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The program can be viewed in its entirety by clicking the you tube link below:

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Paul Levinson writes science fiction, sf/mystery and popular and scholarly non-fiction. The Silk Code won the Locus award for Best First Novel of 1999. His novel The Consciousness Plague won the 2003 Mary Shelley Award for outstanding Fictional Work. He has published 29 science fiction stories, some of which are now available on fictionwise.com. His novella "Loose Ends" was a 1998 Hugo Award finalist, a finalist for the 1998 Sturgeon Award, and a finalist for the 1997 Nebula Award. The radioplay of his novelette "The Chronology Protection Case" was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Mystery Play of 2002. Digital McLuhan won the 2000 Lewis Mumford Award for Outstanding Scholarship. His work has been translated into twelve languages.
Paul Levinson has published seven non-fiction books.
Digital McLuhan: A Guide to the Information Millennium, was published worldwide in hardcover by Routledge in 1999; trade paperback edition 2001. Digital McLuhan won the 2000 Lewis Mumford Award for Outstanding Scholarship. WIRED's Kevin Kelly said about Digital McLuhan, "Paul Levinson completes McLuhan's pioneering work. Read this book if you want to decipher life on the screen." The New York Times said "Levinson performs a useful service ... [he] applies McLuhan's work to almost every facet of modern communications" and in another article "Digital McLuhan presents McLuhan in a new light, [for] a generation grappling with the transforming effects of cyberspace, cell phones and virtual reality." Digital McLuhan is included on Robert Anton Wilson's " Recommended Reading List," of "the bare minimum of what everybody really needs to chew and digest before they can converse intelligently about the 21st Century." Professors in graduate and undergraduate classes around the world use this book to help their students put the Internet into perspective. The book has been published in Japanese and Chinese and translations are underway in Croatian, Romanian, and Korean.
The Soft Edge: A Natural History and Future of the Information Revolution (Routledge hardcover 1997, trade paperback 1998) received major critical acclaim -- ranging from WIRED ("Remarkable in both scholarly sweep and rhetorical lyricism...") and The Financial Times of London ("a book that is both full of insights and provocative") to Amazon.com's Cyberculture editor ("Levinson has a knack for making his reader feel intelligent and respected") and Analog ("...defies the critics of technology") -- and the book was the subject of a 90-minute talk he gave at Borders at New York City's World Trade Center, which aired on C-SPAN's "About Books" on February 28, 1998. It is used in university classes around the world with its comprehensive view of where our communications technologies have been and where they are going. Translations of The Soft Edge are available in Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, and Chinese.

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Paul Levinson

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Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress

reviewing ... 24, Battlestar Galactica, Brotherhood, Californication, Dexter, Heroes, In Treatment, Journeyman, Lost, Mad Men, Tell Me You Love Me, The L Word, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Tudors, The Wire, Weeds ... and the Presidential campaigns ... InfiniteRegress.tv

George Santayana had an irrational faith in reason ... I have irrational faith in television.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Lost 4.7: Flash Both Ways

A beautiful, bittersweet episode of Lost tonight, featuring Sun in a flashforward, about seven months into the future, giving birth to her baby. She is definitely one of the Oceanic Six.

Jin is rushing to the hospital with a big stuffed panda bear baby present. Sun calls out for him in the delivery room...

But Jin is not among the Oceanic Six. What we're seeing here is not Sun and Jin in the same flashforward. Not Jin in a flashforward at all. Jin's in a flashback, from before he and Sun wound up on the island, and the stuffed panda he is bringing is a present from his boss to the ambassador, whose wife is having a baby.

This flashback mimicking a flashforward is deftly done - Jin pays a lot of money for the stuffed panda he brings to the hospital, and we think Jin has this money because he's one of the Oceanic Six. But it's his boss's money he's waving around...

Jin never got off the island. Sun, accompanied by Hurley, takes her newborn baby to Jin's gravesite. The date of the death on the tombstone is 22 September 2004. But this isn't true either. Jin of course is alive later than that - we know this is true, and of course that's when Jin fathered Sun's baby. So the date of death is a lie - likely Jin is one of the people that Kate couldn't save, in the lie Jack told about their time on the island at Kate's trial.

But Jin's death is likely not a lie. Though, perhaps, just perhaps, Jin lives on the island, if the island's recuperative powers work their magic on whatever the injury that killed him.

The island, as we know, is not only a powerful restorative for some people, but is a powerful adhesive that keeps its inhabitants close at hand. It certainly kept Michael nearby - or, any rate, Ben did, for we find out tonight that Ben's agent on the boat is Michael - which was the obvious choice (especially since Harold Perrineau's name has been in the credits from the beginning of this season).

And the big question now is: who is the last of the Oceanic Six? Not Jin, not Claire (since Kate is now Aaron's mother) ... not likely Locke, who of all the original Losties is the most attached to the island...

