A Curmudgeon's Guide to Life @cmcwhertor - Tumblr Blog

Moved to Wordpress

I've decided to move the blog over to Wordpress. You can find it here.I'll still have the tumblr account but I won't be too active on it and use it for funny stuff mostly. Sorry for the inconvenience if you actually read my blog.

All the posts have been transferred to the new site so you can catch up over there if you'd like to read anything written previously.

#byetumblr

Roku

Earlier this year I wrote about the wonderful features of Chromecast, Google's new streaming HDMI stick. I like Chromecast for its simplicity and price point and still think it is a great addition to any entertainment portfolio. I have, however, recently purchased a Roku Streaming Stick and I must admit it is far and away better than Chromecast.

While I like the way that Chromecast allows you to cast from any compatible website or app, I have really enjoyed the interface that Roku provides. It basically makes your non-Smart TV a Smart TV. Maybe if I had a Smart TV this would be unnecessary and the simplicity of Chromecast would be more appealing but I like seeing the menu of options that Roku provides. There are four levels of Roku devices. The Roku 1, 2 and 3 as well as the Streaming Stick. I got the Streaming Stick since it is the cheapest at just under $50 (there was a sale). As far as I can tell the stick offers the same services as the Roku 1 while the Roku 2 and 3 have heightened services. The regular Roku devices and the space they take up are the main reason I didn't get one, now that there is a streaming stick with hardly any hardware it was a an easy decision to try it out.

There are two ways I can clearly identify where the Roku is superior to Chromecast. The easiest way to see it is the remote control and ease of viewing that this allows. While it does add a remote to your collection, it allows you to go back and forth between options. You can also pause what you are watching much more easily since you aren't using your phone as the remote. My phone would often go into sleep mode while using it for Chromecast and I would have to re-enter the app to stop or start my viewing. Or, my phone would ring while watching something and my playback would just continue (I would mute the TV) because I couldn't pause it while on my phone. Roku, as a separate entity right on your screen via the Streaming Stick, does not have these problems.

The second way Roku is superior is the choice of channels. It has everything that Chromecast offers plus others like Showtime and Amazon Prime video. There is a wealth of viewing available on those sites that I could only view through my computer before, now it streams right to my TV. Perhaps Chromecast will catch up with Roku, but right now there is a clear advantage for content.

I still like Chromecast. It does allow for streaming of a browser tab which Roku can't offer. Great for when you're watching bootleg versions of things - streaming of course. It also allows for quick viewing when you're looking at something on the web or on your phone and you want to shoot it over to the TV. This is especially handy with YouTube. It is also $15 less than Roku, which comes into play for some people.

Right now we have both streaming devices attached to our TV and use them both for different purposes. I can't actually think of anything that we can't watch on our TV in some way or another. It's pretty great.

#streameverything

MLB Playoffs

The baseball regular season ended on Sunday and the playoffs start Tuesday with the first of two wildcard games. The season ended with the possibility of as many as three tie-breaker games being played on Monday, but in the end everything worked itself out and no tie-breaker was necessary. It is quite amazing that three playoff races required all 162 games to determine the outcome. Great entertainment.

The wildcard games Tuesday and Wednesday each have a very different flavor to them. In the American League, the Kansas City Royals made it to the playoffs for the first time since the 1985 when they won the World Series. The Royals will face the Oakland Athletics, who have been terrible in the second half of the season, going from first to almost out of the playoffs in two months. They are lucky to be in the wildcard game but now only need one win to move on to the Divisional Series.

In the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates are again hosting the wildcard game after falling just short of the central division championship to St. Louis. The Pirates were one of the best teams in the second half but are now subject to a one game situation to move on. Pittsburgh will take on the San Francisco Giants, who couldn't keep up with the Dodgers but will get to throw their ace, Madison Bumgarner, in an effort to advance.

The National League winner will take on the Washington Nationals and the American League winner will challenge the Los Angeles Angels. The other series in each league are the Detroit Tigers facing the Baltimore Orioles in the AL and the St. Louis Cardinals trying to beat Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Washington-Baltimore, San Francisco-Oakland and Los Angeles areas are well represented in the playoffs this year, leaving a decent opportunity for a local World Series. St. Louis and Kansas City aren't too far apart either.

I'll check in before the Divisional Series for each league, which starts with the AL on Thursday. Some of the best drama can come from the wildcard games, with win or go home stakes. I was able to go to the game in Pittsburgh last year and it is my most memorable sports moment so far. It makes for pretty good TV watching too.

