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My name is Kitten, and I love to watch the Democratic and Republican conventions from beginning to end.
I even love the footage that they show on C-SPAN, when the delegates are doing nothing but pace around the floor of the convention centers.
Since I was a kid, I've been known to block out my schedule and accept no phone calls whenever the conventions come on TV. I remember watching the 1984 Republican convention with my parents, and how excited everyone was to be there. The delegates were dancing, cheering, carrying all sorts of colorful signs, ribbons, and buttons, and just being happy to show support for their candidate. I just thought it was a fun place to be.
I've always loved the political process, although, since the debacle in the 2000 election, my love for it has weaned. That year showed us once and for all that the Electoral College system, which has been in place for at least two centuries, is completely arcane. How much sense does it really make that the American populace votes for a president, but doesn't really vote for a president? Al Gore was the choice of the American people, but George W. Bush was supposedly the choice of the Electoral College. I use the word "supposedly" because the election was eventually decided by the Supreme Court.
I took a course during my senior year of high school called "American Government and Political Science." We learned all about the process of electing a president, and spent some time on the reasons for the existence of the Electoral College. I have since forgotten these reasons, but now is as good of a time as any to refresh my memory.
Once I do that, I'll let you know what it's all about.
In the meantime, now that we have an Obama/Biden ticket (that sounds kinda snappy, don't ya think?), let's look forward to the DNC in Denver.
And let's see how long it takes for McCain to announce his running mate.
Showing posts with label Kitten Confessions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kitten Confessions. Show all posts
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Kitten Confessions, Part Seven
My name is Kitten, and I read the comics the way some watch soap operas.
I don't know why I get so caught up in comic strips and their storylines. Currently, in For Better or for Worse, the Pattersons' eldest daughter, Elizabeth, is finally marrying Anthony. It was stated, however, in a previous strip, that the wedding would not take place until August 23rd, which is two weeks from now. Right now they're profiling all of the activity leading up to the big moment. Which leads me to wonder: Is something catastrophic gonna happen that will postpone the big event? The suspense is killing me!
Then I wander over to Sally Forth. Since Memorial Day, Sally and Ted have been trying to have another baby. Their daughter, Hilary, is ten years old, going on eleven, and during the past two weeks, Sally and Ted have been telling Hilary about how they purchased their first house. Well, enough with the suspense! Is Sally preggers, or isn't she? Only her creator knows, and he ain't telling!
And then there's Funky Winkerbean, which is as close to reality as you can get in the comics. This week, Les and Summer are back in the neonatal ICU for a reunion of all of the babies who had been there sixteen years prior. Summer, as many Funky fans will recall, was a preemie. I really got tied up in this strip last year when Les's wife, Lisa, was dying of cancer, and I actually cried when I read the strips leading up to her death and funeral.
Why do I get tied up in these situations? I have to occasionally remind myself, "These are only comic strips!" Most of the people I know occupy themselves with the latest plotlines of various TV shows, but not me. I feel that I can't go a week with the suspense of not knowing what'll happen next. With the comics, there's a feeling of instant gratification; I only have to wait for the next day to find out what's going on.
Only lately, the comics have gotten a lot craftier, what with the examples I've mentioned above. Thankfully, I read all of my comics online; they're among the first sites I go to when I first log onto the Internet in the morning. That, in addition to checking my E-mail, I also read the obituaries first thing.
But that's another Kitten Confessional for another time.
I don't know why I get so caught up in comic strips and their storylines. Currently, in For Better or for Worse, the Pattersons' eldest daughter, Elizabeth, is finally marrying Anthony. It was stated, however, in a previous strip, that the wedding would not take place until August 23rd, which is two weeks from now. Right now they're profiling all of the activity leading up to the big moment. Which leads me to wonder: Is something catastrophic gonna happen that will postpone the big event? The suspense is killing me!
Then I wander over to Sally Forth. Since Memorial Day, Sally and Ted have been trying to have another baby. Their daughter, Hilary, is ten years old, going on eleven, and during the past two weeks, Sally and Ted have been telling Hilary about how they purchased their first house. Well, enough with the suspense! Is Sally preggers, or isn't she? Only her creator knows, and he ain't telling!
And then there's Funky Winkerbean, which is as close to reality as you can get in the comics. This week, Les and Summer are back in the neonatal ICU for a reunion of all of the babies who had been there sixteen years prior. Summer, as many Funky fans will recall, was a preemie. I really got tied up in this strip last year when Les's wife, Lisa, was dying of cancer, and I actually cried when I read the strips leading up to her death and funeral.
Why do I get tied up in these situations? I have to occasionally remind myself, "These are only comic strips!" Most of the people I know occupy themselves with the latest plotlines of various TV shows, but not me. I feel that I can't go a week with the suspense of not knowing what'll happen next. With the comics, there's a feeling of instant gratification; I only have to wait for the next day to find out what's going on.
Only lately, the comics have gotten a lot craftier, what with the examples I've mentioned above. Thankfully, I read all of my comics online; they're among the first sites I go to when I first log onto the Internet in the morning. That, in addition to checking my E-mail, I also read the obituaries first thing.
But that's another Kitten Confessional for another time.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Kitten Confessions, Part Five
My name is Kitten, and I adore infomercials.
Before I continue, I just need to add that I rarely purchase items from informercials. I purchased some fitness videos from the FIRM several years back, but that's about the extent of it. I just enjoy watching informercials for their sheer entertainment and production values. Some of them make me laugh, and it's not laughing with the participants--it's laughing at them.
Let's start by going over the history of the infomercial. We all have President Reagan to thank indirectly for this bastion of American advertising. How so? Well (to borrow a classic Reagan catch phrase), before 1984, the FCC had a rule stating that, in 60 minutes of a television time slot, there could be no more than twelve minutes of commercials. That's right, twelve. To make a long story short, in 1984, the television industry was deregulated, and stations could show as much commercial activity as they pleased. This is the main reasons why TV stations no longer have sign-offs, and broadcast infomercials whenever their audience is asleep. (That having been said, I know of one station in Springfield, Massachusetts that signs off every Monday morning at 12:30 and goes back on the air around 5:00).
