tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32466030335836242712024-03-13T09:00:16.845-07:00Pop Culture CritThoughts and reviews on popular cultureS.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-54103644557715064862015-02-21T16:19:00.000-08:002015-02-22T14:20:41.657-08:00Broadchurch, Happy Valley & The Slap<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So Sorry for all of the television posts -- it's winter and I'm not doing much other than working and using Apple TV to search for shows to watch. I don't always sleep the way I'd like, so I now find programs to watch in the early hours and I've enjoyed three series lately -- two English and one Australian show (still watching). They're all good -- VERY good.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tennant and Colman</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2249364/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Broadchurch</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> is an English series -- only the first is available through Netflix, so I only have one to judge. It's set in a seaside town and the entire first season revolves around the murder of a young boy and its affect on his family and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">community. The police detectives are played by </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0855039/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">David Tennant</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (of Dr. Who fame) and </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1469236/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Olivia Colman</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. Tennant's character is a transplant transferred to the town to lead the team and is still affected by a botched case in another city. Coleman is a native of the town and was shocked in the early episode to learn she wasn't getting the promotion she expected, so had to not only deal with the murder of this young boy (whom she knew) and a new boss. Like a good mystery, we get to know many town people and all are suspect -- while seeing their lives, we learn many secrets along the way, emphasizing guilt or just personal missteps and truths. The final episode of the first show exposes the killer and resolves some issues, but allows for viewer investment curious about what the second season holds in store. Everyone is good in this -- gripping and entertaining in a quiet and painful way.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finneran and Lancashire</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3428912/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Valley</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> as I search options for another show to watch. The photo looked like a female fire fighter -- it's actually the lead character in her police uniform played brilliantly by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Lancashire" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sarah Lancashire</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. I'm so used to British shows having DCI's in street clothes that I was surprised to see a show about a police officer wearing a uniform. Sarah's character is a sergeant in a small northern (Lancashire) town who finds herself investigating a kidnapping while also addressing a personal backstory -- and the worlds meet. When I first started to watch, it felt like I was watching Fargo, so I googled the two and found numerous comparisons....except Happy Valley is not funny. Lancashire is brilliant as a small town sergeant who is willing to chase criminals and lead a team as she approaches the age of 50. Not much is said about her professional past, but we know she was once a detective and shifted back to uniform after the suicide of her young daughter. That event was sparked by the pregnancy of her daughter through rape and resulted in a young child, left to be raised by Lancashire and her sister, a recovering heroin addict played by </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0278239/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t5" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Siobhan Finneran</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (O'brien from Downton Abbey). The crime that becomes the center of the show is the abduction of a young woman for ransom -- this is the storyline like Fargo as it's somewhat botched from the beginning, but this series is a little more grim and violent, not funny at all. Like Broadchurch, the case is solved by the last episode, but the viewer is clearly enamored with the main character and it leaves you longing for more. What a delight to see a middle-aged hero....reminds me of the start of all of this with Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect -- flawed hero, good detective, outstanding acting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm now in the middle of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Slap_(TV_series)">The Slap</a> -- the original Australian version which inspired the upcoming American show. The premise is about a group of 40 something friends and the focus of their lives and relationships begins with a birthday barbecue that ends poorly with one of the characters slapping a child for misbehaving. So simple. Each episode after the first then focuses on an individual character and we see their current lives and issues --- but more importantly, how this incident is affecting them in the midst of their personal turmoils. The acting is great and I can see why American producers picked up on the show. The Australian version is probably more explicit than the American show can be. The entire cast is wonderful and it feels like a more modern and sad thirtysomething. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Great shows....so good. Perfect acting and story lines....enough to make winter tolerable. Foreign programs have a grit that's lacking in American shows....it's hard to describe. There seems to be less of an emphasis on appearance and action and more on acting and character development. I hope you agree.</span><br />
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S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-39262383341672321362014-12-29T15:54:00.001-08:002014-12-29T15:54:04.976-08:00Crime and the Holidays<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Happy Holidays! A time for family and friends to enjoy gifts, company, reflection and binge television watching! I've been watch three more series over the break and I'm not sure what it says about me as a human being as all are violent and twisted shows.</span><div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a nice photo and way too pleasant for what the show depicts</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637727/">The Killing</a> is a show that just concluded in 2014....it was originally on AMC, then Netflix picked it up for a fourth season. It's based on a Danish show and it revolves around a Seattle police detective, Sarah Linden played by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mireille_Enos">Mareille Enos</a> and her partner, Stephen Holder, played by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Kinnaman">Joel Kinneman</a>. When I first started to watch the show, it made me think of Top of the Lake...when I googled both shows, there's been much comparison with folks seeming to like Top of the Lake better....I sure didn't. Not a Jane Campion fan. The first two seasons revolve around one murder with lots of twists and turns allowing the viewer to be unsettled throughout as the detectives weave their way through clues while the viewer gets to know the intimate details of several characters. The third season holds onto some of the issues and storyline introduced in the first two seasons which then provides us more intel into the psyche of the main detective, Linden. Enos is fantastic as as her performance is quiet and somewhat painful. Not many lines in each episode, so her face has to do most of the acting. Kinneman is equally good as he plays a recovering addict with a street speaking pattern. All characters are flawed -- from the criminals to the "good guys" and the story of the first two seasons is beatifically cinematic. I also thought of Twin Peaks as I watched. All is set with a rainy Seattle backdrop. There's nothing sentimental about the people or the City, just compelling performances joined with a dark storyline. It's somewhat hypnotic. Final note, the last episode was directed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Demme">Jonathan Demme</a>....director of Silence of the Lambs...perhaps I'll devote a future entry to him and his films.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie, see, he's beautiful</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While I was enjoying my time off from work and being at home alone, I thought I'd start to watch <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Anarchy">The Sons of Anarchy</a>....I'm only on season two, but I'm enjoying This tobacco infused bubble gum of a show. <a href="http://www.kateysagal.net/">Katey Segal</a> stars as the matriarch of a motorcycle club. Her husband, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000579/">Ron Pearlman</a>, is the leader of the gang and her son (his stepson) is really the main character -- Jax Teller played by Brit <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402271/">Charlie Hunnam</a>. Jax's father is deceased, but a memoir he wrote is in the hands of Jax and acts as a guide for the vision of the Sons of Anarchy's Motor Cycle Club -- in the show they're know as Sam Crow -- an acronym. It's full of murder, sex, porn, drugs and general violence. It even weaves in the IRA as the club makes its money from arms dealing. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Sutter">Kurt Sutter</a> is the creator and writer of the show and is also married to Katey Segal....how convenient. That being said, she's wonderful in this role....from how she physically looks to her general acting, it's like the show was created for her as a platform. The show is well made and the actors are so good you think they are real people...like real Harley guys pulled in to do a television show. Charlie Hunnam is distractingly beautiful, but it suits his "Jesus like" character...although, he's no saint. Great entertainment, especially for binge watching via Netflix or other streaming modes.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the cast....don't hold the Bacon, he's the main character</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The last show I'm now involved in over the holiday break is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2071645/">The Following</a> with Kevin Bacon. In all honesty, it's kind of bad, but the storyline is somewhat gripping and it holds the viewer's attention. In short, Bacon plays a former FBI agent called back into duty to deal with a former serial killer/now cult leader and shenanigans ensue. It's like 24 with cults. I'm still only on the first season and want to watch, but it's no 24. So, I'm recommending this only if you're bored and have several days of TV watching to kill....see, I used kill....dark holiday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On a lighter note, I also like to watch The Holiday and Love Actually as a tradition...still need to watch Love Actually...maybe New Year's Eve or Day. I'll need something sweet after all of the bitter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Happy Holidays!</span><div>
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S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-66357728361540880842014-10-26T16:18:00.000-07:002014-10-26T16:18:33.712-07:00Scandal, Orange, Cards - thank you Netflix<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello, friends. Been a while. At least it's not my year in review (normally in late December, early January). So, I've been busy with a new job, you? Like so many people in their middle 40's, work becomes a major focus and time becomes a treasured treat. In a world of on demand, smart phones and Apple TV, you can watch what you want, when you want. Since I purchased a little cottage and don't have cable or internet, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/?locale=en-US">Netflix</a> has become my new friend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I kick it old school, though, as I use the DVD's from Netflix, so you can only watch what you have...that's fine as many episodes of a show can be squeezed onto one disk, still allowing for marathon viewing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What have I been watching? Much the same as the rest of America. I'll start with my favorites in order. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandal_(TV_series)">Scandal</a> is the most bubble gum joy of the moment. From the same creator of Grey's Anatomy, I wait for the time when I can't take it anymore and just stop watching, but not yet. Not as good as West Wing (or another show featured in this entry), it got better with time and is certainly fun to watch. For those who don't watch, it's about a woman who fancies herself a political "fixer." In the show, they call themselves gladiators, but their actions are not always noble. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Washington">Kerry Washington</a> is the lead actress playing Olivia Pope. She's the mistress of the President of the United States, played by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Goldwyn">Tony Goldwyn</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She finds herself assisting political types in the most compromising of situations while also intertwined with the White House and the various scenarios we think could maybe happen. It's really bubble gum drama. What is good? Some of the characters are interesting and there are lots of spins and action. What's not good? The acting is a little over the top and it's hard to find redemption in many of the characters. The best actor in the group is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0949292/?ref_=tt_cl_t7">Bellamy Young</a> who plays the President's wife, Mellie Grant. Evidently, she was written with a small role in the first season and now is the most interesting and complex character in the show. Do I recommend? Sure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Is_the_New_Black">Orange is the new Black is a prison dramedy</a>...more comedy about a women who is sentenced to about a year in federal prison for drug trafficking. The show is based on Piper Kerman's memoir and features not only a story line about the main character (Piper Chapman), but many of the other women she is forced to spend her time with while behind bars. This is what makes the story enjoyable beyond the antics of a "fish out of water" story. We get to know the other women, so they grow beyond scary, stereotypical characters and are well-developed people...it's called life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE7G-wv97aVJ2M-aAnBEh_LBRPgaY76Tkc4FECfR8WyYUFhFo93CFCzEkany9JpdMOT2Kywd4TbETKp3sLZktE9VEKLxLq_X6mr17avZNkkXxokCDcIuwAeGme3aTzOXN16uowClYj68/s1600/orange+is+the+new+black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE7G-wv97aVJ2M-aAnBEh_LBRPgaY76Tkc4FECfR8WyYUFhFo93CFCzEkany9JpdMOT2Kywd4TbETKp3sLZktE9VEKLxLq_X6mr17avZNkkXxokCDcIuwAeGme3aTzOXN16uowClYj68/s1600/orange+is+the+new+black.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the Kathy Gifford song proclaims, everyone has a story. Lesbians like the show...go figure, a funny show about a women's prison. But MANY people like the show as it's funny, a little scary and the acting is good. Watching it begs the question of "what would I do?" In my job, I had to live in a tiny room for 17 days and the whole time I thought about the show and how I couldn't leave, didn't have much space, BUT, I adjusted. I think that's the real story...how people like us can adjust when things go bad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The best show is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Cards_(U.S._TV_series)">House of Cards </a>(another Netflix show, along with Orange). This stars <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Spacey">Kevin Spacey</a> as Frank Underwood, a democrat Congressman who climbs his way into the White House. His wife is played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000705/">Robin Wright</a> and the two of them are hypnotic together and individually. I was curious about Spacey taking on a series role...although, series television is far better than the film industry at this point. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-15Wox99afzh_9COiiBhN3QQU2Ui6gqchCI54xyEPRuPEAlC7FpV2TPAKrs59Xy2B0B_wOMwq8EtJKbjkB3MB4ymKTXZ2aw29Vdzyo2ScHi580iQRzw3sGIN333ZkbrTsIRDUVYBVRc/s1600/House+of+Cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-15Wox99afzh_9COiiBhN3QQU2Ui6gqchCI54xyEPRuPEAlC7FpV2TPAKrs59Xy2B0B_wOMwq8EtJKbjkB3MB4ymKTXZ2aw29Vdzyo2ScHi580iQRzw3sGIN333ZkbrTsIRDUVYBVRc/s1600/House+of+Cards.jpg" height="121" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was dubious in the first episode, especially of Wright, as the scenes and acting felt very theatrical. But as the show progressed, the pacing improved and the scenes between the two of them alone in their home became critical to the character development. Mind you, Spacey was good from the first lines he spoke. Where Scandal is melodramatic, this show is down right scary as watchers only hope this stuff doesn't really happen...but it could. While I struggle with Scandal not having redeeming characters, Spacey and Wright really have no good qualities, but I still root for them. This show makes you question your own morals as they weave through the political underbelly of Washington DC. This show is better than a film and better than most series on television (or through some on demand world of programming).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No book reviews this time. No social commentary on the news...which is currently covering ISIS and ebola. Simply three recommendations for busy people wanting a break from their jobs, homes and family life. If you're so lucky that you can spend a few hours on the couch, these shows will take you away....like Calgon.</span>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-27090216085460606822013-12-29T18:01:00.000-08:002013-12-29T18:01:21.315-08:002013 Year In Review – geesh
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">OMG, it’s literally been 12 mos since my last
post.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve treated the year like rehab,
but I didn’t mean to give up pop culture blogging.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Personal note, it may help explain:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>went to Florida on holiday in February,
bought a lake cottage in March, hosted a national trade conference via work in
Indianapolis, worked, worked, worked, moved my mom into a condo near me and
then took a new job that I will officially start the first week in January,
2014.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All excuses, I know, but my little
brain can only handle so much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Speaking of
little brains, I’m not much of a reader.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">So, this year, I really tried to read some books.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The lake cottage helped with no cable.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">For the past 12 mos, I’ve completed 8
books.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Pathetic for most, impressive for
me.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I finished the Andy Cohen book, and
moved onto Tina Fey’s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bossypants">Bossypants</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I
ready </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://leanin.org/">Lean In</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheryl_Sandberg">Sheryl Sandberg</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">God, I
turned into a middle-aged woman looking for validation.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The book should have been an article.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps I should have written about it before
it landed in the top 5 of the year’s best sellers….as if my opinion would have
mattered.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I fell into a comfort
zone – British mysteries.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I read a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://lyndalaplante.com/">Linda LaPlante</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> book.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">She’s the creator of the
Prime Suspect series starring my beloved Helen Mirren.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I was turned onto </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.deborahcrombie.com/">Deborah Crombie</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">She’s an American, but writes about Scotland
Yard detectives.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh, they are so yummy and
simple.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The main character is Duncan
Kincaid and his sergeant is Gemma James.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are an anglophile and like modern mysteries, these books are such
treats.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Lovely, as the Brits say.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robson</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">So, in the
midst of reading (slowly, don’t judge), I also started watching (at the cottage
on DVD via Netflix), </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337792/">Wire in the Blood</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.robsongreen.com/">Robson Green</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">He’s English and has been in a lot of BBC
stuff and evidently is a pop star (or was).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">He’s lovely too.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">In Wire, he
plays a psychologist who assists a police team with solving murders.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I tell you, between the books and BBC, I
can’t keep the storylines straight.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Which
