This Call-Out goes to our Fabricator-In-Chief, Donald Trump. After the shooting at Tree Of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, well, the show had to go on, didn't it? So in Illinois for a campaign rally, Trump rationalized:
"With what happened early today, that horrible, horrible attack in Pittsburgh, I was saying maybe I should cancel both this and that. And then I said to myself, I remembered Dick Russell, a friend of mine, great guy (he means his 'great friend' Dick Grasso, but it's an interesting Freudian slip), he headed up the New York Stock Exchange on September 11th, and the New York Stock Exchange was open the following day. He said—and what they had to do to open it you wouldn’t believe, we won’t even talk to you about it. But he got that exchange open. We can’t make these sick, demented, evil people important.”
Sounds lovely, doesn't it? Only problem? 100% BS. But Mr. Trump is nothing if not an opportunist, is he? At an appearance earlier in the day in Indianapolis:
"I remember when we had the attack in Manhattan, we opened the stock exchange the next day,” Trump said. “People were shocked.”
Then Trump went on:
"Remember the teams, the Yankees, George Steinbrenner,” Trump said. “He said we have got to play, even if nobody comes, nobody shows up, we have got to play."
Again, not true.
Why does Trump lie? And why is he so infrequently called into account for it? Yes, the Trumpettes constantly whine that poor Donnie is always getting picked on, but the Fourth Estate is largely hands off on any but his most egregious lies.
Trump's lies are not much in the league of Iran-Contra, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," or, "I am not a crook," they are more along the lines of small, constant, unexplainable. Silly. As in, why bother, unless he is a pathological liar?
I remember reading in Betty Smith's A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, the main character, Francie, begins to "tell stories." Then a sympathetic teacher tells her to say the truth, and write the lie, crafting it into a story. Trump is very creative, I'll give him that.
Too bad he didn't have the same teacher.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/trump-falsely-says-nyse-opened-day-after-sept-11-to-justify-holding-campaign-rally-after-synagogue-shooting.html
(Addendum, April 29, 2019: Hmmph! Glad somebody else noticed!)
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/04/29/president-trump-has-reportedly-made-more-than-10000-false-or-misleading-claims/23718809/
And just over another year to double that number!
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/13/donald-trump-20000-false-or-misleading-claims
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Death To Hate!
As most of you know, very sad news from my hometown of Pittsburgh yesterday. Yet another ugly mass shooting, this one at the Tree Of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill section of the city. I'm sure most of you have seen the story by now. If not, you can find it here.
The hearts of most of us here in The 'Burgh are very heavy. I wonder how many people here shared my ambivalent feelings. "Pittsburgh is one of the safest cities in the US. Surely a mass shooting could never happen here. But it seems to be happening everywhere. Someday even here." Someday came yesterday.
It goes without saying that Call-Outs And Shout-Outs condemns the heinous acts of Robert Bowers. And while we don't want to overly-politicize this tragedy, we call out the reaction of Donald Trump, who feels that more guns and the death penalty are the answer, despite the fact that three law enforcement officers were injured by gunfire in the attack.
Make no mistake, folks, this blogger affirms the Supreme Court's 2008 Heller decision regarding the individual's right to gun ownership for self-defense. That also includes the part of the decision as applies to felons and the mentally ill. It is too bad that we so infrequently realize or act upon someone's mental illness until it explodes into senseless violence.
But do we want to become the kind of society with armed guards everywhere, even our schools and churches? Do we want to give in to the fear?
And when was the last time you noticed the death penalty deterring a mentally ill mass murderer? Many, if not most kill themselves before they can be apprehended. I do not believe Mr. Trump's response is realistic. He is hideously obtuse, deliberately or otherwise, to the hate and mental/spiritual illness inherent in acts such as Bowers'. And his contribution to it.