So now the industry has been deregulated, and all of a sudden there's all of this unused, cheap airspace in the wee hours of the morning, when most people are assumed to be sleeping. One of the first people to take advantage of this opportunity was Ron Popeil, who became one of the pioneers of the infomercial industry. Ron Popeil was the head of Ronco, the company that invented and produced such gadgets as the Veg-O-Matic, the Showtime Rotisserie, and hair in a can, among others. (Interesting bit o' trivia: Popeil's father, Samuel Popeil, invented the Veg-O-Matic.)
The invention of another Ronco product, the Chop-o-Matic, is probably the reason for Ronco's entrance into the infomercial industry. Ronco salesmen had a difficult time carrying and finding vegetables for Chop-o-Matic demonstrations, so Ron Popeil came up with the solution: why not tape a demonstration, then sell it to various TV markets?
But wait, there's more! That's a bit of infomercial language that we can thank Mr. Ed Valenti for. Who is Ed Valenti? Why, he's the man responsible for bringing us Ginsu knives! I hope I have some readers who remember Ginsu knives! Not only that, but Ed Valenti is responsible for the whole direct response advertising industry. You can read more about that here, right on his very own website.
Ginsu's advertising success included the use of such language as, "If you order now, we'll send you a ___________ absolutely free!" and "But wait, there's more!" Ron Popeil employed this language into his own informercials, and...well, you've seen the result if you have either stayed up late at night, caught yourself watching CNBC on weekend afternoons, or have watched any of the old PAX TV stations up till they officially started their programming at 5:00 PM.
After the success of Ginsu and Ronco, many other businessmen jumped on the infomercial bandwagon, like Richard Simmons, who has successfully used the format to sell his Deal-a-Meal plans and Sweatin' to the Oldies videos. The fitness guru has filmed his productions in various locales such as malls, cruise ships, and clients' houses, complete with before and after photos and heartfelt customer testimony. I really enjoy his informercials because they seem really genuine. You can tell he really cares about his clients, and that they adore him, for the way that he's changed their lives. I must admit I've gotten a little teary-eyed at some of them.
And then there are the infomercials that are so unbearably fake, you wonder why they were even produced. I'm thinking here about the "fake talk show" infomercial format, complete with studio audience, satellite feeds with special guests, and the "take the 'Miracle in a Bottle' challenge" to remove wrinkles. There are two current infomercials that pop into mind here: Sheer Cover, with Leeza Gibbons, and Meaningful Beauty, with Cindy Crawford. First, I think to myself, "How do they find people for a studio audience for an infomercial?" Secondly, I think, "How do they make this so damn entertaining? It's a fake talk show; I shouldn't be watching this!"
By the end, I'm sorely tempted to make the $29.95 monthly investment to make my skin look better. I resist every time, since I really like my current skin care regime, but the temptation is there.
Then there are the informercials with the actors and actresses that are being so serious and passionate about the products they're plugging. I saw one this morning with Melissa Gilbert, who was pitching the Wen Hair Care System. It's a system that totally eschews shampooing, and the inventor claims that the detergents in many supermarket shampoos are as strong as those used to wash our clothes, and "why should you damage your hair with such harsh detergents?" His product is a cleansing conditioner that contains no lathering ingredients, no harsh detergents that "will strip away your hair of its natural oils." At the end of this infomercial, Melissa Gilbert appears again, on the verge of anger, pleading, "This morning, you damaged your hair! Every time you shampoo, you damage your hair!"
I used good ol' Pantene shampoo and conditioner this morning, and my hair feels--and looks--fine. Yet I kept wondering, "Would Wen make my hair even silkier than it is now?"
What the hell is it about infomercials that make me wanna buy their products? I never do, but still, they're so convincing! I don't know that much about marketing psychology to analyze the reasons for my behavior, but I have to give myself credit for having the discipline not to reach for my Visa card...
...until last night.
I got home around 11 PM, flipped on the TV, and started to channel surf. I happened upon the last five minutes of an infomercial on the Comcast network:
"Get The Carol Burnett Show: Collector's Edition for your own home, only $19.95 for the first volume! We'll send you a new volume every 4-6 weeks. And if you call within the next three minutes, we'll cut the price in half!"
Too...good...to...be...true...was it really?
There...at the end...Harvey and Tim were sitting in folding chairs, and the figure in the middle...Carol herself, thanking us for buying the Collector's Edition of her DVDs.
I got out my Visa and picked up the phone.
Before I continue, I just need to add that I rarely purchase items from informercials. I purchased some fitness videos from the FIRM several years back, but that's about the extent of it. I just enjoy watching informercials for their sheer entertainment and production values. Some of them make me laugh, and it's not laughing with the participants--it's laughing at them.
Let's start by going over the history of the infomercial. We all have President Reagan to thank indirectly for this bastion of American advertising. How so? Well (to borrow a classic Reagan catch phrase), before 1984, the FCC had a rule stating that, in 60 minutes of a television time slot, there could be no more than twelve minutes of commercials. That's right, twelve. To make a long story short, in 1984, the television industry was deregulated, and stations could show as much commercial activity as they pleased. This is the main reasons why TV stations no longer have sign-offs, and broadcast infomercials whenever their audience is asleep. (That having been said, I know of one station in Springfield, Massachusetts that signs off every Monday morning at 12:30 and goes back on the air around 5:00).
So now the industry has been deregulated, and all of a sudden there's all of this unused, cheap airspace in the wee hours of the morning, when most people are assumed to be sleeping. One of the first people to take advantage of this opportunity was Ron Popeil, who became one of the pioneers of the infomercial industry. Ron Popeil was the head of Ronco, the company that invented and produced such gadgets as the Veg-O-Matic, the Showtime Rotisserie, and hair in a can, among others. (Interesting bit o' trivia: Popeil's father, Samuel Popeil, invented the Veg-O-Matic.)
