Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Monday, November 29, 2004
As I was saying...
Looks like the traveling caught up to me yesterday...I was pretty much half-awake throughout the rest of the day Sunday.
Anyhoo...The trip to Florida was one of the better ones I've taken in a while. It was also one of the busiest ones as well...Got to see a LOT of people, some of whom I hadn't seen in years!
Wednesday, I got to meet up with my friend Eileen. We caught up on what we've been up to. And no conversation between us wouldn't be complete without a little talk about our latest music finds and reality show musings! Whilst we chatted at Starbucks, I sampled their pumpkin spice frappucino. Not as jarring as Pepsi Holiday Spice, but not a flavor I'd revisit any time soon.
Thanksgiving day I started off by having lunch with my friend Jon from high school. We had lunch at..."It's more than Miami Subs...It's MIAMI SUBS PLUS!!" Miami Subs was a fast food chain I frequented many I time while growing up. They had subs (of course), burgers, fried shrimp, and Dom Perignon. No, I'm not kidding you...they sold Dom Perignon there. Nothing like a menu that jumps from 69 cents up to 69 bucks. Well, it looks like they've expanded the menu by merging with other fast food chains. In this case, the menu was combined with Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips, Kenny Rogers Roasters, and Nathan's hot dogs. Mmmm....snappy Nathan's hot dogs...
Jon and I had much catching up to do and both came to the realization that we hadn't seen each other in almost a decade! Oh, how time flies fast...
Capped off Thanksgiving by going out with the family to dinner at the 15th Street Fisheries in Ft. Lauderdale. The specialty of the restaurant was seafood, but they did offer some Thanksgiving turkey that evening. Also on their menu was kangaroo...yes, KANGAROO. TWICE! I wasn't that adventurous that evening and stuck to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey.
After dinner, I drove over to meet up with my friends Alan, Sam, and Alexis. It was yet another rarity having Alan, Sam, and me in Florida at the same time. Did the catching up thang and called it an evening.
My sister and I reconvened with them the next day to meet up with our high school English teacher, Mrs. Winrow. She was one of my favorite teachers from high school. One of the sharpest and funniest teachers I've ever had. It was such a fun lunch. Zingers were served aplenty with our meal at the Macaroni Grill. And my aversion to parmesan cheese on my chicken parmigiano became the running joke of our lunch. We played the traditional game of "have you heard what so-and-so's been up to?" before we noticed that it was well into the afternoon and we had to break away to get int some shopping.
Sam, Alexis, Alan and I trekked across the street to the Broward Mall which I have to say wasn't terribly crowded. It, however, had be significantly remodeled since the last time I had been there. While somewhat disorienting, there was a sense of familiarity as bits and pieces of the skeletal remains of its brown-tiled past triggered memories of days gone by.
I finished Friday by meeting up with Eddie and Marc of Golden-Road.net fame in West Palm Beach. We had dinner at Duffy's where I was introduced the concept of crunchy deep fried cheesecake. Ohhhhh how tasty it was! We geeked out while talking about "Price" and other game shows and it was well into the wee hours of the night before I returned home.
Began my last full day in Florida by returning my rental car. Then I went over to grab some lunch with Sam, Alan, Alexis, and Sam and Alan's family. Did some packing and then had a visit from Adam, one of my closest friends from college who just happened to be in South Florida visiting family for Thanksgiving. We went over to Chili's where he took on the Chili's Chicken Cripsers challenge. What is that you ask? Well, one of the things I'm notorious for is not totally finishing my meal...especially at Chili's when I order the chicken cripsers plate. My friends Albie and Sam years ago set up this challenge where if I finished off the chicken crispers and one of the sides, they'd pay for my meal. I presented the challenge to Adam and added that extra incentive of me paying for his meal should I not be able to finish the crispers and the side. He accepted and well...I finished the cripsers and all of my sides. Yes, a fully clean plate, something I'd never done in the history of Chili's Chicken Crispers challenge!
And thus closed my trip to Florida...it was a time of catching up, eating, visiting friends, eating, humidity, eating, shopping, and...oh yeah, eating. It was also a realization that time really does fly and while we all go through changes in our own separate ways, there are some things that stay constant like the Dom Perignon at the Miami Subs Plus or the annual trendy sweater gift from my aunt (which looked quite swanky on me at work this morning, I must say) or the parents' dog wanting to charge at you through the sliding glass door to take a bite into your jugular. Yeah...it was a fun time in Florida, and just the right amount of fun before the temptation to slide open that glass sliding door to see what would happen crept in.
Anyhoo...The trip to Florida was one of the better ones I've taken in a while. It was also one of the busiest ones as well...Got to see a LOT of people, some of whom I hadn't seen in years!
Wednesday, I got to meet up with my friend Eileen. We caught up on what we've been up to. And no conversation between us wouldn't be complete without a little talk about our latest music finds and reality show musings! Whilst we chatted at Starbucks, I sampled their pumpkin spice frappucino. Not as jarring as Pepsi Holiday Spice, but not a flavor I'd revisit any time soon.
Thanksgiving day I started off by having lunch with my friend Jon from high school. We had lunch at..."It's more than Miami Subs...It's MIAMI SUBS PLUS!!" Miami Subs was a fast food chain I frequented many I time while growing up. They had subs (of course), burgers, fried shrimp, and Dom Perignon. No, I'm not kidding you...they sold Dom Perignon there. Nothing like a menu that jumps from 69 cents up to 69 bucks. Well, it looks like they've expanded the menu by merging with other fast food chains. In this case, the menu was combined with Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips, Kenny Rogers Roasters, and Nathan's hot dogs. Mmmm....snappy Nathan's hot dogs...
Jon and I had much catching up to do and both came to the realization that we hadn't seen each other in almost a decade! Oh, how time flies fast...
Capped off Thanksgiving by going out with the family to dinner at the 15th Street Fisheries in Ft. Lauderdale. The specialty of the restaurant was seafood, but they did offer some Thanksgiving turkey that evening. Also on their menu was kangaroo...yes, KANGAROO. TWICE! I wasn't that adventurous that evening and stuck to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey.
After dinner, I drove over to meet up with my friends Alan, Sam, and Alexis. It was yet another rarity having Alan, Sam, and me in Florida at the same time. Did the catching up thang and called it an evening.
