Raw, but c*nsored blabbing and blogging of a young journalista
and local news producer in Southern New England.
email topstorylive % at # gmail + dot = com

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Farewell, Michigan G

USATODAY.com:: "The top-hat-sporting mascot of the WB network since its inception 10 years ago, borrowed from a 1955 Warner Bros. cartoon, is 'dead and buried,' network chairman Garth Ancier confided to TV critics here Friday. "

On the frog's behalf:

Hello, my baby,
Hello, my honey,
Hello, my ragtime gal,
Send me a kiss by wire,
Baby, my heart's on fire,
If you refuse me,
Honey, you'll lose me,
Then you'll be left alone, oh baby,
Telephone, and tell me I'm your own!

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/28/2005 01:02:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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Love Over Gold (and Doohan)

[edited 01092006]

DAGNABBIT! Does Internet Explorer suck or what? After composing a complex entry in "BlogThis!".... I tried to look at something on WGBH's website and it crapped out on me. Geez, now I'm hungry for a cute little Tim Horton's all-night BLT. DAGNABBIT!

Attempt at reconstruction:

The other night I was watching some Inspector Lynley episode when I thought one of the women was the Taster's Choice woman.

Picture ripped off from TV ACRES
Remember those commercials? I wonder if they're on DVD somewhere. I don't think I should explore this curiosity too much because this is way too mundane even for me.

Still....

The commercials, believe it or not, were adapted into a NOVEL. No soap on a search for a DVD of them. Maybe they'd be on a compilation of Advertising Age crud.

Incidentally, I really don't like Inspector Lynley himself. I much prefer his associate DS Havers. I mean, Lynley can just be such a DICK! The first time I saw a Lynley episode I thought it was about HAVERS more than him. Hmph. Mom, do you watch these things? Wanna explain this to me?

Quick random link: "When Harry Met Sally" hits the stage.

---

DOOHAN: I saw like four stories today on Jimmy Doohan and the last one was the best: Fox 25 did a straightforward oncam intro into file video of Doohan on the set for one of the movies. XXXX did a VO at 5 that sucked because it felt way too in-jokey -- and then they put a REPORTER on it at 5:30... albeit a wrapped VOSOT. Get this. Halfway through the story we find out they were localizing the story.... by asking the question: Did people in Metro Providence buy more Star Trek toys because Scotty died today?

There was one sound bite from an independent store owner. Probably gathered by a photographer or intern. I hope.

I was raised on Trek myself but are you NUTS?

(By the way, you should lead off with that kind of crux. Not that anybody would care any more about the idea but still, get your construction straight.)

I thought... why are you packaging this? is it THAT slow a news day down the hill?

Eventually I wondered.... is this for all those people who have been watching XXX 00 EVER SINCE STAR TREK WAS ON THE FIRST TIME?????

Oh, dear God.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/21/2005 03:09:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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Recent grabs

[edited 01092006]

"Consumer Group Plans To Protest Sale Of MBNA": yet another BofA WILD AND CRAAAAAZY takeover.

Best of the bunch: Those kids over at MIT want to make their own SOFTWARE to homebrew their own HD broadcast switcher. And what are they producing? MIT SPORTS ON LOCATION! Read about the project at http://blogs.mit.edu/sportcast/ Kickass!

Better than a control room's monitor wall, it's Wolf Blitzer's "Situation Room."

New York Daily News's Jane H. Furse quotes Marc Cherry on the "Housewives"' gaydar:

"The moment you put a woman in an evening gown mowing the lawn, it's just gay," he said, still reveling in the Emmy nods which tied "Housewives" with "Will and Grace" for most nominations.

F*ck Screw the Prince of Darkness, he's keeping his TV job: CNN Stands by Embattled Novak

Media Life Magazine's Kevin Downey: How Fred Silverman pulled NBC to number one, and how it needs to be pulled back to number one now that Must See TV is withering. NBC has jumped on the reality TV bandwagon -- they're practically reality wall-to-wall as far as I can see -- such that I don't watch them anymore. I stumbled across it tonight for "Law and Order" and now I don't know if Idina Menzel's husband is going to get better after some hired gunman killed a witness and popped off a few shots at him too.

Jesse L. Martin! Ah. (Det. Green)

Watch Matthew Perry drop his pants on a national stage. It was on after the Red Sox-Yankees game (Sunday Night Baseball) and the only thing that got me curious was that, in a promo beforehand. A Yankee fan had turned it on. I couldn't really watch the ESPYs because I was trying to produce the 11pm.

No "Queen" on Fox 5 in the morning, Reege stresses the need for sunblock, and getting a critic a real job. Plus, even though GMA toasts Today, The Early Show is still in the toilet.

Boston's Pho Pasteur settles a labor lawsuit, the Weekly Reader's editor gets a little too close to his subjects/readership, and Gillette is looking to add a blade called P&G.