The invention of another Ronco product, the Chop-o-Matic, is probably the reason for Ronco's entrance into the infomercial industry. Ronco salesmen had a difficult time carrying and finding vegetables for Chop-o-Matic demonstrations, so Ron Popeil came up with the solution: why not tape a demonstration, then sell it to various TV markets?
But wait, there's more! That's a bit of infomercial language that we can thank Mr. Ed Valenti for. Who is Ed Valenti? Why, he's the man responsible for bringing us Ginsu knives! I hope I have some readers who remember Ginsu knives! Not only that, but Ed Valenti is responsible for the whole direct response advertising industry. You can read more about that here, right on his very own website.
Ginsu's advertising success included the use of such language as, "If you order now, we'll send you a ___________ absolutely free!" and "But wait, there's more!" Ron Popeil employed this language into his own informercials, and...well, you've seen the result if you have either stayed up late at night, caught yourself watching CNBC on weekend afternoons, or have watched any of the old PAX TV stations up till they officially started their programming at 5:00 PM.
After the success of Ginsu and Ronco, many other businessmen jumped on the infomercial bandwagon, like Richard Simmons, who has successfully used the format to sell his Deal-a-Meal plans and Sweatin' to the Oldies videos. The fitness guru has filmed his productions in various locales such as malls, cruise ships, and clients' houses, complete with before and after photos and heartfelt customer testimony. I really enjoy his informercials because they seem really genuine. You can tell he really cares about his clients, and that they adore him, for the way that he's changed their lives. I must admit I've gotten a little teary-eyed at some of them.
And then there are the infomercials that are so unbearably fake, you wonder why they were even produced. I'm thinking here about the "fake talk show" infomercial format, complete with studio audience, satellite feeds with special guests, and the "take the 'Miracle in a Bottle' challenge" to remove wrinkles. There are two current infomercials that pop into mind here: Sheer Cover, with Leeza Gibbons, and Meaningful Beauty, with Cindy Crawford. First, I think to myself, "How do they find people for a studio audience for an infomercial?" Secondly, I think, "How do they make this so damn entertaining? It's a fake talk show; I shouldn't be watching this!"
By the end, I'm sorely tempted to make the $29.95 monthly investment to make my skin look better. I resist every time, since I really like my current skin care regime, but the temptation is there.
Then there are the informercials with the actors and actresses that are being so serious and passionate about the products they're plugging. I saw one this morning with Melissa Gilbert, who was pitching the Wen Hair Care System. It's a system that totally eschews shampooing, and the inventor claims that the detergents in many supermarket shampoos are as strong as those used to wash our clothes, and "why should you damage your hair with such harsh detergents?" His product is a cleansing conditioner that contains no lathering ingredients, no harsh detergents that "will strip away your hair of its natural oils." At the end of this infomercial, Melissa Gilbert appears again, on the verge of anger, pleading, "This morning, you damaged your hair! Every time you shampoo, you damage your hair!"
I used good ol' Pantene shampoo and conditioner this morning, and my hair feels--and looks--fine. Yet I kept wondering, "Would Wen make my hair even silkier than it is now?"
What the hell is it about infomercials that make me wanna buy their products? I never do, but still, they're so convincing! I don't know that much about marketing psychology to analyze the reasons for my behavior, but I have to give myself credit for having the discipline not to reach for my Visa card...
...until last night.
I got home around 11 PM, flipped on the TV, and started to channel surf. I happened upon the last five minutes of an infomercial on the Comcast network:
"Get The Carol Burnett Show: Collector's Edition for your own home, only $19.95 for the first volume! We'll send you a new volume every 4-6 weeks. And if you call within the next three minutes, we'll cut the price in half!"
Too...good...to...be...true...was it really?
There...at the end...Harvey and Tim were sitting in folding chairs, and the figure in the middle...Carol herself, thanking us for buying the Collector's Edition of her DVDs.
I got out my Visa and picked up the phone.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Kitten Confessions
I know that I have promised posts on DC and on the virtues of Borders versus Barnes and Noble, but...
1. I haven't loaded my DC pics on my computer yet, and
2. This was more important for me to get off my chest.
I had plans tonight to go to a concert at the Wadsworth Mansion tonight, and I was planning to be home by 9 PM. In fact, I had to be home by 9 PM to watch a TV that I had to watch. (Yeah, I know, you're thinking, "Tivo!" Well, I don't have Tivo, and having a DVR would mean another $20 on my monthly cable bill).
Now, I have a pretty full life, and there aren't many--hell, there aren't any--shows that are prime appointment viewing in the Bookkitten household.
Except for this one--the American Masters edition on Carol Burnett, which I missed when it had originally aired last November.
I missed the concert because I took a longer-than-usual catnap and woke up at the time the concert began. After briefly cursing myself for my laziness, I perked up, knowing that I didn't have to rush home for the PBS special I had so looked forward to seeing for months. And I felt really guilty that I had to be home just in time for a TV show. Really gulity--OK, maybe not that much.
Was it worth the wait? Yes...and no. This show was chock full of clips from The Carol Burnett Show and The Garry Moore Show that haven't been seen in years, quite possibly since their original air date. That alone made this American Masters presentation worth every minute. There was Harvey Korman, in his last television appearance--and sadly, you could tell that the poor man was in ill health. But he managed to pull it together for this special. And Lyle Waggoner was interviewed--and he is still very handsome. :)
I didn't like that this documentary didn't chronicle too much about Carol's family, which has been a tremendous part of her story for years. It just seemed to gloss over her family tragedies and tribulations, especially the parts that had to do with her early childhood. It barely touched upon her divorce from Joe Hamilton, but did acknowledge his influence on her career.
