BUY THAT MAN A VOWEL!

I am not a regular watcher of Wheel of Fortune but I may have to become one. Especially after it's host, Pat Sajak, wrote this great article, about John Kerry. It is highly recommended reading. And tonight, let's all watch Wheel of Fortune in salute.

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

STELLAR SYDNEY

I really enjoyed last night's episode of Alias. It had a Stepford Wives quality to it that was quirky and fun. If subsequent episodes can maintain that sense of fun and still tell a good story, I may adjust to the slower pace of season four. But I still hate seeing Sloane pretend to be a "good guy." He is evil and we just need to admit it and get on with it.

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

FAHRENHEIT ZERO

I am so THRILLED that Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11 did not get nominated for any Academy Awards. His supposed documentary was full of inaccuracies, lies and Bush-bashing. Moore is despicable and I am pleased the Academy chose to shut him out. If his film had gotten nominated for "Best Picture," as he hoped it would, I would have boycotted the Oscar presentation. At least in this one instance the lefty, liberal Hollywood crowd showed some intelligence and restraint by keeping Moore out of the race.

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

ALL ABOUT ALIAS

As Mrs. Media Matters astutely pointed out to me, this will be the first week that Alias won't have the advantage of a new episode of Lost as a lead-in. Instead, Lost is in repeat mode. (She's a smart lady that Mrs. Media Matters.) This will most likely have a significant impact on Alias' ratings this week. I believe this JJ Abrams creation has benefited greatly from the other Abrams' creation that comes before it on the ABC Wednesday night schedule. I suspect the ratings will drop by up to 20%. We'll see.

While I have enjoyed Alias this season, it is definitely a different program than in past years. They have purposely slowed down the pace in the hopes of attracting new Lost viewers. The slower scripts have resulted in fewer locales, less costume changes, and a decrease in kick-butt action. Still, I love these characters. And the dialogue has stayed memorable and witty. So I plan to continue to be a fan of the program. But Alias is a different program in 2005.

What are your thoughts?

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

RICH'S REFLECTIONS

I believe that many years from now George W. Bush will be considered one of America's greatest presidents. His moral leadership and his steadfast pursuit of freedom for all people make him a great man. Unfortunately, many don't or won't recognize his greatness and criticize him at every turn. This turns my stomach.

Laura Bush may be the most gracious First Lady our nation has ever had. She looked radiant at all of the inaugural events.

While I love Alias, I must admit that Lost is quickly becoming my new favorite TV drama.

US Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat, California) is an even bigger buffoon than I originally thought. Her behavior was shameful in challenging the Ohio vote count and in her treatment of National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice in Condi's hearings to become Secretary of State. Barbara Boxer is an empty-headed liberal who hates America and loves her lousy liberal agenda above all else.

I am glad to see that Rev. Billy Graham could participate in George W. Bush's second inauguration. He was too sick to participate in the 2001 festivities. Rev. Graham and President Bush share a closeness as Billy is apparently the man who led W. to strengthen his commitment to the Lord. Both are great men.

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

INSULTING THE INAUGURATION

Last night on the local ABC affiliate (KXTV Sacramento), the 11 PM news teaser had the anchorman asking if the upcoming presidential inauguration was too expensive. The rumors have been buzzing for days. The insinuation is that during this time of tsunamis and war, spending money on an inauguration is absurd or inexcusable. The media angers me so much. You know that if John Kerry had been elected President, no one would be asking these questions. The media would never think to raise the money issue, for fear of making their candidate look bad, insensitive. But since the winner was President Bush, they'll do everything possible to besmirch and undermine his presidency. Really, it's gotten old. Give it up. Our guy won. Your guy lost. Get over it already. And treat the President with some respect. He's earned it.

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

IRAQ DETRAQTORS

The mainstream media (MSM) and many Democrats want the American public to believe that we are losing the war in Iraq. We are not. We're making great progress and killing thousands of terrorists. We are winning and will win. But the MSM and the Democrats want to steal our resolve and will. We must not let them do that. The pressure to pull out of Iraq will increase in the next few weeks as the Iraqi elections approach. The MSM will continue to whine about how badly things are going and how a few of the Sunnis didn't participate in their country's election. Yes, this is a war, and people die in war. That is unfortunate. But that is not the whole story. The American military is doing a mighty job in the name of freedom. And we must support them and our Commander in Chief 100%. Don't listen to the MSM or the Democrats for your news and reviews on the war in Iraq.