I also watched most of XXXX's "90" (the 5, 5:30 and 6) (or "earlies") today and was highly nonplussed unimpressed.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/21/2005 01:30:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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"I never thought blood could be so heavy"

Sid Smith of Chicago Tribune: "Beslan" puts human face on school deaths:

In a bit of uncanny, fortuitous timing, the PBS program "Wide Angle" this week is airing "Beslan: Siege of School No. 1" (8 p.m. Thursday, WTTW-Ch. 11), a documentary about the terrorist attack by Chechen gunmen last September.
It would be a compelling, close-up documentary of horror at any time, but coming after last week's London ordeal, it is all the more relevant and reverberating. It is also a grim reminder of how today's headlines too easily erase our memories of earlier tragedies. During the three-day Beslan ordeal, 330 died, more than half of them children.

Remember that? CBS did a network special report at about 6:29 AM Eastern, between rebroadcasts on net of the CBS Morning News (which airs live on a separate feed at 4:30 AM ET to East Coast stations who wish to use it; it does not hit network until 5:30 AM or 6:00 AM). I was still on mornings. We ended up not taking the network cut-in because it was optional and didn't last that long. Furthermore, we were already in news and reporting the story ourselves.

To me it all boils down to the question: Why terror?

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/17/2005 02:06:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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Another series I won't be able to watch because I don't have cable

New York Daily News's David Bianculli: Not exactly soccer moms:

FOOTBALLERS WIVE$. Sunday night at 9, BBC America.

BBC America couldn't be more blatant in its attempt to lure the massive "Desperate Housewives" audience to its newest import, an intentionally over-the-top prime-time soap opera called "Footballers Wive$." ...

...Just to make it perfectly clear, the series is being promoted with the following tag line: "If you're feeling desperate this summer, BBC America has a whole new set of housewives.

Quite.

About bloody time Britain tried to rip off America. We've been doing the reverse for years and years and years.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/17/2005 01:58:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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Post of Thursday night at The Call

Now that I've shot my mouth off, I should explain that after the show I actually was in a group talking with Rick the lead singer/songwriter of Clones of Sam. Not that I asked him, "Rick, I have to admit, your biceps look pretty tasty. So which sweet young thing do you flex those guns for, anyway?" He was too gentlemanly, and I would have been too out of line! Instead, as usual, I kind of kept mum. (You know, people, some days I don't have a lot to say.)

(Cue Patrick's charming imitation of Ernie snickering. At least that's what it sounds like to ME.)

All right. Some of us were led to believe that it would be Hooker Street Band on first; that was not the case. It went Silver Dahli about 9:30-9:45 (decent showing), Clones of Sam 10:30-10:45 maybe (significant following), then HSB around midnight (whew! I gotta get up early in the morning).

It was still a good show. It was good to see Ben on board.

There's this couch, on the lower level of The Call, that is all but fallen apart. At some point during HSB's set I ended up heading over to it because I couldn't sit next to the speakers (and the Merch -- sorry) any longer -- or rather, my ear couldn't sit next to the speakers any longer. Better luck next time... anyway... A young lady came and sat on the other end of the couch/loveseat... and discovered the arm is almost completely ripped off. The springs in the center of the cushions are giving way, too. This kind of caused the both of us to be jostled by the couch. She practically fell off, much to our amusement I apologized for not warning her about the hazards of the seating.

This, and various other things, illustrate: You meet the most interesting people at these things -- which is kind of what the "straight events" crack was about.

I'm starting to realize I could develop a better ear at this sort of thing; I can hear trouble in a microwave television signal just fine, but I can't yet detect serious subtleties in a live rock show product. Or can I? Like, it sounds good to me, but I have to admit I'm not listening for what's wrong -- as I am when I'm at work in television(!). I can notice when something stands out in a performance venue, that even the non-professional can tell is a problem. Like I say, I should go to more of these things. I'm listening for the new song, the old favorite, watching George jump four feet in the air while he's playing.

Yes, there was a crackle from Josh's guitar. And yes, the technician walks out on stage right in the middle of the song and mikes the amp. I grant that I've had connection to a lot of theater and performance and whatnot -- and I'm all for living fast and loose and real with it all -- but that was a very strange choice on the technician's part. I can only assume he was so aggravated by the bad connection in his own right -- that he simply could not wait until the song finished to correct the problem.

Uh-huh. If you say so.

