Haines His Way

Good morning everyone!  Not too much snow here.  Probably only about 1 cm.

Re: DR Jose's comments last night.  He said something that I think most people fail to realize.  The "bad" performers are misled.  They make it through round after round on American Idol.  And they think that they are good.

On one of the entertainment shows Simon said that they show some bad, some average and some good - to represent the same amount that they see in those categories.  That seems fair.  However, I sincerely hope that the other judges (in the first few rounds) are not telling the bad ones they are terrific.  Maybe they are just saying things like, "wow" (making them think they are good).  But if they are misleading them, telling them they are terrific, then I think that is horrible.

Going to eat breakfast now. I am starving!

I don't watch American Idol, but found this editorial (today's NY Times) interesting:

American Awful

Published: January 23, 2005

At a time when the self-appointed guardians of family values have been denouncing television programming for everything from wardrobe malfunctions to SpongeBob's squishiness on gay tolerance, it's interesting that "American Idol" seems to be getting a pass. Fox's hugely popular search for the next singing sensation started its fourth season last week with a series of vicious encounters between hopeful but pathetically untalented young people and celebrity judges being paid to make fun of them. While the contests do not feature bare breasts or four-letter words, they send a truly dreadful message to millions of young viewers about the proper way to treat fellow human beings.

The high points of the early episodes of the show are the moments in which desperately clueless singers deliver unbearable versions of pop standards in front of judges who either burst into derisive laughter or helpfully advise the would-be idols that they are way too fat, badly dressed, funny looking or simply "honestly, excruciatingly awful." While some of the contestants have the sort of impenetrable self-obsession that seems to invite that kind of treatment, others react in ways that make it clear they are simply weak and vulnerable. The producers seem to feel it's funny to watch a trio of wealthy and famous adults making fun of a simple 16-year-old girl whose only sin was being "pretty sure I have a good voice" when she didn't.

About 100,000 contestants, all in their teens or 20's, auditioned for "American Idol," and the ones who wound up on national television survived at least two elimination rounds. While Fox said the survivors were chosen to be a good cross section, it is hard to imagine that any of the extremely naïve contestants understood that they were being moved along only because they showed promise for being ridiculous. In the ensuing battle for the "tickets to Hollywood," the viewers are invited to roar while young people who in many cases appear to be poor, of low intelligence or even mildly disturbed, sing enthusiastically and then stand gape-mouthed with shock while their heroes insult them on national television.

One of the points of any reality show is to allow the audience to watch as contestants humiliate themselves by screeching at their spouses on a race around the world, by being voted off the island first, or by failing to get a rose from the bachelor or bachelorette whom they have been desperately and publicly wooing. But there is a very wide gap between demonstrating that life is full of hard knocks and embarrassment, and glorying in the abasement of the utterly defenseless.

Snow condidions: Everything is pretty here in Rehoboth.  We've had snow, but not in the amounts the rest of the northeast has been complaining about.  Yesterday, der B and I headed up to Dover, where it was coming down heavily, but by the time we got back home what had been snow had turned into rain.  We're just in a more temperate microclimate.

E & T: Yes, we have been.  And I am not going to appologize, as it has been time well spent with the grandlads.  Their daycaregiver has been sick lately, so we've been stepping up to the plate; we'll be back up there (and thus not here) for the next couple of days, as well.

Which means, of course, that we are NOT wussburgers.  If sleep didn't matter, than staying up late in the night would be what I'd like to do.  But taking care of the lads is a priority, and that means getting my proper beauty sleep.  In my case, that takes a lot of sleeping.

And now I must catch up on the last couple of day's posts!  I've been keeping up with the notes, but the posts have been fast and flurrious (as in snow flurries), and there are pages and pages for me to read.

I'm about to watch the final episode (first series) of "Carnivale". A rewarding few weeks viewing.  the show was shown here without commercials in nearly 2 hour episodes.  Was it shown that way in the USA. Wonderful cinematography and interesting people - quality time for me.

