Army of Wal-Mart
Here's an (maybe-not-so) interesting fact. Behind the U.S. Government, the largest employer in the United States is Wal-Mart with a stunning 1.1 million employees working at 1,409 Wal-Mart stores, 1,562 Supercenters, 539 Sam's Clubs, and 70 Neighborhood Markets all making $256 billion in sales last year.
That's a lot of people. If Sam Walton's family ever decided to put an army together to overthrow the government, it may have the resources to do so; that is if their employees were soldier material. Actually, many of them do have military experience having fought in World War 2.
Monday, August 02, 2004
Good place for a headline
Good place for a headline
"Warm one today. Warmer than yesterday. Gonna be even warmer tomorrow. [Plucks his banjo]" - Stewie Griffin in Family Guy, To Live And Die In Dixie
It's hot today.
Had a good weekend. All I did was get caught up on TiVo, play video games, watched TV and played more video games. The neighbor and his kids brought their Xbox over for some system link Halo. They are gluttons for my punishment but they're learning.
Mrs. Lock and I did go out for some lunch at some point and to the drugstore to pick up a stethescope to try and listen to the baby's heart on our own. It doesn't work (trying to hear the baby's heart, not the baby's heart itself). I think the part of the stethescope used to pick up the sound is too wide when we probably need to concentrate on a square inch to focus in on the heart beat. Right now, all we're hearing is Mrs. Lock's lunch pass through her digestive system and who cares about that? Not me.
"Warm one today. Warmer than yesterday. Gonna be even warmer tomorrow. [Plucks his banjo]" - Stewie Griffin in Family Guy, To Live And Die In Dixie
It's hot today.
Had a good weekend. All I did was get caught up on TiVo, play video games, watched TV and played more video games. The neighbor and his kids brought their Xbox over for some system link Halo. They are gluttons for my punishment but they're learning.
Mrs. Lock and I did go out for some lunch at some point and to the drugstore to pick up a stethescope to try and listen to the baby's heart on our own. It doesn't work (trying to hear the baby's heart, not the baby's heart itself). I think the part of the stethescope used to pick up the sound is too wide when we probably need to concentrate on a square inch to focus in on the heart beat. Right now, all we're hearing is Mrs. Lock's lunch pass through her digestive system and who cares about that? Not me.
Friday, July 30, 2004
Lock At The Movies (sort of)
Lock At The Movies (sort of)
I'm back in the movie seeing business. After taking a hiatus of a couple of years, I'm watching movies left and right now. I was one of the original Netflix members, an online DVD rental place, and after 2 year subscription to the service, I cancelled it because simply put, I watched everything in their library that I wanted to see.
So I took a break from the movie rental hobby, let a bunch of movies pass me by since I wasn't going to the theater either, and now am taking the opportunity to get caught back up.
I didn't sign up for Netflix, but instead went with Wal-Mart's DVD rental business. It was the cheapest of the three (Netflix, Wal-Mart and Blockbuster). They are very quick with getting the movies out and I'm quick getting them back, much to their chagrin I imagine. They're also very quick about processing the returns and getting the next one on my list sent out. I'm impressed with the service so far.
I've had the account for only one week but have watched seven movies so far. Here is my quick review of the seven:
Solaris - 6/10. Entertaining but the movie is just simply there. Nothing very exciting, it's just a love story with a supernatural deal. It looked great, the sets looked great, the acting was good but it was just a storyline that started at point A and finished at point B then the The End. At moments, I was reminded of 2001 (great movie) and the set looked like they borrowed it from Cameron's Aliens. Entertaining is my way of saying it's a good watch when viewed for the first time, but there's no reason to see it again.
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World - 7/10. Neat to watch. The swashbuckling adventures of these 18th century British naval soldiers tells a few good stories. The portrayal seemed like it would be accurate, a good representation of what 18th century naval warfare was like so the set looked great. The characters are rushed though, not much time to invest emotionally in each one or remember who is who, but it pulls it off on a select few: the captain of course, the ship's doctor and maybe a couple of the adolescent officers. Good flow, not much of a climax though. The movie builds towards something and then when it gets to it, it just lets the air out of the balloon and let it unfold in an nonexciting way. Also, it's very strange to see Russell Crowe be so polite and chivalrous given his notorious personality in real life. I know, Gladiator but even in that, his job was to be barbaric. In Commander, he's almost pompous - ah, but that part is accurate.
