Where Are The Important TV Shows?

It was on this date in 1983 that the most-watched TV show in U.S. history aired—the finale of the TV series M*A*S*H. Over 60% of U.S. households were tuned in, representing a 77 share! Nearly 8 out of every 10 TV sets being watched were tuned to “Goodbye, Farewell & Amen”.

I know the explosion of cable TV channels has probably negated the possibility of THAT record ever being eclipsed, but the larger question is:

Where are the REALLY good/important TV shows?

OK, there is “Grey’s Anatomy”, “CSI”…maybe a handful of others—but there seems to be no current equivalent to the mini-series “Roots”. TV series’ like “All In The Family”, “Cheers”, “Seinfeld”, “The Cosby Show”, even “Dallas” and “The West Wing” don’t seem to have counter-parts.

I blame the GLUT of reality shows. Some are decent, but most are completely forgettable-and the by-product for TV executives is that, unlike the series, reality shows have NO aftermarket for syndication. For whatever reason I never watched “Seinfeld” or “Friends” in prime time. I did, however, become exposed and addicted to both in syndication-while both were still producing primetime episodes.

Enough with reality! I get plenty of it every day—give me good old-fashioned drama, comedy or action!

Below is a clip of moments of that LAST M*A*S*H episode-enjoy!




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjeAKrmu1o0


If you’d like my blog in your daily inbox, let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com

Confessions Of A Cereal Killer

I am a cereal killer. There, I said it.

Hand me a box of any cereal and I will annihilate it. Breakfast is a terrific meal at which to do this, but the time of day is irrelevant. I can eat cereal at any time of day or night.

Today is the birthday of physician J.H. Kellogg, who actually “invented” dry cereal-and started the company that bears his name in Battle Creek, Michigan. He lived until the ripe old age of 91, 9 years short of his goal of 100, but a decent lifespan by any definition. Eating lots of cereal had something to do with it, I am sure.

While I love and admire Kellogg’s line of yummy cereals, I am an equal opportunity cereal killer. I love Quaker Oats Granola, Cap’n Crunch-and even most of the “good-for-you” cereals, even though I am partial to the stuff the kids like too. Maybe it’s my love of milk that fuels my affection for dry cereal. I tend to eat it VERY fast, because I cannot abide SOGGY corn flakes, Rice Krispies or Life. The only cereal that I actually LOVE soggy is Shredded Wheat—soggy is the only way to eat it!

Below is an old TV commercial for Kellogg’s featuring the Monkees!!! Enjoy!




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMc9W2IQ7PM

I’m off to scarf down some Trix…if you’d like my blog in your e-mail box, just let me know! Tim.moore@citcomm.com

Tim Moore's Economic Stimulus Package

I have not been elected to any office-and I’ll be the first to admit that I really DON’T UNDERSTAND the economic crisis or how to solve it.

If you believe that you do understand it all, you are:

a) kidding yourself,
b) delusional-or
c) your name is Ben Bernanke

With my ignorance now firmly established, I am still ASTOUNDED by the magnitude of spending by our government---and my solution is simple, given the dollars. Check my math, please, but if the total tab is hovering in the $1.5 TRILLION dollar range, why don’t we just divide the dough up and send it to every man, woman and child in the U.S.?

At $1,500,000,000,000, divided up between the 300 million people in the country, that’s about $5,000 cash for every person. That means mortgage payments now made to avoid foreclosure, ability to pay the points on repo’s that are refinanced, new cars sold and generally a TON of cash infused into the economy. College tuition, credit card debt eliminated. Of course, that woman with 18 children would get $95,000, but sometimes you have to swallow hard.

Don’t get me wrong. I fully support our President-and think that much of his plan is needed. I just don’t trust the government to get it right. Whatever happened to that TARP money that was supposed to avert a crisis?

Below is the video of President Obama’s speech last night. Aside from the factual error regarding the automobile being “invented” in America (it was actually in Germany by a Mr Benz..as in Mercedes), I thought his speech was magnificent.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MVtE7C-YVc


If anyone needs me to help solve all of our problems, you know where to find me. I’m here to help. If you’d like this blog in your daily inbox, let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com

Our Amazing, Ever-Changing World

The pace of our lives has increased significantly in the last few years—and most indications are the acceleration will only pick up! It is becoming exponential.

