I was writing my first episode for M*A*S*H in a hotel room in Los Angeles, with French furniture from the Wilshire Boulevard period, and I noticed I had begun dancing around the room.

I was staying in a hotel because the architect who was doing renovations on our house had promised me the work would be finished by the time I came back to town for the second season of M*A*S*H, whose first season had paid for the house in the first place.

Renovations, like rewrites, take longer than expected, and I had made things worse by insisting that the house resemble the plan we had agreed on before I left town. "I don't want that big excrescence in my living room," I had said, using the biggest word I could think of for a modernist hump on the wall the architect was proposing. It had nothing to do with the rest of the house; it was just an indulgence on his part. I hated it. Sure enough, when I got back to L.A., the house wasn't finished, but there was the hump on the wall -- big as life, and just as excrescent. I picked up a sledgehammer and demolished it. This made my point, but set back construction another three weeks.

So, here I was, working on my first serious try at a television script in the cool, contemplative solitude that can only be found in a cheesy, fake-elegant hotel. More and more, I found myself taking a sledgehammer to my own scenes and dialogue -- and before long I was dancing.

I was dancing because, after hours of rewriting one of the scenes, I had finally solved it and had crashed through to something I knew would work. "I can do it...! I can do it!" I chanted, as I jumped around the room, until the thought intruded that there were still a few dozen other problems to solve before I'd be finished. This was the first time since I had decided I wanted to be a writer at the age of eight that I was actually working on something that might be seen by millions of people. So, every little writing victory was charged with emotion.

Since then, I've written five movies, many episodes of television and two books, but that moment in the hotel room always comes back to me. It was the first time since I was a child and had set my sights on being a writer that I had the feeling I could actually do it.

But, I realize now how lucky I was that this script was one in which so many problems had already been solved for me. The show had been on the air for a year: I wasn't creating characters from scratch; I wasn't imagining a whole new world. As an actor, I had already researched the time and place. I'd read that the Korean winters were bitter and, in a series of two handed scenes, I let a humble pair of longjohns go from one shivering body to another through a string of deals, love offerings and extortions. It was, of course, similar to a device used by Schnitzler in the film La Ronde, so even some of the plot was borrowed. In this way, I was able to concentrate on the pleasures of putting words together, discovering the voices of the characters, tracking the subsurface tectonics of their emotions. This made my victory dances a whole lot easier to come by than I realized at the time. Even after I had written a number of episodes and was exploring new paths, I was still making use of the work of people who had first explored the territory. It was something of a shock when I began working on the first feature-length script I'd try after writing for M*A*S*H. It was called "The Seduction of Joe Tynan" and, since it would be three times longer than an episode, I assumed it would be three times harder. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be about 27 times harder. Suddenly, I had to create, through research and imagination, a new world, populated by characters I had to build from their heads to their toes. I had to find out how they would act on one another in a way that would plunge them into Act Two and let them climb out through Act Three. I was all by myself on a huge construction site.

Hemingway said that writing is architecture, not interior decoration. I was learning that it wasn't renovations, either.

Now I was taking a sledgehammer to the foundation itself; redesigning it time after time from scratch, lopping off clever little inventions that caught your eye but gave you nothing of substance to build on.

After all that, when I would finally crash through to something that worked, I would feel - and every writer must feel something like this - a thrill, a rush of joy, a desire to dance around the room.

I still feel it. And, once in a while, I still dance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS ARTICLE CLICK HERE

Cheers!
Brian M Logan
ThatActionGuy.com
EMAIL ME HERE

PONTICELLI (NAPOLI) - Come la "lanterna magica" e i carrozzoni che portavano in giro i vecchi filmati. La settima arte, le immagini in movimento, soprattutto quelle di ieri, saranno portagoniste del nuovo corso del Cineforum targato Arcimovie. Da Antonioni, a Bergman, passando per Dino Risi,   Pollack  e le facce da schiaffi di Nicholson e Robert Redford. (all'interno il programma di ottobre).

a cura di Roberta Migliaccio

L’associazione culturale Arci Movie, impegnata da vent’anni sul territorio della periferia est con un’attività stabile, continuativa, coerente e dichiaratamente distante dall’impronta occasionale degli eventi e dei festival straordinari che abbondano in città, è lieta di presentare, anche quest’anno, una stagione ricca di appuntamenti ed eventi speciali: cineforum, arene, rassegne, laboratori, incontri con personaggi del mondo del cinema e della cultura. Tutte queste attività non sono altro che singoli tasselli del progetto globale dell’Arci Movie, che vede, ogni anno, oltre 50.000 persone partecipare alle diverse iniziative. Tra le attività più importanti c’è sicuramente il Cineforum, la rassegna di cinema invernale giunta ormai alla sua XIX edizione che prevede, ogni giovedì, la visione di un successo della stagione in corso, al costo ridotto anche per il 2009 di 25 euro per 25 film. Il Cineforum rappresenta, per tutto il pubblico della zona orientale di Napoli e dell’area vesuviana, un’ occasione per vedere ed apprezzare film di successo e di qualità, sposando la “causa” dell’Arci Movie e facendo del Cinema Pierrot un centro di aggregazione e un luogo aperto alla cultura. In attesa che prenda il via dunque la consueta programmazione a novembre del cineforum annuale, l’Arci Movie organizza, a partire dal 2 ottobre e proseguendo tutti i giovedì del mese, la rassegna Omaggi al grande cinema, che propone un simbolico percorso per ricordare grandi registi scomparsi di recente. Da Altman ad Antonioni, da Bergman a Pollack e Risi potremo riassaporare o scoprire il gusto di veri e propri capolavori della cultura cinematografica di tutti i tempi, omaggiando, come da sempre nello stile Arci Movie, i grandi maestri che hanno segnato la nostra storia culturale.

