Top 10 Reasons I Love “Dexter”

If you haven’t seen “Dexter” on Showtime, you’re missing some quality television viewing. I am not one to sit and watch a lot of tv, but this show has successfully pinned me to my couch for weeks now as my wife & I watch seasons 1-3. We are midway through the 3rd season and the show keeps drawing me in…and tehre are several reasons for that….

10. I believe in the death penalty.
I’ll just leave it at that.

9. Jimmy Smits
He was great in “NYPD Blue” and in the 3rd season of “Dexter” he has been awesome as the one friend that Dexter has who truly understands what he stands for. I don’t know where his plotline is going yet (I’m only 7 episodes in), but I am enjoying his role right now.

8. Jennifer Carpenter
She really IS Dexter’s wife, but on the show she plays his sister and she is one of the best things about the show. She comes across as intelligent & strong, but she has many moments where she is working hard to keep herself composed. All that AND she’s good-looking…

7. The whole cast is awesome!
From the now gone Sgt. James  Doakes to the recently implemented  Detective Quinn, every actor or actress on this show has a defined role and they all make good use of it. My personal favorite? Forensic expert Vince Masuka…who is ALWAYS good for a few awesome explicit jabs.

6. My wife & I BOTH love it!
So our nightly “Dexter” fix is something we do together. And as long as she doesn’t get any ideas from it, it’s a nice way to end the day.

5. The Ice Truck Killer
Best plotline EVER. I was completely blown away by season 1 and I doubt I will ever see anything like it again.

4. Julie Benz is SMOKIN’ hot!
Even my wife agrees with me…with every passing episode she gets even better looking. Seriously…the BEST looking woman on television right now.

3. Michael C. Hall
As the title character, Hall plays Dexter close to the hip. He’s aloof but personable. He’s opinionated but not overbearing. He has direction but it wavers from time to time. He plays Dexter as he should play Dexter…as a man with a hidden agenda. And Hall makes this character one you can believe in…even if he IS hacking people up and stuffing them into trash bags.

2. The writing
Even with the “Harry” storyline growing a little thin (Harry is Dexter’s deceased father who taught him how to hunt & kill his victims), the writers of the show have managed intriguing plot twists and have turned up the heat every season on Dexter, making him squirm when he needs it and letting him breath at just the right time. I’ve enjoyed all the complications of his life and it has made for some very intriguing television.

1. He’s like me
I think the main reason I enjoy watching this show is because a lot of times, except for the homicidal tendencies, I “get” Dexter. He’s a man on his own. He doesn’t really identify with a lot of people. He is inward. He doesn’t like to be bothered with the drama of others. He goes about his life doing his thing and not regretting it. He isn’t trying to fit in and he doesn’t make excuses when he doesn’t. I like that about a person. And I like that about Dexter. He’s not the kind of person that is gonna go out of his way to fit in. Dexter doesn’t see life as a contest…and being the most popular doesn’t interest him. He is trying to keep his life, his ego & id in check and make sure that the people who mean the most to him don’t get hurt. It’s the best part of his character…and he (and this show) is awesome!

The 2009 VMA’s

I gotta be honest…I didn’t watch the VMA’s last night (do they still MAKE music videos? Because I haven’t seen any on television in forever…). I was too busy hanging out with my wife & kids and then we tuned in to watch some more Dexter (which is my new favorite show). But this morning I kept reading all about the Kanye West silliness so I went searching and came up on THIS site which showcased some of the highlights (or lowlights) and I had to share my thoughts…

He’s an idiot.

1. Kanye West has run his course. If there ever was an artist who has taken the limelight and watched it flicker out, it is this tired act. I don’t care how talented he THINKS he is, the truth is he is simply another rapper who has managed to stay popular by making a spectacle of himself in public. Here’s a thought, Kanye. If you’re so good, why not just let your “music” speak for itself? I seriously doubt Beyonce Knowles needs YOU to stand up for her at the freakin’ VMA’s. My feeling is that Beyonce will be around a lot longer than you will. No matter how robbed she might have felt (Yes…her video is VERY good. But still…), Beyonce is a class act who realizes, in the grand scheme of things, that a VMA award is little more than a trinket in her closet. For you to attempt to steal the limelight for her is bull. What you meant to do was steal the limelight for yourself. And unfortunately, it appears that your little plan worked. It’s all anybody is talking about today. But I think you’re an ass who needs to be sent a message. So for that, I will not ever buy another Kanye West song or album…ever. And if another artist uses you in their song, I won’t buy it either. You are dead to me Kanye West (not that you were ever high on my list anyway…).

