A Favorite L.A. Times Writer Of Mine Has Given Some Overdue "Props" To A Good Friend Of Mine In TODAY's L.A. Times!!!
Yeah, I know. What could this possibly have to do with stuff you usually read about in this blog?!?
Well, I'll get to topics like the latest on President Obama...
The Alaska Governor who won't stop talking, but she had no problem quitting working...
Anthem Blue Cross, the company that has given us who have our eyes wide open, more of an understanding why we do indeed need healthcare reform and we need it NOW....
A quote from President Theodore Roosevelt that ties in with illegal immigration....
Examples of how illegal immigrants are treated in other countries compared to how they're treated here...
An email from a reader in Cairo Egypt who takes me to task for what I wrote about Muslim terrorists a few weeks ago...
How I think Ellen has done on "American Idol" so far...
The Super Bowl commercial that most folks were talking about the next day....
Comments about some terrific television performances this past week....
Annnnd....I'll tell you about a nice experience I had playing an Airline Captain on a star-filled pilot for television a few days ago....
But first, this item about a column you can read in tomorrow (Friday) morning's L.A. Times in the news section on page 2.
It is a column about LARadio.com, a publication about (mostly) L.A. radio that is owned, published by and written by Don Barrett, a good friend of mine. The L.A. Times' columnist who wrote this story is a guy I've communicated with several times because I'm a big fan of the way he writes. His name is James Rainey and he is not a columnist who writes nothing but "puff pieces". Skeptical? There's an executive at Channel 5 here who is still grumbling about a recent column that Rainey wrote, a column that was definitely not a "puff piece"about the executive and some things that had taken place at Channel 5.
Because I know Don as well as I do and I have been a reader/subscriber of his from the very beginning, I also know that James Rainey hit a "home run" with his observations about Don and LARadio.com. Folks, if you care at all about radio or if you care at all about somebody who does/writes the "right stuff" about radio, stuff that sometimes annoys people because "truth" can be bothersome at times, I wholeheartedly recommend that you get a copy of tomorrow's (Friday, February 12) L.A. Times. Turn to page 2 of the front (news) section and at the top, you'll see this wonderful column that was written by James Rainey.
Bravo, James!
And Don, I know it's a labor of love, but bravo for all the years of hard work, taking the time to patiently listen to radio executives and some announcers bitch and moan about something you wrote even though the only reason they knew what you wrote was because they had stolen what you wrote. And Don, it really is amazing you haven't had to have more dental work, because I know how much grinding of your teeth you did (and do) because of those complaining thieves!
POLITICAL STUFF...
After a little more than one year, people on the right are mad at him. People on the left are mad at him. People in the center are mad at him.
That's about as close to batting 1,000 that President Obama can get, isn't it?
A pessimist would say they can hardly wait for the next election, "So we can get rid of this guy!" but an optimist might say, "If he's pissing everybody off, he must be doing something RIGHT!"
We will see what we will see, but one thing we definitely need to see (hear) is President Obama "leveling" with us about things we would probably not like to hear. But they are things that we absolutely must hear! We have a lot of problems. Especially economic problems. I blame Bush Junior for the stupid and very expensive war in Iraq and the all around amateurish way that operation was handled, but I don't blame Bush Junior for all of our economic problems. Bush Junior didn't help or find ways to solve these problems, but these are problems that began to fester in the Reagan years and continued through the Bush Junior years.
And you wonder how a black guy became President?
If President Obama doesn't figure out a miraculous way to get us moving in a direction that most Americans will believe in, he will be a one-term president who will unfairly be identified as the president who was responsible for ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS!!!
If I had to pick one main thing that has been responsible for the mess we're in, that would be
deregulation. Deregulation gave the "sharpies" free reign to rape this economy. It might have started before the Reagan years, but it was definitely happening during Reagan's time and continued through every administration after Reagan.
As time went on, the lobbyists got more and more power and were willing to spend more and more money on campaign contributions. Why? To protect these gold mines that deregulation got the people the lobbyists represented and to this day, represent. Why do you think there's so much trouble getting a healthcare bill passed even though both the Senate and the House have big majorities of democrats? Like they said about Watergate, "Follow the money!"
