FeeFiFoto Blog

Today We Celebrate Vivaldi, Rockne and Robin

Today is Holy Experiment Day, as well as the birthday of Knute Rockne and Antonio Vivaldi.

Here's a picture of Knute Rockne, who played football at Notre Dame!

And here's a quote!

"It isn't necessary to see a good tackle. You can hear it."

Ouch!

And here's a picture of Antonio Vivaldi, who played the violin in Italy!

And here's a quote!

...

Hold on -- there aren't really any engaging Vivaldi quotes, so here's some music!

And finally, here's a picture of Robin, who had a Holy _______ statement for Batman in any situation so he probably said "Holy Experiment Batman!" at one point!

And here's a video of an entire TV season's worth of Robin Holy Whatever quotes!

Whew!

 

March 1 Is...

National Pig Day and Peanut Butter Lover's Day.

I have nothing relevant to say about pigs or peanut butter.  So, I'm going to wing it.

Anne Hathaway is stunning, funny and talented.

James Franco has four master's degrees and is working on a PhD in English.

Using a hologram of Bob Hope to announce awards for special effects was downright creepy.

Inviting Kirk Douglas, a stroke survivor, to present an award was brilliant.

Jennifer Hudson is glorious.

What is Helena Bonham Carter thinking when she looks in her closet?  As a corollary, does she even own a mirror?

Why aren't Academy Award commercials as great as Super Bowl commercials?  Except for the Fancy Feast ad with the white kitten.

Natalie Portman attended Harvard.

 

A Show About Scrappers

I don't really want to watch this show. I'm just really looking forward to the uproar when all the ladies find out this isn't a program about scrapbooking.

The Scrappers Premiere Preview! | SpikeTV | SPIKE.com

Just One More Piece Of Technology For Me To Learn How To Turn On and Off

I finally joined the 21^st century.

Hold on.

Okay, I finally joined the 20^th century.

I bought a flat screen TV.

My kids watch TV.  I don't.  Not that I wouldn't like to.  I used to.  But there used to be stuff to watch and I used to not have kids in front of whom I'd be embarrassed to watch some of the stuff I watched when I used to watch.  Now, although I relish a touch of Schadenfreude (spelling bee word!) as much as the next guy, I feel as if I might burn in hell if I watch parents of sextuplets, or Guidos, or LA tarts, or low ranking celebrities make fools of themselves.  Therefore, to set a good example, and because everything on television stinks, and because I fear burning in hell, I don't watch TV.

Except for the occasional rerun of Monty Python and the Holy Grail or Saturday Night Live.

So why did I buy a flat screen TV? 

Because it will make me cool.  Because it will make my kids cool.  Because we just finished a renovation and the 22" tv-in-a-box that's been hanging on the wall for the past 12 years looks dorky.  Because the Super Bowl is imminent, and apparently the best time to buy televisions is right before the Super Bowl because the Super Bowl's a guy thing and TVs are a guy thing so there you go.

Do you know how hard it is to buy a television?  You used to go to a furniture store and pick up a TV, plug it in at home, set up the TV trays and then spend the rest of the television's lifespan twisting vertical hold knobs and horizontal hold knobs and rabbit ears.

If all else failed you might resort to putting your foot through the picture tube:

 

You know what it's like to buy a TV now?  Here are some of the specifications for the one I just ordered; I've highlighted the specs I understand:

Display Area: 42" (big)
Display Type: LCD
Contrast Ratio: 1000000:1
Dynamic Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Signal Compatibility: 1080p
Input Video Signal: ATSC QAM
NTSC Compatibility: VESA (200 mm X 400 mm)
Screen Refresh Rate: 240Hz
Condition: New (free of fingerprints or bad karma from previous owners)
Features: PC Input
Speakers: 2 (I have 2 ears so this makes sense to me)
Inputs: USB S-Video PC Composite HDMI In Component SD Memory Card Slot IR
Outputs: Analog Audio Digital Audio Out
HDMI Ports: 4
Height (inches): 26.2 (this tall)
Height with Stand (inches): 28.5 (a little bit taller)
Width (inches): 41.7 (this wide)
Depth (inches): 3.7 (this deep)
Depth with Stand (inches): 13 (a little deeper)
Unit Weight: 59.4 lbs. (too heavy for me to lift)