2. The Michael Jackson tribute with Janet making an appearance is very cool. The dancing was excellent and seeing Janet perform in honor of her brother was top notch. Nicely done by the crew!

3. Lady GaGa is still a mystery to me. I’ve received so many responses to the blog that I wrote about her and I keep getting a huge amount of hits from folks “googling” her name (over 5,700 hits today at this point). I have no idea what the public likes about her so much. At the VMA’s last night she performed her latest single, “Paparazzi”, and then managed to hang herself onstage while covering herself in blood. I get the imagery and she was basically just emulating her video for the show, but you know she is one of the best artists out there today when it comes to manipulating the media. She is popular because she knows how to use the paparazzi. And her video and her performance last night speaks for itself. She has become the latest Marilyn Manson. And that’s cool, I guess. But look where Manson is today. And I have to believe she is following the same career path.

4. Beyonce has ass for days. And she can sing too. But I still can’s stand that “Put A Ring On It” song….

5. Paula Abdul hosting a show called “Divas”? Seems perfectly logical…

And that’s all I got.

Two Voices Gone

On Monday, one of the greatest remaining voices in television and sports broadcasting passed away. Harry Kalas was the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies and was set to work his 39th year with the Phils. Known as “Harry The K”, Kalas made the catch phrase “Outta here!” for a home run ball famous and his deep, baritone voice was also used as the voice of NFL Films. I had the honor of meeting Harry a couple of times. He wouldn’t have known me from Adam, but the couple of times that I was introduced to him he seemed like a very nice man. His voice is one of a generation and he will be missed.

Yesterday NBC announced that Cris Collinsworth will be replacing John Madden as the color announcer for Monday Night Football. With Madden stepping down from that position, yet another classic voice for the NFL will be gone. He is retiring to be with his family and I can’t blame him for that. The guy is 73 years old and SHOULD spend some time with his family considering he has been a player, a coach and an announcer over the span of his 51 year career. And considering he has his name above one of the most popular videogames in videogame history, I doubt he will be hurting for money. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2006, Madden will forever be known for his trademark remarks whenever a hard hit was thrown. “Maddenisms” are common now in the sports arena, but it was John Madden who made them famous.

So this week has not been a good one for television sports. Let’s raise our drinks to both. Both made the games what they are today and they will both be missed…

…and then Lee Trevino hit a hole-in-one!!!

So this week I’m in Augusta, GA working the CBS internet coverage of Amen Corner. This is my 4th year and it is one of my favorite events to work. I see many friends and we work a prestigious event and life is all good. As long as the weather cooperates, that is. So far it has been beautiful! And on Wednesday, the Par 3 Challenge was happening so I thought I would go snap some pictures.

I knew Jack Nicklaus & Arnold Palmer were paired up and wanted to see if I could get some shots. Earlier in the day I had seen Palmer on the driving range, but there is a spot near a scoreboard on the small Par 3 course where I could get really close to them as they rounded the bin to get to the 9th green. So I took my trusty camera out and parked underneath the warm Georgia sun.

Arnie on the range

The only problem with this location is I can’t see the tee box. So I have no idea who is hitting off the tee. So I see the first ball land off the side of the green into the water (plunk). I see the second shot land in the sand (biff). And then a third shot lands on the upper part of the green, rolls down and lands IN THE HOLE!!! Holy CRAP! Someone just hit a hole-in-one and I got to see it (albeit from a distance, but still!). Everyone is shouting out Arnold Palmer’s name, so I thought Arnie had hit the HIO! So I waited and then a couple more shots hit the green and it becomes obvious that now they are just goofing around. Not knowing WHO hit the HIO, I waited until the 3 golfers came by, I took several great pictures of each of them, first Gary Player, then Jack Nicklaus (damn camera freaked out so I only got 1 of Jack) and then Arnie came last.

