tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89315357504505088522012-02-16T15:33:55.411-08:00News & Views on Long Island, New York, and the NationRaymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.comBlogger721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-26642217014720211992011-09-27T11:01:00.000-07:002011-09-27T11:01:50.865-07:00

September 27, 2011 Can the television show “Chuck” offer insights for work and business? “Chuck” vs. the Business World: Business Tips on TV by Ray Keating finds career advice, and lessons on business management in the hit television show “Chuck.” In this fun, valuable and unexpected book, Keating shows that TV spies and nerds can provide insights and guidelines on managing workers, customer

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-21382228241846742832011-07-29T13:37:00.000-07:002011-07-29T13:37:10.554-07:00

July 29, 2011 Ray Keating’s Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel has been getting an assortment of thumbs up. Check out the following: • Review on the “Abide In My Word” blog by Pastor Thomas Messer The review starts out: “So, I heard some buzz about this book and purchased it last October. But, it sat on my bookshelf unopened until last week when I took it with me over to the cottage and

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-26931989706242435122011-03-10T15:15:00.000-08:002011-03-10T15:15:44.998-08:00

  10) This pastor not only favors gun rights, but he’s skilled at using a variety of weapons! 9) Grant and his clergy buddies have no use for church liberals. 8) A free market economist is featured, and she knows how to wield a sword! 7) What the CIA, FBI and local law enforcement do to protect the American people is appreciated. 6) Environmental extremists do not come off well … to say the

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-18740661415221165572011-02-01T17:05:00.000-08:002011-02-01T17:05:30.176-08:00

  by Todd Rutherford The Publishing Guru February 1, 2011 Ray Keating’s Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is a thrilling, even breath-taking roller coaster ride through the Vatican, the CIA, with assassinations and more. In the spirit of Dan Brown, Keating creates a character just as memorable and complex as Brown’s Robert Langdon. Keating’s expertise and research on the topic shines

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-65344244740343421362011-01-17T11:30:00.000-08:002011-01-17T11:30:19.874-08:00

  by Ray Keating January 17, 2011 It’s obvious why nerds love the NBC show Chuck: It’s about a movie-quoting, sci-fi-loving, video-game-playing, comic-book-reading techie who works for the “Nerd Herd” (think Geek Squad) at the “Buy More” (how about Best Buy?), winds up getting a supercomputer with all the government’s secrets implanted in his brain, and becomes a spy. He goes on dangerous

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-72357629320327197442011-01-07T09:57:00.000-08:002011-01-07T09:57:16.621-08:00

January 7, 2011 Touchstone magazine has published as excerpt from Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating on its “Mere Comments” blog. It starts out: Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is about a former CIA agent who became a Lutheran pastor. (As noted in the book, by the way, Grant and his close clergy friends are avid Touchstone readers.) Grant’s former and current

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-41893300349283673682011-01-06T05:45:00.000-08:002011-01-06T05:45:38.323-08:00

January 6, 2011 St. Joseph’s College focuses on Ray Keating, author of Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, in its latest “Alumni Spotlight.” The article starts out: A shooting at a Long Island church. A priest with CIA training. And a proposal from the Vatican. These may sound like outrageous news headlines or the beginning of a Dan Brown novel, but this scenario is really the creation

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-51763149130018521252010-12-15T13:55:00.000-08:002010-12-15T14:01:38.953-08:00

  December 15, 2010 The second in a series of podcasts about Ray Keating’s new book Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel touches on the process of writing. Listen to the podcast here.  

