Damages

Mad Men: Season 3
$49.98
the writing was superb once again, and the show has the acting chops to carry it through. mad men is a happy marriage of quality in writing and acting, sadly lacking in most other shows. this season didn't necessarily have the "bang" of the 1st one, but i loved the subtle nuances of the characters and their relationships. the finale was exciting and it definitely left you impatient for the start of season 4. the show is unpredictable...as a viewer, you can't assume too much about a storyline, as they take interesting arcs and sideturns, but this is a good thing. don draper is the quintessential alpha male, and you root for him even when he does detestable things. betty, the automaton housewife, comes out of her shell more this season than in past seasons, but in her controlled way. i generally tend to feel more sympathy for don than betty, which is probably by design...don't you just want to give don a great big bear hug? betty is not exactly the source of the warmth he needs in his life. i get the feeling she has depth somewhere, but it's hard to find through the superficiality that she seems to personify. don didn't marry her for her person so much as what she represented to him, and she surely has realized that and much more with the revelations found in that nondescript shoe box. there were so many great moments. and you've got to love joan. is there anyone more capable than joan? i have a feeling her hubs is going to see some (bad) action in vietnam in the future, but who knows (that's the beauty)? the other supporting characters are ALL just as rich: peggy, pete, roger, and the rest. i hope sal makes an appearance at the new agency, too. all in all, worth every minute of your time.

DAMAGES
$25.95
A controversial book that some people agree with and others do not. Although the book is very monotonous at points, I believe it does a good job of showing how tort lawyers can destroy the lives of many people who seek to do good, and how such lawyers will shed their ethics to secure expert witnesses who will support their side of the case, all in the name of justice. More interesting is the fact that the "negligence" argument in this case would no longer win in court given the improved understanding in medical science, making this book outdated.

Mad Men: Season 2
$49.98
Times have changed - or have they? Mad Men continues to be a gorgeous, glossy and unsettling portrait of a pivotal leg of our journey to becoming the nice but nasty society we are today.

Damages: The Complete First Season
$49.95
I started watching Damages when it aired on tv, but I tuned out because I knew watching the episodes a week apart I was missing subtleties. I started again when it came out on dvd, and I'm so glad I watched it this way. The show is the smartest and most riveting show on television. Every frame, every line, and every scene matters. Every character will surprise you. It's visually stunning. A word of warning: you won't want to stop watching, so wait until you have a weekend to devote to this fantastic show.