Rick Perry to Drop Out of Race, What It Means for the Country
Jan 19th
Rick Perry announced he will exit the presidential race. He entered the primary race late, quickly rocketed to the top, and then plummeted after some not-so-stellar debate performances. What does this mean for the GOP, and more broadly what does it mean for all of us?
I’d argue this is, in fact, bad news for all of us. The fact that he came in early, was sky high for a bit, then plummeted is proof that we are now stuck with a two year presidential campaign every two years, which is just stupid and means next to nothing will ever get done well in the process. Do we honestly want to live in a world where we’re perpetually choosing a president, the candidates never stopping to actual DO something, always obsessed with the next pointless TV “debate” or looking good for the cameras?
It also means that the GOP has all but completely abandoned its ideology of conservatism. Mitt Romney is simply not a conservative on most matters. He changes with the political winds, and it makes him look as if he has no true convictions.
It also means that we’re now living in a country that is obsessed with image. Style over substance. You aren’t the greatest debater, well by heaven, you must be an idiot then who could never be a great president…except we know Perry was a great governor who had a lot of success. Nevermind that substance, we’re more obsessed with who speaks the best and has the best comebacks at these so-called “debates.”
This election and last are a turning point for the GOP. I doubt actually Romney can win. No one likes him. Mainly because there’s nothing to like. He’s Al Gore in mormon drab. He’s boring, he’s stiff, he’s robotic, he has no chemistry and no personality. I’m at a loss as to how on earth so many people are backing the guy, because what on earth is there to be passionate about with him?
He’s facing a “historic” president like none other we have ever seen (at least his die hard supporters think so.) A president of immense and powerful “change.” In 2008, if you listened to his supporters and the mainstream media- Obama was a man who is not only a mini-god, but also very much like the real God Himself. How do you fight that with Robot Romney who can’t seem to find any true convictions?
The people have spoken about who they want as leaders, and what sort of country in which they want to live- we’ve officially become the American Idol nation. Records no longer matter. Actions no longer matter. All that matters is who can sing the prettiest song for a willfully ignorant electorate. And that’s bad news not just for conservatives but for all Americans.
Check Out the Economics Discussion Page
Jan 17th
I’ve created an economics discussion page on wordpress.com. I was going to initially put it on here, but I wanted the URL to reflect the theme and separate it a bit from TheBlueSite content.
Check it out if you’re interested in learning about economics and discussing it in order to get a better grasp on it. I’m currently studying economics at Western Kentucky University with plans to get a BA in econ and a BA in film production. Might then proceed into the econ masters program or perhaps an MBA. Not really sure just yet. So, I’m trying to gather any other econ students and maybe we can ask questions, pose problems, etc to learn more than we would in classes alone.
Check it out if you get a chance, tell me what you think…
Trouble’s Up in Alphabet Town (Hilarious Podcast)
Apr 17th
Check out the brand new podcast from Jared Jeffries. It’s a hilarious serial comedy featuring detective Spencer Marx (voiced by Jeffries) and his ridiculous sleuthing. First episode was brilliant…and the second episode is supposed to be in the next couple of days.
Listen to a preview of episode 1 here and then go and download the entire first episode for your listening pleasure.
EXCERPT – Trouble’s Up in Alphabet Town Episode 1 by AlphabetTown
Visit the official Trouble’s Up in Alphabet City site now to download the podcast- with links to the itunes store where you can get it as well.
Retired at 35 (New TV Land Sitcom)
Jan 9th
Just watched the pilot of TV Land’s newest original sitcom, RETIRED AT 35. Didn’t expect too much going in, but I gotta say- this was pretty funny stuff. It started off slow, and there were some insane audience reactions at some lame jokes…that always worries me, because I feel like it’s either canned laughter, in which case it’s probably not truly funny, or it’s an audience full of lunatics who’d laugh at anything, in which case it’s…well, just creepy.
The plot rundown in a nutshell- 35 year old David comes home to his parents’ house in Florida. They’re retired and living in a community of sorts, David works in NYC for a manufacturer of chop sticks and toothpicks, and he’s always being hounded by his boss on the phone, even while in Florida for his mom’s birthday. David realizes in Florida he’s relaxed and calm, so he quits his job and decides to basically move in with his parents.
It’s a nice storyline, and it feels old-fashioned. There were some semi-risque jokes, but nothing vulgar or anything really. Then again, the twist at the end most assuredly been a big no-no 40 years ago on TV, but it was funny and it just felt wholesome throughout. The pilot’s twist at the end was pretty hilarious, and I found myself laughing out loud.