reminds me of another book (now I’m just bragging) written by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sedaris">David Sedaris</a>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I read <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/books/lets-explore-diabetes-with-owls-by-david-sedaris.html?_r=0">Let's Explore Diabetes with Owles.</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">More shorts about his life and
observations. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">But with my obsession with
English mysteries, I always think about David’s story of going through customs
in England (where he resides).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">When the
officer asked what he does (or why he’s there), he said he’s a
writer/author.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The officer immediately
assumed he wrote crime novels and seemed perplexed when David described his
type of writing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">It makes me chuckle
often every time I read a Crombie book or watch PBS.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I, along with David, don’t want to imply the
Brits only like crime stories, but, if it walks like a duck…..</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQPW-ASmjCaEoCMldB3NKhUXpNVw3lg8103m-PvSzOm1IkkPur5xNCQYWaL-Iz7_eLCcoMx0B0hSGMXWFAU3OVT37SA5cEF_ASvswjseifUzRAfvQOpy3qHSBTQyZcrpjbn4luRUrt6g/s1600/david+sederis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQPW-ASmjCaEoCMldB3NKhUXpNVw3lg8103m-PvSzOm1IkkPur5xNCQYWaL-Iz7_eLCcoMx0B0hSGMXWFAU3OVT37SA5cEF_ASvswjseifUzRAfvQOpy3qHSBTQyZcrpjbn4luRUrt6g/s1600/david+sederis.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sedaris</td></tr>
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<!--EndFragment-->S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-62442493403943562442012-12-31T17:45:00.002-08:002012-12-31T17:45:57.257-08:00Year in ReviewSo, it's been a while since my last post and it's New Year's Eve. Maybe a weird time to write but I needed to post something and I'm sitting on my couch listening to early 1990's dance music...no time like the present.<br />
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Personally, I've had an eventful year. Went on a vacation to Florida, was promoted to Vice President at work, bought a new house and continue to sing in my quirky duo. I'm still alive....that should have been the lead.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgfXhfpplYEC3hy4A7qaQ4I1a3K93Zc0cLioj6u45_n5iUBzTeVCFY1mkaxk9Za9c76nyp-CHyt-h4fapyV-HzvsX79ZyUP6eBA4Ikbqb3sUbph9MKhilxBuDN5AycPIblu4_FUGXf70/s1600/Most-Talkative-Book-Jacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgfXhfpplYEC3hy4A7qaQ4I1a3K93Zc0cLioj6u45_n5iUBzTeVCFY1mkaxk9Za9c76nyp-CHyt-h4fapyV-HzvsX79ZyUP6eBA4Ikbqb3sUbph9MKhilxBuDN5AycPIblu4_FUGXf70/s320/Most-Talkative-Book-Jacket.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cohen's Book </td></tr>
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Working backwards, I just got Andy Cohen's book <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/mosttalkative/AndyCohen">Most Talkative</a> for Christmas. I actually like it. I was worried I couldn't read more than a line of text, so the fact I've read more than 60 page in his book makes me think I still have a necessary life skill. The book is cute. I'm almost 43 and close to his age, so this very fluffy memoir of his broadcasting career is striking a note with me. While I didn't end up in television, all of my interests and career drive almost landed me in the same path as his. If I'd taken an internship with Sally Jesse in 1992, my life may resemble his. I've not finished the book yet, but if you love pop culture and you're in your 40's, it's a cute read.<br />
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A couple of months ago, I saw a story on CBS Sunday Morning (or 60 minutes) about a singer/songwriter named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixto_Rodriguez">Rodriguez</a>. Won't go into too much, but long story short it was about a man now in his 70's who was like the Bob Dylan of South Africa (even though he was/is American). His music came out in the 1970's and became HUGE in South Africa and he NEVER knew it. At one point the rumor was he was dead. He's not. A documentarian found him living in near poverty in Detroit and now there's a documentary about him. I didn't do the story justice, but I bought his famous CD and it's WONDERFUL. It's an amazing story and his music is great. He's really like Dylan but you can understand his lyrics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tIqRFHUYs6HgiZJGCR6jiO8oo8C2qQJXb5Yk4FTUcHdWr3IAaj41VIDc5gqPZ_JmmYTaq0jdvbTHX2_Y-PYaTyh9y0s3ZY_zl9nbNvuBc1cHKE9aLnxxpFK_Ck6xWKzS70MU58RHfIk/s1600/rodriguez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tIqRFHUYs6HgiZJGCR6jiO8oo8C2qQJXb5Yk4FTUcHdWr3IAaj41VIDc5gqPZ_JmmYTaq0jdvbTHX2_Y-PYaTyh9y0s3ZY_zl9nbNvuBc1cHKE9aLnxxpFK_Ck6xWKzS70MU58RHfIk/s320/rodriguez.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Music Story of 2012</td></tr>
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Iphones....okay, this is embarrassing, but over Thanksgiving I bought my first smartphone. Until then I was using a fancy flip phone. Seriously, I loved my flip phone and took pride in annoying people with my old technology. Like everyone knows, iphones are amazing.<br />
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I had the honor of seeing Oprah and David Letterman in person in Muncie, Indiana. Dave is a Ball State Alum and hosts a series each year wherein he lures a famous person to Muncie to be interviewed in the university theatre. He's interviewed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Koppel">Ted Koppel</a> and <a href="http://www.rachelmaddow.com/">Rachel Maddow</a>....this year is was Oprah Winfrey...in exchange for her in person interview in Muncie, he appeared on her show. So, Dave interviewed Oprah...it was amazing. He was so lovely and personable, but Oprah was larger than life. Gail was even in the crowd. Oprah answered all questions about her childhood and Dave was amazed with her candor. In fact, the live interview went long. The weird university president came on stage twice to try to rush them....who rushes Oprah and Dave? What a surreal afternoon with two iconic media giants.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpGW6D_ugzpWXgGveFuSasLte3AhUklWVyXEUr7nx5INC3mnMRJD9AW9ZdjcKg-MInvpqhS3aC9oMrVhI-pBHHrD4TH7Yv96OYMnaaeBKAOs-UTEI7JfV7-vtZfQuO3g1MQu21QkrbwY/s1600/oprah+and+dave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEpGW6D_ugzpWXgGveFuSasLte3AhUklWVyXEUr7nx5INC3mnMRJD9AW9ZdjcKg-MInvpqhS3aC9oMrVhI-pBHHrD4TH7Yv96OYMnaaeBKAOs-UTEI7JfV7-vtZfQuO3g1MQu21QkrbwY/s320/oprah+and+dave.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oprah at Ball State University....awesome</td></tr>
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I can't remember the rest of the year. Being the holidays, we see recaps of the year constantly. We see all of the famous people who died....I hold onto <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston">Whitney Huston</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta_James">Etta James</a> and <a href="http://www.davebrubeck.com/live/">Dave Brubeck</a>. Whitney is especially upsetting for so many reasons.....really, Whitney? Also this year we saw a presidential election, a devastating hurricane along the eastern seaboard and recaps of deadly shootings. The shootings are especially puzzling...our country has so much to be proud of, but these shootings at a movie theatre and elementary school should shake all of us. I wish I didn't have to include such news in an annual recap....didn't even mention the war in Afghanistan.<br />
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So, to close...<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0">Gangnam Style</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-18011526415040049912012-08-05T18:00:00.000-07:002012-08-07T17:34:48.176-07:00Ann Curry, what a shame<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMSX4w3MhDI384spvz-5pFaMojBkJJsxdB-_A2zIkLBwhbe6-gvarwMMMoyUk9JBS5SyyLe6IMVUyon5xq7ynsQtJMrqZkTjhkS25bq3hRMKhTHluihZ0QNwVGZzhNZKmxxzhAi8K_FM/s1600/Ann+Curry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMSX4w3MhDI384spvz-5pFaMojBkJJsxdB-_A2zIkLBwhbe6-gvarwMMMoyUk9JBS5SyyLe6IMVUyon5xq7ynsQtJMrqZkTjhkS25bq3hRMKhTHluihZ0QNwVGZzhNZKmxxzhAi8K_FM/s320/Ann+Curry.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curry</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been more than a month that we learned
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Curry">Ann Curry</a> was losing her job with the <a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/">TODAY Show</a>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s taken me this long to watch her speech
on her last day.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">As usual, I don’t document
things well or check my dates, but my recollection was that her leaving was
leaked.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">We learned she was being let go
from the Today show and then the next week, she announced her last day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I had heard she’d given an emotional
goodbye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just watched it and was so
annoyed with <a href="http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/today-show-sex-scandals-savannah-guthries-twisted-love-life">Matt Lauer’s</a> arm around her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Al and Natalie looked like corporates in an army knowing it was wrong,
but their ranks didn’t allow for their opinions.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Morning news shows are weird.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">They cover the news and other light fluff,
but they become a part of our morning routine like brushing our teeth and
eating cereal.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">We choose our morning TV
for very personal reasons and stick with it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been watching TODAY for years.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The last time I was disgusted was when Bryant Gumble forced out Jane
Pauley and was mean about Willard. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">When
this happens, it’s like they are taking pot shots at family members.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, after Katie decided to leave, the
talk was all about who would replace her.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I never thought Ann was in the running and though Natalie Morales was
the obvious contender.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Nope.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">They chose Meredith.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">While she seems nice, I was shocked they
picked her…she seemed over-exposed and not fresh.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Her chemistry with the group was
questionable, but she made it work.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Then
she announced she was leaving and Ann Curry would replace her.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURtInYL_JiyAsg2t3KKuXGVdqwYBLQdN_wD7GA3Ay8VyJf1Br8W87QXGjXp6k3Mbc9YWm_NpENuMhJtTsIKCJF0W5tUCDd6ZjoWqnj3r4tNm24gGobbEc0cOqBK2dG9gBpIUTUU0L0r4/s1600/062912-guthrie-opening-today-launch-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURtInYL_JiyAsg2t3KKuXGVdqwYBLQdN_wD7GA3Ay8VyJf1Br8W87QXGjXp6k3Mbc9YWm_NpENuMhJtTsIKCJF0W5tUCDd6ZjoWqnj3r4tNm24gGobbEc0cOqBK2dG9gBpIUTUU0L0r4/s320/062912-guthrie-opening-today-launch-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guthrie and Matt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, some folks don’t like Ann.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">She’s emotional, awkward and real.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">She’s also a gifted and brave
journalist.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I was happy for her.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I started to like it when she literally
touched people….I liked it when she would make a mistake or spend too much time
with someone in the crowd.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I liked that
she erased the magic of produced television at times.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">While Matt would be sent to gorgeous parts of
the world and flirt with young journalists or chefs, Ann would go to
war-riddled countries and put her life in danger.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">That’s what is special about Ann.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">She can be over-emotional about a small story
but risk everything for the news.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I think Matt didn’t like her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Matt just signed a big contract in
the winter and part of the deal was getting rid of Ann.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the story leaked and it didn’t play
out the way corporate was hoping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also
think Savanah is the new Deborah Norville.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So, what can I do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can watch another show and I have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now watch <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/cbsthismorning/">CBS in the mornings with Gail King and Charlie Rose</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also realized that I like 60
minutes and CBS Sunday Morning and the daily morning program is much the
same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s much better than TODAY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knew?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQA9hXu0ln9srHNfD73dGCY2Vjzk2pajyUMXpe9ejCSpuE02hRLtohKw3gYwyPNLC8PPTEzlCPm23r0HVtoxsBhHJJ2oXNK5Wp9eAdJiQrHstXqlBKNRWdzjYbISAwZQHcC1337bxuCBY/s1600/gail+and+charlie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQA9hXu0ln9srHNfD73dGCY2Vjzk2pajyUMXpe9ejCSpuE02hRLtohKw3gYwyPNLC8PPTEzlCPm23r0HVtoxsBhHJJ2oXNK5Wp9eAdJiQrHstXqlBKNRWdzjYbISAwZQHcC1337bxuCBY/s200/gail+and+charlie.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose and King</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I hope Ann is fine.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I would have left NBC had I been her, but I
hope she still is making lots of money.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">She’s a good lady and a great news correspondent.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t know if others have jumped ship, but
sometimes you have to separate from your family if it’s not healthy anymore.</span></div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-39514713106045149332012-06-18T16:11:00.000-07:002012-06-18T16:11:38.741-07:00Idiot Abroad<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrzX2VsQjjUrycFVl8OrpIOojZG_YiY8v40iJXnomIYVziKUBW_THLFfFtLfuFTvLjl56jXgIUIG9e4OyzCWzc9tEcjfBm4wdp7hgG9ey-vHkS6lVYJjM6OhyAdXGh8j-6cyTQdqySaU/s1600/Ricky-Gervais.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrzX2VsQjjUrycFVl8OrpIOojZG_YiY8v40iJXnomIYVziKUBW_THLFfFtLfuFTvLjl56jXgIUIG9e4OyzCWzc9tEcjfBm4wdp7hgG9ey-vHkS6lVYJjM6OhyAdXGh8j-6cyTQdqySaU/s200/Ricky-Gervais.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gervais</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><a href="http://sky1.sky.com/sky1hd-shows/an-idiot-abroad">Idiot Abroad</a></span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> is a travel
show on the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://science.discovery.com/">Science Channel</a></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just moved and now have AT&T U-Verse
and am exposed to more cable…lucky me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
knew about this program from my brother and mother, big <a href="http://www.rickygervais.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ricky Gervais</b> </a>fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know,
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</span>Let me explain….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Ricky is a brilliant talent known in the US
mainly as the creator of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Office"><b>The Office</b></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He’s English and has created many shows in addition to the global
phenomenon of The Office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s funny,
but I wouldn’t call him a comic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
been in film, but I don’t consider him an actor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s a humorist with business savvy and has a
penchant ffor the uncomfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
actually had a hit song in the late 80’s and/or early 90’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talented guy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMVcpejBnbr76YjFtZK_mWKBfXkLAVJ3pYYF478ViRqcQqn0jgf5UD63bNuu8jdO-G13xXxhSK7m4NZvrPuPCU8vHIOe3zMBWQZn-9OY_T29eFf6ve3YoL9iLNwnzo6ZvAeP2OUc8ma4/s1600/stephen+Karl+and+Ricky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijMVcpejBnbr76YjFtZK_mWKBfXkLAVJ3pYYF478ViRqcQqn0jgf5UD63bNuu8jdO-G13xXxhSK7m4NZvrPuPCU8vHIOe3zMBWQZn-9OY_T29eFf6ve3YoL9iLNwnzo6ZvAeP2OUc8ma4/s320/stephen+Karl+and+Ricky.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen, Karl and Ricky</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">So, as Ricky has become more powerful in the
entertainment industry, he’s been able to create projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His business and writing partner is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://stephenmerchant.com/">Stephen Merchant</a></b>, who is visible in
most Gervais projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have a mate,
co-worker and friend named <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Pilkington">Karl Pilkington</a></b>, who is now the “idiot” star of a travel show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you watch the show, you would assume Karl
is some normal chap plucked from the streets of Manchester, England and thrown
into a whirlwind travel escapade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s
all that, but he knows Ricky and Stephen from producing their radio show and does
have some entertainment industry savvy. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The premise of the show is to send Karl off
to see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonders_of_the_World">Seven Wonders of the World</a> and view his discomfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve not been tuned into all of Ricky’s entertainment
portfolio, but I do know Karl has been elevated to notoriety through various
projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karl is funny because Ricky
and Stephen think he’s funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short,
they think Karl is a typical Englishman and has rather simple views on life and
the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Ricky states in the show
intros, his goal is to see Karl completely uncomfortable and that makes him
laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The show is well produced and we get to see
parts of the world not familiar to most (unless you live in those parts of the
world). Instead of staying in posh hotels, they make Karl stay in the more “grim”
areas of famous cities and travel in more rustic modes (i.e. camel’s across a
dessert in Jordan).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are several
episodes showing Karl’s jaunts to see the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal
and the pyramids of Egypt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of these
impress Karl. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wall in China has been
reconstructed in the twentieth century and he didn’t appreciate being on a tour
bus with non-English speaking Chinese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He thought the pyramids were big, but noted the base of them are much
larger than the pinnacles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally,
there was a lot of rubbish and garbage around the site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petra</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Karl is funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He isn’t impressed with what we all think we
should be impressed with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does,
however, make some profound comments on cities and the general vibe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he visited the holy land, his trip
started in Israel and when he had to go through the wall/checkpoint to
Bethlehem, he was more moved by the sobering experience of the wall rather than
the birthplace of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Jordan, he visits
Petra, an ancient city carved in massive rocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s truly amazing to see, even from television.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ricky and Stephen inform Karl he needs to
travel to Petra on camel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 8 hours
one day, the camels break down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Literally, they just stopped walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The next day, Karl refused to get back on a camel and travelled the rest
of the journey by auto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once he’s there,
he admits it’s neat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The next “order”
from Ricky and Stephen was for Karl to spend the night there, but in a
cave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially he’s totally annoyed
with the concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After sitting with residents
of Petra, who live in caves, he’s amazed they can receive mail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, he was more profoundly affected by
the efficiency of mail delivery to caves than the wonder itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once he nestled in for the night, he was
quite pleased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said he could live in
a cave and is amazed with how civilization even occurred in the first
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ponders if he were a caveman,
not much progress would have been made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is an observation I’ve made about myself over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The entire series is like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the concept is somewhat cruel, we see
