June 18, 2007
Look-out 2008
So, I've been tooling around the web the past couple of days trying to get a sense of the 2008 campaign, and who can come out on-top and take the Presidential Seat in January, 2009. I have gone back and forth between several candidates, and keep hoping that not everyone who will run has tossed his or her hat into the ring. But, just as I began to feel confident about choosing a candidate who I feel can win, another hot political campaign has been brewing in Midtown Manhattan this week. Though this campaign is, I'm sure, set to capture much more public spotlight then the two hundred remaining debates that have yet to be slated for either political party.
Recent gossip has been filling the halls at 30 Rock today after NBC sources reported Comedy central's John Stewarthaving been courted by NBC directors. The rumors, which carry an erie reminder to when Letterman bidded for outgoing Jonny's Tonight Show seat, raises the question of whether or not O'Brian's alignment to fill Leno's seat in two years will be in danger of being passed by the leading voice of a generation of late night viewers.
Although Stewart and CC refused to comment, there, nevertheless, will be a political struggle for the coveted late night show that is the paradigm for post-prime-time programming.
Although filling Leno's slot would be a major career step for Stewart, reaching a much larger audience, I can't help but wonder what kind of programming changes network programmers would impose on Stewart. There's no better way to kill a good thing than to hand it over to a focus group. Too, Stewart would probably be pressured to shift his guest list from leading political figures, to the very people he ridicules when egos need to be broken. Can you imagine Stewart interviewing Paris Hilton or Kiefer Sutherland? what would the nonfiction publishing industry do if Stewart leavesCC.
I would love to see stewart for free each night, and know it would be a personal sign of achievement if he took either Leno or Letterman's spot. though I would only hope that the powers-that-be in network programming would have the sense to give stewart control over the course of his own future.
IS STEWART STEWED?
Recent gossip has been filling the halls at 30 Rock today after NBC sources reported Comedy central's John Stewarthaving been courted by NBC directors. The rumors, which carry an erie reminder to when Letterman bidded for outgoing Jonny's Tonight Show seat, raises the question of whether or not O'Brian's alignment to fill Leno's seat in two years will be in danger of being passed by the leading voice of a generation of late night viewers.
Although Stewart and CC refused to comment, there, nevertheless, will be a political struggle for the coveted late night show that is the paradigm for post-prime-time programming.
Although filling Leno's slot would be a major career step for Stewart, reaching a much larger audience, I can't help but wonder what kind of programming changes network programmers would impose on Stewart. There's no better way to kill a good thing than to hand it over to a focus group. Too, Stewart would probably be pressured to shift his guest list from leading political figures, to the very people he ridicules when egos need to be broken. Can you imagine Stewart interviewing Paris Hilton or Kiefer Sutherland? what would the nonfiction publishing industry do if Stewart leavesCC.
I would love to see stewart for free each night, and know it would be a personal sign of achievement if he took either Leno or Letterman's spot. though I would only hope that the powers-that-be in network programming would have the sense to give stewart control over the course of his own future.
June 12, 2007
Little Ms. Butters
I'm in the process of redoing my web site, and am back to posting here on Blogger. Not that I've been posting too much lately. I've always been bad at this type of composition, though something happened the past couple of days that is too strange to leave unsaid.
So, life with Lisa has been coming along well. since leaving The Seeing Eye, she's been getting use to life in the big city. we've had to deal with a few heartaches, namely her getting a bad ear infection and not completely getting rid of the stomach bugs that she got from the kennel before our acquaintances were made. But, all and all, she's been working like a dog (...wait, stop. Let's try that again).
Lisa's been working so hard, that with her illness we decided to give her a little R&R, and see how she would handle being left alone for a couple of hours. Upon LK and my return the other night, we were impressed to find the apartment in pretty much the same shape it had been when we left. We were affraid that the bed would be full of dog hair, Mr. Bear would be shredded into cotton swabs across the room, and our cable would be racked up with sopranos On-Demand and Disney flics. But, life was quite tranquil in our home while we were away...Or, was it?
In the kitchen, up on the shelf by Mr. Coffee, LuLu keeps a covered plate of butter, ready to go at a moments notice. She converted me from being a "I keep my butter in the fridge" kind of guy, finding that it is nice to have soft, ready to spread, butter at a moments notice (needless to say, I was surprised that it doesn't go bad). LuLu noticed that the top of the butter dish was taken off and placed to one side, and someone had stolen our butter...Or, did they? Why would someone take our butter, but leave the Mac?
To our surprise, not hidden at all by her mischievous grin, Lisa Dog had gotten up onto the counter, which is quite narrow with lots of things to knock over, taken the top off the butter dish, and licked the remaining two or three table spoons clean.
We were both amazed that she was able to do this with so few clues to the crime, except for her inability to place the top back on the butter dish.
Since then, she has been given the name, "Ms. Butters." But that changed this morning at 4:00 am, after being woken up by a dog with who clearly was trying to tell me something.
