulu. I also get DirecTv, so I'll be watching Friday Night Lights when it returns on October 28th and I get to bypass NBC's premiere in January.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #42

#42: Too Much

Sundays are jam-packed with television on a variety of networks. There's FOX's Animation Domination, which returned tonight with The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show. Then there's CBS which returned with The Amazing Race and Cold Case and ABC's Brothers & Sisters started it's third season tonight. Finally, two of Showtime's best, Dexter and Californication started all new season's as well. Let's just be honest. That's a lot of television.

I managed to make it through all the highlighted shows but at the end of that whirlwind marathon of television (I'm not even counting the shows that didn't have season premieres tonight), there's only a few that stood out.

Brothers & Sisters continued to uphold Greg Berlanti's engaging style of story-telling. Watching this show is like watching a more entertaining version of your family. It's simple but always fun. Picking up where our characters left off, they set up a season of watching Justin struggle with his impending nuptials and med school while Kitty, in a wonderful fake out, finds out that she may be seriously ill.


Cold Case was riveting as always. Although this show is a procedural, the murder of the week story-lines are always interesting and this season will see Det. Lily Rush struggle to find justice after she was assaulted by an army captain last season. It will be interesting to see Lily, who has a strong moral code, fight her desire to seek revenge.

Both Dexter and Californiation had weak first outings. I'm hoping that now that they established the major changes for this season (Dexter's fatherhood and attention-loss and Hank's new role as single father and professor) the rest of the season will be more exciting.

Finally, The Simpsons, American Dad and Family Guy were all a bit lackluster. I give Family Guy credit for utilizing different forms of animation in their "multiverse" story but both The Simpsons and American Dad seemed to be mostly retread. The parts of The Cleveland Show that I caught seemed a lot funnier but since it's Seth McFarlane's newest venture, I would hope more care would be put into it. I just wonder if McFarlane & Co. aren't stretching themselves too thin with FG, AD and TCS. Even Shonda Rhimes struggled to balance Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy. So did Joss Whedon with Buffy and Angel.

Overall, Sunday alone is enough to drive my DVR insane.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #40

#40: Welcome to the ...

Last night marked the return of two of my favorite shows NUMB3RS and Dollhouse. While NUMB3RS was a good episode, it was mainly picking up where last season ended. But Dollhouse is setting us up for a far different ride.

With the arrival of Dollhouse on DVD, fans also got an unaired episode, Epitaph One. That episode, set years into the future, showed us where this show is headed and the season premiere started us along that journey.

And though Amy Acker is still being billed as merely a guest star, it's her phenomenal acting as the tortured Dr. Saunders/Whiskey that is really driving the moral dilemmas that these characters are facing. The ethical questions this show asks are what scripted television should strive for.

Given FOX's track record for canceling shows, it's always hard to get into a drama like this because there's always a chance you might not get to the endgame. But take a chance on this show cause the endgame is worth it. And along the way you'll get to see Battlestar Galactica alums, Jamie Bamber and Michael Hogan as well as Angel alum, Alexis Denisof and Summer Glau of Firefly and Terminator fame.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #39

#39: To Be Continued ...

Due to illness and the fact that I have to be at work at 8 am, I'll update about Grey's Anatomy tomorrow.

UPDATED: There are five stages of grief ...

1. Denial
I remember when I first began to question Grey's Anatomy. After Denny died, I wailed and cried but I told myself it was in service of the story and after a story like that one, I would follow Shonda Rhimes and the other writers wherever they would go ... and then they made George cheat on Callie with Izzie. I didn't know what to think but I was still on the ride. I was in denial.

2. Anger
Somewhere along the road I became angry. I was still there but I wasn't happy. And I found myself disliking some of my favorite characters. And then the stories came out. The backstage fighting, the tension and I thought, how can a bunch of people who are producing amazing television let petty fights get in their way? It was unfathomable.

3. Bargaining
I remember thinking at times, I'll still watch if they make Meredith and Derek get back together. Or I'll still watch if they bring Denny back. It became a trade-off. One thing for another, tit for tat.