Our Shout-Out goes to the other side of the coin. So frequently out of tragedies such as this one, we see acts of heroism, kindness, and generosity. People coming together. In Pittsburgh today, people were donating blood, holding vigils, feeding and comforting each other. A GoFundMe page was set up, with 100% of funds donated to benefit the Tree Of Life Synagogue. As of this writing, it had raised over $241,000, with a goal of $1 million. I bet they get it, because there was one thing I could tell from visiting Twitter today -- #PittsburghStrong -- there's a lot of love out there!
Death To Hate!
The hearts of most of us here in The 'Burgh are very heavy. I wonder how many people here shared my ambivalent feelings. "Pittsburgh is one of the safest cities in the US. Surely a mass shooting could never happen here. But it seems to be happening everywhere. Someday even here." Someday came yesterday.
It goes without saying that Call-Outs And Shout-Outs condemns the heinous acts of Robert Bowers. And while we don't want to overly-politicize this tragedy, we call out the reaction of Donald Trump, who feels that more guns and the death penalty are the answer, despite the fact that three law enforcement officers were injured by gunfire in the attack.
Make no mistake, folks, this blogger affirms the Supreme Court's 2008 Heller decision regarding the individual's right to gun ownership for self-defense. That also includes the part of the decision as applies to felons and the mentally ill. It is too bad that we so infrequently realize or act upon someone's mental illness until it explodes into senseless violence.
But do we want to become the kind of society with armed guards everywhere, even our schools and churches? Do we want to give in to the fear?
And when was the last time you noticed the death penalty deterring a mentally ill mass murderer? Many, if not most kill themselves before they can be apprehended. I do not believe Mr. Trump's response is realistic. He is hideously obtuse, deliberately or otherwise, to the hate and mental/spiritual illness inherent in acts such as Bowers'. And his contribution to it.
Our Shout-Out goes to the other side of the coin. So frequently out of tragedies such as this one, we see acts of heroism, kindness, and generosity. People coming together. In Pittsburgh today, people were donating blood, holding vigils, feeding and comforting each other. A GoFundMe page was set up, with 100% of funds donated to benefit the Tree Of Life Synagogue. As of this writing, it had raised over $241,000, with a goal of $1 million. I bet they get it, because there was one thing I could tell from visiting Twitter today -- #PittsburghStrong -- there's a lot of love out there!
Death To Hate!
Friday, October 26, 2018
= 1,000 Words
Today's Call-Out is directed toward the Trump Administration, and all those of like mind and spirit. And I'll just be keepin' it simple:
Friday, October 19, 2018
To Pieter Hanson...
This Shout-Out is for you!
I remember many years ago, watching a baseball game, featuring my hometown team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Who remembers who they were playing, or exactly when or what circumstances. What I remember was Craig Wilson. Wilson, largely a pinch-hitter and role-player, stepped in the middle of a dispute between two of his teammates, one aggressively verbally attacking, the other firing back...and just stood there. He didn't say a word. He didn't make eye contact with either player. Indeed, he seemed to be watching the game as if his life depended on it. But while doing so, he just kept moving between his warring teammates so that they couldn't see each other. After a few minutes, the aggressor wound down, and the whole thing was over. As a career loudmouth myself, singularly lacking any form of subtlety, needless to say, I was very impressed.
I had a similar feeling when reading this piece on slate.com. It seems a mom tweeted that maybe this #MeToo's done got a bit out of hand, and that because of it, her son was suffering a lack of a social life due to the "current climate of false sexual allegations."
What followed was typical: vociferous agreements and some ironic and amusing rejoinders, featuring various furbabies and sundry scaly and feathered members of the animal kingdom, poking gentle fun at/mocking this good woman.
Then her son himself, Pieter Hanson, weighed in. And folks, I have no doubt Pieter is everything his mom said he is. But what is awesome is that he is much more. He is a man in the mold of Craig Wilson, a fellow who gently disagreed with his mother, while still honoring and respecting her, and all women. He spoke the words that could bring both sides together, poured balm on the wounds. A man like this one gives me hope for understanding and healing. A soldier, yet a peacemaker. Classy. Handsome, too!
Fear not, BlueStarNavyMom3, your son is the best, and he will find the best, because he deserves the best! Kudos to you, Pieter!