Il costo del biglietto è di 1 euro.

Il cineforum ritorna. L’Arci Movie riprenderà il suo prezioso lavoro la prima settimana di novembre: “per la serata inaugurale abbiamo intenzione di invitare Giuliano Montaldo di ‘I demoni di San Pietroburgo’ ”, ha dichiarato il presidente dell’associazione Enzo Mauriello. A inizio settembre è terminata l’iniziativa 2008 “Cinema intorno al Vesuvio” e prima di riprendere i ritmi invernali, ne è stata indetta una nuova per tutto il mese di ottobre al cinema Pierrot di Ponticelli: al prezzo di un solo euro, si potrà assistere tutti i giovedì alle 18.00 o alle 21.00 alla visione di film cult del cinema italiano. “M.A.S.H.” (1970) di Altman: durante la guerra di Corea, in un ospedale da campo, tre ufficiali chirurghi ne combinano di tutti i colori infischiandosene delle regole. Oscar per la sceneggiatura di Ring Lardner Jr., Palma d’Oro al Festival di Cannes. “Professione: reporter” (1975) di Antonioni: David Locke, giornalista anglo-americano, viene invito in Africa settentrionale per un servizio sulla guerriglia. Approdato lì, assume l’identità di David Robertson, morto d’infarto in un hotel nel deserto. Nastri d’Argento ad Antonioni per il miglior film e a Tovoli per la sceneggiatura. “Il posto delle fragole” (1958) di Bergman: un vecchio medico, in compagnia della nuora, si dirige con la sua auto all’università di Lund dove si festeggerà il 50° anniversario della sua attività. Sulla strada caricherà due autostoppisti, andrà a trovare la madre…Orso d'oro al Festival di Berlino 1958. “I tre giorni del Condor” (1975) di Pollack: Un ricercatore della CIA è l'unico superstite di una sezione di New York dell'organizzazione, sterminata da un gruppo di sicari. Con l'aiuto di Kathie sfugge agli assassini che lo braccano e scopre che dietro al complotto si nasconde la CIA stessa. “Il sorpasso” (1962) di Risi: un giorno di ferragosto due occasionali “amici”, uno studente universitario e un quarantenne immaturo, trascorrono la giornata in auto. Inatteso e tragico sarà l’epilogo. “Abbiamo voluto rendere omaggio a grandi registi scomparsi recentemente – ha dichiarato Enzo Mauriello – e quella di ottobre sarà senza dubbio un’occasione per rivedere cult del cinema di tutti i tempi. Per quanto riguarda l’associazione invece è un pretesto per riprendere il rapporto con i nostri soci prima dell’inizio del cineforum vero e proprio”.

a cura di Roberta Migliaccio

Di seguito il programma:

Giovedì 2

M.A.S.H.,

Usa 1970, 116 min. con Donald Sutherland e Elliot Gould

Giovedì 9

Professione: reporter

 Italia 1974, 125 min. con Jack Nicholson e Maria Schneider

Giovedì 16

Il posto delle fragole

Svezia 1958, 91 min. con Bibi Andersson e Lena Bergman

Giovedì 23

I tre giorni del Condor

Usa 1975, 117 min. con Robert Redford e Faye Dunaway

Giovedì 30

Il sorpasso

Italia 1962, 106 min. con Vittorio Gassman e Jean-Louis Trintignant

Per contatti:

Arci Movie www.arcimovie.it       

tel/fax  081. 5967493

l'Ora vesuviana on-line

redazione@edizionidelvesuvio.com

Tutaj http://www.4077.pun.pl/forums.php możecie dodawać swoje propozycję.

Serdecznie zapraszam

Ci piace giochicchiare, questo è noto. E il computer non è altro che anche un ottimo strumento per divertirci, magari inventandoci un qualcosa di diverso, di divertente, di funny, come dicono a Londra.

Di geekerie, di chicche, per la rete ce ne sono tante. Oggi vi presentiamo però un servizio davvero niente male che ci permette di dare voce e sguardo a moltissimi personaggi famosi, dai politici ai cantanti, agli attori: MashFace!

Con MashFace potremo creare delle sfiziose “mashes” partendo da una foto di un personaggio celebre o addirittura da una foto da noi caricata attraverso il pannello utente via il canale “You, me, anybody”; con la nostra webcam potremo parlare inquadrando la nostra bocca o inserire degli sguardi particolari, incollandoli e sostituendoli agli origianali nella foto del personaggio selezionato.

Il servizio, per ora ancora in beta, si serve di una più o meno avanzata tecnica di grafica 3d ed è realizzato da una società Canadese. Una volta create la nostra “mash”, potremo condividerla con i nostri amici e, qualora si rivelasse, una cosa carina, potrà essere scelta ed inserita nella Hall of Mash del sito.

La registrazione al progetto è gratuita e non richiede moltissimi campi anche se ci saranno domandati il nostro nome e la nostra data di nascita. Nella creazione della nostra “opera”, avremo a disposizione strumenti per modificare e migliorare parametri come la luminosità, il contrasto delle immagini e potremo inserire anche effetti sonori già preinseriti nel sito.

Un servizio carino, assai comico e definibile come “delizioso”. Per sua stessa definizione si considera “stupido, divertente e gratuito”. Non si può essere che d’accordo anche se stupido stupido proprio non è..

fonte: Geekissimo.com

 is making a Serious Come-Back! The Magazine is currently under construction with the new format. This Format involves more videos and less text. And for those who don't have internet access, the mag will be available at your doorstep... (subscribers ony) in CD format for view on your PC. Mash Entertainment Magazine Returns this Summer. Keep your ears on the streets... the Hustler's guide to the Game is almost yours!