4. Depression
Then there were the dark times. When I watched but I wasn't happy. When I lamented how the case of the week was the only storyline that brought me any feeling of connection. I felt isolated from characters that once made me feel.

5. Acceptance
And then I watched this season's premiere and I've accepted. I've accepted that this is where we are. That some of those misguided storylines and poorly constructed characters have brought us to this point. The point where I can watch two hours of a show and be completely engaged. The point where I can watch Chandra Wilson, without her saying a word and know what her character is thinking ... and those thoughts made me weep. Every time the camera panned to her face I heard her words from season 3, when George's dad died, "My son is named after his son". More than anyone else Chandra Wilson owned last night's performance and I think she had the fewest lines.

So I'm here at acceptance. And I'm ready to move on ... and stop grieving.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #38

#38: Must-See TV

It looks like Wednesday might be a second night of comedy (which is good because Monday and Wednesdays are shaping up to be some of my most hectic days). Tonight there were no returning shows but I decided to check out ABC's attempts to return to comedy, Modern Family and Cougar Town.

Modern Family is a mockumentary-style sitcom about three inter-related families, May-December newlyweds, a gay couple and your typical nuclear family. This show was hilarious in every way from the odd-couple gays who've just adopted a Vietnamese baby to the "hip" father who's attempts to be cool only further cement how much he's not. There's also some subtly funny moments such as the Jon Gosselin-esque soccer dad who hits on Sofia Vagara's character because he thinks that her husband (played by Ed O'Neill) is her father.

Cougar Town, starring Courtney Cox, is not as funny as Modern Family but it's still a keeper. Although it is riddled with over-40, desperate woman cliches there are some great moments between Cox and her on-screen son (played by Dan Byrd formerly of Aliens in America). Also, Cox's character has a refreshing case of diarrhea of the mouth.

And rounding out my comedy Wednesdays is Glee, which is in its third week and just gets better. This week's tribute to Beyonce's Single Ladies was elegantly paired with Kurt's coming-out to his father. And the over-arching storyline's (Shu's non-pregnant wife, Rachel's struggle to stay on top in a changing glee club and Sue Sylvester's continued attacks on glee) continue to heat up each week. I think comedy is back on prime-time in a big way.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #37

#37: Music & Lyrics

Today's a slow day for returning shows so I thought I'd honor all of my favorite television/music moments. Growing up, music was always a part of television. Theme songs and special guest stars always highlighted the musical moments of the shows but it wasn't until my teens when shows started to use television to launch new and emerging artists in a really significant way. So I just wanted to countdown my top 5 tv/music moments.

#5: Fisher - I Will Love You (Roswell)


I was a huge fan of the Max/Tess pairing on Roswell and their love scene was perfectly punctuated by Fisher's song. The love story of two characters separated by time and death was illustrated by the lyrics "Til my body is dust and my soul is no more/I will love you, love you"


#4: James Taylor - Fire & Rain (Dawson's Creek)

A classic song set to a memorable scene. After Dawson's father dies he all but burns everyone around him and ends up crying alone in his car while James Taylor plays in the background.



#3: The Sundays - Wild Horses (Buffy, The Vampire Slayer)



The best thing about this scene was that it was what every girl dreams of, dancing at her prom with her boyfriend, but it was set off by the knowledge that the moment was fleeting and more than likely the last time Buffy and Angel would be together. Bittersweet.


#2: Melissa McLelland - Rooftop (Degrassi)

Degrassi made a ground-breaking episode about a school shooting and besides the sound of gunshots, Melissa McLelland's song, Rooftop, haunted me or days after the show aired.



Honorable Mention: One Tree Hill. I have to give this show honorable mention because it consistently has amazing music and has introduced me to tons of artists. I actually could have done this entire list with just selections from this show.

#1: Kate Havnevik - Grace (Grey's Anatomy)



This moment tops the list because it has to do with two of my favorite television couples. In this scene Meredith and Derek succumb to lust and love after a season apart and a hopeful Izzie prepares to see the love of her life Denny Duquette as we watch him die. Beautiful, sensual, sad and life-changing. I don't think I've ever cried so much over a television show.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #36

#36: Are You Ready for Some ...

