Planing My Nights By The TV Guide

There was a pop song (masquerading on the country charts) a few years ago with the lyric "she was at home planning her nights by the TV Guide."  I absconded with that line for today's blog. 

My sister the New Mexico Bean has a PHD in psychology - she told me  it's documented that women my age start watching more television - good I like watching TV, not ashamed of it, and love writing about it.

Top 10 Season Passes on the DVR:
1. The Good Wife - love Josh Charles, love Josh Charles. This is the "water cooler" series with my friends at work.
2. Parenthood - Produced and written by Jason Katims (sp?) who did the same for Friday Night Lights (my 2nd favorite TV series ever) - There's a big blog post coming up on Lauren Graham/Sarah Braverman soon.
3. Smash - I'm a Broadway/Musicals junkie - Megan Hilty is the best singer on TV today (take that Lea Michele)
4. Mad Men - yeah, I bought into the hype - but that's because it's a really, really good show.
5. Modern Family - Ty Burrell is so underrated.
6. Suits - it's just enough over the top to be fun, without being in your face unwatchable (as alot of cable series can be).
7. Leverage - see #6 - the chemistry and asides from Elliot, Parker and Hardison are worth the price of admission.
8. Psych - I don't always get all the references (it's an age thing) but it's fun to watch.
9. White Collar - Speaking of fun to watch - Matt Bomer is gorgeous
10. Glee - Has really fallen off since the first season, most of the time I fast forward through the plots to the musical numbers - which are still the best (come back Krisen Chenowith and Gwyneth Paltrow- please - Kate Hudson is kind of meh)

I don't watch reality TV shows, or competition shows. Not the least bit interested

The New Stuff:

Community - My close personal friend Sir Basil Gucci and fellow DTFCer Justin kept telling me watch this show.  I hesitated because I really don't like Joel McHale - but I finally caught up with it on Hulu the last few weeks - Troy and Abed - I know these kinds of guys and  I love them.

The Big Bang Theory - didn't start watching it until one one Saturday night a couple months ago when there was nothing else on -now I'm hooked.  Would loved to have seen Jim Parson in the revival of "Harvey" on Broadway this past summer.

The New Normal - liked this more than I thought I would - if they'd tone down Ellen Barkin's character, make her understated - it would be even better (and she'd be much funnier).

Go On - I want to like this series, really I would - I'm rooting for Matthew Perry  (loved Mr. Sunshine - I think Sir Basil and I were the only ones who watched it.  Plus I'm pretty sure I'm  the only one who watched Studio 60 to the bitter end).

Major Crimes - I watched "The Closer" - it took a couple of episodes to get used to the new "format" - but like a fungus, it's grown on me.
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Waiting for the DVD's Because I Don't Have HBO:

Treme (2nd season) - From David Simon who created my favorite TV show ever "Homicide" - just wish John Goodman had stayed with the series.

The Newsroom - it's Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterston and Aaron Sorkin - what other reason do you need?

As I mentioned to someone recently - I rarely go to the movies anymore.  In my never humble opinion 98% of them are unwatchable and even worse uninteresting - unless you are a 12 year old boy who reads comic books. Isn't it astounding how many movies are based on old TV series - studios are looking to TV for ideas - because no one who makes movies seems to have an original thought anymore.

Planning my nights by the TV Guide - you bet. Television series these day are smarter, funnier, more thoughtful, well done and very importantly the more interesting medium worth watching these days.

I want to live in Aaron Sorkin's world! - Marla Hooch
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One Of Those Navel Gazing, Soul Baring, Self Indugent Explanations

Well kids I am going to take another run at blogging - but - this time it's not going to be strictly baseball.

When I stopped writing regularly a couple of years ago it was for a number of unrelated reasons.  Mainly because of my own laziness and too much white noise.  Laziness is its own explanation, it's a fault I've been working to overcome my entire life and will continue to do so.  White noise is a little different: there are so many baseball blogs, twitter accounts, and God-Know-What-Else on the web boasting useful and useless opinions, most of the time with the same information slanted to reflect the author's point of view (I do include myself in that generalization).  I wasn't sure that I wanted to continue adding decibels to that growing din.

