Popular Culture Round-Up

I ranted on Presto Speaks! about a book review I read in Newsweek that disparaged science fiction and popular fiction. I really hate tearing something else down while praising something. And it diminished a review of what should be a good book that's already on my list: Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.

"Charmed" was wonderful tonight. It was one of those special episodes I love that featured "Grams," "Victor," and "Patty," the Charmed Ones' dead grandmother, dead mother, and living father. Given how much I like Finola Hughes and James Read who play "Patty" and "Victor," having all three in the episode was a real bonus.

"JAG" on Friday was great, too, resolving the "Clayton Webb" storyline. I don't want to spoil this for anyone who watches the show and missed the episode, so I'll give you a chance to click away. .... Okay, now for those of you left, I'm so glad "Webb" turned up alive and I'd figured out who the assassin was before it was revealed -- yay, me. I'm a big fan of Steven Culp who plays "Webb," so I'm glad we'll still have a chance to see him on the show.

"Joan of Arcadia" got off to a strong start for its sophmore season with Joan's doubts and skeptism bringing back the tone of the early first season episodes while maintaining the history of the entire season.

"CSI" and "Without a Trace" also had strong first episodes of the new season, too. There are still a couple of new shows I need to see, like "Lost," so I can't comment on them yet.

There. Now that has to have been more interesting than my telling you about my day. If you must know, I did laundry and wrote a bit. I did make some progress in the book I'm reading: Singularity Sky by Charles Stross. It's science fiction and was proving difficult to get into by reading a few pages at a time on my subway commute home, when I'm tired and can't concentrate all that well. But I got to page 31 today while in the laundry room waiting to move wet clothes from washer to dryer, then up to my apartment for fluffing and folding, and am far enough in now with a sufficient grasp of things to be interested enough to keep reading. Sometimes, I need some concentrated reading time to get into a book. Making myself a captive audience, like when I've been on jury duty or doing laundry, is usually the best way.