My sister and I reconvened with them the next day to meet up with our high school English teacher, Mrs. Winrow. She was one of my favorite teachers from high school. One of the sharpest and funniest teachers I've ever had. It was such a fun lunch. Zingers were served aplenty with our meal at the Macaroni Grill. And my aversion to parmesan cheese on my chicken parmigiano became the running joke of our lunch. We played the traditional game of "have you heard what so-and-so's been up to?" before we noticed that it was well into the afternoon and we had to break away to get int some shopping.
Sam, Alexis, Alan and I trekked across the street to the Broward Mall which I have to say wasn't terribly crowded. It, however, had be significantly remodeled since the last time I had been there. While somewhat disorienting, there was a sense of familiarity as bits and pieces of the skeletal remains of its brown-tiled past triggered memories of days gone by.
I finished Friday by meeting up with Eddie and Marc of Golden-Road.net fame in West Palm Beach. We had dinner at Duffy's where I was introduced the concept of crunchy deep fried cheesecake. Ohhhhh how tasty it was! We geeked out while talking about "Price" and other game shows and it was well into the wee hours of the night before I returned home.
Began my last full day in Florida by returning my rental car. Then I went over to grab some lunch with Sam, Alan, Alexis, and Sam and Alan's family. Did some packing and then had a visit from Adam, one of my closest friends from college who just happened to be in South Florida visiting family for Thanksgiving. We went over to Chili's where he took on the Chili's Chicken Cripsers challenge. What is that you ask? Well, one of the things I'm notorious for is not totally finishing my meal...especially at Chili's when I order the chicken cripsers plate. My friends Albie and Sam years ago set up this challenge where if I finished off the chicken crispers and one of the sides, they'd pay for my meal. I presented the challenge to Adam and added that extra incentive of me paying for his meal should I not be able to finish the crispers and the side. He accepted and well...I finished the cripsers and all of my sides. Yes, a fully clean plate, something I'd never done in the history of Chili's Chicken Crispers challenge!
And thus closed my trip to Florida...it was a time of catching up, eating, visiting friends, eating, humidity, eating, shopping, and...oh yeah, eating. It was also a realization that time really does fly and while we all go through changes in our own separate ways, there are some things that stay constant like the Dom Perignon at the Miami Subs Plus or the annual trendy sweater gift from my aunt (which looked quite swanky on me at work this morning, I must say) or the parents' dog wanting to charge at you through the sliding glass door to take a bite into your jugular. Yeah...it was a fun time in Florida, and just the right amount of fun before the temptation to slide open that glass sliding door to see what would happen crept in.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Sunshine
Hellooooo from Florida....
Arrived in Ft. Lauderdale this morning on JetBlue. It was the first time I'd ever flown the airline. Cushy seats...mmmm...sparkling clean planes...mmmmm....DirecTV...mmmm
Even managed to get a little bit of sleep on the plane too...
Got off the plane around 6:30-ish to see a newly refurbished Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood airport. Saw one of these while waiting for my luggage at the baggage claim:
Ya know, I would think that Florida would crack down harder on the whole drug thing. :-)
Arrived in Ft. Lauderdale this morning on JetBlue. It was the first time I'd ever flown the airline. Cushy seats...mmmm...sparkling clean planes...mmmmm....DirecTV...mmmm
Even managed to get a little bit of sleep on the plane too...
Got off the plane around 6:30-ish to see a newly refurbished Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood airport. Saw one of these while waiting for my luggage at the baggage claim:
Ya know, I would think that Florida would crack down harder on the whole drug thing. :-)
Monday, November 22, 2004
Too much paprika...
Went with Doug to the South Street restaurant in Burbank for lunch Sunday. This is a place that specializes in cheesesteaks and other Philly delicacies. We had only been there once before and we were quite pleased with the food there. Anyhoo, the restaurant was full of Eagles (the Philly kind) fans watching the game on their TVs, so there was a bit of a line there. We finally made our order and I got the Philly cheesesteak, spicy fries, and some Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes. Mmmmm...tastilicious all around...with the exception of the fries. Or should I say, a heaping of parprika with some potato bits lurking somewhere in there. The top layer of fries was CAKED in paprika. My mouth was burning like hell after the first few fries. After soldiering my way through half a serving of fries, I was half-expecting steam to come out of my ears. I never knew so much paprika could have so much kick!
Spent the afternoon and evening getting some initial video shots with the guys for the Christmas music video we're doing. I'll be putting it up here online on the evening of December 18th most likely in Quicktime movie format. I just finished matching the bits we videotaped to the music track in Final Cut Express and it's starting to shape up! YAY!
Spent the afternoon and evening getting some initial video shots with the guys for the Christmas music video we're doing. I'll be putting it up here online on the evening of December 18th most likely in Quicktime movie format. I just finished matching the bits we videotaped to the music track in Final Cut Express and it's starting to shape up! YAY!
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Ham
The weekend's barely halfway through and SO much has happened already!
This morning, Doug and I had brunch at the Good Neighbor Restaurant near Universal Studios and GOOD it was! On top of that the price was pretty decent. In almost five years, I've passed by this place and not given thought to going there. Well, now I have a new place to add to list of good, cheap breakfast places.
After getting a little hair trimming at Shorty's, Doug and I did some shopping. Went to Best Buy at the West Hollywood Gateway and saw a new Michael Jackson box set. What? Huh? How many times is his catalog going to be repackaged and reissued? It does have "We Are Here to Change the World" from "Captain EO" though...hmmmm....
Spent part of our shopping excursion dodging some guy yelling into his cell phone about some chairs that he didn't want to order. I swear, no matter where we turned in the store we kept bumping into this guy blabbing on his phone. I'm fairly tolerant of people talking on their cell phones in public, but this REALLY crossed the line with even me.
The McRib is back! YAY!
Ted and Larry did some Christmas decoration shopping today and when I returned home this afternoon, the decorating had begun. Ahhh...the year flies by so quickly....
Some pretty big news...Later in the day, Jack Plotnick dropped by our house to talk to Ted and I about a Christmas show he's doing in a couple of weeks as Evie Harris, one Jack's characters. Ted met Jack on a show they had done together. Ted's going to be part of the show and Jack's also asked me to help out by playing piano for the show! We ran through some of the things we'll be doing together in the show. It's going to be quite fun. I can't wait...It's so cool to have an opportunity to perform again!
