Several months, maybe a year ago, we acquired Conviction: The Complete Series on DVD. We watched the first four or five episodes and kind of lost interest. We were not compelled to continue watching, until this week.
The series focuses on a team of young attorneys working for the state prosecutor's office in New York. The boss is ADA Alexandra Cabot, who was a regular character on the original Law and Order series, and L&O creator Dick Wolf also created this series. In the first three Law and Order series. each episode focuses on one case, maybe two. With Conviction, each episode covers three or four cases, so you only see a few minutes of any one storyline. In addition, the first few episodes seemed to focus more on the attorneys' private lives and sexual escapades than on the cases. What Tim and I like about the other Law and Order series is that we can follow along on the investigation and prosecution, discuss various legal procedures, agree or disagree with how a case is handled, and see if we were right about who committed the crime. Conviction didn't give us enough of that.
After several months of not watching, we decided to finish watching the series this week. We weren't sure where we stopped, so we ended up missing a few episodes in the middle and watching those out of order. The show actually got a lot better as it went along. We still had some personal drama, but it didn't seem to detract as much from the cases. They had some interesting cases that we didn't always agree on. Here's an example:
The cast of Conviction.
In one episode a young gang member had disappeared after his arrest for selling drugs. The other gang members involved had all been prosecuted. They finally nab this last guy, but it turns out he has joined the Navy, and his defense attorney asks for leniency. The prosecutor originally assigned to the case has passed it off to Nick Potter, one of the new guys in the office, and she wants the kid to go to prison. Potter wants to give him a break; the kid is due to ship out to Iraq in a few months, and his CO says he's an outstanding sailor. Unfortunately, ADA Cabot agrees with the case's original prosecutor. It's a gang crime and he needs to be punished. The drug conviction is a felony and he'll have to serve a year in prison, meaning his Navy career is over. I agreed with Potter. The drug sale (two ounces of crack cocaine) was not a violent crime. The kid seemed genuinely glad to have found a legitimate career that makes his mother proud. Prisons are overcrowded, and in my mind, service in Iraq is just as good a rehabilitative tool as a year in prison. When he gets out of prison, he'll turn back to his life of crime because he won't have a job and he'll be bitter. My husband says the kid probably committed violent crimes before, even if he didn't get caught, because that's what gangs do, and he should be punished. He also said that he'd probably be one of those service members who turn the gun on his own troops or who'll come home more violent than ever. I can see his point, but from the information I had to go with, I would have given the kid the benefit of the doubt.
If you like the other Law and Order series, you will probably enjoy this one as well. If you don't get into the first couple of episodes, just give it time and allow it to develop. In the beginning, I thought I could see why the show didn't get picked up past the first season. By the end, though, I felt like it had gotten a raw deal, and I was really disappointed not to be able to see what happened to these characters in the future.
You can watch full episodes of Conviction on Hulu. The complete series is also available for purchase at Amazon.
A dozen years ago, I never thought I would be a fan of Doctor Who. I was never into the show. I watched a few episodes with my husband, who's been a fan since the '80s, but I just didn't get into it.
When the BBC revived the series in 2005, I sat by my husband to watch. We didn't have cable, so here was something new to see, even if it was a show that I didn't give a hoot about. If you're wondering how we were watching without cable, a friend of Tim's was sending him DVDs of the episodes that he downloaded. Never fear, we purchase all the legal DVDs when they are released; we just don't want to wait a year to see the show.
After watching a few episodes, in particular the two-part story of "The Empty Child and "The Doctor Dances," I was pretty well hooked. When Christopher Eccleston regenerated into David Tennant, that's when I really started considering myself a fan. I still hate to say the words, but I'll type them here: I love Doctor Who.
The new Who anyway. I'm still not inclined to sit and watch Doctors 1-7. No offense to William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy - I'm just not that into you.
It's somewhat of a tradition for the BBC to air a Doctor Who story on Christmas Day, and even though BBC America aired the Special on the 25th, we still don't have cable. So, Christmas Day found us searching for someplace online to watch Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol. No luck. We did find it the next day, and I have mixed feelings about it. It was a good story, with great use of the potential of time travel.
In the story, a space cruise ship is about to crash on a distant planet colonized by Earth in the far future. A crotchety old man controls the device that keeps the planet's frozen skies clear. At the point our story begins, the skies are not clear, and that's why the ship is about to crash. The old man refuses to use his device to clear the way and save the 4,000+ passengers and crew. It's up to the Doctor (#11, Matt Smith) to change his mind.