Thanks, FEMA...For Nothin'
FEMA, this Call-Out goes out to you.
After an unprecedented year of rain (even for Pittsburgh), landslides, mudslides and sinkholes have become commonplace. Seems if you turn on the local news, not a day goes by that you don't see road closures and even more construction repairs than usual due to the wrath of Mother Nature.
Your Crusading Blogger Herself has had to scrub her cellar four extra times this year due to excessive spring deluges, over-zealous warm-weather storms, not to mention a hurricane or two. We had a sinkhole that opened up on the road in front of our house, necessitating the removal and replacement of two drainage pipes on my property, presided over for ten days by the combined efforts of Messrs. Thump, Bump, Clang, and Bang. Let me tell ya: you haven't lived until you've had your peace disturbed by a piece of heavy machinery slashing open the street in front of your house at 12:50 AM of a Friday.
And we are lucky compared to the pretty much daily pictures of homes and businesses extensively damaged or destroyed by land- and mudslides. So with a documented $22 million in local damages, Allegheny County and Governor Tom Wolf applied to FEMA for aid, only to be turned down, appealed, and then turned down again.
Why? The extensive damage is very much legit, and on the record. We definitely had a typical year's worth of rain by September. So what's the hold-up?
Is it that our tax dollars are being spent on studying the mating habits of the tsetse fly again? Would we be more likely to receive this FEMA aid if our Mayor and Governor were Republicans and local Senator Bob Casey wasn't branded as "that resisting obstructionist who wouldn't even meet with Kavanaugh," (the words of his mid-term election opponent Lou Barletta, and not this blogger)?
No, of course not. Wink, nudge. And as usual hard-working people and small business owners take it on the chin.
And, as usual, the pendulum swings.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/10/16/allegheny-county-landslide-disaster-relief-denied-fema/
After an unprecedented year of rain (even for Pittsburgh), landslides, mudslides and sinkholes have become commonplace. Seems if you turn on the local news, not a day goes by that you don't see road closures and even more construction repairs than usual due to the wrath of Mother Nature.
Your Crusading Blogger Herself has had to scrub her cellar four extra times this year due to excessive spring deluges, over-zealous warm-weather storms, not to mention a hurricane or two. We had a sinkhole that opened up on the road in front of our house, necessitating the removal and replacement of two drainage pipes on my property, presided over for ten days by the combined efforts of Messrs. Thump, Bump, Clang, and Bang. Let me tell ya: you haven't lived until you've had your peace disturbed by a piece of heavy machinery slashing open the street in front of your house at 12:50 AM of a Friday.
And we are lucky compared to the pretty much daily pictures of homes and businesses extensively damaged or destroyed by land- and mudslides. So with a documented $22 million in local damages, Allegheny County and Governor Tom Wolf applied to FEMA for aid, only to be turned down, appealed, and then turned down again.
Why? The extensive damage is very much legit, and on the record. We definitely had a typical year's worth of rain by September. So what's the hold-up?
Is it that our tax dollars are being spent on studying the mating habits of the tsetse fly again? Would we be more likely to receive this FEMA aid if our Mayor and Governor were Republicans and local Senator Bob Casey wasn't branded as "that resisting obstructionist who wouldn't even meet with Kavanaugh," (the words of his mid-term election opponent Lou Barletta, and not this blogger)?
No, of course not. Wink, nudge. And as usual hard-working people and small business owners take it on the chin.
And, as usual, the pendulum swings.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2018/10/16/allegheny-county-landslide-disaster-relief-denied-fema/
Friday, October 12, 2018
Oooh, Tough Guy
"Well, Governor Wolf, let me tell you what, between now and November 6, you better put a catcher's mask on your face, because I'm going to stomp all over your face with golf spikes."
Whoa! And who might be the utterer of this threat? Why, it's none other than Scott Wagner, Tom Wolf's opponent in the upcoming Pennsylvania gubernatorial race, and the subject of this Call-Out.
