Random Bits

... but I'm not gonna lie.  The Fruit of the Loom ads with the race car pit crew doing their thing in their boxers makes me laugh every single time.  And the announcer is talking about how high performance their underwear is in crazy prose.

Well done, ad people!  Clever ad, that is entertaining *and* was good enough I remembered your product. (Yes, I realize there is the stunt woman action sequence for the ladies, but it was the crowd of guys swarming a car in their undies that I saw first).

Ballet and sense or even plot do not go together.

I run the light board for a performing arts studio's shows three times a year.  Their Nutcracker, the Spring recital, and their Spring Ballet.

This year the ballet was "Don Quixote" which bears very little relation to the story of Don Quixote.  No.  I challenge you to find the plot.

All I got was there is this guy who occasionally has fits and visions and the young lovers (who have no much to do with out title character) are continually running away from her father who sold the girl off to a rich man.

I don't know where the gypsies come into it, or why Don Quixote and his sidekick are running around threatening things and people with a sword and a spoon.

Our sound guy and I kept looking at each other and asking "huh?" and our answer was inevitable "Because Ballet!"

Anyway.  It did mean I got home late enough to have missed the Tony awards, but I did catch the opening number online today.  Gotta say this is EXACTLY why I love the Tonys and am all "meh" about the Oscars.  And since NPR's Linda Holmes put it SO MUCH BETTER than I ever could, I urge you to read the whole thing:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2013/06/10/190308942/the-tony-awards-is-this-the-greatest-awards-show-opening-ever

but I quote part of it here because I want to say, yes, THIS! RIGHT HERE:
"The next time you're tempted to give an Oscar host a pass on the basis that it's an impossible, can't-win job, and that the lazy, easy, corny, toothless humor that passes for patter is a fundamental of the awards format, and that the jokes can't be better and the numbers can't be better and the hosting can't be better and the crowd can't get excited, keep in mind that that's exactly what people who want to keep making lazy awards shows want you to think.

Sure, theater people have an advantage with musical numbers, but if you run the Oscars and can't figure out how to do for and with love of film what the Tonys are doing for and with love of theater, you are terrible at your job and should hand it off to someone else."

Watching the beginning (until it bores me... it won't take long) of the fully staged production of the 25th Anniversary production of "Phantom of the Opera" filmed in London.

The reveal of the chandelier with the heavy rock beat is surprisingly reminiscent of the landing of E.T.'s space ship. Just putting it out there.

"After the Runway"... this is the first one of these I've seen as I was on a plane last week and I think it premiered last week.

Anyone else think they are just... how to put this delicately... pleasuring themselves?

Yeah. Me too (also still hate Joshua M).

Watching one of those endless reruns of Criminal Minds on A&E... WHY is it said with such dismay when Hotch decides to drive home "over seven hours" - like that is such a huge deal? And then Rossi tells him to stretch it day or two. A day or two? For a seven hour drive? REALLY?

I mean, I know that sometimes the writers give the actors crap to say - and they have to imbue that silly dialogue with as much sincerity as they can. And I kinda get that Rossi telling Hotch - take some time you need it works well... but someone being dismayed that he would take seven hours to drive home instead of fly (when medically speaking he shouldn't be flying) is just ridiculous.

Real human beings road trip occasionally, don't they? I mean in a couple of weeks I will be driving from my home outside Boston to Quebec City. I expect it to be a very pretty sevenish hour drive. That, BTW will be at least $200 cheaper than flying (and from the time I leave my house to the time I get to the hotel in Quebec City considerably more time that seven hours would have elapsed - so driving - I'll get there quicker and with less stress.).

This isn't the first time watching a show I've had the "*snort* Whatever!" reaction. But really.

COMPLETELY unrelated - I LOVE it when authors introduce me to new words - or perfectly legitimate ways of using words I know, but not that particular definition. Awesome.

I've seen it, Jeff Dunham ALWAYS makes me laugh.

Between Jose Jalepeno on a Stick, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, and Peanut, I laugh like hell every time I come across him on TV.

In other news the show ends tomorrow (omg so tired! But I see the end of the three month long ear worm), and I fly to Europe on Tuesday. I haven't even begun to pack.

So flipping channels tonight I came across an ad for this:

what I THOUGHT was a Saturday Night Live sketch was actually... Not.

Really? I am dismayed that this ...line... of products actually exists.

I suppose even SNL couldn't make this up...

ETA: This has not been a good week for my utilities... First no heat (circulator pump was broken - seems to happen once a season - guy (or gal) comes and fixes it in about an hour and a half), then no power. Thankfully, the power was only out for a couple of hours tonight, but, really, what the hell? (I'm guessing wind related? We're having quite the rainstorm here, and the wind is pretty high) And I discovered anew that I can *really* hear the Mass Pike traffic from here when the sheer noise of power/technology is gone. Is there anything more silent (and slightly chilly) than a power-dead house?

Also, boring. Really very boring. Packing by candlelight is a new one for me, though. So if I look like a color-blind drunk dressed me while in California, well, it was dark!

...and because the power was out, and my computer was off so I didn't actually get the alert, I just realized I missed a meeting! *headdesk* SORRY!!! Had my phone had a full charge (it didn't) I might have been able to sign in and attend, but, no power, no WiFi for the laptop. :(

Have the Syfy movies gotten progressively worse? Because I thought, with "Stonehenge Apocalypse" it couldn't possibly get worse. Boy, was I wrong - "Stonehenge Apocalypse" at least had a few marginally good actors in it (which, y'know, at least we know they paid rent or a mortgage payment or two out of the project. Kept food on the table, that sort of thing). Saturday, we caught most of "Mandrake" - thinking, well, it will be terrible, but probably good for a laugh or two! Um, no. Just really very bad. The setting was the amazonian jungle. Which looked suspiciously like a northern forest. The plot was... nearly invisible.

(search for a bejeweled dagger, which when removed from it's final resting place, awoke a hungry bloodthirsty plant that picked our plucky explorer/treasure hunter people off one by one).

And the ending was telegraphed an hour before the movie's end. So, not even grounds for *good* mocking. It was just SAD.

And Syfy's next offering? "SHARKTOPUS!" Which, wait, WHAT? Really?

... ... ...

I guess it always can get worse.

And also for things like this.



The high school friend who posted this link asks plaintively why republicans hate America. I just want to know why folks are stupid enough to believe the hate-mongers that seem to be the fore-front of the republican party these days. I know there are republicans who don't believe this crap, but they are very very quiet and let the idiots do their talking for them. Why is that?

Since I was in Europe last week, I missed the Project Runway premiere last week, so catching up tonight. And caught the ad for "On the Road with Austin and Santino." Um, not to be a doubting doubter who doubts a lot BUT WTF???!!!???

Austin and SANTINO? I can't think of two people whose styles are so ... opposed? non-mixy? as AUSTIN and SANTINO.

This is either a hot hot mess, or comedy TV reality gold.

ETA: Five minutes in, comedy gold, definitely comedy gold... (with maybe a side of hot mess).