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Posts Tagged ‘television’

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An Arab-American Jack Bauer fan

Posted by Richard on February 9, 2007

Opinion Journal has a very nice column entitled "In defense of ’24’" by Syrian-American writer Emilio Karim Dabul. Dabul is a fan of both the fictional Jack Bauer and his real-life counterparts:

I am an Arab-American as well as a fan of "24." The two things are not mutually exclusive, despite what the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other such groups have to say about this season’s opening episodes possibly increasing anti-Muslim and anti-Arab prejudice in American society.

Most of the terrorists represented in "24" through the years have been Arab Muslims. Why? Well, probably because most terrorists today are, in fact, Arab Muslims. …
…

There is a dangerous trend in the U.S. today that involves skirting the truth at the risk of offending any individual or group. When Bill Cosby talks to African-Americans about self-respect and responsibility, and says publicly what many have been saying privately for years, he’s branded a "reactionary," "misinformed," "judgmental," and so on. When "24" confronts America’s worst fears about al Qaeda–whose goal remains to kill as many Americans as possible whenever possible–the show is said to be guilty of fueling anti-Muslim and anti-Arab prejudice.

Well, here’s the hard, cold truth: When Islamic terrorists stop being a threat to America’s survival, viewers will lose interest in "24," because it will have lost its relevancy. Until such time, I will continue to watch "24"–because, believe it or not, the idea that there are Jack Bauers out there in real life risking their lives to save ours does mean something to me.

Dabul is decidedly not a fan of CAIR. Bravo for him, and I’m glad he’s speaking out. I only wish that an Arab-American speaking out unequivocally against terrorism and its apologists, aiders, and abettors like CAIR weren’t so noteworthy. I wish this were commonplace, a "ho-hum" event instead of a rarity.

Go read the whole thing.
 

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Stop snickering

Posted by Richard on February 8, 2007

I heard last night that Mars pulled the Super Bowl Snickers ad (which showed two mechanics sharing a Snickers bar and accidently kissing) because of complaints. I assumed that the complaints came from Focus on the Family, the Christian Coalition, Don Wildmon, Ralph Reed, Pat Robertson, and the like. I figured all the usual Christian-right folks would complain that this ad furthered the "gay agenda" and undermined "traditional values."

Boy, was I wrong:

… Three gay rights organizations condemned the commercial as homophobic, arguing that the men’s reaction (they tear out their chest hair to prove they’re really "manly") demeans gay men.

Worse, the groups said, were the alternative endings that Snickers included on its Web site as part of a contest to determine which version would air during the Daytona 500 later this month.

In one ending, one of the characters grabs a wrench to beat the other, who responds by slamming a car hood down on the other guy’s head. A second ending shows members of the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears reacting with amusement and disgust to the "kiss."

"I don’t know what kind of mind-set it takes to think it’s okay to slug another guy because of a mistaken kiss," said Neil G. Giuliano, president of Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which objected to the ad. "It’s just unacceptable."

This strikes me as just way, way off base. How in the world does the men’s reaction demean gay men? If the ad demeaned anybody, it was blue-collar rednecks!

Memo to the humor-impaired: the ad clearly poked fun at these guys for being so insecure and silly and homophobic! Ripping out their chest hair or beating on each other to prove they’re "manly"? We aren’t supposed to emulate these guys, for crying out loud! We’re supposed to laugh at them for being such yahoos, and I’m astonished that people in the gay rights community don’t get that.
 

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Radical Islam

Posted by Richard on February 4, 2007

Warm up your TV or program your VCR, DVR, or Tivo. A new special report — Radical Islam: Terror in Its Own Words — is being aired on Fox News tonight and again tomorrow, and it’s must-see TV:

Saturday, February 3 at 9 p.m. ET
Sunday, February 4 at 4 p.m ET
Hosted by E.D. Hill

The warning is loud and clear: radical Islam wants to kill you.

But don’t take our word for it. In this FOX News investigation, E.D. Hill exposes the evil aims of radical Islam — in its own words.

Muslim clerics vowing to slaughter Americans and destroy the United States.

School children brainwashed to kill.

Mothers who rejoice at the news that their sons and daughters have blown themselves up in suicide attacks.

And an Islamic media that glorifies mass murder and cheers on terrorists.

It’s an hour every American must see.
 

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Happy Milton Friedman Day!

Posted by Richard on January 29, 2007

Today is Milton Friedman Day — "a celebration of the economist’s positive impact on American life and business, and the spread of the benefits of free markets to nations around the globe." Friedman, who died on November 16 at the age of 94, is considered one of the — if not the — most influential economists of the 20th century. To honor his memory, the University of Chicago is holding a memorial service today at 2 PM Eastern. Speakers include Czech President Vaclav Klaus. As I write this, the live webcast should be starting in a few minutes. You can also watch it, along with the entire Free to Choose TV series and other Friedman video, at ideachannel.tv.

Later tonight, don’t miss a new PBS special on Friedman from Free to Choose Media, The Power of Choice. Here in Denver, it’s on KRMA-6 at 9 PM. Check your local PBS affiliate’s listings.
 