Sarah Palin for President?!?
If you read about or saw some of that Tea Party stuff in Nashville a week or so ago, you know that Sarah Palin was the main speaker and a speaker who was paid more than a hundred thousand dollars to "rally the troops". I admit that I laughed when she used her "hopey-changey" line.
In a blog I wrote a few weeks ago, I told you I like the idea of these Tea Party People standing up and letting everyone know what's on their minds. I have a lot more respect for people who are activists as opposed to people who simply sit home and complain a lot.
In a conversation with Chris Wallace of Fox News, Sarah Palin was asked about the next presidential election and if she was planning to run for president. Palin (in essence) said no, but she now knows more about "issues" than she did when she was on the McCain ticket, and if people really wanted her to run for president, she would definitely give their request(s) careful consideration.
Okay....Just for fun, lets imagine Sarah Palin does decide to run for America's highest office. What she and her advisors would immediately have to do is be on the lookout for things that opponents could use against her.
Off the top of my head, here are a few of those things...
The fact that she quit her job as Governor of Alaska. Being a "quitter" is not what's recognized as something that people would admire about someone who was thinking about being our president.
Sarah Palin talks a good talk about "family values", but somewhere along the line, Sarah's message didn't seem to resonate with her own oldest daughter.
Okay...Things like that might happen in your family, my family or a lot of other families. But in the family that would aspire to be our country's FIRST FAMILY?!?
I think it was while she was in Nashville that Sarah Palin said she believes that the United States of America is a Judeo (or Judaic) Christian nation. I agree with that statement.
But if she decides to run for president, she has to know that politics is a "blood sport" and she will most definitely have to deal with a video of her and man who claimed to be a religious man.
You probably saw it on YouTube. Or some of the talk shows. Or some of the comedy shows. Or some of the news shows. If Sarah Palin is running for president and (as an example) I'M running against her, here's what happens.
I run a campaign commercial on television all over America and I run it often. The first thing viewers would see is Palin saying her belief about America being a Judeo (or Judaic) Christian nation. The next thing viewers would see was Palin on stage with a man who says he's a religious man of some kind but while he's chanting and doing a laying of hands thing on Palin, you can't help but think this guy looks like a WITCH DOCTOR of some kind. While the Witch Doctor (or whatever he is) was continuing his gyrations, a voice over announcer would be heard saying, "Is someone going to ask Governor Palin which category of religion her dance or healing partner represents? Is it Judaic, Judeo or Christian? Because Inquiring Minds want to know!"
Here are my final (for now) thoughts on Sarah Palin. Charisma does (and always has) sell tickets. "Elmer Gantry" and "A Face in the Crowd" are two great examples. And she has learned from those examples well.
One Other Political Related Item...
You have probably heard about Anthem Blue Cross and the new rate hikes their customers have been hit with. This is not just a California story. Imagine if YOU got a note in the mail saying that your healthcare insurance rates were going up 39%!!! Last year, a slightly higher hike was made by Anthem Blue Cross. The company has told their customers they can probably expect more hikes before this year is over. If this doesn't help us get a healthcare bill of some kind passed, I don't know what will.
A CHANGE IN PLANS...
I planned to tell you about an email I got from Cairo Egypt from a reader who took me to task (in a nice way) about my Muslim terrorists commentary. He also gave me some reading suggestions while pointing out what's in their bible, The Koran.
I think we've had enough "heavy stuff" for this week's blog, but I will tell you about Hussien Ali in my next blog.
Same deal with the illegal immigration related quote from President Theodore Roosevelt and a list of how illegal immigrants are treated in seven other countries, which is a whole lot different from the way illegal immigrants are treated here.
ENTERTAINMENT STUFF....
Was there a more talked about Super Bowl commercial than the CBS commercial featuring, David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno? That commercial was only 15 seconds long, but that night (after the game) and all day on Monday, David, Oprah and Jay were seen over and over again while broadcasters all across America talked about them over and over.
