Allen Shore: That’s what troubles me; this notion that we have to take sides in this country now. You’re either with us or against us, Republican or Democrat, red state or blue state -

Denny Crane: I can’t believe I live in a blue state.

Allen Shore: No one looks at an issue and struggles over the right position to take anymore. And yet our ability to reason is what makes us human. Lately we seem so willing to forfeit that gift of reason in exchange for the good feeling of belonging to a group. We all just take the position of our team. I’ve certainly done it and hated myself for it.

Denny Crane: I’ve never heard you make so much sense.

Allen Shore: I make sense all the time. You just listen intermittently.

Denny Crane: Could be.

One of the remarkable privileges you experience when you do find that partner is getting to translate your love for certain series and movies to someone else. Such is the case that Heather and I have been watching Boston Legal from beginning to end. I grew up a huge David E. Kelly fan, first as a young teen watching Ally McBeal and the Practice, onto Boston Public, and then ultimately, Boston Legal; the pinnacle of his career.

The genius of the dialogue; the intelligence that was entrusted to the viewer in hopes that we would be able to reciprocate… It is something that almost pains me to watch nowadays, as the DVD stops and the channel switches gears to Tom Delay on Dancing with the Stars.

It’s one of the few series that, if we still had it today, might really benefit society. It started conversations around dinner tables or out at the bar that were thought provoking, instead of brain draining. The subjects, narratives, and characters were so well orchestrated, unrelentingly complicated, and offered something quite different than the soul coughing that is allotted in prime time venues now, where you can pick up and leave off wherever you want (ironic, given that now the bulk of cable viewers have the luxury of DVRs, so that we can always rewind if we missed Kim Kardashian get something sucked, or in case Tiger Woods runs into something else).

In light of this weekend’s story regarding “Fetal Personhood,” and with Americans continuing to bitterly divided ourselves between the Fox camp and reality, I thought this clip as pertinent as it was prophetic. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it as well, and if you’ve never seen the show, then please allow me to humbly recommend it.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I’m going to post something totally and completely off-topic.  I am bad at gratitude.  I am a naturally glum person.  It’s probably my least attractive quality.  I’ve heard a lot of talk about how important gratitude is and how much it can make or break, in essence, our happiness in life.  Of course, people say a lot of things and I’m naturally skeptical.  I mean, if, like me, you are bad at being grateful, what good does it do to actively try, realize you suck at it, and feel worse?  (or, alternately, am I the only person this neurotic about the whole thing?)

But, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am planning to be grateful this year.  I’m grateful for good family and friends, a roof over my head, a place to go on Thanksgiving, support, and love.  What more, really, could any person ask for?

And…I have pretty jewelry, which is also nice.

And…I’m taking a break from a highly enjoyable Boston Legal marathon.  So, really, life is pretty good.

And, so, with that, I’ll simple say,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

“Hauptsächlich sind wir ein Profitsender. So wie jeder andere Nachrichtensender.”

Zeugenaussage eines Programmdirektors in: “Boston Legal: Schwer bekömmlich”, Montag, 23.11.09, Vox (geschrieben vom Maestro höchstselbst: David E. Kelley)

Un símbolo. A veces sólo falta eso para que la serie de turno nos venga a la cabeza. Eso es lo que han debido de pensar los autores (o el autor) de estos carteles que hacen referencia a series de gran éxito. Algunas actuales y otras con más solera. Lo bueno es que su simpleza tambien tiene su complicación. Ya que estas cosas no se hacen así como así. Hacen falta grandes dosis de imaginación y saber bien sobre la serie que quieres tratar de homenajear. Por desconocimiento hay algunos carteles que no he llegado a entender muy bien, mientras que hay otros que al seguirlas los he reconocido de inmediato. Precisamente el que abre este post es uno de ellos. Los que no veais la serie “Dexter” igual no entendeis muy bien que han querido decir. Pero es una clara referencia a uno de los secretos del protagonista. Esas láminas de cristal en las cuales deja una gota de sangre de cada una de sus víctimas. Todas en una cajita, alineadas y guardadas en un aire acondicionado (en la cuarta temporada cambia su ubicación ).

Mis preferidas son, ésta, la de Prison Break, Twin Peaks, Los Ángeles de Charlie, Héroes, House M.D., El Coche Fantástico y McGyver. ¿Y las vuestras?

