December 9th, 2009 admin
“The Simplest Title for The Most Complex TV Series Ever — “Perfection” – Imagine a show that every critic on the planet loves. Imagine a show so deeply layered that it makes every other drama seem simple. Imagine a show where each character is equally important. Imagine a show that reinvented itself every season, yet still felt like it was part of the world it created from the outset. Imagine a show so complex that you will always discover something new the next time around.
Doesn’t this sound like perfection to you? Trust me, it is, in more ways than you can fathom.
THE WIRE is a show so meticulously crafted and executed that it would take me a dozen reviews to scratch the surface of what makes it great. After catching the very first episode on HBO, I immediately bought the 1st season. The rest, as they say, is history.
I’m so afraid to ruin anything that I don’t even want to give away characters’ names. To even let you go in expecting certain traits from a character would spoil the fun. So instead, I’m deliberately being vague about what occurs. If you’ve never heard about this series, you deserve go in cold.
But I’ll give you a few details, starting with the very first scene. THE WIRE begins when a detective is questioning a young hoodlum who witnessed a murder. The detective asks why the guy and his friends allowed the victim to continue rolling dice, after he’d been known to snatch the money & run. The scene closes when the kid says, “Got to, man. This America.”
Then the show begins its title sequence, in which The Blind Boys of Alabama’s cover of “Way Down In The Hole” plays over a montage of seemingly random clips of police activity & urban life. But as you’ll learn the more you see this title sequence (and song), this montage is actually filled with clues, both literal and metaphorical. The greatest crime dramas throw clues in your face without telling you how important they are. Believe me, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, one of the greatest films of all time with its labyrinthine plot, has nothing on THE WIRE. And we’re only just getting started.
What you’ll also notice from the opening scene is the dialogue. It actually took me two viewings to find out what the detective and the dice-roller were saying. As if that wasn’t enough, I eventually had to turn on the English subtitles just to find out what each character was saying. The dialogue flows so naturally that THE WIRE never feels like a TV drama. There are no scenes where the characters recap what happened in the previous episode, unless the characters would actually take a moment to remind each other. This sounds like a challenge, and indeed it is. THE WIRE requires (and deserves) your undivided attention. Pause if you have to. Rewind if you have to. Use the subtitles if you have to. Many have called THE WIRE “a visual novel”, and they couldn’t be more right. You see how much attention I’ve given to just the first few minutes? Guess what, the entire series clocks in at 63 hours.
So, what’s the premise of the series? The first season’s main story begins when a team of Baltimore police is assembled to take down one of the city’s high-profile drug dealers. The investigators and surveillance teams endure what real cops would endure: long hours, cold trails, bad weather, tedious paperwork, crummy offices, and worse…smart criminals. THE WIRE gives the justice officers an equal amount of screen time as the targets they pursue. The dealers aren’t delightfully vicious or glamorous in the least. Sort of like the Corleone Family or the protagonists in GOODFELLAS, THE WIRE portrays its criminals as guys who either can’t do anything else for a living, or refuse to do anything else for a living. The series goes even deeper, as we’re engaged in the lives of judges & lawyers, homicide detectives & their office-dwelling superiors, drug kingpins & their corner workers, and even the homeless. Calling this “epic” is an understatement. If you’re as interested in the urban drama as you are in the police procedural, then you’re on the right track. Don’t worry, you will get to see the cops bust a few doors and arrest a few thugs, but just be aware each event it treated as ordinarily and naturally as anything else in THE WIRE. To the characters, these events are just another day.
Now bear in mind, I’ve only given a little info on the first season! I won’t give away any details, but Season Two continues in the exact opposite way you’d expect a sequel to. The cops and criminals shared equal halves of TV time on Season One, but for the seasons that follow, they share equal parts with a completely new side of Baltimore. Just wait until THE WIRE continues through its next few seasons, it gets even more deliciously complex. If you think Season One sounds like a beastly Rubik’s Cube, wait until you get a load of Season Two, not to mention the seasons afterwards. After all, you can’t predict how a single story is going to proceed if you’re too blindsided by how it begins. One of the most interesting aspects is that slowly over time, THE WIRE becomes more than a crime drama — the series evolves into a multi-layered epic, where crime is only part of the picture. Each of the five seasons feels like its own individual story, but naturally connects with the season that comes before and after it.
I don’t want you to be discouraged by this onslaught of convoluted storytelling. There is a method to the madness. Audiences (including me) are too used to knowing where we are at every given point of the story. THE WIRE purposefully refrains from the kind of clarity we’re used to. This challenge that will stimulate your mind in ways that no other TV show has. In so many ways, it’s the kind of entertainment we’ve always wanted: Surprising yet Natural — isn’t that always the goal?
