Haines His Way
Archives => Archive 2 => Topic started by: bk on September 14, 2004, 12:05:42 AM
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Well, you've read the notes, you are now drooling over the prospect of hearing about C.C. Brown's hot fudge sundae, and now it is time for you to post until the C.C. Cows come home.
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Well... If you want to hear about my C.C. Brown's experience, just check out my "last" posts from last night/yesterday. :D
Question for BK: The hot fudge sauce only came on the side. Did it - was it - originally served on top of the ice cream AND on the side? Or just on the side?
-And since I did not have the "Original Hot Fudge Sundae" earlier tonight, I'd be more than happy to join you and DR Pogue to compare my Buster Brown experience. -That is, of course, if my system is recovered by tomorrow evening. ;)
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The cows and I soon going to bed to read (my cows are VERY intelligent). I have nothing much to say about my "media" set-up. In a word - two words, actually - it's primitive and crappy. When I move and have a larger home environment, things will improve media-wise.
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Oh, and BK - and other interested parties, just FYI - the entrance for the Schwab's part of Sunset+Vine is off of Vine. Just look for the Bed, Bath & Beyond, and the Kabuki sushi place, and the Schwab's restaurant is right past it - that is if you are coming from Hollywood Blvd. Otherwise, if you're coming up from Santa Monica, you should see the nice big neon Schwab's sign. *And the promotional flyer for the Sunset+Vine "luxury apartments" is worth checking out too! -I almost inquired at the rental desk to check out the rents. But, I have a feeling it's one of those cases where "If you have to ask..."
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The hot fudge was/should always be on the side, but I'm dismayed to hear they don't have the famous brown ceramic pitchers. Do they at least have the silver cups?
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Oh... And at the end of the C.C. Brown's menu there is a nice blurb about the history of C.C. Brown's which does include a mention of the Schumaker's. However, it does not mention who currently owns/runs the place.
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The hot fudge was/should always be on the side, but I'm dismayed to hear they don't have the famous brown ceramic pitchers. Do they at least have the silver cups?
Silver cups? Hmmm... The only silver-looking thing I saw was the creamer pitcher that held the hot fudge sauce. Otherwise, all the other serving vessels are glass - martini glasses, short sundae glasses, tall sundae glasses, etc. All glass. But maybe I didn't order the "right" sundae to get a silver cup. You know more about the history of the place than I do, and I await your judgment and impressions of the place.
-Oh, and they close at 9:00, apparently - although it may depend upon how busy the restaurant is next door.
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Is that enough C.C. Brown's talk for now? ;)
(Actually, the next time I go there, I'll try to get there earlier in the day so "it" has more time to digest (before I get ready for bed). Like I said, that ice cream was very rich... good, but very rich.)
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As for my media set-up at home, I have a TV, a VCR (VHS), and a DVD player (a nice Panasonic one my brother "gave" to me) in the living room. In the bedroom I have a shelf-system with a 3-CD changer, cassette player, and radio; and a clock radio. The shelf system and the clock radio get more "quality time" than anything else. And even then, I usually listen to radio more than anything else. That is, of course, when I'm not watching FoodTV and TLC on cable.
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OK... I'm outta here...
Goodnight.
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When describing your tv and sound system, please also list your address, the times you won't be home and if you have a security system.
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We don't have a very elaborate electronics set up. There is a big TV, not huge, just large, I don't even know the dimensions. I bought it a few years ago when I got a bonus at work. We still just have a VCR attached to the television. The only DVD player is part of the computer. Despite our large number of CDs we have a very out-of-date single CD player w/a radio and tape deck. We have a boom box in the bedroom and a clock radio. That is the extent of our media set up. We have talked about getting a DVD player but haven't yet. We watch so little television that we don't feel it's worth the money to upgrade to digital television (plus I have my long-standing dislike of Time-Warner Cable here in New York). We already have too many channels we don't watch. Why add another boatload of sports channels and 16 million Discovery channel spin-offs? It doesn't make sense. I'm an old-fashioned kind of guy. I'll listen to the radio (both the physical radio and the internet variety). We have also talked about upgrading our CD system and buying a stand-alone burner to finish putting our many records on to CD. We will probably do that sometime later this year.
Happy Anniversary to the Pogues. Wasn't that the name of a rock band?
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A shot of me eating yummylicious deep fried cheese curds!
The shot is kind of dark but you can see the deep fried wonders clear enough.
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The media center here needs a makeover. There's a record player that really should be fixed, and a CD player (with tape deck and radio) that went on the fritz last week. We have one TV, about the size of Ben's (big but not huge), to which the VCR and DVD players are connected. We get umpteen channels (most of them unwatched) on our TV, thanks to ExpressVu - which is hooked up to our apartment complex.
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It's much too early in the day to be looking at deep-fried cheese curds - especially glowing ones.
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Deep fried cheese curds? Bleurg... :P Sorry, that just don't sound appetizing... looks yummy though.
Media set up... no TV. We borrowed a small tv/vcr unit for watching videos when the wife was teaching an intro to film course, but we like to keep the demon box out of the house. We watch DVDs on the computer (thinking of getting one of the new imacs to mount to the wall), and we useta play records and CDs on an el cheapo all-in-one system, which we chucked when the CD tray busted. Now, CDs get played on iTunes, or on one of several "boxes" in the place, while the records languish on the shelf.
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BK - Does that bookstore owner also go under the name of Rhoda Penmark and does she have a penmanship medal?
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Cheese Curds!
Cheese Curds!
Gooey, chewy Cheese Curds!
Cheese Curds!
Cheese Curds!
Eat them up!
Yum!
My entertainment center is of the modest variety, compaired to those of my friends. I have a 27" Sony Trinitron (I really don't want anything bigger. The TV is already the focal point of my livingroom and I feel that anything larger would dominate the room.)
The TV sits on what is actually a kitchen microwave cart, but it situates the set at the perfect eye level and the wood matches my living room coffee and end tables.
On the shelf below the TV, I have my Sony DVD player and Sony VCR (yes, I'll admit it--I'm a Sony whore.) The DVD player is only about three years old, but already out-of-date. It does not play burnt CDs (music or mp3s), and I'm sure that it's Region 1 compatable only. Still, it gets me to where I want to go and I don't plan on replacing it anytime soon.
The Sony VCR was purchased two years ago and replaced my first VCR--a Panisonic that I bought back in 1983. I'm still amazed at the picture and sound quality with which it records and I love the features. My only grumble is that it records only at SP and EP--my old Panisonic had an in-between speed that would record 4 hours on a tape. But the EP quality on the new machine is very good and, aside from wasting tape space for programs that are only 3 hours or so, I can't complain too much.
On either side of the TV/microwave cart are two speakers that aren't hooked up to anything. The only purpose they serve are to put things on. My basic cable box sits on one of the speakers. I haven't made the jump to digital cable because, like DR Ben, I don't see the reason to have multiple versions of Discovery or The Histoy Channel. If I was missing something like The Broadway Channel or All-Sondheim TV, I would reconsider. But I'm not, so...
Inside the cart, aside from storing empty VHS tapes, I have a Sony(!) Playstation One and a Nintendo Game Cube. I don't play with either one very much. I enjoy playing video games, but it seems like most of the games today require an investment of hours of play that I'm not currently willing to give into.
And, that is probably a lot more about my entertainment center than anyone really wants to know.
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Well I am happy to report that I had a most excellent night's sleep last night. The waterbed mattress now has the correct amount of water in it. ANd it was GREAT! (although I had to fill it twice and then empty some water, which was a pain).
But it's up and running now. Yeah!
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My television is a 36 inch something-or-other and I have, and still use for taping purposes, a vcr. I also have a DVD player hooked up. I have a second DVD player in my bedroom closet. It was a fine DVD player but it would not play one of my Bollywood DVDs for some reason so I had to scurry out and pick up one that would! Nothing, but nothing would keep me from my Bollywood!
I have digital cable which provides me with around 300 or 400 channels...of which I watch about 3! TCM, TV Land, and Goodlife Network.
I have a CD player in the kitchen which also plays cassettes.
I have a boombox with dual cassettes which recently broke...have not been able to replace it as they must not make 'em anymore!! I do need to find another and it must have high speed dub capablities...I use it to make a back-up copy of my interviews...just in case! Lately I have just been taking my chances and HOPING that nothing happens to the original tape of the interview as I am transcribing it to paper.
I must drink coffee now.
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DR DIT, since you watched Tiger Cruise, I believe DR Panni had a question for you. Being Canadian, were you happy with the ending or not?
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DR Jane, I think I'd like to join your book food club too! :)
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An obituary in today's NY Times, in memory of "Unc" (Fred Ebb)
You preferred "A Quiet Thing" to "All That Jazz." You always said 'Yes' ... Your life will be remembered for your words and many gifts. "How Lucky Can You Get?"