Did you see Ellen on "American Idol" this past Tuesday and Wednesday? These were her first two appearances as "A.I.'s" new judge. I'm a big "American Idol" fan and off of what I saw, I think Ellen is going to be a good addition to the show.
Other television shows that (to me) were outstanding this week have (in no particular order)been....
"Undercover Boss", the new show that was shown right after the Super Bowl on CBS. If the rest of their shows are going to be as good (or better) than Sunday's debut show was, that show is going to be a big hit!
"24"! I'm a sucker for that show. I've seen every episode since it came on the air.
"House"! The story line this week was about the lady boss of the hospital. It was a great episode, but I couldn't help but think this actress has come a long way since she played a hooker the Rob Lowe character was interested in on "The West Wing".
"Mercy"! It has taken a while, but viewers are beginning to find this show just as it's going on hiatus because of the Olympics. Yes, it's an NBC show, a show that left us with several cliff-hangers to chew on while we wait for the Olympics to end.
"Grey's Anatomy"! A show that seemed to lose it's way last year has come back with a vengeance. Very, very good stories again! Tonight's espisode was especially good.
My favorite television show since it came on the air has been "Brothers & Sisters". But have you heard what's going to be happening to that show's cast, soon? The Rob Lowe character is going to leave the show (probably dead) and the Kitty character who plays Lowe's wife is going to be used only occasionally after this season has ended.
And that means my NEW favorite television show is, "The Good Wife", a show that has become a big hit and a show that simply gets better every week. Tuesday's show was off the charts OUTSTANDING!!! And as a viewer, I have a major crush on the actress who plays the role of the investigator.
"Hot in Cleveland"! What? You haven't heard of that show?
Well, neither has anyone else. They just finished making the "pilot" of that show. It's a comedy that stars (among others) Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, Betty White and John Schneider.
Basically, it's a show about the Bertinelli, Leeves and Malick characters being burned out in Los Angeles where they're living. The Bertinelli character is an author, the Leeves character is a makeup artist and the Malick character is an actress. The three of them decide to fly to Paris together. While on the plane, these three women are big time funny and the Bertinelli character has an embarrassing encounter with her ex-husband who is also flying to Paris and the Bertinelli character still misses him and is about to "make her move". But a 20-years younger drop dead gorgeous woman approaches and introduces herself while flashing a big diamond engagement ring. The ex-husband plans to marry the young beauty queen and what the Bertinelli character goes through is shown (by great acting) to be a moment in which you know she wants to find a big boulder to climb under. I promise you that when you see this scene, you will be watching something you might have lived through yourself and you will definitely feel sorry for the Bertinelli character.
It's about that time when the airplane they're on begins to shake in ways it shouldn't be shaking. The more it shakes the more scared the passengers get. The Airliner's Captain does his best to keep everyone calm while keeping them informed. Eventually, the plane has to make an emergency landing, a landing that happens to be in Cleveland.
The Airline Captain's name is Reid and I'm the actor who is playing Captain Reid.
To make a long story short, the ladies end up liking what they're seeing and experiencing in Cleveland and they decide to stay a while before resuming their flight to Paris.
Needless to say, if this show is "picked up", these ladies will stay in Cleveland, hence the title of the show, "Hot in Cleveland". As in, the men in Cleveland think these three L.A. women are HOT!!!
This pilot was directed by Michael Lembeck and the person who hired me is show producer, Bob Heath, a guy who has been very nice to me. He hired me for the "Geena Davis" show which he was a producer of and he hired me many times for "According to Jim" which he was also a producer of.
I had a wonderful time with the cast and crew and I hope the show gets picked up because what I saw was a very funny show that has "hit" written all over it.
QUESTIONS AND OR COMMENTS? Please write to me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I will respond to you immediately. If you write to the blog, there's no way for me to know your email address so it will be impossible for me to respond to you. All "Anonymous" emails are ignored. Again...An email to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net gets you an immediate response.
