When you’ve got a big production that more than a million people show up in person to see, it’s probably understandable that not everything is going to be perfect. Despite any slip-ups, Barack Obama is now our president, and is off to a running start. Good luck sir, and good luck U.S.A.
GEORGE’S PARDON: No, I’m not talking about Bush, I’m talking about a lobster! Read all about it in clips from this CNN report:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A giant lobster named George escaped a dinner-table fate and was released Saturday into the Atlantic Ocean after a New York seafood restaurant granted him his freedom, according to a statement from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The lobster, which PETA said was 140 years old and weighed 20 pounds, had been confined to a tank at City Crab and Seafood restaurant in Manhattan when two customers alerted the animal group.
The PETA statement did not say how the extraordinary age estimate was determined, but restaurant manager Keith Valenti told CNN that lobsters can grow a pound every seven to 10 years, and he put George's weight at 18 to 20 pounds.
"I've been here for 12 years, and that's the biggest lobster I've ever seen," Valenti said.
He said the lobster had been "sitting in the restaurant's tank and acting as a sort of mascot," but when PETA got involved and requested the release, it "seemed like the right thing to do."
STEVE: Uh, George? Hello?
GEORGE: I hear you loud and clear, my son. What wisdom do you seek from me?
STEVE: Just briefly, can you tell me what events from the past 140 years stand out most in your memory?
GEORGE: Janet Jackson exposing her breast at the Superbowl.
(LONG PAUSE)
STEVE: Huh? Nothing else?
GEORGE: It was the event of the century.
STEVE: I’m almost afraid to ask, George, but why does that event stand out for you?
GEORGE: First it was radio, then movies, then TV, then the Superbowl, then the boob. Everything prior to it led up to that event. Why do you think they called it the “Boob tube?” There’s nothing else to watch on TV anymore. TV reached it’s highest moment with that moment. Gurgle.
STEVE: But what about all the other stuff? Surely you saw some other things that stood out in your mind.
GEORGE: Not really - at least nothing that gets to the point quicker than the boob incident. Take a look at TV today. Soft porn is everywhere. They tease us all the time with the stupid idea that maybe we’ll see some action. But with the boob, we actually SAW some action! I don’t waste my time on empty promises. And I don’t waste my time watching s**t that promises action but never delivers. That’s why television isn’t relevant anymore. Gurgle.
STEVE: Thanks, George. You’ve given us a lot to think about.
And for more on the superbowl, enjoy my post here:
http://heroshaven.blogspot.com/2007/02/super-ads-square-one-and-silver-surfer.html
REVIEW: THE NEW ELECTRIC COMPANY: They’re gonna turn it on, and so they have with the new Electric Company TV show that debuted this month. It’s a far cry from the classic series us 1970s kids grew up with, but what they’ve dropped has been replaced with other fun stuff. Think of a cross between “Ghostwriter” and “Beakman’s World” and you get an idea of how the show is structured.
This time around, the “electric company” is literally electric- they’re a group of city kids who have special super powers that have to keep the neighborhood safe from the mean pranksters who want to ruin everybody’s day. Kind of a cross between “Misfits of Science” and the Jedi vs. Sith. (Maybe a little bit of the Power Rangers in there as well.) Despite some cool throwbacks to the old days, this show has a different vibe overall. Still fun, though, with a few fun short films in the mix of the still unique show. Overall a thumbs up. But you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t watch every week- being a grownup takes time. As I’m sure Julia Grownup would agree. She’s not on the new show, unfortunately, but let’s take the good and run with it.
You prefer the old series? Enjoy my review of the Electric Company’s Greatest Hits and Bits. Just follow the link below.
http://heroshaven.blogspot.com/2006/11/review-electric-companys-greatest-hits.html
I’M GETTING WORRIED NOW: Circuit City is going out of business. Argh. While I didn’t always shop there, the fact that a major electronics retailer is vanishing does not bode well with me. There aren’t too many major chains left that sell turntables! Or cassette tape decks! Or hard-to-find accessories! Or DVD sets of the old Electric Company series! It’s always good to have options, and now we’re losing some of them. I hope we get some new electronics stores back soon. Here are some past posts about some of our other recent losses in the music business.
ON YOUTUBE: BEAUTIFUL DAY GOES THROUGH THE HOOP: At last! After almost two years, I’m finally able to present my first video on my YouTube channel!
Well. . .sort of. It’s actually a cooperative effort between applejax2006 and myself. He has still images from a rare Ernie and Bert skit, and I have an incomplete audio clip. He has edited together his images and my audio for a fun recreation of the sketch. It will have to suffice until we get to see the full version again. The audio was recorded off the air in about 1982. I am currently working on a project of putting together some rare audio clips from the show from my cassettes. As you can imagine, the audio isn’t perfect, but at least it’s there. You’ll hopefully be hearing more of it once I get the CD made.
Enjoy this clip, along with a classic sketch of Ernie asking Herbert Birdsfoot (remember him?) for a favor. They’re both in my favorites folder on my YouTube page:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=sesameguy2000
BLOG/YOUTUBE CHANGES IN STORE: I plan to rerun some of the classic clips that were on my YouTube favorites page for a time and were later deleted. So you will hopefully be seeing the alternate theme to “Big Blue Marble” and the Friends underwear ad again. That underwear promo kind of relates to what George was talking about earlier, but we’ll post it anyway. Those clips will be returning within the next month, along with new posts for Valentine's day. Also, some of my blog postings are going to be deleted to make room for new ones (don’t worry, nothing cool will be cut!), as well as some additions to my links list. Stay tuned!