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Happy Anniversary to the Pogues!
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Tiger Cruise: spoiler alert (ending is divulged).
Jennifer,
About the ending of Tiger Cruise, are you referring to Madie's proud acceptance of her dad's job, or to the unfurling of the flag? I thought both were appropriate. As the movie came to a close, I asked Gord (more of a Canadian than I am - he was born in London, Ont.; and not a sappy guy) how he thought it would/should end. He felt, especially given the backdrop to the story, there was only one ending (which was the one it had).
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From time to time, people read what I write about Los Angeles and figure "He can't be serious. L.A. couldn't possibly be really like that. He must be exaggerating for comic effect."
But I swear this is true...
If you enter Hollywood & Highland not from Bruce's hotel but from some more logical location, like, say, the corner of Hollywood & Highland, you'll soon notice, on the ground, a sort of yellow brick road. It's an inlaid tile pathway, that, every few yards, has some quote from somebody who's made a career in Hollywood about how they got their start. That's what they want you to think about: How various successes got their start. (Keep that in mind.) The quotes are sometimes amusing, sometimes interesting, but, annoyingly, they don't tell you who they're from. Now, in many cases, you can figure this out "I had this show in Philadelphia in which I played the latest 45s" could only be Dick Clark, for instance, or, "I was just another loud-mouthed housewife in Utah." Sometimes the quotes are from key grips and other technicians. The path diverges into a couple of sections, but soon, it's clear that this quote-filled path has a destination. And this destination is the figurative answer to "How does one make it in Hollywood?"
At the end of the path, set against a background that includes the Hollywood sign, is a big fiberglass couch. The casting couch. That's the answer.
I'm not making this up.
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For those who are interested (DR Robin where art thou?) I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE (1958) is out on DVD today!
I am just a little excited!
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We're getting some Ivan spilloff a day or two early. It was always slated to get here on Thursday, but today's forecast says rain will begin this afternoon and continue for much of the rest of the week. Just keeping fingers crossed here that it won't be too serious.
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Reading DR td's description of the ANGEL - Season 4 DVD set reminded me I haven't even looked at Seasons 2 or 3 yet! Argh! And my Hitchcock discs came yesterday. Never enough time to watch everything I want, especially now that rehearsals are underway for SOMETHING'S AFOOT.
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If anyone's in touch with TCB, please forward him good 10-Little-Indian (and one healthy computer) vibes.
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On a TV related topic:
For the first time in thirty-plus years, I find that I have no desire to pick up this year's TV Guide Fall Preview issue. I've given up buying it on a weekly basis last year when it switched to a Sunday to Saturday schedule because it seemed that it wasn't arriving in stores until Tuesday, so the Sunday and Monday listings were a complete waste. Also, with all the last-minute schedule changes that occur anymore (particularly on NBC), the listings were often outright wrong. And the articles had all the depth of Teen People Magazine. When I stopped buying it, it was not missed. I use the Sunday newspaper supplement instead.
But last night when I was at the check-out at the supermarket, I reached for the Fall Preview issue and was ready to buy it until I looked at the price--$2.99! Yes, that's cheap in comparison to most magazines, but it's still sticker shock to someone who remembers buying the TV Guide at just 15 cents. Then I remembered that my curiosity level over the new fall shows was basically nil, so I put it back into the rack. An era has ended for me.
Which is a shame, 'cause I remember how much I looked forward to this issue every year. Reading the synopses of each new show, discovering what was changing in returning favorites, and then scanning the schedule grid and plotting out what we would be watching throughout the week. The issue was nirvana for a teen-age TV lover like myself.
As I got older, and the network execs began stunt scheduling and cancelling shows after two low-rated broadcasts, and then with the advancement of regularly scheduled cable programming, the TV Guide's Fall Preview began to matter less and less. Each year as I studied the grid, I realized that I was watching less and less broadcast TV. This year, my must-watch lists consists of only Everybody Loves Raymond and Scrubs. If I watch Joey it will be because there is nothing of interest on TCM on that night. And then maybe Will & Grace out of habit. And that's about it. Pretty sad. Close to a hundred channels and nothing on that I want to watch.
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Not serious storm Vibes to MattH!
And may EVERYTHING turn out fine VIBES to TCB!
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PAGE TWO DANCE!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/WandaDuck/s1376029.jpg)
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Media set-up:
TV: 42" Toshiba widescreen HDTV
DVD recorder/player: Panasonic (the DVR has both a hard drive and a DVD-R recorder)
VHS - Toshiba hifi stereo VCR
laserdisc - Panasonic
multimedia receiver: Pioneer with 6 surround speakers and a subwoofer so I can decode Dolby Digital-EX and DTS-ES with a back center surround channel in addition to the right and left back surrounds.
HDTV receiver - Panasonic
Digital cable - Time Warner with HDTV capability.
Frankly, I prefer network HDTV using the Panasonic over-the-air HDTV receiver. The color is more saturated and the detail richer to my eyes. But it only gets the high definition broadcasts of CBS, ABC, NBC, WB, Fox, PBS, and UPN. I have to use the Time Warner HDTV digital cable box to get HBO, Showtime, Discovery, TNT, and a couple of other high definition channels (in addition to all of those other cable and music channels).
Yes, it's a lot of "stuff," but I look on it as my only real vice. And I hope in the next year to upgrade to a 50" DLP widescreen HDTV.
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Now that I've read descriptions of other DR's media setups, i see that mine is actually not "crappy'" (the lovely word I used previously) - but ordinary. For some reason I was thinking that everyone except me had some kind of sophisticated setup with surround sound and huge screens.
I have two TV's (had 4, at one time 5, in my previous house - ridiculous!). One TV is small and in the bedroom and I rarely watch it. The other is maybe 27" - I don't know. It's housed inside a silly handpainted pine TV hutch which I must get rid of one day. I have two VCRs, a DVD player and a turntable and several radios. My sound system is pathetic. It consists of two little speakers sitting on a bookshelf amid the books. Better than nothing, I suppose.
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I just had a good laugh seeing my post after DR MattH's! Okay - so maybe not EVERYONE has ordinary setups.
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I'm very much with Dan the Man on the TV Guide Fall Preview. It was the ONLY issue I'd buy every year, because, for some schadenfreudian reason, I loved looking at it a few weeks into the season and seeing how many shows were already gone (Bram & Alice, anyone?).
This year, I'm not buying it because there's no novelty in counting how many shows are gone by Thanksgiving, most have. And the networks, instead of employing good Guild writers to create fiction, keep spewing out the fiction called "reality" on the cheap. TV disgusts me nowadays. We've got the "input" switch on DVD rather permanently these days.
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I like DR Panni's question (with response) from yesterday - and am copying it below. I can't really think of an answer, although a friend of mine (we've been on the outs a bit lately) is soon to move into a 12,500 square foot home. That kind of thing doesn't usually impress me, but I'm curious to know if one can find his way out of such surroundings. (And, based on earlier residences, I think it will simply be immense - not spiffy.)
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The $5000 suite reminds me of a GOOD TOPIC: The spiffiest places we've stayed.
I shall begin... High on my spiffy hit parade is a place in the Cayman Islands that had, among other cute touches, a WHITE grand piano in the living room. The balcony looked out at the ocean a few steps away. And every room had an ocean view with a wrap-around balcony. It was stunning. If you want to see what it looked like, rent THE FIRM. This condo complex was used in the movie. (I don't know if it was this particular condo or one that looked just like it.)
I'm not really a beach person (lying around in the sun bores me to distraction - plus I burn in two seconds - so what's the point?) - but even I was impressed by this locale.
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Tiger Cruise: spoiler alert (ending is divulged).
Jennifer,
About the ending of Tiger Cruise, are you referring to Madie's proud acceptance of her dad's job, or to the unfurling of the flag? I thought both were appropriate. As the movie came to a close, I asked Gord (more of a Canadian than I am - he was born in London, Ont.; and not a sappy guy) how he thought it would/should end. He felt, especially given the backdrop to the story, there was only one ending (which was the one it had).
No, DR Panni and I were talking about the dad continuing his job.
After I watched it, I commented how I wanted the dad to keep his promise and be with his family. And DR Panni said that she thought that most Canadians would gag at the ending as it now was. That was when she mentioned that she would like to hear your comments. Although I don't know if you were raised in Canada or not.
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I had a very good night's sleep. It's very quiet, which suprised me.
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Re: The Fall Preview TV Guide
That's also the only issue of the year I buy.