We all need to constantly upgrade our skills-as many thrown out of work recently will attest to. The abilities and talents that carried us for so many years may already be obsolete in today’s ever-changing marketplace. Watch the short video below to get a sense of how fast our WORLD is evolving:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY


Our kids need to adapt to a rapidly changing environment—and the pastimes that we parents deride (like video gaming, for instance) may actually be useful in the adoption of new technologies and business models. Time to take a fresh look at what’s happening—and perhaps it’s a good idea to suspend JUDGMENT on how we think things SHOULD be and instead ADAPT to the way they ARE and—more importantly, WILL BE!

Bring it on!

Oscardog Millionaire

I must admit that I missed the Academy Awards last night.

In fact, I usually miss them, not because I don’t like movies—I do! It’s just that there is nothing no self-serving as an industry that expends so much energy congratulating itself.

Imagine if the PLUMBING FIXTURES industry indulged in the equivalent of the Oscars (“The Golden Wrench”?) What a red-carpet event THAT would be! Star plumbers from across the country would converge on, say, Peoria, Illinois—to honor the manufacturer of their raw materials! Innovations in elbow design and pipe technology would be honored before an adoring crowd of their peers. As long as no one bent over to accept the award (thus confirming the cliché of the “plumber’s cleavage” to be true indeed-to the disgust of everyone in attendance), it would be an event not to be missed!

Another reason I miss the Oscars is that I rarely have seen the nominated movies. I did see “The Dark Knight”-which I believe should have received a Best Picture nomination. At least Heath Ledger received a posthumous, but much deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

The complete domination of “Slumdog Millionaire” really has me wanting to see this film—the trailer is below—with a link also in case the player doesn’t appear for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoj6AH_5Ebs




Looks like my movie “dance card” is filled, with “Milk”, “Frost/Nixon”, “The Reader” and of course, “Slumdog Millionaire” at the top of the list! Pass the popcorn!


If you’d like my blog in your inbox daily, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com

John Glenn Rockets Into Space!

It was on this date in 1962 that John Glenn became the first human to orbit the earth!
47 years ago!

With shuttle flights and space travel seeming commonplace now, it is hard to imagine the emotions of a man who strapped himself to a huge cylinder full of rocket fuel. Can you possibly IMAGINE what was going through his head when mission control said “Godspeed, John Glenn!”? Alan Shepard made it to space and back-and the Soviets had launched a cosmonaut as well. Would any of that have given you any comfort when the U.S. space program was in its infancy-and it was YOU putting your life on the line? Below is a short clip of the launch-and the link is below that in case the player doesn’t come up:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5soUes2-LrU


Heroes are hard to come by---in the early 60’s , the astronauts WERE our heroes! When I was growing up, I wanted to work for NASA and fly into space! With each subsequent flight, however, the novelty wore off—that is, until Apollo 11 and the trip to the moon in 1969. Astronauts expecting a hero’s welcome, complete with ticker tape parade were increasingly greeted with casual indifference—respect, to be sure, but not the level of “rock star” status that was now beginning to accrue to…well, rock stars. The counter-culture captured the imagination of America’s young people. Astronauts became associated with a military mired in Viet Nam-and a straight-laced persona that was increasingly rejected by the youth.

It’s important however to remember—and appreciate an enormously frightening moment in the life of a young man-and our country. The John Glenn we more recently know as a politician from Ohio is a far cry (in our limited exposure) to the STEEL that resides within.

John Glenn—a HERO for any age!

Conan's Last Show...Until His Next One

Late Night with Conan O’Brien will air its last show tonight, as Conan takes a leave of absence until he takes over for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show.

Hard to believe that even after all these years, the guy that producer Lorne Michaels plucked out of the Saturday Night Live writing crew and gave his own TV show with no prior experience---has now risen to the pantheon of Late Night TV (sorry, Mr. Letterman)
No one knew this former writer for the Simpsons at the beginning-and the reviews for the first few YEARS of the show were highly critical. You have to give Conan some credit for hanging in there-and eventually growing into the role of "TV star".

With his wildly elevated hair and sarcastic sense of humor, it will indeed be a departure from the Leno years-as Jay never strayed from the mass appeal humor that made Johnny Carson a household name.

