Entertainment Look

Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien Power Shift

There was a time when Jay Leno called the shots.  But, NBC shifts just might hinge on how Conan O’Brien feels about them.  Jay Leno’s ratings have dropped and they have had an effect on Conan O’Brien’s show.  With many options on his plate, it looks like NBC will have to wait until Conan O’Brien makes up his mind about what he is going to do.

What has been going on is quite a stir.  But, has anything really changed at all?  Jay Leno recently adopted a whole new style and I’m not quite sure why.  But the more I watch George Lopez, the more I get the idea.  That’s the way Hollywood works.

When one success breeds another success, copycats show up all across the networks.  Reality shows speak tremendously to this truth.  One reality show bred another.  Now, there is a reality show on every channel.  You can watch one at just about any time of the day.

So, George Lopez changes the approach to late night television and throws the desk out the window.  He brings the stage closer to the people in a more “get up close and personal” type of touch.  When I saw Jay Leno’s new show, I realized a lot of those same changes.  Of course, Jay Leno also has some of the same gimmicks that have entertained us for years.  So, it’s not an exact rip off and to be honest with you, I’m really not sure which came first…the chicken or the egg.

But the fact of the matter is that while this approach has worked for day time with Oprah and Ellen, George Lopez has been the only one to pull it off for late night.  Jay Leno’s time shift and stage changes have only resulted in a drop in ratings, which is really what television executives think it’s all about.  And if they run the show, Jay Leno needs to find a way to bring his ratings back up to speed.

But for now, that fate seems to actually be in Conan O’Brien’s hands.  That is until he makes his decision.  He has options.  In fact, he could have more lucrative options with other networks.  So, it could really turn into a stirred up mess by the times it’s all settled.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

World’s Dumbest Criminal

I love watching the Smoking Gun Presents: World’s Dumbest Criminal episodes that come on from time to time.  I’ve watched a guy hold up a convenience store with a rifle and then put it down on the counter so that the counter person could take it away and chase him out of the store.  That was one of the best.

I watched a guy walk into a bank with leaves to cover his face.  He ripped it off, clean and easy.  But, they put a die charger in the bag of money and it exploded just as he got out of the bank.  The cops found a guy who matched the slightly camouflaged description.  But, the dead give away was the ink that was still on the man when the cops caught up to him.

I watched a guy on the dashboard police camera hand his wallet over to the police officer.  That’s all fine and dandy.  But, it had his heroine in it.  That’s about the time you hear the guy turn from a tough guy into a crying little girl.

I’ve watched plenty of drunk people cracking their heads on hard pavement, plaster walls, glass windows and steal bars.  I’ve watched them jump off of bridges, cross busy highways and drive cars with flat tires to get away from cops.  I watched three people conspire to insurance fraud…and tape it.  These shows have all kinds and they can bust a gut at times.

What I find most interesting though is who is willing to comment on these shows.  Everyone’s been in trouble.  Most of them, I find funny and have no reason to speak bad of now.  But, I absolutely love the commentators who speak without remembering their own past.

Tonya Harding is a regular on the show and she makes some real stupid statements from time to time.  She was talking about one stupid criminal who forgot to check with his probation officer and video taped himself doing drugs as well as some other things.  Part of Tonya’s sentence was probation and there are just some topics you should stay away from when you are judging others.  She mentioned the probation and I say, “Tonya, stay away from that one.  You’re no better than he is.”

Danny Bonaduce is another one I think lets some interesting things just fly out of his mouth.  But, his are in an entirely different way.  Danny don’t pull any punches when it comes to admitting that he hasn’t led that most perfect life on earth.  But, he plays the bad card way too many times.  We’re watching a police officer give a man a ticket who is just ranting and raving. The officer is maintaining his demeanor.  It is quite impressive.  Bonaduce says that if he was an officer, all of his police reports would end with, “…and that’s when I shot him.”

Lighten up!  It’s just a guy going off about a ticket that he probably can’t afford.  Sure, he shouldn’t have been speeding if he can’t afford it.  You can raise those arguments all day long.  But, many of us have been there.  Most of us can relate.

And the thought of Danny Bonaduce being a cop is a joke itself!

What Kind of Saying is I’m Just Saying

“I’m Just Saying” is such a widely used term that it now is the name of an online show with its own website.  But, what does it actually mean?

Let’s say you’re a journalist and you just uncovered the story of the century.  You have found some loophole in the system or some glaring hypocrisy among the lawmakers.  So, you gather your facts and you tell your story.  It blows our minds because you are so on target with information that your audience did not know…at all.

Then, you say, “I’m Just Saying.”

Why?  Why are you backing down now?

You’ve just got our attention and you’ve driven your point home.  Then, you ruin your momentum with, “I’m just saying.”  It’s a spineless way of saying, “I just reported on something that has the potential to make some huge waves.  But, I don’t want to be a part of the drama when the $#!? hits the fan.”