The only shows that look promising to me this year are: Lost (40+ people are stranded on an island after their plane goes down), Jack & Bobby (looking at the childhood years of the President and his brother as they grow up), and Desperate Housewives (has a bunch of actresses I like, showing the women's lives - I think it's part comedy part drama).
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Good morning, everyone.
Re TV setup: We have a small tv I brought over from my mother's house. I dropped the larger one trying to move it. I brought over the vcr as well, but we never hooked it up.
Re spiffy places: I'm a simple gal, so I stay at budget motels when I travel. We stayed at a swell place in NYC, because my sister made the arrangements. Other than that, I've stayed at the Flamingo in Las Vegas several times.
Re TV Guide: I got the remainder of my mother's subscription, which I don't believe I looked at more than twice.
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My media set up is quite ordinary as well. We have a 25" stereo TV (digital cable) with a DVD and VHS VCR set up in the den, in an entertainment center. I usually dislike entertainment centers, but this one at least let's you shut the TV out of sight. It looks like an entertainment center, but you don't have to stare at the TV if you don't want to. (I have never been able to stomach TVs in living rooms, so when we bought a house, I was quite pleased that we were able to put the TV elsewhere.) We have a non-working turntable, single CD, and double cassette (on which only one side works) components in a cabinet in the living room. They are all connected to two speakers that I shlepped home from Radio Shack (of all places) that give very nice sound, and they aren't pieces of furniture, and sit on book shelves (we have built ins in the living room).
We have a 22" (maybe 23") TV in the master bedroom (basic cable), with another VHS VCR attached. This is the only VCR in the house that I can make tape a program.
We have another small TV in the kitchen (no cable), which I usually watch to get some news in the morning while having my cup of tea. We inherited one of those under-the-shelf clock radio/tape player/message centers from the previous homeowners. We rarely use it, except as a clock.
And what do we listen to most often? The Showtune channel on digital cable. It's great, and there's no having to change CDs, and they play the oddest things every once in a while.....
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Answers to yesterday's trivia questions.
Of the three Encores productions (Purlie, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Apple Tree):
Q. This actor starred in the original production of one, and appeared in the original production of the play on which another was based.
A. Alan Alda starred in The Apple Tree and was featured in Purlie Victorious. The prize goes to Dan the Man.
Q. This actor appeared in the original production of one, and in two original productions by the composer and lyricist of another.
A. Nathaniel Frey appeared in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, as well as in Harnick and Bock's (Apple Tree) Fiorello and She Loves Me.
Bonus trivia question.
Q. Of the three upcoming Encores shows, name this one:
(a) its composer and lyricist (Purlie - Geld and Udell)
(b) wrote the music for a show (Shenandoah)
(c) that starred an actor (John Cullem)
(d) who co-starred in a musical (On the Twentieth Century)
(e) with an actress (Madeline Kahn)
(f) who had a memorable scene in a movie (Blazing Saddles)
(g) featuring the star of (a) (Cleavon Little)
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Spiffiest places I have ever stayed? Nto entirely sure, but the spiffiest bathroom I have ever had was when I stayed at the Bellagio.
My Four Seasons experiences have also been nice. I know I stayed in one in Seattle, and I think another one, but dont remember where. THey also had the nicest bathroom amenities.
Personally, I think cruise ship cabins (with a balcony, preferably) are the bestest, even though they may not be large..... Favorite one? Holland America, but I don't remember if it was the one on the Amsterdam, or the one on the Maasdam.
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I neglected to mention my other media center--my PC at home. I get excellent sound out of it, thanks to the nice quality speakers and sub-wolfer, so I never hesitate to play CDs on it. Also, I've amassed a large quantity of (*ahem!*) alternitively acquired recordings which I store as MP3s either on the harddrive or burnt onto DVDs. My PC then becomes a jukebox that can play anything from Culture Club's greatest hits to a complete live recording of Falsettos.
I'll occaisionally watch DVDs on it--though it's only a 17" monitor, the picture quality is way better than my TV.
And I also have an external TV device that connects via USB that allows me to watch TV on my PC. I don't have cable running to my home office, but I get a decent enough broadcast picture using rabbit ears. The device also has an FM receiver, so I can listen to the radio, too.
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Re: The Fall Preview TV Guide
That's also the only issue of the year I buy.
The only shows that look promising to me this year are: Lost (40+ people are stranded on an island after their plane goes down), Jack & Bobby (looking at the childhood years of the President and his brother as they grow up), and Desperate Housewives (has a bunch of actresses I like, showing the women's lives - I think it's part comedy part drama).
D'oh! I forgot all about those shows and that I was at least curious enough about them to watch the initial episodes. Thanks for the reminder, Jen.
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Bonus trivia question.
Q. Of the three upcoming Encores shows, name this one:
(a) its composer and lyricist (Purlie - Geld and Udell)
(b) wrote the music for a show (Shenandoah)
(c) that starred an actor (John Cullem)
(d) who co-starred in a musical (On the Twentieth Century)
(e) with an actress (Madeline Kahn)
(f) who had a memorable scene in a movie (Blazing Saddles)
(g) featuring the star of (a) (Cleavon Little)
That's a GOOD one!
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A little bit off-topic, but what did y'all think of Oprah's Big Announcement yesterday? I would never begrudge her of her wealth or her generosity, but this stunt seemed so tacky. It was as if she was trying to recreate the "Oprah's Favorite Things" skit they did on SNL last year. Fortunately, no one's head exploded.
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Jennifer,
When I referred to the daughter's "proud acceptance" of her father's job - that's what I meant; i.e., that he wouldn't be deserting his ship. As Panni stated earlier, it would have been somewhat unheroic for him to do so at this point in time.
No, the scene didn't make me gag, either as a moviegoer or as a Canadian. I was caught up in the storyline - and if the ending had been otherwise, I would have been confused.
Perhaps if the backdrop had been an event other than 9/11, I might have thought the flag-waving was excessive. But for a movie set against that event, and on board a naval ship, it rang true.
I wasn't born in Canada but have spent a good two-thirds of my life here. I canvassed my Canadian neighbor and her granddaughter - they watched the movie together - and neither one had a problem with the ending.
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Stuart,
What's the response in Rochester to the suspension of sailings by The Breeze (the Toronto-Rochester ferry)? I was having dinner at a waterfront restaurant as the ship was pulling in - it looked so stately - and I thought it would be around for years to come.
The story hasn't been getting too much press here, but I hope all the difficulties will soon be worked out. I know it's a time of forgiveness, but I still blame our Globe and Mail reporter Jan Wong for getting the ship off to a bad start with her mean-spirited - and tacky - column.
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I still buy TV guide, but I get so many channels that aren't listed in the guide at all, so that is frustrating. Also they have separated the movies into a listing in the back of the magazine...which is good and bad for me. It is the only part that I know look at and so I miss a lot of the other stuff that is showing during the week.
Ever since I was in grade school I would look forward to the TV guide and I would mark all the shows I wanted to watch.
There are actually some interesting sounding programs beginning this fall.
DR Noel, I could have sworn you were a fan of American Idol which I recall is one of the most popular "reality" shows on TV...next to Survivor of course.
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From time to time, people read what I write about Los Angeles and figure "He can't be serious. L.A. couldn't possibly be really like that. He must be exaggerating for comic effect."
But I swear this is true...
If you enter Hollywood & Highland not from Bruce's hotel but from some more logical location, like, say, the corner of Hollywood & Highland, you'll soon notice, on the ground, a sort of yellow brick road. It's an inlaid tile pathway, that, every few yards, has some quote from somebody who's made a career in Hollywood about how they got their start. That's what they want you to think about: How various successes got their start. (Keep that in mind.) The quotes are sometimes amusing, sometimes interesting, but, annoyingly, they don't tell you who they're from. Now, in many cases, you can figure this out "I had this show in Philadelphia in which I played the latest 45s" could only be Dick Clark, for instance, or, "I was just another loud-mouthed housewife in Utah." Sometimes the quotes are from key grips and other technicians. The path diverges into a couple of sections, but soon, it's clear that this quote-filled path has a destination. And this destination is the figurative answer to "How does one make it in Hollywood?"
At the end of the path, set against a background that includes the Hollywood sign, is a big fiberglass couch. The casting couch. That's the answer.
I'm not making this up.
What Dear Reader Noel describes indeed does exist. It is an example of what is called "1% art." 1% of the budget of municipal construction projects must be devoted to public art. To my mind, this path of quotations leading to the casting couch is the only--and I mean only--redeeming feature of the ghastly Hollywood & Highland monolith.
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We have the equivalent of "1% art" here as well. A certain percentage of freeway construction funds must be spent on art. The first bit of said art appeared was broken pots on the freeway wall.
