After a shaky debut, Oliver has been killing it in every episode.

I've been watching The Shield on Amazon. It's good and pretty entertaining, but so far I'm not that impressed. When people on the internet compare its quality to The Wire, well, maybe I'm missing something or maybe it gets much better in later seasons.

I do like The Good Wife . I'm one season behind. Sergio, you like Parenthood , right? It took me a while to get through the first show (like 3 tries; it rubbed me the wrong way at first), but I hung in there, I think because you recommended it. Do like it a lot now. I did. Glad you're enjoying it. ...

...although I still can't find a single worthy show on any of the big 4 networks! Have you tried Hannibal. I've heard good things about The Good Wife, but I've never seen it. I liked 'The Leftovers'. It's a bit of a slow-burner, but I think it could be really good. I'd been meaning to read the nove...

Happy birthday, JT! Sorry I haven't been hanging out here much lately. Still, good to know Ron is keeping it going.

steve(thelil) wrote:Agree about Philomena, except for the part about seeing it "the other day."

You don't agree that Walto saw it the other day?

We just finished watching season one of the Americans. Thoroughly enjoyed it, surprisingly well cast since I never would have guessed that Felicity could be so badass. We then watched the first season of The Tudors, a well-done CBC production. I finished season one recently as well. I loved it. The...

Orphan Black season 2 premiered on Sat. Man was it good! Anybody not watching needs to find out what all the fuss is about. But do yourself a favor and start at the beginning (On demand allows you to watch season 1). Besides being a great show, there'll probably be acting classes in the future abou...

St Vincent - St Vincent

The War On Drugs - Lost in a Dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ9IXScip68

Maybe he can do the show in his Strangers with Candy character.

I just came across this one. It collects social media posts in which people mistake Onion articles for news. It's fun to make fun of dumb people.

http://literallyunbelievable.org/

I haven't seen American Hustle, but I recently saw Silver Linings Playbook and really liked it. The script is kind of a mess at times, but the performances hold it together really well.

And Stephen Colbert is taking over!

I guess the Cancel Colbert twitter thing worked.

Fernando Pessoa - The Book of Disquiet Finally finished this and it was amazing. Lately, I finished Theodore Sturgeon - More than Human. This was one of the best golden age sci fi novels I've read. William Hope Hodgson - The House on the Borderland. Kind of weirdly put together. Almost like two dif...

Spring is the time for good cable shows to come back, it seems. Last week Game of Thrones and Veep, this week Mad Men, and the week after that Orphan Black. Also, Louie pretty soon. Thanks to Amazon Prime, I've been catching up on The Americans (s1) and Justified (s1). I like Justified, but I'm real...

This is what I've read recently. I recommend all of them Ryszard Kapuscinski - The Soccer War Very good, but I'll probably read something more focused on a single subject next. Very interesting observations from a humane and empathetic reporter, even if it does veer towards orientalism once in a whi...

While I was initially lukewarm to 'True Detective', it ended in fine form last night. A very fine finale, intense and yet heartwarming to see the friendship get to where it did. Knowing that McConauhey and Harrelson aren't coming back make this season a great one-n-done. Superior television if you ...

Why aren't some time-honored phrases good enough for today's parents? Why is a child spending the night with a friend now referred to as a "sleepover" and playing with a friend at their house a "play date"? Somehow, it seems silly, almost pretentious, something for which I have ...

Monte Smith wrote:They need to make PARADISE LOST.

Believe it or not, it was actually in the works at one point. It never got to production and afaik it's in development hell (no pun intended).

Monte, I'm disappointed but different strokes. I thought the biggest flaw of I, Frankenstein wasn't the incomprehensible plot, but the fact that the movie was basically without humor. Lots of missed opportunities to not take itself too seriously. You mean like pronouncing it Fronk en stheen? :silly...

I've really liked Aaron Echkart since I saw him in 'In the Company of Men', but he seems to be involved with some questionable projects lately. Brother's gotta eat, but it's a waste of talent.

walto wrote:

Unfortunately, Stapledon is only a passable writer of fiction

Not considered much of a philosopher either, as far as I know.

Probably not, but the book didn't need anything more than mass-consumption pop philosophy. For that, I think he does fine.

Olaf Stapledon - Last and First Men An early philosophical science fiction novel. Pretty epic in scope. Perhaps the longest chronology of any book I've read - it expands over thousands of million of years across 18 human species and three planets. Some pretty interesting ideas and conceptions of hum...

We had what was left of our ice freeze dry last night. And with no snow or ice in the long-range forecast. 8-) I don't say this to gloat or make light of your weather woes, but I'm mostly glad I live in a place where I can wear shorts and t-shirt to work in the middle of January. Drought concerns n...