Late-night writing

[tonysoprano]

Well, I'm up hammering out a story and listening to some blues while I drink iced-tea to stay awake. Time for a little A.D.D. theater....

*Anyone else torn by ESPN's sappy, Make-a-wish series? I guess I got tired of all the stories where little Jimmy, a burn victim and orphan with no eyes, became a star baseball player, but my goodness some of these segments I've watched (like with Todd Helton and Tedy Bruschi) have got me emotional and choked up.

*I really can't wait for college football to start. Anyone getting the same jones?

*Good C.D. for those who haven't checked it out- "St Elsewhere" by Gnarls Barkley. Some unique, creative stuff.

*Where does Heidi Klum rank among the most beautiful women in the world for you all? She's in my top three.

 

[GlenQuagmire]

Well, I'm up hammering out a story and listening to some blues while I drink iced-tea to stay awake. Time for a little A.D.D. theater....

*Anyone else torn by ESPN's sappy, Make-a-wish series? I guess I got tired of all the stories where little Jimmy, a burn victim and orphan with no eyes, became a star baseball player, but my goodness some of these segments I've watched (like with Todd Helton and Tedy Bruschi) have got me emotional and choked up.

*I really can't wait for college football to start. Anyone getting the same jones?

*Good C.D. for those who haven't checked it out- "St Elsewhere" by Gnarls Barkley. Some unique, creative stuff.

*Where does Heidi Klum rank among the most beautiful women in the world for you all? She's in my top three.

This has to be as random as a night out with Larry King.

Announcer: If you're not reading Larry King's News and Views in USA Today, then you're missing on the issues that matter.

Larry King: This is News and Views, here's my two cents, gang..

If you only see one film the rest of your life it should be "Mickey Blue Eyes".

When it comes to window blinds, vertical blinds are terrific, but so are horizontal blinds.

Has anybody ever died of a heart attack? I mean, really?

I don't care what anyone says, in my book, Ted Kaczynski is not the Unabomber.

Sudden thought: When did sugar diabetes become plain old diabetes?

Of all of the figures of the 20th Century one of the greatest has to be Robert Urich.

I have no tolerance, gang, for anyone who commits arson.

World Series prediction, it will be the Diamondbacks in 4.

The more I think about it, the more I appreciate the equator.

I don't ever remember seeing a Mormon, not once, not ever.

Is it just me, or is anyone else sick and tired of Nelson Mandela?

Here's the dirty truth, gang, Poland spring water does not come from Poland.

I interviewed Chile's imprisoned dictator General Pinochet last week, and take it from me, guys, this fella has a terrific laugh.

Does anybody remember baseball cards?

Between Hurricane Hugo and Hurricane Andrew, nothing beats Hurricane Hugo.

My wish for the new millennium is that we see a lot more of John Larroquette.

Family update, folks: Holding my baby son, Chance King makes me realize how much more I love him than my other children.

Announcer: This has been USA Today's News and Views with Larry King.

Larry King: Margarine has its place, but nothing beats the real deal... butter.

 

[tonysoprano]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, my head's hurting. That's funny ****.

;D

 

[GlenQuagmire]

Announcer: If you're still not reading "Larry King's News & Views," then you shouldn't be reading at all.

  Larry King: [into the camera] Blue is wonderful but yellow is the best color.

  I don't care what anyone says, in my book, Jeffrey Dahmer was not a cannibal.

  When actor Harry Hamlin is on the tube, it's impossible to look away.

  Two "must-dos" when visiting Atlanta: you must visit the Martin Luther King Memorial and you must try the cole slaw at Ezra's.

  Here's my question of the day, folks: Why are reservations good if you make them at a restaurant but bad if you force Indians to live on them?

  Of all the hosts of "The Tonight Show," one of the two or three greatest has got to be Johnny Carson.

  Announcer: This has been USA Today's "News & Views with Larry King."

  Larry King: Somebody ought to tell all these cigarette smokers - it just ain't safe, gang!

 

[tonysoprano]

Priceless.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

A good friend of mine works for Make-A-Wish and set a local youngster up to meet with Tracy McGrady for a day. T-Mac supposedly went way above the call of duty, inviting the kid over to spend it at his house in Houston.