Below is a favorite spoof clip of Conan on the way to the Emmys last year-the link is also below if you cannot see the player:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46QXCDK-B0M

We wish Jay Leno success in his new endeavor-a talk show in prime time! We also wish Conan and Letterman luck as they slug it out—should be fun to watch!

If you’d like my blog in your e-mail daily, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com

Bernie Madoff-The Ultimate Con Artist--And Still At It

I’m no lawyer, but can anyone answer me ONE question?

Why isn’t Bernie Madoff behind bars?

Is it because he could post ANY bail amount? Is he not a flight risk? Does ANYONE trust him anymore? I get the whole “innocent until proven guilty” routine, but shouldn’t he be locked up until trial?

After allegedly stealing $50 Billion (yes, that is a B), why is he under “house arrest”? With all the comforts of a wealthy lifestyle, the word is that he was still trying to hide assets while on the loose. Since he stole from some pretty wealthy and powerful people, it may be true that prison could be the SAFEST place for him to be. Are taxpayers footing the bill for the security detail that guards his in-town mansion?

Here’s a funny little Madoff parody:


And here’s the link if the player isn’t showing up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8pcME4MMj0

I won’t attempt to fool anyone into thinking I actually understand the whole “Ponzi scheme” scenario, but I guess that it basically means that the first investors (read “suckers”) get paid with the proceeds from subsequent victims. This way, real money seems to be made (at rates that seem unbelievable)-but hey, cash is cash—and the flow of these returns built not only TRUST, but also future, heftier investments.

That members of the SEC were blind, stupid, complicit or all three in this affair surprises no one. It is interesting to note the reaction among regular folks to the losses of the super-rich. There is almost a smug satisfaction, that these “captains of industry” somehow themselves became humiliated and separated from their millions. This is unfortunate, as the victim seems to always define the reaction to the crime. Grab the purse of a young lady professional (say, perhaps..an attorney?)and while we may express outrage, it would never cause the emotional response had the victim been an elderly grandmother.

Jokes will be sustained longer than usual due to the suspect’s own name. Yes, Bernie “Madoff” with billions of dollars, but the last I heard, it’s a lot tougher to spend when he’ll be spending the rest of his life in prison---at fate that cannot come too soon.

History Of The Internet!

Here’s a blog cop-out today, (it’s been a crazy day!) but I thought you’d be interested in the following video clip of the History of the Internet! Fascinating! It is long by You Tube standards, so it may bog down a bit and re-buffer:



Here’s the link in case you don’t see the player:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hIQjrMHTv4&feature=dir

If you’d like my blog in your e-mail, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com

Modern People Are Pansies-Ice The Old Fashioned Way

That blog title says it all.

Yesterday, I ventured out to Bristol, Maine with my wife and son Kevin to see ice harvesting—the way it USED to be----and for those at the Thompson Ice House, the way it still is.
Below is a short video clip of how the process works-at the very place I visited yesterday:




Here is the link if the player is not visible:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0NteN2zDtk

Nowadays, when we want ice, what do we do? We put down the TV remote, muster the strength to pull ourselves from the couch and walk ALL THE WAY TO THE KITCHEN.
The freezer stores all the ice we need, in convenient little cubes that rattle into our glass.

THANK GOD for whoever invented the refrigerator with an ice dispenser on the OUTSIDE! Now, we don’t even have to OPEN THE DOOR (too exhausting!)

It was an amazing process to watch-and fun, too…but that comes from the perspective of me, basically a gawking tourist in this endeavor. It made me realize how soft, flabby and LAZY we have become. Take the issue of ICE and multiply it by the hundreds of tasks that are either:
1) done by others or
2) automated for us by machines/technology

and it becomes EMBARRASSING to realize that we have so much “discretionary time” (usually spent on entertaining ourselves) that we fail to comprehend how tough life was “back in the day”.

Work has value beyond the task completed—and that sense could be lost in our modern age, where so much is done for us. Perhaps there is no going back, but maybe instead of focusing on our leisure time, we could use some of it to CREATE WORK that needs to be done---community building, environmental cleanup or helping others.

Now, you’ll excuse me….I have to put the popcorn packet in the microwave—only minutes before “American Gladiators” on TV!!!

If you’d like this blog in your e-mail daily (a task that won’t be taxing for either you or me), just click the link and tell me! tim.moore@citcomm.com

Happy President’s Day!