So it's been 3 weeks since the last blog here huh? Well, i've been spending these 3 weeks forgetting about my blog in favor of improving my studies and doing other things. Maybe I spend too much time editing Wikipedia and other stuff that I forget about this. But oh well. I read other blogs too, so it's a bit hard for me to forget about mine...someone asked about it and then I quickly realised (on a rough draft Notepad TXT file on my computer) that I owe y'all an entry about the Parents Television Council and my experiences watching Dexter...the whitewashed version on the CBS network due to the fact I have never had cable in my whole darn life. Here, where I live, CBS (KPIX, channel 5) airs Dexter every sunday night at 10:00 PM local time (Pacific time by the way)
Oh, and regarding the PTC, one concern I have is their vendetta against CBS for showing an [edited] version of the Showtime cable channel show Dexter. It hasn't been the first time a show has been presented from premium cable to broadcast. For example, [censored] Sex and the City reruns are shown on local TV station KRON 4 weeknights at 11:30PM and Sundays 10PM...due to FCC regulations over indecency (which can be shown only 10PM-6AM to avoid fines). CBS has shown Showtime's Brotherhood once on CBS edited to TV-14-LV (the original is TV-MA on Showtime). Ditto for Dexter, according to CBS.com, it was edited down from TV-MA to TV-14-LV. That the PTC dislikes:
"Despite repeated public promises for responsible edits and accurate ratings guidelines for parents, CBS elected to assign this graphic program with an adult storyline a TV-14 rating, meaning that CBS decided that the show would be appropriate for children as young as 14 years of age. The show was supposedly edited for broadcast television, although the show featured the main character, Dexter, shown with a victim taped to a medical-style table, cutting the man with a scalpel and then approaching his head with an electric saw. A few other lowlights include Dexter shown covered in blood, lining up severed body parts on a table, and Dexter driving his car while the severed head of a woman hits the car and rolls into the street.
"“Despite countless public calls for restraint and corporate responsibility, CBS broke its own promise to the public that it would employ careful editing and accurate ratings guidelines for Dexter. Depictions of violence were barely altered from the Showtime Network original format. If, as CBS repeatedly promised, the program was targeted only to mature audiences, why wouldn’t they assign a mature audience rating of TV-MA? What could possibly lead them to determine that a show about a pathological serial killer ‘hero’ could be appropriate for 14-year old children? The only reason is corporate greed. CBS knows full well that advertisers would flee in droves if the program’s rating accurately reflected its content,” said PTC President Tim Winter."
All I can say is that based on my viewing experience of TV-14-V programs on the broadcast nets, Dexter is just a bit more violent than if not as violent as any other TV-14-V show you'll see on TV, like CSI on CBS, 24 on Fox, or Heroes on NBC. Yes, there were gruesome scenes with the buthcer knives and needles and all, but I've seen that type of violence on Heroes, which was shown even EARLIER than was Dexter (Mondays, 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific; 8:00 central on NBC, before the darn writers strike). So where in the world was PTC when that occured? What about the older Sunday 10PM CBS program Shark? According to the PTC's own Christopher Gildemeister, author of the "TV Trends" column:
"...the September 23rd season premiere of CBS’ legal drama Shark showed more 'realistic' violence. In the episode, police find the severed head of a mobster on a chess table in a park. Blood oozes from the frayed edges of the man's severed neck, and a chess piece has been shoved in the gangster’s mouth.
Additionally, according to PTC's own Family Guide to Prime Time Television:
"Shark airs at 10:00 p.m. and has adult themes of murder and the circumstances surrounding crimes....In the premiere episode, S[h]ark handled a case involving a pop singer who video-taped sex with a friend and then murdered him when he did not want to make the tape public...Violence began as milder, but as the series progressed, it has been much more graphic. This season, depictions included a stabbing and a strangulation murder."
And compare that to PTC's just-released review of Dexter, regarding the violence there:
"As is expected, a series about a serial killer is extremely violent and grotesque. Dexter is depicted capturing his victims, tying them up, cutting their faces with scalpels, and in one incident, chopping a man up with a meat cleaver and stacking up dismembered body parts while covered in blood. Also, Dexter examines crime scenes that included two different dismembered bodies, huge amounts of blood spatter, and later he witnesses a killer tossing a severed head out of a moving vehicle. There is a killer Dexter and the police are tracking that leaves dismembered body parts all over Miami and these are shown in close up in every episode. The violence is very graphic and disturbing."