The show is supposed to be on next week.

 

[tonysoprano]

Cool. I don't know what it is, but I've sat there very moved.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

Yeah, sometimes I wonder what it'd be like to have that kind of effect on people. Especially children. It's got to be deeply humbling and moving if you've got any kind of heart at all.

I'd like to think I'd spend plenty of free time trying to cheer kids up if I were in those guys' shoes.

 

[tonysoprano]

Well, I've helped provide Christmas presents to underprivileged kids and it's some of my happiest memories.

I guess in a cynical, sometimes cold and cruel, job, it's nice to be reminded my heart hasn't turned to stone.

 

[DyePack]

Well, I've helped provide Christmas presents to underprivileged kids and it's some of my happiest memories.

I guess in a cynical, sometimes cold and cruel, job, it's nice to be reminded my heart hasn't turned to stone.

Mine has. I hate the Make a Wish segments and wish they would die.

 

[BYH]

Well, I'm up hammering out a story and listening to some blues while I drink iced-tea to stay awake. Time for a little A.D.D. theater....

*Anyone else torn by ESPN's sappy, Make-a-wish series? I guess I got tired of all the stories where little Jimmy, a burn victim and orphan with no eyes, became a star baseball player, but my goodness some of these segments I've watched (like with Todd Helton and Tedy Bruschi) have got me emotional and choked up.

I have been moved by some of the stories. But I'm also tired of the crass exploitation of these kids to further pump the Disney name (sick kids Disney is great sick kids Disney is great sick kids Disney is great) and Chris "The Big Picture" Connelly's ham-handed presence. This was an actual dialogue tonight:

CHRIS to sick child's parent: "Who is his favorite player?"
PARENT: "Todd Helton."
CHRIS: "Why?"
PARENT: "Because Todd hits for power and (child) wants to hit for power too."
CHRIS to sick child: "Who's your favorite player?"
CHILD: "Todd Helton."
CHRIS: "Why?"
CHILD": "Because he hits for power and I want to hit for power too."

That's the fattening-this-up-because-we-don't-have-enough-material TV version of:

Coach Jones thought the key to victory was the defensive alignment the Tigers used in the second half.
"Our key to victory was the defensive alignment we used in the second half," Jones said.

But I'll tell you, when the sick girl's best friend came running out of centerfield at Safeco to join the rest of the team for a reunion during Monday's segment (the girl's wish was to attend a Mariners game with her ex-teammates, but her best friend moved across the country and wasn't supposed to be at the reunion), it got awfully misty in here. Wonderful moment. Unfortunately, it I recall correctly, that girl, in particular, has a bleak prognosis.

 

[dog428]

I hate to threadjack (although I get the feeling this thread's made for it), but I noticed BYH's sig photos of The Hoff and it reminded me of something I've been meaning to bring up.

Anyone else watch this America's Got Talent nonsense? It's complete and utter ****, but the greatest part is The Hoff is a judge. You get what I'm saying? David freakin' Hasselhoff is being paid money to decide whether other people have talent.

I caught a piece of one of the more recent shows in which The Hoff is just hammering this juggling dude. This is a guy who just spent time in the hospital because he nearly died from a cut he received while shaving. And he's questioning the talent of a juggler.

 

[tonysoprano]

No threadjacking done. The irony of it is pretty hilarious.

 

[BYH]

I hate to threadjack (although I get the feeling this thread's made for it), but I noticed BYH's sig photos of The Hoff and it reminded me of something I've been meaning to bring up.

Anyone else watch this America's Got Talent nonsense? It's complete and utter ****, but the greatest part is The Hoff is a judge. You get what I'm saying? David freakin' Hasselhoff is being paid money to decide whether other people have talent. 

I caught a piece of one of the more recent shows in which The Hoff is just hammering this juggling dude. This is a guy who just spent time in the hospital because he nearly died from a cut he received while shaving. And he's questioning the talent of a juggler. 

It's no worse than the guy who discovered the Spice Girls, a woman whose voice was enhanced by all sorts of bells and whistles and a lifetime backup musician determining who can and cannot sing on "American Idol."