I'll say it's Sawyer...

See also...

Further Questions about Lost 4.4: Jack and Aaron, Kate and Sawyer

1. Lost's Back Full Paradoxical Blast 4.1 ... 4.2: Five Flashbacks and Three Rational Explanations ... 4.3: Thirty Minutes and Big Ben ... 4.4: Kate and ... ... 5.5 Desmond 1 and Desmond 2 ... 6. The True Nature of Ben ...

and

2. More Thoughts On Lost 4.1: Those Who Went with Hurley and Those Who Stayed with Jack and Two More Points about Lost 4.1

The Plot to Save Socrates

"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book

more about The Plot to Save Socrates and its time travel ...

Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!

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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

In Treatment 6: Paul's Boat

Paul continues to be the most effective - offering just right the blend of insight, keen questions, and protecting compassion - to Sophie. This is evidenced by her smashing one of Paul's model boats on his floor, as he probes the likelihood that she was abused. Unlike Paul's unprofessional reaction to hostile actions by Alex, he takes his boat on the floor as an indication that he is finally reaching Sophie.

The difference between the professionalism of Paul's responses to Sophie and Laura also continues to be pronounced and powerful in Week 6 of In Treatment. Paul tells Laura he loves her, and stops a micro-inch short of passionately kissing her. We might have expected Paul not even to admit his feelings for Laura - how can that possibly help her as a patient - but he is too far gone, too much in love with Laura, to not express his feelings, at least, verbally. And, besides, this gives us a chance to see Laura's reaction, which may be instructive: she at first doubts what Paul is telling her, and then lets herself believe it, apparently. For some reason, this made me think that once Laura is sure Paul loves her, and certainly if they sleep together, she'll soon realize that she doesn't really love him at all... A rough sea for Paul to sail.

Meanwhile, Alex, whom Laura quickly moved on from, is making genuine progress with Paul. In his most productive session yet, Alex admits that what he wants from life, and from Paul, are the means to not "feel shitty". This is by far the most truth we've heard from Alex.

We didn't get much truth from Amy this past week. She showed up without Jake, told Paul she's a terrible person and wants his permission to have an affair. As I've said in my previous reviews, I think the Amy and Jake sessions are the weakest, and have the most interest as parallels to Paul and Kate seeing Gina.

I've got to say Michelle Forbes is doing a great job portraying Paul's wife, Kate, whose anguish at Paul's love of Laura is ringing a little hollow: Kate, after all, went off with her lover for a week. Does the fact that that didn't work out, and Kate had no strong feelings for him, give Kate a moral high ground over Paul, who at least has refrained from having sex with Laura, as Gina correctly points out?

I admire Paul - if only because of his excellent work with Sophie - and this makes me think that maybe he'd be better off without Kate and with Laura. But the problem with that is Laura may not be likely to want him once that happens... A dangerous sea indeed.

See also In Treatment on HBO ... 2. Scalding ... 3. Triangle ... 4. Love and Death ... 6. Paul's Boat ...

Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!

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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Robert Heinlein and Barack Obama: The Meaning of Voting

Jason Rennie interviews me on his SciPhi Show about Robert Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers (also made into a fine movie), and how its concept of "The Franchise" - that only people with military or other "Federal" service should have the right to vote - would work in American democracy today ...

Although I admire the social daring of Heinlein's insertion of such a radical concept into a science fiction novel, I strongly disagree with it. In this interview, I outline the progress that America has made in giving greater segments of our population the vote - the middle class in Andrew Jackson's time, African-Americans after the Civil War, and women in the Suffraget movement that did not succeed until after the First World War - and I urge that people far younger than 18 get the vote now.

I conclude by citing the success of Barack Obama thus far as an indication of what an open, inclusive voting system can accomplish...

Jason Rennie interviews Paul Levinson on The SciPhi Show

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MSNBC Unfurls Excellent New Lineup - But Why are They Keeping Their Lame "Doc-Block"?

MSNBC announced the following changes in its schedule, to take effect this coming Monday, March 17 -

.David Gregory, NBC News' Chief White House Correspondent, will anchor Race for the White House, a new daily show airing from 6-7pm
.NBC News' Andrea Mitchell will anchor MSNBC each weekday afternoon from 1-2pm
.Countdown with Keith Olbermann, on at 8pm, will now re-air a second time at 10pm, in addition to a third time at 2am.
.MSNBC's "doc block" will now air weeknights from 11pm-2am.
.Live with Dan Abrams will re-launch as Verdict with Dan Abrams, from 9-10pm.
.Tucker Carlson's show is out, but he will continue on MSNBC as Senior Campaign Correspondent.