After Jack left, Ted, Larry, Tim, Davy, and I laid down the vocal tracks to this Christmas song we're putting together for a Christmas video. Yep...we're doing a Christmas music video. :-) Ted and I wrote the song Elton John-Bernie Taupin-style...right down to Ted writing the lyrics first and me writing the melody afterwards. Yet again, my friends amaze me with their talent. We'll be putting it up online (probably on this site) once it's all done.
This morning, Doug and I had brunch at the Good Neighbor Restaurant near Universal Studios and GOOD it was! On top of that the price was pretty decent. In almost five years, I've passed by this place and not given thought to going there. Well, now I have a new place to add to list of good, cheap breakfast places.
After getting a little hair trimming at Shorty's, Doug and I did some shopping. Went to Best Buy at the West Hollywood Gateway and saw a new Michael Jackson box set. What? Huh? How many times is his catalog going to be repackaged and reissued? It does have "We Are Here to Change the World" from "Captain EO" though...hmmmm....
Spent part of our shopping excursion dodging some guy yelling into his cell phone about some chairs that he didn't want to order. I swear, no matter where we turned in the store we kept bumping into this guy blabbing on his phone. I'm fairly tolerant of people talking on their cell phones in public, but this REALLY crossed the line with even me.
The McRib is back! YAY!
Ted and Larry did some Christmas decoration shopping today and when I returned home this afternoon, the decorating had begun. Ahhh...the year flies by so quickly....
Some pretty big news...Later in the day, Jack Plotnick dropped by our house to talk to Ted and I about a Christmas show he's doing in a couple of weeks as Evie Harris, one Jack's characters. Ted met Jack on a show they had done together. Ted's going to be part of the show and Jack's also asked me to help out by playing piano for the show! We ran through some of the things we'll be doing together in the show. It's going to be quite fun. I can't wait...It's so cool to have an opportunity to perform again!
After Jack left, Ted, Larry, Tim, Davy, and I laid down the vocal tracks to this Christmas song we're putting together for a Christmas video. Yep...we're doing a Christmas music video. :-) Ted and I wrote the song Elton John-Bernie Taupin-style...right down to Ted writing the lyrics first and me writing the melody afterwards. Yet again, my friends amaze me with their talent. We'll be putting it up online (probably on this site) once it's all done.
Friday, November 19, 2004
As I pop up for air
Wow...busy past couple of days here...But alas, I now have some free time to blog.
Manhunt...oh, Manhunt...My fave Rob barely made it through this episode. Felt so embarrassed for him as he tried to whoop it up on the runway. Eeee...Poor Rob. And yay for Hunter's elimination. Would be quite happy if Rob or John take the grand prize home. Hell, I wouldn't be too upset if Maurice won either. :-)
America's Next Top Model...YAY for models trying to do Japanese commercials! And an acting challenge. YAY! I'm honestly at a loss this year as to whom I want to win. Each of the remaining models has done something irritating this season. Oh screw it, Norelle is the most pleasant of the remaining bunch, but honestly, I think it's a final race between Eva and Amanda.
The Apprentice...It's starting to pick up again. Nice move on the double firing, Trumpy! And nice answer to Trumpy's "why are you keeping quiet?" question, Andy! Are they really airing a new episode on Thanksgiving?
The Nintendo DS really looks cool, but do I really need it now?
OH...Almost forgot, LOST! What's up with crazy French woman? What's going on here? All my theories have been turned upside down with this week's episode. Is the Alex she's referring the monster that's running around the island?
Not-so-new news that I must point out..."Greatest American Hero" is coming out on DVD on February 8th! HOORAY!
Look at what's happened to meeeee....I can't believe it myself....
Manhunt...oh, Manhunt...My fave Rob barely made it through this episode. Felt so embarrassed for him as he tried to whoop it up on the runway. Eeee...Poor Rob. And yay for Hunter's elimination. Would be quite happy if Rob or John take the grand prize home. Hell, I wouldn't be too upset if Maurice won either. :-)
America's Next Top Model...YAY for models trying to do Japanese commercials! And an acting challenge. YAY! I'm honestly at a loss this year as to whom I want to win. Each of the remaining models has done something irritating this season. Oh screw it, Norelle is the most pleasant of the remaining bunch, but honestly, I think it's a final race between Eva and Amanda.
The Apprentice...It's starting to pick up again. Nice move on the double firing, Trumpy! And nice answer to Trumpy's "why are you keeping quiet?" question, Andy! Are they really airing a new episode on Thanksgiving?
The Nintendo DS really looks cool, but do I really need it now?
OH...Almost forgot, LOST! What's up with crazy French woman? What's going on here? All my theories have been turned upside down with this week's episode. Is the Alex she's referring the monster that's running around the island?
Not-so-new news that I must point out..."Greatest American Hero" is coming out on DVD on February 8th! HOORAY!
Look at what's happened to meeeee....I can't believe it myself....
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Music to my ears....
Didn't get to see "Amazing Race's" season premiere yet...that will have to wait until Thursday...but I did see something else amazing last night...
Last night, I saw a concert by my friend Katie Thompson. It was phenomenal. The concert was at one of the stages at the Stassberg Theater in West Hollywood. This provided for a small intimate settting for the evening's performance. Please check out her website and her shows. I got chills from some of her songs. Really, really awesome stuff. It reminded me of just how much talent there is amongst my friends out here!
Random thought...I've seen Lance Bass in person twice in the past week...how crazy is that?
Last night, I saw a concert by my friend Katie Thompson. It was phenomenal. The concert was at one of the stages at the Stassberg Theater in West Hollywood. This provided for a small intimate settting for the evening's performance. Please check out her website and her shows. I got chills from some of her songs. Really, really awesome stuff. It reminded me of just how much talent there is amongst my friends out here!
Random thought...I've seen Lance Bass in person twice in the past week...how crazy is that?
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Man o man
Caught up on some "Manhunt" last night...Hooray for the elmination of Tate and your Scott Baio-meets-Antonio Banderas-in-the-wrong way looks! Hooray for Rob again showing that he got some brains to match his good looks! Hooray for bitchy, stuck-up models dinnering with the contestants. I wanna see THOSE women in a smackdown with "America's Next Top Model's" contestants.
