END OF THE WEEK:
Another week, another batch full of memories (good and bad). As always, here the newest installment of "End of the Week" to put everything in perspective. Enjoy!
TV Premiere of the Week: "The Walking Dead"
The zombie apocalypse drama series returned to the airwaves this past Sunday, and it returned with a bang. The ratings for the basic cable show was enormous, with 7.3 million people tuning in for the initial airing of the season premiere, and 11 million total for the night if you could the repeats. In addition, it drew a 4.8 household rating, and a 3.8 18-49 rating. To put those numbers in perspective, only NFL football drew a higher 18-49 rating that night, while their closest cable competitor was game six of the NLCS, and that only drew a 1.9 rating. With those numbers, the episode also became the most watched basic cable drama in history, beating out an episode of "The Dead Zone" that aired in June 2002. While the quality of the series is up for debate (personally, I feel that it's a satisfying show, but one that will never be great unless they can improve their characters), one thing is for sure: America still loves their zombies, and judging from the numbers it looks like they will continue to for a long time.
Stories of the Week:
- The Actual Story of the Week: Muammar Gaddafi Killed by Libyan Rebels in his Hometown
And so marks the end of one of the most ruthless dictators of the last forty years, gunned down by the people he used to rule with an iron fist in a manner that I'm sure must have occured to many of his enemies. The Libyan revolution, for the lack of a better word, is complete. Now, it's up to the Libyans themselves to decided what their fate will be; whether they will become a full-fledged democracy, or whether they will turn into another Iran, or worse.
- The Tiger Woods Saga of '09 Memorial Story of the Week: Dozens of Exotic Animals Killed After Being Let Free from an Ohio Reserve
Lions and tigers and bears, goodbye!
This Week in Occupy Wall Street: This week in Zuchotti Park's longest-running sleepover ever, we saw the protests that many didn't believe would last a week complete a full month! That's quite a lot of days for something that still doesn't have a "leader" to take charge of the other demonstrators. In addition, the movement (which has received support from all walks of life, young and old, union workers and college students, people that FOX News would identify as "hippies" and those who aren't) has continued to spread. Across the nation, "Occupy" has spread into places like Peoria, IL, Colunbia, SC, Albany, NY and Corpus Christi, TX, while internationally, protesters in Canada, Spain, Puerto Rico and Germany (among others) have thrown their hats into the cause with demonstrations of their own. Among the protesters, not all of the protesters remained nonviolent. Last Saturday in Rome, for example, what began as a peaceful protest turned into the epitome of anarchy when hooded militants known as the "black bloc" entered the protests and began smashing windows and destroying cars and buildings with bombs. This led to mass chaos in the city streets, leaving 70 people injured (40 of whom were police officers).
In other "Occupy" news, Anthony Bologna, the NPYD policeman infamous for using pepper spray on two female protesters late September was punished by getting docked ten vacation days, or the equivalent amount in pay while Zuchotti Park's nearest residents held a meeting to complain about all the unsanitary actions of some of the protesters. Celebrities and public figures such as Alec Baldwin, Meghan McCain, Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie stopped by while President Obama continued to extend his support of the protesters, even comparing the OWS protesters to the Tea Party (in a good way), mentioning how both sides are tired at how the government isn't looking out for their best interest. Arrests also remained the common theme throughout the week, as it has been since the very beginning of "Occupy." Among those arrested included 175 protesters in Occupy Chicago for trying to demonstrate in Grant Park, at least 19 in Occupy DC, dozens in Cleveland, and an estimate of over 100 taken in Melbourne, Australia. Oh, and there were rumors swirling about the possibility of director Christopher Nolan shooting scenes for "The Dark Knight Rises" at Occupy Wall Street, hopefully as the place where Anne Hathaway's Catwoman gets mauled twenty minutes into the film before she completely ruins it.
In over 30 days, the "Occupy" protests have turned from a demonstration of just 2,000 in New York's Zuchotti Park to a worldwide movement supported by millions, including the White House, and over $300,000 raised, and while it doesn't have any single cause the main themes (inequality among the country's 1% and 99%, corporate greed, etc.) have become the top conversation in American society. But with interest among the media fading and factors such as the impending winter and potential government intervention looming, how long will it last? Critics say that it will come to an end once the drugs and booze stop being passed around, while the website states that what has transpired is only "just the beginning." Whatever happens, though, at least we're assured of it continuing for yet another week, meaning that this segment of "End of the Week" remains:
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Video of the Week: "Video of Gaddafi After Death" (NSFW)
A few months ago, this man was living in a palace as his country's top leader. Now, he's lying dead on the street carried by Libyan rebels, treated like a recently killed elk. This, without a doubt, is one of the most surreal images of the year.
Argument of the Week: Mitt Romney & Rick Perry Getting Confrontational on Tuesday's GOP Debate
Makes you wonder why these two won't just do it already.
Person of the Week: U.S. President Barack Obama
It was quite the week for the nation's 44th President, to say the least. First, there was the news of Libyan rebels finally finding and then killing Muammar Gaddafi, officially ending the cause that he helped to make possible (all while spending significantly less than the other two Middle East conflicts the U.S. is currently involved in and without the loss of a single American life in the process, by the way). Then, yesterday, he announced in a press conference that he would officially put the Iraq war, a war that seen the loss of 4,400 U.S. troops and has cost the country over $700 billion, to an end by ordering the removal of all remaining non-combat troops from the country by the end of the year, officially leaving the Iraqi citizens to decide for themselves what to do with their fragile stability of a government. Foreign policy wise, this was an iconic week for the President's legacy, one that is already defined by the death of Osama Bin Laden back in may. With Gaddafi's death, it gives him some vindication for the actions that he took last winter while his announcement in regards to Iraq war finally puts an end to a conflict that many Americans have since agreed was pointless.
And that's the way it was! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15
If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.
No comments:
Post a Comment