Episode 274: Shout-outs, movies (Stennie: Heartlands, Bet: The Descendants), Pet Stories, What’s Up With That?, New Favorite, Thing That Doesn’t Fit (Mystery of the Week), Bet’s Generic Review, Least Surprising Fact Stennie Learned This Week, TV Commercial of the Week, Fuck Offs and You Rules, Scratch-Off, Things We Wish We Had Learned.
“The Hucklebuck,” performed by Sierra Rein, Lee Rocker and Frank Sinatra. “Movies” bumper by Duke, “New Favorite” bumper by Krizzer.
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No, I haven’t listened to this week’s show yet..I plan to listen on Thursday ON AN AIRPLANE ON MY WAY TO ZOE’S COLLEGE GRADUATION!!
Ahem.
I just wanted to be first.
For once.
Maybe I’ll post again Friday night before you go on.
oy.
You gals had some happy pills before recording last Friday – good energy all around all through the episode!
There are parody laws that must cover the “Bond, Gold Bond” commercials, I’d think.
My advice to my younger self: go to dance class. Or tell my Mom to force me to go to dance class and piano lessons. I wish she had not just let me “play” around with voice and acting, and instead told me to take lessons no matter what.
I seriously think that there’s an unwritten conspiracy to not have a Financial section to teach High School kids and College adults how to handle their finances. This country should have things in place to teach us about the credit card issues/dangers and how to handle bank account issues. Then again, big companies make so much money on our ignorance, maybe they’re in on the conspiracy…oooooooooo!
Hey, remember when Bill Cosby was funny? Well into last century… 🙁
Sten, I understand about needing to block out the negativity for your own good. This is why I don’t watch TV any more. Simply too many things to improve upon. Crappy shows, crappy commercials, crappy news shows, etc. This is why fighting evil is considered heroic.
I bullied once. This kid at sleep-away camp was being openly anti-social so I called him some names and harassed him for a few minutes but realized later that day that being a douche to a douche made me a douche, so I never did it again and regret it all these decades later, despite the entire incident lasting all of 5 minutes. I should add that I do think that we can’t always hold adults responsible for things they did as kids. To be perfectly honest, there was a time when I was afraid of gays, too. In fact, there are some I’m still afraid of >_< (not because they are gay, of course…) I think there is a pretty tall stack of reasons to not vote for Romney as it is, so, him being a douche in high school doesn't need to be another.
Sten, Jay and I are glad you agree on the timing of Obama's pro-gay-marriage announcement. It's great that he did it, but it just seems poorly timed. Also, he shoulda done it before NC voted to ban it. Might have swayed them.
I definitely don't think it's too late to learn a language. For me, it's been like learning anything–you've got to be disciplined about it. It's not easy, but knowing a new language is awesome. Taking a class helps a lot if learning on your own isn't working for you.
Congratulations to Zoe, Marla!! You must be so proud!!
Is the Hawaii Five-O opening theme THE BEST theme every written or what? I know I know it’s just a remake of the original but compared to what’s running on TV today this theme is just the best.
Q) Top 10 Best TV theme songs!
CONGRATULATIONS MARLAMARLAMARLA!
Ok, now back to the show.
Boston Legal was an awesome show! Denny didn’t have Mad Cow, he had the beginnings of Alzheimer’s. He just believed or said he believed he had it, but I don’t recall why. The show is available on Netflix. Watch it.
Yoga – now impossible at my house. Punim thinks I’m playing, and he nips, prods and hops all around me. And if I’m flat on my back, he tries to sleep on me. All 75 lbs of him.
I did NOT know about Shack. I wonder if he is following in Bill Cosby’s shoes? Humor and education? He does rule. YAY positive role models!
Things I wish I’d learned:
1. Knitting/Crocheting/Sewing. The women in my family are wizards at this. I, however, do not have a clue
2. Play an instrument. I wasn’t allowed to take a class or participate in the school band, because my older siblings did, and my parents spent a lot of money for instrument rentals and lessons, and they didn’t stick with it. They learned their lesson by the time I came around.
3. Business, or something like it. Having a Masters in East German Literature is interesting, but won’t help me find a job.
Congratulations Marla (and Zoe!)
Thanks for the marathon shout out! It was truly an experience. I equally had a wonderful time hanging out with Stennie last week. Every time we get together, later I think, “Why don’t we do it more!?!”
Things I wish I learned (and I guess is never too late to start now):
1. Yes, a language. I did take 5 years of French, but if you don’t practice regularly, you lose it. I’ve lost all of it. I think I know poissons and bibliotheque. And of course I ended up in Los Angeles, where they speak Spanish. Brilliant.
2. Overcome my fear of singing. Even though I’m an actor and extremely outgoing, if I have to sing solo in front of people, it’s not pretty. Full on panic attack. (I’m fine if I sing with other people.) Go figure!
2a. Also learn to play the piano and violin. Love the sound of both.
3. Car Maintenance: I’m with Stennie. I would have loved a mechanics class so I know what’s wrong with my car. Although, I’m hoping I trust my car guy. He’s been good about letting me fix the critical stuff on my car piece at a time.
4. Finances: Or should I say math in general. Never had strong math teachers growing up. And since my brain shuts down when I think about doing math, any type of financial discussion, my eyes gloss over and I hear the adult “mumble” speak from Charlie Brown. But I’m trying to be better at it though.
5. I’m currently trying to get on the yoga bandwagon myself. There’s a nice beginner class at my gym. I’ve stuck with it since February. That’s a record for me.
6. Sewing. We did have Home Ec in middle school (along with shop class.) But, since I went to a crappy school, I didn’t learn much. I got a B in making a pair of shorts. I never even cut the fabric out against the pattern, let alone sew the stupid thing! How in the world did I pass with a B?!?