Speaking of which...I also caught up on "Next Top Model." Sadness...sadness about the elimination of Toccara. :'( I do agree, though, with the judges in that she's lost some spark. It was a bit weird though because there didn't seem to be a real explanation during the episode as to why she seemed so blah during the judging.
Had a craving for some extra crispy chicken so I got some for dinner at KFC last night. Has the recipe changed in the past few years? It tasted all right, but it was less bready and tasty than the last time feasted on this cracklin' good delicacy. The breading use to have a Stove Top-stuffing-ish taste to it and would have little bready bits under it's fragile, crispy brown coating. First McDonald's de-batters the McChicken and now this?!? Grrrr....
Speaking of which...I also caught up on "Next Top Model." Sadness...sadness about the elimination of Toccara. :'( I do agree, though, with the judges in that she's lost some spark. It was a bit weird though because there didn't seem to be a real explanation during the episode as to why she seemed so blah during the judging.
Had a craving for some extra crispy chicken so I got some for dinner at KFC last night. Has the recipe changed in the past few years? It tasted all right, but it was less bready and tasty than the last time feasted on this cracklin' good delicacy. The breading use to have a Stove Top-stuffing-ish taste to it and would have little bready bits under it's fragile, crispy brown coating. First McDonald's de-batters the McChicken and now this?!? Grrrr....
Monday, November 15, 2004
Incredible
Have you seen "The Incredibles?"
If you said, "NO," open up a new browser window, order a ticket and go see it. Seriously...now...I'm patient...I'll wait here...
Just click on Movietickets.com or one of those other ticket sites...
Found it?
All right...now search for "The Incredibles" in your area and purchase a ticket...there...see, it wasn't so hard.
If you said, "YES," wasn't that the most wonderful movie you've seen in a long while? WOW...Pixar just nailed it again. Not only was there great animation, but the story was brilliant. This is probably the fullest animated feature I've seen in a long, long time. And it was family-friendly without being overly cutesy. It's one of my favorite films of the year. Oh, and if you haven't seen it, make sure you stay for the credits. Loved the presentation of the closing credits...
The trailers were a mixed bag. Got a chance to see "Star Wars: Episode III's" trailer on the big screen. I'm excited...I have to say, I'm really, really eager to see it. Though, I will echo what some people have been seing about Darth Vader's seemingly little arms when he first rises in the trailer. Hmm...
Oh, and "Racing Stripes?" C'mon...A racing talking zebra? I think I'm going to have to pass on that one...
Whilst prepping a project for Christmas with the roomies and a few friends Saturday afternoon, I busted out the Elton John "Dream Ticket" DVDs I bought earlier this week. Watched his concert at the Royal Opera House. Why was this particular concert special...it was a concert with a full orchestra much like his set of Australian concerts from 1986. Oooh...it sounded so good especially with the surround sound. "Carla Etude" seamlessly flowing into "Tonight" was beautiful. I've been wanting to see "The Red Piano" show of Elton's in Vegas, but I dunno if I really wanna fork all that money to see him. However, for a concert like the one on DVD with a full orchestra...yeah, I'd be some good money to see that. The only downside to the Royal Opera concert was that the set list was a bit too similar to the one from "Live in Australia." It would have been nice to see some more recent played live with an orchestra like "Believe" or "Live Like Horses."
Yikes...I need to get moving on Christmas shopping...This weekend, I noticed that lines are starting to get long at stores...EEEEK...
If you said, "NO," open up a new browser window, order a ticket and go see it. Seriously...now...I'm patient...I'll wait here...
Just click on Movietickets.com or one of those other ticket sites...
Found it?
All right...now search for "The Incredibles" in your area and purchase a ticket...there...see, it wasn't so hard.
If you said, "YES," wasn't that the most wonderful movie you've seen in a long while? WOW...Pixar just nailed it again. Not only was there great animation, but the story was brilliant. This is probably the fullest animated feature I've seen in a long, long time. And it was family-friendly without being overly cutesy. It's one of my favorite films of the year. Oh, and if you haven't seen it, make sure you stay for the credits. Loved the presentation of the closing credits...
The trailers were a mixed bag. Got a chance to see "Star Wars: Episode III's" trailer on the big screen. I'm excited...I have to say, I'm really, really eager to see it. Though, I will echo what some people have been seing about Darth Vader's seemingly little arms when he first rises in the trailer. Hmm...
Oh, and "Racing Stripes?" C'mon...A racing talking zebra? I think I'm going to have to pass on that one...
Whilst prepping a project for Christmas with the roomies and a few friends Saturday afternoon, I busted out the Elton John "Dream Ticket" DVDs I bought earlier this week. Watched his concert at the Royal Opera House. Why was this particular concert special...it was a concert with a full orchestra much like his set of Australian concerts from 1986. Oooh...it sounded so good especially with the surround sound. "Carla Etude" seamlessly flowing into "Tonight" was beautiful. I've been wanting to see "The Red Piano" show of Elton's in Vegas, but I dunno if I really wanna fork all that money to see him. However, for a concert like the one on DVD with a full orchestra...yeah, I'd be some good money to see that. The only downside to the Royal Opera concert was that the set list was a bit too similar to the one from "Live in Australia." It would have been nice to see some more recent played live with an orchestra like "Believe" or "Live Like Horses."
Yikes...I need to get moving on Christmas shopping...This weekend, I noticed that lines are starting to get long at stores...EEEEK...
Friday, November 12, 2004
Nutty
Okay...I was watching this week's episode of "Lost" and things were all right until the end. An imaginary jar of peanut butter?? Really now...
Also watched "The Apprentice." It was all right...despite my knowing better with the logistics of production and all, I was holding out hope that Trumpy would just get rid of all three people from the last part of the boardroom segment. And is it just me or has the scale of the challenges become smaller in the recent weeks. The first few weeks had challenges with Mattel and Crest, but in recent episodes they've had dog parlors and bridal gown sales?
Thanksgiving is almost here and I've found it to be my pop-culture civic duty to bring you this link:
X-Entertainment's Look at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1984
It is nothing short of brilliant. Clips galore featuring Irene Cara, Joey Lawrence, Pat Sajak, a musical number with John Ratzenberger, Dionne Warwick sitting on a turkey, and "Mary Tyler Mooore's" Georgia Engel singing with Care Bears.