Tonight I watched the season premieres of The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother and Castle. Although many people think the television sitcom is dead, I have to say that both BBT and HIMYM prove them wrong. Both shows consistently make me laugh out loud and tonight was no exception.

HIMYM has finally brought together my two favorite characters, Barney and Robin, and not only did we get to see them as a couple but we got to watch Lily try to get them to define their relationship (a losing battle with these two commitment-phobes). And what made the episode genius was that in trying not to define what they had, by the end of the episode both characters were completely involved in a relationship without even realizing it. At this point, do we even care who the mother is anymore? I just want more Barney and Robin.

The Big Bang Theory started its third season with Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Wolowitz's return from the Arctic and Penny's apparent lust for Leonard which was stoked by his absence. The wonderful thing about this show is that the geek always gets the girl but it always comes out wrong. Ait the end of the episode we're left with Penny and Leonard tangled in bed and feeling thoroughly awkward, so it should be a great season. As Sheldon would say, in emoticon logic, I'm a semi-colon, upper-case "d".

The season premiere of Castle was every bit the procedural with roguish Nathan Fillion playing his part to perfection. Although I was happy to see the fallout from Castle delving into Beckett's past, what I find the most intriguing about this show is Castle's relationship with his teenage daughter. The chemistry and ease that Fillion has with the actress who plays his daughter is amazing to watch and it's my favorite part of the show.

All in all, I was not disappointed by this first outing from some of my returning faves. And both comedies gave me huge laugh out loud moments, which is a great way to end a Monday.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #35

#35: Glitz and Glamour

Although fall television has been going on for the past few weeks, this week is when some of my perennial favorites, like Grey's Anatomy, premiere. So all this week I'll be blogging about television exclusively (which is a nice respite after my bit of self-indulgence for the past week). And to kick it off, I'll be offering my thoughts on tonight's Primetime Emmys hosted by none other than How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris also known as my gay crush. I'll be back later to update my thoughts on the wins and losses but right now, here's my picks for people and shows that need to win:

1. Oustanding Comedy: Honestly, HIMYM deserves this win but since NPH is hosting and also nominated for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, I think it's more likely that the win will go to 30 Rock and NPH will get the Supporting Actor nod. It's a trade-off I can live with.

2. Lead Actor in a Comedy - Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory: A dark horse, a long shot ... anyway you say it, it's definitely going to be a hard one but if the Emmy voters were smart (which they aren't), they'd award Jim who had an amazing season as Sheldon.

3. Supporting Actor in a Drama - Michael Emerson from Lost: This one is a long time coming. Michael Emerson has been serving up the chills as creepy Ben Linus for seasons but I think this year of watching the manipulative character lose his mojo to Not Locke, showed amazing vulnerability.

4. Supporting Actress in a Comedy - Kristin Chenoweth from Pushing Daisies: Given how Pushing Daisies was unceremoniously dumped from ABC's line-up, this wonderfully crafted show should be thrown a bone but that aside Kristin Chenoweth is one of the best comedic actresses of our time and as much as I love Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Perkins, Jane Krakowski, and Kristen Wiig, I think Kristin C. should be standing on that stage. All 5 feet of her.

That's it for pre-show thoughts. I'll update later with post-show thoughts.

UPDATE: The Emmy Awards were great last night. Here's my thoughts:

The Outfits: I was in love with how subtly glamorous (almost) everyone looked. The few exceptions were Blake Lively and Leighton Meester. Not that they didn't look gorgeous but when most of the women looked like this, it's hard to say that these two were subtle in their choices.

The Jokes, Gags and Special Moments: As always when there's an award show, there's some things you wish they would have scrapped for time but some of my faves were the dance number featuring America's Best Dance Crew's QuestLove and the Dr. Horrible hi-jack scene. I think Neil did an amazing job. The best thing about him is that you can tell he's just giddy and happy to be there. The "In Memoriam" (for me the mark of a great awards show) was tasteful and they did what the Oscars failed to do, actually show the people in the video. I also thought Ricky Gervais did an amazing job presenting but I have a soft spot for him due to this:



The Awards: Kristin Chenoweth won! Jim Parsons didn't (boo!) but Alec Baldwin was a nice compromise. If Charlie Sheen had won, I'd have thrown a rock at the television. Micheal Emerson won! Some surprises were Bryan Cranston's win for Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Breaking Bad). Surprisingly, NPH did not win for Supporting Actor and How I Met Your Mother did not win for Best Comedy Series (robbed!).