And what does Wagner claim precipitated this outburst? Well, it seems Wolf mentioned in a political ad that Wagner sued 7,000 Pennsylvanians as the owner of waste disposal, trucking and real estate interests. Prior to issuing his threat in a video posted to Facebook, Wagner criticized Wolf's business acumen, before assuring all concerned he would win the gubernatorial seat in November.
Of course, he is trailing in the polls by 17 points currently.
Scott Wagner fumed that Governor Wolf's ads calling himself the small business governor "makes me want to puke." Well, Mr. Wagner, your video makes me want to puke. Do you think your threats and big talk make you a more viable candidate? Do you think they're going to garner you enough votes to make up the double digit deficit? The truth is, Pennsylvanians, and I daresay Americans at large, are sick of this culture where people deliberately and cynically cross the line, all big and bad, and do a little mea culpa dance a day or two later. We can't unsee and unhear what you said. We can't unknow what it makes you.
The toxic masculinity behind your blustering and that of the likes of Brett Kavanaugh, et al, is very revealing, and not very attractive. It's the larger ingredient behind what fuels #MeToo. With any luck, the days of that sort of masculinity are on the wane, and will die soon. Thank you for the opportunity to illustrate this.
https://aol.it/2pTf1XD
Whoa! And who might be the utterer of this threat? Why, it's none other than Scott Wagner, Tom Wolf's opponent in the upcoming Pennsylvania gubernatorial race, and the subject of this Call-Out.
And what does Wagner claim precipitated this outburst? Well, it seems Wolf mentioned in a political ad that Wagner sued 7,000 Pennsylvanians as the owner of waste disposal, trucking and real estate interests. Prior to issuing his threat in a video posted to Facebook, Wagner criticized Wolf's business acumen, before assuring all concerned he would win the gubernatorial seat in November.
Of course, he is trailing in the polls by 17 points currently.
Scott Wagner fumed that Governor Wolf's ads calling himself the small business governor "makes me want to puke." Well, Mr. Wagner, your video makes me want to puke. Do you think your threats and big talk make you a more viable candidate? Do you think they're going to garner you enough votes to make up the double digit deficit? The truth is, Pennsylvanians, and I daresay Americans at large, are sick of this culture where people deliberately and cynically cross the line, all big and bad, and do a little mea culpa dance a day or two later. We can't unsee and unhear what you said. We can't unknow what it makes you.
The toxic masculinity behind your blustering and that of the likes of Brett Kavanaugh, et al, is very revealing, and not very attractive. It's the larger ingredient behind what fuels #MeToo. With any luck, the days of that sort of masculinity are on the wane, and will die soon. Thank you for the opportunity to illustrate this.
https://aol.it/2pTf1XD
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Well, You Had To Know...
That I was going to write this post.
I'm calling out the whole Kavanaugh mess, from start to finish.
Christine Blasey Ford reported the alleged assault to Dianne Feinstein, requesting anonymity. But apparently someone leaked the story. Who? Feinstein says not me, nor any of mine. Whether lying or telling the truth, I have seen 8 year-olds much more convincing.
Well, say The-Powers-That-Be, we shall investigate. We shall have a bully good investigation. Very thorough. One. Week. Long. Oooh, yeah! Way to pull out all the stops and do it up right!
And my previous post gives my opinion of the lovely job the FBI did.
And just in case the "liberal news media" reported any fake news, our Pussy-Grabber-In-Chief weighed in every day, because, why be presidential and statesman-like and quietly let the judicial process run its course, when we can grab attention for ourselves with daily interviews and Tweets?
The hearings themselves were a joke, filled with lousy questioning of both principals, and senators who were easily intimidated by Cacophonous Kavanaugh, displaying his even judicial temperament for all to see.
During the investigation, the care, sympathy, and righteous anger shown was heartening. Surely God Himself never thundered down more angrily than Lindsey Graham. Of course, damned little of it made its way to the actual alleged victim. Poor Brett Kavanuagh, his reputation has been dragged though the mud. His poor family. He's an innocent victim. And we got to hear about all his years of hard work and his fabulous intellect. All of those things, of course, could just as easily be said about Dr. Ford, but did we hear them?
