Goodbye, Show with the Best Opening Theme Song Ever

And so it ends. Seasons of The Shield often remind me of the Rolling Stones concert film, Gimme Shelter. Both start off slow moving -- almost boring -- then pick up steam, eventually turning into fiery freight trains rumbling towards an inevitable end. Last night's broadcast being the series finale of the show, the audience knew it was most certainly not going to end well.

Did Vic Mackey get his comeuppance for years of jumping well beyond the line rather than toeing it? He got exactly what he wanted -- legal immunity for his sins -- at the price of alienating his last few friends and abandonment by his ex-wife and kids. After the absolute rollercoaster of events leading to Vic's (and everyone else's) fate, I can't decide if I feel sad, relived or angry about how he ended up. Probably a mix of all three.

A lot of the critics are likening the complexity of The Shield to that of The Wire, another cop show that ended its run this year -- it's true, a new viewer would have had a very difficult time understanding almost everything happening over the past 13 weeks, but I think it's more appropriate to point out the The Shield is a spiritual heir to Homicide: Life on the Street (despite Wire creator David Simon having written for and produced Homicide). It's built almost purely on emotion and visceral energy -- I don't recall The Wire's focus on minutiae ever making me want to punch anyone in the face after watching an episode.

In short -- one of the best shows on TV leaves the medium on its own terms, with one of the best and satisfying finales I've ever had the pleasure of viewing.

Get a Life

High school gossiper: If Heidi hadn't dumped her boyfriend, she was totally going to cut him off from make out sessions.

Pedro Gomez of ESPN: If the Red Sox hadn't traded Manny Ramirez, they were going to suspend him without pay.

Events that could have -- but never did -- happen months ago now make news? Is this what sports journalism has come to? I'm embarrassed.

I Hope I Die Before I Get Old

Two days ago I was lamenting that I had no time to write -- well here I am, at 8:55 am on a Wednesday, laid up in bed with a pulled back, and with all the time in the world.

Well THAT happened....

When I started this blog over four years ago, I was a different person: I was a single guy, just moved out of his parents house, working at a job that provided as much motivation as it did compensate (read: very little). Writing for this blog and its audience of five was almost second nature.

Things have changed -- in four years, I've switched jobs three times and got married. Blogging kind of fell by the wayside. I'm not alone -- several of my buddies in the blogosphere have curtailed their writing or out and out just stopped.

Well, it's time for things to turn around. Not only am I challenging myself, but if you have a blogger account that's been sitting idle for a while, I'm challenging you. Hit that keyboard once a month. I bet you'll like it. Then, hit it once a week -- you'll like it even more. Write about whatever you're thinking. Give me your link and I'll put it on the right!

My day consists of sleeping and working and fitting in TV. Unless you watch the same shows I watch and want to write about them, I guarantee you I'll read what you have to write, no matter how 'plain' you think it is. Give me a window into your thoughts and I'll do the same.

Not to get all revolutionary on you, but the Internet is here for our taking -- opinions and thoughts are here for our taking. So take them!