Although I don't watch Shark, my crime-TV diet including CSI, 24, Law & Order, and The Shield, I pretty much have the impression now that Shark is pretty much on the violence border near Dexter. So why hasn't PTC taken too much action against Shark then, given that both shows air at pretty much the same Sunday 10/9c timeslot?? Could it just be that Dexter is a product of a premium cable network (Showtime network actually)? Could it be that "Shark" is too critically acclaimed? Could it be that PTC members are secretly "Shark" fans? What? Hey hey, Bill Frost of Salt Lake City Weekly had this to say in response to PTC's apparant "Double standard": "[c]hildren — habitual fans of Shark at 9 p.m. [Mountain Time] Sundays, apparently — might be scarred by Dexter." (Should be noted that Salt Lake City, Utah is in the Mountain Time Zone of North America)
What's fascinating about the PTC's complaints is that they freely assert that TV-14 ain't strong enough. Wow. Seriously, I really question how many American parents are still concerned over their 14-year-old child's innocence. In 10th grade, I read JD Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye tackling that same damn theme...the book got a fair bit of hot water over that when it first came out 'round the 50s. And regarding PTC, the "not appropriate for 14-year-olds" part has been applied not just to Dexter, but also to CSI: Miami (I haven't seen the episode in question so I can't really comment on that...but chances are it had the "S" and "V" descripters or whatever so the parents/viewers would've been extra warned about the content)
And then in October 2006 there was the PTC's campaign against NBC's long-running medical drama ER and the short-lived MyNetworkTV soap opera Desire - both being rated a flat TV-14 - over the use of profanities "tits" (ER) and "shit" (Desire), words they claim are inappropriate for 14-year-olds. To paraphrase Brent McKee, author of the blog I Am a Child of Television: "The mythical 14-year old child whose mind is irrevocably corrupted by this show is the main focus" of the PTC's anti-Dex campaign.
You got that right Brent. (Not Bozell of the PTC, but the author of the blog.) Even more hilarious, still PTC thinks that a TV-14 with added descriptors is still not strong enough. Take the episode of Without a Trace that caused CBS to be fined nearly $3 million back in March 2006. It's a pretty messy story. The episode originally aired 11/6/2003, 10PM (East/Pacific)/9PM (Central/Mtn), rated TV-14-LSV. PTC files a truckload of complaints against it, Viacom (then-owners of CBS network) pays the FCC a few $100,000's to dismiss their complaints. The episode reruns on CBS on 12/31/2004 (again the 10/9c timeslot and TV-14-LSV). About two weeks later into the new year of 2005, (actually on 1/12/2005), the PTC (and another "pro-family" group American Family Association) files an estimated 4,000 complaints in total. 3/15/2006 comes along, FCC fines CBS near $3 million, the biggest fine against a TV network to date...all by organizations whose complaints' legitimacy is at best questionable.
So let's get this straight. First off, PTC complains when it feels that "TV-14" isn't strong enough rating for a particular show (think CBS's whitewashed Dexter). And then when a TV-14 show has three of the four available descriptors to warn parents about objectionable content, PTC ignores the rating and complains about the show anyway since the show is "live bait" for a network to get fined, content ratings be damned. So now we all have a Parents Television Council with all sorts of bias and cherry-picking in its reporting. It is very important to approach the PTC's reports with an open mind, given their poor reputation for all its errors and bias, and of course their FCC complaint machines...recruiting "meatpuppets" to make it seem as though more and more Americans than ever are complaining about TV sleaze. In the future expect me to obliterate whatever quote-mining, fact selection, spin, distortion, fog, snow, haze, whatever the PTC spews out of its noise machine.
27 March 2008
23 February 2008
When I was gone...
So this is pretty much my first blog I've written since August 2007. New year of 2008 has come, with only 10 more months of the wicked presidency of George W. Bush and the predicted entry of good old Barack Obama, the first semester passing me by with sand and fog, the writer's strike coming and going, the death of Benazir Bhutto, the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics in my beloved Beijing, China (I have extended family there), the sequel to Virginia Tech over at Northern Illinois University, the winter storms in China, and loads and loads of other things I could write a lot of blogs a day about that I don't want to include here.
In the past week weird things have come up on my cell. For some odd reasons I've been getting odd calls on my cell phone. I went on google to look 'em up. One of 'em was from a Vietnamese woman living in Milpitas who dialed the wrong number I guess.
But things get worse. I've been getting calls from places like Phoenix, AZ and Newton, MA about "car warranty expiration" when hell, I don't even own a car! Google this. Found a site 800Notes.com that led me to this. Look up suspicious phone numbers there.