And while the FBI investigated, people who were in the know about Kavanaugh, who tried to weigh in and were not allowed to, were forced to do so elsewhere.
When it all came out in the wash, and the decision was made (not enough evidence, blah, blah, blah) to confirm, there were those who could not contain their enthusiasm.
And Mr. Trump, always the soul of consistency, described Christine Blasey Ford as a "very credible witness" one week, then the next referred to gaps in her memory, before basically branding her as a tool for "hoaxers".
All of it nauseating. And here we are, poised between the rock of near-civil-war, and the hard place of snowball-headed-for-hell. Grand time to be alive, ain't it?
A Shout-Out within a Call-Out to Nancy Pelosi. Good luck and give 'em hell, Nance!
And, folks, always remember and please never forget, if you ever commit a crime, waive your right to a jury trial, and ask to be investigated by the FBI and the Senate. Maybe one week later you, too can be pronounced "proven innocent" by Mr. Trump, just like Brett Kavanaugh.
(This blogger was, unfortunately, not paid for her abundant sarcasm).
I'm calling out the whole Kavanaugh mess, from start to finish.
Christine Blasey Ford reported the alleged assault to Dianne Feinstein, requesting anonymity. But apparently someone leaked the story. Who? Feinstein says not me, nor any of mine. Whether lying or telling the truth, I have seen 8 year-olds much more convincing.
Well, say The-Powers-That-Be, we shall investigate. We shall have a bully good investigation. Very thorough. One. Week. Long. Oooh, yeah! Way to pull out all the stops and do it up right!
And my previous post gives my opinion of the lovely job the FBI did.
And just in case the "liberal news media" reported any fake news, our Pussy-Grabber-In-Chief weighed in every day, because, why be presidential and statesman-like and quietly let the judicial process run its course, when we can grab attention for ourselves with daily interviews and Tweets?
The hearings themselves were a joke, filled with lousy questioning of both principals, and senators who were easily intimidated by Cacophonous Kavanaugh, displaying his even judicial temperament for all to see.
During the investigation, the care, sympathy, and righteous anger shown was heartening. Surely God Himself never thundered down more angrily than Lindsey Graham. Of course, damned little of it made its way to the actual alleged victim. Poor Brett Kavanuagh, his reputation has been dragged though the mud. His poor family. He's an innocent victim. And we got to hear about all his years of hard work and his fabulous intellect. All of those things, of course, could just as easily be said about Dr. Ford, but did we hear them?
And while the FBI investigated, people who were in the know about Kavanaugh, who tried to weigh in and were not allowed to, were forced to do so elsewhere.
When it all came out in the wash, and the decision was made (not enough evidence, blah, blah, blah) to confirm, there were those who could not contain their enthusiasm.
And Mr. Trump, always the soul of consistency, described Christine Blasey Ford as a "very credible witness" one week, then the next referred to gaps in her memory, before basically branding her as a tool for "hoaxers".
All of it nauseating. And here we are, poised between the rock of near-civil-war, and the hard place of snowball-headed-for-hell. Grand time to be alive, ain't it?
A Shout-Out within a Call-Out to Nancy Pelosi. Good luck and give 'em hell, Nance!
And, folks, always remember and please never forget, if you ever commit a crime, waive your right to a jury trial, and ask to be investigated by the FBI and the Senate. Maybe one week later you, too can be pronounced "proven innocent" by Mr. Trump, just like Brett Kavanaugh.
(This blogger was, unfortunately, not paid for her abundant sarcasm).
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
FBI? Pfffttt!
So, FBI, my very first Call-Out goes to you. Here is a clue for you: When you are conducting an investigation, you are supposed to interview witnesses. When you have a high-profile case where the stakes are a seat on the highest court in the third largest country in the world, and you are arbitrarily given a week to satisfy the cause of justice, you'd best commence to interviewin' the key witnesses, doncha know? "The key witnesses" being defined as those who would be in the best position to know the facts about your case and the principal individuals involved.
