Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Year end leftovers

This has been the year of baking, hasn’t it?  Probably more muffins, cookies, brownies, and banana bread were made this year than any other in recorded history (although who would record that history?). 

And as a society we’ve gotten way better at video games this year.   I'm still old school.  Tetris.  

Pictured above is the best movie of the season by far.  SOUL is Pixar's newest gem.  Wonderful and touching and dazzling.  It's on Disney +.  I can't recommend it enough.  

From one of the funniest writers I know, Arnie Kogan, comes this observation:  "Because of COVID the circus is allowing only three people in every clown car."  

I did a lot of writing this year.  It was weird writing for the theatre when there is no theatre and no timetable for when it might return.  

Lots of writers I know basically wrote nothing this year, and I totally understand that too.  Being in lockdown there is a real lack of stimuli.  It’s harder to generate ideas when you can’t get out and experience things and mingle with people.  I hope the stuff I wrote is any good.

I can’t imagine what the Oscars are going to look like next year.  Entertainment Weekly listed their Top 10 movies of the year.  Not only have I not seen any of them; I had never heard of 8 of them.   

Of the limited movies I have watched, SOUL is the best. 

If you haven’t seen my Christmas play, it’s here and I’m told very funny.  

The Grove shopping mall in Los Angeles was packed last week with Christmas shoppers. Worst pandemic in 100 years and LA is the current epicenter.  It’s not like I can blame the Red States for being stupid.  

Hey, BECKER is on the Pluto Channel.  Yes, there’s a Pluto Channel.  Happy searching.  

Advertisers, just so you know:  I will NEVER buy a product I see on a pop-up ad.  NEVER.  NEVER EVER.  Stop it!!!

ABC was the number one network in entertainment programming for the first time in 20 years.  I stress entertainment, because the networks that all had NFL football kicked ass.  

Oh, and ratings were down for all four networks from last year.  And if they went down during a pandemic when we’re all forced to stay home, that can’t bode well for them when we can return to life again. 

This would have been my grandmother’s 124th birthday.  Now that’s a woman who could bake!

15 comments :

  1. The Pluto Channel isn't really a channel. It's just a dwarf channel.


    I'll let myself out now....

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  2. Re: Becker

    Easy peasy.

    https://pluto.tv/on-demand/series/becker/season/1/episode/pilot-1998-1-1-ptv5

    Becker is on demand; most of Pluto TV isn't. But with all the choices, it's hard to argue with free.

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  3. I remember Kogan from the Carol Burnette Show credits.

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  4. I suspect the ratings are down because networks are running out of already-filmed programming. Usually have at least one but usually two-four shows new on my DVR nightly. This fall? Maybe 2 nights have anything at all.

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  5. BECKER also airs for free on Antenna TV weeknights at 1:00 AM pacific time, right after BARNEY MILLER.

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  6. You'll see. Eventually they'll declare that Pluto isn't a channel

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  7. Speaking of things I hate: Does it seem like the only 3 commercials on every platform are for either State Farm, Geico, or Verizon?

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  8. Not sure if anyone will agree with me, but car insurance commercials are easily the most annoying/stupid adverts on TV these days. Oh, happy New Year to all.

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  9. 2020, and the 3 prior years, will be better remembered for all that was half-baked.




    “Ek is ‘n potlood”

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  10. I haven't written anything this year, with the exception of responding to Ken's blog. I haven't baked anything either. (Yes, I can bake)

    My mom would have been 109 this Christmas. She had me late.

    "Becker" is on PLUTO?! Yet another platform on which I won't watch that show.

    "SOUL" is the kind of movie that if I watched it at all it would only be after it come out on DVD.

    Re: Clown Car. I've heard similar things about porn actresses.

    Not technically a video game, but I've been playing a lot of solitaire on my phone. Does that count?

    Christmas shopping was bad, but the super-spreader event I'm most worried about is the SUPERBOWL. Normally, I get together with friends for some kind of viewing party. And even if the bars and restaurants are still closed you know that many may try to find a loophole in the rules. You can imagine how much more money they could lose if they can't open for the big game. You also know there are a lot of people, red and blue, that will defy common sense and risk exposure for a good time.
    To digress for a moment. I tried Googling "super-spreader" to find out if it is one word or two. There's no consensus. Some sites have it as one. Webster's has it as an hyphenate and I couldn't find what the A.P. Style Book said about it. So, I went with hyphenated.

    Good for you, Cheryl Mark's. As previously stated on this blog I'm the same way. Although, in my case it's about 60% financial and 40% principle. However, if I won the lottery I'm pretty sure more than a few of my principles would go out the window.

    M.B.

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  11. Ken. “Oh, and ratings were down for all four networks from last year. And if they went down during a pandemic when we’re all forced to stay home, that can’t bode well for them when we can return to life again.”

    One exciting trend — a ray of hope — has been the rise of the mystery celebrity shows e.g. “The Masked Singer” .. “The Masked Dancer” ..
    Fox has just announced the latest iteration in the franchise — hosted by Thicke & Cannon— titled “Glory Hole.”
    For this one, they’ll apparently be guest casting following Stanislavski’s edict: "There are no small parts, only small actors."
    Unfortunately, the costs they save on costuming will be countered by those expended on dry cleaning.

    “Ek is ‘n potlood.”

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  12. William Link has passed away. RIP.

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  13. Curt said. Becker is on demand; most of Pluto TV isn't. This is technically true. However you can view all the channels on line. Or download the ap. I assume you can chrome cast shows. By way there is a Johnny Carson channel.

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  14. I remember seeing Arnie Kogan's byline in Mad magazine back in the 1970s. Good to know he's still around and still funny.

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  15. Love Pluto. Hate the same commercials being played over-and-over, sometimes back-to-back. There's also the inconsistent volume of commercials, which makes me hope the FCC revises the CALM rule to include streaming.

    Overall though, I love the options. Reminds me of cable in the 80s.

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