These all look like excellent moves. With the strength of NBC regulars Brian Williams and Tim Russert, along with Tom Brokaw on election nights, MSNBC has the best election coverage in the business. David Gregory joining the weeknight lineup of Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, and Dan Abrams makes a lot of sense. And when you add to that the stature and savvy of political commentators like Patrick Buchanan and Joe Scarborough, MSNBC is unbeatable.

But there's one thing I've never understood about MSNBC, and still don't get in the new lineup: why is MSNBC alienating the audience for its political coverage with its "doc block"? I know that I have dialed away from MSNBC many times when I wanted to see politics, and MSNBC had yet another show about life behind some prison bars....

Moving the doc-block to 11pm is a step in the right direction. My suggestion: move it to three o'clock in the morning, or off the network altogether.

Especially in an election year, the "Doc Block" is not the way to go...

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Monday, March 10, 2008

Eliot Spitzer and The Wire

I hate to make light of this (actually, I enjoy it), but when I heard today about NY Gov Spitzer being involved in a prostitution ring, in Washington, DC no less, I couldn't help thinking that Lester Freamon became "police" again, and that's what he moved on to...

That's what I thought when I saw the first report on CNN online. But when I further heard that Spitzer got nabbed for this on a wiretap...

This may the real life coda - epilogue - of The Wire. The ultimate spill-over into reality...

Thanks, HBO, for this extra episode (maybe even a new season)...

(Ok, I admit to not liking Spitzer, ever since his unconstitutional payola witch hunt a few years ago ... Ever notice how government officials who yelp the most loudly about morality and victimless crime seem to always be involved in some themselves?)

More on The Wire ... The Wire's Back! Review of Season 5 Episode 1 and Episode 2: The Great, Dangling Conversation ... 3. McNulty and Marlo ... 4. One Down ... 5. Media Chasing Their Own Tales and Tails ... 6. Superman Omar and Tall Stories ... 7. King of Diamonds ... 8. Two Down ... 9. Cold, Killer Sweetheart ... The Wire Bows Out Gracefully; Kudos to Cast and David Simon, The Charles Dickens of Television

Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!

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Sunday, March 9, 2008

The Wire Bows Out Gracefully; Kudos to Cast and David Simon, the Charles Dickens of Television

I sometimes, often, in fact, think The Wire is the best show ever to have been on television. It's hard to compare to The Sopranos, which was just about one person, really, Tony. The Wire was an ensemble show par excellence, with at least 15 to 20 centrally important players over the past five seasons. You can't compare it at all to Lost, which is in another - fantastic - universe, entirely.

The Wire is certainly the best cop show, ever. My previously favorite was Homicide: Life on the Street. David Simon was the brains behind that Baltimore masterpiece, too. And there were lots of other connections - including Clark Johnson, Meldrick in Homicide, Gus in this last season of The Wire.

But The Wire was much more than a cop show - in fact, the cops were less than half the story. There was the dock, in Season 2; politics in Season 3 and after; the school in Season 4; and the paper, the media, in this final Season 5. All of these were done superbly - though perhaps the cynical ending to the paper story this season, with fraud rewarded with the highest honor, was a little too much, though I suppose not unrealistic.

But the real star of The Wire, season after season, in addition to cops, was the street. I can't recall ever getting such a clear picture of life in the street - or, the corner, real and metaphoric, on which drugs are sold and life is lived - as we got, season after season, in The Wire. Not in any movie, or book. First the Barksdale crew, then Marlo's, were as vivid a tableau of intelligent, brutal, sensitive, savvy, focused characters as ever presented. One of the shows this season was called "The Dickensian Aspect" - and, the truth is, that could easily apply to the whole series. David Simon, just by virtue of The Wire, could be called the Charles Dickens of television.

If you'd like a look at the characters and cast of The Wire in all five seasons, HBO has put up a fine page of photos. My favorite is still the extraordinary Stringer Bell, second-in-command in the Barksdale crew, The Wealth of Nations on his bookshelf, played to perfection by Idris Elba, but that takes nothing away from the dozens of other razor-sharp performances in The Wire.

And how did it all end?

The Wire did something exceptional and original here, too. Totally unlike the brilliantly ambiguous ending of The Sopranos, the ending of The Wire had complete closure, and was brilliant, too. And against all expectations, it was happy. McNulty is stretched out on a table for his wake - but it's only a mock wake - he's leaving the police, not life at all. Carcetti is elected governor; Rawls gets an appointment as a high state cop; Daniels looks happy as a lawyer; Rhonda Pearlman is a judge ... well, you get the picture.

The street does as well as can be expected, too. Marlo's free, rich, and likely out of the game (though you never know). Bubbles is eating upstairs with his sister. Michael may be a stick-up man, not good, but maybe he's just doing this once. Dukie is, sadly, in the worst shape ... going doing the road to addiction that Bubbles just left.