Yet, as early as September 30, we began hearing from individuals related to this case with crucial information, who had contacted you, FBI, wanting to make sure the record is set straight, people who had attended parties with the principals in this investigation, and knew something about their habits and character, who were very concerned to weigh in. And you haven't contacted them yet. With this investigation set to wind up any time now, my question is what the hell are you waiting for?
Over the weekend, the question was raised that perhaps some, including the White House, wanted to limit or hamstring the FBI from doing anything but paying lip service to a true investigation. (It's rather hard to take seriously an investigation with a time limit attached. It smacks of "move along, nothing to see here". But the right hand side of the aisle could sit tight. If your boy is all you thought he is, the truth will out. It always does. What's the harm in being sure?). Mr. Trump insisted, "The FBI probe is not being limited. They should interview anyone they want, within reason." Whose reason, one wonders?
Mr. Trump and Congress, take note: your citizens are watching; mid-term elections loom. If you continue down your present path, what you are saying to every American, especially those who have been on the receiving end of the kind of behavior Brett Kavanaugh is accused of, is justice doesn't matter. Character doesn't matter. (And gee, I thought when it was President Clinton with Monica Lewinsky, Republicans said character did matter). And it will tell us who have suffered sexual abuse and assault that, once again, our pain doesn't matter. In the interest of politics, once again, our credibility is questioned, our experiences are marginalized, there is no justice. In other words, if you are sexually abused or assaulted, STFU. And tell us again, why didn't you come forward when it first happened?
Sources: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/brett-kavanaugh-fbi-investigation-witnesses.html
https://aol.it/2yenDfd
Yet, as early as September 30, we began hearing from individuals related to this case with crucial information, who had contacted you, FBI, wanting to make sure the record is set straight, people who had attended parties with the principals in this investigation, and knew something about their habits and character, who were very concerned to weigh in. And you haven't contacted them yet. With this investigation set to wind up any time now, my question is what the hell are you waiting for?
Over the weekend, the question was raised that perhaps some, including the White House, wanted to limit or hamstring the FBI from doing anything but paying lip service to a true investigation. (It's rather hard to take seriously an investigation with a time limit attached. It smacks of "move along, nothing to see here". But the right hand side of the aisle could sit tight. If your boy is all you thought he is, the truth will out. It always does. What's the harm in being sure?). Mr. Trump insisted, "The FBI probe is not being limited. They should interview anyone they want, within reason." Whose reason, one wonders?
Mr. Trump and Congress, take note: your citizens are watching; mid-term elections loom. If you continue down your present path, what you are saying to every American, especially those who have been on the receiving end of the kind of behavior Brett Kavanaugh is accused of, is justice doesn't matter. Character doesn't matter. (And gee, I thought when it was President Clinton with Monica Lewinsky, Republicans said character did matter). And it will tell us who have suffered sexual abuse and assault that, once again, our pain doesn't matter. In the interest of politics, once again, our credibility is questioned, our experiences are marginalized, there is no justice. In other words, if you are sexually abused or assaulted, STFU. And tell us again, why didn't you come forward when it first happened?
Sources: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/brett-kavanaugh-fbi-investigation-witnesses.html
https://aol.it/2yenDfd
A Shout-Out For Some Feel-Good TV!
Stressed out? In need of some feel-good to counteract Brett Kavanaugh and other natural disasters ubiquitous in every news cycle? Have I got a couple of shows for you!
Unless you were under a rock all summer, you probably saw some previews and/or witnessed the networks drumming up some buzz for these shows. Do feel-good shows usually hit the TV big-times? I couldn't swear the truth one way or the other, but I checked out the pilot eps of both of these shows and they were AWESOME, so I wanted to share.