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-68171415097128927672010-11-19T05:30:00.000-08:002010-11-19T05:30:22.439-08:00

November 19, 2010 A review of Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel from “Liturgy, Hymnody, and Pulpit Quarterly Book Review.” It starts out: I read the adventures of Jack Ryan by Tom Clancy. Like many, I've probably seen most of the James Bond films. And I've always been uncomfortable with the language and adult situations. Warrior Monk by Ray Keating has all of the adventure, intrigue,

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-86426100102617110092010-10-02T19:24:00.000-07:002010-10-02T19:24:12.745-07:00

Find interviews with Small Business experts on the Small Business Advocate show

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-280633301315944532010-09-30T16:47:00.001-07:002010-09-30T16:47:58.489-07:00

Find interviews with Small Business experts on the Small Business Advocate show

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-83357524353949898492010-09-29T10:41:00.000-07:002010-09-30T16:50:22.439-07:00

September 29, 2010 Check out Part I of Ray Keating’s interview with radio talk show host Jim Blasingame about Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel and the publishing business. Find interviews with Small Business experts on the Small Business Advocate show

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-26891545130391515812010-09-26T15:48:00.000-07:002010-09-26T15:48:05.266-07:00

September 26, 2010 Newsday columnist Ellis Henican gives a shout out on Ray Keating’s new book titled Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel: “Ray Keating's new novel is called ‘Warrior Monk’? Funny, I always thought of the former Newsday columnist as a bit of a warrior monk. Go get 'em, Ray.”

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-63715973860546427222010-08-05T12:50:00.000-07:002010-08-05T12:52:23.003-07:00

Covert Affairs: 5 Stars Out of 5Rubicon: 1 Star Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingAugust 5, 2010Two new spy shows have hit cable television recently – “Covert Affairs” (USA on Tuesday nights at 10:00 PM EST) and “Rubicon” (AMC on Sunday nights at 9:00 PM EST).Which comes out on top in this TV spy competition? It’s not even close. “Covert Affairs” wins easily.“Covert Affairs” features Piper Perabo

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-8869947634539858762010-07-15T18:29:00.000-07:002010-07-15T18:32:35.819-07:00

by Raymond J. KeatingJuly 15, 2010To say I have any true fashion sense is like saying President Barack Obama has a substantive understanding of how the economy works. It’s just silly. As friends and family will confirm, once the temperature creeps above 50 degrees, I usually can be found wearing shorts. Nonetheless, even I have to wonder about three recent fashion developments.First, what are

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-68731346777052195052010-02-03T06:11:00.000-08:002010-02-03T14:42:56.836-08:00

Review: 2 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingFebruary 3, 2010James Cameron’s “Avatar” received nine Academy Award nominations on Tuesday (February 2), including for Best Picture and Best Directing.I finally got around to seeing the blockbuster over the weekend. So, now my question is this: Has any previous film this bad ever received this many Oscar nominations?“Avatar” accomplished five things

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-57535766269285714952010-01-20T06:12:00.000-08:002010-01-20T06:16:52.542-08:00

Review: 4 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingJanuary 20, 2010Funny. Exceedingly smart. Handsome. Handy in all kinds of combat. And smooth with the ladies.Who am I talking about? It could, of course, be James Bond. But it’s not. Instead, it’s Christopher Chance. And the show is “Human Target,” which premiered Sunday night on Fox. Indeed, television this past Sunday (January 17) was a day of

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-30810845093543683462010-01-19T10:11:00.000-08:002010-01-19T10:13:59.596-08:00

Review: 5 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingJanuary 19, 2010Jack is back, and this time he’s right here, trying to save New York City.The four-hour, two-night premiere of the eighth season – or “Day 8” – of “24” offered the just-right mix of intrigue, old and new characters, mystery, and of course, suspense and action.The season starts off with Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) retired from his

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-49871282135996400512009-11-03T07:09:00.000-08:002009-11-03T07:12:25.609-08:00

Castle: 5 Stars Out of 5Heat Wave: 3.5 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingNovember 3, 2009Strolling into a bookstore a couple of weeks ago, an author caught my attention. Richard Castle? Where did I know that name from?Then, it dawned on me when I saw the book’s title – Heat Wave. This was a novel written by a fictional mystery/thriller writer from a television show.“Castle” was a midseason

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-61734620032752647462009-10-02T09:57:00.000-07:002009-10-02T09:58:46.118-07:00

