One of my favorite internet podcast is Ricky Brigante's wonderful, "Inside the Magic", a fan podcast dedicated to all things Disney, coming straight from Orland Florida. Ricky's show is one of the best produced Podcasts out there and inspiration for my own Star Wars show in many ways.
Recently Careerbuilders.com and Disney got together to offer fans the opportunity to have the Job of their Dreams for a day --- working at the Disneyland Themepark as either a Haunted Mansion Butler/Maid, Jungleboat Skipper, Princess, or Parade Performer. Ricky has always stated on his show that he is a major fan of The Haunted Mansion attraction, and so his dream is to be a Haunted Mansion Butler. Check out his video (below) and see how much he loves the ride, and then head on over to THIS SITE to cast a vote for him to win. Vote over and over. This guy deserves it.
While there, check out some of the other funny videos as well!
This week at work, I was given the opportunity to attend a special VIP taping of the Emeril Live show. I have never really had time to watch cooking shows before, but as I mentioned earlier this week, I've suddenly found the need to make my own food, so this special event gave me more incentive to stop and watch the Food Network a bit.
I never realized cooking shows could be so much fun. Emeril is a gregarious, yet amiable character, who brings a lot of personality and humor into what he does. He is undeniably famous, for even though I never watched an episode until this week, I knew who he was and what he was about, and of course about his catch phrase, "Bam!".
Since it was a daytime recording, I had trouble finding someone who could join me, but eventually I was able to convince my old man to come along after watching a fun episode, in which Emeril was preparing something with lots of "Gahr-lic". Dad enjoyed his accent and his antics.
The studio is located in the recently renovated Chelsea Market, which is a really interesting place to visit. Inside a brick laden building are several old style market places selling everything from fish, to fruit, to baked goods and meat --- a perfect location for the FOOD NETWORK if you ask me.
We were given VIP treatment of a sort -- If this was VIP I wonder what the regular crowds are treated to. It meant waiting in a room an hour earlier with some snacks. Now, you'd imagine snacks for a cooking show would be gourmet treats made by the "Number One Restauranteur" in the world, wouldn't you? Nope. The "snacks" were probably provided by the television production house. They were chips, drinks, and dove chocolate bites. Nice of them to feed us, but not what we expected. But again, that was the TV Studio offering, not Emeril's.
We thought, when we were given VIP tickets that we'd be seated in the tables near the stage, but perhaps something in our small group had them seat us in the front row of the studio audience instead. Perhaps we weren't pretty enough?
But enough carping.
The show itself was great fun! Lively audience participation. A great live band. And Emeril himself came across as light and funny as he does on television. Filming his intro to the show barely 4 feet in front of us, we couldn't help notice how he made eye contact with us a couple of times.
Prepared this show were some dishes that were "Kicked up with Fruit". All of the meals looked luscious and tasty, but really only two or three people got to try them.
All I know is, this show was truly inspiring, and I look forward to catching some of these shows and perhaps trying out a recipe or two in the kitchen. I'll let you know how that goes. The airdate will be sometime in May or June.
Yet another riveting episode of this great, great show. You can tell you are watching something great when you find yourself yelling at the screen. Several times during my viewing of this show, I found myself yelling at the character Locke, as he foolishly decided to push some buttons he should never have touched. (Of course it led to dire circumstances). The character of Sayeed, a former Iraqui guard, was given more backstory this time around, and I fear his time might be coming. Usually, in this show, when a character makes peace with an incident from their past, they meet their final death. I believe the acting, story, and creation of this show is very cinematic and for me it has gotten better and better with each passing week.
As for the ratings, again, I must announce to those silly Nielsen people -"Wake UP and stop thinking inside the box!". I did NOT watch this show live when it came on Wednesday night at 10, because that happens to be my bedtime, aside from other reasons. BUT I would not miss an episode. I recorded it on DVD and watched a tiny bit of it at lunchtime, and couldn't wait to get home that night, make time to sit back,relax and watch it at my own leisure that night. It doesn't mean no one is watching. It means we are watching it our own way. More on that some other time.
My movie-making cohort Rich has a movie entered in Steven Spielberg's new filmmaker search contest that will be turned into a television reality show!
His movie is called "The Injectionist", and is a dark comedic piece about the life of one of the 'bad guys'. He made it specifically for this contest using his Mac, Final Cut, and Garage Band.
You will have to register to vote, but it takes a few minutes. This contest is based upon viewer votes so go an and check it out! Leave your feedback, too!