THE WIRE is so great that everyone is going to take something different from it. This show can be interpreted in a million ways. Nobody is right, and nobody is wrong. How can that be? Well, creator David Simon is to be credited for this neutrality. Simon is as hands-on as any other TV series producer, writer, or creator. Every single aspect of the show is exactly what he wanted it to be. THE WIRE was never the victim of a writer’s strike, or cancelled seasons, or poor broadcasting schedules, or any other excuse. If there is a character or story arc you don’t care for, it isn’t Simon’s fault; your personal taste just doesn’t mesh with it. Sure, I have one or two nitpicks about what THE WIRE should’ve been in my eyes, but not once did I believe it was for a lack of focus. For example, one particular season takes a more didactic approach to the series. We witness moral dilemmas with an ambitious mayor, unethical cops, and newspaper staff — all tackle the immortal question, “Do the ends justify the means?” This more black-and-white angle is exactly what David Simon wanted to use. I preferred a more gray-shaded tale, but Simon decided that this tale needed a more direct statement. Now, even though this isn’t my preference, I overlooked my own criticisms because this season was built this way. There are a couple of other little things that might not sit well with some viewers, notably how the “star” of the show’s cast disappears for most of one season (don’t worry, you’ll know it’s coming before it happens). The point is that THE WIRE never once strayed from its intended path.
I think that’s what I’m going to take away most from this show: It tells every story it wants to tell. It answers every question it poses, unless we’re meant to ponder. It forces us to sympathize with those we’d normally condemn, and to relate to those we’d usually ignore. This television drama is a masterful work of art, from the page to the screen.
I’m going to close with this:
Despite my review title, spending a large amount of money on a complete TV series without seeing a few clips is clearly irresponsible. I didn’t type this review expecting you to drop a couple hundred by my words alone. So, let’s be sensible about this product. If you can, rent the first few episodes from a videostore, or try to find the show in a library, or maybe even go on YouTube to find a few Season One scenes.
There is so much more I want to share with you, but it’s time to use a lesson David Simon taught me:
I will say only enough, and make it your responsibility to discover the rest. Enjoy! ” [Source]
Get it now
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December 6th, 2009 admin
While some people are getting ready for the holidays, doing the usual yule-tide activities such as cookie making, gorging themselves with sweets and extremely caloric snacks and desserts, others have something else in mind. To them the holidays mean resist and avoid all the fatty traps that one easily falls for, and instead, these people keep their reserve and make their seasons greetings a healthy and active time of year. That’s willpower, is all I gotta say.
I respect that attitude but I will always enjoy the little goodies, chocolates, cakes and snacks that come with the Christmas spirit. It’s impossible for me to ignore and pretend it isn’t there. Why do that? I will never pretend those luscious chocolates and cakes don’t exist; I accept them with open arms. That being said, I hate gaining a huge amount of weight because of my own gluttony. Sometimes, it’s unavoidable but I DO have some willpower and I like to keep in (relative) shape.
If a balance is maintained, meaning, indulging in fattening foods mixed with exercise and healthful meals, I believe that everyone can win with this equation. A common problem of participating in activities during the winter, is winter! It’s snowing or plain miserable outside, not very inspiring for a workout. It makes it even difficult to get out to go to the gym in horrible weather. Where is this all leading?
Having a Nautilus Commercial Series Elliptical Trainer at home in your basement or extra room of your house is a perfect solution to keeping fit not just during the winter but also all year long but particularly during the holiday months where eating is practically done all day long, at least where I come from! Whether they’re treats brought into the office or sent there by clients or the snowflake cookies and fudge sitting around the house, well, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Temptation is hard to resist. Face it.
So wouldn’t it be ideal to have the Nautilus Elliptical Trainer so you can workout at home? Maybe you know the person who would absolutely love (and need) this. And the whole family can use this, too. I think it’s a wonderful gift albeit extravagant. Sure, some people would rather have a $6,000 necklace or something luxurious and beautiful, but the Nautilus Commercial Series Elliptical Trainer is useful and the bodies of those who are going to benefit from it, will be beautiful. Want it for yourself? Then get it!
About the Elliptical Trainer - The patented four-bar linkage system, built into each foot pedal, follows the natural movement of the feet during the entire elliptical motion. Because users will feel more comfortable, their workouts will be more challenging, leading to better results. The articulating foot pedals also keep hips, knees, and ankles properly aligned. Features:
* Remote Operation Control built into arm handles for easy operation
* Articulating foot pedals keep your hips, knees, and ankles properly aligned
* 400-pound capacity; measures 20 x 62 x 82 inches (W x H x D); 15-year frame warranty
* Commercial-quality cordless elliptical trainer with innovative My Stride system
* Dynamically calculates your stride length and adjusts speed and intensity
Save $300 if you purchase it at Amazon (restrictions apply).