THE NEXT BLOG? Barring unforseen circumstances, next Wednesday night, February 17, which also happens to be Ash Wednesday.
Well, I'll get to topics like the latest on President Obama...
The Alaska Governor who won't stop talking, but she had no problem quitting working...
Anthem Blue Cross, the company that has given us who have our eyes wide open, more of an understanding why we do indeed need healthcare reform and we need it NOW....
A quote from President Theodore Roosevelt that ties in with illegal immigration....
Examples of how illegal immigrants are treated in other countries compared to how they're treated here...
An email from a reader in Cairo Egypt who takes me to task for what I wrote about Muslim terrorists a few weeks ago...
How I think Ellen has done on "American Idol" so far...
The Super Bowl commercial that most folks were talking about the next day....
Comments about some terrific television performances this past week....
Annnnd....I'll tell you about a nice experience I had playing an Airline Captain on a star-filled pilot for television a few days ago....
But first, this item about a column you can read in tomorrow (Friday) morning's L.A. Times in the news section on page 2.
It is a column about LARadio.com, a publication about (mostly) L.A. radio that is owned, published by and written by Don Barrett, a good friend of mine. The L.A. Times' columnist who wrote this story is a guy I've communicated with several times because I'm a big fan of the way he writes. His name is James Rainey and he is not a columnist who writes nothing but "puff pieces". Skeptical? There's an executive at Channel 5 here who is still grumbling about a recent column that Rainey wrote, a column that was definitely not a "puff piece"about the executive and some things that had taken place at Channel 5.
Because I know Don as well as I do and I have been a reader/subscriber of his from the very beginning, I also know that James Rainey hit a "home run" with his observations about Don and LARadio.com. Folks, if you care at all about radio or if you care at all about somebody who does/writes the "right stuff" about radio, stuff that sometimes annoys people because "truth" can be bothersome at times, I wholeheartedly recommend that you get a copy of tomorrow's (Friday, February 12) L.A. Times. Turn to page 2 of the front (news) section and at the top, you'll see this wonderful column that was written by James Rainey.
Bravo, James!
And Don, I know it's a labor of love, but bravo for all the years of hard work, taking the time to patiently listen to radio executives and some announcers bitch and moan about something you wrote even though the only reason they knew what you wrote was because they had stolen what you wrote. And Don, it really is amazing you haven't had to have more dental work, because I know how much grinding of your teeth you did (and do) because of those complaining thieves!
POLITICAL STUFF...
After a little more than one year, people on the right are mad at him. People on the left are mad at him. People in the center are mad at him.
That's about as close to batting 1,000 that President Obama can get, isn't it?
A pessimist would say they can hardly wait for the next election, "So we can get rid of this guy!" but an optimist might say, "If he's pissing everybody off, he must be doing something RIGHT!"
We will see what we will see, but one thing we definitely need to see (hear) is President Obama "leveling" with us about things we would probably not like to hear. But they are things that we absolutely must hear! We have a lot of problems. Especially economic problems. I blame Bush Junior for the stupid and very expensive war in Iraq and the all around amateurish way that operation was handled, but I don't blame Bush Junior for all of our economic problems. Bush Junior didn't help or find ways to solve these problems, but these are problems that began to fester in the Reagan years and continued through the Bush Junior years.
And you wonder how a black guy became President?
If President Obama doesn't figure out a miraculous way to get us moving in a direction that most Americans will believe in, he will be a one-term president who will unfairly be identified as the president who was responsible for ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS!!!
If I had to pick one main thing that has been responsible for the mess we're in, that would be
deregulation. Deregulation gave the "sharpies" free reign to rape this economy. It might have started before the Reagan years, but it was definitely happening during Reagan's time and continued through every administration after Reagan.
As time went on, the lobbyists got more and more power and were willing to spend more and more money on campaign contributions. Why? To protect these gold mines that deregulation got the people the lobbyists represented and to this day, represent. Why do you think there's so much trouble getting a healthcare bill passed even though both the Senate and the House have big majorities of democrats? Like they said about Watergate, "Follow the money!"