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Successful losers

Posted by Richard on January 23, 2007

This time of year, many of us are trying to lose a few pounds. It’s become a cliché that losing weight is relatively easy, but keeping it off is hard. So, what are the secrets of the really successful losers — the people who’ve lost a lot and avoided gaining back the weight they’ve lost? The National Weight Control Registry is a good place to find out.  It’s tracking over 5,000 people who’ve lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year, making it "the largest prospective investigation of long-term successful weight loss maintenance."

James O. Hill, NWCR’s co-founder and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, described the typical person in the registry as a middle-aged white woman who’s lost an average of 70 pounds and kept it off an average of seven years. Those numbers are a pretty good indication that the registry members are doing something right.

So what made the registry members successful? According to Hill, these five behaviors (emphasis added):

1. They eat breakfast. Unlike fat people, who typically skip breakfast but do have lunch and then eat virtually non-stop from about 4 p.m. until they go to bed,"these people almost never skip breakfast," Hill reports. "We think maybe that calories ingested in the morning have a greater satiating effect than calories eaten later in the day."

2. They monitor their weight. "These people use scales a lot," Hill says. "Almost all of them use a scale weekly, and some use it daily." Such regular checks enable them to catch weight regain early on, he says, so they can take action to get back on track as soon as they see their target number go up more than two or three pounds.

3. They get a lot of exercise. "Walking is huge," Hill reports. A survey of participants in the registry found that on average, they get 60 minutes of physical activity per day, with 28 percent mostly walking,49 percent combining walking with cycling, aerobics or lifestyle changes such as parking farther away, and 14 percent mainly doing activities other than walking. Meanwhile, 9 percent "do nothing" — i.e. they control their weight through diet alone.

4. They watch what they eat. Most successful losers report consuming 1300 to 1400 calories per day over the long term, with only about 25 percent of the total derived from fat, compared to 30 percent or more in the typical American diet. In addition, their eating habits are consistent from day to day — they don’t take "holidays" when anything goes.

5. They stay away from the tube. The formerly fat "watch much less TV than the national average" — about 10 hours a week, or less than half of the typical 28 hours or so. Presumably, they’re less likely to be snacking and more likely to be physically active during the non-watching hours.

Hmm. I guess I’m doing fine on #1 and #2, need to work harder on #3 (especially in the winter), and need to be more consistent about #4.

But, oh boy, do I fail badly on #5! Sigh. Anybody want to buy a nice Samsung 46" HDTV?
 

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Cool meteor over Denver

Posted by Richard on January 4, 2007

SkyFOX, the KDVR-31 traffic helicopter, captured some pretty cool video of an impressive meteor breaking up in the Denver sky this morning just before dawn. Check it out. Try to ignore the less than brilliant commentary.

Meteor breaking up over Denver

UPDATE: It wasn’t a meteor, it was "space junk" — part of a Russian SL-4 rocket that re-entered the atmosphere.
 

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New Stossel special tonight

Posted by Richard on November 30, 2006

Here’s a heads-up for fans of ABC News 20/20 host John Stossel (and if you’re not a fan yet, here’s an opportunity to become one): Stossel’s new 20/20 special, Cheap in America, is airing tonight at 10 PM Eastern Time (9 Central and Mountain, 8 Pacific) on your local ABC station:

John Stossel looks at the state of charity in the U.S. Who gives and who doesn’t? Some surprising answers, plus why doing good deeds can be good for your health.

Here’s a teaser from the findings: the average conservative-headed household earns 6% less, but gives 30% more than the average liberal-headed household.

By the way, a book or video by the informative, entertaining, and very libertarian Stossel would make a great Christmas gift for someone — maybe even yourself!
 

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Competing cats

Posted by Richard on June 14, 2006

I don’t think much of "reality" TV — the contrived competitions in particular. In fact, I pride myself on never having watched Fear Factor, Survivor Whatever, the Trump thing, the "weird people living together" thing, or any of the competitive singing, dancing, skating, and traveling things.

But the latest idea for a reality TV show sounds purrr-fectly delightful:

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Ten cats in search of owners will spend the next 10 days in a New York store window, their every move caught on camera for a reality TV show on which they will compete for best sleeper and mouse-catcher.

The show is the creation of a petfood company and will be shown on cable channel Animal Planet, as well as on the Web site www.MeowMixHouse.com where viewers will be asked to vote off one feline contestant each day.

The cats, chosen from shelters around the country, will compete for loudest purr, most prolific sleeper and who can catch the most toy mice. Kitties who get the boot will be adopted into permanent homes.
…

In the tradition of reality shows, the company will hire the top cat as "Feline Vice President of Research and Development," responsible for taste testing and product feedback.

I suppose I’ll have to check it out. Although I have to wonder about the long-term entertainment value of a show that features cats competitively sleeping.

 

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Craig Ferguson on vegetarianism and other stuff

Posted by Richard on May 27, 2006

Gee, I wish someone had a site that provided streaming videos plus transcripts of the monologues from The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Wait a minute… OK, maybe CBS has videos. It’s not clear what they’re offering, it’s just labeled "Comedy." It may have the monologues, but they’re on a two-day delay, and it requires you to install Real Player. Yuck. I haven’t tolerated any Real software on my computer in 5 or 6 years — they’re authoritarian, spyware-installing, arrogant, fascist scum. So screw that.