Kanye v MGMT - Electric touch.mp3

Era in serialul Mash un locotenent, Frank Nustiucum, caruia asistenta sefa, Halliwell parca o chema, ii spunea Buze De Gaina... pentru ca nu avea buze.

Ma uit acum la baiatul asta, Kenneth Branagh, si vad ca nici el nu sta prea bine la capitolul dotari bucale.

Si concluzionez ca ideea "contrariile se atrag" nu e adevarata. Pentru ca nu am auzit ca dl Kenneth Branagh sa fie sotul Angelinei Jolie.

Yahoo is preparing to launch Mash, a whimsical and quirky new social-networking service. The company claims it's the first one to let you mess with your friends' profiles.

The site, which is in invitation-only beta, gives you the option to leave your profile open to your friends, allowing them to make changes and add modules like widgets or games.

Source: Yahoo's New Social Network Puts You (and Your Friends) in Charge

Television has captivated our nation (the United States) for over 70 years.  While our nation is currently know for its apathy for people in the rest of the world, we do care an awful lot about the fictional lives of those that are streamed to our houses 24/7, inter spliced with as much as 18 minutes of commercials. Below are three comedies that are hilarious, thoughtful, and fun:

The Colbert Report

Comedy Central, Monday - Thursday 11:30

Stephen Colbert, the mastermind and star of his show, The Colbert Report, is amazing (just check out his book). Every Monday through Thursday night Colbert ridicules the day's news in his own egotistical, faux-conservative way. The show is hilarious, politically incorrect, and inversely proves a point.

You know that a news satire show is awesome when it claims that Sarah Palin is a man.  In the last few weeks the show has also suspended itself for "total financial extinction", claimed our victory over the iceberg menace, and ridiculed the collapse of the global economy.

Also check out the website, and be sure to stop by the Indecision 2008 page, which is in collaboration with Comedy Central's other news satire show, The Daily Show. Trust me, this is a news report worth watching.

The Office

NBC, Thursday 9:00

It's awfully fun to laugh at politicians and celebrities, but sometimes it is the most entertaining to laugh at ourselves. Like the king of all comedies Seinfeld, the show itself is entirely plausible, and may at times remind you of events from you own life, besides for the extensively quirky characters. The Office is a mockumentary that is, as you might have guessed, set in an office: specifically Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The show, which is based off of a British comedy of the same name, which was inspired by the film Office Space, is a hilarious account of the lives, relationships, and happenings of life in an (only slightly unrealistic) office. In the earlier years of the show the camera captured only events that happened in the office on film, but more recently the cameramen have apparently become relatively adept at stalking the characters for interesting tidbits of their lives, providing for some very interesting takes.

The show is (like the other two shows featured in this post) hilarious, and its also got everything else that could possibly make an office building entertaining: and incompetent boss, love and hate relationships (including some wonderful feuds), a nerd, hundreds of memorable moments, and much much more.

If you're interested, you can watch the Season 5 Premier, which premiered on Thursday night (a warning, the show may be utterly confusing if you have not been following previous seasons). You can watch clips and full episodes of the show on Hulu (recommended), NBC Rewind, Netflix, and (illegally) on SideReel.

M*A*S*H

CBS, No Longer Running

M*A*S*H has been one of the most popular, influential television series in the history of television. The show, which ran from September 17, 1972 to February 28, 1983 and whose series finale captured the largest television audience of all time at 105 million viewers, was created during the Vietnam War as one of the many forms of protest present at the time. It is set in 1950 Korea, at Mobile Army Surgical Hospital Unit #4077. The show's main character Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce (played by Alan Alda) carries both the humor and the anti war theme of the show.

There's not much more to say about M*A*S*H than that it is a brilliant piece of work. The slapstick comedy is spot on, but is sometimes overshadowed by the harsh reality of the war, which adds a third dimension to the show. You can see M*A*S*H on Netflix or visit the TV Land site. Watch it; I promise you it's great!

There you have it: three incredible comedies. Knock yourself out (and while you're at it feel free to post a comment about your favorite comedy)!

We got bored with MASH after a while and created SHIT.

MASH = Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House

SHIT = Shack, House, Igloo, Tent/Teepee

Things got a little more outlandish when you were possibly living in a tent/teepee with 98 kids.  Or when your igloo ended up in Australia.

I was directed to this site today.  You can play MASH online.  During one of my breaks today, I gave it a spin.  Filled out all the spaces, added some terrible answers because its not fun if you aren't being risky...I even added Screech as one of my crushes.

Its a little off my normal life, but the fact that I didn't end up with Ryan Renolds, and got Mick...that makes me happy.  Im not driving a smart car or a limo, but a Nissan Sentra.  Granted its red, and not my tan one, but still.  A shack in a small town in Italy?  Awesome.  Hopefully its on the beach.  A photo journalist?  Do I get to travel, write and take pictures of foreign places?  Solid.  Our 5 kids will be cultured.

I was pretty pleased with my results.  Sounds like a good life.  A life that isn't that unreasonable.  Give it a shot.  Let me know what you come up with.

My results after the cut.

See how we did (SPOILER ALERT: neither of us gets them all right), and what I thought of the award show after the jump!