Sarah Palin for President?!?
If you read about or saw some of that Tea Party stuff in Nashville a week or so ago, you know that Sarah Palin was the main speaker and a speaker who was paid more than a hundred thousand dollars to "rally the troops". I admit that I laughed when she used her "hopey-changey" line.
In a blog I wrote a few weeks ago, I told you I like the idea of these Tea Party People standing up and letting everyone know what's on their minds. I have a lot more respect for people who are activists as opposed to people who simply sit home and complain a lot.
In a conversation with Chris Wallace of Fox News, Sarah Palin was asked about the next presidential election and if she was planning to run for president. Palin (in essence) said no, but she now knows more about "issues" than she did when she was on the McCain ticket, and if people really wanted her to run for president, she would definitely give their request(s) careful consideration.
Okay....Just for fun, lets imagine Sarah Palin does decide to run for America's highest office. What she and her advisors would immediately have to do is be on the lookout for things that opponents could use against her.
Off the top of my head, here are a few of those things...
The fact that she quit her job as Governor of Alaska. Being a "quitter" is not what's recognized as something that people would admire about someone who was thinking about being our president.
Sarah Palin talks a good talk about "family values", but somewhere along the line, Sarah's message didn't seem to resonate with her own oldest daughter.
Okay...Things like that might happen in your family, my family or a lot of other families. But in the family that would aspire to be our country's FIRST FAMILY?!?
I think it was while she was in Nashville that Sarah Palin said she believes that the United States of America is a Judeo (or Judaic) Christian nation. I agree with that statement.
But if she decides to run for president, she has to know that politics is a "blood sport" and she will most definitely have to deal with a video of her and man who claimed to be a religious man.
You probably saw it on YouTube. Or some of the talk shows. Or some of the comedy shows. Or some of the news shows. If Sarah Palin is running for president and (as an example) I'M running against her, here's what happens.
I run a campaign commercial on television all over America and I run it often. The first thing viewers would see is Palin saying her belief about America being a Judeo (or Judaic) Christian nation. The next thing viewers would see was Palin on stage with a man who says he's a religious man of some kind but while he's chanting and doing a laying of hands thing on Palin, you can't help but think this guy looks like a WITCH DOCTOR of some kind. While the Witch Doctor (or whatever he is) was continuing his gyrations, a voice over announcer would be heard saying, "Is someone going to ask Governor Palin which category of religion her dance or healing partner represents? Is it Judaic, Judeo or Christian? Because Inquiring Minds want to know!"
Here are my final (for now) thoughts on Sarah Palin. Charisma does (and always has) sell tickets. "Elmer Gantry" and "A Face in the Crowd" are two great examples. And she has learned from those examples well.
One Other Political Related Item...
You have probably heard about Anthem Blue Cross and the new rate hikes their customers have been hit with. This is not just a California story. Imagine if YOU got a note in the mail saying that your healthcare insurance rates were going up 39%!!! Last year, a slightly higher hike was made by Anthem Blue Cross. The company has told their customers they can probably expect more hikes before this year is over. If this doesn't help us get a healthcare bill of some kind passed, I don't know what will.
A CHANGE IN PLANS...
I planned to tell you about an email I got from Cairo Egypt from a reader who took me to task (in a nice way) about my Muslim terrorists commentary. He also gave me some reading suggestions while pointing out what's in their bible, The Koran.
I think we've had enough "heavy stuff" for this week's blog, but I will tell you about Hussien Ali in my next blog.
Same deal with the illegal immigration related quote from President Theodore Roosevelt and a list of how illegal immigrants are treated in seven other countries, which is a whole lot different from the way illegal immigrants are treated here.
ENTERTAINMENT STUFF....
Was there a more talked about Super Bowl commercial than the CBS commercial featuring, David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno? That commercial was only 15 seconds long, but that night (after the game) and all day on Monday, David, Oprah and Jay were seen over and over again while broadcasters all across America talked about them over and over.