The special didn't even touch upon Burnett's career post-Carol Burnett Show. In the 80s, Carol did many TV guest appearances, several TV movies, and even a couple of theatrical roles. (Miss Hannigan, anyone?) And in the 90s, she made a couple of Broadway appearances in Moon Over Buffalo and Putting it Together. It mostly concentrated on her career up to, but not past, The Carol Burnett Show. It did include portions of the last episode of the show, which I admired.
Towards the end of the show, Lyle Waggoner admitted that he gets choked up every time he hears the lyrics, "I'm so glad we had this time together..."
Well, Lyle, so do I.
Unfortunately, The Carol Burnett Show is no longer in syndication, so I can't catch her on a daily basis. Fortunately for me, there's YouTube, and I've caught what I can off the Internet. Still, when the DVDs are back in production, you can bet I'll be the first in line to purchase them!
And I won't have to miss a Wadsworth Mansion concert to do so.
1. I haven't loaded my DC pics on my computer yet, and
2. This was more important for me to get off my chest.
I had plans tonight to go to a concert at the Wadsworth Mansion tonight, and I was planning to be home by 9 PM. In fact, I had to be home by 9 PM to watch a TV that I had to watch. (Yeah, I know, you're thinking, "Tivo!" Well, I don't have Tivo, and having a DVR would mean another $20 on my monthly cable bill).
Now, I have a pretty full life, and there aren't many--hell, there aren't any--shows that are prime appointment viewing in the Bookkitten household.
Except for this one--the American Masters edition on Carol Burnett, which I missed when it had originally aired last November.
I missed the concert because I took a longer-than-usual catnap and woke up at the time the concert began. After briefly cursing myself for my laziness, I perked up, knowing that I didn't have to rush home for the PBS special I had so looked forward to seeing for months. And I felt really guilty that I had to be home just in time for a TV show. Really gulity--OK, maybe not that much.
Was it worth the wait? Yes...and no. This show was chock full of clips from The Carol Burnett Show and The Garry Moore Show that haven't been seen in years, quite possibly since their original air date. That alone made this American Masters presentation worth every minute. There was Harvey Korman, in his last television appearance--and sadly, you could tell that the poor man was in ill health. But he managed to pull it together for this special. And Lyle Waggoner was interviewed--and he is still very handsome. :)
I didn't like that this documentary didn't chronicle too much about Carol's family, which has been a tremendous part of her story for years. It just seemed to gloss over her family tragedies and tribulations, especially the parts that had to do with her early childhood. It barely touched upon her divorce from Joe Hamilton, but did acknowledge his influence on her career.
The special didn't even touch upon Burnett's career post-Carol Burnett Show. In the 80s, Carol did many TV guest appearances, several TV movies, and even a couple of theatrical roles. (Miss Hannigan, anyone?) And in the 90s, she made a couple of Broadway appearances in Moon Over Buffalo and Putting it Together. It mostly concentrated on her career up to, but not past, The Carol Burnett Show. It did include portions of the last episode of the show, which I admired.
Towards the end of the show, Lyle Waggoner admitted that he gets choked up every time he hears the lyrics, "I'm so glad we had this time together..."
Well, Lyle, so do I.
Unfortunately, The Carol Burnett Show is no longer in syndication, so I can't catch her on a daily basis. Fortunately for me, there's YouTube, and I've caught what I can off the Internet. Still, when the DVDs are back in production, you can bet I'll be the first in line to purchase them!
And I won't have to miss a Wadsworth Mansion concert to do so.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Ms. Kitten Confesses...
...that she is reading a mystery novel.
If you look at my profile, you will read that I will NOT read mystery novels. I have never been a huge fan of the genre, save for the Encyclopedia Brown books I devoured as a child. However, my book club is reading The Devil in the White City, a tome about the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. It bills itself as a mystery novel--a murder mystery at that.
My friend Lisa first recommended the book to me, before my book club decided to read it. She raved about it. Lisa loved it so much that she even went online and researched all of the different places that the book references. And this is a woman who loathes the Internet, so she must have really enjoyed this book.
I am now up to page 62. So far I have learned about the background of the architects who designed the buildings at the Fair, Burnham and Root. I have also learned about the mysterious Dr. H.H. Holmes, a man from New Hampshire who has just purchased a pharmacy in Chicago. All three men have interesting backgrounds, but this Holmes character has the most interesting one of all...
And I leave you with that tonight, dear readers, for I am tired, and I am too lazy to get the book from my coffee table. I shall update you tomorrow. Sweet dreams!!
P.S. In spite of the title of this post, this is NOT an addition to the "Kitten Confessions" series that I began a while back, for this post did not uncover something deep and unknown about me. (I thought some people would be a wee bit confused).
If you look at my profile, you will read that I will NOT read mystery novels. I have never been a huge fan of the genre, save for the Encyclopedia Brown books I devoured as a child. However, my book club is reading The Devil in the White City, a tome about the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. It bills itself as a mystery novel--a murder mystery at that.
My friend Lisa first recommended the book to me, before my book club decided to read it. She raved about it. Lisa loved it so much that she even went online and researched all of the different places that the book references. And this is a woman who loathes the Internet, so she must have really enjoyed this book.
I am now up to page 62. So far I have learned about the background of the architects who designed the buildings at the Fair, Burnham and Root. I have also learned about the mysterious Dr. H.H. Holmes, a man from New Hampshire who has just purchased a pharmacy in Chicago. All three men have interesting backgrounds, but this Holmes character has the most interesting one of all...
And I leave you with that tonight, dear readers, for I am tired, and I am too lazy to get the book from my coffee table. I shall update you tomorrow. Sweet dreams!!
P.S. In spite of the title of this post, this is NOT an addition to the "Kitten Confessions" series that I began a while back, for this post did not uncover something deep and unknown about me. (I thought some people would be a wee bit confused).