Gary Player

Jack Nicklaus

Arnold Palmer

So awesome! And I was so excited that I ran back to my workplace (a truck) and told everyone what I saw!

Well…our spotter (the guy who keeps track of all the golfers on the field) was in there and once I proclaimed what I had just seen, he calmly says’ “That wasn’t a hole in one. It was Lee Trevino’s 3rd shot.”

Well crap. And here I thought I had seen Arnold Palmer get a hole-in-one and it wasn’t him AND it wasn’t really a hole in one! So I get on my Facebook page and update my status to say…

I just saw Lee Trevino hit a hole-in-three at the Par 3 Challenge at Augusta!

So that’s that…right?

Nope. because Lee Trevino ISN’T AT AUGUSTA! It was Gary Player who had hit the HI3. But in my excitement, I wasn’t even thinking about WHO had made the shot. I was just disappointed that it wasn’t Palmer. So now all these friends of mine who are golf fans start ribbing me about WHO made the shot! And it carried over until the next day…and will probably continue today. But it was all in good fun…and I DID get some great shots of 3 of the greatest players of all time! 

Wanna See Something Really Funny?

C’mon Drew! Fight the power!

I was at the gym today and watching several of the large televisions that they have positioned overhead as I sweat my way through 30 minutes on the elliptical machines. On 2 of them, ESPN. On another, a Hollywood gossip show. Another had Rachel Ray. Yet another…a Judge Judy show. And then on the one directly in front of me…”The Price Is Right”.

Now keep in mind, there is no audio on any of these monitors. If you want to listen, you have to plug in. I was listening to my IPod today, and I wasn’t all that interested in listening to ANY of the shows that were on. However just watching “The Price Is Right” without audio has got to be one of the funniest things going on television right now.

Keeping in mind that I like Drew Carrey, the guy just looks funny in a suit. I mean, he isn’t BUILT for wearing a suit. He’s built to be wearing a sweatsuit at a bar! So just starting there is a good chuckle. But then you get into the meat of the show…and I swear! It is a laugh riot!

People do some really stupid things on game shows, I know. But the kind of contestants that seem to appear on this show (or, at least, on the show I happened to be watching today) are either crazy or high on loopy drugs! They scream and jump around and fall down in hysterics and do cartwheels and hug and kiss and high five and do all kinds of crazy stuff! Seriously…without the audio track, this is HANDS DOWN the funniest show on television! So I DARE you to flip it on and watch without the sound some day. And you will see…it is completely out of control!

Oh yeah…and the models are pretty good-looking also…

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming…

The Daily Buzz

Being in Dayton this past week for the NCAA Tournament brought back memories that have started to fade from not so long ago. Almost 7 years ago, I was a part of a band of rowdies who were brought together to create a morning show that was to air on 10 affiliates across the country. Instead, it ended up being on over 100 at one point and it is still on the air to this day.

Who IS that masked man?

If you have a CW station in your area, you might be able to catch it. It’s called “The Daily Buzz”, and from August 2002 to April 2004, I was the director for that little morning show that could. Every morning I would get up at 1am and drive to Miamisburg, Ohio (about 8 miles south of Dayton) to direct the show from 6am-9am. It was an exhausting experience, driving so early in the morning, direct for 3 hours, then return home to my newborn son and wife. I even managed to continue to do freelance television on the side to supplement my income! So this meant I might get 2 or 3 hours of sleep a night before having to turn around and do it all over again.

My kids thought this was cool once…

So what is so great about THAT memory? Well…that’s pretty easy for me. For 3 hours a day, my co-workers & I were pretty much left to create 3 hours of programming every morning. The powers that were simply didn’t care WHAT we did! They just wanted us to fill time and try to be entertaining…on a budget. Of course. So there we were…in Miamisburg, OH…trying to compete with not only the local stations, but then we were on in cities all over the place, not having any idea what we were doing or why. And it was the most amazing 1 year and 8 months of my life!

My last day…5 years ago

I don’t know why you do what you do for a living, but I have always wanted to work in television or radio. At no point in my career will I ever be given the freedom to do what we did every day on that show. We would create complete mayhem just because we could! We had a rundown of things to do…but hardly ever did we follow it. From creating goofy videos to adding graphics over our talents’  faces to adding sound effects that were somewhat inapropriate. You name it, we did it. It was down & dirty tv…and we had a lot of fun creating it.

