Haines His Way

Are you referring to the gifts ?  I didn’t see the show but it all sounded like a great surprise Oprah and her staff put much thought into.

She gave everyone in the audience a car.  And again I'll state that I have no problem with Oprah's generosity.  But the commercials that ran all weekend made it out like this was going to be the announcement of the ages.  I was thinking that she was going to announce either her marriage or that she was adopting or that she had discovered a cure for cancer.  But this was what made her so excited she couldn't sleep?  I just don't know...

DR Noel, I could have sworn you were a fan of American Idol which I recall is one of the most popular "reality" shows on TV...next to Survivor of course.  

My goodness, MB, you're off the mark.  Not only do I hate American Idol, it's made my life demonstrably worse.

It's another altered reality show in which contestants are chosen not because they're the most talented aspirants but because the producers feel they're likely to crack under pressure in amusing-to-the-audience ways.

But there's never been anything like it: 3 people behind a desk critique would-be singers.  And what they say amounts to a pervasive aesthetic.  Let's see if I can explain this...

I'm among many who are involved in the training of singing performers.  Not everybody teaches the same things, of course, but most who know their stuff teach a set of what might be called "good habits."

Randy, Paula and Simon, through what they say on TV, teach a different set of do's and don'ts.  Let's call them "AI habits."

In more and more classes, and, at more and more auditions, what we're seeing now are people with "AI habits" rather than "good habits."

Students and auditioners are two different sets of people.  A student needn't know anything, but they should have a willingness to learn.  But students bred on AI habits are all too often resistant to learning different habits, habits that would get them jobs.  And people who audition for shows who sound or act anything remotely like those American Idol contestants - well, they're just wasting everybody's time.  Including their own.

WFO asked.... "And slightly on that topic, I have a question for our DRs in "the Biz", i.e. FSW Charles Pogue  and FSW Panni:
Once television channels--including the premium cable channels--decided that movie-watchers had no interest whatsoever in listening to the end-title music or reading the credits, and would much rather be assaulted with ads for the channel they are watching--why didn't the various unions and guilds object?
I mean, I assume that the reason we have all those detailed credits--gaffer, and best boy and all--now (and I for one do read them) is that the various unions had the studios put it in their contracts.  So why haven't they tried to have some line about sale to TV that their names should be at least legible?"

It drives me crazy, too, ("Not a long drive," someone who shall remain nameless recently said.)
I think - and I may be wrong - that the DGA was addressing the end credits issue.
I think that the last moments of a film are extremely important. If for nothing else, then to let the audience decompress. I always think in my writing of the end credits and music as being very much a part of the story. It's infuriating to have that trampled on.

 Evening all.  Thank you for the condolences on my fish.  I don’t know what happened though I suspect that the heat had something to with it.  You have to remember he was in an air conditioned office but we don’t AC at here at home.  I will not be getting another fish for that reason.

Entertainment set up.  Toshiba TV/DVD/VCR combo.  I don’t know what size just big and heavy.  I’ll have to have someone come and help me lift it if something should happen to it.  There’s no way I could attempt to do so by myself.

I use my computer for my music needs but I also have a record player/CD/Radio/Cassette tape combo.  Hummm, I sense a trend here and I never realized it!  

I can’t have ice cream.  Not on my diet.  So what time did you say we were meeting there?  One scoop or two?

We are also experiencing gloomy skies, courtesy of Ivan.  My very best vibes to those in harms way.  Be safe.  

Ben, what I was going to say to you yesterday when the power when out was that isn’t it something that a camera or any computer equipment can be 3 years old or a little older and considered “Old”.  It seems to work fine from what I see.  

My digital camera is a little “old” as well.  I bought a Casio because it had the “Best Shot” feature.  My understanding was that since it is a 3.3 mega pixel, it is equal to a 35 mm camera.  I have no idea as to do all the settings to make a picture come out right but with the “Best Shot” feature, you simply scroll through some demo pictures and find one that looks like the shot you are trying to do.  

