I missed Mary.
I didn't use the internet yesterday, and it was awful. It turns out, I love the internet. I've heard a lot of people make cases for how technology and the internet is ruining society, but to them I say "what? I wasn't listening to you, the internet is shiny." But for serious, I say "Peshaw. The internet is great." Mary is on the internet.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Maybe You're Just Depressed!
I think I've mentioned it before, but one of my favorite moments from The Ellen Show is in the episode where Catherine comes in upset about *something* and Dot (Cloris Leachman) leans over and says, in her cheeriest voice, "Maybe you're just depressed!" It's a mantra I use actually. I once wrote an essay using it as my lead-off. I wanted to embed the clip here, but it took longer than 10-seconds to find, so I gave up.
Yesterday, I thought maybe I was depressed. I didn't want to do a damn thing. The internet was on the fritz, and not just because of the SOPA and PIPA blackouts. It was a router issue that I was too lazy to deal with. And by deal with I mean unplug, count to 30, and plug back in. So I checked my email on my phone, and then laid around all the live-long day. I would start to drift off to sleep and I would hear Cloris Leachman say "Maybe you're just depressed!" Then I would chuckle and it would all be OK.
There is also a bit about button-eyes on muffins. It's delightful. I don't even remember what I was depressed about.
Yesterday, I thought maybe I was depressed. I didn't want to do a damn thing. The internet was on the fritz, and not just because of the SOPA and PIPA blackouts. It was a router issue that I was too lazy to deal with. And by deal with I mean unplug, count to 30, and plug back in. So I checked my email on my phone, and then laid around all the live-long day. I would start to drift off to sleep and I would hear Cloris Leachman say "Maybe you're just depressed!" Then I would chuckle and it would all be OK.
There is also a bit about button-eyes on muffins. It's delightful. I don't even remember what I was depressed about.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
I Love Betty White
I've been a fan of Betty White since I was a wee one. I watched The Golden Girls when it first ran in the 80s, even though I didn't really understand a lot of it. I started to understand it more in its later years, as my brain developed. I even watched The Golden Palace, the short lived spin off that also starred Don Cheadle and failed miserably. The Golden Girls reruns got me through college (and grad school). I watched at least an hour of The Golden Girls every Sunday, and always earnestly. The Golden Girls marathons were like church for me. I really did (still do) love it. I love everything she does. I watch Hot In Cleveland, and I love that too.
Today is Betty White's birthday. Happy Birthday, Betty! Last night, NBC put on a star-studded birthday celebration for her. I marked it on my calendar--I was not going to miss it. It did not disappoint. It opened with Amy Poehler and one of her classic speeches. She admitted to writing a fan letter to Betty 20 years ago, when she was 5. Ha! Good times. It probably goes without saying that Betty White is a comedy legend. She has had such a profound influence on everyone who has every been in the industry, and I don't think I'm using too much hyperbole there. Seth Myers made the joke that a lot of things have changed in TV since Betty White got her start--like now it exists. Funny, and true!
Nobody else will ever be as good as Betty White, ever. I started to look up videos to embed to prove my point, but then I got distracted for about three hours just watching them. There is just so much! She's done everything! A master's class in Betty White would be completely appropriate. She started in radio. She starred in Life with Elizabeth. She had her own variety show (though short lived). She is, of course, a comedy legend in her own right, and has also worked with every comedy legend around. I realize I'm gushing, a lot, but really, I'm just so damn inspired by Betty White. She's been on TV for as long as TV has existed. And damn it, she just keeps going.
I'm currently working my way through the entire The Mary Tyler Moore Show series, and she's great on that too. I wanted to share everything I thought was great about Betty White, but it's too much for this little blog to hold. Really, it's too much for the internet to hold, though it does make a valiant effort. She's always been ahead of her time, even though she's 90. She continues to evolve with us. Happy Birthday, Betty White, and thanks for inviting us all to your party.
From NBC's birthday special:
From Community:
From Hot In Cleveland:
Today is Betty White's birthday. Happy Birthday, Betty! Last night, NBC put on a star-studded birthday celebration for her. I marked it on my calendar--I was not going to miss it. It did not disappoint. It opened with Amy Poehler and one of her classic speeches. She admitted to writing a fan letter to Betty 20 years ago, when she was 5. Ha! Good times. It probably goes without saying that Betty White is a comedy legend. She has had such a profound influence on everyone who has every been in the industry, and I don't think I'm using too much hyperbole there. Seth Myers made the joke that a lot of things have changed in TV since Betty White got her start--like now it exists. Funny, and true!