Oprah was there! She looked lovely in a red dress. Then came all five hosts, also nominees in the Best Reality Host category. Jeff Probst was the only one not wearing a tie - even model Heidi Klum was wearing a black suit and tie. The hosts all pointed out they are not scripted. Tom Bergeron & Klum looked bored as Probst, Ryan Seacrest & Howie Mandel talked and talked. The talkers left the stage. William Shatner came up on the stage, they ripped the suit off Ms. Klum to reveal a sequined shorts jumper.

Tina Fey & a very pregnant Amy Poehler presented the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. They did some silly foreign language bit, then got on with the nominees. Jeremy Piven won, making it his third consecutive Emmy for this category (all from "Entourage"). score: Julie 0, Nicole 1

Bergeron & Seacrest are sitting in Monk's Cafe - where the Seinfeld gang cozied up, chatted and ate - sometimes a big salad. Next, a clip of "Seinfeld" from that "contest" episode. Julia Louis Dreyfus comes out in a pretty salmon colored dress. She's presenting Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Jean Smart wins for her performance on "Samantha Who?" score: Julie 0, Nicole 1

Klum (in a ruffled cream colored dress) & Probst (still sans tie) introduce a clip of "Desperate Housewives." Then, we see the ladies sitting in a living room-like set that looks like it was plucked from Wisteria Lane. They're all there to give the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Wow! Zeljko Ivanek won for his role on "Damages." I did not see that coming! score: Julie 0, Nicole 1

Ricky Gervais came out. He pointed out he won last year. He gave pointers on how to give a good acceptance speech. He said they should keep it short, especially if not on camera. Don't cry. Then, there are clips of other winners - all funny and ending with Steve Carrell stealing Gervais' award. Carrell proceeds to stare him down. So funny. Gervais starts tickling Carrell to get his Emmy. Finally, Carrell gives it up. Then, the award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program. The guy who directed last year's Academy Awards. If you want his name, or the names of any of those people who aren't on camera (as well as the other awards that were presented earlier), click here.

Funny clip from "The Simpsons." Conan O'Brien comes out to talk about the cartoon, where he started out as a writer. After saying he would have made a few more jokes, but Katherine Heigl didn't think they were "Emmy worthy," he presents the award for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Diane Wiest wins for her role on "In Treatment." score: Julie 0, Nicole 1

Jennifer Love Hewitt & Hayden Panettiere present the award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program. "The Colbert Report" writers win their first Emmy! Colbert takes the award. He tells Hollywood all is forgiven, then goes about thanking everyone even after the music starts.

Mandel & Probst return. They bring out the accountants - the people who do the tabulating for the awards show. Then, they introduce Steve Martin. He talks about his time as a writer on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." He says Tommy Smothers did not want his name on the list for Emmy consideration and the show won. Now, Smothers gets a Commemorative Emmy for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy/Variety Writing. Smothers gets a standing ovation as he takes the stage. How does he remember all those people who worked on show that hasn't aired in four decades? He makes a speech about peace and war before dedicating his Emmy to people who feel compelled to speak out.

Klum (in a black and white dress) & Seacrest are back. They introduce Josh Groban. He sings TV theme songs. It's weird. It's awkward. It's kinda funny. Blink and you missed Ed McMahon (I hope they paid him - he needs the cash).

Alec Baldwin takes the stage to present Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. Laura Linney wins for her role on "John Adams." It's her third Emmy win in three nominations. score: Julie 0, Nicole 2

Bergeron talks about "Laugh In," before they roll a clip with all kinds of people saying "Sock it to me!" That's the phrase made famous by the show. Then, a whole bunch of the show's stars are there to introduce the award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series. "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" wins.

Klum shows the dresses designed by a couple of reality show stars. Then, Lauren Conrad and (a very annoyed looking) David Borneaz reveal the nominees in Outstanding Guest Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series (they received their awards earlier). Tim Conway won for "30 Rock" and Kathryn Joosten for "Desperate Housewives." Joosten appeared to present the award for Outstanding Director for a Comedy Series. The guy from "Pushing Daisies" wins. Conrad & Borneaz presented the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (cool note: they showed the nominees on people's cell phones in the audience). Tina Fey wins for "30 Rock." It's her third Emmy win!

Bergeron pitches to a clip of "West Wing." Oh, how I miss this show. Martin Sheen is sitting in his old set, behind that big desk. He talks about the televised Presidential debates. He's encouraging everyone to vote in the November election - at least once. Then, a guy who's behind the awards show comes out and makes a speech I'm totally not interested in. Why do they do this during the show? Get on with the awards!

Christian Slater & Christina Applegate (in a blue/silvery dress) exchange kind of nice words. Then, the present the award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie. "Recount" wins.

A clip from "Dragnet" airs, then Probst is sitting on the set. He introduces William Peterson & Laurence Fishburne (who's dressed like a valet). They're presenting the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries. Tom Wilkinson from "John Adams" wins. score: Julie 0, Nicole 2

Jon Stewart & Steven Colbert say they aren't there to talk about politics. Colbert starts eating prunes and says America needs a prune. He says it has experience we need. Stewart says after 8 years of prunes, you would think... They present the award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special. Jay Roach wins for "Recount." Then, they present the award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special. Kirk Ellis wins for "John Adams." His speech is cut off.

Mandel is out with medical speech he remembers from his days on "St. Elsewhere." He introduces a clip from "M.A.S.H."

Sandra Oh & Patrick Dempsey present Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. Eileen Atkins wins for "Cranford (Masterpiece)."

Kathy Griffin & Don Rickles appear from a tent (a la "M.A.S.H."). The sensors better be ready! Griffin gets everyone on their feet. Rickles agrees to read the "funny lines they wrote for us." They finally present the award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program. "The Amazing Race" wins. score: Julie 1, Nicole 2

Sally Field (in a lovely black dress) presents the award for Outstanding Miniseries. "John Adams" wins. Tom Hanks accepts the award.

