The Fall Guy

This has been a spectacular fall here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm going to nominate it for Best Season of 2013.
Then again, I'm a real sucker for this time of year anyway and not just because I'm in the autumn of my life.

(Quit looking at my hair. It was an early snow. Shut up.)

Now we are about to be immersed into the dreaded holiday season, a time that conjures up the End of Days in our already chaotic lives.                 

Ain't that a shame? What used to known as the most wonderful time of the year is now another trigger for gloom and doom, no thanks to you, Andy Williams. And if anyone starts harping about the hijacking of Christmas or reminds who is the reason for the season is going to get a lit yule log crammed up their tannenbaums.

Here are a few high and low lights from the past few months:

Portland Art Museum's current show, Samurai!, is pretty damn spectacular, featuring armor and artifacts from 14th-19th century Japan. What seems like a historical exhibit, almost out of place in an art museum is put into perfect context under inspection of these incredibly intricate, ornate items. The show runs until January 12.

Subway is promoting the new HUNGER GAMES movie. And I am opening a HomeTown Buffet on Donner Pass.

After a depressing TV summer season (THE KILLING, THE BRIDGE, BROADCHURCH), the fall line-up has lightened up a bit, if you want to call THE WALKING DEAD light. James Spader is killing it on THE BLACKLIST. a potentially decent NBC offering that is hampered by contrivances and the worst CGI on TV. AMERICAN HORROR STORY is back in top form after last season's obnoxious everything including the kitchen sink ASYLUM. This year's story, COVEN, is a kick in the royal ass especially with the addition of Kathy Bates and Angela Basset joining the ace in the hole Jessica Lange. Jeffrey Wright is deliciously wicked in this year's BOARDWALK EMPIRE with Shea Wigham really breaking out as Eli Thompson. It's sad to see actresses the caliber of Margo Martindale and Allison Janney slumming on two separate CBS stink-coms. Martindale is reduced to awful menopausal gags on THE MILLERS while Janney is quite the slut on MOM. Though I must admit, a slutty Allison Janney is pretty damn hot.

But the big TV news for me and pretty much the rest of the geek universe is, well, feast your peepers on this, kiddies:

Get your fish fingers and custard ready.