Review: 5 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingOctober 2, 2009The concept is intriguing, and the story sucks you in immediately. The execution through the first two episodes has been nearly flawless. And the cast? Impressive.Really, the only question regarding ABC’s “Flashforward” is: Can the show’s creators maintain this high level of quality TV?“Flashforward” is sparked by everyone – well,

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-34009483845338374572009-09-15T11:45:00.000-07:002009-09-15T11:46:39.147-07:00

Review: 3 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingSeptember 15, 2009If you liked Jay Leno as the host of “The Tonight Show,” then you’ll like “The Jay Leno Show,” which debuted on NBC on Monday night, and will air each weeknight at 10:00 PM. Why? Because it’s the same darn thing Jay was doing at 11:30.Leno is back, after handing over “The Tonight Show” to Conan O’Brien, with the same talk show format

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-44668584726050967762009-08-19T11:06:00.000-07:002009-08-19T11:08:31.446-07:00

by Raymond J. KeatingAugust 19, 2009Many of us did some very stupid things during our youth. But we usually try to learn from the mistakes and foolishness, and move on. Few continually celebrate the stupidity of their youth.Well, that is, except for the Woodstock generation – that is, many of the 400,000-500,000 who reportedly attended the concert in upstate New York (far closer to Bethel than

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-52774637859560781192009-08-15T10:12:00.000-07:002009-08-15T10:16:22.308-07:00

by Raymond J. KeatingAugust 15-16, 2009One of the simple, precious joys of summer is listening for the bells or song of an ice cream truck coming down the street, scrambling to find money, and raising your hand in the air just in time.Sure, the ice cream is probably overpriced. But who cares?As Newsday reported on Thursday (August 13), there seems to be, however, an anti-ice-cream truck movement

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-67588393604729722392009-08-14T05:52:00.000-07:002009-08-14T05:53:49.125-07:00

by Raymond J. KeatingAugust 14, 2009What to do on a Sunday afternoon in the summer?Well, this past Sunday, I dropped in on the last of Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Summer Sundays that ran from July 12 to August 9.It was time to take a tour of RHIC – the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, including stops at the STAR and PHENIX detectors, and inside RHIC’s 2.4-mile ring. By the way, the RHIC ring

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-27111093430040924412009-08-07T14:03:00.000-07:002009-08-11T10:44:38.202-07:00

Review: 4 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingAugust 7-9, 2009“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” ranks as the most amusing of the six films in the Harry Potter franchise. It also manages to touch – briefly so – on some rather powerful themes. Among the intriguing issues are trust, memories, bravery, evil, conscience, sacrifice, the desire for immortality, and the soul.The challenge of

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-70464737294511076292009-07-27T06:55:00.000-07:002009-07-27T11:02:15.127-07:00

by Raymond J. KeatingJuly 27, 2009Amusement parks have been a must on the summer fun checklist for centuries. According to the National Amusement Park Historical Association, “Pleasure Gardens” started popping up around Europe in the late sixteenth century, and in 1894, Chutes Park became the first enclosed amusement park to charge admission. Of course, Coney Island’s amusement parks became huge

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-3253288421610070682009-07-20T18:28:00.000-07:002009-07-20T18:36:10.726-07:00

July 21, 2009Long Island Sentinel recently asked contributors and readers for summer reading recommendations. Previous recommendations can be read here.Father Johannes L. Jacobse has provided another recommendation.__________FR. JOHANNES L. JACOBSEIf you like art history, especially when the historian digs into the social and cultural reasons that influenced particular styles and genres, you will

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-57600578357840355132009-07-18T07:34:00.000-07:002009-08-11T10:45:14.305-07:00

Review: 3 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingJuly 18-19, 2009It took a while, but I finally got to the movie theater this past week to see “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” the sequel to the 2007 hit “Transformers.”Michael Bay is back as the director, which means that the film is jam packed with noise, explosions, action and innovative special effects. Even more so than the first “