When you pick one, it automatically sets the camera to those settings.  I have to admit, I just love it.  You saw the wonderful pictures I got of Michael Ball at the concert in SLC.  If I never take another picture with it (and I plan to, believe me), that was worth the price of the camera alone to me!

I would like to try a Cheese Curd.  Sounds good.

I don’t remember if I told everyone that I finely bought one of those Memory Foam pads.  I couldn’t afford the whole bed but Target had the pads on sale this weekend.  I put it on the bed yesterday and tried it for the first time last night.  I LOVE it!  I thought I would since I have had the pillow for a long time now.  

I can’t sleep on my back or risk lower back pain every time I try.  In fact, most mornings I have some kind of lower pain but not this morning.  It was like being on a cloud!  I need to sleep on it for a least a week to give a real honest opinion but right now it looks like love at first night!  

I know it’s not for everyone but at this point I would highly, highly recommend giving it a try.

I guess I should break this up.  Back with more in a moment.

Dan (the Man) LOL.  I didn’t see the commercials, just read the story last night.  Since having TIVO we rarely watch commercials.

Panni-I hope that really is just bad timing.

Danise, I tried one of those memory beds, when they first came out, at Brookstone’s.  I lied down on my back for approximately one minute and my back hurt the rest of the day.  Maybe they have improved since then & I should give it a try again.   And yes, I remember when that meant a weather alert.  Nothing like having those things across your screen when you are trying to read subtitles!  

When we were in Budapest Keith kept commenting how much he thought of our hotel.  It didn’t hurt they upgraded us to a business suite.  

Maybe they have improved the memory beds or maybe it's because it's only a pad with a very firm (dare I say hard? rock? slab?) mattress below it that made it work for me.  I will say it was a bit warm but I sleep with my fan on.

 

Warm.  I like warm.

DR Ben - Hmmm.... Cheese curds... Fried cheese curds...  Yummy!...  Now all you need is some french fries and gravy, and you have poutine!

I just learned a new phrase - "nosy Parker" or nosy-parker.
I've never heard it before, but now it's mine, all mine, to use whenever I want. Anyone know the etymology? That's a real question, not a quiz.

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-nos2.htm

RE: "American Idol", DR RLP, DR Noel - There truly is something going on "behind the scenes" in those initial rounds.  How else would America get to see the likes of William Hung?  Or that girl with the puppets?  Or the hundreds of other bad singers that got passed through the initial screening?  Unfortunately, the line between bad, acceptable and good has been purposely blurred by various executives and producers.

On the flip side, I remember a few years ago, when they were broadcasting some of the rounds from the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition on PBS.  Everyone there was there because they deserved to be there.  They had the talent.  They had the technique.  They worked their butts off!  And each time the eliminations were made from one round to the next, you could just sense the disappointment - or relief - on the contestant's faces.  At that level of playing, it truly does become a matter of fine-tuned personal preferences.  Basically, an "It" factor.  But, everyone was good.

I think we all have to keep in mind that "Reality TV" whether it's a show like "American Idol" or "Survivor" or even "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is an entertainment program primarily.  Yes, the people on the show are competing, but the public is watching.  And to keep those people watching, the show has to have some entertainment value.  And someone or someones has to decide what is entertaining... and will keep entertaining from week to week.

OK, that's my semi-ramble for today... well, at least for now...  

Thanks, Jane and Dan in TO for the nosy info.

Thanks, Jane and Dan in TO for the nosy info.

Hey.. and this ties in with some posts from a couple of weeks ago...

So, does this mean the next time you happen to come across a "nosy Parker", you'll tell him to "Go Cheney" himself?

And as for WFO's query regarding the final credits for TV shows and movies shown on TV... How I wish they wouldn't squish the screen up like that at the end of the show!?!?!?  For me, I always like finding out who the guest stars were.  Or even seeing a friend's name up there from time to time!  I will say, it's nice that HBO doesn't do that - I've had a couple of friends do guest shots on "Sex and the City" and "OZ", and it's always nice seeing their name listed - even if it's just for a split second - at least it's more or less full-size.  Always nice to see someone's name "in lights" as it were.

"I Am My Own Fre-"

And where did Panni hear such an expression as "nosy Parker"?