My guess is we won't see a series like this again for a very long time. Even the music was perfect, from the different versions of Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole" that opened shows for each of the five seasons (Steve Earle did the honors for Season 5, as well a good performance as Bubbles' sponsor at Narcotics Anonymous), to the great music that ended every episode, to the special version of "Way Down in the Hole" that accompanied the montage near the end of tonight show.

~When you walk through the garden ...~

That's a walk I bet viewers will relish for decades to come.

See also The Wire's Back! Review of Season 5 Episode 1 and Episode 2: The Great, Dangling Conversation ... 3. McNulty and Marlo ... 4. One Down ... 5. Media Chasing Their Own Tales and Tails ... 6. Superman Omar and Tall Stories ... 7. King of Diamonds ... 8. Two Down ... 9. Cold, Killer Sweetheart

Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!

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A Fistful of Favorite Podcast Interviews

I usually post about the fascinating people I've interviewed on my Light On Light Through podcast, but here's a short list of the some of the interviews conducted with me by brave and erudite podcasters in the past few years ...

.Jason Rennie interviewed me on December 16, 2006 about science fiction and philosophy on The SciPhi Show ... and again on March 10, 2008 on The SciPhi Show about Robert Heinlein and Barack Obama

.Shaun Farrell interviewed me on March 28, 2007 about science fiction and the academic world on Adventures in Scifi Publishing

.Stephen Euin Cobb interviewed me on February 6, 2008 about nanotechnology, SETI, the Fermi Paradox, the probability and impact of our finding another Earth, and more on The Future and You

.Maia Whitaker interviewed me on Feburary 26, 2008 about how to promote your writing on the Web, plus we talked a little about Barack Obama on The Knitwitch Zone ...

Enjoy ...

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All Hat and No Cattle: Reclaiming A Great Insult

Hillary Clinton slammed Barack Obama before the Texas primary for being "all hat and no cattle" - or, all talk and no action, someone who put on a good show, talked a good case, but didn't have the goods.

It was an empty critique of Obama, and the people of Texas agreed, at least in part, since Obama actually won more delegates in Texas than did Clinton, even though she won the popular vote.

But, as an Obama supporter, I don't want my irritation at Hillary's use of this phrase to dilute or distract from what I think is one of the best insults to come down the pike in a long time. Actually, it's been around for a while - there are quotes in the Wiktionary going back to 1980 - but I heard for the first time just a few weeks ago, so I've got to thank Hillary Clinton for that.

Now, what I really like about the phrase is how sheer, audacious rhyme makes it shine.

After all, although Texans wear big hats and herd cattle, the two don't have much else in common other than their rhyme.

But put together in a rhyming insult, the phrase invites further analysis and deeper insult. A hat is worn on the head, cattle are forces of nature that we tame and eat, so all hat and no cattle reinforces the distinction between thinking and empty talking, which we do with our heads, and changing, taming the world and rendering it fit for our human consumption and life.

Ok, enough professor-of-metaphoring ... Does anyone recall if anyone ever used this insult against J. R. Ewing in Dallas?

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Saturday, March 8, 2008

Obama Wins Wyoming: Small State, Big Lesson; Plus: Online Petition to the Super Delegates

Wyoming is the least populated state in the nation, but Obama's sweep of Hillary Clinton there - 61% to 38% - carries a big lesson:

Obama continues to lead in the delegate count by a nearly unbeatable margin. He actually won more delegates in Texas, and Hillary's victories in Ohio and Rhode Island resulted in a negligible increase in her delegates.

So, if we're thinking a dream ticket - who should be in first and who in second place? Shouldn't first place go to the candidate with the largest number of delegates?

By what anti-democratic logic would or could the super delegates be induced to support Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama? Why support someone who came in second?

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Plus: One of my best students at Fordham, Mike Plugh, has put up an online petition to the super delegates - do the right, democratic thing, and suppport Obama. Read it, sign it, right here.

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A Tale of Two Responses to Uncouth Comments: Obama and Clinton

Americans were treated to a very constructive comparison between the campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the past two days, and perhaps some insight into differences in the character of the candidates.

Obama aide Samantha Power called Hillary Clinton a "monster" in an interview with The Scotsman - she apologized to Clinton, Obama, and resigned.

Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson likened Barack Obama to special prosecutor Kenneth Starr (who obsessively hounded the Clintons in the 1990s), saying "I for one do not believe that imitating Ken Starr is the way to win a Democratic primary election for president" - not only has he not apologized, but Hillary Clinton first said she had no comment, and later added at a press conference in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, "Well, I think that is a true statement."

A classic piece of Clintonian word splicing - I suppose the statement could be interpreted as not saying Obama was like Starr and unfit to be President, but simply saying anyone who was like Starr did not deserve to be President - but it's surely not an apology or in any sense whatsoever disapproving of Wolfson's statement.

