Episode 280: Shout-outs, movies (Bet: The Ides of March), books (Stennie: The Leftovers), TV Commercial of the Week, Pet Story, Bet’s Question – The Olympics, Earworm of the Week, Video of the Week, Softball Report, New Least Favorite, Link of the Week, Bet’s Highlight, Fuck Offs and You Rules, Scratch-Off: Live!, Worst Shark Jumpings.
“The Hucklebuck,” performed by Sierra Rein, Lee Rocker and Frank Sinatra. “Movies” bumper by Duke.
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Hello Loves!
First off, I want to apologize for being an utter shit and not getting my THANK YOU out to you before you went to air last week. I loved all the shout-outs and good wishes. It was indeed a good birthday weekend, in spite of it all.
Jumping the shark – I’d love to hear what you have to say about bands jumping the shark.
As for TV shows, I’d have to add the following:
1. Arrested Development – when Rita came into Michael’s life. I liked the last two episodes of the show, but those were done after they knew they were being cancelled. if they’d continued on with the Rita story, I would have stopped watching.
2. All in the Family – when the Stivics move away and Steffie comes in.
3. The Cosby Show – when the character of Pam was introduced. It just made no sense and the show changed course right down the toilet from there.
I’m sure there are many more, but alas, I can’t think of them.
I’ve been saving this comment for two weeks now, but RIP #Squeeze! I will miss you and forever think on you fondly. *sigh* We’re never actually going to do a Skype chat, are we…?
I don’t care enough about Keira Knightly to spell her name right or weigh in on her acting chops.
Olympics – I think the athletes should be non-professionals. And as long as a person qualifies, they should be allowed to compete, regardless of age of previous medals won.
I purposely didn’t view Heidi’s link that she said would make me cry. I just don’t need that shit.
And finally, I’d like to ask for a fuckoff by proxy to the following:
The departments of HUD and Treasury for making it impossible for me to qualify for HARP – because I don’t have a job, and HAMP because I am fiscally responsible. In order to get a lower rate on my mortgage, I have to be flat broke and behind SIX MONTHS on my mortgage payment. HTF does that make any sense?
The weather. I cannot deal with 95-100 degree temps with humidity in the upper 90s, nor can my dog. We are sick of it and would like to go back to the low 80s RIGHT NOW.
With Janet already in London, I volunteered to work today (July 4th). I only had to work until noon so it wasn’t too bad. When I came home, I decided it was a good day to catch up on the podcast so I listened the last three episodes so have several comments!
And crap, Bet, another RIP. Sheriff Andy Taylor.
From #278, I have never been to a drive-in movie! I was never allowed to go to the one in Bluefield and just have never gone anywhere else.
From #279, thanks for whatever good vibes you sent for Janet to win a ticket to the OC tech rehearsal. Maybe you should explain the hands-on-the-monitor rule since I have now violated it twice — once about Zippy and this Janet thing. I was surprised that you both thought the Opening Ceremony was more about the athlete parade than the cultural stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing the athletes outfits especially, and I like seeing the excitement of the athletes from smaller countries or poorer countries, but I love the display by the host country celebrating and displaying their uniqueness.
Also, I would have liked to have lived on the Bonanza ranch. They had a great house and although I’ve only been on a horse twice in my life, I’m sure I would have learned to ride living there and would have loved it.
From #280, Stennie, nice review of the Kindle. We’ve thought about getting one but now that we know you can’t skip and read the last page, I know Janet won’t want one now. She definitely has that habit.
About the Olympic age-ism question, I think if you make the Olympics, you make the Olympics. Beckham wasn’t chosen because they could only have 3 players over the age of 23 (this is just how the soccer federation chose to limit the Olympic men’s squads) and they just couldn’t justify picking his pretty face (and it is pretty!) as one of their veteran players. He has been a great ambassador of London, helping them bid for the games and going to Greece to escort the flame for the torch back to the UK and hopefully now that he won’t be a participating athlete, he’ll be more visible just as an ambassador of the Games.
I don’t mind the athletes participating in more than one Olympiad. They train year round and compete every year in championships that don’t get the attention that the Olympics do. (Of course some do retire and then come back — Michael Phelps only got serious about coming back just in the past year.) I know for myself, as an athlete, winning never grows old. The last team sport I participated in was indoor volleyball and we had a team mostly made up of similarly aged 40-ish year olds and there was nothing sweeter than beating a team of young, skinny bitches who you just know took one look at us and thought we would be an easy win for them. Oh, and the professionals participating just couldn’t be avoided because of the funding provided by sponsors, etc. Plus, why should a world-class athlete not be able to make money doing what they do best?
Bet, the story about Granny’s pants falling down was an absolute hoot! Just you trying to get the words out admidst you still laughing about it was worth the price of the podcast download. That’s right up there with the neti pot (blog) story!
I’m glad you all mentioned the second season of The Riches; it did get too complicated.
We watched Harry’s Law because we like Kathy Bates. In the first season, they were a small law firm in a bad neighborhood in Cincinnati and they had simple cases for folks in the neighborhood. By the second season, it had morphed in to just another David E. Kelley series with many of the same ol’ actors and actresses playing the same personalities in his prior shows. So we weren’t surprised (or disappointed) that it was cancelled……except for the Kathy Bates bit since she’s old and overweight like us!