Now, before any of the men in the audience start micromanaging my choice to prove that I made the exact wrong decision, save your ire and allow me to describe my scientific, analytical method for choosing this television:

• Consult Consumer Reports to learn the four highest rated brands in the exact size the contractor told me I'd be able to see from anywhere in the house
• Consult Upromise to determine which registered retailers carry the selected brands and offer the largest rebate
• Narrow down choice to the single brand that's highly rated and sold by more than one Upromise retailer
• Choose the retailer with the lowest price and free shipping (yay Super Bowl season!)
• Buy
• Anticipate delivery and hope that Robespierre can install and connect the television with minimal assistance from me

What would have been your advice for choosing a new television?  Not that I'll listen, but feel free to tell me anyway.

Happy 40th Anniversary, Sesame Street: You Can't Tell Me This Doesn't Bring Tears To Your Eyes

Do you remember when Sesame Street began? I do.

Thanks to Jack for bringing this to my attention.

My sister was four years old and she watched it at home while I had to go to school.  I came home every day and had to listen to her describe each episode breathlessly, excitedly, with glowing eyes.  I was so jealous.  Finally, I had a day off school for snow, or teachers' meetings or the flu or something, and I couldn't wait to see what all the excitement was about.

She was right.  Sesame Street was a miraculous, intimate and long-lasting little treat.  I already knew the alphabet and numbers; it wasn't about the learning.  The charm came from the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed most segments as a nine-year-old, and a 12-year-old, and a 20-year-old; as the aunt of three and the mother of two.  The kids didn't quite understand why I laughed so loudly, but really, how could I help but laugh, at a Paul McCartney concert, when I could sense many of the parents in the crowd were mouthing the words to "Letter B" by the Beetles?

My friend is expecting twins in about a month. One piece of advice I offer to any expectant mother is to choose music you can live with, since you're going to live with it for an awfully long time.  I recommend show tunes, movie soundtracks, and, naturally, Sesame Street.  I picked up a copy of Silly Songs for her today.  How can you go wrong with "The Honker-Duckie-Dinger Jamboree"?

or "The Everything In The Wrong Place Ball"

or "The Elephant Elevator Operator"?

Happy Birthday Sesame Street! And many, many, many more.

What are your favorite things about Sesame Street?

Who Knew It Could Be This Easy: The Fountain Of Youth

Headline from Monday's New York Times:

‘Tonight Show’ Audience a Decade Younger

"One of the big questions facing Conan O’Brien was this: How can he succeed with the older “Tonight Show” viewers? The answer: by making them younger.

In Mr. O’Brien’s first month as host, the median age of “Tonight Show” viewers has fallen by a decade — to 45 from 55..."

Enough with The Daily Show -- I'm switching to Conan.

Wordless Wednesday, Stream Of Consciousness Style: Remember "Went With The Wind"?

I posted this photo:

Image from Yahoo!

...which I labeled with this caption:

I'll nevah go hungry again.

My kids said:

What the devil does that mean?

So I showed them this picture:

 

This and the following image from Frenchlique

...which inevitably led me to this picture:

Do I really need words to describe this?

Watch this one first, and then this one.

You're welcome.

Please enter my Fame giveaway.  Thanks!

I'm Going To The American Idol Concert

And I've never seen American Idol in my life!!

Nor have I ever been the least bit interested!

So why am I going? you might ask (or you might not, for all I know).

Well.

I have a friend (J) who has a friend (L) (are you following this?) who's a lawyer at a prominent local law firm. L requested the firm's box seats for the concert and dutifully (but reluctantly) invited some clients, who were unable to attend. J and L were both dying to go, but L would've looked very bad to the partners if she'd just brought a friend who has no prospect of ever becoming the firm's client. So they put on their thinking caps to try to find someone to invite who might at least give the appearance of being a potential client, and my name came up.

I'm somewhat older than both of them, and I own a house and a not-yet-profitable business. My only duty, apparently, is to raise my eyebrows knowingly to imply that I possibly might someday abandon the law firm I've used for years, and practiced law with before that, in favor of this quite large and venerable firm, mainly due to their generosity in affording me the chance to spend two hours watching the singing equivalent of the Campbell's Soup or Discover Stars on Ice, or whoever sponsers semi-famous figure skaters these days.

Maybe it won't be excruciating. It might even be fun, and since I don't get out much it'll certainly be different.

Let's see... big purse, paperback book, teeny tiny flashlight...