Happy Memorial Day Weekend (next weekend when the Hucklebug is off) everyone!
I agree with Sal. Hawaii Five-O’s theme song is pretty awesome.
Our hospital is offering a two-hour seminar tomorrow titled “Financial Fitness 4 Teens: Budgeting & Spending; Making Your Money Work.” It ‘s for employees to bring their 13- to 17-year old teens “to promote open dialogue about financial concepts and practices.” I can’t imagine anyone really going to it but when I saw the email I thought of your discussion. My mom did all the bookkeeping and bill paying in our family so it is something Dad had to learn when mom was sick/dying. They never shared financial details with us but I knew they counted their pennies. Remarkably, my parents put my brother and me through college without any loans — Mom was a Christmas Club fanatic which is how she saved for everything. I do all our finances and I love balancing checkbooks! I know, I’m weird……….I also love ironing (and Mom did, too).
Things I wish I had learned:
1) Spanish. A grandfather clause helped me avoid a foreign language in high school and in college. I was happy at the time because I was really afraid that I would be unable to learn it but it sure would come in handy now, especially at the hospital.
2) Piano. My mom used to beg me to take lessons but I was too busy playing sports and playing outside all the time. Plus the closest teacher, Mrs. Carlton, just up Lynn Street, was whom I would have had to take lessons from and no one wanted to go to the house of Mr. Carlton, the junior high science teacher!
3) Drive a stick shift. I always admired our friend Lisa Richardson because she had a VW Beetle with a stick shift and was just too cool for school driving it.
4) Bass clef. Euphonium music is written in both treble and bass but I only learned treble.
About the Readers Digest mystery, I imagine someone in your family subscribes and they were offered a free subscription to give away. My Dad gave us a one-year free ‘script and it probably took us three years to get rid of it because they eventually try to sell you one and keep sending you issues marked “last chance.” My suggestion is to take them to a doctor’s office waiting area; Lord knows “laughter is the best medicine.” (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
A F/O by proxy for the Virginia General Assembly who rejected an openly gay prosecutor for a Richmond judgeship this week. It never made it to the Senate because the 100-member House killed it. He needed 51 votes — 33 voted yes; 31 Republicans voted against him while 9 Rep & 1 independent abstained. 26(!!) members didn’t even vote for various reasons. People are really mad that 26% of us were technically not represented at all in this vote.
My unit had a Superlatives vote during Nurses Week (last week) and I was voted Most Knowledgeable because there’s nothing I don’t know according to my colleagues!
On Sundays in the money section of the Richmond Times Dispatch they have been taking one product from Consumer Reports and featuring it. A few weeks ago they did toilet paper and Walmart’s WonderCloud was number one for its strength, softness and cost. (Years ago, we read a similar report analyzing dog food and Walmart’s Ol’ Roy was top dog and we’ve used it ever since.)
A few thoughts, re: Jimmy Bond and parody.
First, it’s important to distinguish parody in copyright from trademark parodies.
Also, “parody” as a legal defense to a charge of infringement is a much narrower, more specific concept than the way the word is used in everyday speech. Simply changing the words of a popular song is not enough to make the new work a parody; it has to refer back to the original.
There are four factors that a court considers when deciding if a use is fair or infringing. The first is the “purpose and character of the use,” including whether it’s for commercial or non-profit purposes. The nature and character of use in a TV commercial is different from (and less likely to be considered fair use) than that of a genre parody like Airplane! or Young Frankenstein. Those works are protected as parodies because, among other things, they comment on/criticize the underlying copyrighted work. One of the basic tenets of Fair Use is that it prevents copyright holders from using copyright as a shield against criticism. A TV commercial that references another work can’t really make that claim. In fact, there was a Honda Del Sol spot several years ago that hewed a bit too closely to the particulars of James Bond, such that MGM successfully sued for damages and injunctive relief.
Even in the instance that a commercial made fair use of the copyrighted work, the producers might still have problems with trademark issues.
Recall that trademark is anything–a word, symbol, or phrase–that distinguishes goods or services and identifies their source. “Bond, James Bond” is a trademark in that it distinguishes the 007 character and identifies MGM as the source of goods/services associated with that character.
The most common theory of trademark infringement is known as “likelihood of confusion.” That’s where the junior (secondary) user makes use of a mark associated with the senior user in a way that is likely to confuse consumers as to the source of the goods or services bearing the mark. It’s also trademark infringement to create a false association, affiliation or sponsorship.
In the Gold Bond example, (assuming I found the right spot) the use of a mark similar to MGM’s is probably not likely to cause confusion, but there might be an argument for false association.
The other theory is trademark dilution. That’s where a “famous” brand can claim that use of its famous mark by another causes harm by “blurring” the connection in consumer’s minds between the famous brand’s mark and its goods/services. MGM could argue that using a phrase similar to “Bond, James Bond” dilutes (and thus harms the value) of its trademark. In this case, though, the Gold Bond folks (at the behest of counsel, I’m sure) have done a good job staying out of trouble. Their phrase “Bond, Jimmy Bond” is a clear but sly reference to James Bond’s catch-phrase, but it’s different enough that, when combined with the other elements of the spot, can’t really be said to blur or dilute the James Bond brand.
That’s really the key–make a reference, but don’t ride the famous brand’s coattails or otherwise try to benefit from the association. Anyone wanting to referencing somebody else’s brand (and get away with it) would do well to follow Jerry’s advice from the cleavage-ogling scene in Seinfeld: “[It’s] like looking at the sun. You can’t stare at it long, it’s too risky. You get a sense of it then you look away.”