Friday, May 23, 2008
Kitten Confessions, Part Three
My name is Kitten, and I am a country music fan.
I know that doesn't seem like much of a confession, and I am really not embarrassed to admit it, but my friends would laugh their butts off if they found out that I loved country music. I will say that I am only very recently a fan; I started listening to one artist and one broadcast of the Opry, and now I can't stop listening.
You see, three of my closest friends sing in a classical music choir. Their repertoire has run the gamut from Porgy and Bess to various Magnificats to Carmina Burana. I myself used to sing with them in another choral ensemble, and I will always be grateful to have sung such incredible pieces of music. If anything, it helped me develop my love for classical music.
I am also a theater geek. I grew up exposed to so many theatrical opportunities. My parents used every opportunity they could to take us to a Broadway-style play or musical; I will never forget our first experience at the Goodspeed Opera House. I was very impressed with the building, although the musical didn't impress me much. (The life of Superman was not a great idea for a musical). Every summer, when my family vacationed on Long Beach Island, my parents would take me and my sister to a musical at the Surflight Theatre. The one year we didn't go was the year that our vacation coincided with the Surflight's production of "Gypsy", and my father was very uncomfortable with his two daughters watching a musical about a stripper. My sister eventually majored in drama at Ithaca College. I attended Fairfield University, and saw Les Miserables, The Lion King, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway. I miss the days when we'd go into the city in the wee hours, park ourselves at the TKTS booth, send someone out to get breakfast, and camp out until the booth opened.
To this day, my friends and I will frequently sing show tunes whenever we get together.
So where did this country music thing come from? Well, it all started when we first got cable when I was ten years old. Spike TV, in its first incarnation, was known as TNN, or The Nashville Network. I watched TNN all the time as a kid, and my favorite shows were Nashville Now and Fandango. Nashville Now was a prime time interview show with Ralph Emery, and occasionally he had this puppet on named Shotgun Red. (As a kid my favorite parts of the show were when Shotgun Red came on, since I am a huge Muppet fan.) And I loved Fandango because it was a game show, and I was obsessed with game shows. (See Kitten Confessions, Part One for more information on this).
I don't remember much about Fandango, except for Edgar the Talking Jukebox, and Bill Anderson, the country music singer-songwriter who hosted the show. Bill Anderson reminded me of a grandpa, which was important to me as a kid because both of my grandfathers died by the time I was eleven years old. One of the reasons I liked the show was that I felt like I could watch my grandpa every night. I realize that one cannot substitute a TV personality for a real life person, but fortunately I had parents who made sure I got away from the boob tube every once in a while.
So now, here we are, many years later, and one night I suddenly, without warning, remembered TNN; I honestly can't tell you why, but for a couple of weeks, I was really reminiscing about my childhood. Long story short, I googled TNN and found a couple of links to Bill Anderson, one of them being his official website. I did not realize that this man was such a prolific songwriter. I figured I would see if iTunes had a couple of his songs--and there were about ten albums worth (even though five were greatest hits compiliations). I downloaded a couple of songs, "A Lot of Things Different" and "Still".
Let me tell you, this man can write a song. It actually tells a clear story, from beginning to end. And contrary to what you may believe, not all country music songs are about heartbreak or alcohol. Country music songs tell stories with sophisticated lyrics, harmonies, and a respect for tradition.
One night I learned that the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts via webstream, and Bill Anderson was performing one night, so I listened to that broadcast and discovered another great singer-songwriter: Phil Vassar. He's not yet on the A-list of country music stars, but one day, I hope that he will be. This man can really write a song, too; he really knows how to tell a story. Just take a listen to "Just Another Day in Paradise" or "Six Pack Summer" for some good samples of his work.
I also love, love, LOVE the Dixie Chicks. Yes, I know they have their critics, but they are honest, open, and know how to write a good song. I have three of their albums, and that was even before I really got into country. So what that they said that they were ashamed that President Bush was from Texas--a lot of people share that sentiment right now!!
And finally, I am really enjoying Brad Paisley's music. Here is a man who not only appreciates traditional country music, but also has a GREAT sense of humor. Take a listen to "Online", "I'm Gonna Miss Her", and "Celebrity". If you want to hear some tracks that evoke traditional radio plays, listen to any of the tracks featuring the Kung Pao Buckaroos--George Jones, Bill Anderson, and Little Jimmy Dickens. And make absolutely sure, before this December, that you download "Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday". It is seriously the funniest holiday song you'll ever hear.
And speaking of holidays, I would like to wish you and yours a happy, safe Memorial Day 2008. I'll be back in a couple of days.
I know that doesn't seem like much of a confession, and I am really not embarrassed to admit it, but my friends would laugh their butts off if they found out that I loved country music. I will say that I am only very recently a fan; I started listening to one artist and one broadcast of the Opry, and now I can't stop listening.
You see, three of my closest friends sing in a classical music choir. Their repertoire has run the gamut from Porgy and Bess to various Magnificats to Carmina Burana. I myself used to sing with them in another choral ensemble, and I will always be grateful to have sung such incredible pieces of music. If anything, it helped me develop my love for classical music.
I am also a theater geek. I grew up exposed to so many theatrical opportunities. My parents used every opportunity they could to take us to a Broadway-style play or musical; I will never forget our first experience at the Goodspeed Opera House. I was very impressed with the building, although the musical didn't impress me much. (The life of Superman was not a great idea for a musical). Every summer, when my family vacationed on Long Beach Island, my parents would take me and my sister to a musical at the Surflight Theatre. The one year we didn't go was the year that our vacation coincided with the Surflight's production of "Gypsy", and my father was very uncomfortable with his two daughters watching a musical about a stripper. My sister eventually majored in drama at Ithaca College. I attended Fairfield University, and saw Les Miserables, The Lion King, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway. I miss the days when we'd go into the city in the wee hours, park ourselves at the TKTS booth, send someone out to get breakfast, and camp out until the booth opened.