Saints Pull It Out

Today was a day that almost gave me a heart attack.  We’ve literally kicked the pants off of most teams we’ve played this year in an attempt to go undefeated.  But, Washington comes along and actually gives the Saints a good run for their money.

What happened?  I don’t know.  I didn’t get to watch the game.  I live in Tampa, Florida and I had to watch either Tampa or Miami.  So, I called my friend in Maryland who loves Washington and I asked him to keep me updated.

Well, he had fun calling me and telling me about the Washington touchdowns and field goals.  But, the one thing he said that really cracked me up, “Don’t worry Mike.  Washington always finds a way to lose.”

Well, it was close.  Down to the last minute behind 23-30, until finally I saw the highlight on the Tampa game my friends and I were watching.  30-30.  Overtime.  Saints win the toss.  Saints get the ball and they capitalize.  33-30.  12-0.

Marching toward an undefeated season is not at all unreasonable to think at this point.  We see Atlanta next week.  Then, we see Dallas, Tampa and finish off the season with Carolina.  Either one of these games could jump up to bite us on the bum.  But, it is feasible that we could win them all too.

Trivia:  The other team that is undefeated at this point is Indianapolis, whose star quarterback is Peyton Manning.  No, that’s not the trivia part.  But, this is.  Peyton’s father, Archie was quarterback for the Saints.

Oh, Let’s Comment on Society Once Again

This following video is wrong in so many ways.  I laughed hysterically when I watched it because several thoughts went through my head:

“He got himself into this mess and he can get himself out.”

“How much is too much?”

“Is anyone going to offer any assistance at all?”

I know my first thought sort of contradicts my last thought.  But, that’s what this video makes you do.

This is one of those moments you won’t remember.  Your friends will be telling you about it and you’ll deny, deny, deny.  You will have no recollection of it all and you just won’t believe what your friends are trying to tell you.

Oh, wait!  You don’t have to take their word for it.  It’s all over the internet.  Millions of people will see it.

That’s what I want to comment on about our society.  This Internet world we live in now used to be so slow and impossible.  We didn’t know how to use it at the time.  If you wanted to get your message out, it could take days, weeks and even months to finally find one person to hear it.

But now, it’s the very thing that makes it possible for a girl in South Carolina to take off her clothes and a guy in California can watch her.  Plus, we have so many toys to play with too.

Digital cameras on cell phones make it possible for a businessman in New York to think he’s picking his nose in private, but a bunch of college kids in Florida know all about it.

And millions of hits within a few days are possible if a crying little girl is spilling her heart out over how badly everyone is treating Britney Spears.  That was a guy?  Oh, my bad.

This guy will never get a chance to deny that he was drunk off his @$$ in public.  Just remember, take a hint from all of the viral videos spinning around the internet.  Always act like there’s a camera on you.  Because, most likely there is one.

Online Black Friday Shopping

What happens to a person when they just have to have a Tickle Me Elmo so bad that they are willing to attack the person who has the last one? He suffered a concussion and a broken rib.

What happens to a group of people when they see the doors open to the store where they have been standing for hours that they have to trample over people to get inside? One man died. One lady lost her baby. And ten others were injured.

Why does a simple thing like Black Friday bring out the worst in so many of us?

Saving money. Being a hero for your children. Getting the things you want. Being the first to have them.

Throughout our lives, we encounter situations that test our humanity. Both individually and a community as a whole.

I hate when we fail. I really do. I think that we are all so much better than those snapshots taken of us at moments when we are at our worst. I love when we show how good we can actually be.

When there are natural disasters, volunteers come out of the woodwork.

When we have a need, there are those among us who rise to the challenge.

So, let’s remind ourselves that we are made of better stuff than the beasts in the wild who actually follow some major rules of nature. They never take more than they can use. They only fight when they feel threatened. And they would never trample a pregnant lady to get the last PS3:

Really! What would they do with it anyway?

Here are a few ideas that actually might help you this year:

Shop Walmart Online – The safest way to Black Friday.

Don’t miss the Thanksgiving Sale at FashionBug.com! – Get 60% Savings and Selected Doorbuster Deals! Valid from 11-26 through 11-27-09.

FREE SHIPPING at FashionBug.com – with any purchase of $50. Valid from 11-26 to 11-29-09.

Fujitsu Black Friday Deal- M2010 only $279 Coupon Code: MINI2SALE

On Cyber Monday save 10% on all items at Wolfgang’s Vault. Use promo code: JOY09 on Monday November 30th.

Get 15% off all orders at OneHanesPlace.com! Enter promo code 611694 at checkout. This offer is valid November 25th through November 29th.

Black Friday Bargains at Sierra Trading Post!

Amazon Now Publishes: Ideal for the Up and Coming Authors

If you have polished off your novel and are looking for a publisher, you know that you could be in for a ride.  Even if you have the next best seller, get used to rejection letters.  They kind of come with the territory.

But, you have a good novel and you want people to read it.  Why don’t you take a look at what Amazon has to offer?

