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Tuesday, January 27, 2004
I've been trying now to post this for a while and the picture won't work so I'll give you the website link and you can go to it.
http://www.rebel-alliance.net
Go all the way to the bottom and laugh your ass off
I was going to give some thought and insight on the Oscar nominations announced today but it occurs to me that "Rings" is going to probably sweep the awards and that is a shame becasue it isn't near as good as some of the other nominees. BUt Hollywood needs to give it the proverbial blow job because they've not done so in the past two years.
Now American Idol continued tonight and the people on that are ridiculous. They complain and bitch about getting passed over when it is probably the only shot they'll have at making their dreams come true. I should say the only free shot. It's like playing with house money. Most of the ones who bitch too are the ones who suck the most. There have been some classic moments- The kid who forgot the words to sweet home alabama, the kid that threw water at simon, and hong kong idol who sang a terrible version of elvis "can't hep farring in rove with you." But I can only hear Simon tell so many people they are the worst singer ever before it loses all meaning. And why does everybody give Randy props for losing all his weight. He didn't do anything to lose the weight. He payed a lot of money to get a band around his stomach so he would fill up faster- that's called lazy. Lose weight naturally- that's the only way to be safe. .
A final note. In Nashville they are making it school policy now to not put out lists that recognize kids who make the hoor roll in school because it would hurt the other kids feelings. WHO FUCKING CARES?....A lot of kids work hard to get on that list (I didn't always make it) so why should they not receive some kind of recognition. We're now punishing students for being smart and actually you know trying to do well in school. Where does it end? I say if a kid is caught reading a book they should be given detention. And if they dare read in the library they should be expelled indefinitely. Locally 4 kids were charged with nailing another kid to a wall at vo tech (they nailed his clohtes not a body part). How are they punished? They are given ten days out of school suspension. How is that a punishment?. Ten days off from school. Gee they'll really have time to think about what they've done when they are doing nothing sitting on their couch at home playing videogames. My solution- they should be forced to sit in the hardest classes in the school for ten days. but the days only count if they do the homework and get 75% of the questions right. They could be there a month but that's their problem.
They take money away from good programs in schools like the arts so they can build inlets to let waste of sperm kids stay in school. (At Boyertown they have like an alternative schooling program which takes money from the enrichment program amond others) Let the kids who want to be cast offs and losers be that. they'll weed each other out on the streets but don't punish good kids.
End of rant time
Saturday, January 24, 2004
It's been a week since I posted my list and there has been no outrage, no debate, no one telling me I'm an idiot- well no more than normal. Take 5 minutes to read the list in the post below this one and come up with something to debate with me about. I'll take suggestions I'm given and offer some explaination as to why it was left off the list. I know my buddy Mark is working on a list that'll need to be refuted. Don't let him be first beat him to the punch.
Also I must apologize to Ms. Bonnie Tyler. In my list she came in at number five and I said I didn't know if she ever had another hit. Turns out she did, and I can't believe I missed it. She also sang "Holding Out For A Hero" which was popularized by being in a scene during the movie Footloose. I encountered that while Joel and I were in FYE at the mall tonight.
Another music note from tonight- there were a group of girls (3- probably junior high aged) who were walking around and looking at cds. 2 of them were looking through cds and one was heard to say, "Hilary Duff- she's like my idol" and was serious. The other was humming a song and then said to the person working where she could get the cd witht hat song. the song was, "All Right Now" an old 70's rock song. It totally blew my mind she knew that song and then went up to the counter with a cd with that on it. I believe the cd was the pure 70's cd I have which is loaded with great songs. It's nice to see that even with the rash of terrible singers infesting music these days that young ones can still find the real classics. Of course then I heard two different girls and a guy arguing over the best Linkin Park song and slowly a piece of all that is good about music died, but what can you do?
An all musical update- it's becoming a theme blog...GOODIE!!...Night
Friday, January 16, 2004
Tonight's the night. The list I promised a week ago and now I deliver. I've narrowed the list down and analyzed it every which way I possibly could. I've avoided country songs, any obscure songs, and anything by my real favorite artists (So no REM, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen- it was too hard to pinpoint just one great song by any of them). First let's get some honorable mentions out of the way:
Beastie Boys- Girls: My roommate and I used this as our answering machine message once. Good times
Blue Oyster Cult- Don't Fear the Reaper- Weird song but awesome to listen to.
Ozzy Osbourne- Crazy Train- With Randy Rhodes at guitar the sky was the limit sadly Rhodes died and Ozzy's music never recovered fully.
Bryan Adams- Summer of '69- Just a great sing along song about the joy and pain of growing up
John Denver- Rocky Mountain High- A love song from one man to the nature and outdoors he loved so much. An artists truly missed.