I've been on a new budget plan for the past month or so. Seems the Ms. and I got a little out of hand with going out to eat all the time, and so we decided it was time we started having our own home cooked meals, instead. This way we can save a few bucks (which I need to pay off some things as well as for some upcoming journeys), and also avoid the need to overspend for something you can make yourself.
She started by making a few interesting dishes -- but tonight I decided it was my turn. I'd forgotten how long it had been since I'd "slaved" in the kitchen, but it has certainly been a long, long while. I made my first real dish in years. Nothing special. Some rice (kinda came out like Pork Fried Rice)-- But it's a start!
One of the perfect examples of why I enjoy LOST so much was evident in the latest episode, aired this past Wednesday evening. It was a funny, touching, moving show centering around the overweight drifter known as Hugo, who had to face his stigma of bad luck that had followed him since winning the lottery while using the infamous numbers. The episode featured the return of the main cast, who had been waiting for months on the island (how DO these people get paid when they aren't even on the show every week?), and some great character moments that had me chuckling out loud.
Favorites that come to mind:
• Hugo's mother covering the ears of her gold Jesus statue when she's about to say something she feels is dirty
• The endless barrage of insulting names coming out of Sawyer, with "Snuffy" and "International House of Pancakes" taking the cake.
• Sawyer, the lonesome drifter obviously grew up with too much TV in the house.
• Kate's refusal to admit she's in love
• The bonding moments between the cast were great.
I couldn't believe I actually thought Cheech Marin's acting was incredible -- I usually don't like him. But he was wonderfully cast as Hugo's wandering father.
I've recently begun watching the entire series over from the start on DVD and I just love being able to fill in the backstory with all we know since the show began so long ago. You keep thinking, wow, so THAT'S what he was thinking when that happened!
Oh, and for those Media folks who rely oh so much on "Neilson" numbers:
I didn't watch the show live on Wednesday night. I recorded it and watched it during my LUNCH hour (on DVD). Network TV has to RETHINK how it judges its viewership. Last week, I watched it ONLINE at www.abc.com! TV ratings are meaningless!!!!
One of the shows that brought me back to watching again, as I may have mentioned in an early blog, is LOST. This captivating show had intrigued me since its debut in 2004, but it wasn't until the 1st Season DVD arrived in late 2005, along with the iPod Video and the ability to download aTV show to an iPod that I paid it any attention.
My biggest gripe against shows like this is that if you miss an episode or two, you are, well, lost. And even though I had Tivo'd the premiere of the show based upon its titillating promos and advanced good word, I could never get into the show without feeling as if I'd have missed something the week before.
So I definitely think that anyone remotely interested in the show should somehow get their hands on Season One on DVD and give it a chance. Forget about Where they are or Why they are there. Just watch. You're not bound to see such intriguing characters anywhere on TV. In one episode you can totally despise, love, and empathize with the very same character you ignored a few episodes ago. Brilliant
I have no theories about what this show is about other than ultimately it is about the Human Condition. About Faith. Losing one's soul and redeeming it. Redemption.
Faith. Hope. Redemption. Humanity.
That's what makes it intriguing to me.
Since I am reviving this blog site, I thought I'd start with a new category, since a few things have changed over the past few years.
When I first started this blog a few years ago, I had not watched a regular television show since about 1994, when Star Trek:The Next Generation went of the air. From about 1986-2005 - the most network TV I'd watch is a blurb or two on the news about the weather, and perhaps an interview program or two. I really had no need for TV. For it's programs. I had lost faith in the writing as being nothing more than rehash of stuff that came before it. So in 1984, with the first episode of the Cosby Show on NBC, I turned off regular TV watching for good. For decades, even... Except for Star Trek. Yes, geeky as it seems, it was the only hour I'd allow myself throughout the '80's and '90's to be glued in front of the tube for. Moreso in the later days when we were a large group watching things together.
In late 2001, I was convinced that I needed to get a Tivo. I had let dozens of great programs slip by, and was told that TV was getting better. And the idea of scheduling shows on my own time, to watch when I wanted seemed tempting. So I got one, and have been able to enjoy my own programming for the past 5 or so years - watching what I want, when I want, and totally ignoring Network TV....Until recently....
And that's where this category comes in. Turns out I have been following a couple of shows during the past millenium. Hit shows that are woth writing, talking, and reading about. So I thought it was approprate to start writing about them here.
Some of them are great (LOST), some of them are weird (BIG BROTHER), some of them are simply inexplicable (GREASE:YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT), but mostly they are all just fun. And now with the Youtube-ability of being able to share clips with you within this blog, too, I can't help myself!
So enjoy my rants, my raves, my thoughts on the few TV shows I watch. Maybe you watch them too!