I have yet to catch any of TV Land’s other sitcom, Hot In Cleveland, and I doubt I will, but I will definitely be tuning in each week for Retired at 35.
The Cape (NBC) Previews
Jan 3rd
I’m gonna be honest. I’ve heard exactly nothing about NBC’s new series, THE CAPE. But, I got these previews below, and it looks pretty good. Will definitely have to check it out.
Anyone looking forward to this show? Any other shows you’re really looking forward to that start soon?
Cape Training
Max drills Vince on how to harness the power of the cape.
The Cape Meets Orwell
The Cape discovers he’s not the only crime fighter in Palm City.
Chance Encounter
Stopping crime in its tracks is an everyday encounter for The Cape.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NBCTheCape
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NBCTheCape
Scare Tactics Season 4 Interview with Creator Scott Hallock
Oct 12th
I took part in a conference call with Scott Hallock, one of the creators of SCARE TACTICS, which just started it’s new season on SyFy Network. Great guy, really nice, and he had some great things to say about the show…one good piece of information I got from him was that the hilarious Jon Dore will definitely be a regular on season 4, so keep an eye out for that.
New episodes on SyFy on Monday nights! Check out the transcript for my part of the call below. Full transcript coming soon…
Operator:
Our next question comes from the line of (Josh Boseman). Please proceed.
(Josh Bozeman): Hi guys. Thanks for taking the call. I love the show. I’m a big fan.
Scott Hallock:
Thanks (Josh).
(Josh Bozeman): I have to ask, how did you score John Doerr and is he going to be on a regular
basis? The guy is hilarious. I love him.
Scott Hallock:
We love John Doerr and yes, he is going to be on, on a regular basis. Several
people on our crew had worked with John before and apparently John was a
fan of the show. And so we approached him about doing some bits. And
luckily he was amenable.
And he is on next week’s show and the week after that. And he brings
something different and hilarious to every role he played. He wasn’t always
playing – sometimes he’s playing kind of a straightforward scientist.
Other times – a lot of times he got to play kind of a really creepy guy if you
saw this week’s episode, he was the bad guy. He brought a poisoned cake to
the party. And I love the way he read that line, “The cake is poisoned idiots.” I
win. You lose. I love the way he said that.
And then coming up in two weeks on the 18th he’s in a bit where he’s
brandishing a cleaver and, the woman says to him, “Oh my God, you have a
knife.” And he yells back at her, “It’s a cleaver,” and it’s just very, it’s a funny
moment in a very tense situation.
And so John will be back on a semi regular basis throughout the fourth season.
(Josh Bozeman): Great. That’s good to hear. Also I’m curious, you probably get this question a
lot, but how do you think – so like how do you know you’ve gone too far? Is
there a point where you think that you can go too far in a scare?
Because I know some of the scares they’re over pretty quickly and I’m sitting
there at home and I’m watching and I’m thinking oh, keep it going, keep it
going. This is great.
Scott Hallock:
Right.
(Josh Bozeman): And then sometimes they drag out and you’re like wait a minute, this is
getting really crazy. Do you think there’s a point where as long as you don’t
scar the person or physically hurt them, you know…
Scott Hallock:
Right.
(Josh Bozeman): …where do you draw the line at?
Scott Hallock:
Well the goal is to – is for everyone to have a good time. We compare our
show to a roller coaster. We want it to be a thrill for people but when they get
off the ride at the end we want them to go wow, that was fun. Let’s do it
again. So you definitely can go too far and we’re cognizant of that.
And I don’t think we have ever. Because people bounce back at the end and
they do say to us, “Oh my God, that was fun. Let’s do it again.” And the way
they do it again is they give us the names of a bunch of their friends that they
want to scare.
And so we’re very careful about monitoring the situation. The friend or family
member who has set the person up is watching the bit as it goes along. And if
they ever feel like it is going too far they can tell us and we’ll stop
immediately.
(Josh Bozeman): Oh okay.
Scott Hallock:
So we do take that very seriously and we want people to have a good time. So,
if someone’s deathly afraid of spiders we won’t put them in a room full of
spiders. We don’t want them to face their real fears.
We want them to – we want to confront them with something that’s hopefully
ridiculous and have them believe in it and then at the end of it go oh my God,
I can’t believe I bought that.
Because we had – that’s another big reaction we got this season is people after
it was over going oh my God, I watch that show all the time and I look at
those people and I say how can they believe that? And now I’m one of those
people. I can’t believe it. I thought these shows were fake and now I know
they’re real.
