Friday, April 24, 2009

Recovering DJ: my five pence on Susan Boyle


So I’m finally chiming in on the whole Susan Boyle controversy, upheaval, or whatever you want to call it. I'm prone to comment on anyone named Susan, as well as music in general.

Like most news items, I've been paying attention with just half an eye and ear. I see drips and drabs on TV news and scan headlines here and there online or in one of those old fashioned newspaper things. You can’t miss her really; she’s s all over the net and is consistently a trending topic on Twitter.

In case your attention span is worse than mine. Susan Boyle is a contestant on "Britain’s got Talent," She's a tad bit frumpy to put it mildly, and the audience immediately thought she wouldn't be that great. But alas, it’s not true, she got “the voice”.

As a girl who’s got the perfect face for radio and makes everyone in a gym feel much better about themselves when she walks in, I gotta say Bravo Susan B! You make a Susan proud.

Some people are of course now commenting that perhaps it’s all been a calculated act or something, but backlash is inevitable.So what if she did have a few tricks up her taffeta sleeve? It’s called marketing and P.R. It's O.K when actors and other dubious “celebrities” plan their little plots, but heaven forbid a woman like Susan Boyle joke about never being kissed and then admit later she was joking.

The truth is, I just now watched the entire video of her first audition and I started SOBBING, even though I’ve seen parts of it already. Her cute little victory jig at the end reminded me we all have feelings and dreams and we should be permitted to go down our own paths, without getting trampled on by people who think they know it all.

And now I’ll go back to paying half attention.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

No more unwatched flicks

The Recovering DJ household recently jumped on the "cost cutting caboose". Factor in that plus plain 'ol principle, and we decided to cancel our Netflix membership. It was really the principle of the whole thing, but strangely I'm a little sad. Cinderella was right, You really don't know what you got until it's gone.

I love Netflix, I really do. From what I've read they're a great company with excellent execution on a great concept. You generally get your new DVD the next day, and now you can even watch certain flicks on the net.

But a problem arises...when you don't watch the movies. Either for months and months or...ever. I've mentioned before that I had possession of a DVD for over 7 months before I watched it. The lack of pressure to turn in a movie on time for some reason lulls me into a mode of "I'll just watch it tomorrow, or the next night, or on the weekend."

Apparently this household isn't the only one suffering from self-induced Netflix nonsense. If there really are alot of people like me out here, the Netflix concept is even more genius.

In the meantime, it's back to cable movies. Thank goodness the new USA shows are starting.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

It's not just Earth Day for some people



Song of the Day: "Birthday"-The Beatles

Today is Recovering DJ day too.

It’s funny how it's such a big deal to some people it’s their birthday and some people could care less. There must be a big psychological study about how you react to your big day defines the kind of person you are. As if it's that easy.

I have friends that go way overboard on their day, all "me me me" and it's like come on, we’re gettin' too old for this. But then I have some friends who don’t make a big deal at all and I think that’s wrong too.

Your birthday is your day; (unless you share it with other's- I happen to share it with four people I know, which I feel is an unusually large amount. I want my own day, HA). But regardless, you should be nice to yourself, treat yourself to something-however small but important only to you.
I think of my birthday as New Year's Day, which it really is. Another year of your life. I reflect on the past, and future and pour myself a glass of vino because it's all so much. Another story for another day.

I also try to do something nice for myself-like a mani/pedi, and responsible- I schedule doctor and dentist appointments before my birthday, that way I know every year when I’m due for my check ups. Ugh, that’s such a grown up thing to do now that I go back and read that.

When I worked in radio, saying a birthday over the air was a BIG DEAL, to both the birthday person as well as the person who made the request. I felt I possessed a great power over civilians, which I guess I did. But the simple gesture made people happy, so it was worth using the power for good instead of evil. At least I don’t think I ever used it for evil, unless I said someone’s age or something, broadcasting it to thousands of people at once…Oops.

Aaliyah (may she rest in peace) sang: “Age ain’t nothin’ but a number”. True, but sometimes it’s not a good number, not a number you want out there. I know some people hide their age, although now that I think about it, not in my circle. I am probably the only one who has started to think about shaving a few years off here and there, I mean who would it hurt really? I know some people who think they'r sooo old and therefore are acting so waaayyy too soon. And then I know people who don’t act their age, and I’m not sure if they ever will. I think I fit somewhere in the middle.

Today is also Earth Day, something I find veddy veddy amusing. Without giving too much away, Earth Day was created AFTER I was. Therefore, a somewhat egotistical maniac who thinks the world revolves around her might think Earth Day is about her.

Alas, not so. Just a funny little coincidence, which I think might help people remember my b'day. Or not, if they're aren't Earth Day sort of people.

At any rate, it’s certainly better than being born on a day like Christmas. You really get gypped on the gifts. Of course you do when you get older too, but that’s a story for another day boys and girls.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

I love USA!


The network... Well and the country, of course.

I came to this fascinating and startling conclusion the other night while watching the season 2 premiere of “In Plain Sight”-a show about a pair of U.S Marshalls in New Mexico and the madcap mayhem that happens on the job. The male Marshall is named “Marshall” which my “punny” humor just loves. The female lead is played by Mary McCormack, formally a “West Wing” cast member, (In fact USA seems to employ a lot of former “West Winger’s” which I find incredibly amusing as well) **

At any rate, while watching, a promo comes on for a new USA show starting in June called “Royal Pains” starring Mark Feurstein, he of “In Her Shoes” (a once top-secret favorite Recovering DJ movie, now obviously that’s out)

“Royal Pains” also co-stars Campbell Scott, a fave of mine in the David Mamet classic “The Spanish Prisoner” and of course the Seattle singles scene in “Singles”. Add in the fact that the story sounds fun and I am hooked.

Another promo comes on later for “Burn Notice” featuring the hottest spy in the world played by Jeffrey Donovan and this is when I exclaim to my husband, startling him away from his Kindle, “ I love this network!”

He nods knowingly, his wife is a TV junky and her new fix is now within easy reach on one channel.

I got hooked on USA last year when I started watching “Monk” every day to catch up on the show. The network does such a good job of promoting all their shows that I began to watch more and more. It doesn’t hurt that I am a marketer’s dream, pretty much swayed by slick production and quirky characters.

Yes, I watch too much TV.
I guess admitting it is one step towards recovering though, right?


**What makes USA the “West Wing” Network? (File under things only I care about.)

  • Mary McCormack on “In Plain Site” played Kate Harper, deputy national security advisor
  • Dule Hill on USA's “Pysch” played Charlie, the President’s assistant.
  • Bradley Whitford-Josh on WW guest stars on “Monk”
  • Richard Schiff who played Toby on WW had a two episode story on “Burn Notice” when I checked him out on IMDB it states he also guest stars on “Monk” and “In Plain Site” crazy!

Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)