Fuente: exergian

Fdo: Snake  

Tenkte jeg skulle vise dere noe. Her er en liste på hva jeg ser / har sett ferdig:

Bones

CSI

One Tree Hill

The O.C

Boston Legal – Tidenes beste dramakomedie med tidenes bromance (Varte i 5 og en halv sessong )

Heroes

Smallville

24

The Unit

Alias

Scrubs – Tidenes beste Sit-com. Fant opp meningen bak Bromance

Måtte bare ta med denne å

Californication

Prison Break

Top Gear

Family Guy

Dawsons Creek

Hvis du har sett halvparten av disse seriene så ser du kanskje et mønster. Jeg ser på det jeg finner appelerende for min smak. Humor messig må det for eksempel være ekstraordinært samt “smart” humor. Kan innrømme at Family Guy humoren er en dum humor, men den er “dumsmart” hvis du skjønner. Men ta foreksempel Alan Shore i Boston Legal, alltid vittige meninger;

You know I’m not about to go to Texas and not ride the mechanical bull, Chelina. That would be like going to Los Angeles and not sleeping with Paris Hilton.

Ellers så ser dere kanskje at jeg er en stor sucker for drama og parforhold. Dramaserien jeg mener er best den dag i dag er nok The OC. Anbefaller alle som har litt tid til overs å kjøpe evt laste ned Sessong 1. Du vil ikke bli skuffet. For å få meg til å se en serie må det være noe jeg finner intressant, evt noe jeg kan relatere meg til. Hvis jeg kan relatere meg så er jeg hekta. Men det trenger ikke å være personer, det kan godt være en bi handling i serien, sånn som “will they, wont they”.

Jeg er utrolig feig selv på den fronten. Hyklersk som jeg er går jeg rundt å irriterer meg når skuespillerene bare går rundt grøten? (mulig den ble feil, men jeg skylder på mine vietnamesiske gener de).

Men for meg har det aldri vært lett å stole på folk. Det er nok min egen feil. Jeg setter alt for høye krav, og ofte må jeg motsi meg selv da jeg realiserer at jeg kan ikke forvente så mye av folk. MEN, det er faktisk noen som klarer å fylle mine forventninger og vell så det. Det er personer jeg aldri vil gi slipp på. Utrolige mennesker. Men uansett om folk, kall det “skuffer”, så bryter jeg ikke kontakt eller no. Bare stoler ikke på de med de “viktige” tingene.

Ble kanskje litt alvorlig slutt, men jaja… til info lissom

Welcome once again kids to our weekly recap of our myriad journeys through the internet.

This has become a highlight for all of us and we’re hoping you’re enjoying the links as much as we’re enjoying compiling them for you.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this week’s cheesecake.  The lucky lady this week is Julie Bowen currently starring on ABC’s breakout hit, Modern Family.  This is far and away the funniest new show on television and you’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not watching it.  You may also recognize Julie from Boston Legal, Happy Gilmore or, most of the GonzoGeek staff’s favorite, Ed.

Stephe and I originally had Julie slated for cheesecake duty a couple of weeks ago, but had a hard time finding the appropriate picture.  We’re sure glad we waited.  I bet you are too.

Quick piece of Modern Family trivia.  According to Wikipedia, Ed O’Neill, who plays the family patriarch, Jay Pritchett, is  a black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.  You don’t mess with Al Bundy kids.

On to the links.

1. Rock beats scissors.  Pelican beats Bugatti.
2. Dokken Radio.  Rhymes with Rokken Daddio.
3. All you gotta do…
4. Copying Risky Business is risky business.
5. In honor of the Sam Kinison concert DVD I found at Big Lots today for $6.
6. America (sadly) asked for it:  More Seth McFarlane than you can handle.
7. Super Dave Osborne on The Tonight Show – dick jokes and nut shots.
8. The trailer for Kick-Ass kicks…well…ass.
9. Will the Inglorious Basterds ride again?  Will they learn to spell?
10. Yo Sherlock!  Esquire interviews Robert Downey, Jr.
11. Evil Dead heading back to theaters in 2010.
12. And you know Ash will come armed…or handed.
13. Murderdeathkill!
14. Carrie Prejean threatens to walk out on Larry King.  Yeah, like she’s the first 20ish blonde to do that.
15. And she wasn’t having sex in that video.  Wow!  Even she can’t stand to be in the same room as her.
16. This one if for John.
17. Only if the swirls make a trio of 6’s.
18. Colts.  Patriots.  Sunday Night Football.
19. I want mine to be adorned with Hourman.
20. Take not girls.  Not all vampries are sparkly and sweet like in Twilight.
21. I blame Justin Long.  Wait!  Was that two Ed references this week?
22. Even Fox News is fact checking Sarah Palin now.
23. ED HAT TRICK!
24. Sean Hannity admits Jon Stewart was right.  In a related story, Hell freezes over!
25. He wasn’t extorting.  He was pitching.
26. Spider-Man 4 villain rumorsssss.
27. The Mayans weren’t the only ones to prophesy the end of the world.
28. David’s Iraq deployment blog.
29. And finally, something for all you golfers out there to put on your Christmas lists.

