Last Night of Hanukah

As the writers’ strike continues, dare we want to enjoy more reality tv crap? They supposedly don’t need writers and they’re cheap to put on the air. But, there’s good crap and then there’s just crap, I’d say. I mean, come on – American Gladiators returns? I’d watch the old reruns of the old American Gladiators and it’s just cheesy and campy; I’m really supposed to believe the new American Gladiators will have any of that? (and, no, not because the hosts are Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali). Oh, Holiday Miracle, can you possibly prevent the worst from happening…?

Gore accepts Nobel Peace Prize. The NY Times coverage of the event also has some good quotes.

Oh, dear – Alvin and the Chipmunks on the big screen. A review seems to be positive. And, the Chipmunks looks cute. But, why oh why is my ’80’s childhood going to the big screen like this? And, why bother with having actors play the Chipmunks’ voices when their voices are just sped-up voice work anyway? Then again, if you execute their personalities well enough, it can’t be all that bad. Plus, Jason Lee as Dave Seville? (he has to do the “Alvin… Alvin… ALVIN!” and be the father figure to the boys/umm… rodents). Who knows – this might actually work? People enjoyed “The Transformers.”

Get well, Alex Trebek! He was hospitalized for a heart attack, but it seems minor, or at least he’s recovering.

Slate’s Jill Hunter Pellettieri talks about the Yule Log on Slate video – or at least, the perspective of her non-New York origins/the national perspective (last year’s Channel 11 documentary of the Yule Log – complete with talking heads like Thomas Vinciguerra, NY Times contributor, and Gracie Mansion historians – since the Yule Log was once the Gracie Mansion fireplace was, I thought, really illuminating – but Pellettieri certainly made it interesting in describing how it became such a trend outside NYC – where we actually lost the Yule Log on tv for awhile).

T’is the holiday season after all…