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January 2008
‘Moment of Truth’: Are you watching?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fox’s new lie-detector show “Moment of Truth” (Fox, 8 p.m. Wednesday) asks highly personal, mostly embarrassing questions of contestants as their anxious loved ones look on, steeled to forgive hurtful answers lest they lose out on a share of the $500,000 grand prize. That’s tough love.
Here are a few tough questions you might need to ask yourself about the show, the debut of which reportedly had the best ratings of any new show this season. No lie detector is required, but no cheating on the final answer.
• Did you watch this show last week? You did, really?
• Did you feel like you needed to take a shower afterward?
• Don’t you think host Mark L. Walberg is a little creepy, even on those “Antiques Road Show” re-runs?
• Do you think this show makes “A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila” look like “Hamlet” by comparison?
• Don’t you wish somebody from “American Gladiators” would storm the set and crack some heads already?
• You’ll be tuning in again, won’t you?
How do you feel about State of the Union?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you feel better or worse about the state of the union after President Bush’s address last night? With less than a year in office, low approval ratings, facing a Democratic-controlled Congress and much attention focused on who will be the next president, what of the initiatives he spoke about do you expect will be enacted? Which are most important to you.
The Wire: Buyer’s market out there
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ll cut to the chase (and if you haven’t seen the last episode, I’d quit reading here.)
Prop Joe is dead. It was like a kick to the gut when Marlo and Chris killed him in his dining room.
Sure, Prop Joe could tangle when he needed to, but you had to like him. He preferred to deal and he could be pretty good at playing both sides.
I’ve been a fan of “The Wire” for years, so I’ve come to really appreciate the complexity of characters.
We see classic Joe up ‘til the end when he tries to save his life by offering a proposition to Marlo to stay out of the game.
Marlo doesn’t bite. He tells Joe to close his eyes and “it won’t hurt none.” Jamie Hector, who plays Marlo, is simply chilling.
David Simon and the writers of “The Wire” don’t spare anyone - even some of the more popular characters. Remember Stringer, D’Angelo and Bodie? Perhaps the hardest death to swallow was Wallace, who never really had the heart to be in the game.
The Greeks seem OK with Marlo at this point. I wonder how they will handle the demise of Prop Joe. Or is it just business?
Omar is back and bent on avenging the brutal murder of his banker and advisor, blind Butchie. You have to love the guy when he pays a visit to the only survivor of the bar incident and asks: “How you still alive, yo?”
Omar vows to “work them. Sweet Jesus, I’m gonna work them.”
I hope Cheese and the evil trinity of Marlo, Snoop and Chris get theirs soon. Glad, though, he spared Slim Charles.
Kima is still trying to solve the triple homicide but gets nowhere with the young survivor who is too traumatized to help. What ever happened to the young boy who ran out the back of the rowhouse?
Carcetti makes his move to replace Burrell with Rawls and, eventually, Daniels. For this, he must climb into bed with the likes of Nerese Campbell, but he needs her right now to smooth the way with Burrell and others.
McNulty and Freamon continue to rack up bodies for their phantom serial killer, but no one is taking notice. They need more bodies. They should know the score by now: one dead co-ed gets a lot more attention than several dead homeless and disenfranchised.
Clay Davis is on the hot seat when he makes a grand jury appearance and the newspaper is caught with its pants around the knees when they miss the big story.
What was your take on the last episode? What was the best line?
The line starts here…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Everybody loves Mike, but would you stand in line for hours to pay $230 for the new Air Jordans?
Dozens of folks have camped out at Walter’s clothing store in downtown Atlanta waiting for the new Air Jordans to go on sale Friday. Read about it
The shoes are available in 23 stores nationwide. Each store will sell 23 pairs of shoes. And yes, we did wonder about that 24th person in line at Walter’s.
Have you ever stood, sat or slept for hours in line to buy something? If not, would you and for what?
A financial nudge from Uncle Sam
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I hear that big screen TV calling my name.
Democrats and Republicans have reached a tentative agreement to give tax rebates of $300 to $1,200 per household.
The move, which includes business tax cuts, is designed to stimulate the sluggish economy.
What will you do with the money? Splurge on a trip overseas, buy a Wii or pay off bills?
The Wire: They’re dead where it don’t count
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Police find three dead bodies in a row house and the incident doesn’t warrant much attention.
Not from the cops, the mayor’s office or the newspaper, which plays the story on an inside page beneath the fold.
The third episode of “The Wire,” the riveting HBO series set in Baltimore, kicks everything into high gear as a hard-drinking McNulty continues to build his bogus case that there is a serial killer stalking homeless men.
A frustrated Bunk warns him that he will go to prison behind this and “you know what they do to pretty boys like you in prison.” One of the night’s best lines was when Bunk told him “I just bought brand-new lawn chairs and a glass patio table. You don’t buy no (expletive) like that if you plan on going to prison.”
Bunk enlists Freamon in trying to convince McNulty that this is trouble, but Freamon surprises him when he starts to buy into the plan. Think Bunk will come around?
Meanwhile, Norman, the mayor’s top man, goes to the press to float the idea that the mayor is about to shake up the police department. He wants to see how it will fly with the ministers and council members if Carcetti makes Rawls the acting commish until he can put Cedric Daniels in the job.
But, apparently Rawls has something on Daniels and he isn’t likely to go away without a fight. Nor will Burrell.
My least favorite storyline - the newspaper - shows the big wigs informing the staff about buyouts and doing more with less. Been there, down that.
Saving the best for last: Omar coming!
The Wire brings back one of the show’s best characters - Omar, the gun-toting, gay stick-up man. You gotta love Omar, who once told a jury that “I robs drug dealers.” Despite his occupation, Omar takes Sundays off from the game to take his grandmother to church and never turns his gun on a civilian. The man lives by a code.
Marlo takes steps to get in good with the Vondas, the Greek in a bold big to cut Prop Joe out of the action. Surely, Joe sees this coming but he still schools Marlo on how to launder money.
Marlo’s killers, Snoop and Chris, finally get a lead on someone who is close to Omar. They ambush blind Butchie, Omar’s confidant and advisor, who refuses to tell them where to find Omar. He gets two in the kneecaps and one in the head for his loyalty.
When Omar, living in some tropical locale with his lover, finds out you can see his expression go from sadness to fury.
It’s on and poppin’!
Your take on last night’s episode? How will Omar get back at Marlo and his crew? No spoilers, please.
Staying in or venturing out this Sunday?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The good news: It’s not that icy on major roads — winds swept water from pavement before it froze Saturday night. And it’s sunny!
The bad news: It’s COLD. In the teens this morning, but it feels like almost zero degrees outside if you count wind chill. If you have to work today, you’d better bundle up before you chip ice off your car. And while MARTA trains were running OK early, those platforms are nippy.
So tell us, if you’re working today, was getting there a hassle?
If you have the day off, are you skipping church (or did church cancel on you)? What about brunch? What are you doing for fun today?
What is your reaction to McCain win, other campaign news?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sen. John McCain is the clear front-runner on the Republican side after his big win Saturdya over Mike Huckabee. Mitt Romney won the GOP caucus in Nevada while Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama split the tally there. What is the main story out of Saturday’s election news?
What is your reaction to McCain win, other campaign news?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sen. John McCain is the clear front-runner on the Republican side after his big win Saturday over Mike Huckabee. Mitt Romney won the GOP caucus in Nevada while Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama split the tally there. What is the main story out of Saturday’s election news?
Weigh in on Delta and merger talks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Delta is in merger discussions with several carriers, including Northwest, Air France and United, according to reports. Do you think there will be a merger? What will the pairing be? Will Delta keeps its name and headquarters in Atlanta?
The Wire: This ain’t Aruba…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The second episode of “The Wire,” thankfully, devoted a lot more time to the streets and “the game.”
Wasn’t it priceless to see Avon surprise Marlo in the prison visiting room? Both want to squeeze Prop Joe out of his Greek/Russian connections, but that will be one match made in hell. Who will come out on top in that one or can an Avon/Marlo alliance work?
Scary.
And with the heat off, Snoop and Chris are back to their murderous ways. The scene in which the two killers coldly execute June Bug was chilling. I hope they don’t turn on young Michael, who showed he still has a conscience when he questioned why they had to kill June Bug over a rumor and when he didn’t pop the young kid who ran out the back door. I have no doubt the child would be dead if Snoop had been in that alley.
I’m glad that Freamon is still working the edges of the Marlo investigation. I don’t expect a neat ending but I want to see him and his crew go down. Frankly, I’d rather see Omar return and take them out than for them to spend time behind bars.
The second episode also started the buildup to the perfect storm. On one hand you have a drinking Jimmy McNulty taking matters into his own hands and creating a phantom serial killer. One the other, you have Scott, an overly-ambitious reporter who will do anything for a good story, even making it up.
I understand McNulty’s frustrations although I don’t approve of his methods. Carcetti is so focused on becoming governor that he’s willing to sideline an investigation into 22 bodies and Marlo’s crew. Perhaps, as Freamon, Bunk and McNulty say, if we were talking white women or white children, the city would pay more attention.