Yes i made it during fcp’s render time i “picked up” some vimeo stuff… Enjoy!

i loved Boston Legal. Great Show, intelligent, clever & funny
Great characters, nicely shoot and well-edited  …
http://vimeo.com/2156425

that is fun … actually i got the hint over twitter & a new Facebook friend
It’s a cool lil clip made with the “Digital Harinezumi”
that “lil thing”shoots digital Super 8mm style / looking footage.

nice toy !

(http://vimeo.com/7494488)

Para sorpresa de toda la industria, la séptima temporada de NCIS se ha convertido en el programa más visto de la televisión, lo que significa que cada una de las novedades causa gran revuelo, incluyendo la llegada de dos nuevos invitados.

Comenzando con los preparativos para el episodio 150, los productores han confirmado una gran sorpresa para todos los fanáticos al anunciar que finalmente conoceremos al padre de Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly).

Según lo informado, los productores llegaron a un acuerdo con el veterano actor Robert Wagner para interpretar al padre de Tony en este episodio tan especial, que seguramente será presentando en enero del 2010.

Al conocer esta noticia tenemos que destacar que Wagner será el tercer padre que la serie nos presenta en los últimos años, recordando que hasta el momento hemos conocido al padre de Ziva, interpretado por Michael Nouri y al padre de Gibbs, interpretado por Ralph Waite.

Junto a esta gran sorpresa, los productores también confirmaron que en las próximas semanas conoceremos a la mejor amiga de Abby, ya que Meredith Eaton (Boston Legal) interpretará a una vieja compañera y científica que acude a Abby por apoyo.

Como detalle interesante tenemos que destacar que en la vida real Eaton también es la mejor amiga de Pauley Perrette.

La temporada 7 de NCIS es presentada los martes por CBS.

I’m going to write about James Spader rather than just his magnificent Boston Legal/Alan Shore creation, because I don’t feel I’m doing my libido justice if I leave out Spader’s oh-so-brilliantly embodied roles in Sex, Lies and Videotape and Secretary. This man plays a pervert like no other. I don’t just want to pop him in my Lustbox, I want to tie him up naked with liquorice strings.

And this from someone who has been a feminist for a very long time. I think it’s because, as Alan Shore at least, Spader portrays a man who is clearly and filthily mentally undressing women (and slathering them in maple syrup) all the time, but somehow it’s forgivable because there is no hint of misogyny. And with the maple syrup (I’m not fantasising this: there is a whole story line involving the use of it in the outcome of a wager) he’s thinking about licking it off. You get the sense he gets off big time on giving women pleasure, not just taking it for himself.

Shore is smart, funny, witty and wicked. But it’s his tender, delightful on-screen relationship with William Shatner’s Denny Crane that is even more genius. At the end of every episode of Boston Legal, there they sit on the balcony, smoking cigars, talking lustfully of that fabulous diva, Shirley Schmidt, even dancing sometimes. They have sleepovers, go fishing, dress as flamingos and eventually end up married. You never have believed William Shatner could be this lovable, and that’s down to the brilliance of Spader.

You might to keep a pack of wet-wipes handy tho’.

Posted by Inkface

Erfin Syafrizal from Indonesia.

Boston Legal
Crane, Espenson, and Shore (art | Jerry, Alan, Denny | worksafe)

Fake News
My Steph (art | Joan/Stephanie | worksafe)
Vintage – Joan and Raven I (art | Princess Jon, Raven | worksafe)
Vintage – Joan and Raven II (art | Princess Jon, Raven | NSFW)

Fake News/Sailor Moon
Vintage – The Conan Fight (comic | sailor!Jon, tux!Stephen, evil!Conan | G)
Sailor Conan and Sailor Tina (comic | sailor!Conan, sailor!Tina Fey | worksafe)

Hellsing
In a frilly dress (art | IntegraxAlucard | worksafe)

Hellsing/Rocky Horror
Rocky Hellsing Picture Show (art | Rocky!Alucard, Frank!Integra, Columbia!Seras | NSFW due to costumes)

Hellsing/Sailor Moon
Cloud Nine (art | sailor!Kim, sailor!Alex, sailor!Pip, sailor!Seras, sailor!Integra | worksafe)

United States of Tara
Gimme an A… (art | Alice, Gimme | worksafe)

Original/Miscellaneous
Making Strides, final words (comic | Pip, me, a whole lot of donations | G)

Next Week in Shine:
A memory of Alucard’s, from back in the time when most of the world was in black and white.