I NEED TAPE OF THIS...If any of you out there can get me a tape or DVD or this or the other Macy's Thanksgiving parades covered on the site (1985 and 1986), it would make a GREAT Christmas present. * bats eyes *
Also watched "The Apprentice." It was all right...despite my knowing better with the logistics of production and all, I was holding out hope that Trumpy would just get rid of all three people from the last part of the boardroom segment. And is it just me or has the scale of the challenges become smaller in the recent weeks. The first few weeks had challenges with Mattel and Crest, but in recent episodes they've had dog parlors and bridal gown sales?
Thanksgiving is almost here and I've found it to be my pop-culture civic duty to bring you this link:
X-Entertainment's Look at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1984
It is nothing short of brilliant. Clips galore featuring Irene Cara, Joey Lawrence, Pat Sajak, a musical number with John Ratzenberger, Dionne Warwick sitting on a turkey, and "Mary Tyler Mooore's" Georgia Engel singing with Care Bears.
I NEED TAPE OF THIS...If any of you out there can get me a tape or DVD or this or the other Macy's Thanksgiving parades covered on the site (1985 and 1986), it would make a GREAT Christmas present. * bats eyes *
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Time warped...
Wow...Looked at the calendar yesterday and realized that my trip back to visit the family in Florida is coming up sooner than I thought. How did Thanksgiving season get here so fast? This year, I decided to go to Florida for Thanksgiving for Christmas and it's proven to be a wise decision. It turns out a good number of people I know will be in Florida around that time too for the holidays. A few of the people whom I hope to see will be people whom I've not seen since I've graduated high school. Eeee! I can partly thank this website for getting back in touch with some of those people. Ahhh...Internet...
So I finally was able to give Elton John's new album "Peachtree Road" a full listen. It's a solid album. I can't say I'm a big fan of the style of music on some of the songs (the album leans a bit more towards gospel and country), but it's a well-done album, a worthy follow-up to "Songs from the West Coast" and miles ahead of albums like "The One" and "The Big Picture." My favorite songs of the new lot: "Answer in the Sky," "All That I'm Allowed," "The Weight of the World," and "They Call Her the Cat." Big points to "They Call Her The Cat" for being one of the better up-tempo Elton songs in years.
So I finally was able to give Elton John's new album "Peachtree Road" a full listen. It's a solid album. I can't say I'm a big fan of the style of music on some of the songs (the album leans a bit more towards gospel and country), but it's a well-done album, a worthy follow-up to "Songs from the West Coast" and miles ahead of albums like "The One" and "The Big Picture." My favorite songs of the new lot: "Answer in the Sky," "All That I'm Allowed," "The Weight of the World," and "They Call Her the Cat." Big points to "They Call Her The Cat" for being one of the better up-tempo Elton songs in years.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Stu-stu-studio...
Lots of studio time Tuesday both for work and not for work...
Some news for you "Price" fans out there...I went to see a taping of "The Price is Right" on Tuesday afternoon...Why for? Well, on Tuesday, a brand new pricing game was played for the first time. It's the first new pricing game of the season. I really liked the new game I saw today. It's got some elements of other games in the current roster, but it presents it them an interesting way. The one thing I noticed about this game is that it's got a number of layers. I can see now why they were specifically looking for quick games when I pitched them a new game for this season! (Speaking of which, no details yet as to when my new game pricing game debuts...) Anyhoo, I won't spill too much more info on the game. Provided there aren't any changes in the schedule, the episode should air on January 10th.
Tuesday evening, I went to the G4TechTV studios in West L.A. to see "Unscrewed with Martin Sargent." It was part of a "State of the Video Game Industry" event sponsored by the Princeton Club of Los Angeles. It was a very interesting evening. First, it confirmed what I had thought in that the studios are very close to my offices. One surprise was that the "Unscrewed" studio also happens to be the studio for "X Play" and my G4TechTV favorite, "The Screen Savers." All in all, it was a funny, entertaining show. I don't think the episode airs for another couple of weeks though. The mixer and panel discussion were very good too. One of the panelists was one of the programmers of "Karaoke Revolution." Got a chance to introduce myself to him and thank him for many hours of fun on my Playstation2. :-) The panel really hit home as to the fact that the video game industry is a force to be reckoned with and it's growing and growing and growing. Had an "it's a small world" moment while talking to Laura Swisher, the co-host of "Unscrewed," during the mixer. I learned why her name was vaguely familiar to me. It turns out that she had auditioned to be the card dealer of the 2001 version of "Card Sharks." I was there for her audition! Go figure...In the midst of the evening, found out some news about a G4TechTV show which lent to an interesting vibe (to say the least) to the mixer. It's probably not public info yet, so I'm not going to elaborate any more...but it will be apparent in a couple of weeks if not sooner.
Picked up "Peachtree Road," the new Elton John album today. Haven't given it the full listen yet, but I'm liking what I'm hearing in spite of its low-key nature (which seems to be par for the course for Elton's albums these days). Thing I'm liking the most...REAL instruments, much in the vein of "Songs from the West Coast."
Some news for you "Price" fans out there...I went to see a taping of "The Price is Right" on Tuesday afternoon...Why for? Well, on Tuesday, a brand new pricing game was played for the first time. It's the first new pricing game of the season. I really liked the new game I saw today. It's got some elements of other games in the current roster, but it presents it them an interesting way. The one thing I noticed about this game is that it's got a number of layers. I can see now why they were specifically looking for quick games when I pitched them a new game for this season! (Speaking of which, no details yet as to when my new game pricing game debuts...) Anyhoo, I won't spill too much more info on the game. Provided there aren't any changes in the schedule, the episode should air on January 10th.
Tuesday evening, I went to the G4TechTV studios in West L.A. to see "Unscrewed with Martin Sargent." It was part of a "State of the Video Game Industry" event sponsored by the Princeton Club of Los Angeles. It was a very interesting evening. First, it confirmed what I had thought in that the studios are very close to my offices. One surprise was that the "Unscrewed" studio also happens to be the studio for "X Play" and my G4TechTV favorite, "The Screen Savers." All in all, it was a funny, entertaining show. I don't think the episode airs for another couple of weeks though. The mixer and panel discussion were very good too. One of the panelists was one of the programmers of "Karaoke Revolution." Got a chance to introduce myself to him and thank him for many hours of fun on my Playstation2. :-) The panel really hit home as to the fact that the video game industry is a force to be reckoned with and it's growing and growing and growing. Had an "it's a small world" moment while talking to Laura Swisher, the co-host of "Unscrewed," during the mixer. I learned why her name was vaguely familiar to me. It turns out that she had auditioned to be the card dealer of the 2001 version of "Card Sharks." I was there for her audition! Go figure...In the midst of the evening, found out some news about a G4TechTV show which lent to an interesting vibe (to say the least) to the mixer. It's probably not public info yet, so I'm not going to elaborate any more...but it will be apparent in a couple of weeks if not sooner.