If ever America needed an example of new versus old politics, of political decency versus win at any cost, of grace in politics versus throw everything you can at your opponent whether true, false, or nonsensical, I think the difference between the Obama and Clinton campaigns in their responses to Power and Wolfson amply provides it.

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Friday, March 7, 2008

Proposal to Mayor Bloomberg: Save the Democratic National Committee, Pay for New Michigan and Florida Primaries

The Democratic National Committee has really made a mess of things. Its response to Michigan and Florida moving their primaries up to dates that threatened a stampede of states all moving their primaries to earlier and earlier dates - a real concern - was to punish the people of Michigan and Florida, the Democratic Party, and indeed the democratic process itself by refusing to count the results of those primaries. The DNC announced the punishment, the candidates didn't campaign in Florida, Barack Obama's name wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan, and the results of those primaries became indeed invalid.

I said back in January, before the Michigan primary, that the DNC's response was stupid, and, now, with the nomination still hotly contested, what the DNC did looks outrightly crazy. Fortunately, both the DNC and the two states are saying they would like to do the primaries over - acceptable under DNC rules - but now there's another problem:

Money. Neither the DNC nor Michigan and Florida want to bear the cost of new primaries - which apparently would come to $30 million.

So, the good idea of fixing this mess with new primaries may founder for a lack of money - or, a willingness to spend it for such a crucial purpose.

Here's my suggestion: a billionaire, with an interest in democracy, and doing it right, should step up and cover the cost of the primaries. Fifty million dollars is chicken feed to a billionaire.

In fact, I can think of a billionaire with a great love for democracy: Mayor Mike Bloomberg of New York City.

How about it, Mayor Mike - with a stroke of your pen and small dip into your private finances, you could bail the Democratic party out of this mess, and maybe even save the country.

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Thursday, March 6, 2008

Lost 4.6: The True Nature of Ben

Although the primary character in tonight's episode 4.6 of Lost was Juliet, the person we really learn most about is ... Ben.

Ever since Ben was introduced to Lost in Season 2, his goodness and badness - his truest motives - have been in doubt. For the most part, he has seemed no good. He gassed all the Dharma people to death, and killed his father - who may have been a lousy, uncaring, brutal father - but, even so, young Ben killed him pretty coldly. And if Ben hasn't since then outrightly murdered too many other people, he has certainly all too often goaded and played games with their minds, to his benefit and their detriment.

Just a few weeks ago, in the powerful Sayid episode, we see Ben at the end perhaps standing up to and coordinating the fight against the real bad guys. Perhaps.

And tonight, although all uncertainties are by no means cleared up, we see Ben being pretty despicable.

Jealous of Juliet's love for Goodwin, Ben assigns him to infiltrate the Tailees after the crash, knowing the danger that posed to Goodwin. And, after Ana Lucia kills Goodwin, and Juliet asks Ben why he put Goodwin in such danger, Ben responds to Juliet that she belongs to Ben.

But that's in the past, and by no means the worst of Ben we see tonight. Because it seems that someone wants poison gas to be released all over the island. Dan and Charlotte rush to the facility - we think, at first, to release the gas. That's what we think, because Goodwin's wife comes to Juliet (in the present, on the island) and tells her Ben needs her to kill Dan and Charlotte before they release the gas.

But when Juliet gets to the facility, both swear they are trying to stop the gas from being released, not release it, and the equipment indeed seems about to release gas. Should we trust those two, especially after Charlotte has knocked Kate out cold with the back of a gun a little earlier in the jungle?

Well ... turns out we can. Because Dan completes his work, and no poison gas is released.

And just to make matters worse, Locke has released Ben back at the barracks, because Ben has revealed to Locke the identity of Ben's man on the boat. (We don't find this out. But it has to be either Michael, or a much older Walt.)

So ... Ben looks much more evil than he has in a while....

Assuming, of course, that the whole gas contraption wasn't some sort of ruse...

Gotta love this show.

See also...

Further Questions about Lost 4.4: Jack and Aaron, Kate and Sawyer

1. Lost's Back Full Paradoxical Blast 4.1 ... 4.2: Five Flashbacks and Three Rational Explanations ... 4.3: Thirty Minutes and Big Ben ... 4.4: Kate and ... ... 5.5 Desmond 1 and Desmond 2 ... 7. Flash Both Ways

and

2. More Thoughts On Lost 4.1: Those Who Went with Hurley and Those Who Stayed with Jack and Two More Points about Lost 4.1

special 5-minute podcast of this Lost review and analysis

Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!

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Hillary Spokesman Howard Wolfson is the One Like Kenneth Starr - not Barack Obama

You've no doubt already heard about this, but just in case you haven't, here is what Hillary Clinton's spokesman Howard Wolfson had to say about Barack Obama today: "I for one do not believe that imitating Ken Starr is the way to win a Democratic primary election for president."