The show has changed a lot since its Dayton days. Several of the crew moved with the show to Orlando in 2005. Only 4 of the original staff remain. The show is tighter now. Less joking around and more organized, but still with the comedic touches. Recently I saw it while I was traveling and it still has that twinkle in its eye. It’s not your typical morning news show, that’s for sure! And hopefully it never will be!

The Out-Of-Control Room…
(Hot Fries, me, Up To The Minute Meko, Lisa Palmetto & B)

I miss my friends who used to work on the show with me. The guys in the control room will ALWAYS have a place in my heart. The talent, editors and the producers were all great to work with! Many have gone on to do other things and have been quite successful! For me, leaving the show almost 5 years ago was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and I still miss the camraderie and good times we had. If you ever get a chance to catch “The Daily Buzz“, you should check it out! And for your viewing pleasure…here are some moments from when I was on the show. Thanks to Brad the New Guy for posting them!

March Madness In Dayton

LOVE the Madness that is college basketball! And lucky me gets to work in the middle of it! This year, I am conveniently located in Dayton, OH at UD Arena where I got to enjoy some great basketball that went down. In the first game on Friday, Oklahoma State knocked off Tennessee by 2 points. Game 2 featured East Tennessee State taking Pitt to halftime, but finally losing. Morehead State gave #1 seed Louisville fits as well, until getting blown out by 20. And then my Buckeyes went on to lose to small school Siena in double overtime! Needless to say, this year was WAY more exciting than last year in Birmingham!

As you can imagine, the production team that puts all this together works a lot of hours to make it all work. Here are a few shots from UD Arena on this glorious weekend of college hoops…

UD Arena ROCKS!

Graphics Control

Television Truck Control Room

Our AD…who wishes to remain faceless.

Chain of Command: When I screw up…

…THIS guy, Todd, gets yelled at…

….and then THIS guy, Gary, gets yelled at…

…by our producer, Bob, who THEN yells at…

…Sue, who hires me…

…and then eventually THIS guy, Howard, gets blamed! I love my job!

Rick is the Tech Manager. He posts notes to the crew. 

Sonya is a little bit taller than Phil

 
Phil is the audio guy. Obviously he has issues…

And then the Buckeyes lost. The End.

Raycom Sports: The Best In The Business

I am in Tampa, FL working for a company called Raycom Sports. They have been producing sports events for the SEC & ACC for over 25 years now. I haven’t been working for them THAT long, but I can say I’ve put in maybe 6 years now (I think) and I have to tell you they are one of my favorite companies to work for. They have a good group of people over at Raycom. From the guy who is in charge (Jimmy) to the woman who crews me (Mona) and all of the people that they hire to direct, produce, run camera, do videotape and so on and so forth.

Jimmy & Dave have a photo moment

Skip gives us the players stats

Coming up this Saturday, Raycom will broadcast their last SEC game at the tournament here. ESPN, the mother of all sports companies, has paid for the rights to take over the broadcasts. So Raycom will be no longer doing the games which means I will no longer be working for them (I’ve done my share of Kentucky, Tennessee & Vanderbilt games). But I just wanted to say what a great ride it has been.

Dunno why Mona kept hiring me…but she did!

Todd. The guy who helps me. Don’t really know what he does…

In this business, it is very rare that you get to work for a company that seems to care about you as a person. I am lucky because I have worked for a couple, but Raycom is a little different. You know how some businesses are like giant wheels? They are so big and so all-encompassing, you just feel like a cog helping the wheel go around & around. Not so with the Raycom group. Everything I’ve ever done for them, I’ve always felt like a part of the team. We joke around. We have a good time. And this is a quality that is severly lacking in the television world today.

Dave & Roger & Gary. A great team! And I’m NOT just saying that…

I originally got into the television broadcast field so that I could be creative and be a part of a group of people working in television production that airs sports events. That has changed a lot over the past 14 years. Now it’s a “get in & get it done & get out” situation. A lot of times I have no idea who the camera guys are or where the tape guys live. We never meet! But not with this group. They have always been friendly and great to be around.

