Review: The Good Wife

There are three new shows in 2009 which I’m watching. ABC’s “V”, USA Network’s, “White Collar”, and my favorite new show of the season, CBS’s “The Good Wife”.  Starring Juliana Margulies as the scorned wife of an adulterous, corrupt, and now jailed politician, “The Good Wife” is exactly the kind of writing formula which appeals to me most in modern day television dramas: episodic vignettes with heavy doses of serialized storytelling. With a strong supporting cast (including Chris Noth ["Sex and the City"], Christine Baranski, Josh Charles ["Sportsnight"], Matt Czuchry ["Gilmore Girls"], and newcomer Archie Panjabi), Margulies really shines as a strong, sensitive, thoughtful, patient wife, mother, and attorney. The writing on this show is pretty good, and the weekly vignettes aren’t boring. The serialized story is the best part for me, and it’s getting pretty deep halfway through the season.

Two thumbs up to CBS’s rookie drama!

Review: Juliet, Naked

Nick Hornby is an English author whose previous works include two novels turned into blockbuster movies, “High Fidelity” and, “About a Boy”.  It told me that on the cover of my edition, and that fact alone colored my reading of this summer beach novel. It didn’t read like a book to me. It read like a treatment for a movie script. And that kind of bothered me.

The story is pretty straightforward, and I’m not giving much away by outlining it. A middle-aged Englishwoman is stuck in a loveless relationship when she develops a crush on her boyfriend’s favorite rock star recluse, an American who hasn’t released an album in decades. Middle-aged Englishwoman magically meets older, faded American rock star, and love ensues. It’s made for the silver screen, isn’t it?

I found the book to be pretty shallow in its character development. The writing was pedestrian (think: John Grisham). The plot was satisfying, but I wouldn’t recommend this to any serious reader.

Catching Up

In no particular order …

• I spent 4 days vacationing at the Westin Diplomat in Ft. Lauderdale. Two thumbs up. The staff were unanimously friendly and helpful, the facility was super clean and fresh, and the pool and beach area were so relaxing.  I went on a WaveRunner jet-ski thing for the first time and enjoyed myself. I feel refreshed and re-energized.

• While in Ft. Lauderdale I got to visit Gulfstream Park, the second major track I’ve been to this year . It’s a beautiful track and surprisingly intimate. It looks like it only seats 1,000-2,000 people (compared to 40,000+ at Del Mar). The facility was recently renovated, and both the main dirt track and the turf course look beautiful. I definitely want to go back there and see live horse racing one weekend.

• My horse Major Danger ran his first race under my silks Friday night. He was in a four-horse photo for 2nd and was placed 4th. He was claimed by the former owners, and is no longer in my barn. The new owners let us know they’re turning him out for the winter, which means he’ll spend the next 4-6 months resting on the farm.

• My girlfriend has noted her interest in trying the online video game I play, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, so I’m hoping to get her sitting in front of the computer to try it sometime this week.  It’s a lot of fun for me, and I’m hoping it will be fun for her, too.  It would be nice to play it together.

Update: What’s on my DVR

With FOX’s cancellation of, “Dollhouse”, I’m down to pretty slim pickings on my DVR lineup:

• House
• NCIS
• The Good Wife
• Family Guy
• V
• The Mentalist

The top three on the list are the only shows I really look forward to watching. I haven’t watched either episode of, “V” yet.  The next show to hit my DVR will be a 2-day mini-series on SyFy, “Alice”.

Major Danger Entered in Race 2 on Friday

Major Danger, the thoroughbred race horse who I bought last month, is entered into Race 2 this Friday night at Charles Town Races & Slots. He’ll be ridden by leading jockey J.D. Acosta, and will be the #8 horse wearing a pink saddle towel with a black #8. It’s a 6.5 furlong race, which is once around the track at Charles Town. The race’s post time is 7:41pm eastern US time.