#162

TV Review: Homeland Season Three

I slogged through the 3rd season of Homeland the past few weeks. It could have been worse but it really could have been a lot better. The writers for Homeland seem to misjudge how long the audience wants to stay on board for a specific theme or plot line then react late to correct their mistake.

In season two Abu Nazir's story dragged on and in season three it was Brody's. Granted, Brody is a main character in the show and to simply move on from him would take some clever and strategic writing but I don't think it would have been too hard. Instead we get a plot that has Brody as public enemy number one and is transformed again into American hero and back and forth again. While season three symbolizes the absolutely insane character that Brody is, it also goes off the rails to a weird place even for Homeland.

I'm going to get really spoiler filled right now so be aware if you'd like to still be surprised. Most of the third season is a set up, for the audience and the bad guys. Carrie is off her meds and clearly not in her right mind again, similar to what we saw in season one. Only it was all part of a brilliant plan by Saul to draw the bad guys to her, and it is revealed to us about midway though the season. The plot thickens from there and eventually the CIA is able to corner a high level Iranian asset.

The Brody plot runs concurrent to this story line and is the only thing that continues to cloud Carrie's thinking in the end. Her obsession with Brody is rather off-putting and continues despite Brody clearly being a shell of his former self, which was already a shell of its previous self. The man is messed up, and while that is important to his plot line, it feels a little stupid that she still loves him unabashedly.

Homeland did a good job of ending Brody. Yes, one of the three main characters in the show dies. It was past time. He had dodged way to many bullets and for plots sake he had to go. The story line had deteriorated anything that was left in the character anyway. It was a fitting end though, being an enemy to both Iran and The United States. He helped and harmed both, but no one wanted him in the end.

For once Homeland doesn't end a season with a major event, even Brody's execution was calm and somber. Saul is out of a job with the CIA although his term has been widely considered a major success due to the asset. Carrie is (cue the shark jumping) pregnant with Brody's baby and pondering her future with the CIA. Where will it go from there? The Iran plot is very thick and I imagine it will get effed up in some way and Saul and Carrie will be back working at it again. I'm also guessing something else will blow up.

Here is a good interview with the show runner talking about Brody and what is next for Homeland. The new season starts October 5 on Showtime.

#babybrody

My Top Five: Sports

The recent scumbaggery of the NFL players and administrators made me think about what my favorite sports were. So I made a list, trying to evaluate on how much I enjoy to not only watch but also follow (read about, listen to analysis) the sport.

5. Soccer - Gasp! Soccer has made it into my top five list of sports? Maybe this is reactive to the NFL situation but there is a lot I like about soccer. I love the tradition and history. The tournaments are great, and having the Euro Cup or the World Cup every two years makes for exceptional "event" watching. The games themselves still pose some problems for me (see here) but overall the sport has risen in my opinion.

4. College Football - While professional football is not nearly as interesting to me, I do find myself more interested in college football, at least in terms of watching games. I am not interested in recruiting, or bowl games or traditions. I do like watching my favorite schools play. And even though they usually blow it, routing for my alma mater Pitt Panthers adds a personal level to my fandom.

3. College Basketball - This is only because of March Madness. Knowing that there will be a month filled with games and exciting upsets keeps me interested throughout the season. It is an event unlike any other, and it defines the sport.

2. Hockey - A sport that is completely stuck in neutral. It fails to develop new fans because it refuses to move on from its gritty and dirty lifestyle. But I still love watching a beautiful goal being scored. The real reason for the high ranking though is playoff hockey. A brutal schedule and games that can go deep into the night until someone scores. It is an incredible event that any fan can appreciate.

1. Baseball - I am obsessed. I love how long the season is. I love how many games there are. I love how exclusive the playoffs are. I love watching games. Most people have moved on from baseball as their favorite sport but my love grows stronger. There are so many stories and so much analysis every day in baseball. If your team does poorly, they will have another game the next day and there will be hope. Sure, baseball has the absolute worst competitive and economic system of any of the sports and is pretty much unfair to smaller market teams, but it offers me the most entertainment. The game experience also plays into this, as it is the cheapest and most accessible sport to view live. But that sounds like another top five for another day.