Nobody else will ever be as good as Betty White, ever. I started to look up videos to embed to prove my point, but then I got distracted for about three hours just watching them. There is just so much! She's done everything! A master's class in Betty White would be completely appropriate. She started in radio. She starred in Life with Elizabeth. She had her own variety show (though short lived). She is, of course, a comedy legend in her own right, and has also worked with every comedy legend around. I realize I'm gushing, a lot, but really, I'm just so damn inspired by Betty White. She's been on TV for as long as TV has existed. And damn it, she just keeps going.
I'm currently working my way through the entire The Mary Tyler Moore Show series, and she's great on that too. I wanted to share everything I thought was great about Betty White, but it's too much for this little blog to hold. Really, it's too much for the internet to hold, though it does make a valiant effort. She's always been ahead of her time, even though she's 90. She continues to evolve with us. Happy Birthday, Betty White, and thanks for inviting us all to your party.
From NBC's birthday special:
From Community:
From Hot In Cleveland:
Monday, January 16, 2012
I Drink For A Reason. A Review.
David Cross is a comedian. Eventually, successful comedians write books.
See the rest of the review here: http://cannonballread4.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/banannerpantss-cbr4-review-1-i-drink-for-a-reason-by-david-cross/
See the rest of the review here: http://cannonballread4.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/banannerpantss-cbr4-review-1-i-drink-for-a-reason-by-david-cross/
Dreams, I Have Them Too
But my dreams are usually scary, not prolific. My dreams aren't a call-to-arms for all people to band together and make things better. Mine are usually pretty egocentric and surreal. Also, my dreams are never cause for national holidays and days off work.
Happy MLK day!
Happy MLK day!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
A Day
You ever have one of those days? Of course you have. Everyone has had one of those days. Today was a bit of one of those days for me. Oh, what a day.
I enjoy putting in a day of hard work, and I was able to at least do that. But it was one of those days in the way that of course you get a paper cut and then touch a lemon slice. And of course things could have been worse--they can always be worse, right?--but that's not the point. You're feeling just a little left of center and like you just can't catch a break. If you need to train to be right on time, then of course some crazy person is going to get on followed by 6 police officers and cause a giant ruckus and delay the train.
The cherry on top of the type of one of those days I was having was when I was walking down the street toward the subway. A guy was trying to throw garbage away and apparently I was between him and the garbage can, so it hit me instead. It's wasn't gross slimy garbage, and he apologized. It was more shocking than anything else. And then I started laughing because it was just so damn fitting.
And then, because this is a thing that happens to me, I took off my shoes and socks when I got home and my toes were bloody. That's just what one of my days happens to look like--crazy train guys, garbage throwing, and bloody toes.
I enjoy putting in a day of hard work, and I was able to at least do that. But it was one of those days in the way that of course you get a paper cut and then touch a lemon slice. And of course things could have been worse--they can always be worse, right?--but that's not the point. You're feeling just a little left of center and like you just can't catch a break. If you need to train to be right on time, then of course some crazy person is going to get on followed by 6 police officers and cause a giant ruckus and delay the train.
The cherry on top of the type of one of those days I was having was when I was walking down the street toward the subway. A guy was trying to throw garbage away and apparently I was between him and the garbage can, so it hit me instead. It's wasn't gross slimy garbage, and he apologized. It was more shocking than anything else. And then I started laughing because it was just so damn fitting.
And then, because this is a thing that happens to me, I took off my shoes and socks when I got home and my toes were bloody. That's just what one of my days happens to look like--crazy train guys, garbage throwing, and bloody toes.
 |
| You know, just one of those days. |
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Lists and Repetition
When I write, I write a lot of lists and I repeat myself a lot. I write a lot of lists and I repeat myself a lot. I get listy and repeaty. The lists help make sure I'm not just taking the first idea; a list of ideas help flush the bad ones away and the let good ones float to the top. Repeating myself helps me stay focused on the truth of the matter; saying something many times helps flesh out the character and the situation.
I use these techniques differently for different formats. When writing a sketch I use many more lists, and much more wildly. If the nugget of the idea is hairy things, then I make a list of as many hairy things as possible. Hopefully within that list, and in the process of making it, I come across the hairy thing that should really be the star of the sketch. There are times the first thing on the list is the best, or the most fitting. But why limit yourself to the first thing you think of? The first thing I thought of just now when writing hairy things was a kiwi. The second was gorilla balls and the third was mold. Three very different sketches really.