Picked up "Peachtree Road," the new Elton John album today. Haven't given it the full listen yet, but I'm liking what I'm hearing in spite of its low-key nature (which seems to be par for the course for Elton's albums these days). Thing I'm liking the most...REAL instruments, much in the vein of "Songs from the West Coast."
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
"Comfort" food
I just got back from the DVD release party for "Too Close for Comfort." It was held at Rage in West Hollywood and it was a lot of fun. Met up with my friends Jon and Jeff for the occasion. The night began with a screening of the pilot episode of "Too Close for Comfort." Next up on the viewing platter, JM J Bullock's first episode as Monroe. In the middle of the episode, the show's surviving cast members (Nancy Dussault, Lydia Cornell, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, and JM J Bullock) made their entrance to watch along with the rest of us. Soon after, we had a chance to have our DVDs signed by them and take pics with them. They were VERY nice and they looked great! Lydia Cornell looked especially fabulous... It was cool seeing the episodes again. The show hasn't been in regular reruns in a while and the last time I saw the show was when my friend Brian brought a tape over with a couple of episodes including the pilot.
In the midst of all of this, I finally got to meet Keith, a very cool friend of Jon and Jeff's that Jeff had been trying to get to meet me for a while. Ahh, how the power of Cosmic Cow brings people together! Much like Jeff, Jon, and me, Keith proved to be quite the pop culture connoisseur. Hooray!
All in all, it was a fun night and a great way to start the week. What? It's only Monday?! Tuesday has a couple of cool things in store for me...But alas, that will have to wait until tomorrow...For now, here are the pics of the DVD party:
Ya know, in watching the episodes screened at the event, I think there should be a drinking game for "Too Close for Comfort." Every time Ted Knight bellows his lines two octaves lower than his normal voice, take a drink. Every time he does it while saying, "MONROE!" take two drinks!
In the midst of all of this, I finally got to meet Keith, a very cool friend of Jon and Jeff's that Jeff had been trying to get to meet me for a while. Ahh, how the power of Cosmic Cow brings people together! Much like Jeff, Jon, and me, Keith proved to be quite the pop culture connoisseur. Hooray!
All in all, it was a fun night and a great way to start the week. What? It's only Monday?! Tuesday has a couple of cool things in store for me...But alas, that will have to wait until tomorrow...For now, here are the pics of the DVD party:
Ya know, in watching the episodes screened at the event, I think there should be a drinking game for "Too Close for Comfort." Every time Ted Knight bellows his lines two octaves lower than his normal voice, take a drink. Every time he does it while saying, "MONROE!" take two drinks!
Monday, November 08, 2004
Rants...
Had a pretty good weekend this weekend...Spent Friday night at my friend Mike's birthday party. Got so see a few faces whom I hadn't seen in a long while, so that was really cool. And speaking of seeing people whom I hadn't seen in a while, Sunday afternoon, I met up with my friend B.J. from college. B.J. took over for me as host of "Survey Says!" for Harvard TV when I graduated. I hadn't seen him since I graduated back in '99 so there was much to catch up on. As we talked more, I realized that there are many more people I know from Harvard out here than I had initially thought. The world again got a little smaller...
And Saturday night, Ted made his big L.A. stage debut as part of a show at the Renberg Theater in Hollywood. It was AWESOME. He totally brought the house down!
A couple of things to rant about...
Pepsi Holiday Spice - Um, yeah...the name pretty much says it all. It tastes more like fizzy cherry soda than anything else. Actually, it reminded me of that long lost drink from the summer of '98...OK Soda, which was anything BUT OK.
Pasta Pomodoro - Doug and I went out to have dinner at Pasta Pomodoro in Burbank at the Burbank Town Center (formerly the Media Center). It's a new Italian restaurant almost next door to the P.F. Chang's that Doug and I love. Well, the P.F. Chang's can rest easy because last night was easily one of the worst experiences I've had a restaurant all year. We arrived there and were seated promptly, and that, my friends, was about the only highlight of dinner there. The decor was ok and menu looked all right, despite being a bit on the small side. We sit at our table and at least ten minutes pass by. Nobody has come by to ask us for drinks or appetizers. Finally, the hostess comes by our table and asks for our drink order and appetizer order. Doug and I place our order and the hostess walks away to put it in the system. About ten minutes pass by again...while we expected this for our appetizer...we still had not received our drinks. Hmmm....More time passes by and the hostess finally comes to our table...with our appetizer. NO DRINKS. Before we could let her know, she left us to return to her post near the entrance of the restaurant. Doug and I decide to nosh on our appetizers despite the lack of beverage. Another waitress quickly passes by us sasying that she'll be back soon to take our orders. More time passes by. Doug and I have finished our appetizers. Still...NO DRINKS. We decide that that's it. We're done. We'll pay for the appetizer and leave. The waitress comes by and asks for our order. We tell here we want the check. Without argument, she gets our check. Doug gives his credit card to the waitress. And...I'm not kidding...it takes another ten minutes for us to get our check back for Doug to sign. Doug signs the check and puts nice round "zero" in the tip spot. I wanted him to put a frowny face in the zero, but he says that's a bit too much. :-) Bottom line...DON'T GO TO THE PASTA POMODORO IN BURBANK!
Oh, there WAS other highlight to dinner last night...we saw John Francis Daley from "Freaks and Geeks" at the restaurant. He's gotten taller than the last time I saw him on TV .
And Saturday night, Ted made his big L.A. stage debut as part of a show at the Renberg Theater in Hollywood. It was AWESOME. He totally brought the house down!
A couple of things to rant about...