I wouldn't have thought anything of this morning, as she woke me up several times during the night when we first became a team. But, yesturday, only two days after the butter affair, LuLu made a lovely batch of breakfast bars. we had two, and she left the remaining to cool on the back burner of the stove. I, later that morning, went down to pick up my clothes in the downstairs laundry, and when I returned, Lisa Dog--a.k.a. Little Ms. Butters--had that strange "I didn't do it" ora around her, mainly displayed by the way she avoided me when I came back into our apartment.
I would have thought nothing had gone wrong when I picked up the empty pan and thought if I should clean it. I had thought LulU simply took the breakfast bars and put them in the fridge to stay fridge just before she left for work.
It wasn't until I actually felt the bottom of the pan, hoping to find one last breakfast bar, that I noticed it was kind of wet. Had I already started to soak it? I called LuLu to ask if she stored the bars, and she said, "No, they're still in the pan..."
The pan had hardly moved from the back of the stove, and I still couldn't believe that it was Lisa Dog. The pan had been completely cleaned, with the exception of that crusty kind of bread that sticks to the corners. There really was no proof that Lisa Dog had, in fact, eaten two thirds a pan of breakfast oatmeal and blue berry bars. I would have suspected another thief, if my Mac wasn't still sitting safely on my desk. But, how did she do it? I still couldn't get over the fact that she could be so cunning and sly, yet continue to slam her head against the bottom of our coffee table every time she stood up.
I should say I was a disbeliever until this morning at 4:00 am. I can only say--trying to stay in good taste--that I have never seen anything so little produce something in such great quantity. I'm not mad Lisa. Actually, I'm quite impressed.
So, life with Lisa has been coming along well. since leaving The Seeing Eye, she's been getting use to life in the big city. we've had to deal with a few heartaches, namely her getting a bad ear infection and not completely getting rid of the stomach bugs that she got from the kennel before our acquaintances were made. But, all and all, she's been working like a dog (...wait, stop. Let's try that again).
Lisa's been working so hard, that with her illness we decided to give her a little R&R, and see how she would handle being left alone for a couple of hours. Upon LK and my return the other night, we were impressed to find the apartment in pretty much the same shape it had been when we left. We were affraid that the bed would be full of dog hair, Mr. Bear would be shredded into cotton swabs across the room, and our cable would be racked up with sopranos On-Demand and Disney flics. But, life was quite tranquil in our home while we were away...Or, was it?
In the kitchen, up on the shelf by Mr. Coffee, LuLu keeps a covered plate of butter, ready to go at a moments notice. She converted me from being a "I keep my butter in the fridge" kind of guy, finding that it is nice to have soft, ready to spread, butter at a moments notice (needless to say, I was surprised that it doesn't go bad). LuLu noticed that the top of the butter dish was taken off and placed to one side, and someone had stolen our butter...Or, did they? Why would someone take our butter, but leave the Mac?
To our surprise, not hidden at all by her mischievous grin, Lisa Dog had gotten up onto the counter, which is quite narrow with lots of things to knock over, taken the top off the butter dish, and licked the remaining two or three table spoons clean.
We were both amazed that she was able to do this with so few clues to the crime, except for her inability to place the top back on the butter dish.
Since then, she has been given the name, "Ms. Butters." But that changed this morning at 4:00 am, after being woken up by a dog with who clearly was trying to tell me something.
I wouldn't have thought anything of this morning, as she woke me up several times during the night when we first became a team. But, yesturday, only two days after the butter affair, LuLu made a lovely batch of breakfast bars. we had two, and she left the remaining to cool on the back burner of the stove. I, later that morning, went down to pick up my clothes in the downstairs laundry, and when I returned, Lisa Dog--a.k.a. Little Ms. Butters--had that strange "I didn't do it" ora around her, mainly displayed by the way she avoided me when I came back into our apartment.
I would have thought nothing had gone wrong when I picked up the empty pan and thought if I should clean it. I had thought LulU simply took the breakfast bars and put them in the fridge to stay fridge just before she left for work.
It wasn't until I actually felt the bottom of the pan, hoping to find one last breakfast bar, that I noticed it was kind of wet. Had I already started to soak it? I called LuLu to ask if she stored the bars, and she said, "No, they're still in the pan..."
The pan had hardly moved from the back of the stove, and I still couldn't believe that it was Lisa Dog. The pan had been completely cleaned, with the exception of that crusty kind of bread that sticks to the corners. There really was no proof that Lisa Dog had, in fact, eaten two thirds a pan of breakfast oatmeal and blue berry bars. I would have suspected another thief, if my Mac wasn't still sitting safely on my desk. But, how did she do it? I still couldn't get over the fact that she could be so cunning and sly, yet continue to slam her head against the bottom of our coffee table every time she stood up.
I should say I was a disbeliever until this morning at 4:00 am. I can only say--trying to stay in good taste--that I have never seen anything so little produce something in such great quantity. I'm not mad Lisa. Actually, I'm quite impressed.
