Top 10 Reasons to Watch the US Open

I am, of course, speaking of the US Open Tennis Grand Slam event taking place in New York City even as I write this.
These are my top ten reasons to watch:

#10. Getting to watch footage of classic US Open matches during rain delays.

 #9. Finding out what crazy thing Ernests Gulbis does or says next.

 #8. Appreciating the fashion sense of the Williams sisters.

 #7. Hoping that an American man will make it into the second week.

 #6. Finding out if Novak Djokovic will make it through the tournament before his baby is born.

 #5. Searching for celebrities in the crowd.

 #4. The clever and funny commentary of the McEnroe brothers.

 #3. Don't want to miss the irritating screeching noises of Sharapova and Azarenka

 #2. Watching Roger Federer maybe win his 17th slam, with the help of his new Air Jordans.

 And the number on reason to watch the US Open:

 Mourning the absence of the great Rafael Nadal!!!

Bygones

Well, I've had a couple of rejections for my latest manuscript, Bygones. A couple with some criticisms. The latest editor liked it, but had a couple other books in the works with a similar theme.

What can you do? I'm still waiting on a few others. Maybe I'll get lucky.

In the meantime, you can check out my first novel, At Second Sight. It's available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, for Kindle and Nook.

It's a tale of mystery, love, obsession, suspense. Give it a read!

Robin Williams

I was as shocked as everyone else to hear the sad news about Robin Williams.

Like most people, my introduction to him was "Mork and Mindy". I watched every episode and it was funny. Good entertainment. Robin Williams was funny for sure.

But I've always liked his more dramatic work. It started with "The World According to Garp". A great movie based on an even greater book.

Then there was "Dead Poet's Society" and "Good Will Hunting". Awesome movies, both of them. Great performance by Robin Williams in both films.

It may not be the most popular or critically acclaimed of Williams' films, but I have to say my personal favorite is "The Birdcage". I know. It was originally a French musical, remade into an American stage musical, made into a movie. I loved all the performances in the film, but I thought that Robin Williams was the best. Funny, touching, dramatic. He was perfect.

What's your favorite Robin Williams performance?

Breaking Bad

I tried.

I really tried.

When it originally aired, friends told me it was a great show. But I could never remember when it was on. Or what station it was on. There was always some other, probably inane but popular, show that was on. Something that was easier to watch and didn't take much thought or involvement.

Who wants to watch a show about a dying chemistry teacher who decides to cook and sell meth so that he can provide for his family? Can anyone say "dark" or "depressing"? I didn't get it. How could such a television program be good?

Then came the critical acclaim. Emmys for the stars. Bryan Cranston. Love Bryan Cranston. Ever since he was Tim Whatley, Jerry Seinfeld's dentist. Still, I didn't watch. And I'd already missed the first couple of seasons. It was too late. Even if I wanted to watch a show about a meth cooking chemistry teacher. And I didn't.

Everyone was talking about it. The talk shows, the entertainment magazines. How would it end? I'd hear cryptic things like "Heisenberg" and "bitch" and "better call Saul". What did it mean? I didn't care.  I wasn't going to watch it. The final episode was going to air.

So we come to today. Netflix is going to air the final episodes of The Killing, a personal favorite of mine. It was on AMC, which as it turns out is the same station that aired Breaking Bad. Three days ago I signed up for the free month of Netflix with every intention of watching only the last six episodes of The Killing and then canceling my membership.

Since then, I've been binging on Breaking Bad and I haven't seen a single episode of The Killing. I'm into the third season now and I've been assured by those in the know that it's just starting to get good in the third season. I can't imagine it. I'm hooked.

So now I am something I never thought I'd be. A Breaking Bad fan. The show is awesome. I'll get to The Killing for sure, but apparently it's going to take some time.

And can anyone say "House of Cards, Bitch"?