Milestones…
May 25th, 2008Joe’s blog is exactly five and one-half years old.
I get letters, I get letters, I get something less than stacks and stacks of letters…
May 12th, 2008As most of you know, I have been running a television death pool and it’s currently in its 8th year. It was named for a less-than-A-list actress who had developed a reputation for being a “show killer”, since she had a string where she would be a star on a TV series, but it was disappear quickly. She had this reputation, whether deserved or not, well before my little game came along. Hey, I’m not the one who co-starred in not one, but two sitcoms with Tom Arnold, but who am I to judge?
Last month, I received a cease and desist notice from this actress’ lawyer. I cannot post the letter here due to “confidentiality”, but I was accused of libel and illegally using the portrait of someone famous. Considering who I work for and the intellectual property rights of said actress, I quickly changed the name of the site just to be within the law, although if I had enough legal power, I probably could have won at least a partial victory. There is nothing more exciting then being in a room at a Travelodge at midnight in Grand Forks, ND quickly trying to change names of a web site.
So I began to wonder what to name the site now that I really can’t use her anymore. I thought about using something relating to Don Overmyer, who tried and failed to start a fourth network in 1967. His brilliant idea started with a two hour live variety show from Las Vegas five nights a week. You know, start out small with a modest budget. The landscape was very different in 1967, most cities didn’t have a spare station to start a fourth network with, and even the ones who did were barely watched UHF stations at a time where more than 50% of the nation’s sets couldn’t get UHF. So, except for a handful of markets, the show aired overnight on tape-delay on the local CBS station. The network lasted a month. So, I thought, here was my guy, since he would be obscure, had one of the largest failures in TV history, and would surely not be around to sue me. The first two were right, the third was not. And checking on the internet, he loves to sue.
So, I’ve gone with my backup plan, which is to make up a name that can’t be traced. Of course, savvy TV junkies will be able to figure out the etymology, but for now, please enjoy the Ted Marshall Open.
Why I failed…
May 8th, 2008I kept this a secret to most, but in 2006-07 I tried my hand at imrpov comedy. I took workshops for about a year with varying degrees of success. However, I learned early on I was going to suck. Mainly, I cannot do voices. My voice pretty much sounds like Linus Van Pelt would have sounded post-puberty, and there’s nothing I can seem to do to change it. And this frustrates me, because at times I have a good comedy idea, but no way to express it.
For example, read this article from The Globe and Mail. The gist is that somebody in the Francophone community was upset that the Montréal Canadiens don’t play enough Francophone music at hockey games. Now, most music at hockey games tends to be mostly-lyricless drones in attempts to get the crowd pumping (à la Rock and Roll, Part 2). One of the recent ones to take over is Zombie Nation. I have in my head the Francophone version of that, taking the chant part and having it done with a snooty French laugh. However, I’m incapable of expressing it other than words. And it’s just not funny if I have to take two paragraphs to explain a ten second, audio-only premise.
That’s a lot of chairs…
April 26th, 2008Due to the monetization of Michigan Stadium, it is unavailable for graduation this year for Michigan’s Class of 2008. It was eventually decided to hold the event on the diag, which is the open area of the campus. However, since this is a very old university, the open space really isn’t that big. However, they claim they can cram 27,000 people on it. Here’s a Bob Uecker view on the left, and an even worse view on the right/bottom depending on your browser…
Where did you come from, where did you go…
April 14th, 2008Back after a week’s vacation, broken up into three mini-vacations. As I wasn’t going for the terribly unusual, nothing terribly exciting, but I brought pictures.
First trip was to Chattanooga to play in the 11th incarnation of Trashmasters in a valiant attempt to help my team win their fifth title. Let’s just say we finished second, and I hate Cotton Eyed Joe even more now than I did in the fifth grade when I had to perform it in an school assembly.
From Chattanooga was a interesting set of flights to get to Fargo with the idea of going to Grand Forks for the Men’s World Curling Championship. This first involved a 2:10 driving sprint from Chattanooga to Nashville, only to have my flight delayed (after boarding and unboarding twice), arriving in Chicago, going to the “tiny terminal” where four different small planes are waiting for passengers. It was snowing in Fargo, and there’s nothing like trying to drive a rental car in the dark on a snowpacked freeway you’ve never traveled. However, the snow was very localized, and 20 miles out there was no snow.
Satire is lost on the overeducated…
April 8th, 2008Sigh.
The newest game sensation…
March 7th, 2008The British has given us some of the most groundbreaking TV of the 21st century — Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Office, American Idol, etc. Well, be prepared for the newest sensation. Here’s clips of three episodes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjOZtWZ56lc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJDu5D_IXbc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIxz6BDmTNU
It’s also a hit a Germany and there’s also a spinoff
You can also play the home game.
If you’re not a big fan of puzzle games and you prefer trivia instead, try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfgRGW9Ghik.
Now it’s less clear…
February 28th, 2008I got my paper mail invitation for the Kinesiology shindig today. The “festive movement performers” have been downgraded to “entertainment”. Or Mark was right. One or the other.
What exactly makes them festive…
February 19th, 2008In my E-mail machine today:
President Mary Sue Coleman & Dean Beverly D. Ulrich invite you to attend the grand opening of Kinesiology's new home Observatory Lodge - register online today!
*Thursday, April 3
*3:30 pm to 6:00pm
*1402 Washington Heights
*Ann Arbor, MI
Join us as we celebrate Kinesiology's expansion into this landmark building, with its historically preserved exterior and lobby. The festivities will open with remarks from President Mary Sue Coleman and Dean Beverley Ulrich and will also include festive movement performers, building tours, hors d'oeuvres and a chance to celebrate Kinesiology's forward movement!
What in blazes are “festive movement performers?”