Overall, the television community really came out to represent it's own.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #29

#29: Monday Night Round-Up

Eating: Marinated bean salad over garlic & cilantro couscous.

Watching: Greek, Gossip Girl and Lincoln Heights.

Hoping: That the loan I took out clears in the next few days so I can pay my (overdue) rent.

YouTubing: Sailor Moon and General Hospital's Jason and Sam.

Mourning: Patrick Swayze, who died today of pancreatic cancer. I was midway through tonight's entry when I heard about it. Although I'll admit to spending many a Saturday memorizing the steps from Dirty Dancing, it's his impeccable performance from To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Numar that made me fall in love with Patrick Swayze all over again. He took a part that could have been over the top and ridiculous and injected a strong sense of a man who struggled with his sexual identity and finding acceptance. And throughout the entire film he showed the class and elegance of a woman. I'd heard for a while about his struggle with cancer so this was not completely out of the blue but the last I'd heard Swayze was on the mend and I'd hoped that he would be with us for many years to come. I'm sure wherever he is he is dancing. Rest in peace.

Edited to add: Just found out that Jim Carroll died on Friday. I feel like pieces of my childhood are dying every day.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #25

#25: This Used to be My Playground

Tonight was the premiere of the CW's The Vampire Diaries. As I said before, the book series that this show is based on shaped a good part of my childhood. I've always been a lover of vampire stories. I read many of Anne Rice's books when I was 11 and 12 and I still love her writing. But one day I stumbled across L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries and I was hooked.

In all honesty, all of the author's stories follow the same general arc. There is a female protagonist (in this case Elena Gilbert) and she is caught in between two guys. In VD, it's initially Matt, the sweet jock, and Stefan, the dangerous but good vampire. As Elena becomes more entrenched in Stefan's world, she becomes caught between Stefan and his brother, Damon, who is a far more dangerous vampire. Eventually, Elena becomes a vampire due to her dalliances with both brothers.

What makes the book series so intriguing is the devotion that Elena has to her friends and ultimately her town and that against all odds, it's not about her choosing between these two brothers but instead about how much she is willing to sacrifice to keep her town safe from the evil these two brothers unintentionally bring.


The show, while drawing on some of the larger elements of the original (vampire brothers fighting for Elena's love, Damon's ability to turn into a crow, Stefan's disgust of his brother and determination to act human) so far misses out on some crucial details. The CW's Elena has a younger sibling in the form of a cute, drug-addicted brother. Perfect fodder for the CW crowd but the book's Elena has a little sister named Margaret, whose pet kitten plays an important role later in the story. In the novel, Stefan and Damon originate from Venice during the Italian Renaissance era. In the show, they are part of the original founders of the Virginian town the story is set in, though they still retain the obviously Italian name, Salvatore. And it's a small note but the name of the town in the book is Fell's Church while in the show has changed it to Mystic Falls. Minor but since one of the major characters that comes into play is named Honoria Fell, I guess that part of the story will be scrapped. Also some of Elena's friends have been sacrificed so far (Meredith) while other minor characters have been played up (Vicki).



There are some changes I'm happy with. The character of Bonnie is now a Black female, which is a welcome change. It's nice to have more characters of color in my favorite story.

But the question I ask myself whenever a remake or adaption like this happens, is why does this affect me so much? Why do these changes affect the sanctity that I've created around my favorite stories? Part of it is fear that this will be the only way one of my favorite stories will be remembered. There is a permanence about film and television that can supersede literature. There's very few people that can argue that the name Harry Potter doesn't conjure an image of Daniel Radcliffe. Right now, I've convinced one of my students (who reminds me a lot of myself) to read the series. And with all the Twi-hards out there thinking this is some sort of rip-off of their universe when the Vampire Diaries actually existed more than a decade before Twilight was published, it's hard not to be defensive and hope that if theyre going to create that permanence they get it right.

