Humpday Happenings...

Yes, it's THAT day again, and we've a wonderful day on tap here in the Heartland of America.
Temps today will wind up in the lower 70s, and it's going to be another sun-filled day...well, perhaps a cloud here and there..
No rain until this weekend.
In other words, it's a great day to get out and get about.
So what are you waiting for?
Oh, I know...must be that motto of the week thing...
Well, wait no longer. Here it comes, kids.
*** Yes, it is time for our Motto of the Week aka WHO SAID THAT?
"The family unit plays a critical role in our society and in the training of the generation to come."
And in this day and age of the government wanting to take control of the "family" from parents most of all, I find this wonderfully apropos.
So, WHO said that? The answer will be at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the dinner table...
*** Okay, so who has taken the time to watch ANY of the new shows that are debuting this week?
Well, I've seen TWO (so far), and if you know anything about me (and most all of you should...by now...LOL), you're probably going to know WHICH ones I have found worthy of regular viewing,.

-- First off, I watched THE BLACKLIST on Monday (NBC - 8PM)...and I have to say it was VERY intriguing, but then again, most ALL pilot episodes are.
Still, that won't dissuade me from tuning in further to see what develops.
James Spader does a masterful job of being the quasi-antagonist in this series and he plays it with an air iof such subtlety, that you wonder what HIS agenda might be.
To start with, he appears to be a criminal that would find MENSA boring.
And he's taken to a rookie FBI agent for some reason -kinda like Hannibal Lechter, but without the dietary peculiarities..

It's what Spader's character KNOWS that is the most curioys, though.
And he WANTS to work with the feds (quid pro quo, naturally) to bring in these "big fish" who are at work in OUR country, plotting God knows what.
And the people on this "blacklist" are inculcated into every aspect of society be it government, business, private sector...you name it.
Looks to be more twists in the plot than can be found in a pretzel factory.

Spader has come a LONG way from STARGATE, when he played the timid genius Dr.Daniel Jackson, and it's also far removed from BOSTON LEGAL, where he starred as attorney Alan Shore. Although Alan Shore had a strong moral code, he was not beyond using unethical means to achieve an ethical end.
And it's possibly from THAT character that Spader draws the most...and that's a good thing for the viewer of The Blacklist.
It's a keeper, as long as the producers can keep up the suspense without divulging too much.
-- The next show was MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (this to me was a no-brainer as far as at least wtching the poliot ep.).

The show stars Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, who was reported to be killed (by Loki) in the movie THE AVENGERS during the Battle of NY.
(how they brought him back remains one of many mysteries)
Ming-Na-Wen plays Agent Melinda May, an ace pilot and weapons expert.
Brett Dalton plays Agent Grant Ward,  who is a black OPS specialist.
Chloe Bennett plays Skye, a civilian"new recruit" and expert computer hacker...and a superhero "groupie".
Ron Glass made an appearance as Dr. Streiten.
But what REALLY made me want to watch is the fact that JOSS WHEDON was at the helm of this production.
And you can never discount the possibilities of "guest stars" from the BIG screen...(Samuel L. Jackson has already expressed interest in a guest role as Nick Fury). And naturally, the agents of SHIELD allude to many OTHER superheroes as they conduct their business.
I can't see Whedon allowing this show to become anything but good and edgy, s his past series have been, and that is ALSO a good thing, whether you;'re a fan of the comic books or not.
*** Next up...the movie IRON MAN 3 came out on DVD yesterday (and about ten different "sets"), and many have touted this as the BEST Iron Man yet..

Sad to say, we might not see Robert Downey Jr. behind the armor, with the possible exception of the NEXT Avengers movie (yes, that's already in the works). Who will become the new "shellhead"?
I don't know, but let's hope it doesn't become a remake of a remake of a remake of a reboot...like Batman and Superman.
Personally, Downey portrayed Tony Stark So damn well, it will be hard to see another under the armor.
And I see they're already running TV previews for the next THOR movie, entitled THE DARK WORLD...and we also have the NEW Captain America movie due out in a while, entitled THE WINTER SOLDIER.
It would appear that FINALLY, some people got together, used their brains, and figured out that superhero movies CAN be made well (as well as the comics were), AND can make a ton of money (that's a given).
The only thing to watch out for is OVEREXPOSURE...can't have too much of this all at once, otherwise, people WILL tire of it and move elsewhere (it's the whole societal ADHD with being chronically entertained that could cause problems).

Learn to give the people just enough to make them want more...that's the key. And don't rely SOLELY on CGI and SPEC FX...take time to develop the plot and characters as well.
I haven't seem any other TV shows that are noteworthy this week, but you never know what might show up on the cable and satellite channels.
Familiar shows return in their own time and promise to draw us in like THE WALKING DEAD and SONS OF ANARCHY and HELL ON WHEELS.
There is certainly NO lack of viewing...just what to watch when everything seems to be airing AT THE SAME TIME SLOT...LOL!
*** Lastly today, I do have to marvel (not a comic reference) at the amount of shows on ALL these channels.

Time was you had THREE channels...until PBS showed up. And then came UHF channels (mostly regional and local fare with reruns initially airing). We went from 3-4 channels to around TWENTY in less than a few years...
And then came CABLE TV, and with it, a hallway full of doors waiting to be opened for our viewing pleasure.
But something never comes along without a sacrifice here and there.
The sacrifice came in the content of what we watched.
I'm not a prude, just aware of what's being transmitted to our homes all day, every day (and night)...24/7/365.
There's some good content, and a lot of tripe, and much more in-between. What are we watching today...and why?

I think it's all a "test" of some sort...to see if we in fact DO have a dark side that bows to the absurd, the incredulous, and the mundane.
Many fall victim to such things quite easily...others...well, it takes a lot more than TV shows.
I think we ALL have to watch what we watch, what our kids watch, and what is passing for "family" entertainment these days, because somehow, a Mickey Spillane novel isn't quite what I have in mind for any impressionable child.
We need to all be attuned and alert to what is good and bad...for ourselves and our kids.
Children are the product of their parents and will tend to mimic then in some manner.
So what we display to them does have an effect...our choice is to determine what that effect will produce.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.