(Josh Bozeman): Brilliant. All right. Thanks. I’m going to keep watching definitely and I
appreciate you…
Scott Hallock:
Great.
(Josh Bozeman): …taking the time out today.
Scott Hallock:
Thanks (Josh).
My Experience on the Set of Remaindered (a Lee Goldberg Short Film)
Sep 18th
So, last weekend, I was a production assistant on a short film shot in nearby Owensboro and Henderson Kentucky. Lee Goldberg, executive producer of Diagnosis Murder, writer for Monk, Spencer For Hire, Psych, Nero Wolfe Mysteries, and a whole slew of other well known series, was the director on this project- his directorial debut from what I understand. Nicest guy you could ever ask for– very cordial on set, easy going, more than willing to sign any of his many books for you (if you ever try to get two books signed within 5 mins of each other, use a different name the second go around 
…just a really cool guy all around.
I read the script for Remaindered a few days before the first day of shooting on Friday, and I loved it. It’s comical, there’s a bit of violence, but it’s balanced so well with the light nature of the whole project that it doesn’t ever really get dark in any manner. It’s got some really nice plot twists…I remembering reading– thinking to myself, ‘this seems rather mundane– pretty standard stuff’…until the end where you sit back and smile at the smart ending. Very clever, Mr. Goldberg, very clever, indeed.
So, production assistant isn’t a very glamorous job, and I spent most of Friday night outside just waiting for something to do. I had to miss Saturday’s shooting due to issues at work I had to deal with, and Sunday was fun. I met a lot of nice people Sunday– it was definitely nicer to be inside to see some of the shooting and the whole process as it takes place, even if I was lying on the floor in the produce department cueing extras into the scene for background action. It’s always nice to get any experience possible.
I’m nearly finished with this video and film program at school, hope to move somewhere in the southwest next fall to finish a bachelor’s degree in film or something closely related. My goal is directing, but I do love cinematography- just the way they make things look really fantastic in movies and TV. God knows the raw footage looks nothing like the finished project, and that process is just exciting in a lot of ways.
I’d like to thank Rodney Newton and P.J. Starks, whom I got in touch with about taking part in this whole process. I had a small role, but like I said, any chance to get more experience is worthwhile if you ask me. I hope to get the chance to do some more projects with them in any role they’ll have me fill. Same goes for the rest of the crew- Marx, Lewis, Neil, Sharon, and all the others who couldn’t have been nicer throughout our time together on this project and others.
I’d also like to thank Lee for being a cool guy. Friday night, I approach him, all fanboy nervous (I love Monk and the Monk books he writes), my voice cracking, trying my best not to sound dumb in front of THE Lee Goldberg, and what do I do, I awkwardly mention we had chatted online twice before about his first Monk book, and how I made a big deal about how he had the character of Monk eating cereal and milk (not realizing Monk is deathly afraid of milk). Shooting was about to start again, so our conversation was kind of cut short, so I kept hoping he didn’t think I was bashing him! He took it in stride, making note that around 10, 000 people had told him about the milk thing, totally cool about all of it.
Lee did tell us some really interesting and often hilarious stories while on set…about Hollywood, his experience in writing for TV, and even some of his experiences in years past in Owensboro where he comes to work with the Mystery Writers group.
I got that first Monk book signed and got a second stand alone novel of his signed as well. Now, I just need to get a Burn Notice book signed by his talented brother, Tod Goldberg, who is also an author (of course). Someday.
Can’t wait to see the final product of a weekend of hard work by all. I have a feeling, from what I did see, that it’s going to turn out great. A totally enjoyable experience, and hopefully there will be more to come.
NBC’s THE EVENT, New Promo (Video)
Sep 8th
I dunno who this reviewer is, but umm he’s amazingly insightful.
NBC’s THE EVENT was, indeed, “amazing” and “tense the whole time.”
Old School 80′s Reese’s PB Cup Ad is Strangely Sexual
Sep 7th
This old school Reese’s Peanut Butter cup is strangely sexual…the way the two of them so casually share each other’s chocolate and peanut butter. The way the old dude is watching them partake in this blissful moment. Mmmm. Creepy goodness.
UPDATED: Wait. I watched this commercial again and noticed the mention of crunchy PB cups?! What the heck is that all about? It was topped with chopped peanuts? I don’t remember ever seeing that as a kid…and I don’t recall them ever adding that option since. That sounds awesomely delicious- PB cups topped with chopped peanuts.
“Tied Up” (Music Video) by Yello
Sep 6th
Remember this song from the 80′s? It was featured in the movie, Dutch. Same band (Yello) that did Oh Yeah- that whacky song from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
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