And lastly, I used to think all dogs love water, too, until I met our Pinto. He drinks water but that’s it. We can go to the river and Zippy will go charging in to the water (even Zippy won’t swim but he will sit in the shallow water) and it can be hot as hell and Pinto might go to the riverbank and take a couple of drinks of water but only if he can do so without getting his feet wet. He will walk around a mud puddle; Zippy will plow right through it.
Thanks for keeping me company today! You filled the house with conversation and laughter!
I have never noticed Miss Knightly’s forehead or her eighthead. >_<
Glad you guys dug the Eureka Seven/surfing in the sky thingy. There are some mildly annoying moments in that show, but there is so much surfing in the sky (with robots even!) and some pretty trippy concepts, too, that make me glad I put up with the few annoyances.
I am so not a sports guy so I have a hard time caring about the Olympics. Amateur/professional–I don't know–make all the events "to the death" and see how many care about endorsement deals. (Yes, I'm reading the Hunger Games books, so?)
Speaking of Katie Holmes, did you guys see the video Jay ThePal did last Monday? Here you go: http://youtu.be/0p-j_sa2vOo
Sten, I have to defend "Murder One" season 2. I went to a talk with Steven Bochco at the Director's Guild when MO was still on and he said that ABC really hated the "one story" structure he had used in season 1. So, he compromised with the network overlords and did (I think it was) three stories over series 1 (the change in actors, I don't remember for sure, but I think the actors from season 1 who left went on their own).
I think that first season must have been so amazing that you're kind of unfairly judging the second season (I never saw season 1, so I am only comparing it to other shows). I haaaaate lawyer shows (like Bet hates Green Acres) and I really loved two of the three stories in season 2 of "Murder One." I think if you compare it to other lawyer shows you might find that it's still way better than most. Plus you've mentioned your dissatisfaction with "Murder One" season 2 before and I've defended it before, too. 😛
"You broke my heart, Frito" #teehee!
Happy Fourth to all — and this year I am grateful for the AC. It was a rough weekend last weekend, and some people around here didn’t get their power back until yesterday. And it’s going to be 106 degrees tomorrow! What’s up with that?
Keira Knightly just needs to eat a lot of sandwiches. She’s not unattractive; she just looks like she’s going to break.
Gotta go out there again — it’s like walking into a blast furnace.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court was an apocaplytic novel by Mark Twain (and, IMNSHO, one of his three best works), but mainly a satire of chivalry a la Sir Walter Scott.
It’s been turned into a musical, a play, a radio drama, and a movie (with Will Rogers as the Yankee), but it was first dramatized by Twain himself, though I can’t remember it it ever made it to the stage.
Read it! It’s seriously good.
Speaking of dachshunds (of which I’ve owned two, and never will again), Mark Twain described one as “made on the plan of a bench, with legs that look like parentheses turned backward…that barked steadily at nothing…until it died.”
I just heard on NPR that today’s high in Los Angeles was 76. Stennie and kitties, brace yourself! We’re coming to see you and we’re bringing dogs!
Keira Knightly. I like her sometimes, other times not. Depends on the role I guess, but she does need to eat a little. Maybe once she gets married, she’ll put on a few “contentment” pounds. If you want to see really skinny, go watch her in King Arthur in her “battle” outfit. Wow. I do think that’s just her body type though. She’s the same in every film, so at least she doesn’t yo-yo diet or have an eating disorder. From hearing some of her interviews, she seems rather normal.
I’m starting to wonder if I should get an e-Reader. I’ve been holding out forever now because I rarely have time to read. I WANT to read more, but seem to fall asleep when I try to. But, I did download a small book to my iPhone to read in the car on vacation. It was pretty fun. Now, that being said, do I want to spend the money on the real deal and would I actually use it once I spent the money? Would it actually help me read more? I could transfer my magazines to it, but there’s just something about a glossy magazine I still love. I already have a Macbook Pro, an iPhone and an iPod Touch. Do I really need the iPad? I know everyone loves theirs. My aunt likes her Kindle Fire, so I could go that route. Both my parents have the Sony Nook, but neither cares about color or gadgets. What to do? Hrmmm…
I think you may have mentioned Moonlighting when it jumped the shark. That sucked.
Also, this past season of Castle, they just got the leads together after like 4 seasons. So, I’m curious if it will screw up the show now.
I love Archer on FX, but Season 2 wasn’t nearly as good as Season 1. I don’t have tv now and they don’t stream it online that I can find, so I don’t know if Season 3 is better or worse.
I know there have been more sharks jumped, but I’m drawing a blank at the moment.
Olympics – I say as long as they are considered non-professional, let ’em compete regardless of age. If a 35 year old is still better than a 23 yr old at something, why not? I did a heavy amount of national and international competitions for dance/baton twirling growing up. According to the NBTA (National Baton Twirling Association), you are considered “retired” after age 25. You can no longer compete. I think ice skaters have to turn “pro” to be able to do those touring shows, which makes them ineligible for the Olympics.
Hope you guys in the heat wave get some relief. 🙂
Happy Belated 4th everyone!