Many who knew Tony Dean better than I have mourned his death and celebrated his legacy as a conservationist, outdoorsman, TV and radio personality, and all around good guy far better than I can.

Here are a few of the links noting Tony's untimely passing at age 67.

• Shucks, South Dakota won’t be quite the same  (Fellow outdoorsman Kevin Woster at Mt. Blogmore)
  

• Farewell, old friend  (Again, Kevin at Take It Outside)
  

• ** Tony Dean, SD Hunter, Fisher, Broadcaster dies  (The Viking at Dakota Today)
  

And here's what I wrote in the comments at South Dakota War College:

I received a very nice and informative note from actor Jim Beaver (above as Ellsworth), who portrayed prospector and Alma Garrett’s husband on HBO’s Deadwood, regarding the show’s cancellation.

He clarifies my previous post (ok, corrects) about executive producer David Milch also being unhappy about the cancellation of the series.

The following is reprinted with Jim’s permission.

Hi.  Enjoyed your commentary about the demise of the Deadwood show.

Just wanted to point out that, regardless of network spin, David Milch was not the one who threw the show away.  He fought tooth and nail to save it, even going so far as to try to raise the money himself for a fourth season.  He was livid at its premature burial.  John From Cincinnati was in development even before Deadwood, and was scheduled to go on the air with or without Deadwood.  HBO picked it up in February, 2006, but didn’t cancel Deadwood till May.  My suspicion is that HBO thought they’d do better financially with John than with Deadwood, which cost more than almost any show in history.  TV producers commonly have more than one show in production; witness David E. Kelley and Dick Wolf.  David Milch was very excited about Deadwood’s fourth season and, like all of us involved with the show, was devastated by its early termination.

Barron’s, the capitalist tool of the capitalist Wall Street Journal, warns in an article full of all those smart people who got us into this financial mess that—guess what—it will take more money from taxpayers to shore up failing banks.

An excpert:

NOURIEL ROUBINI, the New York University economist whose Cassandra-like warnings about the impact of the credit crisis should have been heeded, says radical step swill be needed, including government capitalization of the banking system.

The government will have to arrange “triage” to decide which banks are solvent and able to survive,Roubini said on a conference call last week. Those that survive will receive an injection of equity. Deposits of all banks, including those allowed to fail, will have to be insured by the government, he added.

To the Bank Credit Analyst,the $700 billion rescue plan represents “the effective socialization of financial intermediation.” With increased government capital will come increased oversight.

It least the Bank Credit Analyst understand what many of us have been saying about this giveaway—it is the socialization of risk for capitalists.

Meanwhile, if you’re having problems paying your mortgage, don’t expect Uncle Sam to help you anytime soon.

About once every ten years Saturday Night Live almost makes me pee my pants from laughter.

This skit from last night’s SNL, a spoof on the The Lawrence Welk Show is so wrong on so many levels but just about sent me out for a pair of Depends.Best line: “Is her forehead really that big or I was just seeing it through a couple of bubbles.”

Mrs./Dr. South Dakota Watch and I happened upon an episode of Deadwood on HBO HD this evening.

It was painful to watch, not because the show was so bad but because it was so good.  Acting, writing, art directions, cinematography, about South Dakota history, everything.  Then executive producer and creator David Milch threw it all away for the waste of celluloid was John from Cincinnati, which lasted one dismal season.

Deadwood was the Shakespeare of our time, or perhaps, more accurately, the unfinished Shakespeare of our time.

What a loss.

This is a blog that deals with the law (once in a while)—and entertainment (once in a while).

So…

Enjoy this sneak preview of a new lawyer show—Raising the Bar—on TNT.

Even though there are more black actors and characters on network TV shows, particularly dramas, it seems that the networks are quick to kill them off.

Is this some sort of subtle racism?

I was reminded of that again last night.


So, on two networks at the same time, two major black characters were being killed off.

Add to this ABC's Lost's killing off of Michael Dawson (Harold Perrineau) (and yes, he's black) and Mr. Eko (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje) (and yes, he's black too) and it's something that makes you want to go "hmmm."

Perhaps the actors playing the characters wanted to do other things.  They are all accomplished, gifted actors (ok, maybe not Gary Dourdan, but he doesn't completely stink either).