Other notes: Who else finds the Bubs storyline boring? I’m glad he’s in rehab but I want more action from him. Augustus, the don’t-take-no-mess newspaper editor, makes that storyline worthwhile. And wasn’t it nice to finally see Clay Davis sweat?
What did you think of the last episode? What was the best line of the night?
Are you worried about a recession?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Talk of a recession in 2008 is heating up.
Economists recently surveyed by The Wall Street Journal said that odds of a recession are rising, along with mounting inflationary pressures, according an article on the publication’s website. You can read it here.
The chance of a recession has increased to 42 percent, up from 38 percent in December, the article states. Concerns are fueled by higher oil prices, rising unemployment and troubles in the housing and credit markets.
Are you changing your spending or saving habits? Do you think a recession will happen this year?
Do you fear hiking alone?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I sometimes walk area trails alone.
I try to be aware of my surroundings and size up any hikers I pass along the way. But as a woman, I know I’m no match for a man and certainly someone bent on using the element of surprise or force.
The horrible murder of hiker Meredith Emerson has made me rethink going out alone, particularly in remote areas. It’s a shame because I like walking and I love nature.
Bo Emerson interviewed other hikers about their concerns since Emerson’s murder. Read article
Do you ever hike alone? What precautions do you take or will you take in the future?
Clinton-Obama battle for N.H.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What do you think about the tight race between Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire?
Permalink | Comments (30) | Categories: Election
First episode of ‘The Wire’ promises wild season
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If the first episode of “The Wire” is any indication, fans are in for a wild ride during the final season.
The scene opens when Bunk convinces a young thug that a copy machine is a high-tech lie detector (he’s already feed ‘true’ or ‘false’ answers into the machine.)
I was skeptical about the focus on the media and it’s shortcomings in covering the breakdown of the system and community, but those newsroom scenes were fantastic and very realistic. Indeed.
All the main characters are back. Freamon, McNulty, Kima, Snoop and Bubbles. It’s clear McNulty is an accident waiting to happen since he’s gone back to the bottle. Now what is Marlo up to? He’s obviously aiming for Prop Joe.
Here’s a puzzle for you: How does Col. Daniels run a year-long investigation into Marlo’s drug business, but doesn’t recognize Chris when he asks for directions? It gets even more confusing when Daniels delivers the bad news to his crew about disbanding the unit and there’s clearly a picture of Chris on the board.
We all know season four will be hard to beat. What did you think of the first episode? If you’re a newbie, will you be back?
Are you using email less?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that teenagers and young adults are actually using email less often.
Younger people are more likely to use text-messaging on their cellphones, Instant Messaging, or communicate on the popular social network sites like Facebook and Myspace that don’t require email, the study found.
The most popular way of communicating for teens is the telephone, be it landline at home or cell phone on the go.
Have you noticed this also? If you’re a young person with text messaging and a Facebook page, have you noticed that you don’t use traditional email (gmail, yahoo, hotmail, etc. accounts) as much?
Gritty cop drama goes down to ‘The Wire’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My weekend is set for a marathon session of “The Wire.”
I quickly fell in love with this gritty, HBO cop drama set in Baltimore, which begins its fifth and final season at 9 p.m. Sunday.
The show has taken us to the corners, city hall, the docks and the schools. This season will focus on the media and how it has covered - or failed to cover- the breakdown of the system and community.
I even got hooked on the behind-the-scene stories. Remember the deacon? Years ago, Melvin Williams, who plays that character, was a gambler, hustler and major drug dealer in Baltimore. Williams even developed a complex phone code for his crew, similar to one later used in the series.
There was also a police informant similar to the character, “Bubbles.” Show creator David Simon, a former Baltimore Sun reporter, wrote the informant’s obit but didn’t use his name at the request of his family, who likely feared retaliation.
Do you watch “The Wire” or is it too gritty and realistic for you? What are some of the most memorable scenes?
Come back to discuss the show after each episode.
Does Iowa matter to you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee had a big night in Iowa, with both candidates running on promises of change.
The two now hope to repeat that success in New Hampshire.
Do the results in Iowa change your presidential choice? Who do you call to win in New Hampshire?
Iowa caucus: You name the winners
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Iowa caucus is upon us. While you may not get officially vote, you can play political prognosticator.
Who do you think will come in first, second and third in each party?
I resolve to…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, 2008 is solidly here and many of us are starting our new year’s resolutions.
You ate that last piece of Italian Cream Cake during a New Year’s Day brunch, so there’s nothing around to tempt you.
I resolve to be healthier. I resolve not to procrastinate (I hope starting a new year’s resolution on January 2 doesn’t count).
I resolve to save money -after I hit a couple of sales this weekend. Seriously.
Do you make resolutions or commitments? What do you resolve to do in ‘08?