The reason why I haven't been able to blog? Due to the fact that I take 3 AP classes...as I've repeatedly mentioned ( I guess in my humble memory) Calculus AB, English Literature, and US History. So far I think I am dong better in them, after a pretty unstable first semester. Lately I've been getting tutoring for Calc AB after struggling with Applications of Differentiation, and since then my grades have improved. I will take the SAT test in May 2007, a couple weeks or so before the AP exams. I have also gotten tutoring in that class, specifically for the writing section and speculatively in the critical reading. I just took a practice SAT today and got 2050. Some genius I am! :) My goal is at least 2200, or if I kick a lot of ass, then as far as 2400 I can go. Well all I can say for myself is to be more careful with the problems and make sure I check every single damn word they say.
I know that the SAT has been criticized a lot due to it's "anti-intellectual" attitude and lack of scope within the brain...that's why some American liberal arts colleges have dropped it in favor of bigger and better things (a.k.a. Your Brain). As far as the Essays go, Massachusetts Instituete of Tech writing diretor Les Perelman has claimed that common "cheating" techniques to get a high scores on the essays like 10 or 12 (the scale is 12) include making your essays uber LONG. Plus, Perelman has a valid point that the writing in the SAT essay pretty much defeats "good" writing you do in AP English classes or wherever that makes you polish it like a shiny new car. But I defend the SAT essay, while I do agree that it ain't as great as, say your AP Lit analyitical essay, at least it tests your ability to make a good argument, through good evidence and structure and proof. I think I'll be able to do well on it, since my tutor recently commented that my writing has greatly improved since the first time we met back in January 2008.
In coming months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, microseconds, and specks of dust, here's a list of topics I will be writing about:
- Politics as I hear from theliberally biased news media...from both the Democratic/Republican sides of course...or at least i HOPE i stay balanced.
- The upcoming agenda from moronic self-appointed "morality" groups like the Parents Television Council and American Family Association to destroy the first amendment in the name of fundamental 1960s family values that many of us can think beyond. You'll be seeing in the coming times how cranky and foolish these hypocrites are, with the EVIDENCE of course (I promise not to spin)
- Of course, my own life, including my dreams, favorite TV, books, movies, friends, school, and the whatnot.
Now excuse me when I go back to watching PBS' presentation of the BBC's adaptation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"...
In the past week weird things have come up on my cell. For some odd reasons I've been getting odd calls on my cell phone. I went on google to look 'em up. One of 'em was from a Vietnamese woman living in Milpitas who dialed the wrong number I guess.
But things get worse. I've been getting calls from places like Phoenix, AZ and Newton, MA about "car warranty expiration" when hell, I don't even own a car! Google this. Found a site 800Notes.com that led me to this. Look up suspicious phone numbers there.
The reason why I haven't been able to blog? Due to the fact that I take 3 AP classes...as I've repeatedly mentioned ( I guess in my humble memory) Calculus AB, English Literature, and US History. So far I think I am dong better in them, after a pretty unstable first semester. Lately I've been getting tutoring for Calc AB after struggling with Applications of Differentiation, and since then my grades have improved. I will take the SAT test in May 2007, a couple weeks or so before the AP exams. I have also gotten tutoring in that class, specifically for the writing section and speculatively in the critical reading. I just took a practice SAT today and got 2050. Some genius I am! :) My goal is at least 2200, or if I kick a lot of ass, then as far as 2400 I can go. Well all I can say for myself is to be more careful with the problems and make sure I check every single damn word they say.
I know that the SAT has been criticized a lot due to it's "anti-intellectual" attitude and lack of scope within the brain...that's why some American liberal arts colleges have dropped it in favor of bigger and better things (a.k.a. Your Brain). As far as the Essays go, Massachusetts Instituete of Tech writing diretor Les Perelman has claimed that common "cheating" techniques to get a high scores on the essays like 10 or 12 (the scale is 12) include making your essays uber LONG. Plus, Perelman has a valid point that the writing in the SAT essay pretty much defeats "good" writing you do in AP English classes or wherever that makes you polish it like a shiny new car. But I defend the SAT essay, while I do agree that it ain't as great as, say your AP Lit analyitical essay, at least it tests your ability to make a good argument, through good evidence and structure and proof. I think I'll be able to do well on it, since my tutor recently commented that my writing has greatly improved since the first time we met back in January 2008.
In coming months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, microseconds, and specks of dust, here's a list of topics I will be writing about:
- Politics as I hear from the
- The upcoming agenda from moronic self-appointed "morality" groups like the Parents Television Council and American Family Association to destroy the first amendment in the name of fundamental 1960s family values that many of us can think beyond. You'll be seeing in the coming times how cranky and foolish these hypocrites are, with the EVIDENCE of course (I promise not to spin)
- Of course, my own life, including my dreams, favorite TV, books, movies, friends, school, and the whatnot.
Now excuse me when I go back to watching PBS' presentation of the BBC's adaptation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"...