Anyway, if you can figure out a way to watch Craig Ferguson’s monologues regularly, I strongly recommend them. I just see them occasionally in real time, and they’re always terrific — by far the best comedy of any of the late night TV hosts. Here’s a brief snippet (from memory) of tonight’s monologue:

I was a vegetarian once. Well, not really a vegetarian. I was veggie-curious. … One day, I was in the Glasgow airport, and I smelled a bacon sandwich. …"

Even the most die-hard vegetarians admit that bacon is dangerous. … Bacon is, like, a gateway meat.

I swear to you, this is the funniest, most entertaining and genuine person on TV today. You want more evidence? OK, I’ve been saving some. Here’s Craig Ferguson with the best brief characterization of NASCAR ever:

You know what’s amazing? It’s NASCAR. Anybody who criticizes NASCAR has never been there. Forget watching it on TV, it’s not the same. You have to be there. If you have even the tiniest amount of testosterone in you — the tiniest amount — and you hear one of those engines — BRRRRRWRRRRR! — all of a sudden, you’ve got a mullet.

Craig Ferguson on dental care:

The dental hygienist — I just lie to her. "Have you been flossing?" I just lie. It’s the only two times I lie — to the dental hygienist and when I’m in a relationship. That’s why I can’t date a lady dentist. The lies would mash together — and the truth could come out.

Ferguson on the Welsh:

I’ve gotten drunk with every ethnic group on earth. You can’t outdrink a Welshman. The Welsh make Australians look like Mormons.

The quotes are great, but you don’t realize what you’re missing — delivery, timing, subtle touches and related comments I’ve forgotten or omitted. Maybe it’s worth installing Real Player — that’s up to you. Or, if you’re a night owl, you could just watch it when it’s broadcast (after Letterman, who increasingly sucks). Believe me, it’s great stuff. Craig Ferguson is a national treasure, and I’m very glad this Scotsman got a "grrrreen carrrrd."
 

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CBS’ The Unit achieves greatness

Posted by Richard on May 17, 2006

The Unit is an action-oriented drama about a top secret military special operations unit. It stars Dennis Haysbert (President Palmer on 24), whom I really like. I’ve liked some episodes of the series, but others … not so much.

Tonight’s season finale, though, made me a big fan. I can’t help but love a show that portrays a Frenchman commanding U.N. troops as an arrogant, incompetent, slimy, mendacious piece of pond scum.

Here’s one of the great moments in TV history, as best as I can recall it:

Col. Leclerq: "Stand at attention in my presence, soldier!"

Bob Brown: "I’m not in your army. I’m not in your chain of command. And you’re about a half second from a poor state of health."

Col. Leclerq: "And that would be worth your career?"

Brown: "You bet your French ass."

[Cut to commercial]

Yeee-haaaw! Now, that calls for a beer!

That’s from Episode 13, "The Wall." Watch for the rerun if you missed it (I don’t know if downloads are available for The Unit; there’s no indication on the CBS website, or on this one, or this one).
 

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P-Funk lives!

Posted by Richard on November 17, 2005

Wow! I just saw George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic on the Tonight Show! I didn't even know he/they/it were still doing their "thang." I didn't know he'd regained the rights to use the names Parliament and Funkadelic (I vaguely remember he lost both, leading him to call his group "The P-Funk Experience" for a time).

I don't think I've seen Clinton since the late 80s or early 90s. He looked pretty good — lots of gray, but still freaky and having fun. Did you know Parliament/Funkadelic were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year? Clinton himself was inducted back in 1997.

If you've never seen George Clinton's Mothership Connection show, you've really missed something. Clinton has, since the late 60s, blended R&B, rock 'n roll, psychedelia, and his own unique perspective and sense of humor.

Parliament and Funkadelic, for many years, were separate but complementary and overlapping groups. Parliament was the r&b group with the hit records, while Funkadelic was the more psychedelic and experimental outlet for Clinton's imagination. Both owed a lot to Sly and the Family Stone, which I consider one of the most important — and enjoyable — bands in the history of rock and roll.

And then there were the side projects such as Brides of Funkenstein (pretty sucky) and Bootsy's Rubber Band (pretty awesome, but that's to be expected from Bootsy Collins).

If you're at all interested in R&B and/or psychedelia, and you're not familiar with Clinton, it's time to correct that. Here are a couple of links that can steer you toward the P-Funk experience: One Nation P-Funk and New Funk Times.

Remember, "Soul is a joint rolled in toilet paper." Take a chance on a 70s album or two, like Parliament's Mothership Connection and Funkadelic's One Nation Under a Groove. I bet you'll like them.

UPDATE: As a sorta follow-up, Big & Rich appeared on Conan O'Brien. I'm impressed. Never heard of them, and they're country, but they're somehow appropriate following George Clinton. I'd describe them (based on one song, mind you) as country/rock/psychedelia. I liked it, and I'm going to check out some of their music. As they say, "Somebody's got to be unafraid to lead the freak parade."

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