Klum & Bergeron do a demonstration on the difference between "drama" (Bergeron catches Klum) and "comedy" (Bergeron drops Klum).

Neil Patrick Harris & Kristin Chenoweth present Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. Don Rickles wins for "Mr Warmth: The Don Rickles Project." His show already won an Emmy. Rickles says he's stunned. Then, he tells a funny, heart-felt story.

Kate Walsh (ooh - where's the red hair?) & Wayne Brady present Outstanding Guest Actor & Actress in a Drama Series. Glynn Turman ("In Treatment") & Cynthia Nixon ("Law & Order: SVU") win. They present the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. The guy from "House" wins. Walsh & Brady present Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. The guy who penned an episode of "Mad Men" wins (it's actually his third Emmy). score: Julie 1, Nicole 2

Glenn Close presents the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. Paul Giamatti wins for "John Adams." He says he's "living proof that anybody can play the President." score: Julie 2 (though she also picked Gervais), Nicole 3

Candace Bergen comes out in a sparkly suit. She says her father, who was a radio star, was the first president of the Television Academy. Citing an obscure by-law, she says she's allowed to present any award she wants to. Her pick: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Alec Baldwin wins for "30 Rock." It's his first win in seven nominations (not all from "30 Rock"). score: Julie 2, Nicole 3

Vanessa Williams & America Ferrera present Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Glenn Close wins for "Damages." It's her second Emmy win. score: Julie 2, Nicole 4

The tribute to those entertainers we've lost int he last year. So sad.

Kiefer Sutherland presents the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Bryan Cransten wins for "Breaking Bad." It's his first win and fourth nomination. score: Julie 2, Nicole 4 (though I did give him a shout out)

Brooke Shields & Craig Ferguson (who does some groping of Ms. Shields) present the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Tina Fey wins for "30 Rock." It's her fourth Emmy win. score: Julie 2, Nicole 5 (if I give Julie credit for an earlier award, I'm taking some credit for this one)

Jimmy Kimmel presents the very first award for Outstanding Host for Reality or Reality-Competition show. Jimmy does a funny thing where "judges" critique the hosts. And just like so many of those hosts have done to the competitors/performers, the hosts have to wait for a commercial break to learn who wins. Probst wins for "Survivor." score: Julie 3, Nicole 5

Funny clip of "Mary Tyler Moore" plays before the lovely MTM (in a great black dress - hello, awesome arms!) takes the stage (with her show set right behind her). She introduces Betty White, who she says has been on television for 60 years!). Standing ovation for Ms. White. They present the award for Outstanding Comedy Series. "30 Rock" wins. score: Julie 3, Nicole 5

Tom Selleck presents the award for Outstanding Drama Series. "Mad Men" wins. score: Julie 3, Nicole 5

Since they didn't air the choreography category, I looked it up to give us a final score. The winner is Wade Robson from "So You Think You Can Dance." That brings our final tally to Julie 4, Nicole 6.

I have to say, the best part of watching this awards show for me was not the show itself. I was so excited to see all the promos for the upcoming Fall season. I cannot wait for all those shows I've missed to return. And I'm excited about some of the new shows starting in the next few weeks! That's another blog post...

Loudon Wainwright III

Album II (Atlantic 1970)

http://www.mediafire.com/?fmltrltztl9

To my discredit, I never gave Loudon Wainwright the time of day due to encounters with his 90s albums. It was only when I started listening to his ex-wife Kate McGarrigle as well as his son Rufus that I decided to take a stab at his earliest efforts. Boy, did I feel like an ass when I heard some of the most sarcastic, humorous and downright moving folk of the early 70s. His lyrics display a wit and eloquence that stands out amidst the earnestness and goodwill of his contemporaries. There was venom in his words, but he was never above a roll in depression and regret.

Obviously, this is his second album and it is my favorite because it is the best example of his caustic wit and smarmy worldview. There isn't much optimism to be found here. This is cynical music, but the moments of sunlight are truly moving because they are so reluctant and conflicted.

The highlight is "Motel Blues" because it is a critique of the emptiness of groupies and a musician's life on the road. On the other hand, there is a romanticism of the hedonistic void where all women are notches on bedposts. What makes it rise above base sentiments is the tender delivery and description of a lonely hotel room and the way he makes this seduction sound so tragic. Both parties are so lost and devoid of emotion, but his offers of breakfast and insistence that she is perceived as his wife instead of a one night stand transform it into something despicable and sweet. It is a desperate plea for some sort of familial relationship when it the reality is that is a cheap encounter.

The image of the absent lover or husband presents itself again in "Cook That Dinner, Dora" where he bows before his partner's domestic abilities and gives praise to the reassurances to be found in the traditions of a family dinner. Again, there is a weird misogyny afoot as he will only love her if she can make dinner happen like it exists in his mind. On the other hand, he presents the action of cooking dinner as an act of creativity that makes him love her even more. As someone who constantly cooks and clips recipes like a hairier Betty Crocker, it is endearing to me, but somewhat unsettling in its reliance on domesticity for reassurance.

"Be Careful, There's a baby In the House" refers to the arrival of his son Rufus. Again, there is a fork in the road where one side of Loudon pays tribute to the joys of fatherhood while the other side explains fatherhood as "an IOU where you cannot expect a good deal" and that a father must always be on close watch about his very thoughts. Even the way he sings the chorus is sort of sarcastic as if all coochie-coos and babytalk makes his very skin crawl. It seems as if he is unhappy with the intrusion of a child and wishes for the freedoms expressed in "Motel Blues." The rub is that the lifestyle pursued in "Motel Blues" leaves him depressed and lost.