This is NOT Dave’s Hummer…

Rockin’ Robyn

Needless to say, it will be a sad day on Saturday. I will hop on my plane and head home and who knows when I will run into any of them. This business is a funny one though. Eventually you see everyone again somewhere. I can only hope that each of the folks that I have worked with during my short time with this company goes on to bigger things. But I have a feeling it won’t be better.

Jimmy is a class act

Gary is the happiest director on the planet…

Thanks for the great times, Jimmy & Mona & Lynn & Dave & Roger & Gary & Dave (who is also a blogger at “Confessions of a Bad Christian”) and all of the guys at Raycom sports! You are ALL a class act!

-Alan  

Top 10 Reasons I Like “Chuck”

So I don’t watch a lot of television. Can’t stand a lot of the crap out there, so you won’t find me watching too much except for American Idol and Monday nights when I watch “Heroes” (except for season 2…which was kinda not good) and my favorite guilty pleaseure…”Chuck”. If you’ve never seen “Chuck”, you should! There are a lot of reasons to like this little show that could…and I got the Top 10!

10. Chuck is the name of my best friend in high school.
Okay…not the BEST reason to watch…but it was probably why I turned it on in the first place…

9. The main character works at “Buy More”
Which is an obvious play on “Best Buy”…which is my favorite place to shop for cool gadgets and music!

8. The opening credits
Remember the band “Cake”? They use “Short Skirt, Long Jacket” as the opening theme. Sweeeeet…

7. The show is big on pop culture
It seems like they are always referencing Star Wars or IPods or some ridiculously hot model in the show. And the guest stars (Andy Richter & Jenni McCarthy last week) are top notch!

6. The guy who plays “Chuck” is cool and could be your best friend
He’s not…but he COULD be…

5. Chuck’s sister
Played by Sarah Lancaster…is HOT!

4. The supporting cast
Is great! From the staff at Buy More to the agent who hates Chuck but really likes him deep down (Adam Baldwin).

3. The music is uber cool
Unlike some television series that use the music to the point of annoyance, “Chuck” uses hip music of today and yesterday (The National, Frightened Rabbit, Phantom Planets, Talking Heads & Huey Lewis? Wow!) to move the story along.

2. It’s mindless entertainment
At no time does the show take itself too seriously. It’s basically the same plot every week and I love that because they find new ways to tweak the same format and they do it very well!

1. Yvonne Strahovski is really, really  pretty
Because I use the term “hot” way too much. Anyway…don’t know who I’m talking about? She’s at the top of the page. But if you don’t want to scroll all the way back…here ya go…

‘Nuff said.

What The Heck…Radio Shows On TV?

Seriously?

I realize that we are all out of unique and entertaining forms of television. Not a day goes by where I am flipping through stations (because that’s all I really do when I watch tv…change the channel…CONSTANTLY) and I come across another game show or reality show that’s not really reality or another stupid sitcom that wants to be the new “Friends”. Whatever they are putting in the water in Hollywood ain’t working because, quite frankly, it all sucks. But it is somewhat telling about the state that we are in when I can find radio shows being broadcast on television.

“Bob & Tom”, “Mike & Mike”, “Howard Stern” (used to be…I’m not sure if he still is), and I imagine others that I have not seen have hit the tube and are filling time while doing their radio show. Why? It’s radio for a reason, folks. There are 2 guys (or one guy taking calls from phone in callers?!?)…and they talk about sports, goofy stuff, world headlines…whatever. And they are sitting there talking. Just talking. Into mics. And not moving…at all.

WTF?!?! Who came up with THIS hairbrain idea? Except for maybe Stern (who regularly has strippers and porn stars on his XM Radio show), there ain’t nothing these guys are gonna do that can be considered entertainment. They are TALKERS. They get paid to TALK for a living! They are NOT television people! They sit and talk and do not move for hours at a time! Oh sure…Mike & Mike have a bunch of bobbleheads on their desk. So I took some time and tried to figure out whose bobbles they had up there. But beyond that? I have no idea what they were talking about. Oh I’m sure it was something that I might have been interested in…but who can listen when I am…falling…asleep…because it’s…soooooo…boooooring….

ENOUGH ALREADY! Gimme something to watch or else I’ll keep changing the channels and NO ONE will get my attention. And then the ratings will sag and then pretty soon EVERYONE is OFF THE AIR!