With those out of the way here it is:
The Brian Hansley Top Ten List of the Best Mainstream Songs of All-Time
10. Culture Club- Karma Chameleon
Many hear the pop music of today and completely dismiss it as crappy, and too reliant on studio producers. However, in the 80's pop music was accepted becasue while many still found it crappy there were some songs that slipped through by artists that didn't rely on studio tricks. Culture Club was one of those bands as Boy George really was an underrated writer of material and had some great songs written by him. None are better though than this slice of heavenly pop which relates teh ability of someone to fall in and out of love at the drop of a hat. Brilliant
9. Isley Brothers- Shout
The song may be from the 60's but it is stillextremely popular today. Not all music has to have meaning or some deep message buried in the context of the lyrics. Some can just be about turning up the stereo and screaming at the top of your lungs having a good time. It holds to the popularity of this song that you hear it everywhere from sporting events to just about any party or function. It still finds its way into some school dances because it is a great sing-along song. Motown turned out many great songs about heartbreak and love but very few great party songs like this one.
8. The Cranberries- Zombie
To this day I still don't know if I could fully explain to you what this song is about. I have an idea but don't want to embarass myself by seemingly pulling stuff out of left field. The song came out during th alternative movement of the 90's and while many of the guy bands sounded similar to each other here stood a band with a female lead singer that sang the same way as the guys. It made it sound so much different than everything on the radio and made it that much cooler. The mix of the pounding guitar riffs over her almost angelic sounding oice is great and then at the end of the chorus her voice turns into the low growl while singing the title of the song over and over again. Vocal Olympics will always sound cool when it can be pulled off. The Cranberries pull it off.
7. AC/DC Back in Black
Many experts list point to Jimmy Page and the boys as being the best heavy metal band of all time. I never understood including them in that list but I never say I think they are. To me the kings will always be AC/DC. When anyone tries to give me grief over it I point to this song as my example. Never has sing along rock sounded so good. The song- about the death of their original lead singer- has Angus Young playing an almost recognizable guitar riff so familiar sounding you think you've already heard it before the song even starts. The way he plays it though is what's killer. The guitar drives into the beginning of the phrases by the lead singer, and then flies around while the chorus is sung. Plus the voice almost matches the sound of the guitar in the way it reflects throughout the song. Hard driving riffs, distinct voice, and sing along potential makes a classic rock anthem.
6. Barry Manilow- Copacabana
Critics like to compare Clay Aiken to Manilow saying that they have the same phrasing, and vocal inflections when they sing. It takes more than imitiating artists to ever get credit though and until Mr. Aiken releases a song as good as this one he'll get very little from me. Again pop music doesn't have to be bad. The song sounds so uptempo and upbeat that it tricks the listener into thinking this is a happy song. It isn't. It recounts the story of a woman whose husband was shot in the bar where they both worked and how she eventually basically quit on life. Not only that it has the intro piano part, the big band sound arrangement and the horns that blare throughout. Just a great song by a great artist.
5. Bonnie Tyler- Total Eclipse of the Heart
The song with the chorus that goes on forever and ever. Never has a heartbreak sounded so- well heartbreaking. THe woman is trying desperately to get her man to pay attention and love her as much as she loves him and all he tells her is to, "Turn around..." Plus Tyler's voice just carries the song and sounds like she is drawing on some real life experience to give the song some authenticity. I don't knwo if Ms. Tyler ever had another hit but when a song is this good- who cares?
4. Def Leppard- Pour Some Sugar on Me
People can diss hair metal all they want and most times it is justified. Sure they were more interested in big hair, and every band had to release a song that was the "power ballad". I always argue though that hair metal wasn't all bad. This song is another fun song to sing along with and its almost impossible to be in a bar for an extended period of time without hearing the song come blaring over the jukebox. The thing that always strikes me is the over-emphasis on every word of the title when it is sung, "POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME" It's almost like people are saying one word phrases instead of the 5 words that constitute the title. Definitely the highlight of hair metal and proves that while hair metal may be bad it was still better than disco or any other crap like that.
3. Marc Cohn- Walking in Memphis
I know for sure the guy was a one-hit wonder but again when the first song is this good who cares? Sadly there are probably 2 or 3 songs better than this one on the album but luckily this was the one he released. The song chronicles the birth of blues music in Memphis Tennessee and serves as a lyrical tour through the development of the genre. All the people, places, and things that contributed are covered here in this song from W.C. Handey to Elvis Presely. The song is haunting as it is talking about being in the presence of the ghosts while playing on the famous strip there. Solid lyrics, and a simple tale make a great song.