Paycheck - 5/10. It's typical Woo, only he's doing scifi. He has a style that I can't seem to ever get into. He is master of action, but I just get the feeling he's using antiquated methods still, like having cars blow up for little reason. It's a good story. The story it's based on is a short story written by Philip K. Dick. The book is excellent and the movie tries to stay on target with that theme but has to stray in many areas to keep the movie together. Affleck may not have been the right guy for this role but he did a decent job. Uma's character was unnecessary for the whole thing, she was there just to add a touch of romance to the story. For a biologist though, Woo had her kicking butt. For brief flashes I thought someone had put in Kill Bill. This movie is entertaining so you know what that means.
Mystic River - 7/10. Good flick, good story. Sean Penn is Godfather in Boston. I'm not sure he deserved the Oscar, but he did a great job. Character development was very good in this. We see three friends as kids, each with their own personality, then many years later when they're grown up (middle aged) with families, you recognize who they are based on what you witnessed during their childhood actions. It's a good story too about how a close-knit neighborhood takes care of its own, which gives it the Godfather feel. The movie turns into a mystery and the outcome was a little disappointing but it was probably decided that it was necessary to elevate a dramatic effect for one of the characters, but for me it kind of stole from it. Not your typical Hollywood drama though, especially the ending. You won't know who to feel for when it's over.
Lost In Translation - 8/10. Excellent. Story of two strangers staying in Tokyo for personal reasons, Murray is doing an acting job and Johannsen is visiting family. They both dread being in Tokyo for the time they've planned to stay but end up meeting each other (in the hotel where they're staying) and actually find a way to have a good time while they're there. (Plutonically people! Get your mind out of the gutter!) The pairing up of Murray who is a middle aged married man with kids and Johanssen who is a newlywed barely 20 something is an odd one as far as society might be concerned, so good thing they're not in America. The chemistry between the two really works and you're happy to see they're making the best of a bad/boring situation and see them establish an emotional friendship that is beneficial to each of them and you want to see it work.
Seabiscuit - 7/10. There really is nothing wrong with this film as a film. It does everything right but the problem is that I'm just not into horseracing. This movie made me a little bit interested which speaks for its quality, but it was doomed from the start. Having said that, I still have it a 7 out of 10. It's like trying to get into an excellent film about grease trap cleaning. Seabiscuit is an excellent story (for a horseracing story), the characters are great and identifiable, the acting is great, the set is great, the horse is great. It's all great. It's a perfect formula for an excellent film, except for the subject matter. If you like horses or gambling or rags to riches or even period pieces, you'll enjoy this film.
Monster - 8/10. Obviously a low budget movie, but it didn't need any glamour. This was about a down on her luck, unlucky woman who finds something good in her life for once and does everything possible (read: illegal) to protect it. If you didn't think it was possible for a movie to force you to identify with a serial killer, this one will make a very valid attempt to garner your sympathy for a person who killed seven people. You see a series of events unfold that might make you say, 'Yeah, I can see why she had to whack those guys. I might do the same.' Anyway, good film, great acting on Theron's attempt. Ricci is ok as miniature version of Theron (desperate for happiness but doesn't need to kill to get it). It's a very good story that was well executed in film. Theron gets mighty ugly for the part too, a testimony to the makeup artists involved. She definintely deserved the Oscar.
I'm back in the movie seeing business. After taking a hiatus of a couple of years, I'm watching movies left and right now. I was one of the original Netflix members, an online DVD rental place, and after 2 year subscription to the service, I cancelled it because simply put, I watched everything in their library that I wanted to see.
So I took a break from the movie rental hobby, let a bunch of movies pass me by since I wasn't going to the theater either, and now am taking the opportunity to get caught back up.