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On a TV related topic:
For the first time in thirty-plus years, I find that I have no desire to pick up this year's TV Guide Fall Preview issue. I've given up buying it on a weekly basis last year when it switched to a Sunday to Saturday schedule because it seemed that it wasn't arriving in stores until Tuesday, so the Sunday and Monday listings were a complete waste. Also, with all the last-minute schedule changes that occur anymore (particularly on NBC), the listings were often outright wrong. And the articles had all the depth of Teen People Magazine. When I stopped buying it, it was not missed. I use the Sunday newspaper supplement instead.
I used to subscribe to TV Guide and I also found that I never read it. I now go on-line to tvguide.com. You can search for titles and actors and everything. When I cancelled my print subscription a couple of years ago, I had renewed a few months earlier for three years at less than 77¢ an issue (the news-stand price had just jumped up to $1.99 per issue!). My refund was over $100!! When I paid for the renewal, it was about $120 (four monthly installments of $39.99) and was a GREAT deal...but if I never read it, what good was it? So I go on-line anymore and am much happier.
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TV Guide has totally gone to hell in a handbag. When they moved the listing start from Saturday to Sunday (1 day) they moved the on sale date from Monday to Thursday (3 days). This may be an atempt to get people to subscribe which I never did because subscription copies always arrived several days after the on sale date.
They only list about 25% of the stations I get, have stations not in the area included in their movie listings and feature ads from stations that are also not in the area.
They have spread the grids to two pages so you don't get all of prime time on one grid. Their program descriptions have gone from plentiful to pitiful and they don't list "guest casts" anymore so you can't look up who that familiar actor whose name you can't recall is.
They add multi covers, CDs, 3D covers, all at the expense of the reader (you never know from week to week what the cover price will be).
I once wore by TV Guide. Now I barely read it.
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Stuart,
What's the response in Rochester to the suspension of sailings by The Breeze (the Toronto-Rochester ferry)? I was having dinner at a waterfront restaurant as the ship was pulling in - it looked so stately - and I thought it would be around for years to come.
The story hasn't been getting too much press here, but I hope all the difficulties will soon be worked out. I know it's a time of forgiveness, but I still blame our Globe and Mail reporter Jan Wong for getting the ship off to a bad start with her mean-spirited - and tacky - column.
Funny you mention this, as I have been meaning to ask you the same question!
As you may imagine, for a city of its size and possessing the self-image that it does (which is close to nil, if you ask me), the Breeze was a lot to swallow. I still have a problem figuring out exactly which Torontonians were travelling this way, while your fair city certainly was a target for many Rochestarians (or Rochest-nuts, and I like to call us...).
To answer your question, the city and its media have been a buzz with the suspension of the ferry service. What is hard to believe is that a company with a business plan as poorly defined as theirs was was allowed to proceed with this plan. It seems they never had a line item for piloting fees, never anticipated freight or customs being a problem, and what's more, never anticipated that people would not want to spend a fair chunk of cahnge to avoid only another hour-and-a-half of travel time. Given early arrival time at both terminals (Toronto and Rochester), and customs, it seems that the trip might have taken just as long, if not longer, than driving.
So, suffice it to say, Rochester is in a big tizzy. We are hearing reports that they will be back up and running in the Spring, but it just has left a really lousy taste in many Rochestarian's mouths that it may just cost our mayor his next election. (Which is a shame, to me at least, as he is the lone Democrat in a county full of Republicans.) And the mayor is not solely to blame.
And still -- no offense, DiT or other Torontonians -- they say that part of the reason they suspended service is that there was no permanent terminal on your shores. It seems that Toronto, like most of the rest of world, did not anticipate the Ferry EVER getting off the ground, and into the water. I am sure you Cananadian taxpayers are thrilled that you didn't pay for a terminal that will not be used......
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TV GUIDE
When we first got cable we got Cablevision's TOTAL magazine with excellent listings. By a fluke of billing, I managed to get a free subscription for several years, and when I tried to straighten out some lost issues, I ended up with two free subscriptions for a couple of years. One for the main TV room and one for the bedroom. Whoopie!
Notwithstanding, we would still buy TV Guide, because Joe hates the grid listings and wanted the other type. We lost our free TOTAL when Cablevision had TV Guide take over the publication of it, and we have been paying for that (the large format, magazine size) as well a buying the digest-size guide in the store for Joe, albeit it has no listings for the multitudious super-premium movie channels and documentary channels we now get.
Then it started really going downhill. First it was inaccurate listings. But fortunately we have an on-screen guide, so we could always check to see if SPIKE was really showing Star Trek tonight or replacing it with wall-to-wall police videos.
Then they started limiting their listings even more. Nothing after 11:00 pm, not even on weekends. People don't watch late-night TV? It seems they want to sell their magazine on gossip about 15-minute celebrities, and feature-length ads for theatrical movies that won't be on TV for years. Feh!
This week we decided to stop buying the digest and stick to the still-very-good listings in the large-format version. Some quirks, of course. For weeks, every time The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain was on, the plot summary has been in French, although the movie is in English. Sometimes, when two movies have the same title they give the data for the wrong one. But by and large it is complete and accurate.
I thumbed through their New Fall Shows. Nothing I would consider watching. We watch mainly movies and science shows. And we even need high end for the Science Channel, now that Discovery = The Motorcycle Channel, The Learning Channel = Makeovers, Makeovers, Makeovers, and The Travel Channel has become All Vegas, All the Time! (With an occasional break to watch people playing poker.)
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And slightly on that topic, I have a question for our DRs in "the Biz", i.e. FSW Charles Pogue and FSW Panni:
Once television channels--including the premium cable channels--decided that movie-watchers had no interest whatsoever in listening to the end-title music or reading the credits, and would much rather be assaulted with ads for the channel they are watching--why didn't the various unions and guilds object?
I mean, I assume that the reason we have all those detailed credits--gaffer, and best boy and all--now (and I for one do read them) is that the various unions had the studios put it in their contracts. So why haven't they tried to have some line about sale to TV that their names should be at least legible?
For me, sitting and listening to the score during the credits is as much a part of the movie experience as curtain calls are to the theatre experience.
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Re: tv guides
My favorite is actually the free TV Times that comes in the Saturday paper every week. I find I am used to the format and coloring of channels. And for that reason I cannot really use the TV GUIDE, since everything is different there.
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This has been mentioned briefly over the past few months and now we have official notice. That little Friday column in the New York Times, On Stage and Off has bit the dust.
Here is the article from Playbill On-Line.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/88406.html
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Ah, what the h*ll. Here's Page 3 (without the dance).
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WFO - I'll respond later - although I have no inside union info.
Jennifer - I hope I didn't say I thought Canadians would "gag" at the ending. If I did, I must have been tired or a little miffed. Whatever I said, what I meant to say was that Canadians might not have the same response as Americans and might even think the ending a bit too-too because of the rather negative feelings about nationalism that Canadians have (or HAD in the years that I lived there). If I did use the word "gag" - I apologize - to me.
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NOW I must finally shower. I got distracted by another task and have as yet to clean me up so I looks real good and sparkly clean.
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I find myself planning a trip to L.A. in early November to hook up with some fellow film music fans I've been corresponding with for several years via the internet.
We are going to USC on November 5 to hear cellist Yo- Yo Ma play the music of Ennio Morricone. There's more to it than that...apparently the music will be played live as accompaniment to student films from the USC film department.
I'm wondering if any Kimlets in the L.A. area are planning on attending the concert.
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Jennifer - I hope I didn't say I thought Canadians would "gag" at the ending. If I did, I must have been tired or a little miffed. Whatever I said, what I meant to say was that Canadians might not have the same response as Americans and might even think the ending a bit too-too because of the rather negative feelings about nationalism that Canadians have (or HAD in the years that I lived there). If I did use the word "gag" - I apologize - to me.
Actually I believe you said it would be barf-inducing. :)
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I took a little drive to the Valley, and my house is now untented but still not available to enter. You know this because of all the skull and crossbone signs posted everywhere. I may take a nice long walk over to Amoeba in lieu of doing the exercise bike.
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Actually I believe you said it would be barf-inducing. :)
Well, shame on me. I was probably being ironic.
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I took a little drive to the Valley, and my house is now untented but still not available to enter. You know this because of all the skull and crossbone signs posted everywhere.
Perhaps pirates have taken residence, matey.
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This just in:
“THE MUSICAL REVUE” is back and Sam’s Dream Street Cabaret is where it’s at!
PREMIERES Thursday, September 30th
OPENS Wednesday, October 6th
MARTIN CHARNIN, best known for creating, directing and writing the lyrics for the smash hit ANNIE (as well as TWO BY TWO, UPSTAIRS AT O’NEILS, among others), works magic once again, conceiving and directing THE NEXT-TO-THE-LAST REVUE, celebrating that lost art form, “The Musical Revue.”
