Odds and ends for observation

Slate.com’s latest television commentary regarding FOX’s “Arrested Development” more or less captures what I’ve liked about the series so far.

Slate.com also has the latest Bushism: this week, George W. Bush said, “So thank you for reminding me about the importance of being a good mom and a great volunteer as well.” A good Bushism is one where the president makes a good point, but still leaves you wondering, “What?”

WB had a preview of next week’s “Angel” – yea for new episodes! Angel and Spike will vie to see who is the vampire with a soul with a destiny. And, maybe, is it the return of the missing Cordelia?

Last night’s “The Guardian” on CBS was an example of “when a (morally) bad lawyer continues his path of insanity…,” wherein Nick, played by the ever handsome Aussie Simon Baker, is confronted/and confessed about his recent infidelity and return to drinking. Are we supposed to think that this time, he seems to take responsibility for his actions? (While he claims he could not explain his bad conduct, we know why he’s fallen off track – he’s devastated about his wedding proposal being rejected but won’t admit to feeling hurt except through drinking and carousing. He’s admitted this angst to his girlfriend, but was she listening? Hmm.) Dabney Coleman as Burt, Nick’s senior partner dad, finally yells at Nick for his idiocy (glad someone did). Next week will be interesting – will Nick finally take his path of redemption seriously? (likely not; the writers of this series keeps knocking him down again and again; at least he keeps trying). As a lawyer, he still finds ways that makes a disciplinary committee want to shake him (his bribing a guy to be a foster parent to an orphaned child, while something with good intentions, can’t be that great an idea).

Anderson Cooper’s end-of-the-news commentary (if linking, just scroll all the way down) – very humorous. Apparently, some guy in Wisconsin is planning to sue his cable company for making him and his family addicted to tv (cable tv in particular). Cooper says:

“That’s right. Hooked on the box. Wired on tube. Hopped up on sweet lady tea.

“How can this happen, you ask? It’s simple. He says he tried to kick the habit but his supplier kept it coming for free. That’s how it works. First it’s free. Before you know it you’re popping NBCs and ABCs until you pass out… in a pile of Cheetos crumbs.

“I know. Believe me, I’ve been there. After a while, broadcast channels, they just don’t cut it. Now you need the hard stuff. You start paying for it. Through the nose. You want that spike, your daily FX, E, TNT, whatever you want to call it. Soon, you’d sell your own mama, your whole Nielsen family just for a single hit of pay-per-view. Then you crash. If you’re lucky, it kills you outright. You got to go cold turkey. And I don’t mean the Food Channel, baby.

“Sure, you’ll get the DTVs. You’ll get them bad. Feels like bugs all over you. And even when you’re clean, still be a junkie for the rest of your life. How do I know? I’m Anderson Cooper. And I’m not just a cable new pusher, I’m also a TVaholic. That wraps up our program tonight….”

Hilarious. This almost makes me want to get cable just to watch Cooper. Almost. “The Mole” isn’t any fun without him, but he must be glad to have left that show a long time ago.

That’s it for now.

Talkin’ ’bout baseball…

NY Mets star, Tug McGraw, passed away; his “You Gotta Believe” lives on.

Congratulations to Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor for entering the Baseball Hall of Fame. Of course, what this really means is that one is getting old(er) when the baseball players one saw as a kid are now in the Hall of Fame. At least, that was how I felt when Gary Carter got admitted in the Hall of Fame last year.

What is Pete Rose doing by confessing? Is it sincere? Is it enough? Is it a way to get back in baseball, shamelessly? Or is there more to it to be redeemed? Hmm.