#gobuccos

Just Go Away Roger Goodell

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference today to address the issues the league has been dealing with related to domestic violence issues and league policy. Goodell spouted on for a little while about what the league would do and how it had messed up; but his prepared points and his evasive answering of questions didn't help the terrible image the league, and especially he, has taken on. Mashable had a pretty good summary of the press conference.

As is normal with social media these days, people took to the internet to show their displeasure during the press conference. Even current players posted on Twitter during the ridiculous ruse of presentation.

This is dumb. Why is this man still leading the NFL? He makes $44 Million a year and can't even act compassionate or sympathetic? Even if he's not hiding the truth about the Ray Rice incident and how much the NFL knew about it (which he probably is), he has still made terrible decisions. His continued presence, even though he has tried to hide for the past two weeks, has now created a circus for the league.

By now it has certainly reached the point where his buffoonery is costing the league potential revenue. When this much attention is focused on him and the league's terrible decision making (and outright lying?) then it's time to change things up. I'm guessing the NFL owners, who Goodell works for, would happily accept his resignation if he offered it. He isn't offering it, seeing that he has a lot of money to gain by staying as long as he can. Being fired will also mean a larger severance than if he were to leave on his own. It's always about money. Even this whole event today was an attempt to save sponsors and image...and money.

The NFL remains wildly popular. Fans have not been turned away by these issues when you look at ratings and attendance. The owners can only count on that for so long, they should be proactive to preserve their precious league and all its value. Get rid of this guy, it's a joke he's still allowed to get up on stage and represent the league. Find someone who will take issues head on and not only be reactive when it serves as good public relations. Every day Goodell stays in that job is one too many.

#goaway

More Bad News For The NFL

Is it time to stop watching the NFL? Or maybe sports in general? After the Ray Rice debacle last week comes news that Adrian Peterson, star running back for the Minnesota Vikings and top fantasy player in the NFL, used a switch to punish his four year-old-son. The switch, in this case, was a tree branch with the leaves removed. The incident occurred in Texas in May but Peterson was only recently indicted by a grand jury. He turned himself in and then was released on a bond.

There seems to be a lot of debate going around over what is appropriate punishment that a parent can inflict on a child. Peterson has complied with all inquiries and is contending that this was normal punishment consistent with what he received while growing up in Texas. While I understand there is a variety of opinions that people form depending on how they were raised and treated as a child, siding with Peterson on this seems to be a stretch. Unfortunately I have to link to TMZ and their reporting of this since it was the only article I could find that actually shows the injuries that the child received. Here is their article. Don't click if you don't to see it but I actually think it is quite important to this case.

I can't look at those pictures and consider this routine or appropriate punishment. The repeated strikes and the still red and swollen marks a week after the event turn my stomach. I should also repeat, this was done to a four-year-old. I'm not a child development specialist but I've hung out with some four-year-old kids before and they don't often know what they are doing or why.

The Vikings were smart and deactivated Peterson for their game today. I'm not so sure they would have done that if not for the Rice fiasco and how poorly that was handled by everyone involved. I'm not so certain what will happen going forward. To me this is domestic violence and should fall under the new NFL policy and Peterson should be suspended. However, the judicial system might take a while to mete out that justice, which could include a jail sentence but will almost assuredly only be probation. So does Peterson play - with these graphic pictures coming out - while we wait for that process to take place? Since he has already admitted to striking his son and is not hiding it, I'd say the NFL should suspend him since the actions are not in doubt. Let the courts decision come into affect later.

The NFL is a complete mess right now with issues of domestic violence in addition to Rice and Peterson. Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers was found guilty in July of assaults and threatening an ex-girlfriend and played in week one because he is appealing for a jury trial. Christine Brennan had a good take on this in her column. Hardy has now been deactivated for today's game. Brennan also mentions San Francisco 49ers player Ray McDonald who has been accused of domestic violence but continues to play. His coach, Jim Harbaugh, has publicly stated that he will have no tolerance for such actions.

I can see why the NFL might have to wait on cases like Peterson and McDonald until a court rules, but the teams don't. They could end the questions and the controversy and just not let them play, which the Vikings have done, for now. Let's not forget games. And winning! The focus on the NFL and sadly its fans, remains out of balance.

So maybe we should stop watching. I know it's impossible for the football loving country that we are to stop watching the NFL but how else does a message get across? Or maybe stop going to games, or maybe ordering the cable package, or buying jerseys. Grown-ups shouldn't wear jerseys with other people's names on it anyway (except for the ever-dreamy Garrett Jones). I learned this too late unfortunately.