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-73172715597691560702009-07-17T12:01:00.000-07:002009-07-17T12:10:33.304-07:00

July 17, 2009Long Island Sentinel recently asked contributors and readers for summer reading recommendations. Here they are.____________________ROBERT BENNEA fine book for summer reading would be Gerald R. McDermott’s The Baker Pocket Guide to World Religions. The subtitle is “What Every Christian Needs to Know,” which indicates to what sort of readership the book is directed. In eight brief

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-71610987455599635902009-07-15T05:51:00.000-07:002009-07-15T06:00:35.250-07:00

Review: 4 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingJuly 15, 2009Brad Paisley has served up lots of good music in recent years. The best album being his 2007 “5th Gear,” where Paisley struck all the right notes in terms of fun, foot tapping, and country soul.His new album, “American Saturday Night,” does not quite match the heights reached in “5th Gear,” but it’s darn good nonetheless.The title song “

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-69688094843738360312009-07-11T13:37:00.000-07:002009-07-13T06:37:01.078-07:00

Review: 4 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingJuly 11-12, 2009For some reason, the SciFi channel has changed its spelling to the Syfy channel. Cute, but unnecessary.Anyway, far more interesting was a new show that premiered on Syfy this past week. “Warehouse 13” continues a tradition started by “The X-Files” in the 1990s. That is, federal agents – one male, one female – wrestling with supernatural

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-25878522650816951712009-07-11T13:34:00.000-07:002009-07-11T13:37:15.277-07:00

Most of what has been written and said about Michael Jackson since his death has, to say the least, not been worth noting. However, writing for NationalReview.com, columnist Victor David Hanson provides interesting and instructive answers to the question: Who was Michael Jackson?The entire article should be read. But two of Hanson’s points are worth highlighting here:• In truth, almost everything

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-24567415587550248752009-07-06T13:13:00.000-07:002009-07-06T13:18:04.390-07:00

by Raymond J. KeatingJuly 6, 2009The Choral Festival at Brookhaven celebrated its 15th anniversary over this past weekend. The music, as usual, did not disappoint. But as has been the case in recent years, the audience left something to be desired – at least on the second night of the event.This year, the festival was split. On Friday night (July 3) at 6:00 PM at the Congregational Church on

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-1871304742355395602009-07-06T13:12:00.000-07:002009-07-06T13:18:23.009-07:00

by Ralph R. ReilandJuly 6, 2009SEA ISLE, N. J. – I felt like JonBenet's mother (during the good years) last week at the dog show up on the boardwalk. Simba, our golden retriever, repeated his prize-winning performance from the week before ("Best of Show") and brought home another first-place blue ribbon, this time for "Best Groomed," but it'll probably be his last beauty contest.Decked out in a

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-13399370816925904222009-06-23T10:03:00.000-07:002009-06-23T10:04:03.977-07:00

by Ralph R. ReilandJune 23, 2009SEA ISLE, N. J. – The big news here is that Simba, our 1 1/2-year-old golden retriever, just won "Best of Show" in this year's dog show on the boardwalk."Paws on the Promenade" is not exactly the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden, but he had dozens of good competitors, including five other top-notch goldens, a beautiful Bernese mountain dog,

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-49474125043049841332009-06-11T09:28:00.000-07:002009-06-11T09:30:42.845-07:00

Review: 4 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingJune 11, 2009Let me state right up front that medical TV shows are not my cup of tea. Too often, I start wondering about my own aches and pains, and wind up flipping the channel.Fortunately, based on the premiere episode on USA Network on June 4, “Royal Pains” is not your typical doctor drama. It’s amusing and stylish. It mocks much worth mocking. The

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-10461352651849653582009-06-08T11:52:00.000-07:002009-06-08T11:53:11.084-07:00

by Ralph R. ReilandJune 8, 2009SEA ISLE, N. J. – An article I read somewhere said that Eskimos have 100 words for snow and that Sherlock Holmes could distinguish 140 types of tobacco by their ashes.Distinguishing one type of ash from another was clearly useful to a detective in late-19th-century England where most of the killers were probably smokers, and there were hundreds of brands of pipe