Hillary Clinton had no comment about her spokesman's remark.

Wolfson's comment is supposed to suggest, what, that Barack Obama's rather mild criticism of Hillary Clinton - certainly milder than Hillary Clinton's criticism of him - is analogous or in some sense similar to Special Prosecutor's Kenneth Starr's brutal investigation and hounding of Bill Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky escapade?

The only thing the two situations have in common - the current primary campaigns and the Lewinsky scandal - is that they both concern a Clinton.

Indeed, I said back when the Lewinsky scandal broke that what Bill Clinton did in his private activities was nobody's business, and he should not have been obligated to answer any questions about that - including, especially, from a vicious special prosecutor.

And Hillary Clinton's spokesman compares Obama and/or his campaign to that prosecutor now?

Perhaps it's not surprising. Wolfson was the same smear merchant who claimed Obama was "plagiarizing" when he used words in a speech that someone else had voluntarily given to him.

You know what? If anyone in the current campaign is like Kenneth Starr, it is Howard Wolfson. Hillary Clinton would do well to fire him.

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Wednesday, March 5, 2008

The Impact of Saturday Night Live on Last Night's Election Results

I'm quoted twice in this savvy Hollywood Reporter article by Paul Gough, which just went live - along with CNN political analyst Bill Schneider and John Edwards campaign manager Joe Trippi.

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A Proposal for the Obama and Clinton Campaigns

Well, Hillary Clinton won Ohio and Rhode Island tonight, Barack Obama won Vermont, and Hillary Clinton won by small margin in Texas. It is nonetheless clear that (a) Obama still has a substantial, likely insurmountable lead in elected delegates and (b) Clinton will redouble her efforts in the race.

The speeches given by the two candidates to their supporters were as expected: Obama's was far more inspiring, but Clinton's was fine.

Two things I did not like in the Clinton speech were (1) her inclusion of Michigan and Florida in the tally of states she had won (especially egregious in the case of Michigan, where Obama's name wasn't even on the ballot), and (2) her reference to the 3 o'clock in the morning ad, of which her campaign is apparently very proud. From my perspective, having studied the history of propaganda, that ad ranks as one of worst panderings to public fears (right up there with Tony Schwartz's atom bomb ad on behalf of LBJ in 1964).

And Obama again offered his view that kids would be better off with books than video games - at least he didn't include television along with video games this time. But children can benefit from both books and video games - it need not be one or the other.

So, two good speeches, one inspiring (Obama's), one nonetheless effective (Clinton's), two things wrong with Clinton's and one thing wrong with Obama's - at least, according to my tally.

With John McCain now the unofficial offical Republican nominee, what can the Democrats do to unite their party in the face of two so equally matched candidates?

Here is my proposal: Obama and Clinton agree to the following: 1. Whoever has the greatest number of elected delegates at the end of primaries gets the Presidential nomination. 2. The other candidate gets the VP nomination. (Florida and Michigan do not count - unless the primaries are done over in those two states.)

Hey, I'm still supporting Obama, and I'm sure my proposal won't fly (I doubt that either campaign would agree to it) - but, think about it, it could be the best way to proceed - one which most respects the democratic process.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Barack Obama and 24

Have David Palmer and Wayne Palmer - two powerful, admirable, African-American Presidents on Fox's 24 - contributed to Barack Obama's success as the first African-American candidate with a real chance to win the White House?

Win, lose, or draw in the important primaries tonight, Obama has a already made an undeniably extraordinary impact. I happen to think (and hope) he is the next President, but even if he doesn't get there, his candidacy has already changed American Presidential politics forever, and for the better.

As a professor and author of books about popular culture and its impact, I take a keen interest in the way of our media fiction influences our real politics. I've already blogged here about the importance of the Obama Girl videos in the early days of Barack Obama's campaign.

As I also reported here last July, Obama Girl producer Ben Relles told my class at Fordham University that the original "I've Got a Crush on Obama" song was "I've Got a Crush on Jack Bauer". So Obama's candidacy and 24 were linked from the start.

More important, I'd say, was the image of African-American Presidents conveyed by David Palmer (superbly played by Dennis Haysbert) and his brother Wayne Palmer (superbly played by D. B. Woodside). Although David was assassinated and Wayne wound up in a coma, their behavior as Presidents always showed a highly intelligent Commander-in-Chief will to take on acutely difficult and internationally threatening issues, and handle these crises with grace and aplomb.

That had to have some kind of positive, educational effect on 24's millions of viewers.

Keith Olbermann on MSNBC's Countdown is fond of citing 24 for stirring up fears of nuclear terror (at one point even absurdly implying that 24's producers were in league with the Bush administration). But the far greater truth - or only truth - about 24's impact on real American politics may be the role it played in making all Americans more comfortable with the prospect of an African-American President.

