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This season of Curb Your Enthusiasm has been one of the best, if not the best in the show’s history. Last night’s season finale, which doubled as a Seinfeld reunion show was my favorite episode ever. It was so great watching those characters getting into story lines and conversations that I hadn’t already seen 12 times in rerun.

NYT has a nice writeup.

I’ve noticed a trend where companies are finally going after the iPhone and Google Search and being aggressive. Although I’m a fan of both products (although i’m a proud Pre owner), i say good for them! Some examples:

iPhone:

Verizon’s new ads bashing ATT’s 3g coverage

The new Droid

Google

After Rupert Murdoch’s comments about blocking Google, Jason Calacanis sees an opening for Bing.

Dex’s new commercial touts the benefits of local search over larger search engines

It’s just weird seeing companies go after these two on TV. Hopefully we’ll see more companies that aren’t afraid of the tech sector’s darlings.

So, the tv gods in Hollywood and New York have blessed us with another season of fall tv. How have they fared so far? Well, I’m going to post some thoughts on my favorite shows and you can tell me where i’m right or wrong and talk about your fave shows in the comments.

Heroes

I’m not sure where I stand on these epic two hour season premieres. Lost does them too and I guess i’m grateful for the extra episode, but it would be nice if they actually took advantage of the extra time and made one really big episode with its own story arcs instead of squishing two normal episodes together. Anyway, I thought it was pretty good. The new bad guys they added (Hiro’s speedster and level 5’s baddies) are just what we needed for a chapter named Villains, and i have a feeling they won’t be the only baddies this season. Nikki seems to have split once again and i think every alter ego has a different power as seen by her Sub-Zero’esque fatality. Suresh’s super powers in a needle thing was pretty cool, but it seems like they just gave him spiderman’s powers. Then we find out later that he might be turning into a real spider! Is his formula the way Ando got powers? Also, how did Ando kill Hiro when Hiro could just stop time before he got Hadukened? I want to see what Micah and his cousin are up to and am wondering where this whole Parkman in Africa thing is going. The writers have stated that they learned from their season two mistakes and will keep up the pace we all loved from the first season so i’m eagerly awaiting the next episode. One thing I really didn’t like is that the whole messenger from the dystopian future going back in time to save the world is getting kind of old.

The Office

The Office premier was pretty good too. Not outstanding, but plenty of laugh out loud moments. When Holly finds out Kevin isn’t retarded, i couldn’t stop laughing. I only wish Dwight was there to see one of his pranks actually work. Speaking of Dwight, i’m surprised Phyllis didn’t sue him for “dropping her off” five miles from the office. The whole Dwight/Angela thing is getting pretty interesting. I wonder where this will go and if the whole secret relationship thing will last all season. I love how Phyllis caught them and used the opportunity to take the lead of the party planning committee. For some reason, the party planning committee scenes are always hilarious. Pam going to college is a nice change and it’s good to see her actually doing it after talking about it so long. The interview of her on the laptop sitting in the chair was so cute. Also, who saw Ryan coming back to be the new receptionist? While completely unrealistic, it definitely has potential for some laughs and i love how Micheal still idolizes him. Like Larry on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Micheal is best during the many uncomfortable, cringe-inducing scenes he always puts himself in.  I was almost disappointed when it didn’t seem like their was going to be a scene like that in the premiere (the fat suit meeting was surprisingly tame), but when Micheal bought those concert tickets and tore them up, he had me in stitches.  

Check back soon for pt.2 where i’ll discuss Entourage and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

The amazing TV show West Wing has popped up on my radar twice in the last couple days.  The first time was this hilarious story in the Onion detailing SorCon, the largest Aaron Sorkin convention in the world.  The second was this interesting post comparing Obama’s choice of Biden with Santos’ pick of Leo.  I was surprised to hear that Santos was actually based on Obama!  Pretty neat.

In this painfully slow summer of filler television, viewers often scramble to catch up on old favorites or get introduced to new hits through DVDs and re-runs. If you find yourself stuck in the mindlessness that is Wipe Out or Living Lohan, fear not, there is salvation. Californication, a Showtime original series, is there for you.

Showtime has surpassed HBO in the last few years in terms of the quality of their original series. While HBO has seen its most hyped shows (Big Love) fall flat, it has had its share of silent hits (Flight of the Conchords). However, Showtime has sprinted past HBO with many critical and commercial successes. One of these is the best show on television you’re not watching.