MORRISON: as 'Mr Schuester'

LYNCH: as not-so-sweet Sue

It seemed like they came out of nowhere, this tall, lanky high school teacher and the razor-tongued athletic coach determined to be his nemesis. If they’d been major players (or even minor ones) on earlier TV shows, I’d obviously missed those series. And even after Glee made its auspicious and, yes, spectacular debut as a test pilot, no one ever said, “Oh you know him, he’s the guy from Law & Criminals: Baltimore.” Or anything even remotely like that. We saw him in action. Then we saw her in action. And then we went wow! — who are these people?

MORRISON: in South Pacific

Apparently we were looking for answers in all the wrong places. We should have been looking to Broadway. Matthew Morrison, who plays Will Schuester, the Spanish teacher who decides to try to resuscitate the high school glee club, is an accomplished song and dance man who co-starred in the sensational still-running Lincoln Center revival of South Pacific, nightly revisiting such Rodgers & Hammerstein classics as I Have Dreamed and Carefully Taught.
And when he isn’t playing the beleaguered high school teacher in the runaway hit of this TV season, he’s working with his South Pacific director Bartlett Sher on developing a musical version of Pedro Almodovar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

LYNCH: with Streep in Julie & Julia

(Who knew???)
We sure knew he could sing and dance, however — and stay in character — after we saw him ‘teach’ his irresistible Glee club misfits how to sell a song. (Still don’t know what I’m talking about? Just click here.)

As for the outrageously funny Jane Lynch — frankly, and i mean candidly: Where Have I Been? She’s been a popular recurring multi-episode player on such long-running hit series as Boston Legal, Criminal Minds, The ‘L’ Word and Two And A Half Men. Comedy

GLEE: tonight at 9 pm

aficonados will tell you in a heartbeat that she performed all her own singing and guitar playing in A Mighty Wind, and that she made them scream with laughter when she appeared with Steve Carrell in his breakthrough film The 40 Year Old Virgin. (Morrison also has on-screen history with Carrell. He played the cop that wouldn’t get off his case in Dan In Real Life.) What many of her fans don’t realize, however, is that Lynch is currently on screen with Meryl Streep, playing the small but key role of Julia Child’s sister in Julie & Julia. And that she opens off-Broadway with Tyne Daly tonight — yes, tonight — as part of the rotating all-female cast of the new Nora & Delia Ephron opus, Love, Loss And What I Wore. So she continues in very good company, on stage and screens.

MORRISON: Broadway baby

LYNCH: TV veteran

So does Glee. Two weeks ago, barely into the run of the series, Glee cast recordings accounted for 10 spots on the iTunes list of top 200 downloaded songs and four places on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week. The top-selling Glee cast recordings included two mash-ups created for the series — one of Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” and Usher’s “Confessions Part II,” and the other of Beyoncé’s “Halo” and “Walking on Sunshine,” by Katrina and the Waves. And more sales are in the offing. On Nov. 3 Columbia Records and 20th Century Fox Television will release Glee: The Music, Volume 1, the first in what is planned as a series of soundtrack albums. And last week the Fox series made more headlines when NBC reneged on its invitation to have the Glee cast perform during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which it broadcasts. So now the Glee cast will perform during the World Series, singing the national anthem in either Los Angeles or Philadelphia, depending on the outcome of the playoffs, during game three of the series, which is telecast by Fox.

Still wondering what all the fuss is about? To catch up with the pilot that started it all, just click here. To catch a new episode, tune in tonight at 9 pm to Fox or Global. And enjoy!

TOMORROW:

More star-studded news and views

from Vanessa Williams, Lily Tomlin and more.

-/-

Boston Legal
Making Strides – Balcony Time

Fake (and real) News
Eyebrows (comic | Jon/”Stephen” | PG)
Tribbles (art | Jon, a tribble | worksafe)
Plushie Love (art | Rachel, plushie!Palin | worksafe)
Making Strides – Soccer Jon (art | Jon | worksafe)

Hellsing
30 Alucards in Drag, 26-30 (art | Alucard, Girlycard, Icklecard | mildly NSFW)
Making Strides – AxI – Bench (art | AlucardxIntegra | worksafe)
Making Strides – Nice Shirt (art | Alucard | mildly NSFW)

Knightmare
Making Strides – Dungeonmaster (art | Treguard | worksafe)

Red Dwarf
Making Strides – Red Dwarf II (art | Sailor!Cat, Sailor!Kryten | worksafe)
Making Strides – Red Dwarf 3 (art | cosplayers as Rimmer, Lister, and Wolf | worksafe)
Making Strides – B-day Rimmer (art | Rimmer | worksafe)

Sailor Moon
HALATION (art | Sailor Moon | worksafe)

Star Trek
Making Strides – Lieutenant Commander (art | OC | worksafe)

War of the Worlds
Making Strides – Very Straight (art | Blackwood/Ironhorse | worksafe)

Original/Miscellaneous
My Flist Would Kill Me (a mix about fandomsecrets)
Making Strides – La Professeur (art | girl!Xuanwu | worksafe)

Next Week in Shine:
Guest strips continue, this time with a bunch of classy fannish ones.