However, this is why I love this album so much. He is painfully honest about his uncertainty about responsibility, family and the validity of love while expressing a desire for all three. He is an utter mess, but one who expresses his inner demons and joys in such a manner that makes him an innately likeable character despite his darkest thoughts and actions.

Katy Perry v Bloc Party - I Kissed  a Banquet.mp3

Friday began on a slightly gregarious note as I strolled through the misty (rainy even) evening air on down to Union Hall for a drink with my old roommate Marty at around 7pm.  The get together lasted a mere hour as Marty had plans to get dinner with his girlfriend and see a comedy show, but there was some catching up done.

In no mood to wander out into the damp, dark night, I settled for an evening of netflix in the comfort of my bedroom.  I had some good options, M*A*S*H, The Fisher King, or North by Northwest.  Ultimately, I chose M*A*S*H, in the hopes it would be sufficiently enjoyable and essential viewing for an evening that held little promise.  Upon flipping on the DVD, I was caught a little off guard, I remembered the theme from the TV show without the lyrics, but the film version had all of the original lyrics to the song entitled "Suicide Is Painless", which sort of sounds like it would be an Ozzy Osbourne song title.  I actually remember that being a question Andrew got right one night at Pub Quiz one night.  Anyway, for some reason hearing the words "Suicide Is Painless" in a ho-hum-ish sing song-y yet somber way was a little jarring.  I'm not completely sure why because it was also catchy thanks to the familiar tune.  Several points of the weekend I found myself singing the lyrics to myself thinking I should check my singing to myself habits at the door lest someone might start checking my room to see if I've got any anti=depressants to OD on.

THe film got off to a promising start with quite the recognizable cast including Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, Elliot Gould, and Sally Kellerman (only much younger than I'd ever seen them on the screen).  Unfortunately, about thirty minutes or so into it my DVD started having problems reading the disc.  After several attempts to rescue the viewing I ended up scrapping it altogether and zoning out on the TV for a few hours.  Mostly I just watched idiotic reporters being blown around by Hurrican Ike.  Now, I know the news has to be everywhere giving second by second updates, but standing in a hurricane just seems plain stupid.  I don't think the act of standing in 125 mile per hour winds should ever be construed as heroic.  Everything that is being reported on site could just as easily be given from the safety of a newsroom.  I hate the fact that everyone has to do this now.  I mean CNN had at least three reporters covering virtually the same thing.  The same thing that said...hurricanes are really windy and rainy and dangerous...back to you other guy/girl getting blown over.  We get it.  Thanks.  Just show us the devastation the next morning and tell us what's being done about it.

Saturday Morning I had a twinge of guilt lingering from the fact that I had been neglecting my gym membership  a bit for the past two weeks.  Rather than sit around and look for excuses to not be friendly to my body, I got in a quick workout.  When I returned I gave Andrew  a call to get some dinner.  We evenutally met up at at Taqueria for some hot burrito action.  Mmm...Mmm. Afterwards I swung by Andrew's place to grab some music from his diverse (and by diverse I mean 70's Prog-Rock heavy) library.  I came out of the deal with some Guns 'n' Roses and some Genesis as well as a few other tracks.

That whole charade pretty much came to a close around 3:30 pm at the latest.  The following six plus hours were spent mired in inactivity from the comfort of my bedroom.  At around 9:45 I finally made a move as I met up with Jason and Kayvalyn en route to an evening of drinking at No. 7 Greene St where we met up with the likes of Andrea, Enisha, Suli, Rich, Lina, Jeni, Kishore, and probably a few other people I'm leaving out.  It was actually a pretty good bar with a really nice if small selection of beers.  My one qualm is that they didn't have any lager's on tap and that they were charging $5 for a Genny Cream Ale...although they were out of it so no one was forced to pay an exorbitant price for a shitty beer.

At one point towards the end of the night, as Rich was seated in front of the window, the window actually came crashing down on his head.  Luckily, the window didn't break or harm his health in any way.  To apologize for their faulty pane, the bartender achieved total forgiveness by bribing us with a wonderful array of bar food that included two plates of fries.  Mmm.

I'm not sure what time we left, but on my way home I was still a tad bit hungry and swung by the 24 Hour Dunkin Donuts, which is always a good call.   When I woke up the next morning though I still fit a bit dazed.  I could have opted to walk it off and enjoy the debilitating heat brought on by the pulsating sun, but instead I did my normal Sunday in September duty and watched football....a lot of it.  You'll be glad to know that the Giants routed the Rams 41-13 and one of my fantasy teams (The New Clear Hollow Cost) emerged victorious.

Unfortunately, fate did deal me an evil hand as well, as Urethra Franklin, my head-to-head fantasy baseball team had it's season put to bed at the hands of a merciless destructor.  There's always next year and I suppose it'll do me well to just focus on one sport and thank the lord that I don't care much for basketball.  With every end comes a new beginning.

What was the first spin-off from a sit-com?  Andy Griffith had played a character similar to the Andy Taylor character on an episode of “Make Room for Daddy,” before the debut of “The Andy Griffith Show,” but in the end I don’t think it was really the same character.  If I were to guess, my guess might be “Gomer Pyle” – spun-off from “The Andy Griffith Show.”  I really can’t think of any earlier examples.

Now there are some that would disagree with me.  After all, the “Honeymooners” came from the “Jackie Gleason Show.”  But “Gleason” was a variety show, not a sit-com.  There was also the “Lucy/Desi Comedy Hour” which came from “I Love Lucy,” but that was more of a format/name change than a spin-off – a strange variety show/sit-com/occasional special hybrid.  Also, “Beverly Hillbillies” and “Petticoat Junction” (later, “Green Arces” as well) were connected by the fictional towns of Hooterville, Picksley, etc., but neither was spun-off from the other. 