The second part of it is that when you read (and re-read) books the way I do, you create a world, a set of images that resonate with you forever. Because I enjoy Nina Dobrev as an actor, I'm not up in arms about the fact that she looks nothing like how Elena is described in the story but in truth, she looks NOTHING like Elena. As the heroine of the story, it's a bit hard to swallow.

I've given the show a chance and though it's not terrible, it's not my Vampire Diaries. And as the fall schedule begins to get crowded they're going to have to give me more than a good soundtrack to keep me tuning in. As it is, I just have the urge to pull out my books and read them every week. It would be a far better use of my hour.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #24

#24: Sideways

I recently discovered (and kicked myself in the head for missing) Kevin Smith's podcast with Scott Moisier, the aptly titled SModCast. For the most part, I like to listen to podcasts that discuss television shows but the SModCast is essentially just two guys shooting the shit and I must admit, I'd probably pay the few measly sheckles that I have to listen to these two guys.

It's fairly explicit language but it's highly entertaining. So much so that I find myself laughing out loud on the bus to and from work. The topics range from censorship to Canadian hockey icons and it's all done with Kevin Smith's trademark style of self-deprecation and forthrightness.

I went back to listen to the episode in which the two producers talked about the resistance they got around the ads for Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The entire episode basically devolved into a conversation about how parents need to deal with the changing world and take responsibility for what their children will see and how they explain it to them. This is an issue where I've noticed you seem to have two extreme opposites. On one end you have the parents who police everything their child sees, from television to books to what's in their neighborhood. And on the other hand you have parents who take their 5 year-old's to R-rated movies, curse in front of their children and basically let them watch or read whatever they want. In my opinion, in both situations, no one wins. The former creates a completely sheltered child who can't navigate he world or in an attempt to navigate the world, rebels. The latter is the kid who grows up far too fast, and in this country where children are hyper-sexualized and violent, a child doesn't need their parents to initiate the beginning of that process.

So what's the solution? From what I've observed it's all about talking to your children and giving them boundaries. In the podcast, Smith noted that the objection people had about the ad was the use of the word "porno". They were afraid that their kids would ask them what it meant. If I was a parent, I'd much rather my child ask me what a porno is than learn the answer somewhere else. And if you've set proper boundaries as a parent, a simple "It's an adult movie and it's not for children" will suffice. Yes, children are inquisitive but for the most part, they understand when something is not for them. Why are parents so afraid of what their children will ask them? There's always that moment of awkwardness but in the long-run, isn't it better coming from you? I know this is a bit easy for me to say since I'm childless but I welcome having those discussions with my (future) child. At least then I can say all the shit I have to keep to myself when talking to my students.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #22

#22: On the Eve of this Momentous Event ...

Fall used to be about new clothes, new books and falling leaves. Since moving to California, I've had less money (so no new clothes), there's barely any leaves falling off the trees and since I'm a teacher rather than a student, no new books. But one thing has always remained the same, FALL TELEVISION! Here's what I'm excited for and some things which are going to fall to the wayside.

The CW: Once again, the CW gets points for starting it's new season a week before the other networks. Given that it's slew of new shows is largely derivative and unoriginal, they need the headstart. I'll definitely be tuning into Gossip Girl (Mondays at 9 pm) to see where college brings our cast, and I'm optimistic since creator Josh Schwartz actually anticipated his characters going to college, something most teen shows seem to forget. That being said, other than the draw of the sexy Winchester boys, the CW has pretty much lost me as a viewer. I'm not fired up about the 90210 and Melrose Place reboots and One Tree Hill is pretty lackluster

Next up is FOX: The FOX network is my nemesis. They manage to take the risks that other networks don't by greenlighting interesting shows but they quickly cancel them if they are not break out hits (moment of silence for even though they've dropped the deadweight of Peyton and Lucas.Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles). So I'll be tuning in to the new show Glee (this Wednesday at 9 pm) and going for old favorites like the Sunday night cartoon block (Simpsons, Family Guy) also Fringe and Bones which are back-to-back on Thursdays. I'll be watching House on a trial basis. At the end of the month on the 25th Joss Whedon's Dollhouse reappears to round out my Friday nights.

