La Cañadans needed for “Mega Bites” TV pilot

Posted on 23. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in food, local news

Here’s a message from the Community Center of La Canada:

Do You Want To Be On TV? CASTING CALL

La Cañadans wanted for Pilot Episode of a new TLC television series “Mega Bites.”

The premise of the show is to partner with food scientists and engineers to create the “World’s Biggest” edible item and to get the community’s assistance in making the item in order to auction it off as part of a fundraiser. The Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge and our community is the subject of the pilot episode! We are proud that La Cañada has been selected, and are really excited about the filming and the opportunity to bring the community together.

CAMERAS WILL BE ROLLING
On March 11, 12, 13 the residents of La Cañada will be making the “Mega Bite” item out in our field. Cameras will be rolling as kids, teens, adults and seniors work together to create the “Mega Bite.” Are you wondering what the Mega Bite item for La Cañada is going to be? Chefs from our very own DISH restaurant will be working with the show’s food scientists to create…A GIANT KELLOGG’S RICE KRISPIE TREAT! This is so exciting!

THE GRAND “UNVEILING”
On Sunday March 14th from 1-4pm the Community Center will host a Carnival where the “Mega Bite” will be “revealed” for the community and the cameras. The Carnival will feature game booths, prizes, drawings, arts & crafts and food from Round Table Pizza, Jersey Miles Subs, and Los Gringos Locos.

BOOTH SPONSORS:
Carnival Booths will be sponsored by Sports Chalet, Doug Drummond, Dickson Podley Realtors, Plan-Spec Construction, Gilmore Bank, Flintridge Family Chiropractic, Inverse Logic, Dish, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Verdugo Hills Hospital.

NOW’S YOUR CHANCE TO BE ON TV! WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:
We need “Cast Members” or Volunteers of all ages to participate in making the food item in 2 hours shifts on March 11, 12, and 13th. We also need volunteers ages 16 and up to work 2 hours shifts at the Carnival on Sunday March 14 from 12-5pm. Bring your friends, ask your social groups, employees, email your contact list…put the word out. We want 200+ people from all over the Community; Students, City Employees, PTA, Sports Teams, Girl and Boy Scouts. It’s time for La Cañada to shine for the whole country!

If you are interested in being “Cast” on the show please promptly email .

See you on TV!

Wendy Alane Smith and Megan Nordvedt
—————————————————-
Community Center of La Canada Flintridge
Event Coordinators / TLC “Mega Bites”
cell

Tivo this: “Undercover Boss”

Posted on 15. Feb, 2010 by kchristieh in tv, work

When I studied Industrial Engineering, it seemed like everything was reduced to an acronym. Even simple concepts were reduced to three- or four-letter words. I thought that the silliest was MBWA: Management by Walking Around. Isn’t it obvious that you’ll be a better manager if you get out of your office and find out what’s going on at all levels? It’s probably the oldest management technique that exists. Apparently not everyone follows it, however, which is why the new reality show, “Undercover Boss,” is able to find company presidents whose eyes are opened to what’s really going on when they go undercover in their own organizations.

Although it’s sad that these people haven’t taken the time to do this before the show filmed them, I’m impressed that they cared enough to participate and air their company’s dirty laundry in order to make things better. The first episode followed Larry O’Donnell, the President and COO of Waste Management. He spent five days at different locations doing everything from picking up garbage on a windy hillside to accompanying a garbage truck on its daily run. He learned that directives to increase productivity were having unintended consequences such as not allowing female truck drivers to use a restroom on the route, and that staff reductions were forcing some people to do that work of five people. He met a man whose attitude towards cleaning out portable restrooms is so sunny that he inspires everyone who works with him. At the end of the show, O’Donnell brought all the people he met to the company headquarters, and when he revealed who he really was, he also promised to take what he’d learned and who he’d met to make the company better.

Last night’s episode followed Hooters’ CEO, Cody Brooks. He took over the management of the company from his father, who founded it. His father was very hands-on, and was known for visiting different stores and facilities, but Brooks hadn’t done much of that before this show. Like many women, I’m not a fan of Hooters, and this show didn’t change my mind. When a company calls women “girls”, dresses them in tight shirts with big owl’s eyes reminiscent of breasts, and has a “Humps Ahead” sign in its boardroom, I don’t consider them to be very respectful of women. I was amazed that Brooks didn’t realize the extent to which women don’t like his restaurants, but I wasn’t surprised that this company image would foster a restaurant manager who would “inspect” the “girls” before each shift and make them play “reindeer games” where they’d have to eat beans off a plate without their hands or utensils. I’m happy that Brooks had his eyes opened to what is really going on in his company and the image it has with the public, but I think it’ll be tough to surmount Hooters’ reputation.