I didn't sign up for Netflix, but instead went with Wal-Mart's DVD rental business. It was the cheapest of the three (Netflix, Wal-Mart and Blockbuster). They are very quick with getting the movies out and I'm quick getting them back, much to their chagrin I imagine. They're also very quick about processing the returns and getting the next one on my list sent out. I'm impressed with the service so far.
I've had the account for only one week but have watched seven movies so far. Here is my quick review of the seven:
Solaris - 6/10. Entertaining but the movie is just simply there. Nothing very exciting, it's just a love story with a supernatural deal. It looked great, the sets looked great, the acting was good but it was just a storyline that started at point A and finished at point B then the The End. At moments, I was reminded of 2001 (great movie) and the set looked like they borrowed it from Cameron's Aliens. Entertaining is my way of saying it's a good watch when viewed for the first time, but there's no reason to see it again.
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World - 7/10. Neat to watch. The swashbuckling adventures of these 18th century British naval soldiers tells a few good stories. The portrayal seemed like it would be accurate, a good representation of what 18th century naval warfare was like so the set looked great. The characters are rushed though, not much time to invest emotionally in each one or remember who is who, but it pulls it off on a select few: the captain of course, the ship's doctor and maybe a couple of the adolescent officers. Good flow, not much of a climax though. The movie builds towards something and then when it gets to it, it just lets the air out of the balloon and let it unfold in an nonexciting way. Also, it's very strange to see Russell Crowe be so polite and chivalrous given his notorious personality in real life. I know, Gladiator but even in that, his job was to be barbaric. In Commander, he's almost pompous - ah, but that part is accurate.
Paycheck - 5/10. It's typical Woo, only he's doing scifi. He has a style that I can't seem to ever get into. He is master of action, but I just get the feeling he's using antiquated methods still, like having cars blow up for little reason. It's a good story. The story it's based on is a short story written by Philip K. Dick. The book is excellent and the movie tries to stay on target with that theme but has to stray in many areas to keep the movie together. Affleck may not have been the right guy for this role but he did a decent job. Uma's character was unnecessary for the whole thing, she was there just to add a touch of romance to the story. For a biologist though, Woo had her kicking butt. For brief flashes I thought someone had put in Kill Bill. This movie is entertaining so you know what that means.
Mystic River - 7/10. Good flick, good story. Sean Penn is Godfather in Boston. I'm not sure he deserved the Oscar, but he did a great job. Character development was very good in this. We see three friends as kids, each with their own personality, then many years later when they're grown up (middle aged) with families, you recognize who they are based on what you witnessed during their childhood actions. It's a good story too about how a close-knit neighborhood takes care of its own, which gives it the Godfather feel. The movie turns into a mystery and the outcome was a little disappointing but it was probably decided that it was necessary to elevate a dramatic effect for one of the characters, but for me it kind of stole from it. Not your typical Hollywood drama though, especially the ending. You won't know who to feel for when it's over.
Lost In Translation - 8/10. Excellent. Story of two strangers staying in Tokyo for personal reasons, Murray is doing an acting job and Johannsen is visiting family. They both dread being in Tokyo for the time they've planned to stay but end up meeting each other (in the hotel where they're staying) and actually find a way to have a good time while they're there. (Plutonically people! Get your mind out of the gutter!) The pairing up of Murray who is a middle aged married man with kids and Johanssen who is a newlywed barely 20 something is an odd one as far as society might be concerned, so good thing they're not in America. The chemistry between the two really works and you're happy to see they're making the best of a bad/boring situation and see them establish an emotional friendship that is beneficial to each of them and you want to see it work.
Seabiscuit - 7/10. There really is nothing wrong with this film as a film. It does everything right but the problem is that I'm just not into horseracing. This movie made me a little bit interested which speaks for its quality, but it was doomed from the start. Having said that, I still have it a 7 out of 10. It's like trying to get into an excellent film about grease trap cleaning. Seabiscuit is an excellent story (for a horseracing story), the characters are great and identifiable, the acting is great, the set is great, the horse is great. It's all great. It's a perfect formula for an excellent film, except for the subject matter. If you like horses or gambling or rags to riches or even period pieces, you'll enjoy this film.