Californication is the story of Hank Moody (David Duchovny), a visionary writer suffering from an awful case of writer’s block. After writing a hit novel, “God Hates Us All,” which was turned into a horrible movie, Moody finds himself in California chasing his former girlfriend all the while trying to be a good father to his pre-teen daughter. Moody’s character is one of the finest on television today. While Duchovny could easily let his character slip into the stereotype of a troubled writer, he is able to keep Moody out of this trap through his relationship with the two things that make him the happiest: his daughter, Becca, and former girlfriend, Karen.

The first season follows Moody as he fights through his writer’s block by taking a job blogging for “HelLA magazine,” works out his female issues by sleeping with seemingly every woman in Los Angeles, fights to get Karen back and works on being a better father for Becca.

While Duchovny is able to keep his character out of the stereotype trap, other characters are not to lucky. There is Moody’s agent, Charlie (Evan Handler), the jewish guy who develops a strange sexual relationship with his assistant, and Becca (Madeleine Martin) the pre-teen daughter who is too smart for her own good.

A show which derives most of its laughs from Moody’s one-liners is never afraid to put the protagonist in any number of embarrassing sexual and social situations which lends a certain air of vulnerability to the main character. While some of the humor can be considered cheap bedroom humor, it is nevertheless something that hasn’t been done on television in this way before.

Californication, 8.0/10.

HBO’s new miniseries Generation Kill starts today at 9pm.  It is written and produced by the same guys who did HBO’s The Wire.  While I’ve never had a chance to really get into The Wire (it’s one of those shows where it’s best to start from the begining) the few episodes I have seen were pretty good.  HBO’s last miniseries John Adams was well done too.  Here is the trailer for Generation Kill:

So the season finale of Lost aired last night and it was a whopper. Weighing in at 2 hours, the episode had enough action, reveals, twists, and mystery to keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Now, I’m going to assume that you watched the episode and have kept up with all the easter eggs found at lost easter eggs and dark ufo. I’d just like to blog my thoughts, now that i’ve been able to process the episode for a day.

• Not a lot has been talked about the show’s theme of redemption. Micheal was only able to die after he redeemed himself to his fellow losties and the island. Is this the kind of fate that the Oceanic Six can look forward to?
• How did Jack and Claire’s dad, Christian Shepherd, appear on the freighter? Is he a real person or a shape shifting apparition like the smoke monster? I think it’s safe to assume that he clearly has the authority to speak for Jacob and the island and will be a big part of the series as it moves on.
• There has been a lot of talk about where the island moved but how about when the island moved?
• What are Ben’s motives? While it may be true that the island wants the Oceanic Six to return to the island, they probably don’t want Ben back. He is clearly a man of revenge. Does he want to get back at the Others like he got back at Martin Keamy?
• Ben says all of the Oceanic Six plus Locke has to return, but in Kate’s dream Claire says not to take Aaron back.  Then again, if you reverse the phone call she got in the dream and listen closely it says everyone has to return.  So, who is right and would Jack even be able to convince Kate to go back to the Island, let alone bring Aaron along.  That island is certainly no place for children.

I’ll post some more thoughts as I come up with them, in the mean time post your own or reply to mine in the comments. Also, I’d appreciate any comments and suggestions on the new look of the site while your at it.

While most men would jump at the chance to spend time with a dozen members of an arena football league dance squad, I found myself sitting on a porch discussing television characters with Natty last Saturday evening. We talked about what truly made a character great. Was it the ability to make us laugh, or the ability to make us think? With no true criteria, we had to turn to our gut to make the decisions. The only rules for the list below? No characters from before 1985, because well, I’m not that old, and frankly, Lucy, The Fonz, and J.R. Ewing need to be forgotten anyway. With that in mind, I present the list of the top 10 television characters of all-time (time didn’t exist before 1985).

10. Zack Morris – While traditionally not considered a great television character, Morris makes this list based on many things, but mostly his ability to stop time by simply calling timeout and making the “T” symbol with his hands. Morris was a ladies man, having dated or been romantic with all three of the female main characters on “Saved by the Bell.” Morris eventually settled down with Kelly Kapowski and took his place in television lore. A talented musician, Zack was the lead singer of the band “The Zack Attack,” and a vocalist in “The Five Aces.” No word yet on the butterfly effect Morris may have caused when he used his time-stopping ability to avoid a punch from A.C. Slater and forcing Slater to punch Richard Belding instead.