To this day, my friends and I will frequently sing show tunes whenever we get together.
So where did this country music thing come from? Well, it all started when we first got cable when I was ten years old. Spike TV, in its first incarnation, was known as TNN, or The Nashville Network. I watched TNN all the time as a kid, and my favorite shows were Nashville Now and Fandango. Nashville Now was a prime time interview show with Ralph Emery, and occasionally he had this puppet on named Shotgun Red. (As a kid my favorite parts of the show were when Shotgun Red came on, since I am a huge Muppet fan.) And I loved Fandango because it was a game show, and I was obsessed with game shows. (See Kitten Confessions, Part One for more information on this).
I don't remember much about Fandango, except for Edgar the Talking Jukebox, and Bill Anderson, the country music singer-songwriter who hosted the show. Bill Anderson reminded me of a grandpa, which was important to me as a kid because both of my grandfathers died by the time I was eleven years old. One of the reasons I liked the show was that I felt like I could watch my grandpa every night. I realize that one cannot substitute a TV personality for a real life person, but fortunately I had parents who made sure I got away from the boob tube every once in a while.
So now, here we are, many years later, and one night I suddenly, without warning, remembered TNN; I honestly can't tell you why, but for a couple of weeks, I was really reminiscing about my childhood. Long story short, I googled TNN and found a couple of links to Bill Anderson, one of them being his official website. I did not realize that this man was such a prolific songwriter. I figured I would see if iTunes had a couple of his songs--and there were about ten albums worth (even though five were greatest hits compiliations). I downloaded a couple of songs, "A Lot of Things Different" and "Still".
Let me tell you, this man can write a song. It actually tells a clear story, from beginning to end. And contrary to what you may believe, not all country music songs are about heartbreak or alcohol. Country music songs tell stories with sophisticated lyrics, harmonies, and a respect for tradition.
One night I learned that the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts via webstream, and Bill Anderson was performing one night, so I listened to that broadcast and discovered another great singer-songwriter: Phil Vassar. He's not yet on the A-list of country music stars, but one day, I hope that he will be. This man can really write a song, too; he really knows how to tell a story. Just take a listen to "Just Another Day in Paradise" or "Six Pack Summer" for some good samples of his work.
I also love, love, LOVE the Dixie Chicks. Yes, I know they have their critics, but they are honest, open, and know how to write a good song. I have three of their albums, and that was even before I really got into country. So what that they said that they were ashamed that President Bush was from Texas--a lot of people share that sentiment right now!!
And finally, I am really enjoying Brad Paisley's music. Here is a man who not only appreciates traditional country music, but also has a GREAT sense of humor. Take a listen to "Online", "I'm Gonna Miss Her", and "Celebrity". If you want to hear some tracks that evoke traditional radio plays, listen to any of the tracks featuring the Kung Pao Buckaroos--George Jones, Bill Anderson, and Little Jimmy Dickens. And make absolutely sure, before this December, that you download "Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday". It is seriously the funniest holiday song you'll ever hear.
And speaking of holidays, I would like to wish you and yours a happy, safe Memorial Day 2008. I'll be back in a couple of days.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Kitten Confessions, Part Two
When I moved into my first apartment seven years ago, I did not have a TV for a while. Actually, I had a TV, but did not have cable service installed for a while. So I listened to a LOT of radio before I bit the bullet and got cable service. Even after I got cable, I listened to the radio a lot--if not, more often than I watch TV.
For me, the local radio stations are a great way to get to know a new area. You get to hear talk of local politics, local hangouts, even get to know the flavor of the personalities of the area. Are the people educated or isolated? Are they white collar or working class? What kind of music is popular in the area--top 40, hip hop, or country? You can really learn a lot about the demographics of an area just by listening to the radio.
I learned, for example, that at the time, not many people drove down to my area of the state, the southeastern portion of Connecticut, even though it boasted tourist attractions such as Mystic and the casinos. I was listening to the radio on the way to work one morning and did not hear a single traffic report all morning. In the Hartford area, one radio station at the time boasted "traffic reports every after every song between 7 and 9 AM". In southeastern Connecticut, there was no traffic report on any of the radio stations, in spite of I-95's presence weaving through our neck of the woods. Then again, I-95 was only two lanes from Old Saybrook to New London, where it widened to five lanes at the Gold Star Bridge, then narrowed to three lanes again once you crossed the Groton line.
I moved from southeastern Connecticut five years ago, and there was still no traffic report on any of the area radio stations when I departed.
A good friend of mine earned his PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana. During his tenure there, my friend, a native Nutmegger, experienced quite a bit of midwestern culture shock. During his visits home he'd be ecstatic to listen to the local NPR station and not hear a single report on the price of grain. He now lives happily in New York City, where he introduced me to the joys of the NPR station there, WNYC, which I listen to via its webstream.
Speaking of NPR, I started listening to it when I moved out of my parents' house, and it became my station of choice to listen to when I drove into work. Until that point, I regarded NPR as a stodgy, old person's radio station. However, when I listened to NPR during that drive to work, it was one of the first times that I felt really grown up. My sister felt the same way when she was younger, but now we often talk about what we heard on NPR. Lots of people my age listen to NPR, and it's almost become hip among my generation. Almost.
NPR was where I discovered the joys of that Saturday night radio staple, A Prairie Home Companion. Now, I am a New Yorker by birth and a Nutmegger by relocation, but I just love listening to this Minnesota legend. There's something just so comforting about listening to the tales from Lake Woebegon, the adventures of Guy Noir, the musical Powdermilk Biscuit Breaks, the admonitions of the Catsup Advisory Board, and the praises of duct tape by the council which bears its name. I love listening to the stories of the Norwegian bachelor farmers and the travails of the Lutherans. And let's not forget Garrison's Keilor's turn of a phrase. I find his voice very soothing. I love listening to this old fashioned radio show more than I enjoy some of the shows on TV nowadays.