2. Sly & The Family Stone- Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf
Definitely the goofiest title in the whole list, and that is how its written on the title of the cd (Check for yourself). The song is about a man who just wants to be himself and thansk the world and people for letting him alone and letting him be that way. George Clinton gets much of the credit for the way funk sounds (rightfully so) but Sly is overlooked too often. This song has all the elements of good funk music but tweaks them enough that it sounds different than anything out there. It has a great beat to dance to and has a great bassline to it which is instantly catchy and is impossible to get out of your head once you hear it. Add the lyrics that are sung very staccato and almost in a stutter and you got the ingredients for a great song.
1. Elton John- Tiny Dancer
Elton and his writer Bernie Taupin wrote so many great songs together that it is so hard to look at one and say- That is the one. However, the one song that clicked was this one. The song should be used in musical schools across America to teach kids how music should be written. The song starts with Elton tickling the ivories in a gentle soothing manner. Then begins the story of a groupie who fell in love and eventually moved away from the music and grew up. The verse is soft and then the bridge starts to build, then the chorus hits and it builds again upon that and Elton's voice clicks over to that falsetto singing, "Hold me closer Tiny Dancer..." The entire song as well builds towards the end where Elton's voice now dominates the piano arrangement and you need to listen carefully to even hear the notes coming from it. A perfect voice, singing the perfectly written song equals a song that is about as close to perfect as you'll ever get from an artist.
And there you have it- Find these songs on a cd or see if they get played on the radio and you won't be disappointed. (I don't advocate downloading them =) Also feel free to drop me an im at Hansleyisgod or e-mail me at the link on right and let me know what you would have on your top ten lists and what I'm out of my mind for putting on here. With permission I'll post some top ten lists that I get. Thanks for reading- good night.
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
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Sports Night
Episode 3- The Hungry and the Hunted
(I've lost my notes to this episode and so everything is lined up perfectly I must now put this up so everything isn't all out of whack- DAMN)
Jeremy gets the call from the netowrk to produce his own first piece. They want to see if he is ready to be a segment producer. He gets sent out on the CSN Outdoors show where he is to produce a hunting segment. He seems upset at the news but sets off with a goodie bag Natalie has put together for him.
Meanwhile the crew is supposed to go to a dinenr sponsored by Luther Sachs the owner of the network and Natalie is trying to set it up so Casey and Dana ride in the cars together and fall in love. That happens but Dana is there with another man and Casey finally admits he has feelings for Dana and is jaelous of the man- Gordon.
Jeremy passes out on his shoot and admits that he is against hunting so when he accidentally baited a deer into getting shot he passed out and was rushed to a hospital. Issac yells at him for not coming clean about his feelings and says people that have opinions succeed at Sports Night.
Quote of the Show
[Jeremy enters with some tapes in his hand. Isaac stops him.]
Isaac: Jeremy-
Jeremy: Yes, sir?
Isaac: Florida State, fourth and two on the Purdue thirty-nine and down by nine. What's Bowden gonna do, kick or play?
Jeremy: I really don't know.
Isaac: I'm asking what you think.
Jeremy: Well, it'd just be a guess.
Isaac: I want you to guess.
Jeremy: I don't like to guess.
Isaac: Guess anyway.
Casey: Come on, come on.
Jeremy: Why?
Isaac: Because this is fun. A job should be fun.
Jeremy: I'm having fun.
Isaac: You should have more.
Jeremy: I'm having a lot of fun.
Isaac: Jeremy-
Jeremy: I'm having tons of fun.
Isaac: Guess.
Jeremy: Alright, fine. He's gonna split three wide receivers and put a tight end in the backfield with the tailback in motion. A play-action fake'll freeze the strong safety and Kittis'll find his primary receiver over the middle. It's a play called Red Rocket Right, Slant-42, Z-Out. He'll get the first down and probably a lot more.
Isaac: What're you, insane?
Casey: Hey, wait, wait, wait - they're not kicking.
Announcer #1: [VO] ...lines up under center with three wide receivers split and the tight end in the backfield. Tailback in motion, the play action fake, and Kittis has Renfo over the middle for the first down and more! First and ten Florida State on the sixteen! Incredible!
Announcer #2: [VO] That's a play Coach Bowden's got called Red Rocket Right, Slant-42, Z-Out.
Isaac: You take a lot of the fun out of this, Jeremy.
Analysis
They don't do well to follow up the previous episode but after setting the bar so high how could they. The episode is against my personal beliefs in hunting but that has no bearing on my reaction to the episode. We get neurotic Jeremy which is not always good becasue they would make him less like that as the series moves on so it doesn't feel like they progressed his character from this point. Other than that its not a bad episode as we get introduced to the third wheel in the Casey-Dana saga by name. He would pop up later. It is a good but not great episode so it must be judged accordingly........................................B
Sports Night
Episode 4- Intellectual Property
Casey is flinching on air because of a fly in the studio that only he can see. Isaac brings the news that the show is still ranked third in the ratings, but is gaining in key demographic areas. Dan has an extra fifteen seconds during his next spot, and Jeremy can't find anything useful to fill it, so Dana tells Dan to speak slower.