That’s right!  You can get published at Amazon, the world’s leading book seller.  Can you imagine what that can do for you and…your hobby, your career, your life’s passion…your wallet?

Amazon CreateSpace is the place!

No set-up fees, membership fees or any startup costs at all!  Simply upload your title and make sure you have a quality description.  Have your cover art ready and you’re just about there.

It’s set up with a royalty system.  When someone buys your book, you get the royalties that you set for yourself during the setup process.  Might be a good idea to get some idea of what books of your genre are selling for these days.

Here’s the best part…You get an ISBN.  You don’t pay for it.  Amazon CreateSpace assigns your book an official ISBN that gets you listed on authority sites across the internet including, but not limited to, Bowker’s Books in Print.  Everyone knows the only official published books are ones with an ISBN, and you don’t pay for it.  Amazon assigns you one when you decide to publish your book with them.

Plus, I shouldn’t have to tell you how perfect it is that your book is being published and listed on Amazon…The World’s Leading Book Seller!!!

There are plenty of benefits and it’s as easy as 1-2-3…

1. Create your Free Amazon CreateSpace Account.

2. Upload Content.

3. Start Selling

Amazon CreateSpace

The Lonely Daughter: A Halloween Story

I wanted to share a nice little Halloween story with you. My daughter plays a roll. I begged and begged. Finally she gave in to be the star of her own Halloween story.

I narrate. And let’s just say that it is a…uh…electrifying story! Bwah ha ha ha ha ha…Have a Happy Halloween!

And be safe…Don’t let Danger strike! He lurks everywhere…

Listen to it here:
The Lonely Daughter: How Her Day Turned Out

If you want to read some of it before you check it out, here it is:

It had started out as a beautiful day. Gene and his four year old daughter had walked the beach earlier that day in the cool breeze of the morning sun. Then, they enjoyed breakfast at the Capeview Café before going shopping for her Halloween outfit and candy to hand out to all the kids who would be trick or treating to their house in only a few short days.

It was sad that Gene had lost his wife a few years earlier and was raising his daughter by himself. But, he managed to do a great job. They woke up most mornings and made themselves pancakes. She would stir the batter and he would do the flipping. He homeschooled her since he made his living making furniture and chose to work his own hours while she was fast asleep, so he was all she knew.

He had plans of letting her get to know some other kids in a few years, but for now he was content with keeping her all to himself. After they returned home from their Halloween shopping, she went to her room to play with her new Halloween costume and he went into the kitchen to make lunch for the both of them. She came down the steps with her costume on when it was time to eat lunch and Gene caught a glimpse of how much his daughter had turned out to look just like her late mother. What an angel she made. It was as if her mother was still alive…

Where The Wild Things Are – The Movie?

This is an awesome time to be living for me.  When I was a kid, Where the Wild Things Are was my favorite book.  I even had posters on my walls.

But I thought I was losing it one day, years later after I had completely grown.  I could remember the “Wild Things.”  I could remember them vividly in my mind, but I couldn’t find any proof that they ever existed.

My mom had gotten rid of the books a long time ago.  My posters were gone too.  I couldn’t remember what the Wild Things were called ironically.  So, I thought it was just a part of my imagination.  Something I had lost along the way from childhood to manhood.

Then one day, just a few short weeks ago, I see something that throws me back.  It’s the movie.  Where the Wild Things Are the movie will be playing in the theaters.  It seems to me like an entire generation missed out on the great stories that I once loved as a child.

But then, it is resurrected.  Just in time for my daughter to be able to enjoy them as much as I did.  But, she’ll get to see it in the movie theater and then I’ll bring it home when it comes out on DVD.  When I was growing up, we had to use our imagination.  But, I tell you what!  I think I’m going to enjoy it much better this time around. 

The Operator’s Voice “If You’d Like To Make A Call…”

Have you ever had anything bug you because you just didn’t know what the answer was?  I do it all the time.  I’ll come up with an interesting question and it will bother me until I know the answer.

But, I normally can find my answers pretty quick.  IMDB.com can answer questions like who was in what movie and what else they might have been in as well.  Those kinds of questions really bug me.

Wikipedia is a rich source of information and then of course, you always have Google.  Google just about anything and you’ll get your answer.  You just have to know what is a credible site.  Not all information on the internet is accurate.  But, it is the quickest way to research.

But now, I have this burning question and I can’t find an answer anywhere.  Years ago, there was a lady’s voice on the landline phones who would tell you when you didn’t dial right.  “If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and try again…”

Her voice is still used for those calls, but now they have different voices broadcasting different messages.  Cell phones have hundreds of messages for whether a phone is out of the area or whether it has been disconnected.  They are computerized voices that might have been created at first with a human voice. But, knowing the answer to that question isn’t bugging me.

I want to know who was the lady who recorded her voice to give you, “If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and dial again?”

I know there had to have been a lady somewhere.  She may even still be alive.  But, she never got credit.  And her voice is one of the most famous in the world.