In The World…

This past weekend, we watched a little Inside the Actor’s Studio since there is no longer any football on TV. I always kinda enjoy the show. If you are unfamiliar with the show, it is basically an interview show featuring those in the movie biz. Lots of actors and directors. They pull big time guests too. Granted, it usually a big love-fest, not exactly hard ball questions or anything, but the long format lets the subjects to be a little more real. If you would like to watch some clips, go here.

Anyway, every show they ask 10 questions of the guest. Every time I see it, I get thinking about my answers to the questions and figured, that would make a great blog post. One caveat, I will undoubtedly go longer on each answer than they do on the show. I got unlimited space here, and some of the questions will have multiple answers.

Also, I would like to invite all of you out there to answer the same questions. You can either do it here in the comments section, or if you have your own blog, answer them there, then link to your answers in my comments section. Could be interesting.

Without further ado…

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Anyone out there who is a Seinfeld fan probably holds the holiday of Festivus close to their heart. I know I do. “As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be a better way.” And that better way includes the “Airing of Grievances”.

Now, you can get your very own Festivus pole!

http://www.festivuspoles.com/pages/Festivuspoles.htm

It’s now time for the Feats of Strength…

There are guys in the world that I am amazed by. I love their work, their personalities, everything. Jess calls them “Man Crushes” (click for Urban Dictionary definitions). Now, before you go getting the wrong ideas, let me make one thing perfectly clear… this does NOT mean I love these men in a unnatural sense. Absolutely not. By definition, “Man Crush” means if you could sit in a bar and have beers with a guy and shoot the shit for 4 hours, that would be a great time. All of these guys have personalties such that if they were normal guys who lived around me, I would think that I would definitely be their friends.

Without further ado, here are my man crushes.

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Ok, so I have yet to sell my monster, awesome TV.  It is still for sale.

I’m getting desperate.  I have already decided that since there is no real way I can wedge that thing into the house, that it will be going into storage until such time as I can offload it.

Here’s the new offer, if anyone might be interested.

If someone wants to take it now (ideally, someone I know) and make payments on that bad boy, say $100 a month, I would totally be open to that.  I understand that not everyone can scratch together $500 at the drop of a hat.

I figure, if I ain’t using it, there’s no sense in not letting someone else enjoy it while making payments on it.

If this fits any of you, let me know.

Again, here is the full craigslist description.

Please… I’m begging… if anyone out there who reads this would like to buy an AMAZING HDTV from me before Saturday (or knows anyone who would) please let me know.

I’m attempting to sell my 36″ Sony Wega KV-36XBR400 CRT TV before, or while I’m moving. I am also selling with it the matching TV stand as well as a matching A/V cabinet.

This TV has unbelievable picture quality. HD is just awesome. The reason I’m selling it is that despite its quality, it is a rather large set. And heavy. I would rather not try to fit it into Jess’ place if I could just sell it instead. Plus, since I live on the 3rd floor, the movers are coming on Saturday, and they could assist anyone wanting to pick it up.

When I bought this TV in 2001, it retailed for well over $3000. You can bet, that when I bought this thing, it was absolutely top of the line. I really did my research when I bought. (some reviews here)

I will sell the whole package now for $500 or best offer. I have it listed on Craigslist, if you want to see pictures and read more about it: http://boise.craigslist.org/ele/424671819.html

Hell, if you help me sell this TV, I’ll throw $50 your way as a finders fee.

Ask people you know. Ask people you work with. Someone out there wants this SCREAMING deal for an amazing TV.

Email or call me if you have questions.

Thanks everyone.

Don Herbert, aka Mr. Wizard lost his battle with cancer yesterday at 89.  View the intro to his show here.  That will really take some of you back!

I LOVED Mr. Wizard. When he came on Nickelodeon in the 80’s, I was hooked. Watched every day. To my young fertile mind, he really was a wizard. To this day, I can remember being truly amazed by what I saw him do with simple household items. He turned me on to science. Maybe that was why I scored in the 98th percentile in science on the Iowa test of basic skills. (and in the 67th for math).