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-66438658216868103912009-06-05T05:04:00.000-07:002009-06-05T05:05:51.231-07:00

by Kristin NoackJune 5, 2009In light of the new media frenzy surrounding the show, I thought it was time to chime in again on TLC’s “Jon & Kate Plus 8.” This is a show (for those who do not know) about a couple who had twin girls and then when they only wanted one more child, ended up having sextuplets. Thus, the “Plus 8” part of their family was born.The past few weeks have brought much

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-14697379898797604532009-06-04T11:25:00.000-07:002009-06-04T11:30:27.375-07:00

by Kristin NoackJune 4, 2009Survivor: TocantinsThe 18th season of “Survivor” ended with what I would quote it as, “Nice guys always finish last.” The finale had two contestants: JT and Stephen. They were original tribe members of Jalapao and from day one of the reality show, they were in an alliance together and managed to make it through all of the tribal councils and immunity challenges to be

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-70926729914796361622009-06-01T08:12:00.000-07:002009-06-01T08:15:35.698-07:00

by Ralph R. ReilandJune 1, 2009SEA ISLE, N.J. – They had a contest here last week in The Press of Atlantic City that asked readers in 25 words or less to submit answers to this question: “Where do you want to spend the last years of your life?”The winner was Nandini Taneja, from Mays Landing, with this reply: “Alone in a rented oceanfront apartment, praying daily for the years I lived, choices I

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-77419433563421513442009-05-30T18:03:00.000-07:002009-05-30T18:05:27.746-07:00

Review: 3 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingMay 30-31, 2009Liberals are funny. And I don’t mean laughing with them, but laughing at them.Think about it. The true-believing Left thinks that casual sex has no consequences. Abortion is just another choice. They don’t believe that people can truly be and act evil; instead, it’s all about poor communication. Liberals lean towards plants and animals

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-62548590315266559632009-05-29T09:26:00.000-07:002009-05-29T19:00:32.112-07:00

Review: 4 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingMay 29, 2009Though you could not tell from the weather on Long Island of late, since it’s post-Memorial Day, summer is unofficially upon us. When it comes to music, that means I break out Kenny Chesney, the Beach Boys, and a variety of other artists serving up beach-oriented tunes.That certainly includes some of the music by Jimmy Buffett. I’ll have a

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-69787998491908426172009-05-26T09:49:00.000-07:002009-05-26T09:57:29.557-07:00

Review: 3 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingMay 26, 2009“Night at the Museum” (2006) was an inventive, fun movie about how exhibits came to life at the Museum of Natural History after the sun went down. Now it’s time for the sequel.The question is: Did we really need a sequel? Well, we certainly don’t “need” any movie. More accurately, did we want a sequel? That can only be answered after the

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-57033911621629116252009-05-23T10:44:00.000-07:002009-05-23T10:48:16.709-07:00

by Raymond J. KeatingMay 23-25, 2009Long Islanders like to proclaim that we have some of the top beaches in the nation. The latest list of best beaches from “Dr. Beach” confirms this sand-and-surf declaration.Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman is the director of Florida International University’s Laboratory for Coastal Research. He has been doing an annual “Top 10 Beaches” ranking since 1991. The 50

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-79096664633256096322009-05-18T13:50:00.000-07:002009-05-18T13:52:30.652-07:00

May 18, 2009I thoroughly enjoyed the “reboot” of the Trek franchise with the new "Star Trek" film that opened on May 7. (See my review.)But not everyone liked it. Two of those reviews are well worth reading.At NationalReview.com, Jonah Goldberg highlights a fundamental plot flaw.And writing for The Weekly Standard, John Podhoretz does not like messing with timelines.Interesting reads both, and