A woman in the White House was powerfully presented in the excellent Commander in Chief on ABC, with Geena Davis just outstanding as President Mackenzie Allen. But that series didn't even survive one complete season...

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Monday, March 3, 2008

The Sarah Connor Chronicles 8-9: Terminate with Puzzles, Surprises, and Soul

The two-hour season (and I hope not series) finale of The Sarah Connor Chronicles on Fox tonight was about as offbeat yet compelling an ending as ever I recall seeing on television. I could speculate about why the producers did it that way - but I think what happened on the television screen, which was pretty extraordinary in a low key way, is much more important than why it was made that way.

Agent James Ellison finally gets the FBI to take out Cromartie. Unsurprisingly, the terminator totally devastates the team - but lets Ellison live. Why? Because Ellison will play some future part in the emergence and success of Skynet...

Cameron turns out to be good, through and through. She kept the terminator part because it contained information that could help save John. She risks her own cyber brain so it can be plugged into the city's traffic control system. As Derek rightly remarks, she could certainly have used that access to do something bad - but she does not.

But she is apparently blown to bits in a car rigged to explode in the very last scene - with Derek nowhere to be seen.

Was that his doing, somehow?

Now, I don't believe that Cameron's really gone. The Arnold and other terminators have gotten up and walked away and put themselves back together from much worse. Not to mention that Fox, if it does continue this fine series, would be crazy to do it without the hottest character on the show - who even has virtues of adding a little humor.

Ok, I did talk there about the producers' motives. Which brings to the question: will Fox executives renew the series?

I hope they do. These Chronicles add a thoughtful, even leisurely piece to the Terminator stories - which is just what television should do in comparison to movies. Philosophic issues were raised and explored. Strong relationships were developed. The Sarah Connor Chronicles have soul.

And there's a lot more to be told of John and Sarah's story - and now Cameron's, and Derek's, and Ellison's. I hope to see it next year.

But, whatever happens, here's a round of applause for what we saw this year.

See also: The Sarah Connor Chronicles 1 and 2 ... 3 ... 4. A Robot Primer ... 5 ... 6 ... 7 ...

Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!

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Sunday, March 2, 2008

The Wire Season 5 Episode 9: Cold, Killer Sweetheart

And now there's just one - one episode left in this fine, fine finale season of what in many many ways is the finest series ever to be on television. One of the brightest parts of our new golden age of television.

This was Michael's show. He has heart, but he's also learned a lot about the way of killing. He had good instructors in the bloody craft. Chris Partlow and Snoop. You wouldn't want to run into them angry at you, or on some business concerning you, in any alley. For that matter, you wouldn't want to run into them if they were looking for you on any grand boulevard in broad daylight.

I don't know who has been more deadly- yeah, I do, it would be Snoop. She had no fear, no connection to anyone or anything except her deadly job. (Chris at least has a family.) These two, Marlo's muscle, were somehow more deadly than the worst that the Barksdale crew could muster.

But they weren't enough to get Omar - for the first time in their story, they faltered. It took a boy to kill Omar, as we saw last week.

And this week ...

Tristan Wilds as Michael Lee -a little younger than he looks this season

Michael knows he's in danger. Marlo doesn't know about the new, improved wire, and he thinks that someone on the inside is ratting him out. It could be Snoop, who escaped the police roundup (Chris is behind bars with Marlo). It could be Michael, who was called in for questioning a few weeks back. We know he didn't say a thing. Marlo doesn't know that.

Who knows who put a hit on whom. Snoop was certainly on the way to killing Michael. He just got there first. A little ahead of her. You always taught to me be "early," he tells Snoop, as he gets the drop on her.

She knows there's no talking her way out of this. She asks Michael how her hair looks. The actress said everyone thinks Snoop's a cold killer, but she (the actress) is really a sweetheart. At this last moment, facing her death, a little of the sweetheart finally comes through. She cares about her hair. She's a killer, but also a woman.

And Michael kills Snoop. I think she will go down as one of the best, most fascinating, colorful, chilling killers in television and movie history. Great job, Felicia Pearson (the name of the actress, and real name of the character - I love it).

And so we're left with just one show. And even as the good guys are smashing the drug business, due to McNulty's ingenious charade about the serial killer, these same good guys are closing in on McNulty.

I'll tell you one thing - they won't look to good to me if they punish McNulty for his charade. But it's hard to see how McNulty's going to bend his way out of this...

See also The Wire's Back! Review of Season 5 Episode 1 and Episode 2: The Great, Dangling Conversation ... 3. McNulty and Marlo ... 4. One Down ... 5. Media Chasing Their Own Tales and Tails ... 6. Superman Omar and Tall Stories ... 7. King of Diamonds ... 8. Two Down ... 10. The Wire Bows out Gracefully

Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!