And here I thought that that's what I'd just done. Funny that. Maybe his opening number will be called We'll Do a Revue. Maybe one of his comedy numbers will be a coming attraction parody. Maybe... Nah.
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Re TV Guide - I agree that it used to be a really special publication. As a kid I collected the covers. Every week I'd wait eagerly to see who was featured and then I'd tear off the cover at the end of the week and put it away. I had hudreds of them. Every once in a while the Guide would go missing before I had a chance to put away the cover. Then I'd go on a search to find one for "the collection."
I still get TV Guide, but I hardly ever look at it. Don't think I'll renew.
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"...celebrating that lost art form, “The Musical Revue.”
Skammen! >:(
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The hot fudge was/should always be on the side, but I'm dismayed to hear they don't have the famous brown ceramic pitchers. Do they at least have the silver cups?
Theft might be a factor here. The "famous brown ceramic pitchers" are the sort of thing people would steal. Metal pitchers, on the other hand, are available everywhere, thus less desirable.
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Re TV Guide - I agree that it used to be a really special publication. As a kid I collected the covers. Every week I'd wait eagerly to see who was featured and then I'd tear off the cover at the end of the week and put it away. I had hudreds of them. Every once in a while the Guide would go missing before I had a chance to put away the cover. Then I'd go on a search to find one for "the collection."
I still get TV Guide, but I hardly ever look at it. Don't think I'll renew.
Alright, I'll admit it--I was one of those people who saved the TV Guide. The entire digest. Like from about spring 1971 up through sometime in the late 80s. Even when I wasn't living at home, I would sneak boxes of them back into my mom's house. But eventually she discovered them and went on the warpath exclaiming, "What the hell are you going to do with all these TV Guides?" Since I couldn't come up with a good answer, I cleared them out. I went through and pulled all the Fall Preview issues and the Christmas week issues that had nice cover art and threw the rest into our newspaper recycle barrels (it took two weeks to get rid of them all.) I wish I had saved the ones with the Amsel covers. Ah, well...
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This just in:
“THE MUSICAL REVUE” is back and Sam’s Dream Street Cabaret is where it’s at!
PREMIERES Thursday, September 30th
OPENS Wednesday, October 6th
MARTIN CHARNIN, best known for creating, directing and writing the lyrics for the smash hit ANNIE (as well as TWO BY TWO, UPSTAIRS AT O’NEILS, among others), works magic once again, conceiving and directing THE NEXT-TO-THE-LAST REVUE, celebrating that lost art form, “The Musical Revue.”
And here I thought that that's what I'd just done. Funny that. Maybe his opening number will be called We'll Do a Revue. Maybe one of his comedy numbers will be a coming attraction parody. Maybe... Nah.
Ya know, it sounds like you're periously close to writing a spoof of Charnin's "Maybe" from Annie here...
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I once wore by TV Guide. Now I barely read it.
Too little coverage?
Sorry, couldn't resist the typo.
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Alright, I'll admit it--I was one of those people who saved the TV Guide. The entire digest. Like from about spring 1971 up through sometime in the late 80s. Even when I wasn't living at home, I would sneak boxes of them back into my mom's house. But eventually she discovered them and went on the warpath exclaiming, "What the hell are you going to do with all these TV Guides?" Since I couldn't come up with a good answer, I cleared them out. I went through and pulled all the Fall Preview issues and the Christmas week issues that had nice cover art and threw the rest into our newspaper recycle barrels (it took two weeks to get rid of them all.) I wish I had saved the ones with the Amsel covers. Ah, well...
But did you save the one with Oprah's head on Ann-Margret's body??
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We have happy doggies! Their new yard is fully enclosed, and they have deemed it worthy!
As der Brucer and I have written before, our house is built into a hill (a rarity in Delaware), so that the main level is just about at street level, and the basement has a couple of walk-out doors one floor below, in the back. What the lads (and lass) have had before now is an enclosure about half the length of the house on the downstairs level, with access from a doggie door.
That has all changed! They now have loads more room! The new doggie door will be installed in the kitchen door (there's still some work to be done), which is of course at the same level as most of the house. This leads to a small yard by the side, where they can watch what is happening up on the street.
It also leads to the first retaining wall, which makes a level first yard possible. Stairs lead down over this wall to the second level, a wide sloping area with lots of romping room. At the base of this second level is another (short) retaining wall, which they can hop over to get to their old yard.
They all think this is quite marvelous. It'll look better (from a human standpoint) once we get some flowering vines growing along the fence.
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I let der Brucer handle all the tech stuff in our house. It's safer that way.
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Panni did you figure out the harness contraptions?
Sandra did you bluff your way through those answers?
Bruce is Miss Patty McCormick the actress?
Charles and Julieanne have a very Happy Anniversary. How many years?
Panni and Jennifer all the food was delicious today. My dessert was a hit. Best of all, the book I chose and the discussion were a big success. If you enjoy reading check out THE KITE RUNNER BY Khaled Hosseini.
Dan (the Man) I know what you mean about TV Guide and the lack of shows I’m interested in. Still, I shall pick up the issue-thanks for letting me know it is available. I also didn’t take the time to renew my subscription. I enjoy the first month or so after the news shows begin, then they run out of things to write about.
Are you referring to the gifts ? I didn’t see the show but it all sounded like a great surprise Oprah and her staff put much thought into.
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I will second those not serious storm Vibes.
Is anyone in touch with TCB? Jed, Ann are you out there?
WFO thank goodness for the pause button. Most things we watch have been pre-recorded. Sometimesl, I have to get right up to the TV and still can’t always read the names.
RLP who will take care of Miss Vickie?
SWW, it is nice when the dogs are happy.
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So...it's really up to ME, is it?? I mean, what with TCB back in the dark ages until he gets a new home PC, and with Jay obviously missing beats left and right...and with BK having too high a time in his hotel suite, I'm admittedly perplexed how this Panni quote went without a single comment:
Yesterday, Panni wrote:
I bought a new kind of harness contraption for the hound and I can't figure out how to put it on. It's very frustrating. I'm usually pretty good with things like this. The instructions are useless.
To which I must respond....Panni, Dear...let the hound wear it!
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BK: Are you familar with an actor named Chris Beaumont who did episodic tv mainly like the Brady Bunch, PArtidge Family, Streets of San Francisco etc. He is selling his tv scripts on Ebay. Although it doesn't say who he is it was easy enough for me to figure it out.
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Panni wrote:To which I must respond....Panni, Dear...let the hound wear it!
What would I do without HHW to guide me through life?? ;)
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I seem to remember the name Chris Beaumont.
Yes, Patty the actress.
That bad boy Martin Charnin - trying to steal our thunder, which can't be stolen since our show has been well-documented and because our Variety review appeared in this week's Weekly Variety.
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Oh well I have to agree with DRS DtM and WEL and others that TV GUIDE has gone to hell. Three weeks ago I made the decision to never buy it again. It's listings are frustrating, incomplete, and unreliable. Its use of covers and articles as PROMOTIONAL tools is distressing. It's NOT my TV GUIDE anymore. Yes, an era has ended. I can get the local Sunday paper for less...and it contains a perfectly good television schedule. Goodbye, Tv Guide. It is interesting how many DR's have stopped buying it, and I would imagine we are not alone. The sales/distribution figures by year's end would be interesting to see.
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Zenith 36" Television, Panasonic DVD Player, Sanyo VCR, and Samsung VCR, and Emerson 5.1 Surround Sound System.
AIWA surround sound 3-CD shelf system.
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I took a really nice long walk down to Amoeba, then over to Vine then back to the hotel. Managed to get a copy of I Married a Monster from Outer Space.
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Your Allison Hayes Picture of the Week.
Allison in her last Big Screen Picture: Tickle Me!
She is wearing a blonde wig and clutching the King himself, Elvis the Pelvis. :o
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I have been sitting here reading all the stuff about TV guide and wondering why in the heck do I still buy it! Then I just realized...the local paper here does not list TCM in their TV listings! I knew there was a reason...although I guess I could just look at TCM on-line to find what will be on for the week...maybe I will do that when my subscription runs out....then I would have more money for ......Bollywood movies!!!
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Remember Seinfeld episode #74?
FRANK: (having been away and now examining mail) This stack should be bigger, where's the TV Guide?
GEORGE: What TV Guide?
FRANK: I'm missing TV Guide volume forty-one, number thirty-one.
JERRY: Uh, Elaine took it to read on the subway.
FRANK: Elaine took it?
GEORGE: I didn't know she took it!
JERRY: Wa, it's two weeks old.
FRANK: (shouting) How could you let her take the TV Guide?!
GEORGE: (to Jerry) He collects them.