Pepsi Holiday Spice - Um, yeah...the name pretty much says it all. It tastes more like fizzy cherry soda than anything else. Actually, it reminded me of that long lost drink from the summer of '98...OK Soda, which was anything BUT OK.
Pasta Pomodoro - Doug and I went out to have dinner at Pasta Pomodoro in Burbank at the Burbank Town Center (formerly the Media Center). It's a new Italian restaurant almost next door to the P.F. Chang's that Doug and I love. Well, the P.F. Chang's can rest easy because last night was easily one of the worst experiences I've had a restaurant all year. We arrived there and were seated promptly, and that, my friends, was about the only highlight of dinner there. The decor was ok and menu looked all right, despite being a bit on the small side. We sit at our table and at least ten minutes pass by. Nobody has come by to ask us for drinks or appetizers. Finally, the hostess comes by our table and asks for our drink order and appetizer order. Doug and I place our order and the hostess walks away to put it in the system. About ten minutes pass by again...while we expected this for our appetizer...we still had not received our drinks. Hmmm....More time passes by and the hostess finally comes to our table...with our appetizer. NO DRINKS. Before we could let her know, she left us to return to her post near the entrance of the restaurant. Doug and I decide to nosh on our appetizers despite the lack of beverage. Another waitress quickly passes by us sasying that she'll be back soon to take our orders. More time passes by. Doug and I have finished our appetizers. Still...NO DRINKS. We decide that that's it. We're done. We'll pay for the appetizer and leave. The waitress comes by and asks for our order. We tell here we want the check. Without argument, she gets our check. Doug gives his credit card to the waitress. And...I'm not kidding...it takes another ten minutes for us to get our check back for Doug to sign. Doug signs the check and puts nice round "zero" in the tip spot. I wanted him to put a frowny face in the zero, but he says that's a bit too much. :-) Bottom line...DON'T GO TO THE PASTA POMODORO IN BURBANK!
Oh, there WAS other highlight to dinner last night...we saw John Francis Daley from "Freaks and Geeks" at the restaurant. He's gotten taller than the last time I saw him on TV .
Friday, November 05, 2004
Wrapup...
Ahh...feeling much better today. Funny what a day of resting in and a couple of good meals can to do to shake a little bug off...
As I mentioned before, did some catchup on the TiVO. Here be my thoughts...
- Manhunt: Poor Matt... :-( But yay for the Kevin O. and Paolo getting "last shots." I'm liking Rob more and more as this show goes along. But keeping Tate AGAIN!?!? C'mon!!!
- Lost: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this show. Not even missing the monster that seems to have been absent the past few weeks.
- America's Next Top Model: YAY for the smackdown between Tyra and Janice! And were those really horse noises playing in the background during one of Toccara's go-see's?!?
- The Apprentice: Raj is gone! Finally! Less glaring vocal overdubs! YAY! But these past few boardrooms have been really goofy. Donald in a tux? Chris's demented outburst about the lack of team unity?!?
And as to that "Star Wars: Episode III" trailer I linked to the yesterday. I'm a fan of the original trilogy and this new one has been a bit disappointing. Still, I'm psyched...if more out of curiosity as to whether Lucas will be able to really connected all the loose ends between this and Episode IV. And of course, WOOKIES!!!!
As I mentioned before, did some catchup on the TiVO. Here be my thoughts...
- Manhunt: Poor Matt... :-( But yay for the Kevin O. and Paolo getting "last shots." I'm liking Rob more and more as this show goes along. But keeping Tate AGAIN!?!? C'mon!!!
- Lost: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this show. Not even missing the monster that seems to have been absent the past few weeks.
- America's Next Top Model: YAY for the smackdown between Tyra and Janice! And were those really horse noises playing in the background during one of Toccara's go-see's?!?
- The Apprentice: Raj is gone! Finally! Less glaring vocal overdubs! YAY! But these past few boardrooms have been really goofy. Donald in a tux? Chris's demented outburst about the lack of team unity?!?
And as to that "Star Wars: Episode III" trailer I linked to the yesterday. I'm a fan of the original trilogy and this new one has been a bit disappointing. Still, I'm psyched...if more out of curiosity as to whether Lucas will be able to really connected all the loose ends between this and Episode IV. And of course, WOOKIES!!!!
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Blech
Homebound today...body aches, slight temperature, and a mild sore throat when I woke up this morning. Blarg...
Oh well, I guess it will give me a chance to catch up on some TiVO.
Oh well, I guess it will give me a chance to catch up on some TiVO.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
The morning after...
'Tis the morning after and my outlook last night has turned into reality. I really can't say much more than has been said on blogs everywhere, but here's my clumsy two pennies...
Simply put, the results for a good number of us suck. Not just presidential-wise, but for those in the 11 states where the same-sex marriage amendment was approved. Even more so for those several states that extended this ban towards civil unions. To those of you in the states where these amendments have passed who are negatively affected by it, I hope...I just hope that things can turn around sooner than later for you. It's without a doubt a dark day for many of us...
A lot of friends have said "Canada, here I come," but really now...Yes, it's going to be a rough next four years, but we've got to stick around and fight the fight. Over fifty-five million people voted for Kerry! That's a lot, folks. Think of it as the foundation to build on. There are the 2006 mid-term elections, and there are the 2008 elections. We gotta stick together and not quit.
We must not stop what we've begun...Look at what happened this year. Over 100 million people voted! I've never seen anything like this! We must mobilize and kick it into overdrive. We gotta show that there are a lot of us who don't agree with what's going on and what happened last night.
And look at this way...at least we know there's a definite end to (at least the direct) madness of George.
1539 days and counting...
Simply put, the results for a good number of us suck. Not just presidential-wise, but for those in the 11 states where the same-sex marriage amendment was approved. Even more so for those several states that extended this ban towards civil unions. To those of you in the states where these amendments have passed who are negatively affected by it, I hope...I just hope that things can turn around sooner than later for you. It's without a doubt a dark day for many of us...
A lot of friends have said "Canada, here I come," but really now...Yes, it's going to be a rough next four years, but we've got to stick around and fight the fight. Over fifty-five million people voted for Kerry! That's a lot, folks. Think of it as the foundation to build on. There are the 2006 mid-term elections, and there are the 2008 elections. We gotta stick together and not quit.
We must not stop what we've begun...Look at what happened this year. Over 100 million people voted! I've never seen anything like this! We must mobilize and kick it into overdrive. We gotta show that there are a lot of us who don't agree with what's going on and what happened last night.
