We got Arbitron diaries at my house in the 1980s, when the family was down to just my mother and me, and we tried for a couple of days to fill it out (I of course treated it like we'd been asked to write a new book of the Bible), but we got really bored with it and gave it up.

I've loved the "Star Wars" movies for the ride and pure fun and found that it just didn't stand up when asked for more, particularly when it comes to back stories, prequels, spin-offs, encyclopedic scope, etc.

The fastest way to bring financial ruin upon yourself is to go for a drive in the United States without proof of insurance and current license and registration.

My work is very much like the restaurant critic's - a number of factors come together to make for a strong review.

I'm pretty sure the world is in solid agreement that "The Wire" is worth watching all the way through.

I don't have scientific data, but I think plenty of perfectly nice weekends are being given over to the binge craze.

My first few years as TV critic, I would go to parties and people (usually older Posties or ex-Posties who seemed to pride themselves on not watching very much television) would take me by the arm and insist that I watch this show they'd recently starting watching on DVD, about drug dealers in Baltimore.