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Review: 5 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingMay 8, 2009Where do you rank on the “Star Trek” fan meter? Trekker, Trekkie, interested fan, casual watcher, or no interest whatsoever?After getting hooked as a kid on the original “Star Trek” television show by watching reruns on New York’s WPIX Channel 11 at 6:00 each weeknight, I’ve probably fallen into the more serious “Trekker” category for some

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-43990311448808963512009-05-02T13:06:00.000-07:002009-05-02T13:11:00.699-07:00

Review: 3 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingMay 2-3, 2009What makes for a good superhero movie, and does “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” fit the bill?No matter what the genre, a film needs a good story. On this count, this movie works fairly well. Following on the X-Men movie trilogy, this prequel attempts to explain how Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) becomes the angry, independent loner/leader with

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-22936798405649625642009-04-29T12:56:00.000-07:002009-04-29T14:31:01.056-07:00

Review: 2.5 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingApril 29, 2009“Caprica” is a prequel to the television show “Battlestar Galactica” that just closed up shop after an impressive run on the Sci Fi channel.So, what’s the deal with “Caprica”? In an unusual step, this pilot episode is out on DVD, with the television series coming in 2010. Viewers must note that this is not a typical TV pilot. The DVD

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-89163939280356141432009-04-25T15:15:00.000-07:002009-04-25T15:27:59.282-07:00

Review: 5 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingApril 25-26, 2009Cab Calloway was one of the great showmen of jazz. His career got started in the 1920s, and he continued performing until his death in 1994 at the age of 88.My first exposure to Calloway actually was his role in “The Blues Brothers,” when he sang his classic “Minnie the Moocher.” But Calloway first rocketed to stardom at the Cotton

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Review: 3 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingMarch 30, 2009Watching anything in 3-D on a big screen usually gives me a headache, not to mention the glasses being a bit annoying on top of my prescription spectacles. So, actually paying a few extra dollars per ticket over the weekend to take the family to watch the 3-D version of the animated “Monsters vs. Aliens” made me wonder if I would need to

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by Raymond J. KeatingMarch 21-22, 2009The SciFi channel’s “Battlestar Galactica” signed off on Friday night, with an exciting and moving two-hour finale.As opposed to the terribly disappointing signoff to the “Star Trek: Enterprise” series in 2005, for example, “Battlestar Galactica” did it right – answering longtime questions, providing satisfying ends for various characters and key aspects of

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-12877761819580801452009-03-20T05:58:00.000-07:002009-03-20T06:00:03.930-07:00

by Kristin NoackMarch 20, 2009Yes, one of my favorite activities is watching TV. In addition, I’m a channel flipper.I know this habit annoys most people, but sometimes I get bored watching commercials. After all, I’m trying to maximize my TV watching time. With that admission out of the way, now some thoughts on TV doings.• “The View,” which is sometimes controversial in nature, was no different

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by Raymond J. KeatingMarch 14-15, 2009For five years, “Battlestar Galactica” has been the more-than-just-a-sci-fi-show science fiction show. Amidst battlestars, raptors, vipers, space battles and Cylons, “Battlestar Galactica” turned out to be a fascinating exploration of the high points and low points of the human condition.On Friday night (March 13), the end began for “Battlestar Galactica”

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-78017326088608333172009-03-11T10:30:00.000-07:002009-03-11T14:14:54.375-07:00

Review: 4 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingMarch 11, 2009Television crime dramas could benefit from more amusing banter and fewer explicit autopsies. Judging by its premiere on Monday night (March 9), ABC’s “Castle” fits the bill.The show revolves around two main characters. Rick Castle is a famous crime novelist, who also happens to be a carefree, ladies’ man. He’s wealthy, glib, amusing and

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-12643406558780067842009-03-07T11:43:00.000-08:002009-03-10T09:54:04.211-07:00