JERRY: You collect TV Guide?
FRANK: The nerve of that woman. Walking into my house, stealing my collectible!
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A lot of interesting titles out today
Angles in America
The Night Stalker/The Night Strangler
Island At The Top of the World
Are You Being Served Again?
THX 1138
Lost In Space Season 2 Volume 1
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Are you referring to the gifts ? I didn’t see the show but it all sounded like a great surprise Oprah and her staff put much thought into.
She gave everyone in the audience a car. And again I'll state that I have no problem with Oprah's generosity. But the commercials that ran all weekend made it out like this was going to be the announcement of the ages. I was thinking that she was going to announce either her marriage or that she was adopting or that she had discovered a cure for cancer. But this was what made her so excited she couldn't sleep? I just don't know...
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I didn't see the show, but i read that it wasn't just a random audience. Everyone there really needed a new car for some good reason. They thought they were a random audience, but had actually been handpicked. Like an Agatha Christie mystery...
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DR Noel, I could have sworn you were a fan of American Idol which I recall is one of the most popular "reality" shows on TV...next to Survivor of course.
My goodness, MB, you're off the mark. Not only do I hate American Idol, it's made my life demonstrably worse.
It's another altered reality show in which contestants are chosen not because they're the most talented aspirants but because the producers feel they're likely to crack under pressure in amusing-to-the-audience ways.
But there's never been anything like it: 3 people behind a desk critique would-be singers. And what they say amounts to a pervasive aesthetic. Let's see if I can explain this...
I'm among many who are involved in the training of singing performers. Not everybody teaches the same things, of course, but most who know their stuff teach a set of what might be called "good habits."
Randy, Paula and Simon, through what they say on TV, teach a different set of do's and don'ts. Let's call them "AI habits."
In more and more classes, and, at more and more auditions, what we're seeing now are people with "AI habits" rather than "good habits."
Students and auditioners are two different sets of people. A student needn't know anything, but they should have a willingness to learn. But students bred on AI habits are all too often resistant to learning different habits, habits that would get them jobs. And people who audition for shows who sound or act anything remotely like those American Idol contestants - well, they're just wasting everybody's time. Including their own.
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I just saw an ad for Desperate Housewives at the top of the page. Gee, that's a show about a group of women living in a cul-de-sac and what goes on in their lives -- narrated by one of them who has committed suicide, I think.
Well... last year I pitched a movie and series at CBS and ABC and perhaps somewhere else - can't recall - about a group of housewives living on a cul-de-sac. And one of them dies and...
I actually think it's a coincidence, but it does sort of irk a person. It's all in the timing...
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WFO asked.... "And slightly on that topic, I have a question for our DRs in "the Biz", i.e. FSW Charles Pogue and FSW Panni:
Once television channels--including the premium cable channels--decided that movie-watchers had no interest whatsoever in listening to the end-title music or reading the credits, and would much rather be assaulted with ads for the channel they are watching--why didn't the various unions and guilds object?
I mean, I assume that the reason we have all those detailed credits--gaffer, and best boy and all--now (and I for one do read them) is that the various unions had the studios put it in their contracts. So why haven't they tried to have some line about sale to TV that their names should be at least legible?"
It drives me crazy, too, ("Not a long drive," someone who shall remain nameless recently said.)
I think - and I may be wrong - that the DGA was addressing the end credits issue.
I think that the last moments of a film are extremely important. If for nothing else, then to let the audience decompress. I always think in my writing of the end credits and music as being very much a part of the story. It's infuriating to have that trampled on.
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Noel:
I think you ascribe way too much pre-meditated deliberation into the American Idol setup.
Primarily, though, I've seen most of the "audition" shows, and the final contestants are -- for the most part -- picked for their ability to sing. I'll concede, however, that this "ability" seemingly disappears for many of them after the auditions are over.
Oh, well....I guess each of us has a song we can sing. Just don't ask for another.....
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Evening all. Thank you for the condolences on my fish. I don’t know what happened though I suspect that the heat had something to with it. You have to remember he was in an air conditioned office but we don’t AC at here at home. I will not be getting another fish for that reason.
Entertainment set up. Toshiba TV/DVD/VCR combo. I don’t know what size just big and heavy. I’ll have to have someone come and help me lift it if something should happen to it. There’s no way I could attempt to do so by myself.
I use my computer for my music needs but I also have a record player/CD/Radio/Cassette tape combo. Hummm, I sense a trend here and I never realized it!
I can’t have ice cream. Not on my diet. So what time did you say we were meeting there? One scoop or two?
We are also experiencing gloomy skies, courtesy of Ivan. My very best vibes to those in harms way. Be safe.
Ben, what I was going to say to you yesterday when the power when out was that isn’t it something that a camera or any computer equipment can be 3 years old or a little older and considered “Old”. It seems to work fine from what I see.
My digital camera is a little “old” as well. I bought a Casio because it had the “Best Shot” feature. My understanding was that since it is a 3.3 mega pixel, it is equal to a 35 mm camera. I have no idea as to do all the settings to make a picture come out right but with the “Best Shot” feature, you simply scroll through some demo pictures and find one that looks like the shot you are trying to do.
When you pick one, it automatically sets the camera to those settings. I have to admit, I just love it. You saw the wonderful pictures I got of Michael Ball at the concert in SLC. If I never take another picture with it (and I plan to, believe me), that was worth the price of the camera alone to me!
I would like to try a Cheese Curd. Sounds good.
I don’t remember if I told everyone that I finely bought one of those Memory Foam pads. I couldn’t afford the whole bed but Target had the pads on sale this weekend. I put it on the bed yesterday and tried it for the first time last night. I LOVE it! I thought I would since I have had the pillow for a long time now.
I can’t sleep on my back or risk lower back pain every time I try. In fact, most mornings I have some kind of lower pain but not this morning. It was like being on a cloud! I need to sleep on it for a least a week to give a real honest opinion but right now it looks like love at first night!
I know it’s not for everyone but at this point I would highly, highly recommend giving it a try.
I guess I should break this up. Back with more in a moment.
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A very happy Anniversary to the Pogues. Since I don’t know which one it is, I can’t do a count for you.
Good computer vibes to TCB! May you be back among us sooner than soon.
I’ve never really bought TV Guide. The one that comes with the Sunday paper has always worked fine for me.
GOOD TOPIC: The spiffiest places we've stayed. Well, I guess I would have to say the Best Western in SLC with the Milford Plaza a hot second by default. What can I say? I haven’t traveled that much in my life. Someday. :)
I also hate it when the credits to some movies/shows scroll by at the speed of light or in a box to tiny for anyone to read. Gotta give the networks credit, any way to make a buck. It's bad enough when you watch a show and they have something "Pop up" in the corner about another show. Or when they run things under the picture.
My poor Mom always thinks it's a weather alert. Does anyone else remember when that was what that meant?
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Dan (the Man) LOL. I didn’t see the commercials, just read the story last night. Since having TIVO we rarely watch commercials.
Panni-I hope that really is just bad timing.
Danise, I tried one of those memory beds, when they first came out, at Brookstone’s. I lied down on my back for approximately one minute and my back hurt the rest of the day. Maybe they have improved since then & I should give it a try again. And yes, I remember when that meant a weather alert. Nothing like having those things across your screen when you are trying to read subtitles! :-\
When we were in Budapest Keith kept commenting how much he thought of our hotel. It didn’t hurt they upgraded us to a business suite.
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Noel:
I think you ascribe way too much pre-meditated deliberation into the American Idol setup.
Primarily, though, I've seen most of the "audition" shows, and the final contestants are -- for the most part -- picked for their ability to sing. I'll concede, however, that this "ability" seemingly disappears for many of them after the auditions are over.
I'm glad, DR RLP, you put quotation marks around "audition" in "audition" shows because those, of course, aren't the actual auditions but something staged for the camera. (That's the reality of "reality" television: stuff staged for the camera.) It's at the (unfilmed) early rounds of real auditions where they winnow out competant on-pitch singers whom they deem unlikely to crack under pressure. It's no coincidence that the "ability" you mention soon disappears... makes for better television.
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Maybe they have improved the memory beds or maybe it's because it's only a pad with a very firm (dare I say hard? rock? slab?) mattress below it that made it work for me. I will say it was a bit warm but I sleep with my fan on.
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I just learned a new phrase - "nosy Parker" or nosy-parker.
I've never heard it before, but now it's mine, all mine, to use whenever I want. Anyone know the etymology? That's a real question, not a quiz.
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Warm. I like warm.
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Good Afternoon!
So, I get an e-mail this morning from an actress I worked with two years ago... She just happened to be walking by the Hudson Theatre - since her friend was buying tickets to "What If?" - and she noticed my name on the poster out front... So, we'll be supping tomorrow night after I'm done with the rehearsal for the new song. And she'll be bringing along another actor I've worked with whom I haven't seen in a couple of years!
