Day Two: Heading to Frisco

Knowing my venture from Lafayette to Frisco was going to be about six hours at the most, I took my time taking off, which in hind sight as I left in the morning realized would put me in Dallas during rush hour. But as time went by, I instead enjoyed the nearly all blue sky on the day – a complete contrast from yesterday when I drove in the rain for most of the trip, including numerous heavy storms.

Turned out the Holiday Inn Express was not actually in Breaux Bridge, but right before the little town. The choice turned out pretty good because the junction for 49 to take me north was not too far off on the east side of Lafayette. What I thought were liberal speed limits yesterday was turned up a notch today with 75 for nearly all of the 49, though construction and accidents brought the speed down in a few spots. The drive from Lafayette to Shreveport lacked anything interesting at all. The most picturesque / interesting moment was at the junction near Shreveport that takes you off toward Dallas, rising well above the other interstates.

First BIG day on the road

Well, exhausted from the final day of packing and clearing out the apartment, I took a little extra time leaving chez Clamp in the morning after the family had left for work, leaving just me and the pooch (Sasha). Finally rolled out of Land O’Lakes sometime around 10:30 I think it was, stopping by Great Britain Tile one final time and saying farewell to Steve’s brother and father as I headed north.

I started off with a little jaunt on the 52 West to hop on the 589 expressway (toll) to join up with the 19, which would take me all the way up to the 10. On a national scale, the 10 runs from Jacksonville on the east coast to LA on the west, so it would be my main route for most of the trek once I got into northern Florida.

Unfortunately, about halfway to Tallahassee I hit the first of numerous heavy – and I mean heavy – rain storms on the day. It proved to be probably the lightest. I lost count after about seven or eight and it may have been about a dozen total – could have all been part of one big system that went through the area that I caught multiple times as I rounded the Gulf of Mexico, but I have no interest in exploring that at this point.

Crossing the Country

Well, this is the space where I will be creating a chronicle of my trek (mostly notes, maybe some links to pics on my photo site and if I can get the vids off my camera to YouTube) from Tampa to Spokane with a little bit of a layover in Texas to visit some old friends as well as a few new ones, doing a little something on the side for TheCup.us while I am at it with current semifinalist FC Dallas in action Wednesday for the CONCACAF Champions League.

I'm all packed up with most of the lighter stuff in the Mustang. Books, some clothes and a good portion of my ridiculously large dvd library are probably already ahead of me on their trip to the great northwest... depending on USPS, etc.

Right now, I am sitting on a nice cushy couch at the Clamps - thanks Steve & Natalie for putting me up for the night - sort of watching one of their favorite shows... True Blood. Thank goodness, one of the few shows, that while I don't watch I don't mind seeing in. A far contrast from the usual crap reality singing, talent, and other lame-drama filled stuff they usually have on.

Tomorrow I will hit the road, trekking my way north around the bend of the Gulf of Mexico en route to Tallahassee. I originally was gonna head out today to give myself a nice three days to get to Frisco and hook up with Jason / Alysha, but I will probably have to go well past the border, through the feet of Alabama and Mississippi before calling it a nice somewhere in Louisiana.

Falling Skies is partly cloudy

In general, the two-hour series opener for Falling Skies on TNT felt, well, like a mix between the movie Terminator Salvation and the CBS show Jericho, especially with Moon Bloodgood as one of the few stars in a cast that also includes Noah Wyle, Will Patton and 'Mr. Military' Dale Dye.

The show basically begins some months after an alien invasion has wiped out, apparently, 90 percent of the human population and focuses on a portion of the rebellion forces. The military combat nature of the series with the rebels in small groups trying to avoid the aliens and use gorilla tactics feels and looks very much like TS. The fact they are grouped up with hiding civilians that are scrounging for resources and have no real leadership is very much reminiscent of Jericho.

Body of Proof in good hands

The new ABC medical/detective drama Body of Proof is a well put together family version of all the CSI forensic investigative shows on television, melding together the work life of Megan Hunt Medical Examiner (Dana Delany) with her complicated family life.

The personality of the Hunt character itself though is very much Gregory House like in that she far more knowledgeable than her colleagues and arrogant, often very abrasive with those around her, particularly the detectives she works with. She is partnered with a former cop turned medical investigator in a relationship that is reminiscent of Brennan and Booth on Bones. The Peter Dunlop (Nicholas Bishop) will undoubtedly be caught in an insinuated love triangle with Hunt and her supervisor Kate Murphey (Jeri Ryan) as the show develops.