16 August 2007
A sad sign of Corporate America gone wrong
Regarding the "Rock the Bells" hip-hop concert tour with a sold-out San Francisco show this saturday the 18th:
"Sunday - August 19th - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre - Cancelled
Refunds available at original point of purchase.
The Rock the Bells Festival date scheduled for Sunday, August 19 at the Sleep Train Pavilion near Sacramento, CA has unfortunately been cancelled due to slow ticket sales. Fans will be able to receive full refunds at their original point of purchase. The tour will be in the Northern California area on Saturday, August 18 for a sojavascript:void(0)
Publish Postld out show at McCovey’s Cove in San Francisco.
Festival founder Chang Weisberg from promoter Guerilla Union adds, 'I am disappointed that we weren't able to sell enough tickets to bring the full Rock The Bells experience to Sacramento this year. Unfortunately our San Francisco show was too popular. We know that over 4,000 people are coming from the Sacramento area based on our online ticket sales info. We kinda hurt ourselves with our own ambition to play Sacramento this year. We hope to bring Rock The Bells back to this area very soon.'"
:(
Well, I feel sorry for all the fans of good hip-hop residing in the Central Valley who have to drive another 90 minutes just to get to cold San Francisco. The Bay Area is big enough that there's actually "nonconformist" hip-hop fans like me who can look beyond the corporate monsters of Wild 94.9, BET, and MTV to listen to underrated hip-hop MC's who don't get much media exposure. Well, you have exceptions like Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco, but we can't totally rely on big corporate media to give us the new stuff from talented MC's like Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, Redman, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, etc. We have to suffer all the terrible derivative mindless pop-rap from G-Unot, Ugly Ricky, DTP, etc on the corporate media. The cancellation of the Rock the Bells show in Sacramento due to poor sales shows just how corporate America with its media consolidation can affect "smaller" markets like Sacramento and silence the voices of new and upcoming artists.
Media consolidation has been a big issue among the Creative Voices of America since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 relaxed rules on media consolidation. Nowadays, we have only a few big media corporations giving us what we hear on radio, responsible for influencing music sales, so let's have a look at how the radio is owned, shall we??
Clear Channel Communications owns these radio stations locally, in the San Francisco Bay Area:
- KSJO-FM "92.3 La Preciosa" (Mexican oldies)
- KYLD-FM "Wild 94.9" (hip-hop)
- KUFX "98.5 KFOX" (classic rock)
- KIOI 101.3 (pop)
- KDON 102.5 (hip-hop)
- KKSF 103.7 (jazz)
- KCNL 104.9 (alternative rock)
- KMEL 106.1 (hip-hop, with a more "open-to-the-underground" playlist than 94.9)
- KNEW-AM 910 (conservative talk)
- KKGN-AM 960 (liberal talk)
Empire broadcasting owns these local stations:
- KRTY 95.3 (country)
- KLIV-AM 1590 (news)
CBS Corporation:
- KITS 105.3 "Live 105" (alternative rock, but their playlist is more open to indie acts than does the over-corporate KCNL)
- KCBS-AM 740 (news)
Cumulus broadcasting:
- KFFG 97.7 (San Jose)/KFOG 104.5 (San Francisco) - adult album alternative
- KSAN-FM "107.7 the Bone" (hard rock)
- KNBR-AM 680/KTCT-AM 1050 (both stations run under "KNBR" banner, sports format)
The Walt Disney Company:
- KSFO-AM "Hot Talk 560" (conservative talk)
- KGO-AM "News Talk 810" (news & talk)
- KMKY-AM 1310 "Radio Disney" (children's)
Bonneville:
- KOIT 96.5 (light pop)
- KDFC 102.1 (classical)
Now, these are perhaps the most well-known stations in the area! The rest of the stations are owned by smaller companies, NPR, or local colleges. (Don't even get me started on "pirate" radio!) Luckily, because San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose is a big, profitable market, while there is room for the "conformist" music fans who get their music & information off the radio, there's also room for the "nonconformist" listeners who get their music off Live 105 or indie outlets or their news off the "alternative press". I fit somewhere between these two categories: While I get not all of my music and news off the radio, I do not consider myself 100% "anti-mainstream". Thus, the only music stations I really listen to are 104.5, 105.3, 106.1, and 107.7, as most bands I feel have true talent do not get much media exposure. (Look at my Last.fm and you'll see. Luckily, the programmers at local college radio stations 90.1 (KZSU, Stanford), 90.5 (KSJS, San Jose State), and 103.3 (KSCU, Santa Clara U.), are brave enough to play "indie" rap and rock that seldom get played on my fave corporate stations.