EDITOR NOTE (big enough to make my head hurt)

In looking various things up, I discovered a short-lived sit-com from 1960 called “Pete and Gladys” that was a spin-off from a show called “December Bride.”  I’ve never heard of either one, but “Pete and Gladys” is described like an “I Love Lucy” wannabe.  There have been a lot of those.

 “All in the Family,” in my opinion, is the all-time spin-off champ – the sit-com to have the most spin-offs, either directly or indirectly (i.e. a spin-off from a spin-off), and also encompass the largest span of time.  “All in the Family” had been successful attacking social issues and stereotypes.  Its first spin-off was “Maude.”  She had made a couple of appearances on “All in the Family” as Edith’s opinionated, liberal, feminist, cousin.  In an era when Norman Lear was actually attacking real social issues, it was another success for him.  What started with “Maude,” ended with “407 Hauser” – an attempt by Lear, made nearly 25 years after ‘All in the Family,” the once again attack social issues.  But in a world that had changed, “Hauser” was not the shocking show it would have been twenty-five years earlier.  In-between the first and last were “Good Times” (from “Maude”), “The Jeffersons,” “Archie Bunker’s Place” (maybe less of a spin-off, more of a name change), “Checking In” (from the Jeffersons), and “Gloria.”

“Happy Days” was another show from the same era that spawned quite of few of its own.  By the time it ended, it had spawned five others – although “Mork and Mindy” and “Lavern and Shirley” were the only ones of any staying power.  Each or the three also spawned their own Saturday morning cartoon – but that’s another ramble for another day.

The end of the spin-off frenzy seemed to coincide with the end of the “Family” and “Days” dynasties in the mid eighties.  There have been a handful of spin-offs since then, but not in the vast numbers there seemed to be in the decade and a half before.  The most notable of these most recent, in my opinion, would be “Frasier.” 

In my opinion (again) “Frasier” is the only spin-off the exceed it’s “parent” in quality.  It’s also the only post-spin-off (spun-off after the original show is off the air) to be successful.  The other end of the spectrum is “AfterMASH” – an ill-conceived plot to retain MASH’s audience that never lived up to its hype.

I'd pretty much given up watching TV, apart from maybe half a dozen programmes a week, so I thought the extra channels might go some way to reducing my ever-growing expenditure on books. Yeah, right...

I was extremely pleased to find two of my all-time favourites - MASH and Frasier (intelligent comedy being as scarce as hen's teeth these days) - being re-run on Paramount Comedy 2, until I realised what they'd done to them. Take Frasier; his radio show is an integral part of the programme, and it dawned on me (more slowly than it should have), that I almost never saw him in the studio. Then I spotted, in the closing credits, the list of celebs who, in its hay-day, queued up to do the voices of Frasier's unhinged callers - but there hadn't been any callers, unhinged or otherwise, so what was going on?

What was going on was that the clowns at Paramount had edited out almost all of the radio station stuff to make room for their interminable ad breaks (even though Frasier had originally been structured to allow for ad breaks anyway, so what's the point?). I did, though, wonder what the royalty structure was for re-runs, and if one had to actually appear onscreen to get paid. This would explain why, for many episodes, the bulk of the radio station staff have been edited out. Still, at least uber-babe Peri Gilpin survived the cuts (and if you dispute her babe-hood, man, are you way too young...).

With MASH it's even worse - it's censored! Yep, the second most un-profane show on prime-time TV, ever, after Frasier, has been invaded by the ghost of Thomas Bowdler (Frasier has, too, I subsequently noticed, though not to the same extent). I didn't realise this at first, putting it down to glitches in the sound track - the tapes are getting on a bit, after all (even if they're now digitised, the source material was elderly). Then, in one episode, there was an experimental drug that caused severe side-effects in blacks - and the word "blacks" had been deleted (although there was a later recurrence which the wazzocks at Paramount had missed, which cheered me). The thing is, though, that even if some excessively-PC jobsworth thought that blacks was offensive (the concept of MASH is offensive to the pro-war brigade!), it was relevant to the context - without it the discussion of the drug became meaningless, unless you'd spotted the missing word.

So I paid more attention, and there are gaps in the dialogue all over the place - innocuous words like damn and blast, or the occasional bitch or shit, are all snipped, but why? Here in the UK it's shown in the early evening, but even so you're likely to hear far worse language in almost any vox pop slot in a news bulletin at any time of day, so what's the problem? It seriously irks me that some pea-brained pillock, with the intellect of a whelk, automatically assumes that certain words will offend me (or anyone else), when, in fact, it's the censorship itself that mortally offends me - it's but a step away from book-burning, and if Sarah Palin ever makes it to the White House, watch out for a latter-day Montag turning up on your doorstep not too long afterwards.

It appears that I'm one of the few people not to have watched even a single episode of The Wire, for which you can blame the numpties at Fx. Fx hosts two more of my favourites - NCIS and Family Guy (for me, the latter is way better than The Simpsons). It also has The Wire, and I have to sit with one hand on the remote waiting for the ad breaks, as the volume for The Wire's promos is so insanely high it's apt to make the windows bulge - WTF is going on? The Wire may well be excellent, but I'll never know because Fx has pissed me off so much I have no interest in watching it to find out. Anyway, it's the final series so there'd be no point. There's still time, though, you witless cretins, to lower the bloody volume!