I can't watch the NFL today. I'm grossed out. Not just by the actions but the desire to overlook them by those in charge. I don't know if I'll last more than a week but right now I don't want to watch, so I won't. I find myself not caring about the NFL anymore, and since a lot of these problems seem to happen because we care too much, hopefully more people will begin to feel the same way.

Remember, it's just a bunch of people playing games.

#sundayisforbaseball

Baseball Down The Stretch

Baseball has entered its final month and with less than twenty games left to play for each team the playoff picture is beginning to become clear, at least partially.

Two teams that seemed to be the class of each league early in the season have plummeted in the standings and now are at risk of missing the playoffs completely. In the American League, it's hard to believe but the Oakland Athletics hold only a slim lead in the wild card race. With their great first half record and bountiful trade deadline acquisitions I am shocked the A's are in this position. It does show the real value of those mid-season trades - pretty minimal. In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers are currently in a free-fall of epic proportions. Milwaukee has lost 12 of 13 games and is currently out of the playoffs if they were to start today (but they don't).

Benefiting from these collapses are the Seattle Mariners in the AL and my beloved Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL. Seattle sits right behind the A's and Pittsburgh finds itself in the 2nd wildcard slot in front of the Brewers. It is now hard to believe that the A's or Brewers can turn things around after such terrible stretches, but that's why they play the games.

Some interesting races to watch in the final month of the season:

The NL wildcard also includes the Braves, who are battling against Pittsburgh and Milwaukee for the final playoff spot.

The AL Central has the improbable Kansas City Royals remaining in first place while the powerhouse Tigers continue to disappoint.

Detroit is also only half a game behind Seattle for the 2nd wildcard spot in the AL, so the three-way race with the Tigers, Mariners, and A's will be a fun one.

It's unlikely to materialize, but the Giants are still within striking distance of the Dodgers in the NL West and Pittsburgh has a small chance of catching St. Louis in the NL Central, but each of those teams must make up some ground quickly to take the race seriously.

I'm excited to watch games and the scoreboard over the next few weeks. As a fan of a team that only last year ended a long playoff drought, I appreciate watching games in September that matter. It's a lot more fun this way, believe me.

#collapse

Ray Rice and American Sports Idolatry

Ray Rice, NFL running back, was suspended indefinitely by the NFL Monday and released by the Baltimore Ravens after new video of his domestic assault against then fiancee (now wife) Janay Palmer surfaced on TMZ.. You can view the video here but I'd prefer not to embed it directly on the site for those of you who wish not to see it.

There are plenty of questions here. First of all, did the Ravens or NFL know about this video before it surfaced yesterday? Next, was there some foul play at work that allowed Rice to enter a pretrial diversion program for what now seems to be a very violent attack? Double jeopardy protects him from further prosecution in this case I believe. Also, why does this video change anything? Previous evidence showed an unconscious Palmer being dragged out of an elevator, isn't that enough evidence to suspend Rice more than two games, which was the original punishment?

While I'm interested in answers to these questions I'm continually flummoxed by this event and others similar involving professional athletes. My favorite NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, went through something similar a few years ago when their star player Ben Roethlisberger was twice accused of sexual assault. No charges were ever levied and the quarterback served a suspension but in my mind he was lucky there wasn't enough evidence because I'm pretty sure he was guilty; of something if not violent rape.

While Steeler fans didn't have the immediate positive response that Ravens fans had for Rice (standing ovation), over time most have forgotten those "indiscretions" and once again love their franchise quarterback. Why are sports fans so stupid? Not to pick on the Ravens but I'm pretty sure Ray Lewis killed a guy and then flipped it on his friends and they built a freaking statue in his honor! Shouldn't there be a rule that you can't build a statue of someone until they are dead? Can we learn anything from the Penn State abomination? A lot of ghosts come out years after someone is memorialized.

We overlook terrible behavior, violent behavior, because people can run fast and jump high. Or win games. Games! I think as fans we all need to realize these athletes are playing games, and whether they win or they lose, we aren't going to be any better or worse off because of it. So let's stop caring so much that we lose sight of decent human behavior. Let's call an asshole what he is and not be blinded by the color jersey he wears. We look like idiots and until we hold ourselves to a higher standard as fans, the sole economy of professional sports, we can't expect our teams to act any differently.