Karl live up to initial expectations while making some valuable observations at
the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s as if he’s learning,
but reluctantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The viewer is
uncomfortably amused while learning about remote corners of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved my marathon afternoon of watching the
show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to watch Karl’s
discomfort and not personalize a reaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How would I feel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would I eat
what he’s forced to eat?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would I
secretly be disappointed with the attractions or love the experience?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I’ve started watching Bordain’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/anthony-bourdain">No Reservations</a></i></b> again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great
exposure to travel and food, but it lacks the raw honesty of Idiot Abroad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t wait to see more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-50162722368253241172012-04-30T16:50:00.001-07:002012-04-30T16:50:29.004-07:00Million Dollar Listing New York<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">As always, I’m attracted to yet another <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/">Bravo </a>series – <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/million-dollar-listing-new-york">Million Dollar Listing New York </a>is in its first season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the second of a Bravo franchise – the
first originated in Los Angeles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watch
for a few reasons<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- I like the premise,
I like decadence and I really love real estate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YUL94E4GrV2L0AtWUED9A1hQRXdHzRJduhxFttDA_vrEJkhgfGDJEjeoX6pfwYC2c1OmCLQMh9wfq6QK9DMnlu7V81bmq-9EUHNUXOJfM-0CPTI0fS-YqUCUgZPy0q0PZ2pIMtkjH54/s1600/million+dollar+listing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YUL94E4GrV2L0AtWUED9A1hQRXdHzRJduhxFttDA_vrEJkhgfGDJEjeoX6pfwYC2c1OmCLQMh9wfq6QK9DMnlu7V81bmq-9EUHNUXOJfM-0CPTI0fS-YqUCUgZPy0q0PZ2pIMtkjH54/s320/million+dollar+listing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand Model, Rich Kid, Porn Star</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The premise of this show (and the franchise)
is following young realtors and their very expensive house listings.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The show has only showcased young, male
realtors so far.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">In New York, we follow
three guys – Fredrik, Ryan and Michael.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Fredrik is gay and a former porn star; Ryan is a former actor/hand model
and Michael is just super wealthy thanks to a successful father.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">They sell real estate in Manhattan, some of
the most expensive property in the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I am in the process of selling my home as
I’ve purchased a new one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I
would take this opportunity to showcase the pro’s and con’s of learning about
real life from a reality show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Full
disclosure, this is my third home purchase and I have a real estate license, so
I’m not 100% stupid on the topic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What to glean from Million Dollar Listing if
you’re looking to buy or sell:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">You really should listen to the
agent regarding listing price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The show
highlights numerous buyers wanting more than what the agent first
recommends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it appears the agents
are greedy (and they kind of are), they really do know what the market will
bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s their job to run comps and
they know what is selling and for how much.</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Just because you think it’s great
or special, doesn’t mean the buyer will have the same emotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, goes to what the market will
bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you put a ton of special
features into a home, doesn’t mean you will get all of that investment back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want your home a certain way, realize
you’re spending the money for your comfort, and not necessarily for investment.</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">If you have a low ball offer from
a buyer, don’t get mad at the agent for presenting it…they have to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s their fiduciary responsibility to
disclose all offers, ever if they are slightly insulting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why you see scenes where agents get
annoyed and dramatic with each other, it’s part of the dance.</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Staging matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are like me, you look at the bones of
the house to see if it works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly,
many buyers are into cosmetics and don’t always have a vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are dozens of reality shows revolving
around staging and home decorating and while most of the homes in this show are
gorgeous, they still have to deal with clutter and décor.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">These guys are cut throat when
trying to get a listing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they appear
to jump through hoops, it’s a good thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You want an agent who will be honest with you and work hard for the
sell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, if the agent is
hungry (even greedy), they should work harder on selling your home.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What not to absorb:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">In the Midwest, I’ve never
encountered some of the outrageous broker listings.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">While the properties in Manhattan are
stunning, most of us need to clean, declutter and just simple prepare to have
the house listed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Realtors will invite
brokers, but for normal folk, it’s work just making the place look nice for the
MLS photos.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Offers and counters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On these shows, you’ll see two brokers
exchanging offers with calls to the client.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We can see a deal close within 12 minutes of programming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my experience (and probably everyone
else), a written offer is sent to your agent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Your agent then calls you to discuss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You then decide to accept or counter and more paperwork ensues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even then, you give people a certain amount
of time to response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, it
takes longer than 12 minutes and there’s lots of signing of paperwork.</span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">You don’t see earnest money
exchanges on this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Real Estate is
different in each state, but typically when you write an offer on a house, you
need to give a check – earnest money, which then goes into escrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s basically saying you are for real and
mean business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The amount of earnest
money is typically dictated by the price of the purchase. I recently wrote a
$2000 check…not a lot, but in Indiana, you need to have some liquid dollars for
this.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">You also don’t see home
inspections and loan financing on this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guess we are to assume all buyers and sellers are flush and it’s too
boring to go into these details.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
in our current economy, it’s not as easy to buy a house for normal people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our economy crashed in 2008, largely in part
to the housing market and people not being able to fulfill their mortgage
commitments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lenders were too lax,
sellers were too grandiose and the American Dream included home ownership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, people borrowed more than
they could chew in a housing market bubble.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It’s totally fun to see the personalities on
this show and imagine how much money they are making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the same time, we get to see amazing New
York properties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we watch, we need
to remember this is not the reality for most of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The American Dream is shifting, or it
should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Folks need to have some cash in
the bank and good credit and a desire to own a home…it’s no longer an
entitlement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Renting should not be
shameful for our fellow citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Property values and tax revenues are vital to local economies, but we
also need our neighbors to work, pay bills and not be overwhelmed with all that
comes with home ownership.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I’ve done something I would NEVER
recommend…buy without selling my current property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am doing this because I’ve done the math
and know I can swing both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not
bragging as both investments are humble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here are my tips for home ownership:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Don’t buy until you can sell or
can afford both</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t buy unless you have cash
for a down payment which will cover mortgage insurance – typically 20% down.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> As Suze Orman says, have an 8
month emergency fund, even after you’ve put 20% down. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have a duel income home,
don’t max out your debt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words,
make sure one salary will cover your expenses in the event one person loses
income. </span></li>
<li><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">If you buy an older home, pay
attention to the bones of the house, not the paint colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paint is cheap, but new roofs, windows and
plumbing are expensive.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Pay attention to the neighborhood
and schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I don’t have
kids, I care about the school options (when you want to sell).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">If you don’t like maintaining
things – yards, home improvements, etc., make sure you’re not putting too much pressure
on yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t like it now,
you won’t like it once you move in.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Don’t be greedy when selling and
listen to your agent. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The longer the
house is on the market, the more people will question why.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Even though you list and know you’ll
negotiate, consider the expenses that come with an inspection report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to build all of this into your
budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the inspection comes back,
you may have to fix things or offer money, so be prepared.</span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghibUN3PUA8Gu7iTErit_EZuUl0LJ6wPFaRa_mTpnv2zNhqsphK0bTo3YknS3oILU8CFW_h2DIx9FLsGzas33_C8-WJ_1vPyAoNrTmgao_DtRCqyJ1aMpUCE-6Z38vV-jZ5MRtkY7kz_c/s1600/suze_orman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghibUN3PUA8Gu7iTErit_EZuUl0LJ6wPFaRa_mTpnv2zNhqsphK0bTo3YknS3oILU8CFW_h2DIx9FLsGzas33_C8-WJ_1vPyAoNrTmgao_DtRCqyJ1aMpUCE-6Z38vV-jZ5MRtkY7kz_c/s1600/suze_orman.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and jackets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Plainly stated, buying a house is a big deal
for people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you watch the show, we
see folks grumbling over millions or hundreds of thousands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can remove some zeros, we’re all the
same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While our agents may not look like
models or appear to be sharks, it’s important to work with trustworthy, hard
working agents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if they are
friends, it’s business, so stay focused and try remove the emotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when you do get stressed, watch Bravo
shows for</span> escape!<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-1071022851240159802012-02-19T16:38:00.000-08:002012-02-19T16:38:32.462-08:00Oscar Picks<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Over the years I’ve either attended or hosted parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not this year, just didn’t work out with busy schedules (and I don’t even have kids).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, almost always there is a pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess you could call it gambling, I call it a party cover and the person with the most correct predictions wins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I’ve only won once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several reasons, but at the end of the day, I usually pick who I want to win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some come to the party prepared – they’ve either seen all of the films or have done Internet research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cheaters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best year ever was when Silence of the Lambs swept…I called it, but I was young and no money was at stake…just my pride.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1axVFKtZ3pkzFsbBhyphenhyphenyYxeF0OH18v471IDbinTYYcPw1BkOu6t8xr1XPJNlLvIDpmhhp9CptrLiufqcbWPZ4QL7Hl2N3klhVIVHRvp1mJX1J9tTvRdmFRyNQDUtePmlrIy2Ko45aBodI/s1600/silence2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1axVFKtZ3pkzFsbBhyphenhyphenyYxeF0OH18v471IDbinTYYcPw1BkOu6t8xr1XPJNlLvIDpmhhp9CptrLiufqcbWPZ4QL7Hl2N3klhVIVHRvp1mJX1J9tTvRdmFRyNQDUtePmlrIy2Ko45aBodI/s320/silence2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There have been years when there are winners and I’m furious. I was happy when The Color Purple didn’t win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was upset when Schindler’s List did win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was happy when Chariot’s of Fire won and Ben Kingsley won for Ghandi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sad Glenn Close has never won an Oscar, but thrilled whenever Meryl Streep has won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AND, I thought David Letterman was fine as host…what do I know?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So, predictions from me…and as always, I’ve not seen everything, so it’s a HUGE guessing game.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Best Picture – The Artist.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Didn’t see it, but it looks good.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I did see The Descendants, Moneyball and Midnight in Paris.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Liked them all, but none should win.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The other films (and I hate the new system of too many pics in the category) look terrible (for me). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzRQiQYKqBIU-u8Qs6575FC77uv3PbvaFE2SptktcXXc8U6izod06wnKsaroOKehexQtWvmPX-nL61udY8l92clk_FZIGVamtdEmzn2CfznECvpVF56xFbB3Jf7yyWcEUqsskBHpYQAM/s1600/The+Artist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzRQiQYKqBIU-u8Qs6575FC77uv3PbvaFE2SptktcXXc8U6izod06wnKsaroOKehexQtWvmPX-nL61udY8l92clk_FZIGVamtdEmzn2CfznECvpVF56xFbB3Jf7yyWcEUqsskBHpYQAM/s200/The+Artist.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWR-cKUJXvDLbOXSYo3eTXA0jgFAvOSsPdDPAS99mI9r24DEsxSTkNGKe7aKL1hLd6ZtPbI02u5MwcZrYGGYEvKmvuwGC12GsioFNQyQq1WEnm-cigm0Z2yULgyAf4hnOEonAzbCKOpw/s1600/Rooney+Mara+for+Oscats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWR-cKUJXvDLbOXSYo3eTXA0jgFAvOSsPdDPAS99mI9r24DEsxSTkNGKe7aKL1hLd6ZtPbI02u5MwcZrYGGYEvKmvuwGC12GsioFNQyQq1WEnm-cigm0Z2yULgyAf4hnOEonAzbCKOpw/s200/Rooney+Mara+for+Oscats.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Best Actress<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While she’s up against Meryl and Glenn, I really think this girl deserves it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t see The Help and don’t want to see it, so it’s not on my list for anything. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Best Actor – Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – didn’t see it but I think he’s good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The French guy from the artist is probably great as is the other foreign guy, but I pick Gary (English).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhd_YX7qbK3wY9V3u9o-ZrVai2I7XvLzcXBGJGwRj340X7HcHnLf1J7HiL5DhlX2lU_gbZp_nO109j2naRxfh6RFbp-U0k3eUavShDqdnYsI3P2PDNQUbw-eXIthGo9eK9OUFGOMTYUU/s1600/gary_oldman_1266644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhd_YX7qbK3wY9V3u9o-ZrVai2I7XvLzcXBGJGwRj340X7HcHnLf1J7HiL5DhlX2lU_gbZp_nO109j2naRxfh6RFbp-U0k3eUavShDqdnYsI3P2PDNQUbw-eXIthGo9eK9OUFGOMTYUU/s200/gary_oldman_1266644.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Supporting Actors – Christopher Plummer for The Beginners and Melissa McCarty for Bridesmaids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw both films and think they should win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breakout roles for both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, Christopher has been around for decades, but only recently has been in some good flicks (and not on the stage).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Melissa was BRILLIANT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean perfect and weird and amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x5lLVY_uUeZmeP6MFy-XLKph9dSSuRjm6ul2o6knlYYmFRHd9rN0XqC2RrsxkCuiC0yRUA9U4i2Gm5mTop0w6mW77XL1aQzRp8-hTrULkb_byRUXndb3pNwtWp9djOfsSJLr-jqlSNg/s1600/melissa_mccarthy_a_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_x5lLVY_uUeZmeP6MFy-XLKph9dSSuRjm6ul2o6knlYYmFRHd9rN0XqC2RrsxkCuiC0yRUA9U4i2Gm5mTop0w6mW77XL1aQzRp8-hTrULkb_byRUXndb3pNwtWp9djOfsSJLr-jqlSNg/s200/melissa_mccarthy_a_l.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnLkHx9G0K_cp_BYebWqyqHqPLoEnK8slQqLH185RWCu6OMgAHlRHfja90qnpxpPSZtkGB-ozJ-w4tzjJGqlY6FgMgKxuqEWeb9S8NRCbVZWN9t_SWKIiSk_BZk5KgoZJWU6nErCuWao/s1600/ChristopherPlummer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnLkHx9G0K_cp_BYebWqyqHqPLoEnK8slQqLH185RWCu6OMgAHlRHfja90qnpxpPSZtkGB-ozJ-w4tzjJGqlY6FgMgKxuqEWeb9S8NRCbVZWN9t_SWKIiSk_BZk5KgoZJWU6nErCuWao/s200/ChristopherPlummer.jpg" width="186" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Directing – while I LOVE Woody Allen, the director of The Artist should win, so he’s my pick – Michael something.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I really can’t pick anything else…too much guessing, however, I’d love Kristen Wigg and her friend Annie to win for Bridesmaids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know the film is NOT fine art, but it’s an important film for women and the industry and I actually laughed watching the movie…not just the trailers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7ea57iOrenMX37A5iNIpTVF_55QFPhGJamvdITVHN3ZO42Z1XEmRBMoC7a_puGTW1jxaamd5FleWzDs4p5SZZ-yM1guv0QZNCVgc-Le2D8ilkvrNTLuNJuyHH2fjaeNuUi4Gnq_uW_o/s1600/kristen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7ea57iOrenMX37A5iNIpTVF_55QFPhGJamvdITVHN3ZO42Z1XEmRBMoC7a_puGTW1jxaamd5FleWzDs4p5SZZ-yM1guv0QZNCVgc-Le2D8ilkvrNTLuNJuyHH2fjaeNuUi4Gnq_uW_o/s200/kristen.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I hope Billy Crystal is good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A weird year with the whole host thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve already forgotten who was supposed to host.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s right, Eddie Murphy was supposed to host…whatever, we’re kickin it old school with Crystal and I’m sure he’ll rise to the occasion.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I hope it’s a good night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My real hope is that film becomes more enticing than television…right now, I think the boob tube is producing the best work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then there’s the red carpet…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p> <a href="http://oscar.go.com/">http://oscar.go.com/</a></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><!--EndFragment-->S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-68097562415673992522012-01-14T15:18:00.000-08:002012-01-14T15:18:29.924-08:00Downton Abbey - Season 1<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthxT5urU7zIsF2b2NRwDYDOKDb1GPzBEtCWwzppM4X9SRZvB9wkz55YPNUefsFv9uDQvxzZSg8gxovkmBTXKClzXYnQEobs3WWK2Y9kIWoifNOa6bUxbztCQoG-gc3oef191D0B3rEYo/s1600/Downton+Abbey+Cast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthxT5urU7zIsF2b2NRwDYDOKDb1GPzBEtCWwzppM4X9SRZvB9wkz55YPNUefsFv9uDQvxzZSg8gxovkmBTXKClzXYnQEobs3WWK2Y9kIWoifNOa6bUxbztCQoG-gc3oef191D0B3rEYo/s320/Downton+Abbey+Cast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Masterpiece Theatre is just lovely.