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In Treatment 5: Paul's Greatest Strength

A great week 5 of In Treatment on HBO, with things getting worse for almost everyone - but that's what makes a serial therapy story top-notch...

Laura's as beautiful and manipulative and needy and insightful - about herself and Paul - as ever, and, yeah, she says she's leaving treatment. This of course would be just what Paul should want, if he didn't love her. But of course he does love her, and that's precisely why he desperately doesn't want her out of his life, professional or otherwise, even though he should want her out of his life, because as Gina has made crystal clear and Paul knows full well, he can never sleep with Laura, let alone be romantically involved, at least according to the applicable canon of ethics...

But, not to worry too much about this vicious circle, we all know Laura will not be out of Paul's life.

Laura says she's through with Alex, but he may not be through with her, and Alex has one of his best episodes (I can't recall which one wasn't his best) as he goads and taunts Paul, to the point of calling Laura a slut, which elicits from Paul not only a "you prick" but an actual shoving of Alex against the wall. Interestingly, Alex seems a little chastised by this - he doesn't react violently - which suggests that that shove may be just the thing he needed.

My favorite session of this past week was Sophie's, superbly portrayed by Mia Wasikowska. I can't recall if I said this before - but if I did, it's worth repeating - which is, I think that Paul's clearly at his best when Sophie's in his therapy. He's not in love her (Paul's problem with Laura), threatened by her (Paul's problem with Alex), reminded of his own marital problems (Paul's problem with Jake and Amy), so Paul can make use of his full, non-conflicted, considerable talents as a therapist.

The other salient point about Sophie is her case is really, literally, a matter of life and death, with suicide never too far from the surface. And Paul has been dealing with this masterfully. On Wednesday's episode, he handles Sophie's mother, who accompanies her to the session, very well, and, even more impressively, extracts a commitment from Sophie not to use the threat of suicide as weapon in their sessions. Powerful and perfectly rendered.

Jake shows some humanity, finally, in his session with Amy - as a songwriter, he should have at least a little sensitivity (I've been known to write a few myself - see my MySpace music page, and my Wikipedia entry). And the Friday session with Gina was one of the best between these two, enhanced by Paul's wife joining the treatment.

In Treatment is one of the best shows ever on HBO, and, for that matter, on television. There's been nothing else like it, and I'm looking forward to more.

See also In Treatment on HBO ... 2. Scalding ... 3. Triangle ... 4. Love and Death ... 6. Paul's Boat ...

Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!

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MySpace Poet Lance Strate Writes Verses for Sierra Waters

MySpace poet Lance Strate has written verses for time traveller Sierra Waters ...

I sent it to one of her listening posts in 2042, and who knows if it will get through, but you can read it any time at A River Song for Sierra Waters...

Sierra is really taking on a life of her own, with a Facebook group, a MySpace page, a Second Life life (see picture below), an appearance in an 18th century painting (see below), and now this poem...

And, of course, there will be more Sierra adventures in Unburning Alexandria...

You can read her story, known to me as of 2007, in The Plot to Save Socrates ... enjoy the first chapter, FREE!

painting by Jean-Baptiste R�gnault, 1785
Socrates dragging Alcibiades from the Embrace of S.

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Paul Levinson, PhD, is Professor and Chair,
Dept. of Communication and Media Studies,
Fordham University, New York City

author of 14 books

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Sierra Waters, time traveler

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e-mail received from a reader:
Dear Paul, I just dreamed of airships flying between raindrops. I just returned from 2042 CE, where I sold my hardcover copy of The Plot to Save Socrates for seventy million Neo-Euros, because it had your response to this e-mail from way back in 2007 scotch-taped onto the inside of the cover. A Paul Levinson collector paid top Neo-Euro, because of the authentic archaic e-mail printout from you. It turns out that not many of your e-mails from before your tenure as CEO of HBO/Cinemax and terms as United Nations Secretary General will survive that far into the future. So, please respond to this e-mail, to help found my great-grandchildren's fortune. My Will will stipulate that they must share with your great grandchidren. Thanks! Tom

I of course happily replied...

30 reviews of The Plot to Save Socrates!

free sci-fi podiobooks...

President, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, 1998-2001

my podcasts:

Light On Light Through popular culture, new techs, tv, movies, Wikipedia, science fiction, politics, the works ... 15-20 minute commentaries, once a week

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words and music by Paul Levinson occasional readings of my fiction and longer interviews about my writing and music

Ask Lev brief pieces of advice on writing, succeeding, navigating the media

my videos:

YouTube one-on-one with Bill O'Reilly, Patrick Buchanan, more

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pot luck my blogcritics.org blog

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my short fiction:

fictionwise short stories - science fiction and fantasy

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