Monster - 8/10. Obviously a low budget movie, but it didn't need any glamour. This was about a down on her luck, unlucky woman who finds something good in her life for once and does everything possible (read: illegal) to protect it. If you didn't think it was possible for a movie to force you to identify with a serial killer, this one will make a very valid attempt to garner your sympathy for a person who killed seven people. You see a series of events unfold that might make you say, 'Yeah, I can see why she had to whack those guys. I might do the same.' Anyway, good film, great acting on Theron's attempt. Ricci is ok as miniature version of Theron (desperate for happiness but doesn't need to kill to get it). It's a very good story that was well executed in film. Theron gets mighty ugly for the part too, a testimony to the makeup artists involved. She definintely deserved the Oscar.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Results
Results
Had the baby doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Mrs. Lock was 12 weeks and 5 days (now 13 weeks) into the pregnancy. We got to hear the heartbeat. The Mrs. got pretty emotional about that and I think she did because it is the first real sign that she is indeed carrying a child, so it came with some relief. Although there really was little doubt, it's still good to see it (hear it) for yourself.
Now we're looking for a stethoscope to buy so we can listen anytime we want.
Out doctor seems very nice and very knowledgeable, always good to have a knowledgeable doctor. She can be quite detailed about information she is passing, almost to the point of being graphic - which is ok with us. I'm actually glad to have a doctor who talks to her patient as a peer, straight forward, nothing sugar coated. Bring it doctor, I've seen it all! I'll tell you about my summer job working in the surgery department of a hospital someday.
Had the baby doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Mrs. Lock was 12 weeks and 5 days (now 13 weeks) into the pregnancy. We got to hear the heartbeat. The Mrs. got pretty emotional about that and I think she did because it is the first real sign that she is indeed carrying a child, so it came with some relief. Although there really was little doubt, it's still good to see it (hear it) for yourself.
Now we're looking for a stethoscope to buy so we can listen anytime we want.
Out doctor seems very nice and very knowledgeable, always good to have a knowledgeable doctor. She can be quite detailed about information she is passing, almost to the point of being graphic - which is ok with us. I'm actually glad to have a doctor who talks to her patient as a peer, straight forward, nothing sugar coated. Bring it doctor, I've seen it all! I'll tell you about my summer job working in the surgery department of a hospital someday.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Baby Doc Visit #2
Baby Doc Visit #2
Mrs. Lock and I have an appointment today with the baby doctor. This is our second visit. I think we get appointments every month up until the 7th month. Then it's every 2 weeks for 7 and 8, then in the 9th month I think it's every week if I remember the schedule.
What amazes me about the process so far is that I don't think they know she is pregnant yet. All they have is our word and a $5 pregnancy test to go on.
On the first appointment they took some blood from Mrs. Lock and gave her some literature. That's it. Do they trust our expertise in this matter that much that they're willing to go through the whole process, set everything up, pull out all the stops all because they believe we can make a proper diagnosis? Just seems very amateurish to me, I dunno.
More later...
Mrs. Lock and I have an appointment today with the baby doctor. This is our second visit. I think we get appointments every month up until the 7th month. Then it's every 2 weeks for 7 and 8, then in the 9th month I think it's every week if I remember the schedule.
What amazes me about the process so far is that I don't think they know she is pregnant yet. All they have is our word and a $5 pregnancy test to go on.
On the first appointment they took some blood from Mrs. Lock and gave her some literature. That's it. Do they trust our expertise in this matter that much that they're willing to go through the whole process, set everything up, pull out all the stops all because they believe we can make a proper diagnosis? Just seems very amateurish to me, I dunno.
More later...
Monday, July 26, 2004
An exercise...
An exercise...
Katie slammed open the door to her trailer as a truck pulled up. The sound of the tires rolling over rocks and a cloud of dust stirred up near the trailer. The driver got out and Katie addressed him. "Where the hell were you?"