Casey is complaining that he broke his ankle. Dana calls and Dan answers and Casey tells Dan to tell Dana that Casey isn't there. Dan tells Dana that Casey is there, and that his ankle hurts because he kicked a fire-hydrant on the way back to the office from lunch. He kicked the fire-hydrant because he heard that Dana was going skiing with Gordon for the weekend. Casey is mortified that Dan told Dana.
Dana feels like she doesn't have any good ideas anymore. Natalie tells her she's handling the Casey situation very well. Dana insists that there isn't a Casey situation, but Natalie is sure that the whole weekend-in-Vermont-with-Gordon thing is simply a ploy by Dana to make Casey jealous.
Dan is called into the Business Affairs office. He is concerned about his receipts from out-of-town travel, but it turns out that the network is being charged a huge amount of money because Dan sang "Happy Birthday" to Casey on the air, and there are people that actually hold the copyright to that song. He decides he is only going to sing songs in the public domain.
Casey brings Jeremy into his office to watch a tape of last night's broadcast and show him the fly. He can't find the fly on the tape, and is frustrated because he is starting to believe that the fly might actually be in his own head. Jeremy suggests that the fly might be psychological, and Casey insists that it has nothing to do with his non-existent feelings for Dana.
Dan asks Isaac which song in the public domain he would like sung to him on his birthday. Isaac thinks Dan is on drugs.
In the group meeting, everyone makes fun of Casey for his "jumbo fly" which he continues to insist is real.
Natalie asks Jeremy when was the last time he had a good idea. He doesn't quite understand what she's getting at. She says she thinks it's a good idea for Casey and Dana to get together. Jeremy doesn't think it's such a good idea.
During the end of that night's show, Dan asks Dana what she wants sung to her for her birthday. The show ends, and Dana is psyched to go up to Vermont with Gordon. At the last minute, Casey works up the courage to tell her that she shouldn't go. She asks him not to do this. She tells him that everytime his life starts to spin out of control he decides to go after her. He claims that it's not true. She says his feelings for her are just as imaginary as the fly, and that she doesn't have any feelings for him, so they should just stop all the nonsense now. He tries to fight her on it, but Gordon shows up to pick her up for the weekend. She kisses Gordon, Casey gracefully bows out, and as Dana is leaving the studio she is dive-bombed by an enormous fly.
Quote of the Show
"Someone holds the copyright to 'Happy Birthday?'" -Isaac
The representatives of Patty and Mildred Hill." -Dan
"It took two people to write that song?" -Isaac
Analysis
Not a great epsiode but not really bad. It has many funny moments and seemed to be playing this episode mostly for comedy rather than the drama mixed in throughout. It doesn' really work becasue the whole thing with the fly is just bizarre but understandable. Also we find out why Dana pulls away from Casey and she probably has every right to. The episode just really seems to fall flat and fall apart as it does not come off as strong as it was meant to be when written...............................C
Sports Night
Episode 5- Mary Pat Shelby
When notorious star football player Christian Patrick agrees to a five minute interview on "Sports Night," Isaac and Dana are more than thrilled. They begin to promote the interview widely. Dana goes to tell Dan -- who is debating with crew members on whether or not to grow a goatee -- and he congratulates her when he finds out the interview will not be remote from the locker room, but actually in the studio. Dana then goes to find Natalie and brags about how this interview is going to bring the show up in the ratings, and assures Natalie that this is not something she would joke about. Natalie says Dana isn't usually inclined to joke about much of anything. Dana briefly worries that she doesn't have a sense of humor before telling Natalie to do a "pre-interview" with the star in the locker room a few hours before the show the following night.
The next day, as Dan tells Casey about famous men who have worn goatees, Dana comes in with the guidelines from Chris Patrick's lawyer and agent about that evening's interview. She tells Dan and Casey that they have a total of 5 min, 30 sec, and that Mary Pat Shelby, the former girlfriend of Chris Patrick's who he physically abused, is off limits. They can't ask any questions about her or their relationship. Casey protests, saying Dana got beat and they can't promote the heck out of the interview and then make it nothing but football stats; then they would be telling Mary Pat Shelby that "unless she can catch 80 passes in a season no one could honestly give a damn about her concussion and broken jaw." Dana argues that she doesn't need an ethics lesson from Casey, that she's aware of the moral questions involved, but also aware that "this is a 3rd place show that doesn't deserve to be." Casey tells her she's doing a big thing badly. Dan says he doesn't want to get involved in the debate, he feels it's too much of an effort to be morally accountable sometimes.
When Natalie returns from the pre-interview her wrist is bruised, and when Jeremy asks her about it, she says it got caught in the door of the van. He tells her he got an Indian burn like that once when his sister Louise tied him to a tree.