This story is easy enough to be viable in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Unfortunately, in the smaller Sacramento market, even a higher percentage of well-known radio stations are corporatized! Now, here's the logic: smaller market + larger corporate media ownership = less room for "unknown" talent to be heard. According to Wikipedia's list of Sacramento-area stations, Entercom, Clear Channel, CBS, Entravision, etc. have stakes on numerous FM stations, leaving less room for "indie" radio like KDEE 97.7 or KXJZ or whatever. I've been to Sacramento before, in 2005 when I was still a "corporate-possessed music junkie", to attend a clasical music concert, and the radio stations there are oh so corporate now that I know the dangers of media consolidation! So the conclusion?
Big media caused Rock the Bells, a concert tour with mostly unknown hip-hop acts, to be cancelled in Sacramento.
This is just one of the consequences of big media. Tomorrow or soon, I shall explore the dangers of media consolidation on TV.-
"Sunday - August 19th - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre - Cancelled
Refunds available at original point of purchase.
The Rock the Bells Festival date scheduled for Sunday, August 19 at the Sleep Train Pavilion near Sacramento, CA has unfortunately been cancelled due to slow ticket sales. Fans will be able to receive full refunds at their original point of purchase. The tour will be in the Northern California area on Saturday, August 18 for a sojavascript:void(0)
Publish Postld out show at McCovey’s Cove in San Francisco.
Festival founder Chang Weisberg from promoter Guerilla Union adds, 'I am disappointed that we weren't able to sell enough tickets to bring the full Rock The Bells experience to Sacramento this year. Unfortunately our San Francisco show was too popular. We know that over 4,000 people are coming from the Sacramento area based on our online ticket sales info. We kinda hurt ourselves with our own ambition to play Sacramento this year. We hope to bring Rock The Bells back to this area very soon.'"
:(
Well, I feel sorry for all the fans of good hip-hop residing in the Central Valley who have to drive another 90 minutes just to get to cold San Francisco. The Bay Area is big enough that there's actually "nonconformist" hip-hop fans like me who can look beyond the corporate monsters of Wild 94.9, BET, and MTV to listen to underrated hip-hop MC's who don't get much media exposure. Well, you have exceptions like Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco, but we can't totally rely on big corporate media to give us the new stuff from talented MC's like Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, Redman, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, etc. We have to suffer all the terrible derivative mindless pop-rap from G-Unot, Ugly Ricky, DTP, etc on the corporate media. The cancellation of the Rock the Bells show in Sacramento due to poor sales shows just how corporate America with its media consolidation can affect "smaller" markets like Sacramento and silence the voices of new and upcoming artists.
Media consolidation has been a big issue among the Creative Voices of America since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 relaxed rules on media consolidation. Nowadays, we have only a few big media corporations giving us what we hear on radio, responsible for influencing music sales, so let's have a look at how the radio is owned, shall we??
Clear Channel Communications owns these radio stations locally, in the San Francisco Bay Area:
- KSJO-FM "92.3 La Preciosa" (Mexican oldies)
- KYLD-FM "Wild 94.9" (hip-hop)
- KUFX "98.5 KFOX" (classic rock)
- KIOI 101.3 (pop)
- KDON 102.5 (hip-hop)
- KKSF 103.7 (jazz)
- KCNL 104.9 (alternative rock)
- KMEL 106.1 (hip-hop, with a more "open-to-the-underground" playlist than 94.9)
- KNEW-AM 910 (conservative talk)
- KKGN-AM 960 (liberal talk)
Empire broadcasting owns these local stations:
- KRTY 95.3 (country)
- KLIV-AM 1590 (news)
CBS Corporation:
- KITS 105.3 "Live 105" (alternative rock, but their playlist is more open to indie acts than does the over-corporate KCNL)
- KCBS-AM 740 (news)
Cumulus broadcasting:
- KFFG 97.7 (San Jose)/KFOG 104.5 (San Francisco) - adult album alternative
- KSAN-FM "107.7 the Bone" (hard rock)
- KNBR-AM 680/KTCT-AM 1050 (both stations run under "KNBR" banner, sports format)
The Walt Disney Company:
- KSFO-AM "Hot Talk 560" (conservative talk)
- KGO-AM "News Talk 810" (news & talk)
- KMKY-AM 1310 "Radio Disney" (children's)
Bonneville:
- KOIT 96.5 (light pop)
- KDFC 102.1 (classical)
Now, these are perhaps the most well-known stations in the area! The rest of the stations are owned by smaller companies, NPR, or local colleges. (Don't even get me started on "pirate" radio!) Luckily, because San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose is a big, profitable market, while there is room for the "conformist" music fans who get their music & information off the radio, there's also room for the "nonconformist" listeners who get their music off Live 105 or indie outlets or their news off the "alternative press". I fit somewhere between these two categories: While I get not all of my music and news off the radio, I do not consider myself 100% "anti-mainstream". Thus, the only music stations I really listen to are 104.5, 105.3, 106.1, and 107.7, as most bands I feel have true talent do not get much media exposure. (Look at my Last.fm and you'll see. Luckily, the programmers at local college radio stations 90.1 (KZSU, Stanford), 90.5 (KSJS, San Jose State), and 103.3 (KSCU, Santa Clara U.), are brave enough to play "indie" rap and rock that seldom get played on my fave corporate stations.
