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June 12, 2007

Heads Up For Today on TV & the Web

A new season of "Rescue Me" begins tonight on FX, as viewers are entreated to share in the ongoing travails of FDNY suicidal anti-hero Tommy Gavin, played by Denis Leary. When Tommy's not getting himself or a member of his crew nearly killed rescuing someone at the scene of a fire, he's killing himself gradually with the booze, or women, or complete strangers he goads into beating him senseless. Even when sober, Gavin is haunted by the ghosts of dead friends killed on 9/11, people he couldn't save, and even his own dead son, who was mowed down by a drunk driver when Tommy wasn't paying close enough attention. Sometimes even Jesus and Mary Magdalene drop in to say hello.

"Rescue Me" is one of the things I love about channels like FX, which air programs that could never conceivably be aired on regular network television. The show is raunchy, morose, and usually wickedly funny. Tommy Gavin is the ultimate anti-hero; you wish he could extricate himself from his self-defeating behavior, but at the same time he is so hateful towards himself and others, you kind of wish him the worst.

My favorite character in the show is Lou, Tommy's co-worker at their firehouse (and pictured above). Lou's hounddog visage and slumped shoulders bely the fact that he often gets the funniest lines of the entire show, and his character might be the only genuinely likable one of the lot. One of the people I work with at Gothamist recently got to interview John Scurti, the actor who plays Lou, and that piece will go up later today. I'll provide a link when it's ready. "Rescue Me" returns tonight on FX at 10pm. Here's the interview with actor John Scurti, who plays Lou. It's pretty great.

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Posted by Lexiphane at 11:48 PM | Internet , Television | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Typos and Postscripts

I have a considerably greater number of readers at the other site than I do here at Lexiphane.com. Paradoxically, I very rarely have typos or lexigraphical mistakes in my posts here, because I tend to read and re-read my posts over and over looking for any errors. With a high-volume site like Gothamist, I tend to get a post up and then am moving onto the next thing, or reading someone else's post, or answering one of a dozen emails sitting in my Inbox. Simultaneously, there are many readers who I suppose consider it kind of a parlor game to point out solecisms in the Gothamist Comments sections and heap abuse upon the site's contributors, especially Jen. Favored themes tend to be along the lines of

"Hey, you're a big-time professional site! Why don't you act like it?

"Hey, we know you're rolling in cash from all these ad dollars we're generating with our visits, how about hiring a copy editor off of craigslist, or at least hire some writers who've graduated from college?

"Hey, you suck!"

The other week, I actually had a guy email from France and identifying himself as David Sedaris, who said that my grammar was the worst he had ever encountered in an online environment. Maybe it was him, maybe not, but that hurts 'cause he is one of my favorites, I do have a huge crush on his sister Amy, and he was addressing a man who sits all day with a copy of Strunk & White's 'Elements of Style' at his elbow and at the ready. Yesterday, especially, was pretty brutal. But, fair enough.

Today I was doing a post on the filthy bathroom facilities for cab drivers at Newark International Airport that linked to an article from 1010 WINS, the NYC news station. The station's article had several errors. So I decided to add the following to my post at Gothamist:

"Postscript: In the article linked to above, we couldn't help but notice, amid all the trademark and copyright information tailing the piece, the following disclaimer: 'In the interest oftimeliness, this story may contain occasional typographical errors.' The disclaimer itself contains a run-together typo! We are frankly and totally disappointed at CBS Broadcasting's shoddy lack of professionalism in this matter. One would think that CBS Broadcasting, as part of the 'Tiffany Network,' would have some more regard for the sensibilities of its readers and would perhaps at least consider hiring a proofreader off of craigslist or something. We plan on letting them know as much via an indignant letter."

I thought it was pretty funny, but Jen made me take it out. I guess it's kind of like poking a stick at a nest of hornets. You might have the best poking-stick ever conceived by nature, but it probably won't turn out that great for you all the same.

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Posted by Lexiphane at 9:45 PM | Blogs | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Just a Few Thoughts on Paris

Paris Hilton, savvy self-promoter and beautiful heiress. I have a friend who went to high school with her (well, before Paris became a dropout) and have been told the dumb blonde role is no act, except for the blonde part. The young woman freaked out her first days in jail, so they let her out. In The Shawshank Redemption, one of the guards beats "a fresh fish" to death for wailing away his first night in prison. Why'd that guard's California counterpart get the night off when Paris reported to jail? A reader wrote in with this Hilton quote regarding her brief jailing:

”I was severely depressed and felt as if I was in a cage,”

Wow, she caught on quick didn't she? Kiddo, you are in a cage. It's called jail. She wound up freaking out so much that she was released after three days with a note from her doctor. Now, I thought a note from your doctor was enough to get you out of gym class. Who knew that its power extended all the way to the Califorinia prison system? Can I use a note from my doctor to get out of paying taxes as well?

The medical emergency that Paris Hilton was experiencing was that she wasn't taking her medication (cocaine?) and that she hadn't eaten anything since entering jail. Well, I'm a born skeptic but I suspect there have been many periods when Hilton's gone a lot longer than that without eating.The supposed reason that Paris wasn't eating is that she was paranoid that someone would snap a quick picture of her while she was going to the bathroom. Hmm, I estimate about a billion people around the world have seen a full-length video of Hilton with a penis in her mouth; also, she basically pioneered the celebrity cooch-flashing shot. I doubt a blurry picture of her on a stainless steel toilet snapped with some guard's camera phone would even warrant a $50 bounty from Star Magazine.

I am utterly agnostic on the phenomena that is Paris Hilton. Is she getting treated a little more strictly than the average person caught in the same circumstances? Probably. But then again, by an accident of birth she found beauty, unfathomable wealth, and essentially the entire world handed to her on a silver platter, so "unfair" might be a word she should strike from her already limited vocabulary. And those are my few thoughts on Paris Hilton. Her sister's more my type anyway.

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Posted by Lexiphane at 7:14 PM | Current Events | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 2, 2007

Last Chance! Don't Miss It

It's the last performance of an original play, and if you're not up before noon you will probably miss it. I've taken "remiss" to new levels in not talking about this, because there were only three performances, beginning Friday. The Haberdasher Theater Company have been performing "Tom's Dilemma", written by Adam Wier, directed by Arlyn Mick since Friday. Its run is unfortunately short and sweet. I actually know jack about what the content is other than the copy on a handbill I've been given.

Randy hasn't been very good at confrontation

Jezzy hasn't been very good at accepting her past, up until this point

Tom mst make the most difficult choice in life. One that will affect them all forever.

I do, however, know a few of the members of this theater company and have high expectations about the production. "Tom's Dilemma" is being performed for the last time tomorrow at the Times Square Arts Center, at 300 (btw 8th and 9th Aves.) West 43rd St., on the 5th Floor. Sunday's a matinee, so set your alarms and bring $15 for a ticket. Curtain rises at 3 p.m. Believe me, it's rare you ever regret going to these types of things.

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Posted by Lexiphane at 10:43 PM | Art | Comments (0) | TrackBack

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June 12, 2007

Heads Up For Today on TV & the Web

Typos and Postscripts

Just a Few Thoughts on Paris

June 2, 2007

Last Chance! Don't Miss It

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June 12, 2007

Heads Up For Today on TV & the Web

Typos and Postscripts

Just a Few Thoughts on Paris

June 2, 2007

Last Chance! Don't Miss It

About

LEXIFLICKR

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