9. Dan Connor – The burly husband of comedian, and I use that term loosely, Roseanne, Dan was always admired for his devotion to his children and family. The 300 pound plus, flannel wearing blue-collared worker shared the same concerns that many fathers of that generation did. His best comedic performances came when paired with Jackie Harris, Roseanne’s younger sister, and his softest moments came as he stressed over the romantic relationships of his daughters.

8. Johnny “Drama” Chase – VICTORY! Well, not quite for everyone’s favorite sibling, but he has a place at number eight on my list. The brother of famous film star Vincent Chase (better know as Aquaman), got his big break on Viking Quest, a character he re-visits at events such as Comic-Con. A terrific cook and fitness freak, Drama has no problem using his famous brother to score with the ladies, or get calf implants.

7. Dwight Schrute – Assistant to the Regional Manager (or ARM) of Dunder Mifflin Paper, Scranton, PA branch, Schrute is a beet farmer, weapons expert, and expert salesman who once defeated a computer in a sales competition. The right-hand man to Regional Manager Michael Scott, Schrute has shown the kind of devotion and loyalty that most bosses would envy. Now single after killing his girlfriends cat, Schrute has begun the process of winning her back from the ‘Nard Dog, Andy Bernard.

6. Winnie Cooper – The only female on the list, and the subject of this bloggers first masturbatory excretion, Cooper was the love interest of main character Kevin Arnold on “The Wonder Years.” Winnie’s impact on Kevin’s life is almost measurable, when it is revealed twice that every important event in Kevin’s life has somehow involved Winnie. The series finale revealed that Winnie would leave to study art abroad, and despite a romantic relationship that many viewers felt they were a part of, Winnie and Kevin never married.

5. Tony Soprano – Television’s ultimate alpha male, the boss of the New Jersey crime family, Soprano was also a deeply disturbed loving family man. Suffering from panic attacks since he was a young boy, Tony turned to therapist Jennifer Melfi for help. Melfi helped Tony delve into his issues which ranged from his overbearing mother, to the detached feelings he felt from his father, and helped the audience understand this tortured soul.

4. President Josiah Bartlet – One of the most dynamic television characters of all-time, he was originally slated to appear in the “The West Wing” once every couple episodes. His performance in the pilot won everyone over and he became the center of one of the most successful television dramas of all-time. Driven by his past, Bartlet capitalized on the intelligence and leadership skills he showed as a young man by defeating the popular John Hoynes to win the Democratic primary, and eventually the presidency. Bartlet was an idealized democratic candidate, who often struggled with decisions that he knew were right, but also knew would not be popular.

3. Homer Simpson – The original “dumb white male” that so many sitcoms have since copied, Homer is a devoted father and husband who works at the local Nuclear Power Plant under the close watch of his boss Montgomery Burns. Homer’s antics always challenged his family to see the best in him, and in time, the viewer realized that Homer’s intentions were always good. Famous antics include bringing home mental patient Michael Jackson to sing “Happy Birthday Lisa,” one of the catchiest songs of all-time.

2. Eric Cartman – An argument may be made that Homer Simpson is the greatest animated character of all-time, but those people would be wrong. Cartman is the deeply disturbed “big boned” elementary school child who hates most people, especially Jews and hippies. Cartman’s overreaction to many things has been the basis for many of South Park’s great episodes, including an episode where he made a rival child eat his own parents in the form of chili. Cartman’s greatest role model is Mel Gibson, and his favorite movie is “The Passion of the Christ,” most often referred to by Cartman as simply “The Passion.”

1. George Costanza – The self-described “short, stocky, slow witted bald man,” George Costanza was every true Seinfeld fans favorite character. From insurance sales, to unemployed, to fake laytex salesman, to scout with the Yankees, Costanza ran the gambit of jobs, and also ran the gambit of women. From Marissa Tomei to NBC executives, Costanza’s mild success with women almost always ended in failure. One of America’s most beloved characters, one place you will never find a portrait of this man is the Jerk Store.

There you have it, the list to end all lists. I’m sure no one will have any objections to this well thought out, perfect list, but if you do, feel free to debate it in the comments section.