This story is easy enough to be viable in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Unfortunately, in the smaller Sacramento market, even a higher percentage of well-known radio stations are corporatized! Now, here's the logic: smaller market + larger corporate media ownership = less room for "unknown" talent to be heard. According to Wikipedia's list of Sacramento-area stations, Entercom, Clear Channel, CBS, Entravision, etc. have stakes on numerous FM stations, leaving less room for "indie" radio like KDEE 97.7 or KXJZ or whatever. I've been to Sacramento before, in 2005 when I was still a "corporate-possessed music junkie", to attend a clasical music concert, and the radio stations there are oh so corporate now that I know the dangers of media consolidation! So the conclusion?
Big media caused Rock the Bells, a concert tour with mostly unknown hip-hop acts, to be cancelled in Sacramento.
This is just one of the consequences of big media. Tomorrow or soon, I shall explore the dangers of media consolidation on TV.-
08 August 2007
It's been two weeks, dang!
In the past two weeks, I've been incredibly busy with AP English Literature, studying for the last few days of summer math analysis, and other things that distracted me from this blog. Hey, that happens to everyone, I guess. I can't believe it's already August, almost the end of the summer! On 8/17 I'll be getting my ID picture taken. On 8/23 I'll be picking up my schedule. In 5 days I will start my junior year of high school, with three confirmed AP Classes: Calculus AB, English Literature, and United States History. In addition, I'll also be taking Biology, Spanish 3, and...BAND!! Yes, I initially decided to drop it, but later kept it because my friend Tom convinced me that percussion won't be a bad instrument for me given that I already play piano. Oh well, it'll be exciting, I guess.
Also, I recently saw the video for Killswitch Engage's cover of the old 1980s Dio song "Holy Diver". The video is awesome, and KsE pwns Dio! This song will be included in the re-release of KsE's "As Daylight Dies", originally released November 2006, on 8/28/2007 (coincidentially the first day of school for many of us). I, having already dl'ed "As Daylight Dies", hope to find the song from a friend or somewhere. Check out the video right here, courtesy KsE's official myspace page:
Also, I recently saw the video for Killswitch Engage's cover of the old 1980s Dio song "Holy Diver". The video is awesome, and KsE pwns Dio! This song will be included in the re-release of KsE's "As Daylight Dies", originally released November 2006, on 8/28/2007 (coincidentially the first day of school for many of us). I, having already dl'ed "As Daylight Dies", hope to find the song from a friend or somewhere. Check out the video right here, courtesy KsE's official myspace page:
22 July 2007
Summer TV
For most American TV viewers, summer is the time to go to the movies to avoid the networks' schedule of reruns and garbage reality shows. That perhaps explains why movies make so much money if they're released in the summer.
I, on the other hand, an advanced placement & honors student at school and piano player, am too busy to catch most of the "first-run" TV episodes from the regular TV season. During the 2006-2007 TV season, the only TV shows I watched regularly were both on NBC (a.k.a. The Last-Place Network): Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as well as occasional Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien.
After the AP World History exam - where i got a 4 out of the 5 scale if you don't know already - i began watching more shows since I had more free time. I began watching syndicated CSI: Miami, The Shield, and The Simpsons reruns from the local CW station. Because I do not have cable/satellite at home, and the local Fox and CBS receptions have been terrible since summer 2006, then I am basically shut off from receiving new episodes of these of my favorite shows:
- 24
- 60 Minutes
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
- CSI: Miami
- Family Guy
- MLB coverage on Fox
- NFL coverage on CBS/Fox :o these are pretty much the only local channels that even show FOOTBALL locally
- The Shield (on FX, the Fox cable channel for those who want an alternative to "The O'Reilly Factor")
- The Simpsons
With the exception of "60 Minutes" and sports, all these TV shows I discovered through syndication (thank goodness) or DVD. However, I occasionally watch FG/Simpsons on my parents' HDTV upstairs, otherwise, I'm shut off from CBS and Fox.
Also, I have been watching "Saturday Night Live" since around AP exam time. I see why that show has been continuously running since 1975: its format appeals to the masses, with the funny skits and all. However, the SNL season ended on 5/19/2007, so this summer I have had to watch SNL reruns with "dated" references - especially the weekend update, which was intended to cover the news around the time the episode was to originally air. But at least I'm not too bored. And speaking of SNL, I recently taped two episodes that might spark some controversy.