In a pre-production meeting, Dana attempts to open with a joke but gets shot down. Dan continues to name famous men with goatees, the crew tells him that a goatee would present a lighting problem, and Casey jokes that they already have a hard enough time lighting Dan's nose! Suddenly Isaac interrupts the meeting, saying that there's a story coming down that Chris Patrick was seen exposing himself to a woman in the locker room, and the witness said he also grabbed the woman's arm and there may have been some kind of struggle. Jeremy gets upset all of a sudden and storms out of the room, and Casey realizes the woman was Natalie. Jeremy, Casey, Dan, Isaac and Dana find Natalie in an edit bay, and Jeremy gives her some ice for her arm. Dana questions her, asking if Chris hurt her any where else. Natalie insists she's fine, he didn't hurt her. Isaac tells her they'll have a car take her home when Chris gets there so it won't be uncomfortable for her. Natalie asks if she's being fired, and when Isaac says no, she says she's still senior associate producer and she'd rather stay and do her job. When they leave the edit bay, Dana tells Casey and Dan that everything's changed, and she wants to pursue the interview in a different way, because Natalie deserves to have her story told. Dan argues that Natalie didn't seem to want HER story told, but they should still pursue the overall issue. Seems Dan's "break from moral accountability" is over.
In a meeting with Chris Patrick's lawyer and agent, Dana says she will get Natalie to deny reports that she was sexually assaulted in the locker room, if they will make Mary Pat Shelby fair game for the interview. Jeremy tells Natalie about the agreement and asks if she's okay with it, if that's what she really wants. She says that's what's best for the show, and that she doesn't want to press charges because she worked hard to get where she is, and doesn't want to become famous for being the object of Chris' abuse, and become a cocktail party joke. Jeremy asks if there isn't anything he can do for her, and she says no, to leave her alone so she can do her job. A few minutes later Jeremy sees Chris Patrick in the green room, and tells him if he touches Natalie again, he'll pay someone to have him killed. Chris insinuates that Natalie was impressed by his "presentation" to her in the locker room. Dan goes to see Natalie and asks about her wrist, and Natalie says she wishes people would stop asking that. Natalie asks if Dan came in to tell her she shouldn't keep quiet, and to be strong. Dan says it hasn't been his experience that she needs to be told that. Natalie says she doesn't want the hate mail and dirty comments that would come along with that. Dan says he just wants her to know that no matter what she decides, she's got friends who will support her.
Casey finds Dana alone in her office and tells her the network already has a ratings landslide predicted for the evening. Dana, on the verge of tears, abruptly confesses that she sent Natalie on purpose because she knew how Chris felt about women and she thought it would provoke a better response. Casey says Natalie knew that and she wouldn't complain, she just wants what's best for the show. And that she knows Dana tends to do the right thing.
Five minutes before they go on the air, Dana runs out of her office shouting orders to make a new intro and come up with an extra five minutes of script for the show. After getting permission from Isaac, she announces to everyone that the interview is canceled, and kicks Chris and his agents out of the studio (the crew cheers!)!!
Natalie stops Chris in the hallway on his way out, and tells him tomorrow she's going to swear out a warrant for his arrest. Then she goes to find Dana, who apologizes, hugs her and asks what she can do. Natalie says, "Tell me a joke, Dana."
Quote of the Show
"No questions about Mary Pat Shelby." -Dana
"Really?" -Casey
"We're just gonna talk about football." -Dana
"What about something like this, 'Chris, what were you thinking when you punched your girlfriend in the face and threw her down that flight of stairs? I'm sorry, I meant, how in the heck did you catch that pass against the Raiders?'" -Casey
Analysis
A great epsiode playing off a real life incident in a men's locker room years earlier. This is the first episode that we see some cracks in Dana's tough outer facade. She wants to do what is best for the show and has tunnel vision as to how it affects everyone around her. Dan's whole taking the day off from moral accountability makes me laugh everytime I see it, but then when the chips are done there is Dan with his wisdom. Casey is always positioned as the camp counselor of the staff but Dan is there more than Casey when it comes to these types of issues. Also Issac is fitted with some imperfections for this episode and it works well.........................................A+
Sports Night
Episode 6- The Head Coach, Dinner and the Morning Mail
The scene opens during a Sports Night commercial break. Dan complains of the freezing temperature in the studio due to a malfunctioning heater. Natalie misplaces a segment and begins searching for it frantically, while Dana tells a tired-looking Jeremy not to panic, and asks whether he got ANY sleep last night. Dan rips Casey for riding too hard on a mistake his alma mater's college football coach Rostenkowski made, and for the annoying sound effects Casey used for the segment.
Next we see Natalie coming to Dan and Casey's office saying she got the air conditioning fixed, and they remind her that it was the *heater* that was broken. Casey continues to complain about Rostenkowski's errors.