This is late in the making. I know.

I  have diabetes. I have diabetes. I have diabetes. I have diabetes. I have diabetes. I have diabetes. I have diabetes. I have diabetes. I have diabetes.

All together now.

LESBIAN!

(Sorry, Boston Legal reference there, couldn’t help myself)

Diabetes is a bitch. The thing is, it was worse admitting it than doing something about it.

I knew I had it about a month before I finally said enough. I got insatiably thirsty, urinated all of it out (and then some), then drank more water. Rinse, lather, repeat. I couldn’t even drive 10 miles without having to stop at a mcdonalds and down a couple of sweet-tea Styrofoam-cup fulls. The next morning, at desk job, my boss said I looked greener than Kermit, and banished me back home.

That afternoon I went to the doctors, saw a physican’s assistant (PA) (If somehow you read this, Jennifer, I LOVE YOU!) and told her what I thought.

Against her advice (I love surprising doctors), she took my blood for an A1c test.

Let’s stop here for a biochem lesson.

When you eat sugar or carbs, the stomach breaks down the sugar (REALLY easily) and the starch (A HELL of a lot harder) into sugar. Carbs are known as “complex sugars”. From there, the sugar (now officially “Glucose”, but sugar is easier to type) slips into your bloodstream into the plasma.

Plasma is a yellowish liquid that carries blood cells. It’s essentially a soup of all the proteins, sugar and other molecules you produce or eat.

An A1C test takes a sample of your blood, distills it down to the plasma, then checks to see how concentrated your sugar is. A1C comes in a numerical quantity ranging from zero to (let’s say) 20. Normally, anything BELOW seven is awesome, anything below 6 is even greater (see chart).

So this means if you have an A1C of 6, your average blood sugar level is approximately 126. Normal, after-eating levels should be anywhere from 100-120. Fasting, no food, levels should be 80-100. Disregard the mmol/L column, I believe that’s metric system.

Anyway, back to moi, end the lesson. When I received my results, I had a 14.2 A1C. That roughly translates to a 345 blood sugar level (All together now, LESBIAN!). My PA was shocked, I was -facepalming-, all was fun in the world of this Son of a Prick.

ADD Moment

“Uhm, Like.. WHY Is this called Son of a Prick?!”
-insert Valley Girl head tilt here-

Typically, you prick your finger to test your blood sugar. While I use my arm, (it hurts less)
I’m the lucky genetic lotto winner to have received my Diabetes from my father. He pricks his finger.
DA DAH!

P.S: Let me know if you like this kind of thing.

I leave you now (to go write the next post) with this comment:

“I have an erection. That’s a good sign. I’m ready to go to trial.“
-Denny Crane, ‘Boston Legal’

courtesy FOX Network

House has posed many intriguing questions during the last five years, and this week’s episode was no exception. Making the doctors question the meaning of “Do No Harm” is exactly the kind of moral dilemma that I’d like to see more shows attempt to tackle. I’m sure the haters out there have simply dismissed the African dictator plot as extremely contrived, but I cannot agree. Other shows are too weak-willed and mainstream to even acknowledge the horrible acts that are committed in countries that most Americans can’t point out on a map. Instead of picking an easier storyline, House went so far as to cast massive star James Earl Jones as the dictator in question. With Boston Legal off the air, it’s great to see another show choosing subject matter that makes viewers think.

I never thought I’d like Jones in another African leader role more than I enjoyed his performance in Coming to America, but this was fantastic. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a show as successful as House could land a star of his caliber, but I just am. However they got him, his performance is what made the story work. I really believed he was just a sweet old man who had been wrongly accused–right until the moment when he turned into a raving bastard who made me believe he was willing to choke the life right out of everyone in Princeton if it suited him.

The secondary story of House and Wilson’s downstairs neighbor was equally excellent. I don’t think I’m the only one who thought House would go straight to the Captain Hook jokes when he met the guy, but I definitely wasn’t expecting the roller coaster the two ended up taking. The pseudo-break-in was vintage House, but the sedative injection was pure Dexter. Ultimately, I find that I’m not hung up on whether the medicine behind the mirror box trick was real, probably because the emotion in the scene felt so genuine. I look forward to an even more powerful moment someday when House is able to end his own pain, the pain that has defined his life ever since we have known him.