DR Tom: CARNIVALE was an HBO series so naturally it was shown commercial free, but only in one hour (or a little less) chunks per episode. The second season is now three episodes old as of tonight's installment, but I haven't watched the second season. I noticed that HBO is showing all three episodes on Friday night to allow those of us who had other things on Sunday nights to watch a chance to et caught up. Since TV is mostly lame on Friday night, I may getg back into it. But it's pretty heavy going.

Remember, BK - Haitians have connections...



-Whatever that means.. or doesn't mean...

Do do that vood doo that you do so well!

Good morning, all!  I slept VERY late.

I still remember those reports back when AOL started about AOL keeping track of the sites you visit in some semi-secret history file.  And since AOL's embedded IE browser does keep a history trail of it's own...

Me, paranoid?

No, you're not being paranoid. AOL is quick to turn over info on members when the feds want it....just in case someone wants to make a federal case out of it

Yes, I also love A LETTER TO THREE WIVES. So glad Fox has put it out on DVD. And I'm looking forward to their other Studio Classics (upcoming - LIFEBOAT, LAURA, IN OLD CHICAGO, the questionable as a classic but still entertaining RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE), but we're still missing most of the classics from Temple and Grable.

I've never seen "American Idol."  From what I had heard/read previously, I thought it was something like Ted Mack's (or Major Bowles') "Amateur Hour."  Reading the New York Times editorial today(thanks to Dear Reader Dan-In-Toronto), I now realize it is merely an updated version of "The Gong Show."

Also last night I watched a Mexican film from 1967 called OPERACION 67...starring Santo the masked wrestler and hunky Jorge Rivero (DR Elmore3003 knows who he is. LOL!) as James Bond like superspys...fun film...no subtitles, and I don't know a lick of Spanish...but oddly enough I had no problem at all following the movie! In fact, after awhile I had totally forgotten that I didn't even understand what anyone was saying!

(of course most of the time I was simply mesmerized by Jorge in his speedos!)

I could love a woman who isn't afraid of fixing her own toilet.

 

Sorry about your wasted trip MBARNUM - and yes I would have gladly accompanied you to the festivities!  The prints didn't arrive?  I guess too many theatres were showing them this weekend.  LOL

Hmmmmmmmmm.....either no one wants to play the sequel game, or no one reads my posts.  Either way....hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Well, I could NOT access our lovely site via AOL this morning, and given the number of times I could not access it last night, there is something awry somewhere.  I haven't had any response from our host, so I may call them today.  The fact that I can access it easily from Safari, and the fact that others are not having problems via AOL may mean it's some local LA thing.  Who knows.

DR Jay American Idol is made up of different parts.  Right now we have the auditions, featuring some good and some bad singers.  But after next week we will have the Hollywood portion of the show, where all the good singers are widdled down.  And then we have the call-in shows (where they show approx 8 and the public votes for 2).

Jose you have some excellent tips on baking a cheesecake.  I must say my crust is so buttery I have never had to use a knife around the rim of the pan before removing the ring.  I also just wait until I’m ready to serve it before doing that.  

I don’t use plastic wrap at all-honestly I would be a bit afraid the cake would absorb the flavor of the plastic (okay I’m sensitive to that).  What I do is place a large plate on top of the springform pan.  Since condensation does occur, especially the first day, I either change the plate or dry it every so often until I no longer need to.

All that flipping-LOL.  Most of the time I leave the cake on the plate of the springform pan and place it on a serving plate.  These days I make a small cake with only half a recipe, but my larger springform pan has a glass plate which is more attractive than the usual silver plate.  

One tip I didn’t notice, make sure the two parts of your springform pan are securely together to prevent leaking when baking the cake.  There are new styles out now with a lip around the bottom edge to catch any leaks.  I have never tried one as they don’t come in glass and I haven’t found a half size pan yet.

And a water bath-I thought putting a pan of water in the oven was a nuisance-double LOL.