The Doctor has a personal stake in all this; his current companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams are on their honeymoon aboard that very ship. One of the story's shortcomings, I think, was that we never really felt any tension that the ship was actually going to crash. I didn't quite understand why the ship couldn't change course, why or how they got caught in the atmosphere(did they not request clearance to land?), and so I wasn't quite buying all that. The scenes on the bridge didn't always ring true. Amy and Rory send the Doctor a distress signal, which shows up on the ship's instruments. But it's not really a proper distress signal, I wouldn't think. They use a huge old-fashioned looking mobile phone device to talk to the Doctor at one point, but any mobile phone will work to call the TARDIS anymore. Well, at least mobiles that the Doctor has zapped with his Sonic Screwdriver. Near the beginning, in response to the distress signal ostensibly, the Doctor puts a message up on the ship's screen that says, "Come along, Pond," but how can they come along? The ship is completely out of control. That's why I never felt any sense of urgency, I think.
The story on the planet is more compelling. When the Doctor shows up (down the chimney on Christmas Eve), the crotchety old man, Kazran Sardik (the great British actor Michael Gambon) is Scroogely refusing a Christmas wish for a poor family. The Doctor tells Sardik what's happening, then locates the sky controller device and tries to operate it himself. It's isomorphic, though, and will only work for Sardik. The Doctor notices a few details that make him realize that Sardik's attitude began in childhood, so he goes back in time to make Sardik a better person. Through the magic of the TARDIS, old Sardik watches it all play out in front of him, and we see him reacting to what's happening and to his changes in memory.
The Doctor seems to be succeeding, then something happens that turns Sardik bitter again. Finally, he has one last chance to save the ship, but it threatens the life of Abigail, the young woman Sardik fell in love with during the Doctor's visits.
Overall, I thought it was a well-done take on the Dickens' classic.
**VERY BIG SPOILER ALERT**
The episode shows us a countdown to Abigail's last day, but doesn't explain what the countdown means until near the end. Her family, the ones who were begging to see her for Christmas at the start of the episode, seems to think she's only cryogenically preserved because she's the collateral on a loan. Do they not know the truth? What's wrong with her that she seems perfectly healthy every time we see her? Why doesn't the Doctor check in all of time and space and bring her a cure? It's all very vague and it makes the ending unsatisfying for me.
**END OF SPOILERS**
Now, we wait.
The next few episodes, the first half of the 2011 Season, are supposed to air in the Spring. Here's a preview:
My latest two giveaways have ended and the winners have been emailed.
Merry Widows Trilogy Giveaway: Randomizer picked post number 2, which was Shala_Darkstone's Twitter entry.
Ladies' Fashionable Cabinet Romance Trilogy Giveaway: Randomizer picked post number 7, which was Erin G.'s single entry.
Thank you to everyone who entered. I appreciate your reading my blog, and I am happy to know these books are going to good new homes. Come back soon for a new giveaway!
In Regency England, the most independent women of the ton are members of the Benevolent Widows Society. Having lost their husbands, they've gained control over their fortunes and their lives. They have no intention of marrying again, but they don't want to give up the pleasures of the marriage bed. They vow to take lovers and to share their experiences with the other widows.
The first book in Candice Hern's Merry Widows series is In the Thrill of the Night. Marianne Nesbitt loved her late husband, and before listening to the other Society members' talk, she'd never considered taking a lover. Once her mind is made up, she asks her husband's best friend, Adam Cazenove to help her find the right man with whom to begin her affair.
When Beatrice, Lady Somerfield, enjoys a passionate interlude at a masquerade ball, it's Just One of Those Flings. Gabriel, Marquess of Thayne, is the catch of the season, and dozens of debutantes are vying for his hand. When he catches the eye of her niece, Beatrice intends to end the affair, but Gabriel has other ideas.
In Lady Be Bad, John Grayston, Viscount Rochdale, begins a seduction of bishop's widow Grace Marlowe with a dark purpose. He's been challenged to prove he can entice any woman in London into his bed, and his most prized possession is at stake. Grace's intelligence and her passion win his heart, but he soon discovers he may not be the only one playing games of seduction.
Candice Hern writes beautifully, weaving intricate plots that really keep you wondering how the hero and heroine will ever overcome the obstacles they face. You can learn more about Candice and her books at CandiceHern.com.
I really enjoyed reading these books, but I am running out of space on the bookshelf, so I am giving them away. One winner will receive all three novels in the trilogy. I purchased the books used and have read them once. They are in good condition, although the spines are creased.
FIRST ENTRY: Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect AND comment here on which period of English history most fascinates you. If your email is not visible on your GFC profile, please leave it in your comment.
EXTRA ENTRIES: For each item you complete, leave another comment here and be sure to include a link to your comments and tweets.
*leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post on Musings (1)
*visit my Crazy Kitty Chick blog and leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (1)
*visit my Hurricane Safety blog and leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (1)
*follow Auriette on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (1)
*follow CrazyKittyChick on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (1)
You can earn a maximum of six entries per household. Eligible comments must be made no later than 11:59pm ET on December 18, 2010. Entrants must be 18 or older, with shipping addresses in the United States or military APO/FPO addresses. One winner will be selected by random drawing on December 19 and notified by email. Winner must respond to this email with mailing address within 72 hours or another winner will be selected. Books will be sent media mail.
The Ladies' Fashionable Cabinet isn't a piece of furniture. It's a magazine, one that differs from other publications for women living in Regency England in that it encourages thoughtfulness and an independent spirit in its readers. The Cabinet also forms the backdrop for a trilogy of romances written by Candice Hern, an avid reader and researcher who imbues her work with fascinating details.
In Once a Dreamer, one of the Cabinet's young readers takes the advice in the Busybody's advice column to heart and runs away with a handsome young suitor. Her aunt Eleanor learns the secret identity of the Busybody and enlists his aid. As Simon and Eleanor pursue her niece, they end up finding much more than the wayward couple.
The second book, Once a Scoundrel, finds the Cabinet in the hands of new owner Anthony Morehouse. Anthony is an old friend and rival of editor Edwina Parrish, and the two enter into a wager that will decide the future of both the publication and their relationship. Adding to the challenge, Edwina is hiding a secret that could ruin them all.
Edwina's brother Nicholas helps run the magazine out of their home, but he pays little attention to the mousy assistant editor Prudence Armitage. That changes in Once a Gentleman. When Pru falls asleep at the office, her titled father demands that Nicholas marry her. Pru is already in love with Nick, and she'll do anything to turn this marriage of convenience into a love match.
Candice is a wonderful writer, who places very realistic obstacles in the path of true love. Her descriptive writing is no doubt influenced by her study of art history, her love of novels written in the Regency years, and by her personal collections of historic artifacts. Learn more about Candice, her books and collections at CandiceHern.com.
I am giving away all three novels in the trilogy. I purchased the books used and have read them once. They're in good condition, though the spines are creased.
FIRST ENTRY: Follow this blog on Google Friend Connect AND comment here on which period of English history most fascinates you. If your email is not visible on your GFC profile, please leave it in your comment.
EXTRA ENTRIES: For each item you complete, leave another comment here and be sure to include a link to your comments and tweets.
*leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post on Musings (1)
*visit my Crazy Kitty Chick blog and leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (1)
*visit my Hurricane Safety blog and leave a relevant comment on any non-giveaway post (1)
*follow Auriette on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (1)
*follow CrazyKittyChick on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (1)
You can earn a maximum of six entries per household. Eligible comments must be made no later than 11:59pm ET on December 18, 2010. Entrants must be 18 or older, with shipping addresses in the United States or military APO/FPO addresses. One winner will be selected by random drawing on December 19 and notified by email. Winner must respond to this email with mailing address within 72 hours or another winner will be selected. Books will be sent media mail.
I’m always surprised when people don’t talk about what they want done after they’re gone. My mother’s parents were in their 60s when I was little, and I remember them talking about which child or grandchild would get certain of their possessions; they put masking tape on the bottoms of things with names written on them. When they passed, my mom and uncles knew who Mam-ma and Pap-pa wanted to do the service, what music and verses should be performed, and they’d owned their funeral plots for years, decades maybe.
When my dad died of cancer, he and my mom had already picked out coffins and pre-paid for the funeral home, and we all worked together on the obituary (with me sobbing, but it had to be done).
In contrast, an acquaintance of mine lost her mother, and a few weeks later, she took half a day off work to go with the rest of the family to pick out a headstone. It seemed inconceivable to me that someone who was seriously ill for a long time hadn’t picked out her own headstone. Maybe she didn’t want to face her own death, or her husband didn’t think it was fitting to talk about; I don’t know.
Recently my cousin’s common law wife passed away suddenly. That’s a little different. You don’t expect to die when you’re in your 20s. A couple of weeks later, an old friend of the family, who had been ailing for years, passed, and I commented to my mom about the way his life story was written for the funeral program and how generic his service seemed. And then I said that she and I need to sit down and write her obituary now.
It’s not an easy thing to think about, and even though my mom is in good health, I know I’ll sob my way through typing out what she wants to say. On the other hand, it would be much more difficult to think of what to say about her long and varied life, to know what she would want included, without her there to guide me. Because our family has always talked about death, accepted it as inevitable, and discussed it when the subject came up, we are able to plan for that unavoidable eventuality, in a way a lot of people cannot or will not.
's Merry Widows series is 