Review: 2 Stars Out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingMarch 7, 2009When the Watchmen was published in the mid-1980s, it was hailed as groundbreaking. Today, 23 years later, many see it as a classic.I first read the Watchmen about a dozen years ago, and re-read it in recent days in preparation for seeing the much-anticipated “Watchmen” film, which opened on Friday (March 6). The roughly

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-19258643248890939242009-02-28T06:38:00.000-08:002009-02-28T06:47:12.374-08:00

by Matthew CarolanFebruary 28, 2009In the Oscar-nominated “Revolutionary Road,” a film about angst in 1950s suburban Connecticut, Frank Wheeler, a character played by Leonardo DiCaprio, complains about how boring his middle-class life is, and how he wants, someday, to “really feel.”The way to feeling, it seems, is to move to Paris, which Frank and his wife April, played by Kate Winslet, long

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-35102958168687813232009-02-27T07:21:00.000-08:002009-02-27T07:25:37.986-08:00

Review: 5 stars out of 5by Kristin NoackFebruary 27, 2009Every Saturday night, HBO runs a new movie. This past weekend, it was a film from HBO Films called “Taking Chance.” Based on actual events from April 2004, Chance Phelps was a 19 year old young man who volunteered for the Marines to defend his country in Iraq and was killed in combat. The movie follows the journey of Lieutenant Colonel

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-93748944054300462009-02-25T08:37:00.000-08:002009-02-25T08:43:58.325-08:00

Review: 4 stars out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingFebruary 25, 2009The first season of TNT’s “Leverage” came to a close on Tuesday night (February 24).A season finale provides a gut reaction that serves as the best gauge for the quality of a television series. It’s easy to say you like this or that on TV. But after watching a season finale, if you long for more and immediately want to know when the

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Four Stars Out of Fiveby Raymond J. KeatingFebruary 13, 2009Dierks Bentley seems to specialize in rocking country songs about wild women who capture his heart. He serves up a few of those tunes in his new album, “Feel That Fire,” and a good deal more.To be exact, Bentley offers three women-are-wild-but-I-love-‘em songs. The title track “Feel That Fire,” along with “Here She Comes” and the party

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-8356631167776671822009-02-11T20:37:00.000-08:002009-02-11T20:42:20.623-08:00

by Raymond J. KeatingFebruary 12, 2009So, what will you and the love of your life do this Valentine’s Day weekend? The Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor suggests their “Romance Weekend.”Presented by Bookhampton, Bay Street will show two classic romance films that are not often seen on a big screen anymore. On Friday night, February 13, at 8:00 pm, “The Shop Around the Corner,” starring Jimmy

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-83530997284389867782009-02-11T20:33:00.000-08:002009-02-11T20:36:53.253-08:00

by Kristin NoackFebruary 12, 2009“Survivor” is one of the most popular shows on television, and it’s back for another season. In fact, it’s back for an 18th season airing on CBS on Thursday nights at 8 pm. For those who missed those first 17 seasons, the premise is that a group of people get dropped off in the middle of nowhere, usually the jungle or another semi-dangerous setting, to see how

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-43849371106020580582009-02-10T20:39:00.000-08:002009-02-10T20:42:07.467-08:00

Review: 4 Stars out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingFebruary 11, 2009It’s hard to believe that Wynonna Judd first hit the music scene way back in the early 1980s with her mother, Naomi, as The Judds.Wynonna, of course, has been on her own musically now for many years, and her new album, “Sing Chapter 1,” shows just how far she has journeyed over the years. She selects a variety of songs that nicely show

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-38185615316913390722009-02-10T05:58:00.000-08:002009-02-10T20:49:52.378-08:00

by Raymond J. KeatingFebruary 10, 2009The Grammy Awards on Sunday night provided a variety of reminders, as well as some discoveries, on the popular music front. Like many others, as indicated by sliding television ratings in recent years, I had not watched the Grammies in some time.Sunday night’s show on CBS turned out to be rather short on awards being presented, but long on live acts. That was