I can vividly remember him teaching us about all kinds of things. Including sight: look through a paper towel tube with one eye, keep your other eye open and hold your other hand up next to the tube… it looks like there’s a hole in your hand!

Or, how to make a volcano (which I did once) with vinegar and baking soda.

Or, how centrifugal force will keep water in the bucket, even over your head, if you spin it fast enough.

Or, how to make a secret message by writing on a a spiral of paper wrapped around a certain sized tube, and in order to read it, you had to have the same sized tube.

Or, how straws actually work not by sucking the liquid out of the glass, but instead by air pressure. And he set up an experiment to see how high they could suck liquid up a straw like tube (using a vacuum pump)

I could go on and on. His show had different ‘topics’ and I loved them all, supermarket science, challenge, how it works, safari. I really think this is why I watch so much History, Discovery, National Geographic, Science Channel shows now. I love them all… all thanks to Mr. Wizard.

So, I just wanted to say Goodbye and Thank You to Don Herbert. You were a serious influence in my young life that echoes even today. Of course, did I find it a little strange, even as a kid, that you always had a gaggle of young kids in your house? Perhaps… If you were anyone else, we might be thinking a Michael Jackson thing. But, at least you never gave any of them wine and porn.

Apparently, his show is available on DVD. I’ll tell you this… if I ever have a kid, he or she WILL be watching Mr. Wizard.

Well, it happened last night. The Sopranos ended it’s epic HBO run to the delight and derision of its many fans. Of course, today the internet is alive with thousands of opinions, so I figured I might as well add my voice to the cacophony.

We were invited to a friends house to have a little Italian grub and watch the big show. I whipped up the now semi-famous ziti to take over there (it was a hit). I was a bit nervous to watch the show in a crowd, since usually when those sorts of things happen there are some in attendance who would rather talk through the whole show, and you become the asshole for trying to hear the show. Luckily, everyone just watched and was quiet, so that was great.

On to the show.

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I want to use this space to implore any of you who might still be reading this to watch a new show.  I think it has taken over as one of the funniest sitcoms to come around in years.  If you miss Seinfeld, you might like this show.  It is different, but equally as funny.

The show is “30 Rock” on NBC.

I can’t even describe how funny this show is.  It is very well written (much like Seinfeld), and the characters are tremendous.

The premise of the show is behind the scenes of an SNL type sketch comedy show.  One thing that is great about it, is that they are using “NBC” as NBC.  Usually when you have a TV show about a TV show, they use some made up network (like in Studio 60) so they don’t step on any toes.  But here, they are able to crack jokes about current NBC shows, jokes about GE owning the network, etc etc.  It really adds something to the show.  You might not notice at first, but it is refreshing when they make reference to something you already know about NBC.

The series began as the show within the show gets a new boss (Alec Baldwin) who brings in an insane movie actor (Tracy Morgan) to be the new star.  The characters are so snappy and funny that the situations they get in are absolutely hilarious.

• Here is an intro video for the series.
• Tina Fey intros the show

For example, in one episode, Tracy forgets to take his med (which apparently keep him somewhat sane).  They are trying to get the name of his doctor from him, but he keeps babbling about “Doctor Spaceman”.  Naturally, they throw up their hands and figure he is too far gone to help them.  But, once they find one of his empty perscription bottles, his doctor, is in fact, “Dr. Spaceman”.  Of course, it is pronounced Dr.  “spah-CHEM-in”.

There are lots of little things like that in every episode.

But, the very best part of this entire show is Alec Baldwin.  I know a lot of you out there (I’m looking at you Mom) don’t like him at all, but he is absolutely pitch-perfect in this show.  I can’t even describe just how funny he really is as network boss Jack Donaghy. Here are some vids instead.

• Some Baldwin bits from a previous episode.
• A whole scene from the past episode
• Jack’s Words of Wisdom
• Some random clips (including the Spaceman bit)

Basically, what I’m saying is give this show a shot.  I laugh out loud multiple times an episode.  Seriously.  To top it off, NBC finally got smart and is running their 4 funniest shows back to back to back to back.  Scrubs, My Name is Earl, The Office and 30 Rock.  That is some quality entertainment on Thursday nights.  Almost like the days of Seinfeld or Cheers.  Besides, if you don’t like it, I’ll give you your money back.  But seeing as its a free show on a free network and you’re paying nothing to read this blog…

I’m watching NFL football last Sunday.  Still 2 days away from Halloween, mind you.  I’m only half paying attention when the commercial break happens.