Jeremy busts into Isaac's office and tells him and Dana that he figured out Natalie's email password so he could intercept the hate mail she was getting as a result of the charges she was pressing against Christian Patrick. He says he found a death threat. Dana and Isaac assure Jeremy that he shouldn't be obsessing over it, because the FBI and network security have it covered. They tell Jeremy he looks like he hasn't slept in a week; he insists he's fine, but he doesn't want Natalie seeing all that hate mail. Dana sends him to wait for her in the conference room so they can talk.
Casey reads fan mail supporting his stance on Rostenkowski to the crew, they applaud him. Dana runs in to him on the way to the conference room and asks Casey to try to cover any mistakes or problems Natalie would have to cover normally, because Natalie's been so distracted with the Chris Patrick thing and has been screwing up a lot lately.
In the conference room, Dana asks Jeremy if he likes Natalie, as in really likes her. She tells him Natalie has been throwing herself at him, which he says he hadn't noticed. She tells Jeremy the best thing he can do to help Natalie right now is nothing. Just to take her to a quiet dinner where she doesn't have to think about anything else. Then she tells him to go take a nap in her office. He says he'll try.
Later, Casey asks Dana if she got the sound guys to find a "crash-and-burn" sound for that night's Rostenkowski piece; she says they didn't have one, but when he demonstrates the sound to the crew, the guys say no problem, they've got it!
Jeremy, looking terrible, comes into Dan's office asking for help in choosing the right restaurant to take Natalie out to. He has written a software application that will help him weigh factors like menu, ambience, location, etc. and rambles on about how important it is that it's perfect. Dan tells him he's going nuts and to get some sleep. He should just take her to a place that HE likes, because she'll like that too.
Gordon comes to sit in on a broadcast before taking Dana out, and he and Casey discuss Rostenkowski. Gordon asks Casey what he would have done in Rostenkowski's place. Casey decides he doesn't really know what he would have done because he now has all the hindsight and outside info. He decides not to ride him any more on the air, and asks the crew to come up with a replacement segment.
During the broadcast they come to a segment called "You Should Know" and Dan ad-libs some total BS about singer Tony Orlando, because Natalie made a mistake and the real info he was supposed to say never made it to the teleprompter. Dana rushes onto the set and tells them Natalie wasn't on time with the new material because of the Rostenkowski change, not to give her a hard time about it, and thanks for covering.
Natalie overhears and says they SHOULD be mad at her, because she does want to get it right and when she doesn't she expects to be treated like a professional, like her job is important. Dana says they just want to help cuz she's been going through a rough time. Natalie storms out of the studio, and finds Jeremy asleep on the office floor, lying next to a "picnic" he's set up for her.
She asks if he did it because he feels sorry for her, he says no, it's because he likes her. She sits down on the floor and has Jeremy lay his head in her lap to get some rest. She asks Dana to stay and have a drink with her; Dana can't because she's going out with Gordon, but before she leaves she tells Natalie "You've been screwing up all week and it's gotta stop. Get your act together and do it fast." Natalie smiles and thanks her.
Quote of the Show
Nothing really stands out. Maybe I'll add something later.
Analysis
Another strong outing building on the previous episodes great outing. Natalie is scatterbrained by all the attetnion she is receving both good and bad from her lawsuit against the football player. Jeremy does like most guys would do trying to make the pain the girl is going through disappear as best he can. He takes Dan's advice when he overthinks what restaurant him and Natalie should go to. Casey's turning his anger towards his old college coach is funny as he is obviously acting out in spite of Dana and Gordon. A solid outing--------------------------------------A
Sports Night
Episode 7- Dear Louise
At the end of their nightly broadcast, Dan invites Casey to go out for a drink with him. He declines until Dan tells him Dana's coming, and they invite Jeremy, recalling that when Dana even has 1/2 a margarita "there's a better-than-even chance she'll get up on the table and start dancing to 'Boogie Shoes.'" When Jeremy declines, Natalie and Dana try to tell him work's over, he needs to loosen up now. He says he wants to stay and write a letter to his sister Louise. Casey says he never writes letters anymore, he does every thing by phone. Jeremy explains that his sister can't hear. Natalie offers to stay for company, but Jeremy says she should go out and have fun.
Jeremy starts his letter by saying that even though he's only been there 3 months he really loves working there, and tonight he got his first invitation to go out with the guys after the show. Then he proceeds to respond to Louise's last letter to him, in which she asked about the people he works with. Jeremy tells her he is always amazed that the pressures of hosting and producing a nightly show never seem to wear Dan and Casey down.