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I wish I watched all of the time.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">This review isn’t too timely as the second season of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/characters.html">Downton Abbey</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> just started.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I am late to the game and was able to watch season 1 via Netflix…it’s how I watch many serial programs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Since I don’t pay attention to many things in life, I first learned of Downton Abbey by watching the Emmy’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like many English shows, it has won awards.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNapYc-D2c9C4RoAA2hSHTuklJ4jPIZmSqj7nqYd7IsfKhvsU98V80j54XDbMYMRjROz6cdVu5f3Fm2lVwy942tHPns_kvcnD6mB9uvkJEUz2mBKR49gZuHisGoAYi5zF2ii-WwRhalE8/s1600/Julian-Fellowes-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNapYc-D2c9C4RoAA2hSHTuklJ4jPIZmSqj7nqYd7IsfKhvsU98V80j54XDbMYMRjROz6cdVu5f3Fm2lVwy942tHPns_kvcnD6mB9uvkJEUz2mBKR49gZuHisGoAYi5zF2ii-WwRhalE8/s200/Julian-Fellowes-007.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fellowes</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0271501/">Julian Fellowes</a> is the creator and writes many of the episodes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may recall he wrote <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280707/">Gosford Park</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Downton Abbey, like Gosford Park, is about an aristocratic home showcasing the owners and the help…the service staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Gosford Park is set in pre-WWII England, Abbey is pre-WW1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I encourage you to watch both to see how things change….or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">After watching the first season, I can classify Abbey as an Edwardian soap opera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once your peel away the magnificent setting, the accents and the wardrobes, it’s your basic soap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s conflict, romance, secrets and lies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The premise – an English aristocrat (and Earl, but called Lord) has a wife and three daughters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due to English law in the 1900’s, his home and his wife’s fortune should go to his son…of which he doesn’t have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, the home and fortune go to the closest male heir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the first episode, this relative heir dies on the Titanic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is bad as this heir is slated to marry the Earl’s oldest daughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drama begins.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The next heir is a relative from Manchester, England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A barrister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is invited to visit/live in Downton by the Earl - the hope is this relative would marry the Earl’s eldest daughter (lady Mary).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cousin does come down (Manchester is in northern England) and he brings his mother.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">As the story is laid out for the viewer, we begin to meet all of the characters, but at the same time, learn how life is lived in the 1900’s with the service staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I never watched, it’s probably like Upstairs/Downstairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Like many English-period programs, the acting seems perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The home (which looks like a castle) and the cinematography are just lovely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it’s like a soap, it’s really not intimidating and the stories are not hard to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMBcPhLNH87KaG4AYvuPEWzfrJ8ytZML6gqxh5DtK5ldAe4Ku4Qeapp-8p9QeasIzF7axAFZJy5Q_KKTn_ezRRbSNB2QRqJjuo852QuM1jR-BqqtE5RhitK6EnnIGvBgagURWDqXLpIM/s1600/Maggie+Smith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMBcPhLNH87KaG4AYvuPEWzfrJ8ytZML6gqxh5DtK5ldAe4Ku4Qeapp-8p9QeasIzF7axAFZJy5Q_KKTn_ezRRbSNB2QRqJjuo852QuM1jR-BqqtE5RhitK6EnnIGvBgagURWDqXLpIM/s320/Maggie+Smith.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">While some of the actors may look familiar, there are two most American’s will know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cora, the Earl’s American wife, is played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001527/">Elizabeth McGovern</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe she’s been living in England, so what a great gig.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other familiar face is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0271501/">Dame Maggie Smith,</a> playing Violet, the mother of the Earl of Grantham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93B2IHI88B46hxdWOx2ujUjx-LLYYdlZG3wgCJKwHHOy70UC5Ad6RsMZodM2V_HiLWIzVjU9IiiaQMSE7jBkzJGacnHMzQchwn5IPG-eb8zGmtu72P3TJMjS047ljxG7vOvktrgFGotY/s1600/Elizabeth+McGovern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93B2IHI88B46hxdWOx2ujUjx-LLYYdlZG3wgCJKwHHOy70UC5Ad6RsMZodM2V_HiLWIzVjU9IiiaQMSE7jBkzJGacnHMzQchwn5IPG-eb8zGmtu72P3TJMjS047ljxG7vOvktrgFGotY/s200/Elizabeth+McGovern.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Period pieces can be difficult, especially when it comes to exposing a class system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>English people seem to be obsessed with where people fall in place in society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s easy to make the rich look off-putting and heartless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s even easier to make the working class look like victims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Downton Abbey helps us look into a reality of a time where your place in life was defined by your family and money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watching Downton Abbey, rather than portraying everyone “knowing their place” it’s more about “knowing their role.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the levels, higharchy and rank, it all crumbles - metaphor for any powerful entity relying on structure rather than chaos.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There are some “modern” moments in Abbey from word choices to storylines, but these out of place modernisms makes the story even more palatable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I have the first part of season two waiting on TiVo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will watch it tonight – a cold Saturday night in January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy new year.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-30204720341039260492011-12-30T17:28:00.000-08:002011-12-30T17:29:39.173-08:00The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have not read the book (or any of the books in the series), nor have I seen the Swedish version of the film. I wanted to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568346/">the movie</a> from previews and my neighbors really liked it. I really like my neighbors, so their endorsement was good enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This past weekend was Christmas and I had some time off from work. One of my goals was to see this film, so we caught a 4:45 p.m. – in time for the matinee discount. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UhGd4sKZ3qk/Tv5guR72fCI/AAAAAAAAAIM/YSo4Vdh7UZQ/s1600/sieg_larsson1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UhGd4sKZ3qk/Tv5guR72fCI/AAAAAAAAAIM/YSo4Vdh7UZQ/s320/sieg_larsson1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larsson</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The film is based on the novel by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.stieglarsson.com/">Stieg Larsson</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> – he wrote three stories in the series and then he died.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_309395455"> </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/10/08/sunday/main6939827.shtml">CBS Sunday Morning</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> did a good piece on him and there are some legal issues between his longtime partner and his family.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">You can Google all of that.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">My review is more about the film, the story and its characters.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The movie is about an investigative journalist who is asked to research a man’s life for his memoirs – <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001626/">Christopher Plummer</a> (yes, he’s still alive). The journalist (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185819/">Daniel Craig</a> as </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: Calibri;">Mikael Blomkvist</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">) has just experienced a slander charge with fines linked to a mogal businessman. Plummer had Craig’s character investigated before asking him to visit his remote, northern Swedish island where he resides. The firm that conducted the investigation employs a troubled/complex young woman named Lisbeth, the girl with the dragon tattoo.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zsT1cj9swy4/Tv5g2jue52I/AAAAAAAAAIY/i_W9ZGHjjpQ/s1600/Daniel-Craig-Wallpaper-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zsT1cj9swy4/Tv5g2jue52I/AAAAAAAAAIY/i_W9ZGHjjpQ/s200/Daniel-Craig-Wallpaper-4.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dreamy Craig</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">So Craig agrees to meet with Plummer’s character and he learns that aside from the man wanting a memoir, the story of his family and life on the island has been painful and complex.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The man’s biggest regret was not knowing what happened to his niece who died in the 1960’s.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Plummer’s thought is that a family member killed this niece (Harriet is the character’s name).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Craig embarks in this journey to learn about the man’s family, and more so, about the mystery of Harriet. At the same time, we get to know Lisbeth a little better and how dark and sad her personal existence has been. Lisbeth, who is thin, pale and dresses like a character out of Mad Max is an ace investigator for a private firm, is also a ward of the state due to her tragic childhood. In the movie, we see her meeting a new caseworker that controls her access to money and reports on her progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kPGeqG1dgzc/Tv5hD5wnf2I/AAAAAAAAAIk/siPzGVV8kcQ/s1600/lisbeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kPGeqG1dgzc/Tv5hD5wnf2I/AAAAAAAAAIk/siPzGVV8kcQ/s320/lisbeth.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Lisbeth</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The journalist and the investigator finally meet when Craig’s character is enthralled in the Harriet mystery and requires the assistance of an assistant. This is where the film turns into a crime mystery with lots of time researching and looking at old photos. Anymore would be too much.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, what did I think? I think the film was beautifully made and will probably hurt Swedish tourism. The hues of the film leaned to the greys, blacks and white of a bleak and cold Swedish landscape. The film’s director, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000399/">David Fincher</a>, sure knows how to create an authentic setting. Fincher’s work is impressive and often leans to the dark side (Google him). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The cast ranges from a few familiar faces to some lessor know actors. Lisbeth is played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1913734/">Rooney Mara</a> and you could consider this a breakout role. The transformation of a young, wealthy actress to this dark, troubled character is quite amazing. I didn’t really read about the cast ahead of time and thought Mara was a foreign actor…I was wrong, she’s from the US and this makes her performance even more special and courageous.<o:p></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zR6mvztkp40/Tv5hKy0cHOI/AAAAAAAAAIw/hdyvd955I3A/s1600/RooneyMara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zR6mvztkp40/Tv5hKy0cHOI/AAAAAAAAAIw/hdyvd955I3A/s200/RooneyMara.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mara</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Craig’s performance is low-key and masculine, but not macho. In all honesty, he’s so appealing to watch as he’s beautiful looking and his styling is hypnotic. His accent is non-descript, which seems a little out of place considering many of the actors attempt Swedish accents while speaking English. This is a little distracting so I assume the director was okay with this inconsistency…I guess we are to forgive as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The film seems long and complicated, but I was okay with this as so many films seem short and I’m left wanting more, or at least more complexity. This film weaves several stories with several endings. Let me be clear, the film doesn’t introduce several scenarios as endings, but there are several stories needing closure. Everyone knows there are two other books, so at the end you are craving the next movie to see where else Lisbeth’s life leads.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am troubled by some of the imagery of the film….yet it’s not the movie’s fault, it’s part of the story. I guess I’m disturbed that such dark, disturbing details about characters were written in the first place. I tend to think I like gritty books and movies, but at the end of the day, I’m upset with such graphic narrative. I wonder why authors go as far as they do and then filmmakers depict such stories. I swear I’m not a fundamentalist prude, but I do think about the minds of artists when they are writing. I wonder why they “go there.” I am very certain that humans do horrible things to each other and I believe art reflects life, but I sometimes wish we didn’t chronicle such horrible acts under the guise of art. I suppose I’m naïve. All I know is that when I see horrific imagery in television or art, it stays with me and distracts me from the piece as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lisbeth’s character has obviously endured offenses we would not wish on our enemies and we’re supposed to think this is why she is such a special character. And it’s true, many amazing and interesting people have suffered atrocities in their lives and all of this makes their personal character and drive. I know authors have vivid minds and explore dark sides of the human psychy, but sometimes it teeters on the salacious. I think I would be more interested in a story about Stieg and why he developed this character.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aside from the disturbing scenes, I enjoyed the movie as an experience. I think the character of Lisbeth is amazing, but her portrayal was flawed only by how she’s been created. The more I think about her relationship with Craig, the more annoyed I become. Because their relationship does become sexual, I feel as though we tilt over to male fantasy and not reality. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Without giving too much away, Craig does find himself in a life threatening and vulnerable position. There is an intimacy scene shortly afterwards where he’s more concerned about solving the mystery than his sexual experience and gratification (of his partner). To make myself like his character more, I’ve convinced myself that he still vulnerable. I don’t think this is the case, but it’s allowed me to swallow the storyline a little better.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, after what you’ve read you may be asking….did she like it or not? I liked the film in general, but I’m not as impressed with the development of characters and core intentions (of the author). Full disclosure, I think I can swallow horrific sex crimes when there are nameless, faceless victims in fiction…but in the case of this story, I’m troubled. As I think about it, I want to think there are complex characters like Lisbeth who exist because they do…not because of the oppression inflicted upon them. In other words, I want to see characters that are complicated without such a graphic backstory or even current existence. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God, I’m getting conservative in my old age…please forgive me. And, Mara should win an Oscar in 2012. <o:p></o:p></span></div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-12492916349889835962011-12-08T16:15:00.000-08:002011-12-08T16:17:39.660-08:00Real Housewives, Real Nice<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I remember when <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/">Bravo</a> was artsy-fartsy and the Actor’s Studio was something to really get excited about. Then something happened. Since I refuse to do some real research here, this is all from memory, so forgive me if my chronological recount is inaccurate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what happened? Bravo switched to the unofficial gay cable network. At least that was the vibe with Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (2003, I did Google it). I loved the show and got hooked on Bravo programming. At some point (this is where I get lazy), content really shifted to reality. I am foggy about which came first, but I believe Project Runway and Top Chef hit around the same time. Both shows were riveting to me. I would watch each episode with such attention, and even watch them again and again during marathons over a weekend. Then they introduced reunion shows with a host named Andy Cohen.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsjN_5l1jdYwPcHNPr6BfjB01G3nE3311evs1pZhrRU4QzJkGKUI2H0u4dPG8r__tRekZdYMDIG3z5Xf2i5OriU6hQDHNHZHj_3ahWZRV9ehHi5Fz7SX3bu9MVDc_4p2npXBb9Sc0_IM/s1600/Andy%252BCohen%252BNormal%252BHeart%252BBroadway%252BOpening%252BNight%252BvjoQ-kyHMPgl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsjN_5l1jdYwPcHNPr6BfjB01G3nE3311evs1pZhrRU4QzJkGKUI2H0u4dPG8r__tRekZdYMDIG3z5Xf2i5OriU6hQDHNHZHj_3ahWZRV9ehHi5Fz7SX3bu9MVDc_4p2npXBb9Sc0_IM/s320/Andy%252BCohen%252BNormal%252BHeart%252BBroadway%252BOpening%252BNight%252BvjoQ-kyHMPgl.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cohen</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Cohen_(television_personality)">Andy Cohen</a>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I DID NOT understand where Bravo found this guy (again, an aversion to just using the Internet) and even wrote Bravo complaining about him.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I thought his on-camera style was horrible and amateur.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I soon realized this guy was the PRODUCER of the shows…and for a while after having this epiphany, still didn’t like him.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At some point, a new franchise was introduced…The Real Housewives of Orange County. It was fantastic. A show with “wealthy” women in Orange County, CA. It was perfect programming for caddy gay viewers to relish some ridiculous women and their silly lives and issues. I did, and still do, thought it was brilliant to see these women want to display their lives for our enjoyment. The joke to me is that they liked (and still do) the attention. When most viewers judge their existence and woes, they think they are building brands and self-importance.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, this is where I may be wrong. The Orange County show spurred a spin-off – the Real Housewives of New York. I thought everyone would run from this show as the women in California were displayed in such a negative light. No, they found some reasonably wealthy women in New York who ALSO craved this weird notoriety.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRzHVwJsVJwcscpHjYkFGUzhTiqk90dDrhBdn0L-OoGgTTQK9n3ngzBWbf-SsicOSIc5Ind_UKltfr0p7otXq-jwIm6KxHuYgpk9yr6ozchMlYkamFSWTms0jIwOfXjh7EX65cfG4hx4/s1600/orange+county.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRzHVwJsVJwcscpHjYkFGUzhTiqk90dDrhBdn0L-OoGgTTQK9n3ngzBWbf-SsicOSIc5Ind_UKltfr0p7otXq-jwIm6KxHuYgpk9yr6ozchMlYkamFSWTms0jIwOfXjh7EX65cfG4hx4/s320/orange+county.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange County Pioneers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">From New York, we then patiently awaited the ladies from New Jersey.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Then the franchise becomes an epidemic with casts in Atlanta, Washington DC, Miami and Beverly Hills.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Seriously, what are these women thinking?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The question, however, is, what I am thinking? I have seen EVERY episode from every season with EVERY cast….even Miami. My TiVo is programmed to capture all of the shows, including the reunions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Andy Cohen. Now I like him. He has created an empire with this franchise and other shows and I even watch HIS show…<a href="http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live">Watch What Happens Live</a>. He is much better in front of the camera and the viewer has a friend in him. He personifies the viewer of these shows and inserts his opinions and prods honest and bad behavior. In other words, he’s stirring the pot to entice viewer interest and spark enjoyable television.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why do I like the shows? They are glued together well and it’s amazing to see these women (who think they are posh) act so poorly and immaturely. I would NEVER buy any of their products and I don’t care to follow them on Twitter. I just like to escape in their weird worlds for an hour and wonder how they will humiliate themselves next. I don’t aim to sound snarky…I get sucked in and take sides, but at the end of the day, these ladies are not helping themselves (or their families).