I DVR’d Frontline’s report on Universal Health Care systems from democracies around the world and I found it rather fascinating.  No matter what your political affiliation is, it’s interesting to see all the different ways each country has implemented health care and the unique pros and cons of each system.  You can watch the full program online here but I wanted to post a short summary from memory on each system and what I took out of it.  Also, Long Hair Don’t Care saw the program with me and I hope he joins the discussion in either the comments or his own post, as it would be interesting to see his perspective from the other side of the political aisle.

United Kingdom

The UK’s system was probably what you would describe as the most socialist out of all the countries examined.  All the hospitals are run by the government and doctors are government employees.  Each citizen has their own family doctor who acts as a gatekeeper to the larger medical system.  If you are sick, you first go to this doctor and he directs you to the appropriate specialist if needed.

Japan

Most hospitals and doctor offices are privately run (I think the number was 90%) but prices for all services are set by the government and negotiated every two years.  It was pretty interesting to see a Japanese doctor open a book and read out the meticulously detailed price list for different wounds.  Doctor’s have to compete in quality of service for patients but unfortunately many feel that they are not paid enough.  Also, half of hospitals are running a deficit.  With a hospital stays costing only $10 and it’s easy to see how this could be the case.

Germany

Germany’s system is also a mix of private and government run health care.  Each person has their own insurance that, like in the States, is normally provided and partially paid for by your employer.  An important difference is that insurance companies are not allowed to make a profit and all extra revenue is passed on as savings to the consumers.  If you lose your job you do not lose your insurance.  With the private hospitals, required insurance, and low co-pays, Germany’s system was very similar to the Japanese, with the same drawbacks – low wages for doctors (at least compared to the US).  Unlike the Japanese though, long waits for care is often a problem.

Taiwain

Taiwan had a unique opportunity to build their health care system from the ground up in the 1990’s.  They created a committee to investigate the health care systems of other capitalistic countries and and took the best of each system while trying to avoid the pitfalls, all while trying to build a system that would work for their society.  One of the most impressive aspects about the Taiwanese system is their use of technology to keep health care costs down.  Each person is given a smart card that contains all their medical history that is easily swiped into the computer of their doctor.

Switzerland

When the Swiss where ready to enact their version of universal health care they where under much of the same pressures that the United States currently faces.  Opposition from the Right and Drug companies made the national referendum a close race, but the electorate narrowly voted to revamp their system.  Now, an overwhelming amount of people support their new system.

What was remarkable learning about the different systems other industrialized democracies use to achieve universal health care is how different they were but how they all managed to accomplish the same things: Every citizen is covered, no one becomes bankrupt because of medical expenses, and they all pay less per capita and GDP than the United States while receiving higher ratings by the WHO.  All three presidential candidates are promising to fix our broken heath care system and while no other country’s system might be right for us, hopefully we can learn from them and create a system that covers everyone while maintaining the quality of care we are accustom to.

Just a quick update from your blogger-in-chief:

I’ve been in kind of a blogging lull these last couple weeks, my last post, An Ode to Television, was kind of a write-in because I promised some friends I would blog. I do have some things I want to talk about though:

• TV
  • I am watching Cheerleader U on WE channel and want to give some thoughts/updates on that.
  • Expect more heated discussion on Lost (sorry for the readers out there who don’t watch it).
  • The Road Rules/Real World Gauntlet Reunion was the lamest hour of TV… EVER. Stop taking it so serious guys – YOU ARE ON A GLORIFIED GAME SHOW.
  • The last episode of South Park one the the best in a while. I keep thinking Matt and Trey are going to lose their touch but they surprise me every season.
    • All episodes are now available for free online… legally!
  • Real quick – the professional dancers on Dancing with the Stars are HOT.
• Politics
  • I want to talk about Obama and the presidential race a bit more .
  • Joe Klein’s article on a possible Gore-Obama ticket reads like a journey through my wet dreams.
  • Look for a new contributer to hectorhector.com to make his debut post in a couple days about the race.
• Music
  • There have been some good records coming out/leaked recently so I want to talk about them and write up some reviews.

So thats what you should be looking forward to on hectorhector in the next month or so. Also, you guys probably didn’t notice but I fixed the categories on the blog so clicking on them will send you to similar posts. Hopefully I will be able to convince Natty to post in the correct categories so I don’t have to fix them for him anymore but I doubt I will be successful.