Well…except for sports. Can’t go without that…right people?!?

American Idol In Hollywood

Last night I got my American Idol fix, watching the last 5 episodes off my new DVR(damn thing was 80% full by the time I got home from being gone for 2 weeks! Hey! I’ve been busy!). And after watching, I can tell you this much…I didn’t miss much.

The final 2 weeks of the tryouts were unimpressive except for a couple of performers, and last night’s episode was almost unbearable to watch. Last night was the first night in Hollywood at the Kodak Theatre. All of the singers who were handed a golden ticket were left to their own devices on stage in front of the 4 judges and had to sing accapella. This worked out well for some, and not so well for the others. Of course, the spotlight was on mostly the good singers, and that was a good thing. When the show highlighted a singer who DIDN’T make it, it was almost unwatchable.

The tryout weeks is supposed to weed out the loonies. This week, its just mean-spirited. The lucky 100+ who were flown to Hollywood to sing are placed in a precarious situation at best. Do well, you get to continue on to tonight’s “group” extravaganza (which I HATE). Don’t do so well, and you get lambasted by the judges. And then apparently you can beg and plead for forgiveness and cry and whimper and act like a sniveling baby.

I understand that for many of these young people, this is the stuff of dreams. But its just cruel the way American Idol gives a ticket to fame & fortune to these kids and then yanks it away from them after 1 measly tryout. And then tonight, the show forces these guys to perform with other singers who may, or may not, be as talented as them. Its an early exit if you get stuck with Sally 2 Left Feet with a bad cold! And that’s not fair.

So I’m still debating if I will even watch tonight’s episode. I might just log on and see what my favorite blogsites say about the whole thing. It all stinks this week, and for many of you who don’t like reality shows or American Idol, this is a good reason why. I wish the producers of the show would get rid of tonight’s part of the competition altogether. But after 8 seasons, they STILL haven’t done it. So I doubt it will ever happen. Maybe it will be MY way of protesting…by NOT watching it! Yeah…THAT will affect their decision next season! Because I have that kind of pull…

Not.

Super Bowl XLIII

It’s been a quiet week here in Tampa. We’ve had good weather except for Thursday, when it rained the entire day. But I’ll take the one day of crap weather over the ice/snow shitstorm that hit the northeast over this past week. Here are some pictures of what MY week has been like. Very exciting stuff here. You are gonna be SO jealous!

 The truck I’ve been sitting in for a week

My corner

Ryan…the guy who tells me what to type

The lunch line

On the phone, talking to my wife & kids

Taking pictures at the stadium

Aaaaand…my hotel room. And that’s pretty much it. Exciting, huh?

 Oh yeah…

But make no mistake…there ARE lovely ladies here…

Me and the graphics crew of the NFL Network

Type A vs Type B

A recent search on Wikipedia lists a Type A personality as “impatient, excessively time-conscious, insecure about their status, highly competitive, hostile and aggressive, and incapable of relaxation”.

A Type B personality is “patient, relaxed, and easy-going”.

This week, I am working with a person who is Type A…all the way. And she knows it. And she accepts this part of herself. Now, I can’t knock my co-worker (who I also consider to be a friend), because she knows this about herself and she realizes that its just how she is. When someone else is talking, she can’t stop herself from talking. When something needs to be done, she wants to do it (even if it’s not her place or her job). And when it comes to our job, no one is more competitive than she. Oh…and one time she beat me up because I took the last cookie at lunch…(JUST KIDDING!)

I, on the other hand, am an AB personality. I am a combination of BOTH. I definitely have the traits of the A…I’m time-conscious to a fault, can be impatient at times and I have a hard time relaxing. But on the other hand, I think I’m pretty easy going and I don’t feel the need to be getting into everyone else’s way because…well…THEY are paid to do their jobs. It’s not my responsibility and, for the most part, I have found that too many cooks spoil the stew (if you know what I’m talking about). If they ask my opinion, I give it. If they need my help, I help. But otherwise, I feel I am in the way when someone doesn’t actually ask me for one or the other.