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5zn5BatpdZvlt7PSNqdXKnyO7-wiVwsrua3zYBDKOBZpkcr18Eb7DltMZR2RrYhOp3BYVB_wbUIXaZOtNq1bj_Qz9urdH2kMDgYLbYrzYZBpYTgMZ8VJigrvija0o1hyphenhyphenec8km5OjGMs/s1600/bethanny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5zn5BatpdZvlt7PSNqdXKnyO7-wiVwsrua3zYBDKOBZpkcr18Eb7DltMZR2RrYhOp3BYVB_wbUIXaZOtNq1bj_Qz9urdH2kMDgYLbYrzYZBpYTgMZ8VJigrvija0o1hyphenhyphenec8km5OjGMs/s200/bethanny.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bethenny</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I think the grand prize for any of these ladies has been taken already.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.bethenny.com/">Bethenny Frankel</a> started on New York and now is a multi-millionaire because her drive for brand building worked.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Her story is special and I don’t think will be repeated by any of the ladies, so good for her.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I could go on for days about the various casts and the impact of these shows on society (and celebrity), but in general, it is what it is.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The shows are well produced and very entertaining.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, in pure candy-coated form, here’s a list of my favorite ladies from each show:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkid19bFt-0R-lV0GNbrOgMQxwuK3QYgDV3Leq0jqMg1x_QYqNKnVy8uuctsbdJydeazMhZK-FW0IfyPddde5XWOl7iPZEwCBOCbreONUwcAKE2K7aL7COVLZg0WfN4hFbKfBni_gX2yU/s1600/Lisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkid19bFt-0R-lV0GNbrOgMQxwuK3QYgDV3Leq0jqMg1x_QYqNKnVy8uuctsbdJydeazMhZK-FW0IfyPddde5XWOl7iPZEwCBOCbreONUwcAKE2K7aL7COVLZg0WfN4hFbKfBni_gX2yU/s1600/Lisa.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa Vanderpump</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Orange County – Slade<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">New York – Ramona and Alex (was Bethany)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">New Jersey – Melissa<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Atlanta – Candy, Phaedra is a close second “everybody knows”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">DC – who cares<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Miami – who cares<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Beverly Hills – <a href="http://www.lisavanderpump.com/">Lisa</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My real favorite Bravo character is Jeff Lewis. He deserves his own entry.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-21310485490424804402011-11-27T16:26:00.000-08:002011-11-28T16:23:16.577-08:00Louis CK<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am not a Wikipedia junky. In fact, I typically only reference Wikipedia when I need a link to something in a blog entry. Before I started to write about the show Louis, I thought I’d take a look at the entry about <a href="http://www.louisck.net/">Louis C.K.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewhwgbl4U63jd5YyURnXlHPGV794pzrLiGHFljyC5JxhcPKT1OlGGZcFjkMbXrP1-o3N8_aoi92HuGRJA6tx509H2lFsU5rJzgrda3ELpaooSGjb7fvJeBIUQAHqLuKvD-SsCAhucNEc/s1600/loius+ck+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewhwgbl4U63jd5YyURnXlHPGV794pzrLiGHFljyC5JxhcPKT1OlGGZcFjkMbXrP1-o3N8_aoi92HuGRJA6tx509H2lFsU5rJzgrda3ELpaooSGjb7fvJeBIUQAHqLuKvD-SsCAhucNEc/s320/loius+ck+for+blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I won’t recap what I read, but I found his heritage somewhat interesting as he’s still a citizen of Mexico…wouldn’t have called that tidbit.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The rest is pretty normal for a comedian…lots of writing for late night shows and other projects.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I did grimace when I read he’s a frequent guest on the Bob and Tom show.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Bob and Tom broadcast from Indianapolis where I live and have a HUGE following.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">While some of their team can be funny, I find them offensive and old fashioned.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Furthermore, when a new acquaintance of mine references <a href="http://www.bobandtom.com/">Bob and Tom</a>, I turn my nose up and judge them rather quickly.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">They are two old silly guys who giggle throughout the show and are pretty racist.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">When they have an African American comedian on and try to talk “jive talk” to him.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Seriously, I just used jive talk, but it fits these guys.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I digress.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0F9LJVOw5l7yE3MDBSW2epCkU1WgaEdfmbFN8LFIwMTx-81mdUmC1rNuJ2uYhv4Q4YL4QnB-fsE-YA7xG2SDunXloUhAQ0oPHW6_p4vuiv8M6m1eImBByq3Il_EXk88dSZZiRmrxkVO8/s1600/bobAndTom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0F9LJVOw5l7yE3MDBSW2epCkU1WgaEdfmbFN8LFIwMTx-81mdUmC1rNuJ2uYhv4Q4YL4QnB-fsE-YA7xG2SDunXloUhAQ0oPHW6_p4vuiv8M6m1eImBByq3Il_EXk88dSZZiRmrxkVO8/s200/bobAndTom.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob and Tom w Christy and Chick</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">As mentioned in a prior entry, I discovered Louis the first time on Parks and Recreation and then later as a guest on The Daily Show.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">For some reason, TiVo started to tape his 30 minutes comedy show on FX and I became hooked.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Aside from it being such an interesting, uncomfortable funny show, the credits show he writes, directs and EDITS the program.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">After discovering this, it made me appreciate him even more as the show is not as simple as it looks.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The sets look real and his shooting style is cinematic.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">On top of the great character and writing, the music is lovely and quickly reminded me of <a href="http://www.woodyallen.com/">Woody Allen’s</a> films.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I think there must be an influence as the credits are simple white words on black.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">His artistry is why I wanted to read about him on Wiki as I thought maybe he had film school experience/education.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRZrMD4ftVUUKbgr4_s3tj5MeJQi0ANn-As8dxyWpcd5jTpg7LXZDM42_Gp1M-zAaw-2iEe8QVrmG9cpmOHfd1UYjB6Ea3ggLpcvT5I5HX9wSUYHxFKY5D7jCY7c0UxbRSV94rKA3RPE/s1600/woody_allen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRZrMD4ftVUUKbgr4_s3tj5MeJQi0ANn-As8dxyWpcd5jTpg7LXZDM42_Gp1M-zAaw-2iEe8QVrmG9cpmOHfd1UYjB6Ea3ggLpcvT5I5HX9wSUYHxFKY5D7jCY7c0UxbRSV94rKA3RPE/s320/woody_allen2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Genius</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Knowing how much creative control he has makes him so much more appealing and talented.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">In a world with computers and video at everyone’s fingertips, you can think that creating television or film is easy.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">What we seem to forget is that these mediums were once a craft to be studied.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Knowing how to direct, edit and integrate music makes the difference between a YouTube video and art.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The look of this show transcends a sitcom set in a studio and leads the viewer experience a film short or funny documentary.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Louis is set in New York and is about a professional comedian who is divorced and sharing custody of two girls with his ex-wife. The show blends segments of Louis doing stand-up with his daily life. Louis’ character holds a multitude of traits….naiveté, darkness, neediness, sex-obsessed, tenderness, tenseness and carefree. Louis often finds himself in awkward situations and tends to follow his more primal curiosity. There are times of braveness or tenderness, but he frequently will just make bad decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The episodes have included a female admirer who leads him to her suburb home and wants a three-some with her husband to standing in an airport watching the woman he’s in love with leave for France to be with her baby-daddy’s father.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S9n2toF8p2k05lboBDFfm7UIcHkQpOEjOa9rhG8HwbSyLyN7oaBZh0eps3WEAu5Wwj5rr8qVWPfqxqyAtchvVXCmoSL9_VBxLrnBcqplDHaKBKoYcqboeCtmIpJr2E1nLEELpJqAvrY/s1600/pamela-adlon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1S9n2toF8p2k05lboBDFfm7UIcHkQpOEjOa9rhG8HwbSyLyN7oaBZh0eps3WEAu5Wwj5rr8qVWPfqxqyAtchvVXCmoSL9_VBxLrnBcqplDHaKBKoYcqboeCtmIpJr2E1nLEELpJqAvrY/s200/pamela-adlon.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pamela Adlon</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">The first episode I watched had him walking his two little girls around a NYC neighborhood trick or treating and they get mugged.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I think the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0781899/">woman </a> (Pamela Adlon) who is the subject of his affections is with him in real life as I saw her sitting next to him at the Emmy’s.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">The show is artsy, crude, endearing and unique. Aside from his Bob and Tom appearances, I think Louis C.K. is special and I hope you will either catch his show or pay closer attention when you see him as a guest.</span>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-32304014986475249832011-11-09T17:25:00.000-08:002011-11-09T17:34:47.127-08:00Daily News<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I work for a <a href="http://www.indygo.net/">transit agency</a>. I know it’s not sexy and may not be applicable to many of us with cars, but the for folks who ride the buses in my town, buses are lifelines for their daily lives. In other words, the people who use mass transit in my town are going to work, medical appointments, school and grocery stores. This entry is not about my job, but one important point is I oversee marketing and communications (and some other stuff). Since I work for a quasi-government agency and help “control” messaging, you would think I wake up each day reading the major newspaper and blogs as well as local news reports. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Uhmmm, no. I don’t read any newspapers and basically watch local television news reports for traffic and weather. Even then I fixate on how they speak and what they are <a href="http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/about_us/personalities/David_Barras_675265">wearing</a>. Since I oversee a Communications Manager, it’s her job to read the articles and send links to news reports. I tend to read the headlines and think I have the gist of the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPf4qnLO66AmJQSWQij6p6G5UdLvL9mFZhRdLKsun5PFl3Llvu9btyQ8vAY8xPf1e_JzHIYoi1vThFPo_1c-OoMsMk6cMsGUkddnEpIFXT9unt99IZStb6TjgqIXKVtkxDD0-gj2FoMbU/s1600/npr_mug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPf4qnLO66AmJQSWQij6p6G5UdLvL9mFZhRdLKsun5PFl3Llvu9btyQ8vAY8xPf1e_JzHIYoi1vThFPo_1c-OoMsMk6cMsGUkddnEpIFXT9unt99IZStb6TjgqIXKVtkxDD0-gj2FoMbU/s1600/npr_mug.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NPR premium</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">So, where do I get my news?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, I do listen to <a href="http://www.npr.org/">NPR</a> exclusively in my car and on the weekends.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">This way, I get snipits of local stories, a lot of national coverage and some artsy-fartsy factoids along the way.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">If I want to see, buy or attend something, it’s usually from a story from my public radio friends.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">In addition to NPR, my second source for news is Jon Stewart’s <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/">The Daily Show</a>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have not always been a loyal fan of the show. I think when <a href="http://www.tivo.com/">TiVo</a> entered the house, we must have programmed the show as a “season pass.” It records the five shows each week and I watch them in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep or when I am killing a little time on my couch. Sadly, I watch most of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtbf0U96aLkU9mGJ5IOPw9MPk0j_bfQMHKWhHLycYmbKgxE6bGgdZ_eyOk3jqOw-wNM7pwBwpYjvipB6OLudsxc17ZtKF3lTiI6O05E-s4bFzDwMr2O6EXRn7yR8Wqqdu2vGBrU_9A10/s1600/jon+stewart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtbf0U96aLkU9mGJ5IOPw9MPk0j_bfQMHKWhHLycYmbKgxE6bGgdZ_eyOk3jqOw-wNM7pwBwpYjvipB6OLudsxc17ZtKF3lTiI6O05E-s4bFzDwMr2O6EXRn7yR8Wqqdu2vGBrU_9A10/s320/jon+stewart.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cute photo of Jon</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IedVRYUNWUU">George W. Bush</a> was the president when I started watching.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I think I caught Jon when he was extra jaded and probably was over his show and politics in general.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I almost gave up on him as he was distracted and borderline rude in his interviews and would interrupt his guests (something I really dislike).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Then I noticed a change.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">It started with the 2008 elections and the wonderful primary coverage, particularly between Obama and <a href="http://www.hillaryclinton.com/">Clinton</a>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I really think these shows helped me be engaged.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I thought the battle between Obama and Clinton was like a romantic drama – akin to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088571/">Moonlighting</a>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Who knew there could be so much sexual tension in politics?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t know if it was the election or a phase, but Jon Stewart seemed rejuvenated by it all and the show became funny and relevant again. I most enjoy his interviews with authors. Even when TiVo tells me there’s a famous actor as a guest, it’s the authors who have the most to share. Even if he doesn’t read the books (who knows), he acts like he has and Stewart seems so academic.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first two segments of the show are about current news, usually with one of his correspondents doing a piece. The third segment is the interview. Certainly there have been great pop culture guests and I enjoy it when he interviews his friends. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In other words, I get my news from The Daily Show. I get to see “real” news coverage mixed in with Stewart’s commentary. I most often agree with the coverage and understand the slants.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzCd7AEobwMrZUsA8A_9cpskJlvteqVfxJLFBZYHHHRsuXWj6K1uM3IDJlAuDiFFb48cqa1QaSkhmTYV_ijvgDgAeooG5s49VMWqwd3p-kZAcKNcg3_n0CpDy1MhjOijuzrvsBdGPVxo/s1600/louis+black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzCd7AEobwMrZUsA8A_9cpskJlvteqVfxJLFBZYHHHRsuXWj6K1uM3IDJlAuDiFFb48cqa1QaSkhmTYV_ijvgDgAeooG5s49VMWqwd3p-kZAcKNcg3_n0CpDy1MhjOijuzrvsBdGPVxo/s200/louis+black.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Louis Black pointing</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Side note.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">While I say I like the authors, I do enjoy some of the celebrity guests.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.lewisblack.com/">Lewis Black </a>has a pretty regular segment called Back in Black and his appearances made me a fan.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I was most intrigued by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_298316948">Louis C.K.</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.louisck.net/"> </a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Not because he was such a great guest, because Stewart likes him so much.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Stewart will often rib fellow comic guests, but with C.K., he really gushes.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">When I saw him the show, the only recollection I had of C.K. was his small part on Parks and Recreation.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Fast forward to TiVo, it recorded C.K.’s show for me and I’m hooked.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">A future entry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRd0a1bpQdzs4_wBAY7EHNuVaefWgIhGMNN-NPQ_g0_Z4px1BdIl8u2zP3Ow2YceqGOvrFooMotlLcW0ZjQO2tgG1cSZlnVB5GtV5cMA4dZkHWyymomVN4uXJHHkMAOGJlGyuc6Ja06GQ/s1600/louis+ck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRd0a1bpQdzs4_wBAY7EHNuVaefWgIhGMNN-NPQ_g0_Z4px1BdIl8u2zP3Ow2YceqGOvrFooMotlLcW0ZjQO2tgG1cSZlnVB5GtV5cMA4dZkHWyymomVN4uXJHHkMAOGJlGyuc6Ja06GQ/s320/louis+ck.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another Louis, but CK</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">In summary, I’m a little dim when it comes to current news affairs, but when it all boils down, I’m in the loop.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes, I may not be up on the latest abduction of a child or war stats, but I know about political candidates, world happenings and the economy from my two main sources…NPR and The Daily Show.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">I did watch a piece on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">The New York Times </a>this morning (<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/sunday/main3445.shtml">CBS Sunday Morning</a>) and I know it’s a good paper…but the correspondents from NPR and the writers of The Daily Show are already reading the paper, so I’m good.</span></div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-88735133225499213882011-10-15T15:46:00.000-07:002011-10-15T15:46:38.847-07:00NOLA<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sorry this blog has turned into a travelogue, but popular culture can cover so many topics and categories.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In June I had the good fortune to visit <a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/">New Orleans</a> for the very first time in my 41 years. Because I wasn’t sure what to expect, I would default to my inappropriate humor and exclaimed, “I don’t want to live in the <a href="http://www.superdome.com/site.php">Super Dome</a>.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLW1AZ4mAiTctGvgVpTjy6Rj10sQ0F7sLpw7d4MLG04l_xAsBKb4ytsHr_c7PEHtxZg4aeY7_DFGMXTXxb1zdkFTTXNjm0zwl_RIcIYVwoZp2k0gh37N7__26uLPwIg0dyH1u5ABV1jY/s1600/Classic+New+Orlenes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLW1AZ4mAiTctGvgVpTjy6Rj10sQ0F7sLpw7d4MLG04l_xAsBKb4ytsHr_c7PEHtxZg4aeY7_DFGMXTXxb1zdkFTTXNjm0zwl_RIcIYVwoZp2k0gh37N7__26uLPwIg0dyH1u5ABV1jY/s320/Classic+New+Orlenes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So the plans were set and the reason for the trip was a Librarian conference. I’m not a librarian, but I live with one and thought I’d tag along. In addition to having a hotel secured, I also had another trick up my sleeve. I have a good friend who works in NOLA (that’s what the insiders call it) and I knew I could catch up with her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I live in Indianapolis and we have a brand new airport that cost a catrillion dollars called the <a href="http://www.indianapolisairport.com/">Indianapolis International Airport</a>. You would THINK we would have direct flights to New Orleans, but no, we don’t. You must fly to another city before getting to this FAMOUS city. We flew from Indy to Dallas, then to New Orleans. It was late when we arrived and all I wanted was a Po Boy…shrimp, as I don’t eat meat. My travel partner said it’s too late and that we may not be able to find food….we arrived at our hotel, <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/msydt-renaissance-new-orleans-arts-hotel/">The Renaissance</a>, after 11 p.m. Room service was not available and the little bar/restaurant across the street was closed but they had delivery menus. After settling in, we ordered food from a menu and less than thirty minutes later, we were eating our very first shrimp po boys! Amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkjmwT43g3MCU9OrKOCPC0YTKDDg5jfBx6KVqKZNg_JJXz2DVi0o_2DE_BEJFJUHWQjjeN8YlVg6oOTlIIBmLUFh_dJL45FfHZwVftDgZ9RUDbQcWqdLZq7f5XZP_smWXYeJvgWJc9vw/s1600/cafe+workers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkjmwT43g3MCU9OrKOCPC0YTKDDg5jfBx6KVqKZNg_JJXz2DVi0o_2DE_BEJFJUHWQjjeN8YlVg6oOTlIIBmLUFh_dJL45FfHZwVftDgZ9RUDbQcWqdLZq7f5XZP_smWXYeJvgWJc9vw/s320/cafe+workers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">At this point, our friend Janna (who lives in New Orleans and works on television and movie projects) knew we were coming and our plan was to meet the next day (which would be a Friday). We’d decided to meet at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.cafedumonde.com/">Café Du Monde,</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> a very famous coffee shop in the French Quarter. We took a cab there, but we soon realized that downtown New Orleans is not very big. It’s completely walkable and the French Quarter is on the edge, by the Mississippi River. When we stepped out of the cab, we saw huge lines for Café Du Monde (it was 10 a.m.) and looked across the street only to see Janna and Danielle. As they approached, I could see Janna holding a beer in a coozie and Danielle with a huge styrophome cup with a straw…I quickly learned it was a daiquiri. After we hugged and acknowledged the alcohol, Janna said, “welcome to New Orleans.” From there we made a game plan. Tina, my travel partner likes National Parks and we both have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/index.htm">National Parks</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"> Passports. This is interesting as when you travel, when you go to a National Park, you can get a stamp in the book. I thought it was COMPLETELY dorky until I realized I don’t have a book and I want stamps too. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9j58Q0cJ4QdvDYstPHCVVd1ls_CNgkFRCCUWmzDX19LwrVl4gqGyiav340k6LsUSnz8jkso4GXr5zlTZQ2C8KBF78ZU-5xJRWF9qiOs_HfY6XgdvwxW1-uHuWuj8wmexWxBP4NdWnLRM/s1600/St+Louis+Cathedrad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9j58Q0cJ4QdvDYstPHCVVd1ls_CNgkFRCCUWmzDX19LwrVl4gqGyiav340k6LsUSnz8jkso4GXr5zlTZQ2C8KBF78ZU-5xJRWF9qiOs_HfY6XgdvwxW1-uHuWuj8wmexWxBP4NdWnLRM/s320/St+Louis+Cathedrad.