The first taped episode I just watched a week ago was a rerun of the 11/11/2006 episode with Alec Baldwin (host) and Christina Aguilera (music), aired on NBC 6/16/2007. Now the reason why that's "controversial" is because back around the winter I tried starting a campaign to cancel her concert from my hometown, but shelved it at request of my friends. I was basing my conclusions of Aguilera based on faulty evidence, such as this biased column written by our best friend, L. Brent "Bozo" Bozell III, the founder of TV's worst enemy, known as the "Parents Television Council". I have now learned that Aguilera is indeed a good live performer, but for now I'm not rushing to download her songs. Still, she is a good live performer, especially with "Hurt" and the duet with Tony Bennett, "Steppin' Out With My Baby".
On the other hand, I watched another SNL rerun from last night - the 12/16/2006 episode hosted by everyone's (but not my) favorite celebrity - JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!!! Sure, Justin Timberlake makes a good amateur Dane Cook - heck, Cook ain't even that talented at comedy! However, TimberFAKE's live performances were just lame jokes. Timberlake's high-pitched singing was bad enough on his performance of "My Love", and it got even worse when he relied on his backing vocalists for most of the choruses on both "My Love" and "What Comes Around" - proving that most pop artists can't even hold performances with their own voices. OK, dissers, I know Timberhick even played piano on his "What Comes Around" performance, but hey! Ever heard of Jordan Rudess? I bet you haven't. So Jokin' Timberfake is nothing really more than a contemporary Hollywood celebrity whose fame will end up in the bargain bin/garage sales once I graduate high school in 2009.
Next school year will prove really really busy for me, as I plan on being more involved in school & stuff next year and will take three Advanced Placement courses: American History, English Literature, and (possibly) Calculus AB. Therefore, I doubt I'll be able to catch much good TV next year besides my weekly showing of the second season of Heroes as well as the news & occasional "Jay Leno". Besides, isn't summer supposed to be the opportunity to have as much fun as possible? Therefore, I am using the summer to catch up on as much TV as I can before the earth tilts on its axis, leading way for the rain and cold.
TV I'm regularly watching @ the moment:
- "24" (season 1, DVD)
- "CSI: Miami" (Season 1, syndicated/CW 44)
- "Daily Show with Jon Stewart" (online, ComedyCentral.com)
- "Family Guy" (reruns, Fox 2)
- "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (Fridays for "Unnecessary Censorship", ABC 7)
- "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (NBC 11 after Leno)
- "Nightline" (Fridays before Jimmy, ABC 7)
- "Saturday Night Live" (2006/2007, rerun/NBC 11)
- "The Shield" (Season 4, synd/CW 44)
- "The Simpsons" (various reruns from synd/CW 44 and sometimes Fox 2)
- "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (NBC 11)
I, on the other hand, an advanced placement & honors student at school and piano player, am too busy to catch most of the "first-run" TV episodes from the regular TV season. During the 2006-2007 TV season, the only TV shows I watched regularly were both on NBC (a.k.a. The Last-Place Network): Heroes and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as well as occasional Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien.
After the AP World History exam - where i got a 4 out of the 5 scale if you don't know already - i began watching more shows since I had more free time. I began watching syndicated CSI: Miami, The Shield, and The Simpsons reruns from the local CW station. Because I do not have cable/satellite at home, and the local Fox and CBS receptions have been terrible since summer 2006, then I am basically shut off from receiving new episodes of these of my favorite shows:
- 24
- 60 Minutes
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
- CSI: Miami
- Family Guy
- MLB coverage on Fox
- NFL coverage on CBS/Fox :o these are pretty much the only local channels that even show FOOTBALL locally
- The Shield (on FX, the Fox cable channel for those who want an alternative to "The O'Reilly Factor")
- The Simpsons
With the exception of "60 Minutes" and sports, all these TV shows I discovered through syndication (thank goodness) or DVD. However, I occasionally watch FG/Simpsons on my parents' HDTV upstairs, otherwise, I'm shut off from CBS and Fox.
Also, I have been watching "Saturday Night Live" since around AP exam time. I see why that show has been continuously running since 1975: its format appeals to the masses, with the funny skits and all. However, the SNL season ended on 5/19/2007, so this summer I have had to watch SNL reruns with "dated" references - especially the weekend update, which was intended to cover the news around the time the episode was to originally air. But at least I'm not too bored. And speaking of SNL, I recently taped two episodes that might spark some controversy.