If this is the kind of material we can expect all season, I’m thrilled. I try to avoid spoiler info, so I won’t share in the speculation about who may be leaving the show, but this week’s closing scenes certainly gave us a couple very strong candidates. I’m all for moving back to the original staff, so Thirteen and Taub can go on their merry way as far as I’m concerned. However, if I’ve learned anything about this show, it’s that there is no point in trying to predict who’s going to be employed at Princeton Plainsboro by the end of the season, regardless of what Michael Ausiello or Variety might say.

———————

There was some classic banter tonight, especially related to House not having his license back yet.

House, upon seeing Cameron, Chase, and Foreman enter the room – “Oh my god, it’s three years ago. Does that mean I’m still crazy?”

Cuddy as the voice of the viewer – “He can’t practice, but we’d be idiots not to listen to him.”

House, to Cameron while trying to give clues on the diagnosis – “I need you to spread your legs so I can make an ‘H’.”

I remember watching colleagues who’d started their PhDs before me, going into their final year and progressing through their writing up.  I remember noticing that formerly perfectly sane, entirely calm and collected individuals, seemed to be going a bit potty.  This both astonished me and worried me – if these very clever, studious, well organised and entirely capable individuals were starting to lose it under the pressure of writing up, what on earth would it do to me??  Well, now I understand and empathise entirely!  I feel like I’m going slightly mad, as the eloquent Freddie Mercury put it.  It’s finally happened.  Here I am, half way through my writing up.  One supervisor left me to take up a job abroad, a couple of months after I started writing up and then, just the other week his replacement has announced he is departing for foreign climes come January.  I should be *almost* done by January, but I don’t think I’ll be finished, unfortunately.  I don’t really want to be finishing by correspondence but I’ll have no option and I suppose, at least, I will be almost done – I hope.

My responses to the continued pressure is odd.  I remember this year in March various colleagues and friends talking about their final projects and dissertations and the two weeks or so of stress this caused.  I feel like the writing up period is an entire year of this kind of pressure – and that starts to wear a little thin!  My work-guilt has reached and all-time high.  I don’t feel I can do anything else that is not work.  And, when I do, the guilt gnaws another chunk out of my brain, from my very soul!  I am slowly being eaten, consumed and digested by this ‘final project’.  I have slowly become rattier and rattier – my patience is thin, my ability to relax is nil, my capacity for giving myself entirely to others is utterly diminished.  I never feel like I’m having a proper conversation any more because my mind is always elsewhere.  I’m permanently distracted, always thinking of what I need to add to this chapter, or a lead I should really follow up and check.  I must appear extremely rude to other people – they must think I’m not listening to them, my vacant, far-away gaze a tell-tale sign of my lack of interest in their conversation.  But I can’t help it – I just always have something else on my mind – the same thing, that constantly requires my time, all of it.

I remember when studying for my finals, my parents were redecorating the hallway and kept insisting that I participate in this joyous family activity, that it was essential for me to hang wallpaper and paint ceilings.  I was in a constant fury with them at their apparent complete lack of ability to understand the amount of work I had to do.  Nobody in my family had attended university before – what would they know about finals?  My Dad was constantly cracking jokes which seemed to me to be undermining and belittling the very thing I was striving to achieve and which was so very important to me.  I should think that in fact they were trying to distract me, help me relax and take my mind off the finality of the exams which would decide my path in the future.  However, in my moments of pressure I was entirely devoid of humour, grumpy and fed up with being told how and when to study, when I should take breaks, when and how I should relax and this resulted in a number of terse conversations.  I was so glad when it was all over and I cannot wait for that feeling again.  All that is propelling me forward at the moment is the prospect of a trip to Australia next year and the moment when I wake up and don’t have to think about The Thesis.