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">So, we followed Janna and Danni (my new nickname for her) around the French Quarter looking at sites like the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://stlouiscathedral.org/">cathedral</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">, the National Parks center and other attractions. Long story short, by 5:00 p.m., I was SMASHED. Because we were there in June, it was super hot. Because you can walk around the streets of New Orleans with alcohol freely, you can get smashed rather quickly. We had a great tour, but throughout the day, we would pop in to a bar to cool off, and then head outside to see more. In New Orleans if you don’t finish a drink, they will give you a “go cup” or you can just take your bottle of beer. We did stop for lunch at a place with good gumbo called </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.napoleonhouse.com/">The Napoleon House</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">. In addition to the gumbo, I also had a fabulous salad…avocado with shrimp rumalade. We were there for a few days and went back twice. On one day we popped in for a homemade Peach Cream Soda made by one of the curmudgeon bartenders.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While I was smashed by 5 p.m. and tool a cab back to the hotel and passed out, I would rank that day in the top 10 of best days in my life. I was introduced to a different world in the French Quarter….I really can’t articulate how bizarre and wonderful the vibe really was. It looks exactly like you think it should look. I realize New Orleans has the wrap of being a little dirty and it is, may I say, a little well worn. I didn’t think it was bad. Imagine a European village that has been under water numerous times and you have the French Quarter.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rest of the trip was spent poolside on the top of the hotel and visiting with Janna and Danni, popping in and out of local bars and <a href="http://www.irisneworleans.com/">restaurants</a>. We ate at Lucy’s a couple of times and one day walked to the ferry which takes you across the <a href="http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/transportation/gettingaround/ferry.html">Mississippi</a> where we took a little ride across and back again. It’s a powerful river and I couldn’t help but think what an important role this water has played in our country’s history.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Janna and Danni live about 10 minutes away from the heart of the City in Mid City. When we would head to their area, Janna would give us quick tours, pointing out what is new and what was destroyed by Katrina. The park which houses the art museum.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">is amazing and lost hundreds of oak trees. It was at this point when I wished places would have noticeable markers indicating where the water hit during the floods after Katrina. I’ve since learned some places do have these markings, but I think they need to make more places do this…so we’ll never forget.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The night before leaving, we were taken to two neighborhood bars. The first was <a href="http://www.parkwaybakeryandtavernnola.com/index.html">Parkway </a>as our friends said they had the best po boys. I loved mine and after several beers, even ate some alligator. We finished in a bar called <a href="http://www.frommers.com/destinations/neworleans/N27994.html">Pal’s</a>. All of these places sell coozie’s…I love it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2wKnbbqYKPzJQAY143eRG3Xt39U13Oleh8XTrL3E_dVR-c8Ysfz4PQMbBRqFy3NMDhBFn74RF2qbTYvBjKFsrw2NF0WyzkxRIGZD7gfaOIpdYwZ9xZTOjrm8P09Im4msKC8ATa-LKuk/s1600/Parkway+Today.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2wKnbbqYKPzJQAY143eRG3Xt39U13Oleh8XTrL3E_dVR-c8Ysfz4PQMbBRqFy3NMDhBFn74RF2qbTYvBjKFsrw2NF0WyzkxRIGZD7gfaOIpdYwZ9xZTOjrm8P09Im4msKC8ATa-LKuk/s320/Parkway+Today.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJR3jfrCA5gPUbC6ldbGdnTjyyZVu3dlGjTPP7-RRSoTxDQpS9yf0yQmn8Ys-5yyiD4h7h08xlX_einysM74LyYR5IEz0nEgBpjoFCspXn1u40m60YMX3cgJTs1FrNLGjmB1GWSn24dI/s1600/Parkway+after+Katrina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJR3jfrCA5gPUbC6ldbGdnTjyyZVu3dlGjTPP7-RRSoTxDQpS9yf0yQmn8Ys-5yyiD4h7h08xlX_einysM74LyYR5IEz0nEgBpjoFCspXn1u40m60YMX3cgJTs1FrNLGjmB1GWSn24dI/s320/Parkway+after+Katrina.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Would I go back? Absolutely. There is much more to see, including tours through the legendary cemeteries. I think the Jazz Fest would be a great time to visit. I also think this town went through hell and it’s coming back. The people are lovely and resilient and deserve some more tourism dollars to help build the economy. Janna said class and race are still so extreme in this town and I’m not sure how to process this. The people were lovely and I really noticed their civic pride. It’s like a different world and I’m so glad I finally could experience this amazing American city.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-5224637361967433562011-08-06T14:53:00.000-07:002011-08-06T14:53:28.365-07:00Paris, London, Liverpool<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEuJptWTWZsP3fY5RzRL4vMltv-qcxLp_1loD0BqUwBl0Y01qgZK8y2D9AO3kuxEbDTLmIoqdPXd40N906rubXW5W-Cbfh11bG29r19h7L0jFkPzTrsVDRN1V5wNy42fqbFU-IEFKBYQ/s1600/helen+with+gray+glove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">I recently travelled to Europe and it was a big deal for several reasons. The first big deal was flying. I am such a control freak I’ve become scared to fly. I don’t avoid seeing places, but I’m not happy about the process. I went on a Mediterranean cruise in 2009 and it helped me think “I can do this.”</span></a></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEuJptWTWZsP3fY5RzRL4vMltv-qcxLp_1loD0BqUwBl0Y01qgZK8y2D9AO3kuxEbDTLmIoqdPXd40N906rubXW5W-Cbfh11bG29r19h7L0jFkPzTrsVDRN1V5wNy42fqbFU-IEFKBYQ/s1600/helen+with+gray+glove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEuJptWTWZsP3fY5RzRL4vMltv-qcxLp_1loD0BqUwBl0Y01qgZK8y2D9AO3kuxEbDTLmIoqdPXd40N906rubXW5W-Cbfh11bG29r19h7L0jFkPzTrsVDRN1V5wNy42fqbFU-IEFKBYQ/s320/helen+with+gray+glove.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dame Mirren</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkBuHeORZKhoSz9Icb5sFp9ELKPQFvTnDETEYi_a-JxzIVw3SNjIPaVTUsvHmiZXhc4BgunEhJrYR3Q4y6ASMKtNJ_LrLzC-yoa8FBSIlohqSeFxc7IQ3VQnNkfgh-5wqOshWkXTmUYc/s1600/Will-and-kate-292x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkBuHeORZKhoSz9Icb5sFp9ELKPQFvTnDETEYi_a-JxzIVw3SNjIPaVTUsvHmiZXhc4BgunEhJrYR3Q4y6ASMKtNJ_LrLzC-yoa8FBSIlohqSeFxc7IQ3VQnNkfgh-5wqOshWkXTmUYc/s1600/Will-and-kate-292x300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duh</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">At the same time I was obsessing over my new English friends (and they become friends when you </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">spend every night with them), </span><a href="http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Will and Kate </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">got engaged. Done and done. When I discussed the plans with my significant, it was brought up </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">that we should take my mother. I forgot to mention that my mom and dad (my dad died in 1998) are from Liverpool, England. So, the result of my obsessive whim was planning a trip to England with my mother.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When you don’t travel much and are planning on a trip to such a magnificent place, you want to accomplish a lot. We started thinking of all of the places we wanted to see, but also visit the town my mom is from. At the same time, we had no plans to rent a car, so public transport was essential. After several weeks/months of planning, we came up with a plan. On another whim, I thought going to Paris sounding like a good idea. My mother had never been, and while she was probably nervous, was in it to win it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Our plans were as follows: Fly to </span><a href="http://en.parisinfo.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Paris</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, then to </span><a href="http://www.visitlondon.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">London</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, then to </span><a href="http://visitbath.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Bath</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, then to </span><a href="http://www.shrewsburyguide.info/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Shrewsbury</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, then to </span><a href="http://www.visitliverpool.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Liverpool</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> and fly out of </span><a href="http://www.visitmanchester.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Manchester</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">…all during the week of and before the Royal wedding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So the plans were set and I was only worried about two things: flying and spending two weeks with my mother. My mother is lovely, but I’m not a middle-aged woman and rarely spend more than 5 hours with my mom in any given situation. Anybody would be a little worried.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Aside from </span><a href="http://www.united.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">missing our direct flight to Paris</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, being redirected to </span><a href="http://www.frankfurt-airport.com/content/frankfurt_airport/en.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Germany</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> and arriving without our luggage, the trip was perfect. None of us had been to Paris and we all fell in love. I get it now. Paris is an amazing place with beautiful architecture, history and people. We barely speak French and it’s fine. We were there for a day and a half and saw some of the major sites. When I asked my mom what she would give Paris on a scale of 1-10, she said a 12.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind Notre Dame</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">From Paris, we flew to London. We stayed in Shephard’s Bush in a boutique hotel called </span><a href="http://www.k-west.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">K West</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">. The building used to house BBC offices. In London we saw a play, </span><a href="http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/london_shows/show/item112721/The%20Children's%20Hour/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Children’s Hour</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">. We spent a day in Windsor and another sightseeing around London. We got some great snaps of </span><a href="http://www.westminster-abbey.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Westminster Abbey</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> a week before Will and Kate took their vows.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpy86SUz8fD-rvkmCzpeAlPTChyphenhyphenxXXyenNyyk1UfEVVU0RdKeITMuZuGnc5CNDaFe3axT-5CNqSY51TK275xv5qqzmDnUUXbcn_x6s064k9QXCtIX3dYdEAS7XQz2k7xNwSIv8pWfz9Q/s1600/DSC01726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpy86SUz8fD-rvkmCzpeAlPTChyphenhyphenxXXyenNyyk1UfEVVU0RdKeITMuZuGnc5CNDaFe3axT-5CNqSY51TK275xv5qqzmDnUUXbcn_x6s064k9QXCtIX3dYdEAS7XQz2k7xNwSIv8pWfz9Q/s320/DSC01726.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bath Abbey with crowds<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">From London, we used the </span><a href="http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">National Rail</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> to go to Bath. What a lovely and historic place. We were able to attend church in the Bath Abbey on Easter Sunday. After we’d done what we needed to do, we tool the rail to Shrewsbury. Now, you can look it up on your own for the historic significance, but for us, it was in the middle of Bath and Liverpool. We stayed in a </span><a href="http://www.ferndellbandb.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">B&B </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">and felt like we were a part of a modern English family. It’s wasn’t what you would expect…a frumpy English mum type making sausages in the am. We stayed in a family home where we heard the youngest boy playing and then later crying.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">We met up with some friends of the family in Shrewsbury, so there was a family significance to the days there.</span></div></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, my mom and the boys</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">From Shrewsbury we headed to Liverpool. Most folks don’t consider Liverpool when they are planning a trip to England and I have news for you, it’s great. It feels like Chicago as it’s on water and it’s going through a revitalization. Did I mention it’s the home of </span><a href="http://www.thebeatles.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Beatles</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Midden in Anfield</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Liverpool turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. We stayed in a new, hip hotel and were within walking distance of shops and the city center (</span><a href="http://www.base2stay.com/liverpool/the-hotel"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Base 2 Stay</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">). But aside from the great city, there were two highlights. The first was lunch with my Aunt (my dad’s sister) and her daughter (my cousin). I’d met them TWICE in my life and at lunch, it was as though I’ve always known them. The other highlight was seeing my mom’s childhood home and my grandfather’s pub.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The very end was a taxi ride to Manchester to sleep in an airport hotel and fly out early to the US. Since the wedding had just finished, we didn’t think flying out of London would be wise. A quick layover in New Jersey and we were home. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A couple of months have now passed and I still think of the trip almost daily. I wish all of the people I know the same adventure and joy. When you get back from something like this, you really know your true friends…those who will look at your dorky photo album of nearly 400 snaps. For the most part, people care to hear, but not too much. I like to hear about people’s trips…and their lives in general.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Since returning, I’ve been to Chicago a couple of times, New Orleans and a cabin in southern Indiana. Perhaps I’ll something interesting to recap soon!<span id="goog_438910086"></span><span id="goog_438910087"></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-86805864344677028322011-07-02T17:59:00.000-07:002011-07-02T17:59:36.896-07:00Lit Fest In Chicago<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoPy7pkxVg4LZGfBncxI8yKEsKB4xD-NL0SEt8sKP-Kl6HlIESPzNh2PRK2k2N5Yy3H4MmeILGzBlMIdZsbhBDl086mgIFo1SrN1c92NH8d8oWhjmqrVOS-Y2Be9ddwZf70QLi5ZTpAk/s1600/lit+fest+logo+and+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoPy7pkxVg4LZGfBncxI8yKEsKB4xD-NL0SEt8sKP-Kl6HlIESPzNh2PRK2k2N5Yy3H4MmeILGzBlMIdZsbhBDl086mgIFo1SrN1c92NH8d8oWhjmqrVOS-Y2Be9ddwZf70QLi5ZTpAk/s320/lit+fest+logo+and+shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">For the past several years, I’ve attended the “Printer's Row Book Fair” or <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/printersrowlitfest/">Lit fest</a> as it’s known now. I am not a reader. So, I go with someone who does like to read and I’m along for the ride. To protect the identity of other’s, I’ll call the interested party Tina. Tina is a librarian and has a blog “<a href="http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/">Reader for Life</a>,” so this is right up her alley. We have some friends in Chicago and we typically stay with one in particular…we’ll call him Brian.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Responsible insert – if you like reading, collecting books and being in the literary know…you should go to this event.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">So, each year in the spring, we look at our calendars and mark the LitFest. Then there is correspondence with Brian to see if he will be in town to join us. There are year’s he’s not available, yet we still stay at his place. There is another friend, let’s call her Nori, who we also check to see if she can join.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Lit Fest is like any other festival, but it’s all about books. There’s a look of the people who attend this event…lots of glasses. There are tents with book vendors and then there are special sessions/rooms with actual authors. Over the years, it’s clear Brian and I are not interested in the authors, but Tina has an agenda and we follow along.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">The day typically goes as follows: We drive to an area and find a lot to park. Brian and/or I don’t read signs or understand how to pay and Tina figures it out. It’s either too hot or raining, so Tina has to endure our complaining. The first stop is typically for water/a snack/cash/food. Once we find some sort of comfort, we walk around until the first author talk/reading. From there, Brian and I nestle into our chairs and hope we won’t be bored. My job is to take photos for Tina’s blog, so I at least feel like there is a task or objective.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Once we have seen all of the authors on Tina’s list, we are done. Sadly, the highlight for me is the lunch break at a Mexican restaurant called Flaco’s Tacos. It’s situated right on Printer’s Row and it’s always busy during the event. They have fish tacos and tamales and I dream about them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Over the years I’ve seen some notable personalities including <a href="http://www.charlespierce.net/">Charlie Pierce</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Dickinson">Amy Dickinson</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Barris">Chuck Barris</a>, <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/09/sunday/bios/main13564.shtml">Bill Geist</a>, <a href="http://eriklarsonbooks.com/">Erik Larson</a>…… But this is one gentleman I see almost every year…and this is a little weird and cosmic…his name is <a href="http://www.wfyi.org/goodEats.asp">Reid Duffy</a> and used to do restaurant reviews on a local television station in Indianapolis. Anyway, I see Reid EVERY year in the crowds. This year I was even more obsessed and took lots of snaps. The photos forced me to Google him and I think he’s still doing some writing and food related stuff in Indy, but he’s originally from Chicago.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">I don’t know who is going to be at next year’s Lit Fest and I don’t care. I will put it on my calendar in the spring and start thinking about those tacos and seeing Reid Duffy around May. June will come soon enough and it’s then when I know summer is starting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-88307785659675617742011-06-18T06:30:00.000-07:002011-06-18T06:30:36.181-07:00Look at Oprah<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WgfNnAP0_SpniR-P25IEq6vzVhr4G_iCc4l5whHrnpdQpSNsOkycmW68vxnNeQ2O3LF9EZxMckf1err4CAkv-vVEtwy-5mb2trTmWaoyJRgAdH3kNg33lfkLXl-KOieg9PGDsvpEjIM/s1600/oprah_winfrey240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WgfNnAP0_SpniR-P25IEq6vzVhr4G_iCc4l5whHrnpdQpSNsOkycmW68vxnNeQ2O3LF9EZxMckf1err4CAkv-vVEtwy-5mb2trTmWaoyJRgAdH3kNg33lfkLXl-KOieg9PGDsvpEjIM/s1600/oprah_winfrey240.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">“Bein’ all <a href="http://www.oprah.com/index.html">Oprah</a>.” This is a second hand quote from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Morgan">Tracy Morgan</a> to <a href="http://www.kathygriffin.net/">Kathy Griffin</a> at an awards show. Kathy was doing standup and set the stage to talk about presenters. She was sitting next to comedian Tracy Morgan and when Ms. Winfrey took the stage, he said to Kathy, “look at Oprah, bein’ all Oprah.” The joke was funny and the statement was rather profound…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Pop culture forces you to be in the here and now. Today, we see Oprah as a billionaire media mogul who seems to have cast a spell on her audience. The shows are often mocked, but at the same time, a fearful reverence is in tact. In other words, you can joke, but don’t mess with Oprah.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Delicious Summer Brew</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">The other week I watched the last show of her 25-year long program, the Oprah Winfrey Show. Full disclosure, I did have some beer before pressing play on my TiVo, but I can honestly say I didn’t expect to cry throughout most of the hour. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Ms. Winfrey took to her studio stage by herself with a chair…she never sat. She did most of the show like a preacher or motivational speaker and she had me with hello. From her recollections of her professional beginnings to mention of shows and topics that had an impact, she drew me in with constant reminders of how her connection with the TV audience is what kept her going. If you break this down, it’s amazing…what she says about this connection is so true…how else do you last for 25 years and become one of the most wealthy entertainers/women in the world? Say what you want, the core motives must have been real.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">I was reminded why this woman became so powerful. She made a talk show bigger by discussing difficult topics and empowering viewers to think about more than their own day-to-day lives. There are folks who have had little parental guidance who learned from her shows and became better people. There are men who graduated from college only from her generosity. There are people who had terrible workdays, marriage struggles and family illnesses and attribute sole joy to the one hour each day delivered by this woman and her team.