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-2844806948231885202009-02-09T04:11:00.000-08:002009-02-09T08:22:38.592-08:00

by Robert R. McMillanFebruary 9, 2009Relaxing in Florida, it never occurred to us that our Long Island home would face a challenge that we had never faced before. And I hope we never have the experience again. We have left our home for weeks at a time over the years and never faced a serious problem. Then, it hit a little over a year ago.The call came on a Sunday afternoon. Our house was full

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-37641165118701581362009-02-07T05:15:00.000-08:002009-02-07T05:20:12.536-08:00

by Kristin NoackFebruary 7, 2009This year’s entertainment at the Super Bowl was both good and bad. Since the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” between Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake, the producers of the Super Bowl have been playing it safe. This year was no exception. The halftime headliner was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.As a not-so-old person, I thought this was one of the

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-42962402507928860842009-02-04T05:01:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:32:57.233-08:00

by Raymond J. KeatingFebruary 4, 2009Who knew there was such a thing as Springsteen-omics?Bruce Springsteen cut a deal to have a greatest hits CD released exclusively through Wal-Mart last month. But apparently, Bruce has regrets. It turns out he doesn’t like how Wal-Mart does business.On February 1, the day before Springsteen performed at the Super Bowl, the New York Times ran a fawning piece

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-33715510019474377632009-02-02T06:02:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:35:11.926-08:00

Review: Three Stars Out of Fiveby Raymond J. KeatingFebruary 2, 2009Not having read the book by Cornelia Funke, I was at a disadvantage heading into the movie theater to see “Inkheart.” The basis of the story is enormously appealing, especially for lovers of books. By reading out loud, a “silver tongue” has the power to bring a character, object or event out of a book and into our world. But

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-17910872265365750822009-01-28T03:33:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:32:07.494-08:00

Review: 2 Stars out of 5by Raymond J. KeatingJanuary 28, 2009Ever since the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” by Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, the NFL has gone in a different direction in terms of its choice of entertainers.In 2005, it was Paul McCartney. The Rolling Stones rocked in 2006. Prince took the field in 2007, and in 2008, it

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-26509833205920303822009-01-26T03:42:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:36:39.227-08:00

by Kristin NoackJanuary 26, 2009As I sat down to watch my favorite TV show, I was full of anticipation and excitement. Not to be let down, Coach Taylor opened up the show with one line summing up what I was feeling, “I have only one question. Are you ready for Friday Night?” “Friday Night Lights,” that is, on NBC at 9:00 PM on Fridays.Despite the show’s low ratings, loyal viewers were ready for

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-27483914058352061742009-01-23T03:50:00.000-08:002009-01-23T03:53:59.484-08:00

by Robert R. McMillanJanuary 23, 2009Prior to being named by President George H.W. Bush to the Board of Directors of the Panama Canal Commission, I first visited Panama in 1961 when I was Counsel to Senator Kenneth B. Keating (R-NY). A group of us from Capitol Hill did a fifteen-day tour through Central and South America with a two-day stop in Panama.Traveling by train across the Isthmus, I will

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-81997077391991798942009-01-19T06:53:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:38:47.333-08:00

Review: 4 stars out of 5Rated Rby Raymond J. KeatingJanuary 19, 2009Going back forty or fifty-plus years, the western was everywhere. Hollywood cranked out westerns for television and theatrical release in factory-like fashion. Cowboy hats, six shooters, and horses were ubiquitous.But with the passage of time, tastes changed. Although one can debate exactly whose tastes did the changing – viewers

Raymond J. Keatinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08803360812725657487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8931535750450508852.post-73226428503951124112009-01-15T04:47:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:41:03.766-08:00

by Raymond J. KeatingJanuary 15, 2009The pen is mightier than the sword. That’s especially true if Jack Bauer happens to be wielding that pen. During the first hour of the new season of “24,” Bauer threatened to use a ballpoint as a weapon against an evildoer in order to extract information needed to save thousands of American lives.The seventh season of “24” kicked off with a four-hour premiere

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