Nick, sensing the tension from his girlfriend cautiously walked up to her as she was standing on the iron steps leading up to the trailer. "Don't be mad," he said. "I borrowed the truck."
"I can see you borrowed the truck," Katie said. "Why is the bumper hanging off of it?"
"Because I ran over something."
"What?"
"I'm not sure." Nick coughed.
"Excuse me?" Katie stared at her boyfriend, eyes wide.
Nick broke down, realizing he couldn't hide it. "I ran over some guy."
Silence. Katie's expression didn't change. She studied her boyfriend for a few seconds, eyes darting back and forth while she contemplated what her idiot boyfriend was trying to tell her. "You ran over some guy? Are you kidding me?"
"I wish." Nick laughed nervously. "Listen. I was taking it easy, going slow so I didn't get pulled over. You know they would've arrested me and impounded the truck because of my license. I pulled up to the railroad tracks over near Sam's, ya know, and I thought I saw the sheriff turning behind me. I panicked, gunned it across the tracks and you know how rough those tracks are. I lost control of the truck, slid in to Sam's gas station and, well, like I said. Thump, thump."
"Is he all right? Is he dead? Did the sheriff get help? Wait, how are you still here if a sheriff saw you." Katie was fuming.
"Well, it's kinda funny. Turns out it wasn't a sheriff. Just some old car looked like a sheriff's car. They probably got it from a police auction or something."
"You're unbelievable! Where's the guy?"
"What guy," Nick asked.
She slapped her boyfriend on the side of the arm, hard. "The guy you ran over you stupid stooge! What the hell is wrong with you? I can't believe this! What kind of a moron are you?"
Nick stared, blank expression.
"Nick!"
"What?"
"THE GUY?"
"Oh, I dunno. He's probably ok. I didn't stick around to find out."
"You think he's ok?" Katie asked desperately.
"Probably. Although after I ran over him, I had to get out of there in a hurry. It probably didn't help though when I had to back over him again to get away. But I'm sure he's ok. Yeah." Nick scratched his head.
"Unbelievable," Katie said. "You are a complete moron. Someone probably saw you and the cops are on their way right now, probably Sam saw you. They're coming to arrest you and put you in moron jail, a jail just for stupid people like you Nick. What are you going to do about my truck? Do you know how much it costs to fix a hanging bumper and God knows what else you did to my truck?"
"Sam's can fix it up."
"Sam's? The very same Sam who just witnessed you running over one of his customers? Don't you think he's going to be a little suspicious Nick when you pull my truck in there to fix - look I don't even know you. You need to pack your stuff and get the hell out of my trailer. I don't want to ever see you again, I don't want to know you, don't call me, don't write - assuming you know how, don't send nothing, don't send nobody. We are through. Now get out!"
Nick paused then turned to the bedroom. He dejectedly went around and picked up whatever was in sight. He stepped out of the trailer, pulled out his car keys, opened the driver's side door to the truck and lifted a leg to climb inside.
"Nick!" Katie yelled.
"What?" Nick was hanging out of the truck.
"Take a cab! That's my truck you idiot!"
Nick realized his mistake. Closed the door to the truck and thought for a minute. "Do you know the number to get me cab or can you call Jesse to come pick me up?"
Katie screamed, stormed back inside her trailer, slamming the aluminum door as hard as a trailer door can be slammed anyway.
Nick waited for about another minute. "Honey, are you calling someone?"
Katie slammed open the door to her trailer as a truck pulled up. The sound of the tires rolling over rocks and a cloud of dust stirred up near the trailer. The driver got out and Katie addressed him. "Where the hell were you?"
Nick, sensing the tension from his girlfriend cautiously walked up to her as she was standing on the iron steps leading up to the trailer. "Don't be mad," he said. "I borrowed the truck."
"I can see you borrowed the truck," Katie said. "Why is the bumper hanging off of it?"
"Because I ran over something."
"What?"
"I'm not sure." Nick coughed.
"Excuse me?" Katie stared at her boyfriend, eyes wide.
Nick broke down, realizing he couldn't hide it. "I ran over some guy."