I'm glad the NFL and the Ravens did the right thing in the end. I hope a lot of people get fired if it turns out they knew about the video and violent attack all along. I hope the Steelers dump Ben Roethlisberger. But if they don't, I can decide not to like him or root for him because he actually seems like a terrible human being, even though he's wearing my favorite colors. This whole sports thing has become inhuman, let's take a dose of reality as fans and have some common sense around these games we are watching.

#thinkpiece

Fall TV

It's not as exciting as it used to be, but the Fall premiere schedule on television still has some things to look forward to. Since cable TV has more and more success and those stations don't stick to the traditional premiere schedule, there is actually more of a two-month period to look at rather than just September like it used to be.

I'm looking forward to the return of three FOX shows this Fall: Brooklyn 99, The Mindy Project, and to a lesser extent New Girl. In a surprising first season, Brooklyn 99 shot to the top of my comedy list with an exceptional cast led by Andy Samberg. Brooklyn 99 moves to Sunday's this Fall and debuts on September 28th as FOX tries to diversify Sunday's schedule away from strictly adult cartoons. New Girl and The Mindy Project premiere on Tuesday the 16th.

Even though I'm not a fan of it anymore, Modern Family returns to ABC on September 24th and will be followed by a new show called Black-ish which will venture into the world of race relations and identity, quite a bold move on network television. I'll at least try it out to see where it goes.

Another premiere in the next few months I'm excited about is Homeland on Showtime on October 5th although I still need to finish season three. Even though I couldn't keep watching due to nightmares many people are anticipating the premiere of The Walking Dead on AMC on October 12th. While not critically acclaimed it is massively popular and AMC's current meal ticket.

One elephant on the schedule is eight weeks of Football on CBS, which will dominate Thursday nights and I'm sure affected the decisions of other networks regarding what to put up against it. It also bumped The Big Bang Theory back to Mondays where I'm sure it will devour the competition.

I'm quite disappointed in NBC and its lack of creativity with its programming. The Voice takes up a lot of its Fall programming slots and a good show like Parks and Recreation has to wait until next year to premier its final season. The network is lost right now.

#leslieknopeforpresident

Finding Neverland

My partner and I went to see Finding Neverland at the A.R.T. in Cambridge this week. It is a musical version of the writing of Peter Pan by author J.M. Barrie which was previously a movie of the same name (which was based on a book by Allan Knee).

The A.R.T. is known for hosting and launching shows destined for Broadway. In recent years Pippin, Once, and All The Way started at the A.R.T. and made it to Broadway. The plan is the same for Finding Neverland, as producer Harvey Weinstein has already predicted. I love being able to see shows with such great potential close to home. You have to be quick since things sell out quickly but it is a great experience.

I really liked the show even though it seemed a few steps below perfect. I knew the plot from the movie so I was interested in how well it would transform to a musical. I was pleased with the main songs and the even the additional scenes they had to add to make it work as a musical. I thought the bits of comedy throughout the show really helped keep the story moving considering some of the serious issues involved.

One aspect that caught me off guard is how quickly Finding Neverland went from calm to rowdy in a flash. Near the end of the first act we were enjoying a backyard scene and suddenly were in a loud dream sequence minutes later with an appearance from Captain Hook. It may be a sequence that needs to be transitioned better if not to shock the audience.

Overall the show was great. It took the fantastic message of Peter Pan and the original movie and made it even louder, showing the value of youth and never forgetting what it was like to imagine. It was funny and still emotional. While I think it has some kinks to work out before heading to New York, it is already at a high quality and can compare to some of the shows already having success on Broadway.

#iwishjohnnydeppcouldsing

Favorite Places in Boston: The Greenway

The Rose Kennedy Greenway is an under-appreciated gem in the middle of Boston. The Greenway is the smallest slice of green space in the middle of the city where there was once nothing. It isn't much, but Boston is lucky to have it. The Greenway is a result of The Big Dig, the major highway construction project that moved the highway arteries in Boston underground.

Most people remember the Big Dig in Boston in negative terms. It was a lot of money; it took forever, it made traffic terrible for ten years. As someone who didn't have to live through that and who now gets to enjoy the spoils of it I understand I don't have much authority on the subject. Boston, however, is a much better city because of it. The city is better looking, cleaner, and the traffic is better from what I hear.

At the very end of The Big Dig the Greenway was created. It is a park that rings around downtown Boston in the path vacated by the highway. I think if any city was offered to replace its highway with a downtown park it would jump at it. I lived in Pittsburgh for a while and the elevated highways ruin many parts of the city, most notably downtown and along the rivers.