GOD FRIENDED ME is about a young podcaster (Brandon Micheal Hall) who is literally friended on social media by God, as the title suggests. The young atheist scoffs, but The God Account is good at getting his attention via his smart appliances and a ton of synchronicity. Pretty soon he and his hacker friend Rakesh (Suraj Sharma) are joined by writer Cara Bloom (Violett Beane), sleuthing it all out, bringing people together, and helping them in ways that get sentimentalists like me all dewy-eyed. And I like the twinkle-in-the-eye chemistry between the leads. This show is escapist for sure, but taps the same markets as Touched By An Angel and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (look 'em up, Millenials!) did in halcyon days gone by.
You can see God Friended Me on CBS Sundays, directly after 60 Minutes, or catch it on CBS All-Access and HULU Live TV.
NEW AMSTERDAM is based on the book Twelve Patients: Life And Death at Bellevue Hospital by Eric Manheimer, MD. Ryan Eggold stars as Dr. Max Goodwin, the medical director for the "oldest hospital in the country". Of course he's your usual crusading medico, but with a few twists. His wife, Georgia (Lisa O'Hare) just gave birth to his baby. Oh, yeah, and (SPOILER ALERT!) Max has throat cancer.
He starts off his first day by firing the cardiology department. Along the way, a terminal case the doctors decide is more compassionately treated at home; a troubled psych patient; a possible Ebola case. Every time we turn around we see compassionate professionals actually being doctors, not power trippers with God complexes. At the center of it all is Dr. Goodwin, whose catchphrase is, "How can I help?" Boy, do we need some of that! Oh, yeah, and have I mentioned Ryan Eggold is not too shabby to look at, or that the equally easy-on-the-eyes Peter Horton of Thirtysomething will be at the helm of some episodes (he appeared, blink and you missed him, in the pilot ep), as will Dr. Manheimer.
New Amsterdam is on NBC Tuesdays at 10 PM Eastern. You can also catch it on the NBC app, and on HULU. Enjoy!
Unless you were under a rock all summer, you probably saw some previews and/or witnessed the networks drumming up some buzz for these shows. Do feel-good shows usually hit the TV big-times? I couldn't swear the truth one way or the other, but I checked out the pilot eps of both of these shows and they were AWESOME, so I wanted to share.
GOD FRIENDED ME is about a young podcaster (Brandon Micheal Hall) who is literally friended on social media by God, as the title suggests. The young atheist scoffs, but The God Account is good at getting his attention via his smart appliances and a ton of synchronicity. Pretty soon he and his hacker friend Rakesh (Suraj Sharma) are joined by writer Cara Bloom (Violett Beane), sleuthing it all out, bringing people together, and helping them in ways that get sentimentalists like me all dewy-eyed. And I like the twinkle-in-the-eye chemistry between the leads. This show is escapist for sure, but taps the same markets as Touched By An Angel and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (look 'em up, Millenials!) did in halcyon days gone by.
You can see God Friended Me on CBS Sundays, directly after 60 Minutes, or catch it on CBS All-Access and HULU Live TV.
NEW AMSTERDAM is based on the book Twelve Patients: Life And Death at Bellevue Hospital by Eric Manheimer, MD. Ryan Eggold stars as Dr. Max Goodwin, the medical director for the "oldest hospital in the country". Of course he's your usual crusading medico, but with a few twists. His wife, Georgia (Lisa O'Hare) just gave birth to his baby. Oh, yeah, and (SPOILER ALERT!) Max has throat cancer.
He starts off his first day by firing the cardiology department. Along the way, a terminal case the doctors decide is more compassionately treated at home; a troubled psych patient; a possible Ebola case. Every time we turn around we see compassionate professionals actually being doctors, not power trippers with God complexes. At the center of it all is Dr. Goodwin, whose catchphrase is, "How can I help?" Boy, do we need some of that! Oh, yeah, and have I mentioned Ryan Eggold is not too shabby to look at, or that the equally easy-on-the-eyes Peter Horton of Thirtysomething will be at the helm of some episodes (he appeared, blink and you missed him, in the pilot ep), as will Dr. Manheimer.
New Amsterdam is on NBC Tuesdays at 10 PM Eastern. You can also catch it on the NBC app, and on HULU. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)