I use the repeaty technique more in longer form writing. It didn't start off as a technique, it started off as an irritating habit where I couldn't remember what I had just written about a character or a situation. But now I use it to maintain focus on the truth of the matter. Sometimes characters get away from us. Or we start to forget what the story is really about. We get wrapped up in the fun we're having with characters, quirks, situations, wild settings, and all the robots. I mean, of course we do, those are all fun things. So in order to make sure I haven't had the kind of fun that completely ruins the story or character, I'll repeat myself a little bit.
I'll think of the impetus of the story--what is the heart of what's going on--and I'll summarize it into a sentence or two. In the middle of the ramblings at the start of my writing process, where I'm really having a lot of fun with the quirks and the robots, I'll repeat that sentence. Does it still check out? Is the heart of the matter still true even with all that fun? Yes? Great, I will keep at it. No? Well, then, I need to think a moment. In that case the fun may have gotten too muddy or the heart of the matter may have changed. Then I can go in for readjustments.
Really, it's just a simple check I use to make sure I'm staying, err, consistent with my characters, stories, etc. It's not an end-all be-all. And I realize that my terse description of it makes it sound like I'm not leaving room for change, or growth, blah blah. But that's not it at all. Sometimes the impetus of the story is "she just really wants to do the right thing." That doesn't mean she doesn't do the wrong thing sometimes, but it does mean she probably doesn't knife people in alleys for tennis shoes or stick gum under desks. And if she does start doing those things, I need to figure out why. Maybe the why is the story and I should keep going. It's possible she knifed the guy for good reason. That would also be a good place for a list--reasons for knifing a guy in an alley.
It also means she's probably not a cat person, so if she ends up with a cat somewhere down the road, it's a clear inconsistency in her character. If you want to do the right thing, you own a dog. If you have a flagrant disregard for morality, you own ferrets and uncaged cockatiels.
I use these techniques differently for different formats. When writing a sketch I use many more lists, and much more wildly. If the nugget of the idea is hairy things, then I make a list of as many hairy things as possible. Hopefully within that list, and in the process of making it, I come across the hairy thing that should really be the star of the sketch. There are times the first thing on the list is the best, or the most fitting. But why limit yourself to the first thing you think of? The first thing I thought of just now when writing hairy things was a kiwi. The second was gorilla balls and the third was mold. Three very different sketches really.
I use the repeaty technique more in longer form writing. It didn't start off as a technique, it started off as an irritating habit where I couldn't remember what I had just written about a character or a situation. But now I use it to maintain focus on the truth of the matter. Sometimes characters get away from us. Or we start to forget what the story is really about. We get wrapped up in the fun we're having with characters, quirks, situations, wild settings, and all the robots. I mean, of course we do, those are all fun things. So in order to make sure I haven't had the kind of fun that completely ruins the story or character, I'll repeat myself a little bit.
I'll think of the impetus of the story--what is the heart of what's going on--and I'll summarize it into a sentence or two. In the middle of the ramblings at the start of my writing process, where I'm really having a lot of fun with the quirks and the robots, I'll repeat that sentence. Does it still check out? Is the heart of the matter still true even with all that fun? Yes? Great, I will keep at it. No? Well, then, I need to think a moment. In that case the fun may have gotten too muddy or the heart of the matter may have changed. Then I can go in for readjustments.
Really, it's just a simple check I use to make sure I'm staying, err, consistent with my characters, stories, etc. It's not an end-all be-all. And I realize that my terse description of it makes it sound like I'm not leaving room for change, or growth, blah blah. But that's not it at all. Sometimes the impetus of the story is "she just really wants to do the right thing." That doesn't mean she doesn't do the wrong thing sometimes, but it does mean she probably doesn't knife people in alleys for tennis shoes or stick gum under desks. And if she does start doing those things, I need to figure out why. Maybe the why is the story and I should keep going. It's possible she knifed the guy for good reason. That would also be a good place for a list--reasons for knifing a guy in an alley.
It also means she's probably not a cat person, so if she ends up with a cat somewhere down the road, it's a clear inconsistency in her character. If you want to do the right thing, you own a dog. If you have a flagrant disregard for morality, you own ferrets and uncaged cockatiels.
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