The Greenway is small but it is a great part of downtown Boston. It makes commuting on foot much more enjoyable in the city. It gives residents and tourists space to relax and enjoy downtown. It is public space that can be used for events like concerts, artist exhibits, and farmers markets.

I won't pretend that the Greenway is a great escape within the city like Central Park is New York. It is a nice setting to walk downtown though, and it beats the alternative of exhaust fumes, crosswalks, and curbs.

Near the Aquarium, the Rings Fountain is a good place to stop on the Greenway and people watch. Or if it's really hot out, cool off a little. There are usually kids running around having a good time and there are benches to sit or nice green grass to rest in. I also stumbled across this mini lending library. Give a book and take a book.

I'm happy Boston has the Greenway. It is an excellent part of the city and adds a lot of value to the downtown experience. It might only exist because of a very expensive and long construction project but I'm happy it does.

#parksarebetterthanhighways

Follow Friday

I have some new accounts for you to follow on Twitter. Once again I will remind you that there could be offensive material on these accounts since they are controlled by human beings. The ones I pick aren't usually excessively innapropriate but they do have the potential to be.

First, while he's not very active on Twitter it is worth checking out comedian Norm MacDonald for the tribute tweeting he did after Robin Williams death. He told a pretty cool story of an encounter he had. Check out the whole progression of tweets.

The funniest man alive was in my dressing room a good half-hour and was far funnier than the set I had to do soon.#RIPRobinWilliams

— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) August 12, 2014

Next, a pretty good satire account for anyone over 27 years old is the Modern Seinfeld account. It's self-explanatory and I get a good laugh out of it. Posts of slowed down but hopefully it is just someone on vacation.

Kramer rents out his apartment every night on Airbnb & lives in the hallway. K:“I’m making cash hand over fist, Jerry!” J:“You’re homeless!"

— Modern Seinfeld (@SeinfeldToday) July 3, 2014

And finally, one of my favorite accounts. The Tweet of God. Maybe it's my religious upbringing or just the pure hilarity but this account is golden. It also has some pretty damned good timing tweets that make a pretty good point. Follow it and check out who The Tweet of God follows.

When I made you in My image I was going through a period of extremely low self-esteem.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) July 18, 2014

Happy weekend!

#tweettweet

New TV: BoJack Horseman

This is a weird one. Netflix can pretty much do whatever it wants since it controls its own everything. Creating something like BoJack Horseman is kind of the result of that freedom.

BoJack Horseman is a cartoon. It's about a retired actor who played a TV dad for a decade and who is now trying to stay relevant and occupied. And oh yeah, the main character is a horse. His agent is a cat. He rival is a dog. It is a strange mashed up world they live in.

It actually isn't terrible either. Some major star power has come aboard to do the voices of the main characters. Will Arnett is the lead and supported by Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris and Alison Brie among others. It has created a show that seems to be a weird mix of Entourage and Family Guy. A look inside someone's idea of Hollywood while simultaneously making fun of everything in Hollywood. It is also wildly inappropriate and is in no way a cartoon for children.

This is another slow season watch for me, but that makes it a good time for it to drop on Netflix. I'm on the fence about watching more but I probably will at some point. It makes me laugh and I have a lot of faith in Netflix. Netflix has some major shows like Orange Is The New Black and House of Cards but also has had some creative winners like Lilyhammer and Derek. Those successes make me think there could be something to BoJack Horseman.

Netflix has apparently already booked a 2nd season so it appears BoJack Horseman will get a good tryout. It is pretty funny and while it is certainly not for all audiences it is something Hollywood and critics will like a lot over time. I'm not recommending this one in any way, but it is out there for a cheap laugh or two.

#animalplanet

New TV: The Leftovers

Summer and August in particular is a slow time for TV. Even the networks that run new shows during the summer have them mostly wrapped up in August. Without some of my favorite options I decided to try a new show that I hadn't really considered watching before. HBO's The Leftovers fits a category of show that I really like: a distopian future or a post apocalyptic world.

I've watched the first two episodes and the general theme is the world after some sort of rapture has occurred where two percent of the world's population disappeared. The fact that it seems to have happened randomly sets in to motion an interesting scenario in which people are left questioning, angered, or completely distraught. There are also cult-like religious groups that have formed, adding a new dynamic to those who remain.