Silence. Katie's expression didn't change. She studied her boyfriend for a few seconds, eyes darting back and forth while she contemplated what her idiot boyfriend was trying to tell her. "You ran over some guy? Are you kidding me?"
"I wish." Nick laughed nervously. "Listen. I was taking it easy, going slow so I didn't get pulled over. You know they would've arrested me and impounded the truck because of my license. I pulled up to the railroad tracks over near Sam's, ya know, and I thought I saw the sheriff turning behind me. I panicked, gunned it across the tracks and you know how rough those tracks are. I lost control of the truck, slid in to Sam's gas station and, well, like I said. Thump, thump."
"Is he all right? Is he dead? Did the sheriff get help? Wait, how are you still here if a sheriff saw you." Katie was fuming.
"Well, it's kinda funny. Turns out it wasn't a sheriff. Just some old car looked like a sheriff's car. They probably got it from a police auction or something."
"You're unbelievable! Where's the guy?"
"What guy," Nick asked.
She slapped her boyfriend on the side of the arm, hard. "The guy you ran over you stupid stooge! What the hell is wrong with you? I can't believe this! What kind of a moron are you?"
Nick stared, blank expression.
"Nick!"
"What?"
"THE GUY?"
"Oh, I dunno. He's probably ok. I didn't stick around to find out."
"You think he's ok?" Katie asked desperately.
"Probably. Although after I ran over him, I had to get out of there in a hurry. It probably didn't help though when I had to back over him again to get away. But I'm sure he's ok. Yeah." Nick scratched his head.
"Unbelievable," Katie said. "You are a complete moron. Someone probably saw you and the cops are on their way right now, probably Sam saw you. They're coming to arrest you and put you in moron jail, a jail just for stupid people like you Nick. What are you going to do about my truck? Do you know how much it costs to fix a hanging bumper and God knows what else you did to my truck?"
"Sam's can fix it up."
"Sam's? The very same Sam who just witnessed you running over one of his customers? Don't you think he's going to be a little suspicious Nick when you pull my truck in there to fix - look I don't even know you. You need to pack your stuff and get the hell out of my trailer. I don't want to ever see you again, I don't want to know you, don't call me, don't write - assuming you know how, don't send nothing, don't send nobody. We are through. Now get out!"
Nick paused then turned to the bedroom. He dejectedly went around and picked up whatever was in sight. He stepped out of the trailer, pulled out his car keys, opened the driver's side door to the truck and lifted a leg to climb inside.
"Nick!" Katie yelled.
"What?" Nick was hanging out of the truck.
"Take a cab! That's my truck you idiot!"
Nick realized his mistake. Closed the door to the truck and thought for a minute. "Do you know the number to get me cab or can you call Jesse to come pick me up?"
Katie screamed, stormed back inside her trailer, slamming the aluminum door as hard as a trailer door can be slammed anyway.
Nick waited for about another minute. "Honey, are you calling someone?"
Friday, July 23, 2004
Rambling On...
Rambling On...
I have nothing to talk about.
My little bundle of fetus and Mom are doing fine. Mrs. Lock is about to start her second trimester already. Work's fine. Family is fine. I should do an interest update, usually reserved for just once a month, since I've started renting movies again.
I changed the banner on the site. It's not that I got tired of looking at those attractive eyes that were up there, I just wanted a change. You know, from sexy eyes to ugly bug. I'll go back at some point, just thought I'd throw some of my own work up there.
Guess I did have something to talk about.
Market:
DJI 9999, NASDAQ 1859, SP5 1089
#1 Movie at the box office:
I, Robot
Last movie I saw at the theater:
I, Robot
Last movie(s) I saw not at the theater:
Lost In Translation
Mystic River
Seabiscuit
Books I'm currently reading:
On Writing by Stephen King
Second Variety by Phillip K. Dick
Foster You're Dead by P.K. Dick
CDs I'm listening to:
Talkie Walkie by Air
Comfort Eagle by Cake
Video games I'm playing:
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
Sega's ESPN NFL2k5
I have nothing to talk about.
