I have been reading some of the online blather about the finale episode of The Sopranos. I cannot help it. Like pretty much everyone else in this pathetic, T.V. obsessed world we are living, it is pretty much all I am thinking about. Unlike the rest of you suckers, I actually like the character, Tony Soprano, and I am hoping for his ending up king of New York. After he slaughters Phil Leotardo and decapitates his worthless regime, Paulie and Tony will rise to lead the five families as they so richly deserve. Perhaps it is a lot to hope for in the course of an hour-long episode.

One thing I read stirred me up more than the various sorry notions of how the show will end. Someone said The Sopranos is the greatest television show ever. Wrong. The greatest television show ever is The Sopranos' brother HBO series The Wire. #2 is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. #3 is the original Twilight Zone. #4 The X-Files. Fortunately for all of us, most of the rest of the history of television is so filled with dreck , I can never put together a list of the 99 best shows ever. At best I could pull out 15, maybe, and I will leave that for another day.