Television you ought to see

I don't watch a lot of shows on a regular basis. My favorite time waster is the Food Network but none of their shows are "appointment TV."

The shows I am making time to watch are as follows:

1. America's Got Talent. I've never been an American Idol fan. I think most of the folks I've seen on Idol over-sing (as do most pop artists today.)

America's Got Talent is more interesting. It isn't just about singing. The talent show ranges from strippers to harp players. Now this show is over-edited and the segues and judges comments sometimes get tedious but some of the acts are amazing.

Last night's show started with 11 year old Taylor Ware. She taught herself to yodel. Now, I'm not big on yodeling but this girl is fantastic. I hope she makes it through to the finals.

Last night's show ended with a performance by the Miller brothers from Indiana. The younger of the two brothers plays the harmonica and he ought to win the Million dollar grand prize. I have no idea how old he is but he is fantastic on the harmonica and his stage presence is phenomenal. Check out the video of him playing on the America's Got Talent homepage. His older brother isn't great but who cares. I'd pay money to watch this kid play.

2. Deadwood. This is one of the most violent shows ever but it is a fantastic story that is powerfully told. The fight scene last week was one of the most brutal but compelling scenes I've ever seen -- although I had to cover my eyes for part of it and I never have to do that. It is unfortunate that HBO is pulling the plug next year on this Gem (pun intended.)

The two other shows that, for my money, are the best on television are both on late in the evening so I don't always get to see them. Those are Late Show with David Letterman and Charlie Rose.

Letterman is simply one of the best variety show hosts in television history. Watching Letterman makes watching Leno painful. The difference between the two is that Letterman can actually conduct an interview. Leno is a brutal interviewer. Letterman can do funny interviews but his best are when he gets serious. His interview with Rudy Giuliani after the September 11 attacks was the best post-September 11 interview I saw. It was emotional and raw. Letterman got Giuliani to let down his guard and talk about the attacks and their aftermath in a way no other interviewer was able to.

Charlie Rose is great. He simply offers compelling conversation. I really enjoy watching him visit with people. If Charlie has a flaw, in my opinion, it is that he sometimes too much of a broadcaster. I seldom watch his shows when the interview subjects warrant less than a full hour of his time. Those interviews seem to lack the depth that I think is the hallmark of his show. I was also surprised to learn that he wishes he could take viewer calls. Philosophically I understand that he likes the idea of a great American conversation but there are plenty of shows that take viewer calls. I believe that viewer calls tend to interrupt the conversation. I like the fact that Charlie conducts an interesting, well developed conversation uninterrupted by commercials or calls.

Great Weekend Music

I've been listening to We Shall Overcome, The Seeger Sessions, from Bruce Springsteen today. It is a great CD and the flip side of the CD is a DVD that's a bit of fun.

Keep your TV tuned to PBS for "Great Performances" next weekend as they will feature a Seeger Band concert.

Should be a fun show.

Take me out to the Ballgame

I took Ramsey to his first ever baseball game last night. We saw the Rockies beat Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants.

Now I'm not much of a baseball fan. Mostly, I find baseball a useful cure for boredom between the end of the college basketball season and the start of the NFL and college football seasons. But I do like going to a game every now and then and I really do want to create father/child moments that will leave an impression on my kids. Even if they don't remember specific moments I hope that they will fondly remember the one-on-one times we have together.

So last night was all about Ramsey. I picked him up from daycare at about 5:30 and we headed downtown for the game. We parked in a lot just behind the left field wall. It was only $7! A couple of ladies in their 50s parked next to us and congratulated me on having found this lot on my first ever trip to a Rockies game. They said it was a "best kept secret" that this was the cheapest and best place to park. I was feeling really good about myself until I realized we had to walk all the way around the stadium to get to our seats. I carried Ramsey most of the way.


We had a great time at the game. Ramsey really looked around and watched for the first hour. He told me he was surprised it was so noisy. He thought the game would be quiet – like going to a movie where everyone only whispers. I bought him a hot dog and French fries for supper. It was a foot-long dog and he was impressed.

After an hour he was ready to explore so we walked around the stadium. He played for a few minutes on a pathetic little playground they have set up by the left field bleachers. I wondered why the Rockies wouldn't have televisions set up so parents could keep an eye on the game while they watched their kids. We then went and bought Ramsey a Rockies shirt.

After that it was back to our seats. Ramsey really wanted some peanuts. He loves peanut butter and had heard that you are supposed to eat peanuts at baseball games. So I bought a bag of peanuts for him and a bag of Cracker Jacks for me. He had never had a roasted in the shell peanut or Cracker Jacks before so he was very excited about the purchase. In the end he decided the peanuts were too salty. He started in on my Cracker Jacks and, after eating a few handfuls, decided he didn't like them either.

At that point he was getting really tired so we decided to watch Barry Bonds final at bat before heading home.

In the end, I achieved my goal. I got to spend five good hours with my son. And that is really what it was all about.