The Return of Mad Men

I'm so excited. AMC's Mad Men returns on Sunday night, July 27. Although it still was a good show, definitely one of the better ones on television, Friday Night Lights fell into a bit of a sophomore slump last season. Mad Men, which I enjoyed immensely when it aired last summer, quickly replaced it as my favorite show. Mad Men revolves around a group of advertising execs in 1960, and it follows their lives both at the agency and at home. It's seriously difficult to summarize the show. It's easy to follow but the issues it deals with are immensely complicated. It deals with gender issues, life roles, and generational gaps during one of the more turbulent eras of popular culture. The program recently picked up 16 Emmy nominations, all of which are well-deserved. I hope that Season 2 won't be disappointing, and I hope my expectations aren't overly high. 10:00 PM Eastern on AMC -- don't miss it!

Presidential Politics

Those of you who are paying attention will notice I finally removed the John Edwards for President link from my blog. It just seemed like it was about time, though I am truly sorry to see him go. He just really felt honest about things, more so than anyone else who was campaigning. I felt good about him four years ago, too, but all of the great work he has done since then made me a believer. He has his heart in the right place, and I'm sure he will continue to work hard on behalf of the people who need it most. As for Barack Obama, I'm not as enthralled with him as many others. There's something about him that just hits me the wrong way. He is, however, the only viable choice left. Eight years ago, I might have voted for McCain, but the way he has cozied up to Bush since losing his Presidential bid has erased any semblance of his integrity. I believe he'd say anything now to get elected.

Ed Begley and Bill Nye Duke It Out - Sort of...

If you've never seen Ed Begley's show on Home & Garden (Living with Ed), it's pretty inspiring, though also a bit daunting. It's not terribly practical for the common homeowner, though it's nice to know that some of the products and techniques he is using are available, at least for the wealthiest among us who consume and awful lot of power.

Anyway, I haven't seen the show for awhile, but I was reminded of it by the Yahoo headlines "Begley, Ney Compete in Eco-Battle" and "Celebrity Neighbors Begley, Nye Carry Eco-Grudge."

As you can guess from the headlines, one of Begley's neighbors is Bill Nye - yep, the science guy - and the two of them have this friendly competition going to see who is "greener." The whole thing is just kind of weirdly amusing. When Ed's wife gets involved, though, things get a little less friendly. There's something odd about it. It's men with power tools or big cars, only for the eco-crowd.

Illinois Wines

So, knowing I needed a nice escape from everything, a friend of mine took me to this winery in Roselle, Illinois, of all places. I didn't really expect much, but figured it would give us a chance to talk and provide a nice diversion from the ups and downs of life. Apparently, Lynfred Winery has been around for quite awhile now, and they have won a number of awards for their wines. They really are terrific too. We did a tasting, and they provide a lovely array of reds, whites, and a fruit wine, which I didn't think I'd like at all. Turns out it was terrific. It's nothing at all like a wine cooler or what you might expect. It's a grand dessert all by its little, old self. I'm not much of a drinker, but I have to say, Lynfred Wines might make me reconsider having a glass with dinner a little more often than I do.

The World of Marty Stuart

I'm becoming more and more impressed with the world of Marty Stuart. Most people haven't a clue who he is, but he's been involved in a ridiculous number of recordings over the years. He's played with Johnny Cash and Lester Flatt. He even helped to turn Billy Bob Thornton's Private Radio into a half-way decent effort. He really is an understated presence. I mention this because I just picked up a copy of Merle Haggard's The Bluegrass Sessions, and guess who was on it...Marty Stuart. He plays a mean mandolin, and he's positively brilliant on it -- as is Haggard who has really come back from nowhere land in the past year or two. According to the All Music Guide, Stuart w'll turn 50 in September, which means he has a lot more time to make great music, and hopefully obtain more recognition for his work.

Where Does the Time Go?

Good grief. Nothing like getting really sick for awhile to put your plans to write on hold. It's been a weird few months, to say the least. I don't really want to talk about that though....So, let's move on....

Friday Night Lights recovered somewhat, but it never got up and running quite as well as the first season. I'm glad it's returning in the fall though. It's still a great show, despite the problems that crept in during the second season. I'm going to chalk it up to a sophomore slump that was compounded by the on again, off again, will it or won't it return that led things off as well as the writer's strike that brought everything to a screeching halt. Season three will be back to normal. I'm sure of it!!

Kudos to CBS for picking up Dexter. What a wickedly good show it is. If you missed it rent it, and stick it out the grisly first half hour of the first episode. It's all kind of morbid and twisted, but Michael C. Hall from Six Feet Under fame is perfect for the role. He is so able to play this seriously disturbed serial killer and make him into a likeable person. Who ever dreamed up the idea of a serial killer stalking serial killers (that would be Jeff Lindsay, author of Darkly Dreaming Dexter) really needs to get checked out. I just may have to get Showtime, so I can watch the second season right away.

Police to Make a New Album?

So, the big buzz of the music world today is Andy Sumner's dropping hints that (perhaps, maybe, if you read between the lines and actually believe they can stay together) the Police might make a new album. In a statement to the Associated Press, Sumner said, "It's sort of like living with the elephant in the room. I would see it as a challenge, to make an absolutely brilliant pop album at this stage of our career, and that would be something quite remarkable."

Personally, I can't see it happening, and even if it did, I can't imagine it would be any good. Even before they hit the road, they sounded tired. Their appearance at the Grammy Awards should have been exhilarating, but instead, it fell flat. Believe me, I'm a huge fan of the Police. I'd love to see them make an absolutely brilliant pop album. I just don't think they have it in them anymore.