We then see Dan telling Casey he has "emergency writer's block," and totally freaking out! Casey tells him to relax, but Natalie tries to "shock it out of him" by repeatedly throwing water in his face. =)
Next comes a list of Isaac's previous achievements, including working as a printer for the Atlanta Journal, winning a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Gemini missions, a position as London Bureau Chief for CNN, then coming out of retirement to work as managing editor of Sports Night. We see Isaac complaining to Dana that his 16-year-old daughter is dating a Republican!
Jeremy says they have four run-down meetings a day: at noon, 6 pm, 8 pm, and 10 o'clock. He tells about a noon run-down a few weeks ago in which he made the mistake of dismissing the importance of adding a segment to that night's show on a topic that had special meaning to Isaac.
Next Jeremy describes executive producer Dana, who got her love of sports from her father and six brothers, and her education from a string of all-girls' schools her mother sent her to so she wouldn't grow up to be like her father and six brothers. He says the result is a combination of "brilliance inside the office, and something a little less than brilliance anywhere outside it."
Jeremy also tries to explain the odd relationship between Dana and Casey. We see Dana passing out instructions to crew members, then fretting to Casey about whether or not her hair looks good, and asking why he feels inferior to Gordon, her lawyer-boyfriend. Casey says he doesn't feel inferior to him, and brings up a big court case Gordon just lost. Jeremy finishes his letter with a bit about Natalie, saying things have calmed down since the locker-room incident, but "things have been kind of awkward between us" since the night he made her dinner. He says he wants to ask her out, but doesn't think that would lessen the awkwardness.
Jeremy is interrupted from his letter-writing at 1 o'clock AM, when he hears music coming from the studio. The gang comes into the newsroom, drinks in hand. Dana yells, "I can't hear it in here, crank it!" and starts dancing as "Boogie Shoes" comes over the loudspeaker, and Casey explains that Dana's wild behavior got them thrown out of the bar (everyone is inebriated to a certain degree)!
Natalie pulls Jeremy off to the side, saying she's about to do something and she doesn't want it to startle him. After he asks if she's going to throw water at him, she KISSES him then says, "No big deal, just something we did." They go back and dance with everyone else.
Quote of the Show
"I find that when I need a stamp there's never one around. This is back when I used to write letters. When I used to write letters, I could never find a stamp." -Casey
"Hey, can you guess what I'm thinking now?" -Dana
"That no one gives a damn about me and my history with stamps?" -Casey
"Bullseye." -Dana
Analysis
An interesting way to tell the story as we see everything through the eyes of Jeremy as he writes to his sister. It works for the most part but the story somehow still feels a little flat. We get some more of the slow build towards Natalie and Jeremy being a couple, and you can see that Casey is increasingly frustrated by being second fiddle to Gordon when it comes to wooing Dana (wooing?) Also Dan is starting to show some of the neurosis that will haunt him later in the show. A good outing but not a great one this time around for Sports Night------------------------B-
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
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It's been a while since I last posted and I'm sorry to keep you guys in suspense. No seriously its beena busy few days making posts an afterthought. Saturday my family was up from Virginia for holidays/my graduation/ my great-grandmothers birthday. They bought me a Rio Karma MP3 player and it is really sweet. Imagine how cool it'll be once I figure it all out.
The reason we had the dinner was to throw my grammy off from what was really going down on Sunday. My mom planned a surprise 90th birthday party for my grams, and I am happy to say she was extremely surprised. She was almost in tears. My mom put me on picture duty so I got to walk around the whole time and take photos of people there to help grams celebrate her day. It was nice and I hope that at 90 (well I'm alive) and that I am as healthy as she is. She will seriously be one of those people that probably live to be 100.
Also this past weekend was the best weekend of playoff football I've ever seen. But seriously the whole 4th and 26 for the Eagels won't mean a thing unless they are in the Super Bowl this year. BTW Mike Martz is a putz, the Rams were completely dominating that game and could have easily punched it in against the Panthers at the end of regulation but chose to kick the tying field goal.
Then Monday morning I woke up at like 5:45 and had the unmistakeable feeling of nausea in my stomach. So I got up and walked downstairs to the bathroom and sure enough talked to my buddy Ralph. That sucked big time. I went back to bed and woke up 20 minutes later with the same feeling. This time I stayed downstairs afterwards and tried to sleep. I slept til about 12 in like 20 minute shifts getting up to go through all the gross stuff that comes with being sick. By mid-afternoon I was completely drained and couldn't even pull myself off the couch despite my best attempts. Then my mom came home and told me I looked awful, terrible, horrible, and like a ghost. My mom really cushioned how I felt. So eventually I ate some toast and drank some ginger ale and still feeling queasy settled into bed. I woke up this morning with a throbbing headache and some queasiness but much better than I felt yesterday morning. Hopefully by tomorrow morning it'll all be gone.
For those wondering I have no job yet and am still sending out resumes to any job that remotely interests me.