So this week has been interesting. My co-worker is definitely at the top of the heap of Type A personalities that I have met in this industry. But the good thing about her is that she doesn’t seem to have a huge ego…and that makes her better than the rest. I can tell her when she is driving me crazy and she backs off a bit. But you have to wonder what it is that makes a person a Type A or B. Is it competitiveness? A need to feel accepted? Is it just complete insecurity? Or is it purely genetic? Whatever it is, I hope I keep my A in check because sometimes it’s just annoying. But I’m pretty sure it rears its ugly head more often than I’d like. Just ask my wife…

So…which personality are you? Type A or Type B or both? And if you are a Type A…why? And what can you do to learn to relax a little? And if you are a Type B…GET OFF YOUR ASS ALREADY AND WASH THE DISHES!!!

Good Friends, Good Times

Me & Anne now…

and back in the day…

As I travel around, I am lucky that I get to see and hang with good friends from my past, present and future. I get to visit so many different places and cities where, inevitably, there is someone I know living where I am going.

My college friend, Tom, in San Diego (rocking it out in the middle!)

Today I am in Tampa and I had breakfast with a friend that I used to work with. She is 8 months pregnant and we had breakfast at the Crack Whore Barrel this morning. I love being able to see my friends that I wouldn’t normally see if I were to have a desk job somewhere. This works well for me because I work in television, and television people move around a lot. Even if you work at a news station somewhere (which I used to), you keep moving in your early years so that in your later years you can settle someplace where you can pocket some money (good luck in THIS business! But it IS better than radio!), start a family and look ahead to retirement. You wouldn’t  believe how many times I’ve been somewhere, flipped on the evening news and I know the news anchor from someplace else!

Friend & co-worker, Ginger, on in Dallas

In the past 4 months, I’ve seen a college buddy in San Diego, a high school buddy in Chicago and now a former co-worker who was a part of a rowdy band of friends that used to work for a show called “The Daily Buzz”. All of these friends I stay in touch with because of my job. And a lot of them I keep in contact with through Facebook. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve had a lot of friends find me and renew our friendship and I just think its great. Seeing as how I am constantly on a computer and how I don’t get to have a normal social life (I work a lot of weekends), this way of  “keeping up” has worked out well for me. Facebooking and then, if I’m in town, a quick visit and then on to the next gig. It’s great!

My friend from high school, ABC

So today I just wanted to give a shout out to all of my friends who I have gotten to see again or who have renewed my friendship via the world wide web. It’s really cool to see so many of my friends doing well for themselves and who have moved on to be so successful or who are striving to do so much with their lives. Seriously…I am a very lucky person to have so many great friends back in my life! And to my newer friends who I have come to know by this blogsite, I appreciate your friendship as well and maybe someday, you and I can meet for some lunch and a drink! And, for the record…I always buy the first round!

My college friend, Ed, in Seattle 

My best friend, JT, in Memphis

Fox News Has Got No Game

Ain’t THIS the truth???

Seriously…anybody watching this crap? Ever since Tuesday, Fox News has been reporting on Barack Obama’s Blackberry and whether or not he took the oath “officially”. Are they serious with this crap? Have they got nothing better to talk about?

They have NOT rambled on for hours about decisions Obama has made already to move our country forward. They have rambled on about security on Obama’s Blackberry. They have rambled on about the oath. They have no substance at all! It’s really sad that for hours on end they can take these topics and go on and on and on and on…only to pause to take a short breath to reload. Is the next 4 years gonna be like this? Will this network continue to do this for his entire tenure? Probably. Its a Republican network. There will be nothing Obama can do to satisfy these vultures.

So…for the record…Fox News sucks. When they have something interesting and substancial (now they are talking about choreography in the White House. What…now they are dancing a hoedown in the Oval Office? Is that what Bush was doing before he left for Texas?)…let me know. Not that I ever really watched their news, but I would love to consider it to be a viable option for news someday. Anyone who includes “NEWS” in their title should be able to present it in a non-partisan way…right? I always thought that was what news was…presenting FACTS, not making up silly stories to talk about for hours on end…

Oh wait! Hillary Clinton is ready to talk…gotta go change the channel and listen. Hopefully she’ll have something substantial to give to FOX NEWS to talk about…otherwise we’ll be listening to more updates on how Hillary’s dress was too ornate for this particular press conference and why it was disrespectful of Canadians…(and I will wait to see what Holly says about that! LOL)

Ugh