And then there were the guys at the bar screaming for the chick playing the skins.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/16/2005 04:57:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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Jonathan the "raver"

I never followed up on Jonathan the raver whose hand I boisterously shoved the YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE BLOGGED card into. He later visited the site and wrote to topstorylive (AT) yahoo (DOT) com:

Hello to all you topstorylive ppls:

This is the "Raver" guy at Mirabar. :) thanks for the compliments and
everything. I'd like to let you all know that the style of dancing i
was
doing is called "poi", its an ancient tradition, usualy uses fire balls
on
the end of longer strings, but i'm not that advanced. Thank you once
more
and i will be reading more ofyour website on a regular basis

Jonathan D-----

(last name hashed out because I didn't want to put his last name on the Web without his permission)

Of course I don't think I ever wrote him back either to say "Thank you Jonathan, I hope I didn't seem too forward or anything, I know this is kind of weird to wind up out in Internet-land whether you liked it or not but........"

Well, anyway. Cool. Talk to you more later, Jon. You in town for the summer?

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/16/2005 03:21:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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On Loc: The Call

Ah, the senses are sufficently deadened. I should hang out @ straight events more.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/14/2005 11:36:00 PM ... Email this entry ...
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On Loc: The Call

I wonder which woman gets to feel the muscles of Clones of Sam's lead singer.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/14/2005 11:20:00 PM ... Email this entry ...
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On Loc: The Call

Well, Clones of Sam really works to blow the roof off the dump, as Letterman might say.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/14/2005 11:00:00 PM ... Email this entry ...
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On Loc: The Call

Silver Dahli's not bad.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/14/2005 10:24:00 PM ... Email this entry ...
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On Loc: The Call

I mean, I'm in danger of ordering Super Nachos. Is that a webcam?

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/14/2005 09:31:00 PM ... Email this entry ...
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On Loc: The Call

On right at 9? Are you sure?

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/14/2005 09:28:00 PM ... Email this entry ...
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New instant graffiti

Since NVNCBL shut down their shoutbox/graffiti box, I'm going to give ShoutMix a try.

Watch for it on the sideline.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/12/2005 01:54:00 PM ... Email this entry ...
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College show goes commercial

Okay, I wish this could have been the story of EIV/NBS selling a "The Late Hour"/"Trinity 63"/"This Just In"/"Bloodlines" right off the Emerson studio floor to a semi-legit net.*

Instead, it's college show re-developed years later for(semi-)legit net. From the journalistically questionable-ed Atlanta-Journal Constitution/ajc.com: UGA frat-pack raunch evolves into MTV2 show

*: Notice "Eyemissedit News" is not among these. There's a reason for that.

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/11/2005 01:53:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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U.S. media screams while BBC soothes

baltimoresun.com: TV coverage is a study in contrasts:

"The tonality, rhythm and psychology of BBC coverage of the bombings - very low-key, very measured, with no calls for revenge or emotional response - is not an accident," said Greg Nielsen, director of the BBC World Archive at Concordia University in Montreal.

"It goes back to the days of the Second World War when the BBC World Radio reports were such a key source of information for the Allied forces and the world. There's a certain attitude and quite different history from commercial broadcasters both in America and Britain that results in higher standards - a keen sense of duty in time of crisis."

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/11/2005 01:40:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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And then...

MinJungKim.com - Braindump v 5.0: Lifecycle of Bloggers

Personally, I'd rather have a posse/entourage in real life than online. Of course it would help if my posse would READ my blog. But then nobody does except Mom, Dad, and Patrick.

And only Patrick leaves comments. Hmph. 8^D LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/07/2005 01:39:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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You know, people get pissed off when you do that

I just ran across an amazing case of JUSTIFIED road rage (the blogger's rage was justified, not the "other party's"): "YOU'RE THE PERSON WHO CAUSES WRECKS. ...YOU STUPID BITCH!"

---

Route 2 in Warwick sucks. People in Rhode Island tend to pull out into traffic rather than wait for traffic to let up because Rhode Island traffic patterns tend to discourage the lack of oncoming traffic. One day I was pissed off to begin with and some woman -- yes, it was a woman -- was trying to pull out of a gas station in front of me.

I pulled right in front of her and blocked her to make her angry. "No," I motioned through the silent window, "you have to go back into the gas station and wait your turn."

---

Once I was in Boston (Cambridge, actually) and this guy -- I think -- was going extremely slowly in front of me on Mass Ave. I pulled right in front of him and started slowing down and stopping and otherwise pissing him off.

I think he ended up pulling in front of me, and maybe I started tailgating him royally. Maybe I even honked.

All I truly remember is being BEHIND him, as he stopped the car and got out and gave me the dirty look that says "Do we have to take this outside and roll up our sleeves?"

The fact that he was a big black dude who probably just got out of the gym kind of probed me into feigning car trouble.

I don't know, Kel, do YOU remember what all happened?

---

Of course the rough play at Dunkin' Donuts the other day was kind of indirectly road rage. It was precipitated by bad traffic. I think anyway.

---

Today I gave myself a flat tire, apparently out of spite. I think it took me a while for some reason to get out to Providence today but I forget why -- I was going to get my hair cut at the place I've been going to on Wickenden Street.