I have been trying to find ways to push The Thesis out of my head.  I tried reading but recently, I don’t seem to be able to concentrate on it – probably because The Thesis is stuck on my brain and won’t let me read.  I can’t read mindlessly – when I read, I am always reading for meaning, for connections, intertextuality – I can’t do that with The Thesis on my mind, it seems.  This strikes me as strange since, in moments of great crisis, I normally have a voracious appetite for reading.  I remember becoming completely addicted to reading after the death of my best friend.  I spent all day and all night reading, novel after novel. I would do nothing else.  I went on holiday for a week with my parents to a small island where there is nothing to do.  I had a book but at the speed I was reading, it didn’t last long.  I hadn’t brought anything else to read and literally broke down when I realised it.  I finished the book while lying in bed one night, realised I hadn’t another to start, and burst into tears.  Suddenly, all the thoughts and memories I’d be reading to exclude came crashing back in and I couldn’t stop them.  I was inconsolable and ran to the newsagent in a desperate attempt to find something – they had nothing.  In the end my Dad came up with the goods and gave me something about Russians and tractors to read – did the job.  I did the same while The Boy’s Dad was dying of cancer – I read and read and read.  And got faster and faster – I read On Chesil Beach (an excellent book I’d recommend) in one day, whilst sitting by his bedside as his breath, shallow and sporadic, indicated his impending passing.  But suddenly I can’t read!!  In the moment when I most need to get away from this one thing, I can’t do it with books!  Instead, I’m addicted to American TV series.  So far a (very supportive and important) friend has supplied me with Damages, Veronica Mars, Boston Legal, Studio 60, Dexter, Arrested Development, and True Blood.  Normally I watch very, very little television – it rarely interests me.  However, suddenly, I’m addicted to these series!  I *have* to have more and I panic when I run out!  Of the series I’d watch – Damages is excellent.  It’s a terse, tightly plotted, intense legal drama with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, and excellent performances by the likes of Tate Donovan, Ted Danson and Glenn Close – if you haven’t seen it already, get it; you will not regret it for an instant.  Boston Legal is brilliant – its 5 seasons are hilarious, emotional, touching and offer very well written drama – I was very sad when I reached the end of it.  The Shat (William Shatner) and James Spader make an incredible partnership.  It took me a little longer to get into True Blood as I’m not much of a sci-fi fan, and haven’t really bothered with vampire shows before.  This show is, almost literally, vampires and sex.  That’s about the size of it – it’s very raunchy, slick and cool, but it’s also compelling.  It also took me a while to get into Dexter as I struggled to engage with the characters but, as with many TV series, after you’ve watched 3 or 4 episodes, you’re hooked.  Dexter season 2 was sensational!  I think what’s got me hooked with these is that they involve absolutely no effort from me (aside from keeping my eyes open, which has recently become something of a task).  All I have to do is follow the plot.  Also, they all last only an hour – so that’s all I have to concentrate for.  Finally, they’re all completely removed from the real world and have nothing to do with books – that, I think, is the key.

So, if I appear distracted, zone out while you’re talking to me, seem to be entirely consumed and obsessed by this silly essay I’ve been writing for the past 4 years, please forgive me – normal service will resume in approximately four months.  I promise.

Stell dir vor, es läuft “Boston Legal” – und keiner guckt es!

Ein schrecklicher Gedanke… Ganz toll gemacht, VOX. Wenn ich gestern nicht noch zufällig nach “Criminal Intent” drangeblieben wäre, dann hätte ich die Werbung für “BL” verpasst.

Wie lange habt ihr jetzt gebraucht, bis die 4. Staffel ins Programm kam? Anderhalb Jahre? Oh man. Und euretwegen hätte ich es beinahe gar nicht erst mitbekommen. Was soll diese heimlichtuerei? Nicht mal auf deren Homepage steht was davon. Zumindest noch nicht. Zwar läuft die Staffel erst ab Montag (05.10.), aber werbewirksam ist was anderes.

Wenn eine Serie schon nicht die Zuschauerzahlen generiert, die ihr gerne hättet, dann nützt es nichts, kaum Werbung dafür zu machen und schon gar nicht, sie auf einen späten Sendeplatz zu verfrachten! Was soll sowas? Immerhin steht dann noch Staffel 5 aus.

Manchmal frage ich mich, ob die Sendeplanungen mit verbundenen Augen und einem Dartpfeil gemacht werden…

La serie BOSTON LEGAL (JUSTICIA CIEGA) no se ve desde hace un tiempo en Latinoamérica, la 4ta temporada fue transmitida hace un tiempo en FOX. La 5ta Temporada, la cual es la última se verá desde la semana que viene en FX.

En el episodio 5×01 “Smoke Signals”

Alan se encuentra distraído por una vieja llama, Pheobe, asistirá junto a Horowitz un caso contra una gigantesca compañía tabaquera.

La 5ta Temporada de la serie cuenta con 13 episodios, el capítulo 12 es el episodio número 100 de la serie, mientras que el siguiente es el Final de la Serie.

Ya sabes BOSTON LEGAL desde este martes 06 de Octubre a las 9PM por FX.

Zev, on left, with his friend Justin

I admit it. I’m nervous about how TV will portray Asperger Syndrome through the character of Zev Glassenberg when  “Amazing Race” kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS. Every commercial and story about the new season of  “Amazing Race” mentions Glassenberg, 26, an unemployed sports fan who lives in Sherman Oaks, California. You can follow him on both Facebook and Twitter. Zev and his racing buddy Justin Kanew even have their own website. But television’s entertainment programming has done a poor job of creating a realistic picture of Asperger’s. I literally cringed when “Boston Legal” introduced its Asperger character a few years ago. The fictional Jerry Espenson is a brilliant corporate attorney played by actor Christian Clemenson. Jerry walks awkwardly with his hands strangely arranged in front of his thighs. His closest pal, at one time, is a  lifesize doll. He draws a knife on a colleague. Clemenson won an Emmy for the role in 2006. But the portrayal did much to give the world an inaccurate view of Asperger’s. Maybe this time will be different. “Amazing Race,” after all, bills itself as a reality show. Maybe this time entertainment TV will actually serve up a realistic look  at Zev as he makes his way across eight countries in 21 days in a quest to win $1 million.  “Race” did a good job last season with deaf contestant Luke Adams and his mom Margie. I’m hoping for a repeat with Zev and Justin.

