The Greatest Song Lyric Ever

"Making there way/ The only way they know how/
But's that's just a little bit more/ Than the law will allow"
-Waylon Jennings "Good Old Boys"

Desperate Housewives

Okay, so I'm still watching Desperate Housewives. But, the first three episodes of this season were brutal. They were not funny, there was no through line, and all the characters were distortions of their first season selves. But, they took two weeks off and something happened. That something was Marc Cherry took back major writing duties. Almost the entire first season was written by him. This season he had a team of writers. Much in the way VC Andrews books drop off amazingly after "Flowers in the Attic", Desperate Housewives fell off as well. But, VC Andrews died and couldn't take back over. Marc Cherry has.
The show has started moving at a good pace, the Applewhite family has been integrated more into the plot. And, even with the staff, Cherry has decided to have a more involved hand in the development of scripts and plots.
Some people have a singular vision and they can shepherd a show. Joss Whedon, Alan Ball, and now Marc Cherry. But, this vision only works when the creator stays involved in the show. I'm personally begging Cherry to keep working hard.
But, with Desperate Housewives back on track I am hopeful for several things. The last episode was the best of the new season. There were cameos by classic soap actors (Linda Dano, Maree Cheatham), a stair fall miscarriage, and a murder on an overpass. Taking it back to the roots of soap opera and also playing with those roots. It was well done and made me feel like a soap opera watcher. And, I hope it bodes well for the rest of the season.
And, off topic. But, the Applewhite son not in the basement is HOT!!!! Hopefully, they're will be some jungle fever on the show.

Morning Bloody Television

So with my new life as a freelancer, part-time teacher, and all-around raconteur I have been spending a lot more time watching television in the morning. Everyone that knows me knows that I love television. A lot of it is crap, but some of the best is amazing. Television, unlike any other form, can sustain a story for years. Hour-long dramas can continue a neverending arc. Look at current shows like "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" create stories that thread in and out and work at achieving tension and audience empathy. Former shows like "6ft Under" worked hard to create an almost novelistic approach and when it was over you felt like you had read a great sprawling novel like "The Corrections", "The Magnificent Ambersons", or "Fortress of Solitude". There are also sit-coms like "Scrubs" and "Arrested Development" that play with the form and change the expectations of viewers there are also traditional sit-coms like "King of Queens" and "Everybody Hates Chris" that are good by writing well and having good acting.
So, why did I just tell you all that? To lament the craptacular state of affairs that is morning television or to quote Patsy Stone from AbFab "morning bloody television". Man, it is bleak. Now "Ellen" is the exception. It is a fun talk show with a variety of guests and Ellen is really great at hosting a talk show. But, it is still a plain old show. There are trashy talk shows, decorating shows, and cooking shows. Now I enjoy Clean House for the sassiness of Niecy Nash, the only person to be in an Altman movie, Reno 911!, and to have her own Style Network TV show. But, so much of it annoying. I watch "The View" for the hot topics because I enjoy feeling like a housewife and I have a little crush on Meredith Viera. Too bad that Star Jones is possibly the most annoying woman in America.
All of this is leading to the ultimate trainwreck..."Starting Over". This is a reality show featuring women who need to, as the title says, Start Over. So, they have life coaches. Yeah, I want this job. You just tell people to get a job, love themselves, etc. And then the people get in touch with themselves and cry. It's like a sham of a real job. And, for me, there is nothing better than watching women with goals like "learn to love themselves", "create an identity away from husband", "repair broken relationships" try to achieve these goals. How do you achieve a goal that has no real answer?
Needless to say, "The View" is almost starting so I'll have to bid all of you adieu.

The Sad Ballad of Terrell Owens

This is just a quick little post. I'll have something longer later. But, I want to talk about the biggest wasted potential in football, Terrell Owens. He cannot play for the rest of the season. His team and fans of the team would rather lose than play with him. He has spent the past day apologizing and no one believes him. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus has dug a grave for Terrell and possibly for himself.
All season and for most of his career Terrell has lacked tact as much as he has had talent. His body is a muscular freak of nature. He is probably the best trained athlete and his body fat is something like negative 10. He could run, break tackles, and generally create scores. But, with his scoring came an almost deadly personality. His problems with others can go back to his troubled youth. But, that excuse stopped working this past season.
Not one person doubts his talent. Right now you are reading this sad post from a woman who loved his antics. When he took the pom-poms and celebrated, I told everyone how much I loved him. It's getting harder to say that.
I feel bad that he will never have the career he should have. Hopefully, the desperate antics of Drew Rosenhaus have ruined him. He is a cancer and does nothing but hurt his athletes. Congrats Drew, you blew it. Congrats Terrell, you ruined your life. Isn't football great?

New Look Knicks

Today I went to my first Knicks game of the season. Everything is being advertised as the "New Look Knicks". Excluding Stephon Marbury they are completely new look. They lost today in a heartbreaking game. They were down by 13, then went up by six, then down by five. They ended up losing by one basket. A heartbreaker. But, there were glimmers. In the standard Amy style, I will share my first thoughts about the Knicks.

• Stephon Marbury made some great plays. However, I'm not sure how long he will work with Larry Brown. I have the tradewatch starting ten games into the season.
• Eddy Curry could have a great season. He's a little chunkier than I like to see a basketball player, but he plays with heart, is super strong, and has good footwork for a big guy. He could make the leap this year. My hubby called him the new Larry Johnson. FYI- That's a compliment in this house.
• David Lee is a horrible shooter. That said, his smart plays, tough defense, and movement that make him useful on the court. He also had a monster dunk. And white guys dunking is always good for a few laughs.
• Nate Robinson is a rookie who has been in NYC all of five minutes. Yet, he has won over the city. He is one of the fastest players I've seen. In fact, he's way too fast for the Knicks. But, he moves, dunks, and makes smart passes. And, it seems like Larry Brown likes him. That's a good thing.
• And finally, Channing Frye is a tremendous player. He makes smart moves, is unselfish, and seems to find shots when needed. He is tall, thin, and graceful. He has a pretty good all-around game and after getting used to a pro season he could be a real breakout.

So, meet the Knicks! They might not be great this year. But, they seem poised to make the leap. Hopefully Larry stays long enough to help them.