I think I was born in the wrong decade, because I love old fashioned radio shows. I discovered, just two weeks ago, another old fashioned radio show--the world's oldest. And later tonight, I will point my mouse in the direction of the website of 650 AM, WSM, Nashville's Legend, to listen to the 4,298th consecutive performance of the Grand Ole Opry. Then I'll hear the cry of, "Hoot Hester, let's hear that fiddle!", and with the sounds of the fiddle and the rhythm of the Opry Square Dancers' steps, I'll spend another Saturday night listening to some wonderful live performances of a wonderful genre of music--country music, of which I am only recently a fan. I'm already saving my pennies for a trip to Nashville to see the Opry in person.
Now why, do you ask, are these Kitten Confessions? Neither my friends nor my family know of my devotion to these shows, and I think they would laugh at me. You see, they know me as this intellectual, reading obsessed female with a deep appreciation for museums, travel, and classical music. My friends and family would be VERY surprised to know this about me. (Actually, my dad and my sister wouldn't be surprised about A Prairie Home Companion, since Dad introduced it to us in the first place).
I actually seem to be in a Midwest frame of mind right now, as I just finished The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and it got me really waxing nostalgic. However, that's another post. I've got to return to listening to A Prairie Home Companion. They're doing the shout-outs and hellos right now.
Links to topics discussed in this post:
Prairie Home Companion: http://www.prairiehome.org/
Grand Ole Opry: http://www.opry.com/
WSM, Nashville's Legend: http://www.wsmonline.com/
NPR: http://www.npr.org/
WNYC: http://www.wnyc.org/
For me, the local radio stations are a great way to get to know a new area. You get to hear talk of local politics, local hangouts, even get to know the flavor of the personalities of the area. Are the people educated or isolated? Are they white collar or working class? What kind of music is popular in the area--top 40, hip hop, or country? You can really learn a lot about the demographics of an area just by listening to the radio.
I learned, for example, that at the time, not many people drove down to my area of the state, the southeastern portion of Connecticut, even though it boasted tourist attractions such as Mystic and the casinos. I was listening to the radio on the way to work one morning and did not hear a single traffic report all morning. In the Hartford area, one radio station at the time boasted "traffic reports every after every song between 7 and 9 AM". In southeastern Connecticut, there was no traffic report on any of the radio stations, in spite of I-95's presence weaving through our neck of the woods. Then again, I-95 was only two lanes from Old Saybrook to New London, where it widened to five lanes at the Gold Star Bridge, then narrowed to three lanes again once you crossed the Groton line.
I moved from southeastern Connecticut five years ago, and there was still no traffic report on any of the area radio stations when I departed.
A good friend of mine earned his PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana. During his tenure there, my friend, a native Nutmegger, experienced quite a bit of midwestern culture shock. During his visits home he'd be ecstatic to listen to the local NPR station and not hear a single report on the price of grain. He now lives happily in New York City, where he introduced me to the joys of the NPR station there, WNYC, which I listen to via its webstream.
Speaking of NPR, I started listening to it when I moved out of my parents' house, and it became my station of choice to listen to when I drove into work. Until that point, I regarded NPR as a stodgy, old person's radio station. However, when I listened to NPR during that drive to work, it was one of the first times that I felt really grown up. My sister felt the same way when she was younger, but now we often talk about what we heard on NPR. Lots of people my age listen to NPR, and it's almost become hip among my generation. Almost.
NPR was where I discovered the joys of that Saturday night radio staple, A Prairie Home Companion. Now, I am a New Yorker by birth and a Nutmegger by relocation, but I just love listening to this Minnesota legend. There's something just so comforting about listening to the tales from Lake Woebegon, the adventures of Guy Noir, the musical Powdermilk Biscuit Breaks, the admonitions of the Catsup Advisory Board, and the praises of duct tape by the council which bears its name. I love listening to the stories of the Norwegian bachelor farmers and the travails of the Lutherans. And let's not forget Garrison's Keilor's turn of a phrase. I find his voice very soothing. I love listening to this old fashioned radio show more than I enjoy some of the shows on TV nowadays.
I think I was born in the wrong decade, because I love old fashioned radio shows. I discovered, just two weeks ago, another old fashioned radio show--the world's oldest. And later tonight, I will point my mouse in the direction of the website of 650 AM, WSM, Nashville's Legend, to listen to the 4,298th consecutive performance of the Grand Ole Opry. Then I'll hear the cry of, "Hoot Hester, let's hear that fiddle!", and with the sounds of the fiddle and the rhythm of the Opry Square Dancers' steps, I'll spend another Saturday night listening to some wonderful live performances of a wonderful genre of music--country music, of which I am only recently a fan. I'm already saving my pennies for a trip to Nashville to see the Opry in person.
Now why, do you ask, are these Kitten Confessions? Neither my friends nor my family know of my devotion to these shows, and I think they would laugh at me. You see, they know me as this intellectual, reading obsessed female with a deep appreciation for museums, travel, and classical music. My friends and family would be VERY surprised to know this about me. (Actually, my dad and my sister wouldn't be surprised about A Prairie Home Companion, since Dad introduced it to us in the first place).
I actually seem to be in a Midwest frame of mind right now, as I just finished The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, and it got me really waxing nostalgic. However, that's another post. I've got to return to listening to A Prairie Home Companion. They're doing the shout-outs and hellos right now.
Links to topics discussed in this post:
Prairie Home Companion: http://www.prairiehome.org/
Grand Ole Opry: http://www.opry.com/
WSM, Nashville's Legend: http://www.wsmonline.com/
NPR: http://www.npr.org/
WNYC: http://www.wnyc.org/
Monday, May 12, 2008
Kitten Confessions, Part One
As promised in my last post, here is some more personal information about the Bookkitten, designed to keep the blog interesting. (And designed to keep my one fan--if my one fan is still out there--reading this tome). This is the first part of a series I shall call "Kitten Confessions". I am not going to reveal any juicy info here, because there isn't any juicy info to reveal. I'm a freakin' goody two-shoes, to be perfectly honest with you.
