If anyone needs proof that Global Warming is bogus, I now have it. This Seattle weather we're having is quite possibly the most insane weather I've seen in 27 years. Sure there has been snow, sure there's been wind and cold... but this is just odd.
Not that it's surprising, but the weathercasters around here have absolutely no clue what they're doing when it starts to snow. Sure, they make it seem easy enough, cold air comes in from the north, meets the moist air from the south, in one of their favorite areas the "Puget Sound Convergence Zone", and just like Emeril would say... BAM!... snow. If only it really were as simple as they make it seem, perhaps it would actually stop snowing when they say it would. But no, this latest blast seems to have come out of nowhere and just appear.
The biggest question is, to go to work tomorrow or not. The official word from the office was "If Seattle schools are open tomorrow, Insightful is open tomorrow." Well, Seattle schools are closed... but that leaves a bit of ambiguity as to whether or not work is. I'll see how the roads look in the morning and if anyone else is going to work. I probably could make it to work with relatively little difficulty, but that hardly means much if there isn't anyone else there.
Alas, what an uninteresting blog today... but at least I put something here.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Ever since The West Wing finally wrapped up and went off the air, I've needed some other compelling show that keeps me waiting in anticipation of the next week's episode. I had high hopes for "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." With half of the cast coming straight off the set of The West Wing, and Aaron Sorkin writing the show, I was definitely expecting a great show. The pilot had me hooked... but apparently not so much for the rest of the world. The show has been in a steady ratings decline ever since the optimistic pilot episode. I was a devoted follower for the first 5 shows of the series... really getting interested in the characters and following the usually compelling story lines... but somewhat disappointed overall. Something was missing... I wasn't finding myself yelling at the TV, rewinding the episode to watch an amazing scene over again, dying to know how it's all going to work out... until last night. Seven episodes into the series they finally hit the mark. Last night's episode finally fit together. They didn't need to waste time developing characters, didn't waste time trying to convince people that the show is about writing funny sketches for a late night comedy show, and didn't have any "space-filler subplots" that nobody really cares about. It helped that they had the amazing actor John Goodman (who I think has been a guest star in every show on television these days), and to top it off, the sketch that the plot centered around was actually funny! My only complaint was that it was the first part of a two-part episode that just left me screaming for more. This is the show I was waiting for.
The show is finally good -- one problem: nobody knows this anymore, and no viewers means the show is doomed to end up in the land of lost shows. Apparently NBC has contracted it for 13 episodes and just bought 3 more for a total of 16. Usually that's a good sign, but the ratings need to increase if it's ever going to stay on the air as long as it should. The one thing going for it is that it's pulling in a very profitable demographic. It's a huge draw in the rich and well-educated audiences, which means big money from advertisers. That alone seems to be enough to keep it on the air through the season... it just can't seem to shake off CSI: Miami in the same timeslot over on CBS, which means it will probably get shifted out of Monday 10pm into some other slot (Wednesday perhaps). My guess is that if people who watched the pilot give it a second chance and watch it again now, they might have a more favorable view. Regardless, I think it's a show worth watching... especially for anyone who was a fan of The West Wing, or just likes a good dramedy. We'll see if it survives... but if you haven't watched it yet, I recommend it. At least throw it on the Tivo or DVR and keep it around when you can't find anything else good on TV.
The show is finally good -- one problem: nobody knows this anymore, and no viewers means the show is doomed to end up in the land of lost shows. Apparently NBC has contracted it for 13 episodes and just bought 3 more for a total of 16. Usually that's a good sign, but the ratings need to increase if it's ever going to stay on the air as long as it should. The one thing going for it is that it's pulling in a very profitable demographic. It's a huge draw in the rich and well-educated audiences, which means big money from advertisers. That alone seems to be enough to keep it on the air through the season... it just can't seem to shake off CSI: Miami in the same timeslot over on CBS, which means it will probably get shifted out of Monday 10pm into some other slot (Wednesday perhaps). My guess is that if people who watched the pilot give it a second chance and watch it again now, they might have a more favorable view. Regardless, I think it's a show worth watching... especially for anyone who was a fan of The West Wing, or just likes a good dramedy. We'll see if it survives... but if you haven't watched it yet, I recommend it. At least throw it on the Tivo or DVR and keep it around when you can't find anything else good on TV.