But they're closed for the week for VACATION. "One of these days, ...." I said out loud in frustration outside the door.

I decided to go see if one of the strip malls up North Main would have a Supercuts. One of them that was practically over the line into Pawtucket had something along those lines but I wasn't into it.

I grabbed 95 and headed towards Garden City, where I figured there would be a cheap clip joint. Alas, there was only a high-class salon. What else do you expect at Garden City?

I headed up Route Two back towards Providence to see if there was yet another strip mall in Cranston that would have a haircutter's. Indeed, at the corner of Reservoir Ave and Park Ave, there's been a Fantastic Sam's next to the Subway, the Spike's Junkyard Dogs and Papa Gino's.

I pulled into a spot. The lights were off in the space. I couldn't believe it. It was about 5:00 PM. Had they closed for the day? No -- the space was EMPTY. THEY'VE CLOSED FOR GOOD!

I took two seconds to get out and look at the sign that said they had moved down Park Avenue next to Cranston East High School.

I sighed.

I got on Park Ave and all of a sudden there it is -- in a newer, two-story strip mall/office building. I turn at the next street thinking there would be an entrance just past the corner. No. I try turning around. No, I'm on a one-way street. Then I'm on another one-way street. I end up turning around, and seeing DO NOT ENTER signs everywhere.

In a huge motion I turn around in an intersection for the umpteenth time today. I drive my front passenger wheel right into the curb.

Once I righted myself I just about rammed right into the back of a mail minivan whose male mail carrier had just disembarked moments ago.

I found my way back to the old Fantastic Sam's which was closed and said, you know, first things first. I was getting bloody hungry too.

I went and ate at Subway.

I come out, get in the car, drive forward, and my front passenger tire is going WHUMP-A-WHUMP-A-WHUMP.

I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid.

I pull forward further into another spot and examine the tire. Flat as a pancake.

I check the trunk. No magic can of "Fix-a-Flat" that came with the Roadside Assistance kit that my parents gave me because they gave it to me in Oregon and I didn't want to take the aerosols on the plane.

I walked down Park Avenue again -- past the new Fantastic Sam's. Something said to me, WAIT TO GET YOUR HAIR CUT. TAKE CARE OF THE TIRE FIRST. So I didn't get my hair cut. Yet.

Walked into the Rolfe Square Benny's. Found can of Fix-a-Flat. Made yet another credit card purchase.

Upon arrival back at the car I found the air valve nipple (???) was damaged. It was this that made me think, aha! maybe I just did this to myself -- the valve could have been pressed down enough in this damage -- when I drove into the curb a few streets over.

I used the Fix-a-Flat. I let up on the button in error while the sealant was flowing into the tire (you are supposed to keep the button down until the sealant stops flowing) so the tire is now low. While I was sitting there a guy comes over to me and strikes up a conversation about the flat, eventually getting to the old "Can you spare $1 so I can get a coffee?" and receiving my usual "I'm fresh out."

It was now close to 7:00. I think about the one big tire & auto store that's way down Route 2 practically to West Warwick (past the Kent County Courthouse, near the Christmas Tree Shops). I head BACK down Route 2.

A Town Fair Tire on the way is closed. But Pep Boys was still open. They couldn't check my tire tonight, but I've got an appointment for noon tomorrow, erm, today. I also couldn't buy a new can of Fix-a-Flat to keep in the car because all they had was the "LARGE TIRE" variety for SUVs.

I eventually got the regular variety at Target.

....What the hell was I talking about again?......

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/07/2005 01:30:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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The kids call it the Daily's new studio

New York Post reports Jon Steward Heads South 2 Blks.

And incidentally, yes, TV's Craig Ferguson does look like Dark Shadows's Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid).

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/06/2005 01:07:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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Leftover iNews top line messages

i am so angry

i was in the car for 50 minutes to travel a 20 minute ride

when I got to the dunkin donuts next to wendy's

the latte machine wasn't working

so i said "just give me the muffin", ripped the dollars of change

out of the clerk's hand, left the coins, and slammed thru the

exit door.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so i won't be going back to that d&d for a while

and when i do return i have to leave a $5 in the tip bowl

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I forgot to mention the guy swabbing mopping the floor in the vestibule where I slammed the door into the wall (but without breaking the window or anything) yelled after me to the effect of What's the idea?! so I figure I left plenty of impression on the entire restaurant.

This brings me to the topic of people who mention -- after I get frustrated over producing 5:30 newscasts, which I'm still getting the hang of -- that I should up my meds. I don't know, am I just being relaxed enough that I don't care? About how I act? Or am I getting erratic enough with my dosing -- forgetting it one night, taking it at 10:30 another, 11:30 or 12:45 the next -- that my body isn't getting the effect?

Labels: Originally published

... Scribbled by Bill T ... 7/05/2005 12:52:00 AM ... Email this entry ...
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