More information or get it now
Posted in amazon, equipment, family, fitness, gifts, health | 1 Comment »
December 5th, 2009 admin
If you know any gamers with a Wii, here’s a gift idea for them. Super Smash Bros. Brawl! Loaded with all the characters and features players have loved from the two previous versions, plus much more, it is a worthy addition to the series and yet another must-have title for the Nintendo Wii.
The lifeblood of the Super Smash Bros. series has always been the depth of the character lineup that each installment has been able to bring and Brawl not only keeps with tradition, but does it one better. Just as in Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64) and Super Smash Bros Melee (gamecube), players can expect to pit their favorite Nintendo characters against each other in head-to-head and multiplayer battles, but instead of insisting on characters exclusively from the Nintendo universe, Brawl adds variety in the form of superstars Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake from Konami’s Metal Gear franchise. This is a first-time addition and one that will delight veteran players and newbies alike. But these two characters are only a sampling of the new additions to the game’s lineup. The other ten come from classic Nintendo titles and bring the complete lineup of playable characters to a whopping 25. Old favorites like Mario, Link, Peach and Kirby are now joined by such exciting newcomers as Wario, Solid Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog. With a variety of new modes, an absolutely epic soundtrack and the ability to play with distant friends through online multiplayer, this is a game gamers will have to break their own fingers to put down.
Get it now
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December 3rd, 2009 admin
Oh the weather outside is frightful. (Really.) So lets make cookies that are delightful…
During this time of year of yuletide greetings and all that holiday, snowflaky kind of stuff, I love to make cookies and give them away. After all, it’s the time of year when we eat lots of candy, cakes, chocolates and goodies in general so to add to the festivities, cookies are on my agenda. One of my favorite cookies to prepare are the buttery sandwich cookies with jam inside, called Linzer Cookies. They are so absolutely yummy with a steamy cup of tea or coffee, or with a large icy cold glass of milk. They look like snowflakes…sort of! Anyway, use this cookie cutter set to make your delectable Christmas cookies to bring to work or to give away to family and friends.
G e t t h e L i n z e r c o o k i e c u t t e r s e t h e r e
The set includes linzer cutter and 6 interchangeable center cutter designs. Boxed with recipe and instructions, metal.
Need a recipe for Linzer cookies? Here’s one from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.
Ingredients
* 3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 3 1/2 cups flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup good raspberry preserves
* Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick and cut 2 3/4-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round with a heart or spade shaped cutter. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread raspberry preserves on the flat side of each solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners’ sugar and press the flat sides together, with the raspberry preserves in the middle and the confectioners’ sugar on the top.
Posted in food and drinks, fun, good value, kitchen appliances and gadgets | No Comments »
December 2nd, 2009 admin
If you know anyone with a Wii but they don’t yet have Super Mario Brothers Wii, then you HAVE to get this for them, provided you were going to get them a gift for the holidays. Supporting 2-4 players in side-scrolling platforming action, Super Mario Bros. Wii features a mix of fan favorites and new characters, new power ups and various input options via the Wii remote. It is, in our opinion, and those of millions of gamers worldwide, one of the greatest games of all time. It will be received with open hands and much appreciation if you give this as a gift, I promise!
Game Features
* New Super Mario Bros. Wii offers a combination of cooperation and competition. Players can pick each other up to save them from danger or toss them into it.
* Supports 2-4 players in multiplayer mode.
* Mario, Luigi and two Toads are all playable characters, while many others from the Mushroom Kingdom make appearances throughout the game. Players can even ride different Yoshi characters and use their tongues to swallow enemies – or their fellow players.
* In some areas, players use the motion abilities of the Wii Remote controller. The first player to reach a seesaw might make it tilt to help his or her character reach a higher platform – and then tilt it incorrectly just to mess with other players.
* New items include the propeller suit, which will shoot players high into the sky with just a shake of the Wii Remote and Mario’s new ability to transform into Penguin Mario.
* At the end of each stage during the simultaneous multiplayer mode, players are ranked based on their score, the coins collected and the number of enemies defeated.
See more information and get it now
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December 1st, 2009 admin
While microwave popcorn is extremely convenient, it’s just not on our radars because we are very wary of the safety of microwaves and no one can definitively answer the question: is microwaved food safe? We’d just like to play it safe and opt for this particular popcorn popper (and nut roaster, a bonus!)
The Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster makes a wonderful gift for someone who loves to curl up on the sofa with a big bowl and munch on America’s most popular snack while watching an absorbing movie or favorite TV shows. There’s nothing more comforting and fun than watching your big screen (or little screen!), grabbing a huge handful of popcorn and then stuffing it in your mouth! Okay, some of you might eat one at a time but admit it, it’s fun to try to get a whole bunch in there at once sometimes!
Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster popper quickly pops up to 6-quarts of fresh popcorn in just minutes. There’s a motorized stir rod that moves the corn kernels so they don’t burn, which also means there will be very few, if any, unpopped kernels. When the popcorn’s ready, just turn the bowl upside down and it’s ready for major munching! The appliance also makes up to 3 cups of mall-kiosk-style glazed nuts or roasted nuts, so you can make some Cracker Jacks!