CBS returns September 14th with How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory (8 pm and 9 pm, respectively). Then two weeks later The Amazing Race and Cold Case premiere.

Finally, ABC returns with new episodes the week of the 21st, with new episodes of Castlea book tie-in). I'll be checking out the new comedy (which also has Modern Family (Wednesdays at 9) which is chock full of stars like Ed O'Neill and Sofia Vergara. Also the J.J. Abrams-helmed Flash Forward will begin right before new episodes of Grey's Anatomy. And then that Sunday Brothers & Sisters returns at 10 pm.

In addition to the return of network television, there's plenty of cable television returning in the fall. On September 14th, Lincoln Heights returns to ABCFamily and Greek is two episodes into a new season. Sons of Anarchy, a show I fell in love with over this weekend, has its second season premiere tomorrow on FX. Also, Showtime premieres new seasons of Dexter and Californication on the 27th. Californication is planning a huge season three with Hank Moody now ensconced in a new position as a college professor and there are plans for Kathleen Turner, Ed Westwick, Eva Amurri, Embeth Davidtz and Diane Farr (who I love from Roswell and Numb3rs) to guest star.

Other than that, everything is either being ignored or watched on a trial basis. I think I've reached a point where I have enough returning shows and a couple of new shows that I am interested in to fill up my tv schedule. I will try to watch Vampire Diaries since I am a fan of the books that inspired the show but from the previews I've seen there's been a massive Twilight-ization of the novels. And the month of October will see the return of 30 Rock, Ugly Betty (also on probation) and Private Practice, which has a crazy finale to live up to.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #8

#8: Quarter-Life

Yesterday I went to see two movies, (500) Days of Summer and Julie & Julia. I mostly went to see them because I was in the mood for a big-screen version of a Lifetime movie and beause of my long-standing girl crush on Zooey Deschanel (not to mention my regular crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Both movies were entertaining, enlightening and mostly sweet but later as I reflected on the two I realized that both brought up an essential question that people my age grapple with: what do we do when what we thought our lives would be, are anything but?

The main character in (500) Days. Tom, is a guy who always had an idea of what falling in love would be like. Most of it was based on what he saw in the movies. So when he meets Summer, he pretty much ignores all the obvious signs of why they won't work and is devastated when it doesn't, although the audience can see it coming from a mile away.

Similarly, in Julie & Julia, blogger Julie Powell embarks on a mission to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in order to prove to herself that her life and her friends, that her life (at 30) has not been a failure.

Basically, these two people, in their late 20s/early 30s, have almost given up hope on love and career. And the reason we are able to go on this journey with them is because for many people my age, we find ourselves in the same place. We wonder what we did wrong or what we're missing that we haven't found love or been able to succeed at our passions. Personally, I'm in both positions. After 26 years of life, I've never been in love. And professionally, I struggle with being able to follow my passion or paying the bills. Lately, I've managed to find a bit of serenity in realizing that when those things do come, they will be epic. And they will be right. I guess right now I just have to trust that everything I'm doing will have to pay off otherwise it'd be pretty damn hard to get through the day.

100 Issues for 100 Days: #5

#5: Gilmore Girl

Today the movie Post Grad premiered in theaters. I haven't seen it yet but this is a subject that is close to my heart. I'm so glad Alexis Bledel is playing this role because I feel like if Gilmore Girls had continued, this would have been season 8: Rory returns home after she realizes that it's near impossible to find a job after college.

What they don't tell you is that if you don't want to work in a cubicle, finding a job that pays more than by the hour or even finding a job in your field of interest is pretty much a pipe dream. I've been out of college for 4 years and I still feel the pressure everyday to run home to my mom and live at home. And with the recession and looming college loans, it's hard not to identify with this film.