Also I should have my top 10 favorite songs list of all time up Thursday night. and tomorrow night I will post the new sports night recaps I have ready. Enjoy your night or day depending on when you read this and I'll see you all later
Thursday, January 08, 2004
I don't have much to say so I'll just post some quickie things that is kind of like answers to some FAQ's:
1.) No I don't have a job yet, but it is not due to lack of trying. I've put in about 11 resumes as of now and to all my friends studying broadcasting- if you don't plan on going into something relating with the broadcasting field get out now and do something else, becasue there is like nothing out there. Maybe you'll get lucky though- I seem to take the brunt of bad luck for people
2.) The song lyric under the title of the blog, "I wish I was in Tijuana, eating barbecued iguana" is from a song by Wall of Voodoo called, "Mexican Radio." They were a one-hit wonder and it is sad becasue that song is awesome (DOWNLOAD IT NOW) and I continue to search for stuff by them.
3.) On the previous post where I listed the top 50 albums of the year...anything before the dash is what Blender said...after the dash is my thoughts.
4.) Yes, there are more Sports Night recaps coming I just changed the way I'm writing them up so they are not so long. Also it is easier to update a bunch at once as opposed to one at a time so episode 3-8 should be up tomorrow or Saturday at the latest.
5.) There are more new features coming. Next week I will put up my favorite ten songs of all time. I was working on the list last week in NC and the lsit is very diverse and will surprise some people with what makes the cut. I'll explain the thought process when I put up the listing probably around Thursday or Friday next week.
In other business I was messaged by my buddy Jim the other day and he had this to say:
"i saw her (liz phair) sing winter wonderland on conan....also saw her sing at MU my freshman year, in a pink halter top, NO BRA!!!! (BONG!!!) and she touched my right hand!"
You guessed it Jim- I'm jealous.
That's it for now goodnight everybody
Monday, January 05, 2004
It has been over a week since I last posted but with good reason. Last week as I mentioned before I was in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. We went down last Sunday with 8 other families and had a 4 story 10 bedroom house that was across the street from the beach down there. It was beautiful inside. There was a pool table and wet bar on the bottom floor and on the 4th floor there was a huge viewing room for the big screen television. That was sweet to be able to watch wrestling last Monday and then some college football bowl games throughout the week. Did I mention the room had surround sound in it?
While down there we visited the Wright Brothers Museum and the sand dunes at Jockey's Ridge. The view up there was incredible and looked beautiful seeing the ocean from the sand. I walked the beach just about every day and looked for seashells which is the onyl reason I like the beach. They have some great ones down there. On Monday night I took the challenge issued and jumped into the ocean. The water was about 42 degrees and initially it took my breath away. I think if I'd have had the time I would've swam in it but I didn't have time to let my body temperature adjust to water temp.
Then New Year's Eve I drove out to the Brew Thru (A drive in beer distributor) and we stocked up on some goods for the evening. I also purchased a t-shirt because that was to sweet to pass up. With the addition of the beer and hard liquor drinks we had a enough liguor on hand for three wet bars let alone one. Seriously bottles were lined up in two rows for about 11 feet each row. Not to mention the downstairs fridge was stocked full of beer.
On New Year's Eve first we had the parents play the Newylwed Game which in hindsight was a bad idea becasue I heard answers to questions I dind't want to know the answers to. After that we commenced drinking around 9:30. I also asumed control of the cd player and got off some Andrew WK, Spin Doctors, and Ramones until the girls stole the remote and changes everything over. Oh well at least for an hour we had some awesome music kicking. I drank a lot on New Year's Eve but never got drunk or even began to feel the effects. Another reason I pretty much stopped drinking- the amount it takes me anymore to get grunked is scary and wallet-busting. Seriously too I forgot the volume of drinks I had until I watched the video from the week. I had three jack and cokes, 6 jello shots, 3 shots of baja tango, and 4 red dogs before midnight....At midnight I went back to the jack and coke and then switched over to killians (where I Austined a few beers), and had a melon ball (watermelon liquor, vodka, and oj). I drank til about 2 and then we stopped and talked til like 4. That was fun until the smell of french toast woke me up at 8. It was great at midnight we went out on the 3rd floor deck and screamed until all the houses around us were out shooting off fireworks and talking to each other. It was sad when it was time to leave but I was definitely ready to return as some people were starting to grate on me in the house. Also if anyone asks me to play Scattegories or Catch phrase for the next month I'll flip. It was a sweet week and as I figured it was the first time I really enjoyed new year's since traveling to Times Square in 1999 (Y2K- Oh man the world's going to end- I still laugh bout that). Hopefully next year we travel to Viriginia or something like was talked about because it was great and the weather was in the high 60's low 70's all week........That was my week. Regular updates will continue on Wednesday until then see ya