Really, it's like Cam Bonifay, Jose Canseco and John Cangelosi presiding over baseball tryouts.

 

[dog428]

I hate to threadjack (although I get the feeling this thread's made for it), but I noticed BYH's sig photos of The Hoff and it reminded me of something I've been meaning to bring up.

Anyone else watch this America's Got Talent nonsense? It's complete and utter ****, but the greatest part is The Hoff is a judge. You get what I'm saying? David freakin' Hasselhoff is being paid money to decide whether other people have talent.

I caught a piece of one of the more recent shows in which The Hoff is just hammering this juggling dude. This is a guy who just spent time in the hospital because he nearly died from a cut he received while shaving. And he's questioning the talent of a juggler.

It's no worse than the guy who discovered the Spice Girls, a woman whose voice was enhanced by all sorts of bells and whistles and a lifetime backup musician determining who can and cannot sing on "American Idol."

Really, it's like Cam Bonifay, Jose Canseco and John Cangelosi presiding over baseball tryouts.

I was thinking it's more like Isiah Thomas serving as the general manager of a ... oh yeah.

 

[Double J]

Regarding "America's Got Talent," I stumbled upon it Wednesday night and was really impressed by an 11-year-old girl who used an instruction manual to teach herself how to yodel. She was damned good at it. Not everyone appreciates a yodeller, but I'm a country boy and I do.

The Toronto Star had a story the other day about "Make a Wish" -- a little kid from Jersey who suffers from Crohn's disease got to visit Wayne Gretzky at his childhood home and play hockey with him. Then he and his family got to hang around with Gretz at his dad's charity golf tournament, something that apparently wasn't supposed to have been part of the deal.

Best part -- they're in the dressing room, getting ready to go out on the ice, and the kid's dad starts to tie his skates. Walter Gretzky shoos him out of the way so he can do it instead. The dad is blown away and says something like, "I can't believe this." Walter comes right back with, "if Wayne had just listened to me, he could have been a good player."

 

[Angola!]

I went to ESPN.com to see if I could see the video clips of the Make-A-Wish segments, but they only offer first-hand relative's accounts of the day. Oh well. Maybe once the promo is over you can see the clips on-line.
The only thing I will say about the girl with the Mariners is, I found it awfully weird that all of the athletes were signing their autographs on her head.

 

[Dessens71]

I once saw John Cangelosi take a called third strike twice in the same inning. That guy looked at more balls than an Army doctor.

 

[Ledbetter]

Regarding "America's Got Talent," I stumbled upon it Wednesday night and was really impressed by an 11-year-old girl who used an instruction manual to teach herself how to yodel. She was damned good at it. Not everyone appreciates a yodeller, but I'm a country boy and I do.

The Toronto Star had a story the other day about "Make a Wish" -- a little kid from Jersey who suffers from Crohn's disease got to visit Wayne Gretzky at his childhood home and play hockey with him. Then he and his family got to hang around with Gretz at his dad's charity golf tournament, something that apparently wasn't supposed to have been part of the deal.

Best part -- they're in the dressing room, getting ready to go out on the ice, and the kid's dad starts to tie his skates. Walter Gretzky shoos him out of the way so he can do it instead. The dad is blown away and says something like, "I can't believe this." Walter comes right back with, "if Wayne had just listened to me, he could have been a good player."

I flipped by America's Got Talent the other day and saw kid who was damn good with the harmonica. The song, Sweet Home Alabama, was ****, but that kid could give Popper a run for his money in a few years.

 

[Seabasket]

But I'll tell you, when the sick girl's best friend came running out of centerfield at Safeco to join the rest of the team for a reunion during Monday's segment (the girl's wish was to attend a Mariners game with her ex-teammates, but her best friend moved across the country and wasn't supposed to be at the reunion), it got awfully misty in here. Wonderful moment. Unfortunately, it I recall correctly, that girl, in particular, has a bleak prognosis.

I thought that was horrible. That means they originally lied to her in telling her he couldn't make it. She is deathly ill; they couldn't have told her from the beginning he would be there?