The first taped episode I just watched a week ago was a rerun of the 11/11/2006 episode with Alec Baldwin (host) and Christina Aguilera (music), aired on NBC 6/16/2007. Now the reason why that's "controversial" is because back around the winter I tried starting a campaign to cancel her concert from my hometown, but shelved it at request of my friends. I was basing my conclusions of Aguilera based on faulty evidence, such as this biased column written by our best friend, L. Brent "Bozo" Bozell III, the founder of TV's worst enemy, known as the "Parents Television Council". I have now learned that Aguilera is indeed a good live performer, but for now I'm not rushing to download her songs. Still, she is a good live performer, especially with "Hurt" and the duet with Tony Bennett, "Steppin' Out With My Baby".
On the other hand, I watched another SNL rerun from last night - the 12/16/2006 episode hosted by everyone's (but not my) favorite celebrity - JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!!! Sure, Justin Timberlake makes a good amateur Dane Cook - heck, Cook ain't even that talented at comedy! However, TimberFAKE's live performances were just lame jokes. Timberlake's high-pitched singing was bad enough on his performance of "My Love", and it got even worse when he relied on his backing vocalists for most of the choruses on both "My Love" and "What Comes Around" - proving that most pop artists can't even hold performances with their own voices. OK, dissers, I know Timberhick even played piano on his "What Comes Around" performance, but hey! Ever heard of Jordan Rudess? I bet you haven't. So Jokin' Timberfake is nothing really more than a contemporary Hollywood celebrity whose fame will end up in the bargain bin/garage sales once I graduate high school in 2009.
Next school year will prove really really busy for me, as I plan on being more involved in school & stuff next year and will take three Advanced Placement courses: American History, English Literature, and (possibly) Calculus AB. Therefore, I doubt I'll be able to catch much good TV next year besides my weekly showing of the second season of Heroes as well as the news & occasional "Jay Leno". Besides, isn't summer supposed to be the opportunity to have as much fun as possible? Therefore, I am using the summer to catch up on as much TV as I can before the earth tilts on its axis, leading way for the rain and cold.
TV I'm regularly watching @ the moment:
- "24" (season 1, DVD)
- "CSI: Miami" (Season 1, syndicated/CW 44)
- "Daily Show with Jon Stewart" (online, ComedyCentral.com)
- "Family Guy" (reruns, Fox 2)
- "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (Fridays for "Unnecessary Censorship", ABC 7)
- "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (NBC 11 after Leno)
- "Nightline" (Fridays before Jimmy, ABC 7)
- "Saturday Night Live" (2006/2007, rerun/NBC 11)
- "The Shield" (Season 4, synd/CW 44)
- "The Simpsons" (various reruns from synd/CW 44 and sometimes Fox 2)
- "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (NBC 11)
16 July 2007
12 July 2007
Sharon Osbourne wanted the fees for CHARITY, huh?
According to LiveNation.com, which is selling Ozzfest tickets for the 7/19 concert at Mountain View's Shoreline Amphitheatre:
"A portion of the proceeds generated by Premium Seat sales will benefit the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center"
So the "free ticket" thing was pulled simply because Ozzy's wife desperately needed some cash for charity? Geez. Why didn't she come up with this to begin with? That's pretty much the same darned thing as Sharon Osbourne announcing straight-up at an Ozzfest concert in 2004 near Philadelphia (Camden, NJ to be exact) that Rob Halford (the fag who sings for Judas Priest) would substitute for Ozzy Osbourne as Black Sabbath vox just MINUTES before Sabbath was set to perform. In that concert, some fans brought expen$ive front row seats just to see the original Black Sabbath up close. However, due to Rob Halford's unexpected appearance and the "no refund" policy, that pissed off the Sabbath fans. And Sharon Osbourne's done some "Last minute" B.S. again! Geez, how greedy can Ozzy & Sharon get anyways?
And, I'll keep updateing this post to display even MORE evidence that this "freefest" thing was a scam:
"A portion of the proceeds generated by Premium Seat sales will benefit the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center"
So the "free ticket" thing was pulled simply because Ozzy's wife desperately needed some cash for charity? Geez. Why didn't she come up with this to begin with? That's pretty much the same darned thing as Sharon Osbourne announcing straight-up at an Ozzfest concert in 2004 near Philadelphia (Camden, NJ to be exact) that Rob Halford (the fag who sings for Judas Priest) would substitute for Ozzy Osbourne as Black Sabbath vox just MINUTES before Sabbath was set to perform. In that concert, some fans brought expen$ive front row seats just to see the original Black Sabbath up close. However, due to Rob Halford's unexpected appearance and the "no refund" policy, that pissed off the Sabbath fans. And Sharon Osbourne's done some "Last minute" B.S. again! Geez, how greedy can Ozzy & Sharon get anyways?
And, I'll keep updateing this post to display even MORE evidence that this "freefest" thing was a scam:
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