Get a Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster now!
Posted in electronics, family, food and drinks, fun, good value, kitchen appliances and gadgets | No Comments »
November 26th, 2009 jeniii
As much as I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, my absolute favorite time of the year is Black Friday! Waking up at 3 A.M. to get a good parking spot at the mall; even better, camping outside of Best Buy for days to get the season’s greatest deals! Once inside your select stores, you literally have to shield yourself from claws and hair pulling, and that’s just from your best friend. But, if you’d rather stay home and miss the crazy retail madness, there are many retailers that offer Black Friday deals specifically for online shoppers. Check out sites like blackfriday.com and blackfriday.gottadeal.com. They list top retailers’ advertisements with the best deals. Also, for even more savings they provide you with some online coupon codes. Awesome, right? It gets even better, some companies offer free shipping with a minimum purchase. For example, Target.com offers free shipping for all orders over $50 and Nordstrom.com offers free shipping on orders over $100 (piece of cake!) So relax in the comfort of your warm home, perhaps with a glass of eggnog (don’t forget the rum, haha!) in front of your computer. Black friday isn’t that bad, right?
Posted in CDs, DVD, PC Games, bags / purses / backpacks, books, computer games, computers, cosmetics/lotions/makeup, coupons / deals / sales, diamonds, digital cameras, digital video cameras, discount codes, electronics, games, gifts, home entertainment, jewelry, kids, kitchen appliances and gadgets, laptops / notebooks / computers, music, phones, sales, shoes, special occasions, t-shirts/clothing, television / film, televisions, watches | No Comments »
November 25th, 2009 admin
As part of Amazon’s Black Friday Deals Week, Horton Hears a Who is available for $5 between Noon and 4pm today PST ONLY (November 25, 2009)!
Description of Horton Hears a Who
One of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved stories roars to life as never before in this enormous animated adventure that proves “a person’s a person no matter how small.” A playful pachyderm named Horton becomes a reluctant hero when he discovers the microscopic city of Who-ville on a floating speck of dust and embarks on a hilarious adventure to save the town from the dangers of the jungle. Featuring a who’s who of superstar voice talent, including Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Carol Burnett, this heartwarming hit comedy delivers loads of laughs and tons of fun for the whole family.
O R D E R H O R TO N H E A R S A W H O N O W !
An FYI on how it works at Amazon
To receive the instant discount:
1. Add all products described in the promotional offer message to your Shopping Cart.
2. The discount will be reflected on the final order checkout page and will be allocated to all participating items in the Shopping Cart.
3. If you remove any of the participating promotion items from your Shopping Cart or violate any of the terms and conditions listed below, the promotion will be invalid, and the discount will be removed from the order.
4. If you return any of the items involved in the promotion, the discount previously applied to the order will be subtracted from the return credit.
Posted in DVD, amazon, family, fun, funny, kids, sales | No Comments »
November 24th, 2009 admin
Who doesn’t love Will Ferrell and the must-see-every-year-Christmas movie, Elf? As part of Black Friday Week, Amazon is offering Elf for only $3.99, but that offer will only last between 8am and Noon today, November 24, 2009 (PST)!!! So get it now. Items are available for a limited time and in limited quantities at the prices listed.
Add Elf
to your cart and check out during the time allowed to receive the discounted price.
Click on the photo to get Elf now.
For more Black Friday Deals, click here
.
Posted in DVD, family, fun, funny, home entertainment, sales | No Comments »
November 23rd, 2009 admin
Yes, folks, you heard right, and I’m sure you’re not sorry to hear that Black Friday starts today! Uh huh, MONDAY. I, for one, am glad about this because frankly, the black friday crowd leaves much to be desired. I mean, the chaos, the frenzy, the desperate housewives clawing away at anything unnecessarily? Not to mention the fighting, screaming, hair pulling and kicking. Yes, some people are truly insane on black friday. Ok, maybe they are just plain insane every day but I don’t want to encounter them.
So, back to this blog post about Black Friday. Amazon is having a Black Friday sale online on DVDs of TV shows and lots of movies. This is good because it means you can shop at home on your computer. Yay, that is so convenient!
Check out the deals now.
To receive the instant discounts:
- Add all products described in the promotional offer message to your Shopping Cart.
- The discount will be reflected on the final order checkout page and will be allocated to all participating items in the Shopping Cart.
- If you remove any of the participating promotion items from your Shopping Cart or violate any of the terms and conditions, the promotion will be invalid, and the discount will be removed from the order.
- If you return any of the items involved in the promotion, the discount previously applied to the order will be subtracted from the return credit.
Posted in amazon, fun, good value, sales | No Comments »