But when there is a dearth of minority and black characters--particularly characters like Dr. Pratt who are tremendous role models for not just black kids but a stereotype-buster for the rest of us, it makes you wonder if Hollywood is truly run by a bunch of "limosine liberals" as the Right always suggests. 

Emmy winning writer-actress Tina Fey (and Gov. Sarah Palin doppleganger) on stage at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the NOKIA Theatre onSeptember 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.  (wireimage.com photo)

Separated at birth? Actress/Writer Tina Fey and Pitbull/Governor Sarah Palin?

Suzanne Pleshette and Sarah Palin—Separated at birth?

Just about spewed coffee out my nose when I read this headline in the New York Times today:

• McCain Vows to End ‘Partisan Rancor,’ Seizing Theme of Change From Rival

This is almost as funny as his appearance on Saturday Night Live.



Laugh out loud funny stuff, John!

I used to watch the CBS Alaskan-set dramedy Northern Exposure all the time in the 1990s.

I loved its depiction of small town life peopled with unique and quirky characters.

However, I guess I missed the episodes with Sarah Palin as mayor of Cicely, AK.

Or maybe Shelly, the former beauty queen, was actually based on Gov. Palin's character? Think about it.

Nonetheless, it does appear Gov. Palin did end up marrying Chris Stevens.

Who knew!

I’m looking forward to HBO’s movie of the stealing of the 2000 Presidential results in Florida that has since inflicted seven years of agony on America via the Bush Administration. Here is a review and clip of HBO’s Recount, which premieres this weekend.

Technorati Tags: Recount, HBO, 2000 election, George W. Bush, Al Gore, theft

A major hat tip to Prof. Jon Schaff at SD Politics for the links and video. Read his post.

Apparently Sen. Hillary Clinton told the Argus Leader Editorial Board today that one of the reasons she should stay in the race is in case of assassination. She doesn’t mention Sen. Barack Obama by name but she brings up the 1968 assassination of Sen. Bobby Kennedy.

EB: You don’t buy the party unity argument?

I don’t, because again, I’ve been around long enough. You know my husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere around the middle of June

EB: June

We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. Um you know I just I don’t understand it. There’s lots of speculation about why it is.

She has since issued an apology:

“Earlier today I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns that both my husband and Senator Kennedy waged in California in June 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June. That’s a historic fact. The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy and I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation, and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that, whatsoever. My view is that we have to look to the past and to our leaders who have inspired us and give us a lot to live up to, and I’m honored to hold Senator Kennedy’s seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the entire
Kennedy family.”

I am absolutely shocked and disgusted by even a hint that assassination is on the table or a possibility in this campaign. Not only that, but she obviously feels entitled to the nomination should some idiot actually shoot and kill Sen. Obama.

So what if someone shoots Obama? Seems to me the first place the investigation should start would be the Clinton Campaign.

 

That’s her new rationale for being in the race?  Someone could shoot Obama?  I mean, heck, June rolls around and that’s the time when leading Democratic candidates get offed?  Oh, and by the way, YOO-HOO, here I am!

This is a far, far worse gaff than last’s week’s misstatement by Obama thanking “Sioux City” instead of “Sioux Falls.”

Hillary needed to get out of the race weeks ago. She absolutely needs to get out now. This does nothing to help heal the party. In fact, it pours gasoline on a smoldering fire of racism that she and her husband Bill Clinton have tried to tap into this whole campaign.

This is sick and disgusting and wrong. I know Hillary has “apologized”. But the Clintons never say anything without first considering every angle about a statement or position. I don’t buy that this was a slip of the tongue. 

My guess was this was the roll out of a “beta version” of a new message for the Clinton campaign.  It is a Friday afternoon before the first big holiday of the summer in Flyover Country, USA.  Talk about the proverbial political trick of “taking out the garbage” on Friday afternoons.  If it flopped, no big deal, it will be forgotten by Tuesday.  If it has traction, you’ll see it in her talking points.

Hillary, get out now while you have at least some small bit of dignity left.  Please.

Technorati Tags: assassination, Barack Obama, Sioux Falls, Brandon, South Dakota, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama