Tuesday, August 8
Entourage
Did I alread say this? Entourage is so good lately! (OK, the Vegas episode kinda stank.) Seth Green is hilarious... and more than a little annoying. I like when celebrities make fun of themselves. Speaking of... when is Extras back on?
Lieberman
If you haven't been paying attention, you should. We're witnessing an ENORMOUS shift in politics right before our eyes. And - after years of wondering what the fuck it would take Americans to wake up - we're watching a small state (Connecticut) start a nationwide movement. Lieberman will likely lose today because he supports the Iraq war, because he supports Bush way too often, and because he's been in the Senate for 18 years and has forgotten his principles. Did you know he is one of the largest recipients of lobbyist $$$$? I think his wife is even a lobbyist. They are DC-insiders. People want other people like them in Congress --- FINALLY!
The Democrats are going to take control of this country again in November. There is no doubt about it. People are fed up. Americans can be lazy motherf'ers, but once you piss them off, they are an angry bunch.
So pay attention. FireDogLake, AmericaBlog, DailyKos, etc all have great coverage. Here is what the WSJ says:
WASHINGTON -- Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman's political fate will be decided Tuesday in the state's Democratic primary, but the race's focus on public opposition to the Iraq war and President Bush has put other incumbents on notice that a voter revolt could be in the making.
The 18-year incumbent's battle reflects a trend this year: An anti-incumbent mood is striking hardest against politicians aligned with the president, regardless of their party. One of challenger Ned Lamont's most potent weapons is a photo of Mr. Bush planting a kiss on Sen. Lieberman's cheek after the 2005 State of the Union speech. A poll released Monday shows Mr. Lieberman making up ground, but Mr. Lamont is still ahead 51% to 45%.
The Democrats are going to take control of this country again in November. There is no doubt about it. People are fed up. Americans can be lazy motherf'ers, but once you piss them off, they are an angry bunch.
So pay attention. FireDogLake, AmericaBlog, DailyKos, etc all have great coverage. Here is what the WSJ says:
WASHINGTON -- Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman's political fate will be decided Tuesday in the state's Democratic primary, but the race's focus on public opposition to the Iraq war and President Bush has put other incumbents on notice that a voter revolt could be in the making.
The 18-year incumbent's battle reflects a trend this year: An anti-incumbent mood is striking hardest against politicians aligned with the president, regardless of their party. One of challenger Ned Lamont's most potent weapons is a photo of Mr. Bush planting a kiss on Sen. Lieberman's cheek after the 2005 State of the Union speech. A poll released Monday shows Mr. Lieberman making up ground, but Mr. Lamont is still ahead 51% to 45%.
Monday, August 7
Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic
What a let down.
She's funny for about 5 minutes, and it's because she's this cute little Jewish girl talkin' all dirty and using words I haven't heard since Andrew Dice Clay. It wears thin. Quickly.
Not recommended.
Same with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Just could not get into it! Next up: Memoirs of a Geisha, which I've had trouble watching for more than 5 minutes, but I'll give it another try.
What have you been watching recently that's worth your time?
She's funny for about 5 minutes, and it's because she's this cute little Jewish girl talkin' all dirty and using words I haven't heard since Andrew Dice Clay. It wears thin. Quickly.
Not recommended.
Same with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Just could not get into it! Next up: Memoirs of a Geisha, which I've had trouble watching for more than 5 minutes, but I'll give it another try.
What have you been watching recently that's worth your time?
God of War
Seriously, if any of you have a PS2, this is a must-play game. It is so addictive, and that is not usually the case with me and videogames.
Warning: there is language, nasty violence, and lots of boobies. In other words, this game is rated R.
Warning: there is language, nasty violence, and lots of boobies. In other words, this game is rated R.
Friday, August 4
The Eagles Have Landed
Word on the street is that Don Henley and crew are reuniting for their first new album in like 25 years. Woot! Woot! Supposedly due out in about a year.
Thursday, August 3
Direct TV Sucks
They totally suck ass. I hate them.
I get my bill. Sure enough, I've been charged a $70 service fee. Oh sure, the first service call was waived, but when that idiot failed to figure out the problem but simply TESTING the receiver ("oh, chop half your trees down, it'll work"), Direct dispatched another technician and promptly charged me to do so.
How is it MY responsibility to pay for their inability to troubleshoot a simple problem?
Well, after speaking with three operators, I finally get some chick who is "willing to file a dispute" and will "see what she can do." I would have liked to tell her what she could do, but instead I flat out told her there was no need to file a dispute because I WASN'T GOING TO PAY FOR THEIR STUPIDITY!
About 30 minutes later the fee was waived but not before she gave me the spiel on their "product guard" offer of $5.99 a month. Bitch.
God I hate them.
However, if anyone so desires to sign up for their service, let me know. I can get $100 bucks for it.
I get my bill. Sure enough, I've been charged a $70 service fee. Oh sure, the first service call was waived, but when that idiot failed to figure out the problem but simply TESTING the receiver ("oh, chop half your trees down, it'll work"), Direct dispatched another technician and promptly charged me to do so.
How is it MY responsibility to pay for their inability to troubleshoot a simple problem?
Well, after speaking with three operators, I finally get some chick who is "willing to file a dispute" and will "see what she can do." I would have liked to tell her what she could do, but instead I flat out told her there was no need to file a dispute because I WASN'T GOING TO PAY FOR THEIR STUPIDITY!
About 30 minutes later the fee was waived but not before she gave me the spiel on their "product guard" offer of $5.99 a month. Bitch.
God I hate them.
However, if anyone so desires to sign up for their service, let me know. I can get $100 bucks for it.
Speaking of bananas...
I happy to have a list of songs that have the word "banana" in them:
Hollaback: Gwen Stephani
Banana Boat song (Day O): Harry Belafante
I’m Going Bananas: Madonna (Dick Tracy Soundtrack)
Banana Wind: Jimmy Buffett
Banana: Miss TK & The Revenge
Banana Tree: Sergio Mendes
Lorna Banana: The Specials
Nana Banana: U-Roy
Banana Pancakes: Jack Johnson
Banana: Alpha Blondie
Banana Republic: Jimmy Buffett
Banana Joe: DJ Happy Vibes
Banana Baby: Space Monkey’s
Banana Splits: The Dickies
The tra la la song – Liz Phair
Bananas – Queen Latifa
Toast and Bananas – Blink 182
Bananas – Deep Purple
30000 pounds of bananas – Harry Chapin
Banana: Joe King Carrasco
Banana: Jolly Boys
Banana: Vieux Diop
Banana Man: Clifton Chenier
Yes, we have no bananas: Sabrina Soundtrack
Everybody Eats when they come to my house: Cab Calloway
Liberate (Bananas) – Slip Knot
Guru Banana – Kevin Ayers
The Name Game - Nancy Sinatra
Hollaback: Gwen Stephani
Banana Boat song (Day O): Harry Belafante
I’m Going Bananas: Madonna (Dick Tracy Soundtrack)
Banana Wind: Jimmy Buffett
Banana: Miss TK & The Revenge
Banana Tree: Sergio Mendes
Lorna Banana: The Specials
Nana Banana: U-Roy
Banana Pancakes: Jack Johnson
Banana: Alpha Blondie
Banana Republic: Jimmy Buffett
Banana Joe: DJ Happy Vibes
Banana Baby: Space Monkey’s
Banana Splits: The Dickies
The tra la la song – Liz Phair
Bananas – Queen Latifa
Toast and Bananas – Blink 182
Bananas – Deep Purple
30000 pounds of bananas – Harry Chapin
Banana: Joe King Carrasco
Banana: Jolly Boys
Banana: Vieux Diop
Banana Man: Clifton Chenier
Yes, we have no bananas: Sabrina Soundtrack
Everybody Eats when they come to my house: Cab Calloway
Liberate (Bananas) – Slip Knot
Guru Banana – Kevin Ayers
The Name Game - Nancy Sinatra
Wednesday, August 2
Ricky Bobby
I admit I'm a Nascar fan and I'll even admit I think Will Ferrell is funny.... in a goofy, ridiculous sort of way. So, it's not much of a stretch to say I'm actually looking forward to the movie, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, which premieres on Friday.
EW gives it a B. If anyone sees it, post your review!
EW gives it a B. If anyone sees it, post your review!
The Chicks on Mel
At their recent Madison Square Garden concert, here's what Natalie had to say:
"This next song is about how we live our lives, and how we make the excellent career decisions we make,” Maines smiled at the start of their album’s title track, “Taking the Long Way.” She dedicated “White Trash Wedding” to Mel Gibson, dropping deep into her Texas twang to giggle, “You know how it is when you’re drunk!” She explained that while the song doesn’t pertain to Mel, per se, she just wanted to send him a shout-out -- and (wisely) observed that “All of our controversy would have been over if I’d only checked myself into rehab...” That got a nice-sized cheer from the crowd."
"This next song is about how we live our lives, and how we make the excellent career decisions we make,” Maines smiled at the start of their album’s title track, “Taking the Long Way.” She dedicated “White Trash Wedding” to Mel Gibson, dropping deep into her Texas twang to giggle, “You know how it is when you’re drunk!” She explained that while the song doesn’t pertain to Mel, per se, she just wanted to send him a shout-out -- and (wisely) observed that “All of our controversy would have been over if I’d only checked myself into rehab...” That got a nice-sized cheer from the crowd."
Yes, We Have Bananas
I could say a lot of things here, but I'll just let the picture do the talking. Feel free to add your own snarky caption in the Comment section.