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

ALIAS AFTERTHOUGHTS

Well, Alias finally premiered. Yeah! Overall, I was so excited to see it return that I found the two-hour season opener enjoyable. I loved seeing the old gang again, and am glad that Sydney and Dixon will be partners again out in the field. There were two things I didn't like. First, Sloane still pretending to be a good guy. Having him work for the CIA is lame. And I am tired of it. He needs to be the show's bad guy and Sydney's adversary. Forcing them to work together doesn't work for me. And secondly, it is lame that they killed her mother off. Lena Olin is silly for not returning to the show. Of course, there is always the chance that she isn't really dead and will return at some time. Alias plot twists have been stranger. Still it seemed anticlimactic for Sydney to hear that her mother had died. Still, as frustrating as this show can sometimes be, I am glad to have it back on the air. And I look forward to more adventures with Alias.

As I predicted, pairing Alias with Lost really helped the ratings. According to the Programming Insider at Media Week, Alias won it's time slot in the 9 PM hour, immediately after Lost. In the 10 PM hour it took second, but was #1 in the coveted 18-49 age range. That is a HUGE improvement over previous ratings. I hope the success story continues.

QUOTE: "Last year sucked!" Vaughn to Weiss
I agree. Season three was the weakest year so far for this spy series. I am hoping for a complete turnaround in season four.

TRIVIA: Sloane's wife was finally killed off in season three. What was her first name?

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

BOXER IS A BUFFOON

I am embarrassed that US Senator Barbara Boxer (Democrat) represents me as a Californian. Her public objection to the voting results in Ohio and therefore to President George W. Bush's re-election was pathetic. According to the Drudge Report, she even cried when the electoral count was certified. President Bush won both presidential elections fair and square. In 2004, he won Ohio by 118,000 votes. That is not a scandal nor a travesty. Voters were not disenfranchised. This is all just a hoax by the Congressional Black Caucus and extreme left-wing Democrats to undermine the President and live in a fantasy world. Enough already. Grow up.

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

ALIAS...AT LAST

FINALLY! Tonight is the fourth season premiere of the ABC spy drama Alias, a two-hour opener. For the last three seasons, this program has been my favorite show on TV. Jennifer Garner is a phenomenal talent, able to be both tough and vulnerable in a very demanding role. The action scenes are top quality and the plot is always full of surprises. Admittedly, season three was the weakest so far for this series. So creatively, JJ Abrams and his crew have some rebounding to do. And the delay in the start of the season may be a signal from ABC that ratings need to pick up significantly or the ax will soon fall. That would be a shame. Now that Alias is following Abrams' other hit series, Lost, one can only hope that the first will benefit from the latter's ratings success.

In order for Alias to succeed this season, I think the following things need to happen:

1) They must return Sloane's character to his evil ways. No more of this "good guy, is he reformed or isn't he" crap. He is evil. That's what the audience needs and expects from him. Sydney needs a clear adversary.

2) Get Sydney and Vaughn back together. The storyline suffered last year with the introduction of Vaughn's new wife, Lauren. I am hoping she is dead. Sydney kicked her tail pretty bad in last season's finale. But we don't yet know if she is a goner. But even if she is still alive, she can no longer stand in the way of reuniting Syd and Vaughn. Sydney needs some romance and some stability in her life. And Vaughn is the only character left who can provide that.

3) Be delicate with the Sydney and Jack relationship. The father-daughter bond has always been one of the most intriguing elements of this show. Now that the season three cliffhanger set up Jack as a possible bad guy, this could upset the dynamics of the show. We've always known Jack had the potential to do the wrong thing if needed. But yet he was always grounded on the side of the good, along with Sydney. Now I'm not so sure. This makes Sydney's need for stability in her life from Vaughn even more important (see #2 above). I am excited to see where they go with this plotline. Has Jack been a bad guy all along? In the process, they just can't afford to destroy that love-hate relationship between father and daughter that has been a hallmark of this series.

As we embark on a new season, let me congratulate Mrs. Media Matters (Stephanie) and Jared on winning the season 3 trivia contest. I haven't decided whether or not the trivia contest will continue into season four. Stay tuned.

Rich

fanofalias@yahoo.com

CECI MUST GO

I love Fox News Sunday. Ask Mrs. Media Matters -- she will tell you I watch it religiously on Sunday mornings. But that may soon change. Lately, Ceci Connolly has been a regular panelist on both FNS and Special Report with Brit Hume. AARGH! She drives me crazy. Currently, she continues to criticize the US for not giving enough to tsunami relief. We are the most benevolent country on the planet and she has the gall to complain over and over that we may not be doing enough. She seems unwilling to include private charitable giving and military support in her calculations (as if our governmental giving was not substantial in and of itself). If I could, I would officially and permanently retire her from the panel of All Stars and send her back to the Washington Post full time. Anyone out there agree with me?

Rich

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