Did you see Ellen on "American Idol" this past Tuesday and Wednesday? These were her first two appearances as "A.I.'s" new judge. I'm a big "American Idol" fan and off of what I saw, I think Ellen is going to be a good addition to the show.
Other television shows that (to me) were outstanding this week have (in no particular order)been....
"Undercover Boss", the new show that was shown right after the Super Bowl on CBS. If the rest of their shows are going to be as good (or better) than Sunday's debut show was, that show is going to be a big hit!
"24"! I'm a sucker for that show. I've seen every episode since it came on the air.
"House"! The story line this week was about the lady boss of the hospital. It was a great episode, but I couldn't help but think this actress has come a long way since she played a hooker the Rob Lowe character was interested in on "The West Wing".
"Mercy"! It has taken a while, but viewers are beginning to find this show just as it's going on hiatus because of the Olympics. Yes, it's an NBC show, a show that left us with several cliff-hangers to chew on while we wait for the Olympics to end.
"Grey's Anatomy"! A show that seemed to lose it's way last year has come back with a vengeance. Very, very good stories again! Tonight's espisode was especially good.
My favorite television show since it came on the air has been "Brothers & Sisters". But have you heard what's going to be happening to that show's cast, soon? The Rob Lowe character is going to leave the show (probably dead) and the Kitty character who plays Lowe's wife is going to be used only occasionally after this season has ended.
And that means my NEW favorite television show is, "The Good Wife", a show that has become a big hit and a show that simply gets better every week. Tuesday's show was off the charts OUTSTANDING!!! And as a viewer, I have a major crush on the actress who plays the role of the investigator.
"Hot in Cleveland"! What? You haven't heard of that show?
Well, neither has anyone else. They just finished making the "pilot" of that show. It's a comedy that stars (among others) Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, Betty White and John Schneider.
Basically, it's a show about the Bertinelli, Leeves and Malick characters being burned out in Los Angeles where they're living. The Bertinelli character is an author, the Leeves character is a makeup artist and the Malick character is an actress. The three of them decide to fly to Paris together. While on the plane, these three women are big time funny and the Bertinelli character has an embarrassing encounter with her ex-husband who is also flying to Paris and the Bertinelli character still misses him and is about to "make her move". But a 20-years younger drop dead gorgeous woman approaches and introduces herself while flashing a big diamond engagement ring. The ex-husband plans to marry the young beauty queen and what the Bertinelli character goes through is shown (by great acting) to be a moment in which you know she wants to find a big boulder to climb under. I promise you that when you see this scene, you will be watching something you might have lived through yourself and you will definitely feel sorry for the Bertinelli character.
It's about that time when the airplane they're on begins to shake in ways it shouldn't be shaking. The more it shakes the more scared the passengers get. The Airliner's Captain does his best to keep everyone calm while keeping them informed. Eventually, the plane has to make an emergency landing, a landing that happens to be in Cleveland.
The Airline Captain's name is Reid and I'm the actor who is playing Captain Reid.
To make a long story short, the ladies end up liking what they're seeing and experiencing in Cleveland and they decide to stay a while before resuming their flight to Paris.
Needless to say, if this show is "picked up", these ladies will stay in Cleveland, hence the title of the show, "Hot in Cleveland". As in, the men in Cleveland think these three L.A. women are HOT!!!
This pilot was directed by Michael Lembeck and the person who hired me is show producer, Bob Heath, a guy who has been very nice to me. He hired me for the "Geena Davis" show which he was a producer of and he hired me many times for "According to Jim" which he was also a producer of.
I had a wonderful time with the cast and crew and I hope the show gets picked up because what I saw was a very funny show that has "hit" written all over it.
QUESTIONS AND OR COMMENTS? Please write to me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net. I will respond to you immediately. If you write to the blog, there's no way for me to know your email address so it will be impossible for me to respond to you. All "Anonymous" emails are ignored. Again...An email to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net gets you an immediate response.
THE NEXT BLOG? Barring unforseen circumstances, next Wednesday night, February 17, which also happens to be Ash Wednesday.
posted by Scott St. James at 11:44 PM
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