Being a college graduate is not enough in this economy. You have to bring a lot to the table and even more you have to be willing to sometimes work for nothing if it's what you're passionate about. Which brings me to my second point. The other thing that makes this movie so relatable is that it's about a white, upper middle-class female. For most first-in-their-family or loan-taking (read: of color) college graduates, the option of taking your time to find a job is nearly non-existent. You have about six months before those loan payments kick in and your parents start to kick you out. For most the question is not "what's your passion?" but "when are you going to make your own money?" And for those pursuing a passion, the grumbling doesn't stop after you leave your old bedroom. I still have to listen to my mom ask me what my plan is and where am I going and my favorite is "when are you going to get a real job?". In this economy, I have one piece of advice for this year's college grads. Stay in school.

*UPDATE: Check out this Post Grad review by TheReelAddict

100 Issues for 100 Days: #2

#2 Premium or Unleaded

Today is the day my cable bill is due. Don't get me wrong, any other day I would happily pay my cable bill and keep on truckin' but there's one tiny problem: I am BROKE. And I don't mean broke like I'm skimping on that new pair of shoes (I saw a great pair of second-hand yellow pumps for $35 at this store, by the way). No I'm broke like "I'm on a week-long cleanse cause it means I can draw out the time until I have to buy groceries" - broke.

Back to the cable bill. I also have a huge weakness. I LOOOOOOOOVE my television. It's kind of sick. When I add up the amount of television I watch per week it's at least a part time job. So while I'll never give up my cabe outright, I am thinking of cutting back on my premium channels. What does this mean? No more HBO and Showtime. For most people this is a small sacrifice but every time I come close to cutting the cord I think, "No more True Blood? No more Weeds? and my hand hovers over the "remove" button with trepidation. And I know I can find these things on the interwebs somewhere but for the same reason I can't get myself to commit to a Kindle, "it just ain't the same".

Right now I hover on the brink. But my (empty) wallet will push me over the edge.

Today I Cried for a Man

I know networks are happy that despite the dry spell that is summer television, they've had a "story" like the death of Michael Jackson to sustain them but even with their continuing attempts to turn Michael Jackson's life into a circus, today's memorial service was a tasteful and uplifting remembrance of the man.

Yes there were missteps (Sen. Jackson Lee) and some questionable issues (a $4 million bill laid on the taxpayers of California, a bankrupt state) but all that was overshadowed by the powerful words and tearful good byes. Today I mourned Michael Jackson the man. Not how his music made me feel or what it reminded me of. I mourned a father who left behind three young children. I mourned a man who lived a life that was isolated and haunted by abuse. And most of all a man who despite the best attempts of those around him, maintained his childlike innocence and a dedication to help those around him. That's more than anyboday can say. And I agree that he was "the greatest entertainer that ever lived".


My favorite tribute from the memorial:

Death to AutoTune

So as the spring moves into summer (and I have some free time on my hands), I'm back here to blog and share.

It's been one week since Michael Jackson left this earth and it's become clear to me, mourning is almost never about the person who died. How else do you explain an entire world of people (including myself) who eight days ago probably couldn't say the words Michael Jackson without a snicker or derisive snort, crying and clamoring for that same man.

Will Michael be missed? Yes, of course. But I have to admit that my sadness (and it's still here, it has lingered) comes from all the great memories that I've associated with this man and his music. I want to say that it's all about him but that would be a lie and the time for lies is over. I am sincerely sad but moreso than for a man I'm sad for a spirit that was battered and broken by his family, by fame and probably never fully felt the joy that he brought to so many. That's what saddens me still, a week later.

I've been watching music videos since then. First the many tributes to Michael and then as music channels segued back into their regular rotation, I got a chance to "catch up" on what I've been missing and the sad fact is music is gasping for it's last breath. I won't deny the innovators but with them being so few and far between or in some cases unconsumed, what is the future for music? When people stand up and thank the people who have inspired them will they name a Young Jeezy or an Ace Hood? (Please, Jesus no) And even those that claim to be inspired by the greats are producing music as indiscernible and easily consumed and digested as popcorn.

Though I'm still mourning the loss of Michael Jackson and watch in dismay as the tabloids and 24-hour press tear him apart for the sake of a story, one tidbit did cheer me up. UsWeekly reported that while Michael's children were homeschooled, he himself tutored them in art, music and African-American history. I can't think of anyone better :)