What made me change my mind?  A life changing event.   As most of you know my beloved baseball Mom died very suddenly last October.  The last conversation we had as I was leaving her house was a plan for a World Series watching party with hot dogs, peanuts and cracker jacks.  Two hours after that she was gone.

Since that day my world has turned upside down. I have this gaping hole in my sense of being that I know I can't fill. I've struggled with the stages of grief, trying to figure out what the new normal is and getting used to it. The best I seem to able to do is try to find a little peace and hope in the things left that I love, and one of those is writing.   My mom loved reading the blog and last year when I wrote as Toby on Postcards from Elysian Fields. Writing again not only gives me a sense of relief-distraction-fulfillment- it makes me feel close to her again.

Like any other skill, you have to practice to stay in shape, and I'm obviously way out of shape, please be patient.  I will get there.

How often will I write? I don't know, but I'm guessing on the weekend and days off from work.  What will I write about? No idea - but as the amended blog title implies not just baseball could be just about anything.  So this is self-therapy - does that mean lots of digging into your psyche? No, I get enough of that elsewhere, yes I'm doing it to help myself - I know I can be depressing and sentimental - I promise to limit the navel gazing.   Are you finished talking to yourself on this entry? Yes.

In fact, instead of ending with a question, let's end with a declaration of a new beginning: Watch This Space For Further Developments.

Back at the keyboard - Marla Hooch
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Testing 123

Is this Thing still working? If it is, then watch this space- I'm going to start writing again.

February 16, 2011: New Year's (Season) Day

Well, beat the drum and hold the phone - the sun came out today!
We're born again, there's new grass on the field." -- John Fogerty

Happy Pitchers and Catchers Day everyone!



Look at me I could be Centerfield -- Marla Hooch
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Like It Or Not....

In order to sign and keep free agents you have to overpay them and keep them longer than the stat heads at BP and BBTIA pronounce is necessary. Like it or not: that’s the way it works.

If you treat players like baseball cards, as seems to be the mentality of the loudest shrieks we are reading on the ‘net today, instead of human beings – your team significantly decreases their opportunities to sign (or keep potential) free agents. Like it or not: that’s the way it works.

With the precedent the Rangers are setting with Michael Young, then they might as well change their name to the Arlington A’s since they are adopting the same mentality of the Oakland A’s – (watch out Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, and CJ). Except that the Rangers farm system just isn’t that strong anymore, and their track record of developing starting pitching is spotty - on a good day- and average to poor most of the time. Like it or not: that's the way it looks like the Rangers are headed.

What should have been an off-season and Spring Training basking in the glory of 2010 has turned in a mess and revealed the Rangers to be stuck in the same treadmill of stupidity and futility I thought they’d abandoned. Like it or not: that’s the way it is.

Like or not: you've pretty much lost me this time JD and Nolan -- Marla Hooch

First Blog Entry Of The New Year

Trust me, any other year a free agent pitcher signing with another team, and a trade not involving the Rangers is not a big story. 

The thought that keeps popping up in my mind is: this is (basically) the same team the Rangers started out with last season and were already winning the division when they acquired Cliff Lee.  That's a pretty good team already in place (although I'm one of those who is not in favor of bringing back Vlad).  Are the other teams in the AL West better?  Well, the verdict is out on the Angels (if they get Beltre - maybe).  The Mariners aren't,  the A's - that's the team I worry about the most - their pitching is very good, their offense has been the question - is Matsui going to be a difference maker?

It's the last day of the Holiday Season in my book, the "Boring Season" (that long stretch before Spring Training starts) begins tomorrow - there will be plenty of time to ruminate about the 2011 season, that's something I plan on doing. 

But for now, I have that same feeling I did in grade school on that last day of Christmas vacation - I've got to make the most of it - because the real world I live in 330 days out of the year rises with the sun tomorrow morning.

Happy New Year to all - and let's start worrying about the Rangers....tomorrow -- Marla Hooch