And the rain rain rain came down down down...
Well the rain seems to have stopped, after several days of somewhat constant rain. The "Pineapple Express" as the weatherpeople call it dropped a ton of rain on Seattle. Didn't bother me much, I wasn't outside much except driving around in it, but still.
On my way to work yesterday morning I felt bad for several people:
1) The city worker standing in about 8" of water on the street corner trying to clear a clogged storm drain, while it was pouring down rain.
2) The construction workers doing their normal work on the Fremont Bridge, out there in the pouring down rain trying to get things done.
3) The garbage man who was out in the rain, but that's not too extraordinary, because it rains 3/4 of the year probably. But...
some idiots in my apartment building thought (or rather didn't think) that if they just set 4 mattresses down next to the garbage dumpsters the garbage man will take them away. Well, the garbage man cometh, he empties the dumpsters, and lo and behold, the mattresses are still there. Of course, the mattresses have gone from 4 mattresses down by the dumpster to 4 very wet and nasty mattresses down by the dumpsters. The sad thing is, considering how relatively ineffective the latest building managers around here have been, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes weeks before someone does something with those mattresses. It wouldn't bother me quite as much if not for the fact that the dumpsters are right next to the garage door, and I drive by them constantly, nearly running into them. Stupid people.
In other news... I want the holidays to be here. November is such an uneventful month. Once Halloween is over there's nothing festive until Thanksgiving, then it's officially the holiday season. What I'm really looking forward to though is Christmas music. I could complain now... and people just say "well, why don't you just listen to Christmas music now?". That's crazy. You can't listen to Christmas music too early, otherwise you get sick of it before the holidays are over and that would be a tragedy. This begs the question, when is too early? This is a complicated question. Previously I strongly claimed that you must wait until the day after Thanksgiving, the "official" start of the holidays. However, the Holidays Amendment of 2004 officially changed that rule to allow Christmas music anytime starting the week of Thanksgiving.
It's too early to change the rules again anyway... what do I look like, a flip-flopper?
On my way to work yesterday morning I felt bad for several people:
1) The city worker standing in about 8" of water on the street corner trying to clear a clogged storm drain, while it was pouring down rain.
2) The construction workers doing their normal work on the Fremont Bridge, out there in the pouring down rain trying to get things done.
3) The garbage man who was out in the rain, but that's not too extraordinary, because it rains 3/4 of the year probably. But...
some idiots in my apartment building thought (or rather didn't think) that if they just set 4 mattresses down next to the garbage dumpsters the garbage man will take them away. Well, the garbage man cometh, he empties the dumpsters, and lo and behold, the mattresses are still there. Of course, the mattresses have gone from 4 mattresses down by the dumpster to 4 very wet and nasty mattresses down by the dumpsters. The sad thing is, considering how relatively ineffective the latest building managers around here have been, I wouldn't be surprised if it takes weeks before someone does something with those mattresses. It wouldn't bother me quite as much if not for the fact that the dumpsters are right next to the garage door, and I drive by them constantly, nearly running into them. Stupid people.
In other news... I want the holidays to be here. November is such an uneventful month. Once Halloween is over there's nothing festive until Thanksgiving, then it's officially the holiday season. What I'm really looking forward to though is Christmas music. I could complain now... and people just say "well, why don't you just listen to Christmas music now?". That's crazy. You can't listen to Christmas music too early, otherwise you get sick of it before the holidays are over and that would be a tragedy. This begs the question, when is too early? This is a complicated question. Previously I strongly claimed that you must wait until the day after Thanksgiving, the "official" start of the holidays. However, the Holidays Amendment of 2004 officially changed that rule to allow Christmas music anytime starting the week of Thanksgiving.
It's too early to change the rules again anyway... what do I look like, a flip-flopper?
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