A commercial from Garmin, a company that makes GPS navigational tools, came on.  Now this, as I said, was October 30th.  This was the first Christmas commercial of the year.  I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit.  Now, it would be one thing if it was just a Christmas visual… that is bad enough… but this freakin’ commercial took it to the next level.

THEY HAD CHRISTMAS MUSIC PLAYING

Not only that, but they did one of the most annoying things in modern advertising, they re-wrote the lyrics to a known song to sell their crap.  When you are watching football in October, before Halloween even happens, and you hear ‘Carol of the Bells’ with lyrics about navigation, it is very jarring.  I’m lucky I didn’t have anything handy to throw at the television, because I most certainly would have.  I just sat there dumbfounded.  And angry.

I can tell you this… from this point on, I FLAT OUT REFUSE TO PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM THIS COMPANY EVER.  Not that I was in the market for a GPS unit, but goddammit, if I ever am, you can bet I will NOT buy anything from them.  As a consumer, that is the only weapon I have.  And if you piss me off, you had better believe you will not get me back.

Garmin, I hope you burn in hell.  There, I said it.  And if any of you out there are fed up by companies doing the same thing, boycott their products.  It’s the only way they’ll learn.

So, right now is probaby not exactly the time for me to be complaining about not getting MORE football on TV, but dammit, I’m going to do it anyway.

Here is the background. Boise State is playing this weekend at the University of Wyoming. Being a member of the Mountain West Conference, they have the brodcast rights. Well, in their infinite brilliance, that conference has signed their TV rights over to ‘cooter’s fancy backyard college football television channel’ that is available in about 7 homes nationwide.

So, needless to say, nary a customer in the entire state of Idaho, apart from a few cow towns that are so pathetic that regular cable & satellite companies ignore them, are going to receive the game.

First off, let me say, that nobody in their right mind is taking a road trip to Laramie Wyoming. Not exactly the excitement capital of the world.

Now, I’m no marketing genius. I realize that ESPN is the 800 lb. gorilla who can dictate terms to the conferences and perahps you don’t want to play by their rules. But you’re really going to hitch your wagon to the TV equivalent of 3 legged horse with spina bifida? Is that really how you want your league portrayed? When millions upon millions are tuning into ESPN GameDay every Saturday, you really want your product shown on some channel which when not playing your games is showing the local farm report? You’re the Mountain West for christ sake. We’re not talking SEC here. The Big 10 can start their own cable channel. Mountain West, you are a road apple in college football, just like the WAC, MAC, and C-USA (although, at least we’re not the Sun Belt).

Even worse, the local NBC affiliate who has the Boise State broadcast rights has offered to rebroadcast the game locally. Free of charge. WITH their commercials intact. Asked 3 separate times, in fact. Their answer has always been ‘No’. Ok, now I can even see their logic with this move, to a point. They are thinking, that if we refuse, then enough people will call their cable/satellite providers and demand our product! It’s perfect! Well, not really. Boise is not exactly New York City. The actual number of people calling to request this new channel of their provider will mean exactly squat to these companies. Especially when compared to the amount of effort it takes for them to add a new channel.

Face it. You people suck. Your channel sucks. Your TV deal sucks. Your league sucks. Your suck sucks. You rotten pig-headed bastards are keeping me from seeing an away football game for the first time in 10 years. Last time I checked, this was 2006. How the game can’t be on here is beyond me. I totally feel a Clark Griswold level of blow up coming (”hallelujah, where’s the tylenol“). Nearing ‘homicidal rampage’ areas of disturbance.

I’m so pissed, I can’t even think straight. We can go from one week being in High Definition on ESPN with over 1,000,000 people watching to some channel where 6 guys on a tractor could watch, but won’t because, like everyone else, they will be watching ESPN.

AAAARRRRRGGGHHHHH!