I was skeptical of the show and still am. While I like imaging the world within this scenario I'm worried The Leftovers will be unable to explain or place the religious context they are trying to give the show. In the first few episodes the cult-like groups are not fully explained but much of the show is used to shed light on them. It will be interesting to see where the stories go but I am also rather doubtful they'll take it in a way that is good for television.

I do like the idea of the show. It's different from other shows about the future in that the world is not that different. Two percent of the population is significant but it doesn't completely alter life. People keep on living and working, but there is an undertone from the event that casts a shadow on everyone. The direction of the show has so far been good, very slowly revealing information about the current world and the event that occurred. It keeps the viewer interested and if they tell it right, the story could be a great one.

I wonder if the event was not big enough and The Leftovers will have to do something else, a follow up or a big reveal, to keep it interesting. I assume viewers are going to want to know more about what happened just like the characters so if the show continues I imagine there will be some major developments.

Lastly, what a terrible name. I don't know how that got out of a focus group because it is awful. It makes me think more about food than rapture. I imagine some of the better names (Left Behind) were already used but it doesn't make it right to pick an awful name. What about The Remainders? Might confuse it with math but that seems better than cold ham.

#yesterdayslasagne

My Take: The Emmys

For some reason the Emmys were on Monday night this year. I'm sure there was a reason but I'm not that interested in it. It was weird though.

Breaking Bad was a monumental winner this year, winning four major awards. The show won for Outstanding Drama and three of the cast one also. Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, and Aaron Paul won for Outstanding Lead Actor, Outstanding Supporting Actress, and Outstanding Supporting Actor respectively. It was a major haul. It also represented the growth of Gunn's character of Skyler in Breaking Bad over the years. It was an appropriate sendoff for everyone involved with the show.

While Emmy voters nailed it with Breaking Bad, they somehow continued to support Modern Family as Best Comedy. Are people just re-watching the first two seasons and voting on those? That show is not good anymore. I suppose when you look at the competition it wasn't very strong with a retread like Big Bang Theory and edgier shows like Orange Is The New Black (comedy? really?) and Louie. This would have been a good time for Veep to win it. Julia Louis-Dreyfus continues to be recognized for her excellence why not give the whole show its due?

This continued a theme from previous years. There are so many more excellent dramas than there are comedies. It just doesn't compare. It's also clearly what the viewers want. There are a lot of really good dramas that don't even come close to nomination.

A few other thoughts. It was great to see both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman win for lead and support in a miniseries for Sherlock. I was surprised Matthew McConaughey didn't win for True Detective since he was on a roll this year and voters love a movie star. True Detective would have done better as a miniseries or TV movie but decided to go against the big shows in the drama category, and fell short. Finally, it was great to see Uzo Aduba win for her portrayal of Suzanne (Crazy Eyes) on Orange Is The New Black, although having her compete as a guest actress was pretty much cheating since she is a regular on the show.

#ozymandias

It's A Good Time To Go To Fenway

When I moved to Boston in 2011, the Boston Red Sox were in the midst of an epic collapse that eventually led to missing the playoffs. Knowing the history of the team and that they were still in contention for the playoffs, I figured I'd have to wait until the next season for my first visit. Oh how I was wrong. Once August and September come around, if the Red Sox aren't in contention, tickets plummet in prices on Stub Hub. Check out the prices for some upcoming games. Especially for weeknight games, you can get a ticket for less than $10!

I understand the Red Sox are struggling, but they still have some entertaining players and are playing against good playoff teams like the Orioles. A night at Fenway is also something to enjoy on its own. It doesn't make sense that these tickets are so cheap. This is a great example of the Red Sox success working against them. Most of the season is sold out early on, making it impossible to buy directly from the team and forcing fans to resort to secondary market sites such as Stub Hub. Well when these fans (or scalpers really) bought these tickets they thought they'd be selling for an important game with playoff implications. When it becomes the complete opposite scenario, they try to sell the tickets off for as much as they can get, not wanting to be left holding it on the night of the game. Advantage consumer.

It's also interesting that there still isn't a strong market for these tickets from fans who don't normally go to games. I'd chalk that up to the spoiled fan base. Three World Series titles in the last ten years can do that. As a Pittsburgh Pirate fan I can't imagine that. I'm fine if Red Sox fans don't want to go, I'll be happy to take advantage of those cheap tickets. That September 8th game is looking mighty nice to me.

#wickedlosahs

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