A few weeks ago I posted about the beautifully conceived and executed federal office building that Thom Mayne’s firm Morphosis has produced in San Francisco. Today a new podcast was put on the web in connection with e2, a series set to air on various public TV stations about green design. The second episode, called “Greening the …
One-Hit Wonders: Your Best TV Episodes of 2007
If the blog is reading particularly lame lately, my excuse of the week is that I’ve been buried in end-of-the-year projects, including, but not limited to, the year-end 10-best lists that we post every year on time.com. And this year, there are going to be more than ever! Lists upon lists upon lists! It’s …
Strike Watch: A Picture Is Worth Somewhat Less Than a Thousand Words
You may have already seen the Speechless Hollywood series of videos, produced in support of the writers’ strike, in which celebrity actors demonstrate the dangers of working without a script:
The message: Actors are nothing without the words that writers put in their mouths. The meta-message: You will look at anything if it has a …
The Morning After: You Spoil Me
Because of a TV backlog and life in general, Survivor: China is still sitting in my TiVo queue. What kind of idiot invites people to spoil a show he hasn’t watched for him on his own blog? This kind! Share your thoughts, on this or any other of last night’s rerun-heavy December TV, in the comments. I’ll be reading …
Corporate Press Release Theater: Bravo Returns Top Design, Shear Genius
If you’re a fan of Bravo’s Project Runway and Top Chef, then you are possibly a fan, but not nearly quite as big a fan, of Top Design and Shear Genius, the home-decor and hair-styling counterparts of those reality shows. If so, then there’s slightly good news for you today! From the network:
Bravo,
…
Romney's (Sort of) Religious Speech
I should let Swampland handle the political analysis of Mitt Romney’s religion speech, but I suppose my rant yesterday obligates me to follow up.
I should disclose that Romney was not speaking to me, as a nonreligious American: he made that pretty clear with “Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom.” (Joe Klein …
Undocumented Immigrants?
Fordham University opened a new museum of Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities today on its Bronx, N.Y. campus. All of the work comes from the collection of William D. Walsh, a wealthy alum and longtime Fordham benefactor. But as the New York Times …
Strike Watch: Bauer's Longest 48 Days; Winter of This Content; Reality Intrudes on Talks
Today in writers’ strike news:
* The upside of the strike is that it has freed up Hollywood talent to devote some quality time to their passion projects. Like going to jail. Kiefer Sutherland gets 24 days, times two, for a DUI infraction and probation violation.
* I get the same press releases as the Washington Post’s Lisa DeMoraes, …
The Morning After: "It's a Teepee, Dude."
One of the delights of Kid Nation is how it makes you swing between corny, parental pride in Bonanza City’s residents and abject horror for the future of our nation. You had the moment when the town council came over the ridge and saw the Native American encampment: “Hey guys, look! Looks like an igloo!” But then you …
The Lion Sweeps Tonight
I don’t generally dwell on the ups and downs of the art market, but the Wednesday night antiquities auction at Sotheby’s in New York has produced one pretty stunning result. A carved limestone lioness figure dating from between 3000 and 2800 BC was sold to a so far unnamed British bidder …
Pitt’s Burg
You may have seen news stories earlier this week about “Make It Right”, the project that Brad Pitt is leading to promote the reconstruction of the Lower Ninth Ward, the New Orleans neighborhood that was demolished two years ago by Katrina. In the aftermath of the storm I went down to …
JPTV: What I'm Watching Tomorrow
Tomorrow, Mitt Romney gives his much-heralded speech on his Mormon faith and his presidential candidacy. Mind you, I am not a political pundit and don’t play one on TV, but I’m interested (and cynical) enough to have a few questions:
* To what extent was Romney “forced” to make the speech? I’m not denying that anti-Mormon prejudice …
Strike Watch: Showdown at the Bargaining Table; Showtime at CBS
Keeping the posts brief for now due to numerous year-end deadlines, but a couple interesting strike tidbits this morning. First (this via TV Decoder at the NY Times), someone at the AP with a better eye for numbers than mine has assessed the studios’ latest proposal and the writers’ counterproposal and concluded that the two sides are …