Superhero, The Cape, Felled by NBC

According to this report, the NBC lineup started seeing changes physically last week when it chose not to air two hours of The Cape, which it has decided to cancel, which based off my initial thoughts of the show was not a surprise.

I am a bit conflicted though as I was starting to take a bit of interest in the series, albeit solely for the quality of the villains, who were creatively designed and nicely executed on screen. The biggest mistake this show and network made right from the beginning was in the overly generic name of the character/series, The Cape. I know he had a fancy cape, but Batman had a fancy belt full of gadgets too and he was not named after that.

Granted, there are still a few episodes I have not yet caught up on via Hulu, but I am planning to watch them and absolutely applaud NBC for allowing the show, which they cut the episode order down of initially before outright cancelling, to have a series finale.

NCIS - Truth or Consequences

I have never been a fan of mid-series flashback and/or series update episodes where they catch you up on who all of the characters are and why they are the way they are. Usually, they come in the season premier as a tool forced upon the producers by the networks as they try to re-claim viewers that have faded off or acquire new fans. The problem with it is that they never really work and come across very awkwardly, particularly to loyal viewers, who experience them as an annoyance.

One of the few exceptions to this, however, is the NCIS episode Truth or Consequences - the opening show of season seven (rebroadcast aired early this evening on USA). There is a little awkwardness as they attempt to showcase who all of the characters are, but the fact that it is coming from an interrogation makes it more natural as part of the story.

Beautiful Play in The Sunset Limited

If you proposed to me that I should watch a two-man, one location play essentially filmed as-is for a movie, I would say… “I don’t think so.” But Roger Ebert’s tweet about looking forward to an HBO movie snared my interest, leading me to the video trailer (below) for The Sunset Limited, which stars Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones, who also directed the film. I had nothing to do and since there was not a whole lot on the tube for the night, I gave it a go.

It was a decision I would not regret.

Tube Review 2.10.11

It was a night of surprises, which was thematic of the day considering Hosni Mubarak’s speech today after everyone thought he was stepping down. There was a great comedic twist on The Big Bang Theory and an unexpected performance from a guest star on Royal Pains.

Slow Down for Traffic Light

Fox debuted its version of a new ‘couples’ show this week called Traffic Light. There are a couple familiar faces and it has some promise, but overall it just seems… empty.

As with all the other shows of this type, it features three couples in different stages of their relationships with all three of the men being part of a longtime foursome of friends with the other one having recently passed. The central couple – the married one – is comprised of Mike (David Denman of The Office) and Lisa (Liza Lapira). The pair actually work well together and have some appeal, which is kind of surprising as Lapira really never had much depth in her buttoned-up role as Agent Lee on NCIS. She actually displays a surprising fun, comedic side in this show.

Dim Future for Mr Sunshine

It is not the strongest of openings when your show is kind of in that family viewing zone at 9:30 in prime time and you have one of your stars in the very first scene say to a strange kid “what the hell is wrong with you?” It is not exactly endearing for your viewers, even if you are Matthew Perry.

The surprising moment did not really bother me, but some of the construction of the new series, centering around the management team of a San Diego sports arena, did. That is a total shame considering one of my favorite actors, Allison Janney (The West Wing), is one of the lead characters, Crystal, and Perry is a decent performer.

Tube Review 2.9.11

It is a shame that there was only one great half hour tonight as Modern Family had me in stitches. The rest was a very mixed bag of average, including the debut of Mr Sunshine on ABC. The good news I caught up with Tuesday night’s NCIS, which more than made up for everything tonight.

Tube Review 2.8.11

Tuesday night seems to have become police drama night with the exception of Parenthood on NBC. Three of the four shows I follow are the two NCIS series and the third is White Collar – all three showing a law enforcement agency in a different aspect. NCIS is a traditional detective show, albeit, in the Navy, its LA spin-off is about the undercover arm of the agency; and White Collar is about an FBI branch utilizing an ex-con on parole.

I Confess, Here’s Two Bucks

I usually stay away from the topic of religion, but apparently, the Catholic Church in the United States wants you to pay for your sins… literally. According to this news report, the Church has formally given its literal blessing to a new iPhone app that assists Catholics in the process of confession. This story is so up Bill Maher’s alley I expect it will be a topic, or at least a New Rule, on HBO’s Real Time this Friday.

Tube Review 2.7.11

Well, it has been nearly a week. I have to say my viewing got a bit side-tracked by the revolution in Egypt. I find it intriguing to watch historical events like that unfold right before me on television while also taking in how different networks and media personalities handle the situation. I wanted to take out my DVD of Live from Baghdad, which is a great HBO movie featuring Michael Keaton about how the first Iraq war really vaulted CNN into prominence in the early days of cable news. Anyway, it all led to a lot of on demand online viewing over the weekend of the prime time network programming on missed. Thank you Hulu.com.

