This fellow “Major Mom” is currently spending Thanksgiving at Camp Eggars, Afghanistan. She got to see her family via webcam thanks to the Today Show.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Well, it looks like my flapping of the gums has once again made it into mainstream media….
For those unaware, I had written a blog post about the USAF’s “Above All” campaign of 2008. It was a positive discussion about it, a little tongue-in-cheek at worst. I think I make mention of videogaming teenagers perhaps being the target of some of the commercials.
Later that week, the Shreveport Times published an article about the ad campaign, and mentioned folks in the blogosphere approving the campaign and citing my blog as an example. I was flattered.
It happened again this week. My pontifications online have found their way into the hands of the media.
This time, it’s regarding some of The Weather Channel’s programming choices. And this time, it was via my Twitter feed. I don’t think this will sink any fleets. In particular, on April 23rd, there was some significant severe weather forecast locally, and TWC proceeded in showing their “Flick and a Forecast” — a weather themed movie, which that night was “The Avengers”. I was really really mad about this. I had a few conversations on Facebook with people about it, discussing how these decisions are purely driven by the wants of the advertisers, who’d prefer to sell time for programs that keep the viewers on The Weather Channel for 30 minutes or more. “Your Local on the 8s” doesn’t sell advertising.
On April 30th, severe weather was predicted again, and this time TWC elected to not show their Flick and a Forecast film in the areas impacted by the storms. Jim Cantore tweeted about this and I had replied that I thought that was smart of them.
Yes, I follow Jim Cantore on Twitter. I’ve always been a fan of his weather-weenie-ness, since I was a teenager.
Here’s the article that came out yesterday. No, it isn’t the New York Times or Huffington Post, and I have to give props to Dave’s friend Britt King who found this…I’m not sure I would have known about it otherwise.
This certainly isn’t a big deal, any more than anything, it’s a reminder to Twitter users that your tweets are VERY public domain. Watch what you say — it could end up in someone’s blog a month later.
So…over here on the left is a DVD box set that I bought for my boys this week. 38 episodes of Tom and Jerry! It was $14.99 at our local Baker’s (read: Kroger) grocery store.
My boys LOVE Tom and Jerry! I loved Tom and Jerry cartoons when I was little. I fondly recall watching the shorts on Channel 27 back in the early 80s in Norfolk.
This particular box set is special because it has the short “Puss Gets the Boot”, which was the very first Tom and Jerry short…so old that Tom isn’t even called “Tom”. He’s “Jasper” here. In fact, “Puss Gets the Boot” is the very first time William Hanna and Joseph Barbera worked together in 1939.
I’m looking at the back of the box, which typically has the description of the DVD, playing time (320 minutes!), MPAA rating, etc. There’s also this line:
“TOM AND JERRY SPOTLIGHT COLLECTION VOLUME 2 is Intended for the Adult Collector and May Not Be Suitable for Children.”
WHAT? Are they serious? Because of the violence? The perceived racism of Mammy Two Shoes (a character inspired by Hattie McDaniel’s Mammy from Gone with the Wind
The beginning of the first DVD in this set has an introduction by Whoopi Goldberg, who discusses the racist themes and violence and emphasizes that while it’s funny to see the characters perform in such ways, it doesn’t mean such behavior is advocated. At least Whoopi is supportive of allowing viewers to see the cartoons the way they were originally drawn…many of the Mammy Two Shoes episodes had her edited out and replaced by a seemingly white woman.
Anyway, I found that rather interesting, that disclaimer about Tom and Jerry not being for children. My kids love it, and I don’t think they’re going to become criminals or juvenile delinquents because of what they watch on these DVDs.
I have started watching “Weeds” on Showtime.
I seem to be attracted to these twisted shows that have a hint of black humor. Since “Six Feet Under” finished on HBO a couple years ago, there’s been some close ones (Nip/Tuck on FX), but nothing close till I caught my first full episode of Weeds a couple weeks ago.
But it wasn’t till tonight, while I was watching 3 episodes in a row, that I realized a different artist sings a cover the theme song, Malvina Reynolds’ “Little Boxes”. As some have attested, it’s definitely a way to keep someone in today’s Tivo/DVR world from fast forwarding through the opening credits.
Dave was sitting on the couch across the living room from me working on his defense presentation slide show, when tonight’s last episode started and he asked from behind his laptop screen, “Is that Laurie Berkner singing the theme song?”
Laurie Berkner? Timmy’s favorite singer?
After all, “I’m Gonna Catch You” is his anthem…
NAAAAH! She sings CHILDREN’S SONGS!
Right?
After some Google-sleuthing, it turned out Dave is right! He’s very gifted at figuring out voices…you should see him work our kids’ animated movies!
The song is actually very cute, remove it from the show and it would sit perfectly on one of her CDs…really!
Grey’s Anatomy is my favorite show. Now it’s going to have to struggle to keep my loyalty.
Let’s start here.
I was very very shocked to see them put one of the gay lovers in a no-kidding Army uniform, complete with 2nd Infantry Division unit patch and combat patch (by the way, since there’s a brigade of the 2d ID assigned at Ft. Lewis up the road from the fictitious “Seattle Grace Hospital”).
The other soldier is a patient preparing to undergo a radical brain tumor treatment, and he isn’t in uniform during the episode.
The two share a steamy kiss, which has received all sorts of press already. Let me honest here, homosexual situations in movies, on television, in my life, really truly don’t bug me. One of my favorite shows, Six Feet Under on HBO, had one of the best gay characters on television and it was fascinating to see the character develop. I have several friends/colleagues in my personal and (civilian) professional life who are homosexual and it’s fine.
I don’t judge what’s out there, whether I agree with it or not. We’ll leave it at that.
But to have that guy in a real-looking Army uniform performing homosexual acts gives a very awkward perception to viewers. I don’t agree with that and I was not pleased with seeing that on TV. Homosexual conduct is deemed incompatible with military service. It’s the law. ABC should not have put it’s spin on their opinions of the matter when we’re a nation at war. I don’t know whether it’s really happening in the military now, and if it was happening in my unit/workspace I’d have to take appropriate actions on it. ABC should have left the uniform out of it. Really.
And I’m not the only one with reactions to this. Yes, even an hour after it happened!
I hope AFCYBER don’t come after me for saying these things. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong.
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