I just ran across a great concert on Muncie public television (yes, I know how to have fun on a Saturday night) by a new group called 3 Mo Divas. If you like gospel, opera, or broadway, check them out on Amazon… it was great!
Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category
3 Mo Divas
Saturday, February 28th, 2009A Simple, But Relevant, Question
Friday, August 29th, 2008In mid-July, Senator McCain claimed that “Obama would rather win the election than win the war.”
With his selection of the underqualified and relatively inexperienced Governor Palin as his running mate – because of her conservative credentials and (probably more importantly) her gender – couldn’t you say that “McCain would rather win the election than put the most-qualified person just a heartbeat away from the presidency”?
With his medical history and at his age, this is a valid question. But will Obama-Biden have the fortitude to ask it?
Who’s Got A New Job?
Friday, August 22nd, 2008Ray’s got a new job!!
Congrats, Mr. Senior Account Executive at MZD Advertising!
Olympic-sized BSOD
Tuesday, August 12th, 2008BREAKING OLYMPICS NEWS
Thursday, August 7th, 2008The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network. The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network. The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network.The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network. The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network.The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network. The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network.The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network. The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network.The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network. The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network.The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing are being broadcast on NBC. Yes, the 2008 Summer Olympics are ONLY available on the stations of the NBC Network. Oh Yes.
In case you hadn’t heard.
Sex Bad, Violence Good
Sunday, April 27th, 2008Remember when Janet Jackson’s nipple was going to cause America to turn into Sodom and Gomorrah? The right-wing conservatives (and all those parents’ groups) cried out that one little nipple would be the cause of our society’s downfall. The effect would be devastating. It seemed that we, as a people, had to be protected from a slight suggestion of sexuality. And what did we learn? Sex is communicable. Through cable. That’s the power of TV.
Good thing that violence isn’t as easily transmitted over the airwaves. Otherwise, could just one network bear the responsibility of broadcasting all these shows within the same week?
COLD CASE – Lilly and her team set out to find a 1962 suicide victim’s killer.
NCIS – When a reserve officer is killed in Iraq, his wife suspects all is not what it seems.
CSI: MIAMI – A body in a sinkhole leads the team to a robbery, whose target holds a shocking secret.
CSI – The CSI team investigates several cases, including victims who have green blood.
CRIMINAL MINDS – Conflicted by his own sexual identity, a serial killer targets gay men as his victims.
WITHOUT A TRACE – A lottery winner who wants to do good with her money vanishes after a camping trip.
NUMB3RS – Members of a cult refuse medical assistance after being mass poisoned.
I guess I shouldn’t be critical, though. After all, I haven’t noticed an increase in crime being reported on the evening news (and you can read that sentence again, with an appropriate sarcastic tone).
But in a nation of gun owners, apparently our television shows just reflect our preferences and priorities. And that’s probably for the best. So please, join me in repeating our new national mantra:
“GUNS DON’T KILL PEOPLE. NIPPLES KILL PEOPLE.”
Now don’t you feel better?
Madness: March. Brackets: Busted.
Friday, March 28th, 2008It’s the most… wonderful time… of the year!
I’m not sure why, but the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is so much fun to watch. Is it the promise of a new Cinderella story? Is it the wild upsets that nobody could ever possibly predict? Or maybe it’s the earnest and up-tempo spirit of the game that somehow gets lost in the NBA?
Nah, it’s the chance to win $300 in the office pool. Maybe next year. Damn you, Duke!
The First Annual “RaJe Awards” – for 2007
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008We wouldn’t be a blog if we didn’t share our year-end opinions with you. After all, our opinions matter. Period. Exclamation point. Additional punctuation marks, as necessary.
So, we offer the First Annual “RaJe Awards” (you can figure it out … Ray, Jeff … and it’s pronounced “rage” just because). So, without further commentary, let’s get on to our outRaJeous selections. The envelope please (OK, totally unnecessary, but it seemed appropriate).