My little bundle of fetus and Mom are doing fine. Mrs. Lock is about to start her second trimester already. Work's fine. Family is fine. I should do an interest update, usually reserved for just once a month, since I've started renting movies again.
I changed the banner on the site. It's not that I got tired of looking at those attractive eyes that were up there, I just wanted a change. You know, from sexy eyes to ugly bug. I'll go back at some point, just thought I'd throw some of my own work up there.
Guess I did have something to talk about.
Market:
DJI 9999, NASDAQ 1859, SP5 1089
#1 Movie at the box office:
I, Robot
Last movie I saw at the theater:
I, Robot
Last movie(s) I saw not at the theater:
Lost In Translation
Mystic River
Seabiscuit
Books I'm currently reading:
On Writing by Stephen King
Second Variety by Phillip K. Dick
Foster You're Dead by P.K. Dick
CDs I'm listening to:
Talkie Walkie by Air
Comfort Eagle by Cake
Video games I'm playing:
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
Sega's ESPN NFL2k5
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Wielded The Power To Extend Bad TV Shows
Wielded The Power To Extend Bad TV Shows
Many years ago (thirteen), I used to go over to my girlfriend's house after we'd come home from college for the weekend or summer and her family had this Nielsen TV. If you've ever wondered where TV shows get their ratings, it's from survey companies like Nielsen that monitor a select few's viewing habits and whatever they watched on one of the specially equipped Nielsen televisions, the show received a rating point or whatever the formula was to indicate a show's popularity.
I remember I used to watch the Ron Reagan Jr. talkshow. You'd think this show would have mostly political themes since the host was the son of a former and very popular President, but apparently that's not what the late night viewing audience wanted (including me at the time). In fact, his show turned out to be very Geraldo-ish - back when Geraldo was getting his nose busted by KKK members of a prostitution ring from outer space where the men were the mothers and the women were the nephews.
So I used to watch The Ron Reagan Show on and off for awhile; then one evening, Ron announced that it had been cancelled and they only had a few episodes left. I remember being disappointed because I really liked seeing pimps wrestling transexual midgets in vats of instant pudding so I was determined to watch the few remaining shows he had left to get all the Ronny Junior I could just before this precious gem went off the air.
A few of those episodes went by and the show was still on. It went on for several more weeks and no mention about the cancellation or how the show was still on the air. Apparently it was extended, somehow. Somehow? Did I save Ron Reagan Jr.'s talk show by watching it from my girlfriend's family's Nielsen TV? I'd like to think I had something to do with that.
The extension was short lived, the talk show only lasted one season. Even the show's lone Nielsen viewer couldn't save it.
Many years ago (thirteen), I used to go over to my girlfriend's house after we'd come home from college for the weekend or summer and her family had this Nielsen TV. If you've ever wondered where TV shows get their ratings, it's from survey companies like Nielsen that monitor a select few's viewing habits and whatever they watched on one of the specially equipped Nielsen televisions, the show received a rating point or whatever the formula was to indicate a show's popularity.
I remember I used to watch the Ron Reagan Jr. talkshow. You'd think this show would have mostly political themes since the host was the son of a former and very popular President, but apparently that's not what the late night viewing audience wanted (including me at the time). In fact, his show turned out to be very Geraldo-ish - back when Geraldo was getting his nose busted by KKK members of a prostitution ring from outer space where the men were the mothers and the women were the nephews.
So I used to watch The Ron Reagan Show on and off for awhile; then one evening, Ron announced that it had been cancelled and they only had a few episodes left. I remember being disappointed because I really liked seeing pimps wrestling transexual midgets in vats of instant pudding so I was determined to watch the few remaining shows he had left to get all the Ronny Junior I could just before this precious gem went off the air.
A few of those episodes went by and the show was still on. It went on for several more weeks and no mention about the cancellation or how the show was still on the air. Apparently it was extended, somehow. Somehow? Did I save Ron Reagan Jr.'s talk show by watching it from my girlfriend's family's Nielsen TV? I'd like to think I had something to do with that.
The extension was short lived, the talk show only lasted one season. Even the show's lone Nielsen viewer couldn't save it.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
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