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DR Ben - Hmmm.... Cheese curds... Fried cheese curds... Yummy!... Now all you need is some french fries and gravy, and you have poutine!
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TCM publishes their own guide and it is well worth the price. I highly recommend it.
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I just learned a new phrase - "nosy Parker" or nosy-parker.
I've never heard it before, but now it's mine, all mine, to use whenever I want. Anyone know the etymology? That's a real question, not a quiz.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-nos2.htm
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From the dictionary that I just won (Canadian Oxford):
Nosy Parker
20th c: used as a psotcard caption, "The Adventures of Nosey Parker"; referring to a peeoping Tom in Hyde Park in London.
My friend Clifford's mother introduced me to the term. She was born near Manchester - and had many wonderful expressions.
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RE: "American Idol", DR RLP, DR Noel - There truly is something going on "behind the scenes" in those initial rounds. How else would America get to see the likes of William Hung? Or that girl with the puppets? Or the hundreds of other bad singers that got passed through the initial screening? Unfortunately, the line between bad, acceptable and good has been purposely blurred by various executives and producers.
On the flip side, I remember a few years ago, when they were broadcasting some of the rounds from the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition on PBS. Everyone there was there because they deserved to be there. They had the talent. They had the technique. They worked their butts off! And each time the eliminations were made from one round to the next, you could just sense the disappointment - or relief - on the contestant's faces. At that level of playing, it truly does become a matter of fine-tuned personal preferences. Basically, an "It" factor. But, everyone was good.
I think we all have to keep in mind that "Reality TV" whether it's a show like "American Idol" or "Survivor" or even "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is an entertainment program primarily. Yes, the people on the show are competing, but the public is watching. And to keep those people watching, the show has to have some entertainment value. And someone or someones has to decide what is entertaining... and will keep entertaining from week to week.
OK, that's my semi-ramble for today... well, at least for now... ;)
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Jose I enjoy hearing how much fun you are having in L.A. :D
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Thanks, Jane and Dan in TO for the nosy info.
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For those of you interested in my continuing culinary adventures out here in L.A., today's lunch was Indian. Vegetarian Indian to be more precise. I checked out "Indian Sweets & Spices" in Los Feliz. DR Jay and I had come across the branch in Culver City last weekend, and this is their main branch. The branch in Culver City was basically a small grocery store with a hot food counter. The main branch in Los Feliz is quite a large store, with a separate restaurant/eating area. For a very reasonable $5.99 I had two curries, rice, a papad, a puri, a samosa, lime pickle, raita, rasmalai (dessert) and a mango lassi! Initially, it didn't really look like a lot of food on the platter, but it sure turned out to be. There was still some food left on the plate when I left. It was all pretty good for steam table food (lots of people, so the dishes are replenished frequently), but I'll probably try some of the a la carte, cooked-to-order items if I make it back there.
*Oh, and in the grocery store section, I noticed they carried a nice selection of English candies and chocolate bars! Cadbury, Galaxy, etc. Hmm....
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Thanks, Jane and Dan in TO for the nosy info.
Hey.. and this ties in with some posts from a couple of weeks ago...
So, does this mean the next time you happen to come across a "nosy Parker", you'll tell him to "Go Cheney" himself? ;)
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RE: TV Guide - I would buy it every now and then while I was in school (college) just to read up on some of the new shows I kept hearing everyone else talking about. But I never bought it regularly. The Washington Post's daily TV listings and their Sunday TV supplement always seemed to suffice. The only challenge with the Sunday issue used to be finding the right channel listing for your particular cable company - there are at least three companies that service the DC area. The Post eventually was able to customize the listings of the TV supplement - and other sections of the paper too - according to the particular local "edition" and area of distribution and sale.
Right now, the only shows I watch with some sort of regularity are "Trading Spaces", "While You Were Out", and "What Not To Wear" on TLC; "Six Feet Under" on HBO; and various FoodTV shows - which keep changing time slots more frequently lately. -However, "Emeril: Live!" is still on at 8:00 and Midnight every night... ugh... As for regular network TV... And I've mentioned this before, due to my work schedule, I don't get to see a lot of prime time TV. -In fact, I think I only saw half an episode from the final season of "Friends". I guess since I've gotten used to not watching primetime TV, I've kind of weaned myself off of it. Oh, but I still do watch "Late Night with David Letterman" when I can.
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And as for WFO's query regarding the final credits for TV shows and movies shown on TV... How I wish they wouldn't squish the screen up like that at the end of the show!?!?!? For me, I always like finding out who the guest stars were. Or even seeing a friend's name up there from time to time! I will say, it's nice that HBO doesn't do that - I've had a couple of friends do guest shots on "Sex and the City" and "OZ", and it's always nice seeing their name listed - even if it's just for a split second - at least it's more or less full-size. Always nice to see someone's name "in lights" as it were.
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Hmmm.. It's just past 6:00 here in, and I realized that I have no real plans for tonight... Hmmm...
Movie?
Anything good on TV tonight? ;)
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"I Am My Own Fre-"
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Well... If I leave now, I can be at C.C. Brown's by 7:15... Hmm...
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And where did Panni hear such an expression as "nosy Parker"?
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Hmm.. Or I could be at the House of Pies in 10 minutes... Hmmm....
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Jose the vegetarian Indian restaurant sound wonderful. My kind of place.
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And before I forget...
Thank You to DR Jay for hosting me and housing me the past couple of weeks. I had a wonderful time in Pasadena, and your hospitality was truly hospitable. And all your "insider" tips in regards to museums, shopping, restaurants and L.A. "stuff" in general truly have made my time out here much more enjoyable and worthwhile than I ever could have done so on my own. *And I actually think I've seen more movies in actual movie theatres in the past four weeks than I have in the past three years!
Thank You.
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Jose the vegetarian Indian restaurant sound wonderful. My kind of place.
If you ever find yourself in India-Town in Chicago or in Takoma Park, MD (just outside of DC), be sure to check out Udupi Palace. Truly wonderful vegetarian Indian cuisine. Their dosas are big and light and airy, and their fillings are extremely flavorful - sometimes surprisingly so. And their in-housemade coriander/coconut chutney is so good that I usually order an extra side of it to eat on it's own rather than just as an "accompaniment".
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I didn't see the show, but i read that it wasn't just a random audience. Everyone there really needed a new car for some good reason. They thought they were a random audience, but had actually been handpicked. Like an Agatha Christie mystery...
Oh. Well, that puts that in a different light. Here I thought it was an audience full of Grosse Point housewives. Leave it to Oprah to make me look like a bore...
And speaking of Agatha Christie...
I just learned a new phrase - "nosy Parker" or nosy-parker.
I've never heard it before, but now it's mine, all mine, to use whenever I want. Anyone know the etymology? That's a real question, not a quiz.
The first time I came across this phrase was in reading Agatha Christie in my yout'. She used it all the time in her books, usually in reference to a murder victim who parked their nosy in the wrong place at the wrong time, if ya know what I mean (I certainly don't.)
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Our stereo system needs updating. The sound isn’t very good and the CD player doesn’t always work. I have a small CD player in the garage next to my workout equipment. The best sound is on our computers.
We have a Hitachi Plasma 42 inch TV in our bedroom. That is the one with TIVO, a VCR and a DVD player. We had an equally large, but not plasma, TV (without a TV connection) in our living room along with a DVD player and surround sound system Bryan set up when he was living here. Prior to leaving he moved the system into our guest room. It now is connected to local TV programming, which isn’t saying much thanks to the mountains. That is why we have directv (satellite) in our bedroom where we do most of our viewing cuddled on the bed with the pets. We had TIVO in the guest room but dropped it. It seemed a waste of money now the boys don’t come home much any more.
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Jose is Takoma Park far from Bethesda, where I will be Oct. 4th?
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Dan (the Man) I’m glad Panni explained the Oprah audience. I made the mistake of assuming you knew about it. I know better than to assume-sorry. :-[
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And before I forget...
Thank You to DR Jay for hosting me and housing me the past couple of weeks. I had a wonderful time in Pasadena, and your hospitality was truly hospitable. And all your "insider" tips in regards to museums, shopping, restaurants and L.A. "stuff" in general truly have made my time out here much more enjoyable and worthwhile than I ever could have done so on my own. *And I actually think I've seen more movies in actual movie theatres in the past four weeks than I have in the past three years!
Thank You.
It was my pleasure, Dear Reader Jose!
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I'm confused. Has Jose moved again?
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Jose is Takoma Park far from Bethesda, where I will be Oct. 4th?