Continuamos con el repaso de las series americanas que podemos ver en España, gracias a nuestros canales de televisión ya sean en abierto o de pago. Os recuerdo que no es un análisis de todas las series que se emiten en nuestro país, sino de aquellas que han estado en las parrillas americanas durante la temporada televisiva 2008/09.

Hoy le toca el turno a la ABC, cuyas series están bastante repartidas en abierto, pero que cuando hablamos de canales de pago es FOX la que se las lleva de calle.

- Anatomía de Grey. Cuatro ya ha emitido la quinta temporada de la serie, es decir, estamos en el mismo punto que la emisión americana. También se ha visto en Fox.
- Mujeres Desesperadas. Al igual que la anterior, también estamos al día con esta serie en su quinta temporada gracias a La2 en abierto y a FOX por pago.
- Perdidos. Tras varias temporadas en TVE, Cuatro compró este año los derechos de todas las temporadas de la serie. Tras emitir la primera temporada los fines de semana, y hasta la cuarta temporada en horario de tarde, se prevé que estrenen próximamente la quinta en prime time. De momento FOX ya ha emitido dicha temporada por pago.
- Cinco hermanos. Cuatro tiene los derechos de la serie de la que ha emitido varias temporadas, aunque no todas. Fox emite actualmente la tercera temporada de la serie.
- Sexy Money. Ya ha sido emitida íntegramente por Antena 3 en abierto y TNT en pago. Curiosamente en España se acabó de emitir antes que en USA.
- Eli Stone. Casi al mismo tiempo que la anterior, Antena 3 estrenó ‘Eli Stone’, en cambio de esta serie sólo pudieron verse los primeros episodios. Entera la ha emitido FOX.
- Sin cita previa. La otra serie que compró Antena 3 de la ABC es esta. El verano pasado emitió la primera temporada entera (sólo diez episodios), y sus resultados, muy regulares, hicieron que la cadena perdiera toda la confianza en la serie. Recientemente estrenaron la segunda temporada en el late night del domingo con malos registros.
- Criando malvas. Sus derechos en abierto los tiene TVE pero aun no han dicho de emitirla, eso sí, por pago la ha dado Canal+. Emitió ya su primera temporada y ahora está con la segunda y última.
- Samantha Qué. Al igual que la anterior, sus derechos en abierto están comprados pero no se ha hecho uso de ellos. Concretamente los posee Cuatro, mientras que por pago se ha podido ver gracias al canal TNT.
- Ugly Betty. Aunque por pago sí podemos seguir la tercera temporada de la serie gracias al canal Cosmopolitan, en abierto Cuatro emitió la primera temporada y no parece, en vista de los resultados que consiguió que vaya a volver.
- Castle. Las andanzas de Nathan Fillon aun no han llegado a la televisión en abierto pero sí pueden verse en el canal de pago AXN.
- El mundo según Jim. Hace bastante tiempo esta sitcom fue emitida en las tardes de laSexta, pero después desapareció.
- Scrubs. La sitcom de médicos se suele ver en Canal+, y además se vio en Cuatro. La cadena fracasó cuando la emitió en la sobremesa, pero en cambio obtuvo buenos resultados con ella en el late night este año tras ‘Saturday night live’, aunque más tarde desapareció y nada más se supo.
- Life On Mars. Los derechos en abierto de la versión americana de la serie de la BBC han sido comprados por Cuatro, pero aun no les ha dado uso. Mientras, los derechos en canales de pago los tiene Canal+, quien sí la ha emitido.
- Boston Legal. Esta serie de abogados que terminó esta temporada pasada se ha podido ver por pago en Fox, pero no entera, mientras que en abierto la ha emitido Neox recientemente, aunque desconozco hasta dónde ha llegado.

- Las que no han llegado: Ninguna de las comedias estrenadas en la midseason ha llegado ha España. De hecho, de ‘In the motherhood’ ni siquiera se encuentran subtítulos, ya que consiguió poco interés y fue prontamente cancelada. Tampoco la sitcom ‘Better off Ted’ ha sido emitida o comprada ni las series ‘Cupid’ y ‘The Unusuals’.