Blind Item
Which hunky actor who once picked up a young man and brought him back to the Mercer Hotel for oral sex is now hanging out with a top athlete? The two are said to be more than just workout buddies.
Jake? Matthew? Who could it be!?
Jake? Matthew? Who could it be!?
How does HBO do it?
Interesting industry article in MediaLife:
HBO’s “Entourage” seems to have everything going for it: good-looking actors, critical cachet and major buzz, with the media dubbing it this summer’s breakout hit.
The only thing the show does not have, oddly enough, is numbers. While "Entourage” is up 29 percent over last season, it still only averages 2.4 million viewers.
That’s compared to the 8.9 million that HBO’s “Sopranos” averaged in its most recent season, and that's down from the previous year. It’s not even half the more than 6 million that “Sex and the City” averaged in its final season two years ago. In fact, it’s far less than the 3.8 million the network’s “Rome” drew in its debut a year ago, and that show has been canceled following the upcoming second season.
Those 2.4 million viewers are hardly enough to justify the huge amounts of attention “Entourage” receives in the press. But that certainly is not an issue for HBO, and in some ways the show almost defines an HBO hit: cachet, cachet, cachet. Never mind the numbers.
HBO is in the business of attracting new, paying subscribers while holding onto existing subs, and that is driven by cachet. How many people are actually watching “Entourage,” or any other HBO show for that matter, lends nothing to that effort. Since the network carries no advertising, audience size in itself matters little.
What does matter is the perception of hipness.
“Entourage” is currently the one HBO show advancing that perception, but it's doing it in a big way. Already this summer, the “Entourage” boys have appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly and received writeups in TV Guide and Time, which referred to the show as a boutique hit.
Other media are less restrained. There are some 700 articles about “Entourage” available via Google News, and nearly a quarter refer to the show as a hit.
This is all helping HBO enormously, despite the flops of “Lucky Louie,” “Carnivale” and “K Street” over the past four years. Its subscriber base rose 2.6 percent during first-quarter 2006, to 28.2 million subscribers, according to Kagan Research.
And while HBO, a unit of Time Warner, does not give out money figures, some estimate that the network has seen profits of $1 billion over the past year. That's through subscriptions, which average $10 to $15 per month, but also DVD sales of “Sopranos,” “SATC” and other shows.
"Entourage" follows a rising Hollywood superstar and his three best friends from back home as they navigate the absurdities of the movie industry and encounter lots of celebrities along the way. It's executive produced by Mark Wahlberg.
HBO’s “Entourage” seems to have everything going for it: good-looking actors, critical cachet and major buzz, with the media dubbing it this summer’s breakout hit.
The only thing the show does not have, oddly enough, is numbers. While "Entourage” is up 29 percent over last season, it still only averages 2.4 million viewers.
That’s compared to the 8.9 million that HBO’s “Sopranos” averaged in its most recent season, and that's down from the previous year. It’s not even half the more than 6 million that “Sex and the City” averaged in its final season two years ago. In fact, it’s far less than the 3.8 million the network’s “Rome” drew in its debut a year ago, and that show has been canceled following the upcoming second season.
Those 2.4 million viewers are hardly enough to justify the huge amounts of attention “Entourage” receives in the press. But that certainly is not an issue for HBO, and in some ways the show almost defines an HBO hit: cachet, cachet, cachet. Never mind the numbers.
HBO is in the business of attracting new, paying subscribers while holding onto existing subs, and that is driven by cachet. How many people are actually watching “Entourage,” or any other HBO show for that matter, lends nothing to that effort. Since the network carries no advertising, audience size in itself matters little.
What does matter is the perception of hipness.
“Entourage” is currently the one HBO show advancing that perception, but it's doing it in a big way. Already this summer, the “Entourage” boys have appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly and received writeups in TV Guide and Time, which referred to the show as a boutique hit.
Other media are less restrained. There are some 700 articles about “Entourage” available via Google News, and nearly a quarter refer to the show as a hit.
This is all helping HBO enormously, despite the flops of “Lucky Louie,” “Carnivale” and “K Street” over the past four years. Its subscriber base rose 2.6 percent during first-quarter 2006, to 28.2 million subscribers, according to Kagan Research.
And while HBO, a unit of Time Warner, does not give out money figures, some estimate that the network has seen profits of $1 billion over the past year. That's through subscriptions, which average $10 to $15 per month, but also DVD sales of “Sopranos,” “SATC” and other shows.
"Entourage" follows a rising Hollywood superstar and his three best friends from back home as they navigate the absurdities of the movie industry and encounter lots of celebrities along the way. It's executive produced by Mark Wahlberg.
Tuesday, August 1
Another thought about MTV...
I remember when I was young, very uncool and listened to Raffi. My older cousin, Susan, would visit and spend hours watching MTV. God, she was cool! I think I was still at the age when I hid behind the couch when Thriller came on.
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