FAVORITE TV SERIES OF 2007
Jeff: Dexter
Ray: Boston Legal
FAVORITE NEW TV SERIES
Jeff: Damages
Ray: Dirty Sexy Money
FAVORITE TV MOMENT
Jeff: Jack giving a “motivational speech” to a group of underprivileged children on “30 Rock” (episode 29, “Cougars”)
Ray: Olive Snook singing “Hopelessly Devoted to You” (and dancing with Digby) on “Pushing Daisies” (episode 2 or 3 or 4 … there aren’t that many yet)
THREE OTHER TV SERIES I MUST MENTION
Jeff: Friday Night Lights, John from Cincinnati, 30 Rock
Ray: 30 Rock, The Amazing Race, Brothers & Sisters
FAVORITE MOVIE OF 2007
Jeff: Sunshine
Ray: Sweeney Todd
THREE OTHER MOVIES I MUST MENTION
Jeff: Juno, The Great Debaters, 1408
Ray: Sicko, Hairspray, The Simpsons Movie
FAVORITE POLITICAL MOMENT – ELECTION-ORIENTED
Jeff: Rudy Guiliani “spontaneously” taking a phone call from “his wife” during a speech to the NRA
Ray: Mitt Romney redefining the word “saw” to mean “didn’t see”
FAVORITE POLITICAL MOMENT – OTHER
Jeff: Jerry Falwell “exiting the stage” and hopping on that down escalator
Ray: Senator Larry Craig’s hilarious interview with Matt Lauer on “Dateline NBC”
BIGGEST WASTE OF SPACE & TIME
Jeff: Trivia Night at the Mass Ave Pub (Kool-Aid – holla!)
Ray: Britney Hilton-Lohan
Ray’s “People of the Year 2007″
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007It’s difficult to narrow down the billions of people in this world to just a few “People of the Year 2007.” And what, in fact, is the definition of “People of the Year”? Are they people who impacted the world in ways heretofore unknown or unexpected? Are they people who will have a long-lasting legacy – one that will affect our children, grandchildren and (dare I say) great-grandchildren? Are they people who will forever be remembered for what they accomplished in this simple 365-day period?
Ahh … who cares about all of that? Here are MY “People of the Year” – those people IN PUBLIC LIFE who impacted ME! Note: I’m not including people I actually know, because then I’d leave people out and they’d get all mad at me and then I’d have to buy them something to make them feel better when, in fact, I probably meant to leave them out in the first place.
In no particular order (but numbered anyway, because lists look better that way) …
1. DENNY CRANE & ALAN SHORE – OK, they’re fictional lawyers in a fictional city (Boston doesn’t really exist, does it?). But they’re the most entertaining fictional characters I know. And I anxiously await their arrival every Tuesday night at 10:00 Eastern Time on my local ABC affiliate. Hilarious and heartwarming … their final balcony scene at the end of every show just makes me happy all over.
2. THE CAST OF “30 ROCK” - More hilarity. More happiness. And, of course, Kenneth the NBC page.
3. SGT. DAVE KARSNIA – Who else would sit in a bathroom stall all day just to catch an obscure senator from an obscure state in an obscene act? Thank you for taking such a wide stance on such a narrow issue.
4. ASHLEY FERL – I related to your uncontrollable 13-year-old emotional outburst at seeing Sanjaya on “American Idol.” I often felt like crying when I saw him performing, as well.
5. SOPHIA WISE & MICHAEL THOT – The two of you singlehandedly (doublehandedly? quadruplehandedly?) held together Bonanza City and helped create the first (and probably last) Kid Nation. For those of us who believe that children are our future (I’m looking at you, Whitney), you restored our hope.
6. KEITH OLBERMANN – You’ve given me clarity, even when I didn’t realize that I needed some.
7. ALLISON STEWART - The best of the “Not Keiths” – you’ve given me clarity, even when Keith had other commitments and couldn’t bother to countdown the top stories of the day.
8. LAUREN CAITLIN UPTON – Like, uh, when the Iraq and, uh, South Africa, uh, like needed assistance because there weren’t like, uh, maps, you were the, uh, go-to girl, the town crier, the best representative of the American educational system that appeared on television this year. Congratulations South Carolina.
9. JOHNNY DEPP – Sometimes, it’s like looking in the mirror.
10. AL GORE - Not sure why.
Now that you see my “People of the Year,” perhaps you understand better why I am the way I am. Or maybe not.
Women In Film
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007A coworker sent this montage to me, and I found it very enjoyable and quite hypnotic. It’s set to one of my favorite pieces of music – one of J. S. Bach’s suites for unaccompanied cello.