Over at Hallmark, home of the Law & Order franchise, and House, they don't go in for censorship, but they do edit their programmes - I just haven't caught them at it.

The advertising department at Hallmark must be pretty inept when it comes to selling air time, because what they mostly - possibly entirely, as nothing else springs to mind - advertise is their own programmes, at absurd length and so repetitiously I can feel my brain softening. They run endless promos for Damages, often 2 or more per ad break, to the extent that, like Fx, they had pissed me off beyond all hope of ever watching the thing even before it started. But it's the length of the breaks that gets me - two, maybe three, times the length of a standard break on other channels, they eat so deeply into the programme's allotted hour that cuts must inevitably have been made. They're made with skill, though - I have to give them that - as so far I haven't spotted them.

Hallmark also has Life is Wild, a programme which has the worst promos ever made - they really, really, suck. Apart from the fact that it's apparently filmed on some studio's back lot, probably in Burbank, with egregious African scenes badly back-projected (or whatever the blue-screen equivalent is called), the characters in the trailers are so badly portrayed it's unbelievable - yet this is supposed to make you want to watch it, which beggars belief. Also, in one sequence, a nubile teenage girl (isn't it always?), is pursued by a lioness (without too much enthusiasm, it has to be said), the runner and pursuer being pretty badly inter-cut. Then, to the rescue, comes a guy with a huge rifle. He fires, and we cut to a very dead, very stuffed, lioness falling over sideways - and bouncing! Look, everyone knows that if you shoot dead a running animal, its momentum will carry it forward for several yards, as it collapses in a tangled heap. It just doesn't fall sideways with an almost audible clunk while still in a running posture. I didn't actually want them to shoot an animal just for verisimilitude, but surely a suitable film sequence exists in the archives somewhere? This nonsense is as low-tech as Tarzan wrestling with an obviously rubber crocodile, or a stuffed lion, without the excuse of being from a low-tech era. And it would have been nice if they'd made some attempt to match the colour balance of the studio shots with the African scenes. Is that so much to ask? Yes, I know I'm a picky bugger, but errors like this are inexcusable. Oh, and if I'm wrong and it really is filmed in Africa, then the producers are in the wrong job.

By now you may have gathered that I'm not over-enamoured of digital TV, and you'd be right. OK, there's some good stuff I enjoy watching, despite the attempts of the TV companies' trolls to ruin it for me, but a great deal of it is what I feared it would be - dismal, endlessly-repeated, mindless, crap, with no other function but to fill the air time.

As The Boss said - 57 channels and nothin' on. Damn' right. Now, where's that book...

It’s the start of the three-day Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) holiday in Korea and I am hunkering down in my room with a steady supply of downloaded TV programs (M*A*S*H, Seinfeld, Cheers, and The West Wing) to get me through the next three days.

Like Sollal (Lunar or Chinese New Year) most of the country literally shuts down for one-three days and a million or so Koreans head to their hometowns. There will be some places opened today—like shops and restaurants—but tomorrow (Sunday) most everything will be closed even 24-hour convenience stores. Even those convenience stores that are opened will be practically bare because no deliveries will be made over the holiday.

Having lived in Korea since 1990, I have spent a few Chuseok and Sollal holidays here alone. I don’t mind staying at home; I have already done enough traveling around Korea and besides, with so many Koreans taking to the highways to travel to their hometowns and most buses and trains already booked up, you can’t really go anywhere anyhow, so one is better off staying close to home. When I lived in Seoul Chuseok or Sollal was always a good time to do a bit of sightseeing around the city because, with so many people leaving the city to travel to their hometowns, it was easy to get around the city.

It’s okay to hunker down for a few days. I’m not too keen on wanting to go anywhere—not really in the exploring mode when in two weeks I will be flying to Laos to be with On, Bia, and Jeremy Aaron. And to be honest, I haven’t been in any kind of exploring or “doing stuff in my free time” mode since I returned from Laos in February. Since I have been back here it’s only been my family that matters most to me. First it was learning that On was pregnant and then, after I came back here finding out that my mother had lung cancer. Just haven’t had the heart to want to do anything besides work, come home, watch TV (on my laptop) and talk to On and my mom every day.

Of course my only passion has been writing—posting essays at TIBU or on my blogs—that has been my escape, my peace of mind. It’s been all about writing the past couple of months.

For lunch today I went to this small Korean restaurant that I usually go to during the week. Fortunately it was open today—not too sure about tomorrow though, the actual Chuseok holiday, if it will be open again. I might just have to walk up to Mickey D’s and hope that it is open if this small Korean restaurant is not open, or find another one in the area. There are a lot of foreign students here so I am sure there might be one or two places opened in the afternoon. Hopefully.

Just in case I stocked up on enough ramen for tomorrow.

It’s been fun, not to mention interesting to watch some episodes of M*A*S*H again. I haven’t watched this show in years—not since I came to Korea in 1990 and all the times I was visiting back home when I could have watched the show in syndication.

Of course, after having been in Korea all these years it is weird to watch it now especially with what I know about Korea and the Korean War as well as the liberties the show’s creators and writers took with depicting the country, culture, and the conflict. In an episode from the first season, there was a reference to Korea being in Southeast Asia—no doubt a reference to the Vietnam War (when the series premiered in 1972, America was still involved in the conflict). And in another episode, some Korean women were wearing Japanese kimonos instead of wearing Korean hanboks—a traditional Korean dress for women. No one would catch something like that had they not lived or knew about Korean culture.

Still, it is an interesting show to watch again even if the creators and writers didn’t get everything right.

And that’s what I will be doing this evening. Watching some episodes of M*A*S*H and doing some writing.