Well, it all depends on the Beltway traffic... In theory it should only take you about 15 minutes from Bethesda, but probably more like 30-40 minutes. The restaurant is right at the intersection of University Drive and New Hampshire Avenue - so it's not exactly right off the Beltway either. Unfortunately, it's also not near the Takoma Park Metro stop.
However, there is a pretty decent vegetarian Indian restaurant right in downtown Bethesda, in their restaurant row/clump. The name escapes me right now, but I'll try to dig up from somewhere. Oh, I think it's something like "Ama Vegetarian Kitchen"... maybe... I'll look. *Also, you may want to see if the L'Academie de Cuisine is offering a vegetarian option that night. It's a cooking school, and the restaurant is the hands-on testing ground for the students. I've never had a bad meal there, and the prices aren't too bad for the high-end cooking that is usually served. -The dessert choices are usually hard to choose from. Oh, and the vegetarian selection at Haandi - also Indian - is pretty good too. Some of the best curries in the DC area. I mainly go to their branch in Falls Church, VA, but they also have one in Bethesda too on Cordell Ave, I believe.
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Sorry for being E&T for most of the day. It's a long, boring story, but the short version is my street has been torn up, I can't get my car out of my garage, and a member of the cast of the show had to come get me tonight for rehearsals and drop me off (20 minute drive for him). He got me mid-afternoon, so I had no access to a computer until I got back home tonight.
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I'm confused. Has Jose moved again?
Sorry for the confusion. Yes, I have moved again. I'm back in Los Feliz staying with my friend, Chris. With the High Holy Days coming up, DR Jay needed his guest room back in time for his next guest, his mother. :)
Hmm... So, who's for meeting at the House of Pies later on? ;)
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Actually, DR MBarnum, AMERICAN IDOL was the #1 ranked show in prime time television overall last season. It even finished ahead of CSI which shocked almost everyone.
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I agree with everyone's arguments against TV GUIDE, especially the revamped version they're offering now with grids that span pages and then start over with the next two evening hours making for confusion trying to find what's showing.
Still, I have been a subscriber for years and will continue to be. One of my rituals each week is sitting down with it, going through the articles, and then going through each day and seeing what shows, movies, and specials are playing. It's comfort, light reading for me, and I enjoy it.
The local TV section in the Sunday newspaper has better grids, but even less program information than TV GUIDE and often is NO MORE accurate about listings, even with a short lead time.
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And even if there aren't that many new shows this year that I'm looking forward to (JOEY, LOST, MEDICAL INVESTIGATION, and FATHER OF THE PRIDE top my list), there are still plenty of returning shows I care about and will look forward to watching.
I'll freely admit I'm a TV addict.
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In my living room, I don't have a TV cabinet or an armoire or anything that encloses my "media entertainment equipment." I have a tendency to change wires and muck about behind all the equipment and if it's in a cabinet, I can't get to it very easily. I don't like that at all. So all of my stuff is on a heavy duty (or at least, heavy duty enough) wire cart and all sides are open and accessible.
Anyway, on this cart that just barely holds my TV, I have a 32 inch Apex TV with stereo inputs (only in the back). My sister bought it for me for Christmas a couple of years ago...and it was on sale! On the next shelf down I have two VCRs (one Toshiba and one Panasonic) that are connected to each other so that I can tape tapes (especially for other HHWers!). Both of these go into a switch box so that I can watch a tape in either VCR as well as tape another channel...or I can tape two different shows and watch a third being broadcast (I don't have digital cable or any cable box).
Under that shelf is where I have my Sampo region-code-free DVD player (I LOVE HAVING A REGION-CODE-FREE DVD PLAYER!) which is hooked directly to my TV (I can manually hook it to a VCR if I want to tape something that I know isn't copy-guarded...which is a major reason not to have everything hidden inside a cabinet). And my DVD player is sitting on top of my laser disc player that I got free from a video rental store that gave it to me because they sold off all of their laser discs and now have a DVD player in the lobby to play movies for the customers instead of laser discs...which they sold off anyway. ;D
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My DD's adventures in Budapest... Today she and her school group and professor went to tour the "House of Terror" which is a house where people were tortured by the Communist secret police and is now a museum. Rachel says she got as far as the door where a video was playing with a man describing his torture or some such thing. She said she looked around and started to think of me as a child --- and she couldn't go in.
She waited outside while the others toured the place, including the basement torture cells.
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AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY D.R. CHARLES AND D.W. JULIEANNE POGUE!!
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I'm hoping that since I don't have rehearsal tomorrow and am trapped in my house without use of the car, I can get some DVDs watched. I'd like to see STAGE FRIGHT from the Hitchcock group, and I also got MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, too, which is one of my favorite Agatha Christie movies. I just adore Richard Rodney Bennett's score for this film.
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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
TO THE LOVELY WIFE AND LOVELY HUSBAND POGUE!
(http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/party/party-smiley-049.gif)
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I'm confused. Has Jose moved again?
Yes. The Dear Mother arrives tomorrow for the holidays, so I needed the guest room. I heartlessly threw Jose and all his stuff into the street. Luckily, his friend Chris, who put him up when Jose first arrived in town, will be putting him up for the remainder of his stay in Lalaland.
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I heartlessly threw Jose and all his stuff into the street.
OUCH!
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Picked up my DVD of I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE this evening, along with DVDs of the 1913 version of STUDENT OF PRAGUE, THE DEVIL'S PARTNER, and a dvd with 4 episodes of MR. AND MRS NORTH-one episode with guest star Gloria Talbott! I also finally found the DVD of the new YOU BET YOUR LIFE: THE BEST EPISODES! I will have some DVD watching to do this weekend I do believe!
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Good news: The dog harness has been figured out. I went back to Petco with the harness AND the hound. They showed me how to put it on. Abie was quite cooperative. I bought him a new collar, too. The old one was falling apart. He's now a well-dressed pooch. (Red nylon collar with bones on it. Red harness. Red leash.)
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Quote from: Jane on Today at 10:00:52pm
I'm confused. Has Jose moved again?
Yes. The Dear Mother arrives tomorrow for the holidays, so I needed the guest room. I heartlessly threw Jose and all his stuff into the street. Luckily, his friend Chris, who put him up when Jose first arrived in town, will be putting him up for the remainder of his stay in Lalaland.
Over the years, we've been treated to many a moving tale of charity and amity, friends helping friends, on and around the holiday of Christmas.
Now, Jay (and Jose) provide the perfect true story for the Rosh Hoshana season. Thank you for the warm and fuzzies. ::)
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Good news: The dog harness has been figured out. I went back to Petco with the harness AND the hound. They showed me how to put it on.
Sure, but if we ask you to post a picture of yourself in it, you'll say it's at the cleaners.
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She gave everyone in the audience a car. And again I'll state that I have no problem with Oprah's generosity. But the commercials that ran all weekend made it out like this was going to be the announcement of the ages. I was thinking that she was going to announce either her marriage or that she was adopting or that she had discovered a cure for cancer. But this was what made her so excited she couldn't sleep? I just don't know...
One car for everyone in the audience.
How are they supposed to divvy up their shares on this car, pray tell? If someone has a really neat date on Friday Night, how much in advance must he or she notify everyone else, "I need the car!" Suppose someone has to get to the hospital for an emergency: does the person who had dibs to take the car to the grocery store get some kind of compensation for letting the other guy take a turn out of turn?
I'm not even going to go near the personalized licence plate arguements.
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Back from dinner and will have a complete report along with my comments on the "new" C.C. Brown's.
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I did get all the way through those questions last night, but I'm pretty sure some of them were wrong. This was a take-home test and it was due today, but the teacher didn't collect it or go over it or anything. What's that about?
School was pretty boring today. My Shakespeare teacher talked for an hour and fifteen minutes about Much Ado About Nothing, and never even realized that absolutely no one was listening to him. Quite a few people were asleep.
Happy anniversary to the Pogues.
That's about all I have to say.
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I am still very full from dinner - it was my only meal and it wasn't all THAT much food so I do think my tummy has shrunk a bit.
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-I just checked the latest reports on Hurricane Ivan. Let us all hope that the inevitable damage will be light and non-life-threatening.
~~~SAFE AND SOUND VIBES TO THE GULF COAST~~~
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Question: How can all the air traffic control systems - including the backup systems go out?
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Question: How can all the air traffic control systems - including the backup systems go out?
Well... The various stories on the new right now seem to be answering that very question... Very scary situation.
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Hmmm... Why is everything - at least on the TV channels I'm watching right now - running a 1/2-hour late? Did I miss something big?!?!?
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Hmmm... Why is everything - at least on the TV channels I'm watching right now - running a 1/2-hour late? Did I miss something big?!?!?
Not that I know of.