And look at this way...at least we know there's a definite end to (at least the direct) madness of George.
1539 days and counting...
To quote the magic 8 ball...
"Outlook not so great..."
It's just past midnight...and I'm going to bed. Can't really say I'm too optimistic about how things are going to turn out, but at least I tried. I put my vote in. I blogged openly about my views about whom I supported.
All Tuesday, I was filled with anxiety...moreso than I've been in ages. In 2000, I was sick, but that's because I was really sick...On Election Day 2000, I had a terrible flu, woke up at 3 PM, crawled down to my apartment's lobby to vote then returned to bed to continue napping. Woke up a few hours later to see the madness that ensued.
And here we are 4 years later and it looks like not much has changed state-wise. Hrm...well if it turns out the way that it's looking like it's going to turn out, I'll say this...there's always 2008.
If there is one good thing about all this is that I've been a bit more politically aware thanks a lot to my friends, especially Tim. He was key in helping to bring us all together political-wise be it organizing a shoutout at my house or going to a party fundraiser. And it seems like more people in general followed this trend. When I went to my polling place today, there was real line!
I just hope that if the election doesn't go the way people wanted it to, that those people aren't discouraged or marred by more cynicism.
Finally, to all of you who voted for Kerry-Edwards, thanks...thanks for fighting the good fight...
Anyhoo, off to bed I go hoping for but not counting on that longshot in Ohio...
It's just past midnight...and I'm going to bed. Can't really say I'm too optimistic about how things are going to turn out, but at least I tried. I put my vote in. I blogged openly about my views about whom I supported.
All Tuesday, I was filled with anxiety...moreso than I've been in ages. In 2000, I was sick, but that's because I was really sick...On Election Day 2000, I had a terrible flu, woke up at 3 PM, crawled down to my apartment's lobby to vote then returned to bed to continue napping. Woke up a few hours later to see the madness that ensued.
And here we are 4 years later and it looks like not much has changed state-wise. Hrm...well if it turns out the way that it's looking like it's going to turn out, I'll say this...there's always 2008.
If there is one good thing about all this is that I've been a bit more politically aware thanks a lot to my friends, especially Tim. He was key in helping to bring us all together political-wise be it organizing a shoutout at my house or going to a party fundraiser. And it seems like more people in general followed this trend. When I went to my polling place today, there was real line!
I just hope that if the election doesn't go the way people wanted it to, that those people aren't discouraged or marred by more cynicism.
Finally, to all of you who voted for Kerry-Edwards, thanks...thanks for fighting the good fight...
Anyhoo, off to bed I go hoping for but not counting on that longshot in Ohio...
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Monday, November 01, 2004
Stones, hot tubs, fairies,and spandex...
Busy, busy weekend...gonna wrap it up in quick form here...
Friday night, went to my friend Kenny's birthday party. 'Twas a relaxing night deep in the heart of the San Fernando Valley. Cocktails and hot tub always a make a fun combination. But alas, no Pink Lady!
Saturday night had a double does of partying. First, went to Dani and Sara's Spandex City party. The theme was comic book super heroes. Got into costume but not as a superhero. Instead, I recycled my barker Bob costume from my Halloween party last week. Another guest at the party later pointed out to me that with a camera, I'd make a perfect Jimmy Olsen. Go figure!
Closed out the evening of partying by heading over to the party thrown by the boys at Morningwood Manor. Nate, Bryan, Stevie, Billy, and Steven outdid themselves. They had an awesome "Moulin Rouge"-ish setup complete with a fairies in the trees, a man in the moon, and an illuminated red windmill! And food was great! On top of that I reunited with my friend Pete, whom I hadn't seen in over a year. Such a small world...
Did a little bit of shopping yesterday...Picked up the new edition of the "Rolling Stone Album Guide." Many more entries than the last one (which was the first album guide I purchased), but I take issue with some omissions. For instance, Steely Dan is included along with Walter Becker, but there's no entry for Donald Fagen? Even more egregious is that The Beatles are included along with solo entries for Paul, Joh, and Ringo, but there's no listing for George's solo output! The omission of George's stuff is especially glaring since he did release a new album a couple of years ago AND his Warner Bros.-era albums were recently re-released. Oh well...at least they gave ABBA credit where credit is due.
Attempted to go to a party in West Hollywood that evening, but those plans were thwarted by traffic and a total lack of parking near the party. Grrrrrr...
It's November already? Geez...Don't forget to vote tomorrow! This is SUCH a crucial election this year and every vote counts!
Friday night, went to my friend Kenny's birthday party. 'Twas a relaxing night deep in the heart of the San Fernando Valley. Cocktails and hot tub always a make a fun combination. But alas, no Pink Lady!
Saturday night had a double does of partying. First, went to Dani and Sara's Spandex City party. The theme was comic book super heroes. Got into costume but not as a superhero. Instead, I recycled my barker Bob costume from my Halloween party last week. Another guest at the party later pointed out to me that with a camera, I'd make a perfect Jimmy Olsen. Go figure!
Closed out the evening of partying by heading over to the party thrown by the boys at Morningwood Manor. Nate, Bryan, Stevie, Billy, and Steven outdid themselves. They had an awesome "Moulin Rouge"-ish setup complete with a fairies in the trees, a man in the moon, and an illuminated red windmill! And food was great! On top of that I reunited with my friend Pete, whom I hadn't seen in over a year. Such a small world...
Did a little bit of shopping yesterday...Picked up the new edition of the "Rolling Stone Album Guide." Many more entries than the last one (which was the first album guide I purchased), but I take issue with some omissions. For instance, Steely Dan is included along with Walter Becker, but there's no entry for Donald Fagen? Even more egregious is that The Beatles are included along with solo entries for Paul, Joh, and Ringo, but there's no listing for George's solo output! The omission of George's stuff is especially glaring since he did release a new album a couple of years ago AND his Warner Bros.-era albums were recently re-released. Oh well...at least they gave ABBA credit where credit is due.
Attempted to go to a party in West Hollywood that evening, but those plans were thwarted by traffic and a total lack of parking near the party. Grrrrrr...
It's November already? Geez...Don't forget to vote tomorrow! This is SUCH a crucial election this year and every vote counts!
