The couch potato vacation

Let’s face it. There are days during a long vacation when one has no clue about what the heck to do. There are days when you just want to stay home, watch a good movie or TV show, listen to some new music and just lounge around. To help readers out in these types of situations, I’ve come up with a list of things that might distract the on-vacation couch potato.

(Disclaimer: some of these you have to download — legally, of course.)

TV shows: By now, everyone probably knows that the new seasons of Heroes and Prison Break are out, so I’m not going to bother to tell you to watch them because you probably are already. Instead, here are some new and lesser-known shows that might be of interest.

Cane (Season 1): This is probably the most intriguing new show this season because it revolves around an interesting economic trend — sugar is the new oil. This basically means that sugar cane is becoming the most sought-after resource because of its viability as a source of ethanol fuel, which many say will be the fuel of the future. Sugar cane then becomes a very hot commodity because it’s potentially the world’s next source of energy.  

Cane is about a Cuban-American family, the Duques, who are in the business of producing rum (which is made from sugar cane) and the challenges they go through running a large family business. The Duque family struggles with the pressures of rival sugar manufacturers, government subsidies and their own personal agendas in the face of striking gold with sugar ethanol. The story plays the love, care and solidarity of families against the greed, corruption and treachery of big business. It’s like The Sopranos with a Cuban flavor and a very interesting backdrop. Cane stars Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning actor Jimmy Smits, of NYPD Blue fame.   30 Rock (Season 2): What makes this Emmy award-winning television series such a comedic success is the chemistry and contrast of its three top guns. Tina Fey (who plays Liz Lemon and is also the show’s creator), Alec Baldwin (Jack Donaghy) and Tracy Morgan (Tracy Jordan) all bring a unique flavor to the show that, combined with unusual but very poignant comedic writing, makes for a sitcom unlike any other. With a first season under its belt, 30 Rock promises a sharper, bolder second season about the ins and outs of a sketch comedy TV show. The cast is just a blast to watch.

What else to watch: The Office (Season 4); How I Met Your Mother (Season 3).

Music:

Radiohead, “In Rainbows”: I am not equipped with enough musical aptitude to do an honest review of this album or to do it justice. I will leave the musical reviews to the experts, but suffice it to say that this album is groundbreaking — in more ways than one.

One of the reasons I say it’s groundbreaking is that Radiohead is offering the album online at http://www.inrainbows.com at a price determined by the customer. That’s right: you can pay whatever amount you want for it. You can even choose to not pay at all. Radiohead is taking an anti-record-label stance and giving away their new album without regard for the bottom line of their financial statements. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood says, “It’s fun to make people stop for a few seconds and think about what music is worth, and that’s just an interesting question to ask people.”

Personally, I find it admirable that Radiohead is defying conventional business and releasing this album online without a record label. It shows a genuine love for their art and for their fans. Of course, the boys in Radiohead are probably rich enough to afford going without a big record label. 

What else you can listen to: Rilo Kiley, “Under the Blacklight”; The New Pornographers, “Challengers.”

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For questions, comments or corrections, please e-mail me at emailcarlramirez@yahoo.com.