Sooo...something about me no one knows anything about. I'll start with describing my favorite daytime show...the one show that you're SUPPOSED to watch whenever you're home sick from work or school. You probably already know what I'm talking about when I say this, but if you don't, I'm talking about that great American classic, The Price is Right.
I was a MAJOR TPIR junkie as a kid. There was something oddly fascinating to me about Bob Barker. I used to get him confused with James Garner during his Rockford Files days. Both men were handsome, something I'm embarrassed to say, since I was seven years old at the time I discovered both shows. (My mother was in lurve with James Garner and never missed a single rerun. She particularly liked watching The Rockford Files whenever she ironed. My mother irons obsessively. But that's another post for another blog).
Anyhoo, back to TPIR. I don't remember what the best part about it was--the wheel, the showcases, the models crashing the cars into the set--but I found it very comforting. It was a staple of my summer routine growing up--sleep till 10 AM, have a bowl of cereal (never the sugary stuff--my mother didn't believe in Trix or Lucky Charms), and watch TPIR. My mother would come home from her part time job around 12:30, then take me and my sister to the local pond, where we met up with some of our friends. I particularly enjoyed talking to this kid named Steven, since he was a fellow TPIR junkie. We'd compare notes on crazy contestants and whether or not someonebid correctly on a showcase.
Once I got into high school and started working, TPIR disappeared from my routine. I rarely watched it in college; I was not one of those people who scheduled classes around TPIR airings. If anything, whenever I was free at 11 AM, I was more likely at the time to watch The View (yeah, I know...)
I didn't get back into TPIR until last year, when Bob Barker announced his retirement. It really did feel as if I was losing an icon from my childhood--almost as sad as losing Captain Kangaroo or Mr. Rogers--but not quite as sad as losing those two great men. Still, I felt as if I should watch as many Barker episodes as I could, so his memory would be permanently placed in my brain.
I still watch TPIR whenever I can, and, no offense to the purists out there--but I think I like Drew Carey a whole lot better than I liked Bob Barker. Barker seemed to carry that aura of "Hey, I'm Bob Barker, and I'm awesome" throughout every episode. Let's face it, the man had a huge ego, and you don't need to read all of the backstage stories to prove it; just watch his interactions with the models, crew, and even the contestants during his final episodes. He just really seemed stiff and awkward.
Drew Carey, on the other hand, acts like he's in awe to be on that stage every day, like, "Whoa! I can't believe I'm the host of The Price is Right!" He's funny, charming, interacts with the crew, and isn't afraid to joke about the prices. The whole show seems to have a more relaxed vibe now that Barker's gone. Not that I'm discounting his work; the man made TPIR into the American icon it is today. I just think that the people who work on TPIR should show that they're having fun, and Drew Carey certainly enjoys himself. It's a good escape from reality, even for only 60 minutes a day.
And in this day and age, we need all the escapism opportunities we can get.
Sooo...something about me no one knows anything about. I'll start with describing my favorite daytime show...the one show that you're SUPPOSED to watch whenever you're home sick from work or school. You probably already know what I'm talking about when I say this, but if you don't, I'm talking about that great American classic, The Price is Right.
I was a MAJOR TPIR junkie as a kid. There was something oddly fascinating to me about Bob Barker. I used to get him confused with James Garner during his Rockford Files days. Both men were handsome, something I'm embarrassed to say, since I was seven years old at the time I discovered both shows. (My mother was in lurve with James Garner and never missed a single rerun. She particularly liked watching The Rockford Files whenever she ironed. My mother irons obsessively. But that's another post for another blog).
Anyhoo, back to TPIR. I don't remember what the best part about it was--the wheel, the showcases, the models crashing the cars into the set--but I found it very comforting. It was a staple of my summer routine growing up--sleep till 10 AM, have a bowl of cereal (never the sugary stuff--my mother didn't believe in Trix or Lucky Charms), and watch TPIR. My mother would come home from her part time job around 12:30, then take me and my sister to the local pond, where we met up with some of our friends. I particularly enjoyed talking to this kid named Steven, since he was a fellow TPIR junkie. We'd compare notes on crazy contestants and whether or not someonebid correctly on a showcase.
Once I got into high school and started working, TPIR disappeared from my routine. I rarely watched it in college; I was not one of those people who scheduled classes around TPIR airings. If anything, whenever I was free at 11 AM, I was more likely at the time to watch The View (yeah, I know...)
I didn't get back into TPIR until last year, when Bob Barker announced his retirement. It really did feel as if I was losing an icon from my childhood--almost as sad as losing Captain Kangaroo or Mr. Rogers--but not quite as sad as losing those two great men. Still, I felt as if I should watch as many Barker episodes as I could, so his memory would be permanently placed in my brain.
I still watch TPIR whenever I can, and, no offense to the purists out there--but I think I like Drew Carey a whole lot better than I liked Bob Barker. Barker seemed to carry that aura of "Hey, I'm Bob Barker, and I'm awesome" throughout every episode. Let's face it, the man had a huge ego, and you don't need to read all of the backstage stories to prove it; just watch his interactions with the models, crew, and even the contestants during his final episodes. He just really seemed stiff and awkward.
Drew Carey, on the other hand, acts like he's in awe to be on that stage every day, like, "Whoa! I can't believe I'm the host of The Price is Right!" He's funny, charming, interacts with the crew, and isn't afraid to joke about the prices. The whole show seems to have a more relaxed vibe now that Barker's gone. Not that I'm discounting his work; the man made TPIR into the American icon it is today. I just think that the people who work on TPIR should show that they're having fun, and Drew Carey certainly enjoys himself. It's a good escape from reality, even for only 60 minutes a day.
And in this day and age, we need all the escapism opportunities we can get.
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