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Say what you will, but Ms. Winfrey is an important pop icon and she will have a place in 20<sup>th</sup>/21<sup>st</sup> Century history, as she should.<o:p></o:p></span></div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-37794606162733772812011-03-06T15:36:00.000-08:002011-03-06T15:36:55.615-08:00Mature Entertainment<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">The Manhattan Transfer and Jennifer Coolidge </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sometimes I like to pick a saucy title to get your attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This entry is not about the adult entertainment industry…well, it is, but not what you’re thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recently had the pleasure of attending two shows and while the performers are no spring chickens, their performances rival those of any teen sensations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZmPjM6hw1u7neGYilKbUN8o8avjaljMCyNduebAd7DVI4WZ3uJjNr9FrFkvZAYDJvKospt6Q4tqKdFDbshyzQpQ3JNnSN9od0kYzmE9OxsIYChOqYqu9FJIcavMIlfL8SA_CI5NKLa0/s1600/Transfer+Album+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZmPjM6hw1u7neGYilKbUN8o8avjaljMCyNduebAd7DVI4WZ3uJjNr9FrFkvZAYDJvKospt6Q4tqKdFDbshyzQpQ3JNnSN9od0kYzmE9OxsIYChOqYqu9FJIcavMIlfL8SA_CI5NKLa0/s1600/Transfer+Album+Cover.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I first heard </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.manhattantransfer.net/">The Manhattan Transfer</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> when I was about 5 years old.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">That would be 1975.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I grew up in a modest and quiet home and our “stereo” had a radio and 8-track player.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">My mom and dad would purchase the occasional 8-track tape to enjoy and they were intermingled with my brother’s comedy tapes.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I was informed I wasn’t supposed to listen to George Carlin, the Blue’s Brothers or the Saturday Night Live recordings…so I listened to the music of my parents.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">To be honest, I think they only had two – The Manhattan Transfer and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.phoebesnow.com/">Phoebe Snow</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Both of those tapes quickly became my inner soundtrack and helped form the music taste I still hold today.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">When I was 14 or 15, my first concert was with my parents and we went to see The Manhattan Transfer at Starlight Musicals – an open-air amphitheater on the campus of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.butler.edu/">Butler University</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">The amphitheater is gone, but the Transfer is still going strong.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2BALWcK0EsAIM0zzB_LDRpPiHmtoLhjAxtRPW9t9j2OzCWQsM0MM8C-BcQ5nIgKwIGgWnHt_9cYqi-dIa-iOicsUyKXuTPJsAPKvIwbOWhSBEYZmPS7eP3q0DOmCS0MCRo6BdM7rCfY/s1600/transfer+singing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2BALWcK0EsAIM0zzB_LDRpPiHmtoLhjAxtRPW9t9j2OzCWQsM0MM8C-BcQ5nIgKwIGgWnHt_9cYqi-dIa-iOicsUyKXuTPJsAPKvIwbOWhSBEYZmPS7eP3q0DOmCS0MCRo6BdM7rCfY/s320/transfer+singing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">My most recent encounter with the Transfer was this past February at <a href="http://www.cloweshall.org/">Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University</a> (thank God for Butler).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d had a couple of beers before the concert started, so I was ready to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first sign it would be a tough night was when the woman in front of my shot a DIRTY look because I was talking…did I mention the concert had not even started?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I knew I had to monitor my enthusiasm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the Transfer took the stage, my heart sank as I looked around me and saw barely any movement and excitement from the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was under the impression that if you were older, maybe in your 50’s, 60’s or 70’s, you could still have fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not these folks…they give AARP a bad name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Transfer was amazing and I got out a few hoots, but I watched myself as I didn’t want too many evil eyes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The concert featured some of my favorites, including Birdland and Route 66.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The quad allowed a solo performance from each which enabled the crowd to witness their individual talents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.janissiegel.com/">Janis Siegal </a>is my favorite, so I tended to watch her singing and facial expressions most of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These performers have been singing together for four decades and they still appear to like each other…their bond must be like a family at this point.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheY-JdQtX3N4W_OasGJ0-P28ul_8WEypBNyGnUwLqFUP4JKuDROKtEHlcomYsBLqKvcOHqLgys35fhAGjB_Jz1YDD8sIldvbbdk1n5UM_FjEq_vYU9WoC6GO22NbxYZrjFGJLlh3qshOU/s1600/Janis+Siegal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheY-JdQtX3N4W_OasGJ0-P28ul_8WEypBNyGnUwLqFUP4JKuDROKtEHlcomYsBLqKvcOHqLgys35fhAGjB_Jz1YDD8sIldvbbdk1n5UM_FjEq_vYU9WoC6GO22NbxYZrjFGJLlh3qshOU/s1600/Janis+Siegal.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I have seen the Transfer numerous times.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">As I age, each performance becomes more special to me.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I am filled with emotions as I relate their music and performance style to my childhood and family.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">When I perform, I just know these four vocalists have been my coaches and I display some of the same mannerisms (please note, I’m not nearly talented enough to be in their league).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I didn’t like their crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When leaving, I had a fantasy of them appearing on <a href="http://www.fox.com/glee/">Glee</a>, so that millions of teens who like show choir would see the originals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, there would not be a Glee without them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8lS3eD0IId_mrhR7Bn5Wjz3wjEqd-Mn6iH1TfKQJ4m0XE23C7shk8UTP1K2TuTKeLdIysa6oIhGXb_0qUIEDCvq4dJVrOeslxcIOfoNQttb0DSjIdg7yDSLxqogku0GZvd3egiQIDsU/s1600/Coolidge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8lS3eD0IId_mrhR7Bn5Wjz3wjEqd-Mn6iH1TfKQJ4m0XE23C7shk8UTP1K2TuTKeLdIysa6oIhGXb_0qUIEDCvq4dJVrOeslxcIOfoNQttb0DSjIdg7yDSLxqogku0GZvd3egiQIDsU/s320/Coolidge.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Fast forward a week and I had the unique pleasure of seeing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0177639/">Jennifer Coolidge</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> perform at a local comedy club.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Let me repeat, Jennifer Coolidge at a comedy club.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">When I told folks I had tickets, they either knew her or didn’t.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">If they didn’t, I would say “Stifler’s mom from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163651/">American Pie</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">That generated some acknowledgement.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I know Ms. Coolidge from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0218839/">Best in Show</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">, a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001302/">Christopher Guest</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> film and one of my all-time favorites.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">After folks recognized whom I was talking about, they would say “Crackers?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Really?”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.crackerscomedy.com/broadripple.html">Cracker’s</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> is the local club in Indianapolis.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qfMRdylwAgDVFvG3w6r-cnfQW8snn-ucmCuJszMyqXGS2gJB9fO0mtJdx6j5ZJzWhKb64xQWi8hkIL7v1v5bbR0g7DuGfN5kbct2_F8svoFTIQnyughc3upyYyV8IWA8tseMwKGV7RY/s1600/Jennifer+best+in+show.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9qfMRdylwAgDVFvG3w6r-cnfQW8snn-ucmCuJszMyqXGS2gJB9fO0mtJdx6j5ZJzWhKb64xQWi8hkIL7v1v5bbR0g7DuGfN5kbct2_F8svoFTIQnyughc3upyYyV8IWA8tseMwKGV7RY/s320/Jennifer+best+in+show.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">So, we went to the show and happened to be seated right at the stage at this little bar – it separates the performers from the audience.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">It almost felt like a striper bar (if you’ve ever been to one).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">There was an emcee comic who had a flop sweat that rivaled </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000983/">Albert Brooks’</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092699/">Broadcast News</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">He was actually pretty funny, but he did use the cocktail napkin I offered him.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">The second comic (sorry, can’t remember his name) was also very good.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I was shocked that both of these comics referenced “midgets” – not the most politically correct term.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFznDoIjRsO6GmO3cZhL6wG6OkWZDc__C8OKmsOei3xgrTEpen04dHlsmNAtnr7Y-Upu6ytiJZIepX2KlMfNg444M_XWWSw8I8XZuuylz1m4BfxuLjo11qJ1xhjqHWz5FdxAAO-XTIeg/s1600/Albert+Flop+Sweat.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFznDoIjRsO6GmO3cZhL6wG6OkWZDc__C8OKmsOei3xgrTEpen04dHlsmNAtnr7Y-Upu6ytiJZIepX2KlMfNg444M_XWWSw8I8XZuuylz1m4BfxuLjo11qJ1xhjqHWz5FdxAAO-XTIeg/s1600/Albert+Flop+Sweat.png" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">After the openers, Ms. Coolidge took to the stage.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I actually thought she looked fabulous, in a drag-queen sort of way.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Her hair is long and blond (extensions) and she had very intense shoes with killer heals.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Her dress was short and black.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">She’s not a petit flower, but her presence was notable.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">The context of her act was that she needed to get out of LA since it’s so warped when the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://www.eonline.com/on/shows/kardashians/index.html">Kardashians</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Hilton">Paris Hilton</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> get all of the attention.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">She opened with “I don’t know why I picked Indianapolis as a place to perform…I didn’t know what I expected….I thought I might see a couple of horses in the audience.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">She went on to acknowledge that the crowd was so young…and they were.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Where were these folks when I needed them at the Transfer?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Coolidge was extremely funny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She based most of the performance around her career and the parts she didn’t get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the day, she delivered a commentary about aging as a female actress and the difficulty of securing parts when newcomers are around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she weren’t so funny while being jaded, I may have cried.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Don’t get me wrong, I do try hard to recognize new talent, but I have a soft spot in my heart for those with true talent, they may just not be so young.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word “classic” is around for some reason, so I encourage folks to have diverse tastes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Researching the past is something we call can do when moving forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s really nothing truly new, just the interpretation (except for Facebook, that’s original for the most part).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can’t think of a new idea, look to the past and see what worked, then put your spin on it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment-->S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-32753843440430719262011-02-28T17:39:00.000-08:002011-02-28T17:49:41.022-08:00The Mighty Queens of Freeville – Book Review<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">The Mighty Queens of Freeville – A Story of Surprising Second Chances<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">By Amy Dickinson<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Copyright 2009</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Okay, for some reason, all roads point to Chicago in this indirect route to me reading Amy Dickinson’s memoir of divorce, motherhood and career. I don’t read Chicago newspapers, where Amy currently works and writes “<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/tribu/askamy/">Ask Amy</a>,” but I do listen to NPR, especially on the weekends when the Indianapolis affiliate, WFYI, airs <i><a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/">Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me</a></i> on Saturday and then AGAIN on Sunday. This show is recorded in Chicago and Amy is a frequent panelist. But, I didn’t want to buy or read her book because I hear her pleasant voice a couple of times each month or because she’s a popular advice columnist, but because I saw her speak in Chicago at the <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/printersrowlitfest/">Printer’s Row Lit Fest</a>…again with Chicago.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie Pierce and Amy Dickinson</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">So, for those of you who have never been to the well-known book fair, try to make it some year.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">The only risk is the weather.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Back to Amy…I went to a “talk/reading” with Amy and Charlie Pierce in 2010 and thought I should buy at least one of their books, so I bought hers.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I am drawn to memoirs since most folks reserve their best stories for readers in neat chapters.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Amy’s work follows this format with the flow of her life starting at the time of her divorce through today.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Within this framework, she reflects on her childhood, which paves the road to explain her duel residency she is able to maintain, even when her career and finances didn’t appear to be so robust.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Simply stated, over the years, Amy and her daughter had two homes – one in Freeville, NY where Amy grew up and then in cities where Amy had writing work, namely Washington DC and Chicago.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">To be honest, I was worried this was like a northeast <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Steel</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Magnolia’s</b> from the title…like a bunch of hen pecking stories from her youth….thank goodness, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mighty Queens</b> is not. I think Amy wants you to know she’s the person she is today because of her humble upbringing, but she also can’t hide the fact that she’s a talented journalist. Her tales of motherhood, some dating and reflection on her mom and dad’s divorce certainly have prepped her for her advice giving, but the fact she seems relentlessly grounded and funny are her best qualifications.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">The book begins with a description of her divorce and the fact they had a small daughter at the time. From there, Amy describes her journey of moving back to the states, reestablishing herself in her hometown where she is then able to sprinkle in a little backstory of her childhood. At this point the pursuit of career is described, but none of the chapters go into too much detail. Perhaps this is where I find fault with the book. I know Amy is funny and has had a very interesting past personal and professional life, but she is really good at downplaying all of it. The best story was when she visited her estranged father and they go on a trip to tow a tractor. The book’s cutest moment is the primitive drawing Amy gives us to describe their options for getting the tractor out of the mud.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Even if you don’t read Amy’s column or listen to her on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wait Wait,</i> I think this book makes a pleasant read for those on holiday or for women seeking a little inspiration when raising a child on their own. Frankly, Amy seems rather lucky professionally, so I drew inspiration to keep on….you know, push through, make it happen, sort it out…keep on.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-52855820638573620702011-01-30T14:13:00.000-08:002011-01-30T14:13:47.103-08:00Internet Find – Musician Molly Lewis<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">Do you all know about You Tube?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzT0ZK75bsxjMZaIhac_XOgFhxboE1-OK30_86zYCjHtfvc5t-dLGGxk1w9CbaOIy3MrLBLGjb3hg0g9DKdvj7RZhcCIL8jnHxOpq98qSuCfPslX5-hCg20x5cHSQ4JUxkMUP3VkflJY/s1600/molly+uke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzT0ZK75bsxjMZaIhac_XOgFhxboE1-OK30_86zYCjHtfvc5t-dLGGxk1w9CbaOIy3MrLBLGjb3hg0g9DKdvj7RZhcCIL8jnHxOpq98qSuCfPslX5-hCg20x5cHSQ4JUxkMUP3VkflJY/s200/molly+uke.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So for the past 10ish years, I’ve not used a computer for personal purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would tell folks that I don’t use a computer at home as I sit in front of one all day at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When folks would talk about upgrading their laptops, or their new iphones, I would almost judge thinking there’s more to life than electronics and the Internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy did I change my story when I purchased my MacBook Pro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would be lying if I didn’t say there’s been a learning curve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, the other day, I tried to get on itunes (or You Tunes as I was calling it) and I couldn’t figure out how to get to the page where you buy the music.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGRbQq25AlRB7AU9jjSa6TnXXffIL5vawiojl77LkLoq04TBIo-6ov8303p-cTEvanF6UEfW4OIs8ws5WwOABC1DGNg1IRHfpFrDSyb_ap7ecj6gx3qqUrMBBq-M2rnDdaTpOx0N7SxQ/s1600/Molly+Character.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGRbQq25AlRB7AU9jjSa6TnXXffIL5vawiojl77LkLoq04TBIo-6ov8303p-cTEvanF6UEfW4OIs8ws5WwOABC1DGNg1IRHfpFrDSyb_ap7ecj6gx3qqUrMBBq-M2rnDdaTpOx0N7SxQ/s320/Molly+Character.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So, after spending long hours with family and friends this winter season, I’ve been watching videos on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">You Tube</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even used an ipad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like the song <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_(song)">Toxic </a></i>by Britney Spears, so I searched for it on the You Tube.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I found has changed my life (at least my computer life).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a video of a girl (and you can’t see her face) playing the ukulele and singing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Toxic.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing – here’s the link (I don’t know how to embed the video yet) -- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWxxTph7ibU">my first Molly video</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I watched this several times and wanted more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From there, I learned this faceless youth has a name….Molly Lewis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I found this page - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/sweetafton23">http://www.youtube.com/user/sweetafton23</a> with links to several of her You Tube videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She does covers and writes her own songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She mainly plays the uke, but it’s clear she’s a bit of a musical prodigy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I’d rather watch her enjoyable videos, I’ve not really researched her too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think she’s around 20 and lives on the west coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has public gigs and I’m probably late in even finding her.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ooepD-kZQLe3Vu-SgtOoFMHu8TPtzLW3ESdTfnKBPACjwU07kRrhQuRwMhfn7x6dLHVqA9B2HYBpA8sU7JmhzVGofexKO50drzKwtYn3STNy66y2A_09mOSyFuTvtPC73FgcX9TwIz0/s1600/Molly+Lewis+transit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ooepD-kZQLe3Vu-SgtOoFMHu8TPtzLW3ESdTfnKBPACjwU07kRrhQuRwMhfn7x6dLHVqA9B2HYBpA8sU7JmhzVGofexKO50drzKwtYn3STNy66y2A_09mOSyFuTvtPC73FgcX9TwIz0/s320/Molly+Lewis+transit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My recommendations are <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mf7cQfhJSA">Poker Face</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poeUmmdA0rE">California Gurls</a></i> (pop covers) and her original song called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LemcvkhUgcc">Road Trip</a>, a song about the astronaut love triangle from a couple of years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two Girls and a Uke is amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She partners with another musician and they perform <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_193886935">We Can Work It Out</a></i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdGuv6vIiNk"> </a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- two ladies playing one uke at the same time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Why do I like her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think she’s talented, clever and irreverent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s the type of performer I would follow around town from gig to gig just to hear her perspective and marvel at the simplicity of her show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She makes me think there’s hope in the world and reminds me how talented people really are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, she’s not playing classical music like the kids on <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_193886955">From the Top</a></i><a href="http://www.fromthetop.org/"> </a>(NPR), but I think she’s just as special.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s something organic about her skills and I’m impressed someone so young is so observant and insightful about popular culture.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">As I mentioned earlier, perhaps you already know Molly Lewis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not, and if you have some time to spend on the Internet, watch her videos and pretend you have the rest of your life in front of you….like she does.<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-74181864413236687112011-01-15T11:50:00.000-08:002011-01-15T11:50:12.352-08:00Book Review -- Kitchen Confidential<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Kitchen Confidential</span></span></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;">Anthony Bourdain<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;">Copyright 2000<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL58SR8HcaecmYh6E3Fd8SJwH9dOznhb0x7wQi7C3gt22rEvv4GEEdTRkYYSf93TEPUa0My8J_8x0z_AKSE1BXbKkmEsUCZm3p0MingkSVEBV6UiEUyo6HjCeLu3sqweoA4w4mQPZDopE/s1600/Anthony+Sleeves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL58SR8HcaecmYh6E3Fd8SJwH9dOznhb0x7wQi7C3gt22rEvv4GEEdTRkYYSf93TEPUa0My8J_8x0z_AKSE1BXbKkmEsUCZm3p0MingkSVEBV6UiEUyo6HjCeLu3sqweoA4w4mQPZDopE/s200/Anthony+Sleeves.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bourdain and Ripert</span></td></tr>
