keeping note

A truely sad day today, Estelle Getty has passed away. She was 84.

She is best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo on hit 80’s TV show The Golden Girls. Next to Dorothy, she was my favorite character. Seriously, her stories, her wit and her sarcasm all added to the charm of the show. Without Sophia, the show wouldn’t have been as funny and the only person who could pull off this character was Estelle Getty. She will be missed.

For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of watching The Golden Girls, you can still watch the episodes of Lifetime. They show at 9 - 10am, 4 - 5pm and midnight. (Yes, I watch a lot of TV)

Please enjoy the charm she brought to this clip from The Golden Girls!

This the first and, most likely, the last time you will ever see me write this sentence. I’d never met a book I didn’t love more than it’s audio-visual recreation until now.

Darly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay is by no means a horrible book, yet it didn’t have the humor, irony, and intrigue that Showtime gave it. After reading the book which inspired the television series and watching the complete first season, I can say with absolute certainty that the book is not better.

The writer’s for the Showtime series really took their rights to the book’s content seriously. The show and book are mirror images of each other for the most part. None of the characters are altered and some dialogue is cut and pasted. It’s not bad, though. The producers saw a great idea, yet mediocre excecution, and decided to give it all the depth, drama, and devotion Dexter deserved.

The book isn’t bad, just mediocre. It’s nothing I’d write a high review of, yet something I’d recommend for a quick and mindless, yet entertaining read. This is why I’m giving the book two bolts. I’d give it one if it were just a book, but the story is really something amazing, hidden behind boring, uninteresting prose and a weak progression of events.

I have a somewhat unhealthy addiction to television. That’s why it makes me extremely happy to find a show like Heroes, which indulges my obession.

Heroes is not only a tv show, by an online “graphic novel” or comic book. The show’s website has continually posted weekly comic book issues since the first season. The comic books follow along with the show and even precede what happens on television. This isn’t fan fiction, this in association with the show and connected to, even spoiling, the storyline which take place on television. It’s amazing.

Well, now the wonderful people of Heroes have compiled a book of their comic book issues. While the artwork of these comics is great to admire online, I’m really excited to see that this is in print. If there’s one form of print that will never die, it’s artwork and these novels definitely fit that category.

Look for the book in stores and definitely keep up with the nearly 100 issues on nbc.com/heroes.

Even amidst the trend of remaking classics, no movie has been able to really take me back to the spirit and imagination of cartoons.

Speed Racer did it. Everything about this movie was cartoon. The images, the story, the excitement, the fun. The movie embodied the magical, whimsical, yet fun, thrilling, and simply comical spirit of cartoons. There’s no real way to describe it. It’s cartoon.

Artistically, it’s beautiful. Using every color in the crayon box and some of the coolest computer graphics, every image in the movie is as bold and alive as a kaleidoscope. Electrifying, visually breathtaking, and just plain stylish. It could have easily found success in art house/indie theatres.

As for the plot, it’s got depth to keep an adult entertained, continually throwing them back to the classic good and evil struggles of the cartoon and comic. Speed’s silly younger brother and monkey companion are a hilarious ride for kids. At the same time, the larger than life races with cars that physically shoot daggers and flip over each other keep adults and kids alike thrilled.

I love this movie. The not-so-stellar reviews are really unwarranted and dare I say pretentious views on pure brilliance and cartoon entertainment.

New Amsterdam
Fox :: Mon 9 pm

Another excuse for a crime drama, but with an intriguing uniqueness.

New Amsterdam follows the story of an immortal cop living in New York. After 400 years and 609 women, he’s still waiting for the one who will make him mortal. Sure, it sounds cheesy. ‘True love makes him mortal, but more alive than ever.’ (And the show uses that line or something like it almost every episode.) Aside from the writing being a bit weak, the show is pretty decent.

Because our main character has lived through four centuries, he’s constantly referencing classic literature, music, historic events, and intriguing details about every era. This makes the show. It’s like watching Pride & Prejudice, Pocahontas, Brave Heart, Chicago, Grease, and Law & Order at the same time. Sure, it sounds complex, but it makes for a really great crime drama.

The Season Finale is on Next Monday, April 14th. It’s definitely worth tuning in.

The kn team gives it 3/5.

Spoiler: Our hero has just found out that the woman he thought was going to make him mortal, isn’t the one, yet he’s already fallen for her (and it’s mutual). With many wives having come and gone through his life already, should he just live and love or push this love aside to continue his seach for the one? How is he supposed to tell the one he’s with? (Meanwhile, each episode invovles a homicide case.)

Youtube.com is the greatest thing ever introduced to the classroom!

In my journalism class, my professor showed us a four year old clip of Jon Stewart as a guest on Crossfire.

From the clip, I gathered that shows like Crossfire add to the smoke screen that politicians have when it comes to avoiding and addressing issues that citizens want answered clearly. They don’t provide civil discourse and they invoke irritability and impatience when it comes to many learning about politics.

Stewart best said on Crossfire, “We need help from the media and they’re hurting us.”

Shows like Crossfire add to the smoke screen that politicians have when it comes to avoiding and addressing issues that citizens want to be addressed. They don’t provide civil discourse and they invoke irritability and impatience when it comes to us learning about politics.

It really made a connection with the book I’m reading for the same class called, The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect

I highlighted from the book a quote that said, “The central purpose of journalism is to tell the truth so that people will have the information that they need to be sovereign” (pg 14).

They’re doing the public a disservice as “journalists”. Between the yelling, ahems! and the excuse me(s) (repeated so many damn times) I’ve learned nothing. The show doesn’t provide me with anything to make a better decision at all, except when it comes to watching the news- don’t watch Crossfire.

With everyone campaigning and the presidency up for grabs this year it’s so important for people to learn about the candidates and their platforms. The last eight years have been a trip (down south many would say) so don’t look for theatrics, look for information. If you want theatrics let a nation of uniformed people take to voting; then you’ll have your tragedy.

l love The Beatles and love makes the world go round. Yes, The Beatles carry a lot of influence. Not just because I love them, but because their music is incontestably the best music that ever has or will be written after the classics.

American Idol was finally allowed to bring The Beatles on board and it was worth the wait (and intense legal battles, I’m sure). This horribly over done show attracted my attention for it’s full time slot tonight. Mostly, I couldn’t wait to see what songs were chosen. Scared that the contestants would take too much license, I dreaded hearing some of my favorites. I’m happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. This normally bland show was the most fun hour of reality television I’ve watched since. . . well, ever.

My favorite act of the night was a little rock rendition of Eleanor Rigby. Brilliant. Genius.

Adding to how much I loved this song, his attitude was perfect. ‘You really have to be on your game because everyone knows these songs.’ He understands the privilege of singing these songs and singing it perfectly or not at all.

The not-so-native San Diegan also put out a truly great rendition of Come Together. She made us fellow San Diegans proud. After these two performances tonight, I might possibly bring myself to tune in tomorrow.

The most depressing act of the night came from a sixteen year old who hadn’t heard a single Beatles song on the list. (Go ahead and pick you jaw up off the floor, recover from your heart attack, etc. . . the blog will still be here after you’ve had a chance to drive to Hollywood and smack the kid.)

Anyway, the ignorant little boy chose the one song that Stevie Wonder had covered and tried to sing it in that style. Not only was it a complete nightmare (the kid deserved nothing better), but it was a complete insult to the Lennon/McCartney songbook.

Then I went back and watched Eleanor Rigby again. I am happy.