More than Laughter on Late Late Show

I wanted to take a few moments to discuss the unique mind and personality of Craig Ferguson and the importance he places being himself instead of being locked into the typical late night television format.



(my thoughts and more video after jump)

Tube Review 2.1.11

Tuesday night is kind of a serious night within my television viewing. Tonight was especially so coming off watching the news coverage of Egypt and continued through the two NCIS shows on CBS, which thankfully do have some comedic moments. Shifted gears a bit for Parenthood on NBC.

Tube Review 1.31.11

Spies, lies and law is quickly becoming the theme for my Monday night television viewing. I am always conflicted when it comes to NBC. It tends to create some of the best shows, but unfortunately tends to cancel them sooner than they should far too often. It is getting to a point I find myself watching NBC shows more than the others.

What Gives Them the Right

I sit here more annoyed than I should be. I like to end my evenings with a good laugh. Something which is more than deserved given I spent a good part of my prime time viewing watching the ugliness of the situation in Egypt on MSNBC shows and then Bill Maher’s Real Time on HBO, which is somewhat funny, but mostly serious political stuff.
So to have my favorite late night show pre-empted by the local CBS affiliate WTSP, which likes to market itself as 10 Connect (as in connecting with the community), to air a soap opera, Young and the Restless it appears, is maddening.

Look, I understand why they chose to cover the funeral of two St Petersburg police officers today. But, it was their choice to spend nearly half the day covering it. It was their choice to pre-empt the soap. It is the same audience that watches soaps that are interested in watching sad coverage of police funerals.

While those viewers may be upset their show was pre-empted, what gives the local affiliate the right to then upset a whole other set of viewers by putting in on in the place of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, especially with no running ticker at the bottom for explanation or time for when the show can be seen. It better come on here at the end of this stupid show, which is the only one I hope considering they also pre-empted it earlier in the week for the stand-off the officers were involved with in the first place.

Tube Review 1.28.11

Friday night was surprisingly about Egypt, hockey and politics – quite a strange mix.

Tube Review 1.27.11

The USA network continues to air some of the best new shows. It is a shame it tends to only have 3-4 series running at any particular time spread out over two nights of the week. My thoughts on tonight’s television viewing…

Tube Review 1.26.11

While the rest of America continues its obsession with karaoke idol on Fox, here is a rundown on what I watched...

8:00 – Not much to say here as I kind of spent it flipping around primarily watching an NCIS repeat on USA and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (one of the creative forces and consultants on The West Wing) on MSNBC.

Split up Perfect Couples



Olivia Munn is funny as the oblivious 'perfect wife' in a fake perfect marriage to apparent alcoholic husband

 Yet another sitcom about a group of married couples, the new NBC series is headed toward the same fate as all those before them. I’ll admit I laughed during the course of the debut episode, but it has some serious issues that keep it from being something you’ve gotta watch.

Fairly Legal fairly good

As is the case with most of the USA network shows, this new series featuring the stunning Sarah Shahi as a lawyer turned mediator working for her family law firm is quite good. I found myself enjoying the show right off from the clever writing early on and throughout the entire extended length pilot episode despite the fact that some of it is a little cliché and the show was nearly entirely about Shahi’s character Kate Reed.

The shoe fits for Harry’s Law

The new NBC dramedy Harry’s Law may be the best television series revolving around shoe sales since Married with Children. Actually, it is probably the only show featuring a shoe store since the famous sitcom left the air. That aside, this upstart series is, in fact, a law show that has a great comedic vein to it much like its star Kathy Bates.

Lights Out on the ropes

Watching the new FX series Lights Out about a retired boxer coming back to the sport after five years because he is broke is… well… like taking repetitive blows to the head in the boxing ring. Through the opening episode, there is very little that does not follow the stereotyping and overdone storylines of all the other boxing related enterprises of the past.

Diagnosis of Off the Map

The new ABC series Off the Map is decent, but obviously destined to be a duplication of Grey’s Anatomy only with this medical drama set in a remote tropical village. The setting of the show may be off the map, but the central premise is certainly on a direct path to being an emotion-driven relationship drama.

The Cape – Unmasked Mistake

Among the new midseason shows starting up over the next few weeks is The Cape on NBC. Typically I do not go for these superhero type shows – I thought Heroes was an interesting concept and somewhat enjoyable to watch, but it just did not keep my interest beyond the first couple episodes and I did not continue to watch the series despite its time pairing with Chuck, which I am a devoted viewer of.