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</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p>After seeing Anthony Bourdain on television’s <i><a href="http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef">Top Chef</a></i> as a guest judge and his own series <i><a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain">No Reservations</a></i>, I found his persona charming and fascinating and every time I heard about his acclaimed memoir Kitchen Confidential, I thought “I need to read that book.” I was prodded by a public event with Bourdain and master chef Eric Ripert in Indianapolis. I wanted to see them and knew a book signing would ensue. </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfGTdY5PcVLFzR_ogOdwWDhgmt_1OrAB7RtvUJHHhsHm6ZjdjIolTX2qO6Fn7g_QyZQXZn73hmYTxM9A5fJyOVAgZB4tGKgFo-yo12UN6bEKuhh6bdCnIf_vEInuE73bb4mEDJR41u58/s1600/Eric+Signing+Nice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfGTdY5PcVLFzR_ogOdwWDhgmt_1OrAB7RtvUJHHhsHm6ZjdjIolTX2qO6Fn7g_QyZQXZn73hmYTxM9A5fJyOVAgZB4tGKgFo-yo12UN6bEKuhh6bdCnIf_vEInuE73bb4mEDJR41u58/s200/Eric+Signing+Nice.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ripert Signing</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_Confidential">Kitchen Confidential</a> is mainly a memoir, revolving around Anthony Bourdain’s culinary career before television. One of the reasons the book was so attractive to me was what I’d already heard about it…how Bourdain “exposes” secrets of the restaurant world. When I read it, I was less shocked by some of the food handling and procuring methods, but just realizing how difficult, if not grueling, food preparation really is for cooks. So this book explains Bourdain’s journey from his youth and newfound love of food, to culinary school and finally to the world of restaurant cooking in New York City. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;">While his writing is infused with humor and self-deprecation, I was drawn to the serious side of his career path, his addictions and his very deep passion and respect for the food. I enjoyed the toggling between descriptions of sociopathic kitchen antics, to restaurant planning 101 to his delight of new places or admiration for other chefs and/or restaurateurs. I am mainly amazed that this man who seemed to have lived such a full and often wreck less life wrote this book before his illustrious television career even started. In other words, this book describes a pretty full career and yet he was just getting started. Wow. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjbQRHmnTsfsx4a0IXo-BKbCgSSD6DB6X0tjXZVg3dhK-ThQjcQOa_8VBH2ldPdJzQ0ErxMjC_IbcZLBxqhd9vUu316urnNx6pZPiS5bj25d-Wz1OKamejVPYgMqezdSdwPEQaA3UL0w/s1600/Bourdaine+Signing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjbQRHmnTsfsx4a0IXo-BKbCgSSD6DB6X0tjXZVg3dhK-ThQjcQOa_8VBH2ldPdJzQ0ErxMjC_IbcZLBxqhd9vUu316urnNx6pZPiS5bj25d-Wz1OKamejVPYgMqezdSdwPEQaA3UL0w/s200/Bourdaine+Signing.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bourdain</span></td></tr>
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 13pt;">The walk away from this book speaks to so many folks. It’s like an anthropological look into the restaurant world as well as a beginners guide for foodies who want to learn some key terms. It also gives you insight to a man who we really enjoy watching and listening to. His chapter about his trip to Tokyo is foreshadowing of his television series. I have his most recent book to read next -- <i>Medium Raw</i> – and I’m looking forward to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-34768547123124178152010-12-29T06:21:00.000-08:002010-12-31T15:19:59.631-08:00KT Tunstall visits Indianapolis<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Friday, November 19, 2010</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Studio 92 and The Vogue<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">As my brief bio indicates, I’m now 40 years old and with that title, I can’t seem to stay up late anymore. Now, others will read this and say it’s not my age (those who are my age and older that don’t like admitting they are getting old) but a personal preference. All I know is 10 years ago I could stay out long enough to close bars and then eat greasy breakfast food afterwards. Today, I’d rather sit in the BMV all afternoon than close a bar.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">So, the fact we left <a href="http://www.kttunstall.com/">KT Tunstall</a>’s concert on November 19 at The Vogue after about 6 songs had NOTHING to do with Ms. Tunstall’s performance. To the contrary, I was deeply saddened that I could no longer stand at a bar and listen to her perform…it was around 11 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Luckily, I was fortunate enough to see Ms. Tunstall at a small VIP performance at the <a href="http://wttsfm.com/">WTTS 92.3</a> studios in downtown Indianapolis. As you can imagine, I LOVE these “private concerts” as we get to see the artist up close and personal, typically by themselves and performing three to five stellar songs. Best of all, it’s all during your lunch hour when you’re bright eyed and bushy tailed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAVati7QRBRg74gICt-gAL0lBzoRCmWdj2frSodsCqfJZPXilkpY3_L8mG1JAAZ2bOH5yuAoZQD9aFkk0J6atck3cGoi7z3d_NMevtVjasn8gwKAmHMC1uarubzZmMXL30B54B7GztDU/s1600/KT+Sam+and+Tina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAVati7QRBRg74gICt-gAL0lBzoRCmWdj2frSodsCqfJZPXilkpY3_L8mG1JAAZ2bOH5yuAoZQD9aFkk0J6atck3cGoi7z3d_NMevtVjasn8gwKAmHMC1uarubzZmMXL30B54B7GztDU/s320/KT+Sam+and+Tina.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">After waiting only a short while in a line, the guests were seated in a small studio with a stage big enough for only a few acoustic style performers.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Ms. Tunstall walked in and almost immediately played her first song, “Madame Trudeaux” prepping us with an explanation of the inspiration.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">After her energy-filled tune, there was a brief q & a with a radio station dj.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I think you can tell a lot about a “famous” person by how they act when in these settings.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I’ve seen Ms. Tunstall three times now in “private” concerts and each time she is gracious, generous and professional.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">I can imagine how hard it is to be on the road, but I also know it’s what these rockers sign up for.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Tunstall sings her heart out, answers questions with humor and is even patient to smile for photos.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">That lunchtime, the small group also enjoyed listening to “(Still A) Weirdo” and “Fade Like a Shadow.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">All of these sections can be found on her latest release </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tiger Suit.</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">I became a fan of Tunstall’s with her <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Eye to the Telescope</b> release and was happy that I did hear “Black Horse & The Cherry Tree” later that evening as well as “Other Side of the World.“ I did miss “Suddenly I See,” but whose fault is that? For those of you who know and own her music, you already know how special Tunstall’s talent is. For those of you who are not familiar but enjoy female singers who play guitars, are extremely rhythmic and make your blood move a little faster, then you must buy one of her tunes or CDs. I am one of those people that don’t listen to lyrics, so I can’t tell you the meaning of most of her songs….but I’m sure she’s profound.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtTMtkqn6eRamjQ47N5YfZ4IGYZ5VVo3VUJaAvWgcJeajAqFX8v5pFT4e5aNzq0pa_arfBG_WkyJS5xrDfEnwKVU6HxsXT6VE5W7EZNq98BKsi8nrIGVqv2GCtmdqAhgiMa3XnwaEY88/s1600/KT+Vogue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtTMtkqn6eRamjQ47N5YfZ4IGYZ5VVo3VUJaAvWgcJeajAqFX8v5pFT4e5aNzq0pa_arfBG_WkyJS5xrDfEnwKVU6HxsXT6VE5W7EZNq98BKsi8nrIGVqv2GCtmdqAhgiMa3XnwaEY88/s200/KT+Vogue.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">So at her concert, Tunstall had an opening act – <a href="http://www.hurricanebells.com/">Hurricane Bells.</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">They played for about 45 minutes and I guess they were good.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">In all honesty, I was trying to stay awake and look for a reason not to go home and sleep.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">Finally, around 10:15 p.m., Tunstall took the stage with her band.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">They were great.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">To be frank, however, I most enjoy her when she’s by herself with her little recording device she controls with her feet.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">When I hit the wall, we walked out of the <a href="http://www.thevogue.com/">Vogue</a> and headed towards our car. Next to the Vogue is another bar and they had a cover band that night….they were singing “Black Horse & The Cheery Tree” and I mouthed and pointed to the lead singer that we just heard the song…the singer laughed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">The Scottish born Tunstall is the real deal. She’s the type of singer that even if they’ve not had a radio “hit” for years, her fans will always want to see her perform in person. If you have the chance, see her live and make sure to have plenty of coffee as she starts late!<o:p></o:p></span></div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-20271737174567274852010-12-18T09:28:00.000-08:002010-12-18T09:51:11.432-08:00Holiday Celebrations<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Baby Eating, Womanizer and Macy’s Elves</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I think those Folger’s commercials are misleading. You know the one, where the son comes home from somewhere and his parents and sister are SO excited to see him. They start off their reunion with Folger’s coffee. They’ve even updated this one with new, more modern looking kids and the son is coming home from Africa. First off, you can tell that family has money. If the son can afford to go off and do “good work” in Africa, he comes from money. Have you seen the house? Lovely. There’s no way they drink Folger’s. At the minimum they should be grinding their own Starbucks or scooping the Italian grounds from an Illy can. So, aside from their choice of beans being unrealistic, I just can’t buy how excited his teenage sister is to see him. Do people really act like that?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The holidays are hard for some folks. I think because we’ve created these unrealistic images of joy and disappointment ensues. I certainly don’t want to waste too much time on the obvious consumerism the season advocates. More than anything, I just try to focus on the economy building all the shopping may help and that some folks find work when they need it most. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">What I’m finding is a shift in thought about the holidays. I think the trend is to appreciate the time off work and the opportunity to have parties, drink, laugh and splurge on activities. At least that’s what the holidays are turning out to be for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">My season starts at an annual holiday party at a local advertising agency. You can set your clock to this event as the activities are pretty boilerplate. But, we all look forward to going and wouldn’t miss it because of the tradition. It’s not a sweet party, although proceeds are given to charity. The party starts with some social lubrication (booze), then moves to some musical numbers. It’s amazing how many guys know how to play the guitar. Jack, the artistic director for the evening, writes some new songs each year based on the year’s news and events – all set to popular Christmas songs. The highlight is a song called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t Eat the Baby</i>. This is about a pig in the nativity scene that wants to eat the baby Jesus. The room chimes in during the chorus with “don’t eat the baby.” That’s why there is no pig in the nativity. From there, we move onto a white elephant gift exchange where rules are thrown to the curb because of extortion and alcohol consumption. Good times.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Depending on the year, I either have other parties to attend or I perform at some private function. This year I was invited to a St. Andrew’s Day party (Scottish theme) and was later asked if I could sing. So, my performing partner and I then turned into gig mode. We show up early, set up and then chat other guests up until we have to sing. For the most part, our act is pretty harmless. I say this as we never expect kids to be around, but once they show up, anxiety is part of the prep as I then worry about being inappropriate. I think we did okay at this event, but in our attempt to be cool for the tweens (yeah, I don’t think they were actually teens yet), we broke out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Womanizer</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sexy Back</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Humps</i>. I guess since I don’t listen to words, I don’t expect them to know how terrible these songs are. I did find joy in some of the parental smirks. They were uncomfortable a little, but this 40 something crowd still thinks it’s the 80’s and were throwing some caution to the wind….as much as they can with other parents from the private Catholic school.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Last week I went to see <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Santaland Diaries</i>, based on a short story by <a href="http://www.barclayagency.com/sedaris.html">David Sedaris</a> from <u>Holiday’s on Ice</u>. I am a huge fan of Sedaris and fell in love with him after reading <u>Me Talk Pretty Some Day</u>. I distinctly remember reading that book in bed and shaking from laughter. Sedaris is a master storyteller and his memoirs continue to bring me joy, so I was happy to see this play. I’d read the short story about Sedaris before his writing career took off and he’d gotten a job at Macy’s in New York as an elf for Santa. To tell you more would do his story a disservice as he is the funny writer, not I. The play was rather enjoyable and only lasted an hour. It’s only one actor and the play is pretty much exact to the short story. Sedaris’ humor is slightly twisted, so seeing a slightly twisted holiday play was a perfect way to spend a Saturday before Christmas…much better than shopping.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">There’s still time before the holidays and I’m pretty happy. I don’t have too many more plans, but I do know I’m not going to make coffee for my brother, unless he asks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3246603033583624271.post-45452916266716116402010-12-11T15:55:00.000-08:002010-12-11T15:57:16.190-08:00Idiot Servant<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Church, A Prairie Home Companion and other weekend activities</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I recently started going to church again. I used to go as a young person with a neighbor lady. She is German, so she took me to this little Lutheran Church. Once I went regularly, my mom started attending the same church. She is English, so the Lutheran Church seemed close enough to the Church of England. That little church closed, but a new fancy church opened and that’s where my mom goes today. When I was a teen, I went to a Christian Church and we did youth activities like going to see Michael W. Smith. I stopped going to church towards the end of high school.</span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">Fast forward 20ish years and I started back. I tried the Presbyterian Church for a while, but it didn’t stick. Too big. See, I longed for the little Lutheran Church vibe from my childhood. Oh, the Lutheran Church I grew up in was Missouri Synod. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that the Missouri Synod is rather conservative, so conservative that they don’t allow female ministers. I am not conservative.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">All this leads me to the point of writing about my “religious” journey today. I don’t think it’s actually a journey. See, I don’t pay attention, do I? Why didn’t I know more about the conservative sect of Lutheranism of my childhood? I went to Bible school and was even confirmed and I never knew that all of my efforts would not allow me to lead a congregation one day. Sorry, I get carried away. I’m not really interested in the clergy. But it’s like saying no female astronauts. That would be an outrage, even though I have zero desire to explore space.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGkOPKUSTvmGP_zrVzKdK-CH2BqwnOIEyLOjVWo5-Bd4LAwFXcnbc-xRHT1FFK7i2euwt08Atwoya_7ghJaD-xRD3vIXqagaNcc_lY9uXAOxp6z-YKx390GH0QWA9gFKnceJkyGIotUg/s1600/garrison_keillor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGkOPKUSTvmGP_zrVzKdK-CH2BqwnOIEyLOjVWo5-Bd4LAwFXcnbc-xRHT1FFK7i2euwt08Atwoya_7ghJaD-xRD3vIXqagaNcc_lY9uXAOxp6z-YKx390GH0QWA9gFKnceJkyGIotUg/s320/garrison_keillor.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">I really don’t listen at church and I don’t think I ever have. Seriously, I probably should be ashamed for not knowing more. Then why do I go? It makes me feel good. I feel safe there. The only thing I worry about is someone remarking at the fact I wear jeans (an act of defiance and they are comfortable) or some nasty judgment in the sermon (if I’m paying attention at the time). The reason I’m comfortable and continue to go is that the Pastor and the whole vibe reminds me of Garrison Keillor and <a href="http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/">A Prairie Home Companion</a>. The pastor actually looks like Garrison and the small congregation seems sweet and loyal to the church and the neighborhood. I went to the church’s summer picnic in the park near my home. When I approached the shelter where the congregation had gathered, I saw that there were several musicians in place and the pastor was in the front with a violin. It was the local dulcimer society and the pastor was playing with them. I took photos. I fully expected a Guy Noir sketch after communion. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1g2vaKniMEG5rGXbgy4ic4f1i2_at8gO0szU6lzdrJKliikmzLyXQGDBx0HgQy22drZ9isi42kOHlNwCcEi2yWkEiYBPdmacTbSy6GlQIfkytuxMMxu-aX06rFtolzBaYtWgG41audY0/s1600/church+in+park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1g2vaKniMEG5rGXbgy4ic4f1i2_at8gO0szU6lzdrJKliikmzLyXQGDBx0HgQy22drZ9isi42kOHlNwCcEi2yWkEiYBPdmacTbSy6GlQIfkytuxMMxu-aX06rFtolzBaYtWgG41audY0/s320/church+in+park.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">There are several things I do throughout my weekend that have a similar effect, but not exactly. Listening to NPR programs while cleaning rank right up there with working out at the gym listening to pop songs. There’s getting an oil change and a car wash before grabbing a sandwich at Jimmy John’s and a Starbucks coffee. I like accomplishing things on the weekend that affect me personally. So many of us work outside of the home and pour a lot of energy into other people’s businesses and lives. If you have kids, there’s even less time for self-preservation. If you have a partner or spouse or other family members, you’re trying to carve out time for them as well. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt;">This entry is not about asking folks to go to church. If I were to suggest anything, it would be for individuals to find an activity wherein one would feel refreshed, recharged or relaxed. A selfish pleasure, if you will…something that makes you feel good, even if you don’t really pay attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>S.L. Crosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09344702770091685328noreply@blogger.com0