I look forward to next Sunday’s show, which features 7-11 CEO Joe Depinto. I doubt this series will be able to continue for very long, because it’ll be harder to convince workers that a trainee with a camera crew isn’t being filmed for a reality show.

Here’s what I think the next reality show should be: “Undercover Student.” I wish someone would put a hidden camera on a student at an American high school, and see what happens on a regular day. Although there are, of course, wonderful stories of learning and friendship that take place, I’m stunned at some of the stories I hear from my kids. Perhaps I’ll blog about that in June, 2011.

Note: If you missed the first few episodes of “Undercover Boss” you can view them on the CBS website.

My new mug: Chloe O’Brian for President, 2016

Posted on 25. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, shopping, tv

Now that I’m trying to drink tea instead of Diet Coke, I figured it was time to get a few new large mugs. I couldn’t find any I liked online, so I made my own. If you don’t watch “24″ this won’t mean much to you, but it features my heroine, Chloe O’Brian. To spiff it up, she’s sporting an Aretha Franklin inauguration hat and posing for a presidential candidate poster, a la 2016. I put the graphics together in Fireworks, and then had them printed up at Shutterfly. You can download my image here. Feel free to make your own mug!

My kids don’t understand why I like Chloe so much, but to me it’s obvious why I love this self-described “stay-at-home mom”:

• She’s always on the right side.
• She’s a total geek, and knows how to do just about anything.
• She says it like it is.
• She’s not afraid. Ever.
• She’s incredibly loyal.
• Her bosses couldn’t do their jobs without her.

My gosh, she sounds like Chuck Norris!

I’m not sure she’d be the best President, since she probably wouldn’t want the job, but I thought the mug was fun anyway. I love Jack Bauer, too, but I’d never pretend I want him for President. He might be a little too…trigger-happy.

I’m adding Anderson Cooper to my Favorite People list

Posted on 17. Feb, 2009 by kchristieh in inspirational people, tv

OK, I don’t really have such a list. But if I did, Anderson Cooper would definitely be on it!

I had the pleasure of hearing Anderson Cooper speak this evening at the Distinguished Speaker Series of Southern California at the Pasadena Convention Center. (Thanks, JB!) I was impressed by the dedication, humility and heart he brings to his job. He could have easily sailed through life living off his trust fund, but instead he’s chosen to go to the world’s most dangerous and heartbreaking locations and report on the real stories behind events. He makes a big effort not to take sides, and isn’t impressed by celebrity or power. He said his favorite interviews are when he finds an everyday person whose story illuminates a given situation.

Here are a few of his main tips, all of which I agree with:

• Never underestimate the power of working harder than everyone around you. Now to teach that to my kids…
• Follow your bliss. Amen to that, too. There’s no job more rewarding than doing what you love. Not everyone is blessed to be able to do what they love like he does, but it’s worth a shot!
• Always keep your heart in what you do. I think that whether you’re reporting or doing any other job, you should always remember your humanity and respect those around you. You’ll do a better job and live a fuller life.

I wonder if he’s friends with Nicholas Kristof? I bet they’d hit it off quite well.

Teens who watch tv with lots of sex are far more likely to be involved in a pregnancy

Posted on 05. Jan, 2009 by kchristieh in movies, parenting, startling statistics, things that bug me, tv

No matter how hard I’ve tried to manage my kids’ media exposure, stuff sneaks in. Whether it’s watching “Sex and the City” at a teen sleepover or the R-rated “Romeo Must Die” at an eight-year-old’s birthday party (yes, this happened), my kids have been exposed to way more sex and violence than I ever intended for them to be, or than I was at their age.

It turns out my vigilance was justified: a recent RAND study titled “Does Watching Sex on Television Predict Teen Pregnancy? Findings From a National Longitudinal Survey of Youth” shows that

Teens who were exposed to high levels of television sexual content (90th percentile) were twice as likely to experience a pregnancy in the subsequent 3 years, compared with those with lower levels of exposure (10th percentile)

I’m not surprised. Parents need to watch not only their kids’ tv exposure, but what they see in video games, movies, books, magazines, and other influential sources. And it’s not just teens, either: if you’re not careful, your younger children will see this stuff too. The younger kids may not see as much sex and violence, but they might see more bad attitudes and hear more foul language than a parent would like. (Click here for my tips on monitoring your child’s media input.)

The Los Angeles Times story about this study brought up a very good point: that teens want to learn about the REAL effects of sex. They’re cynical when rich, popular girls on tv get pregnant, and assume they’ll have a miscarriage and resume their former lives. They also don’t usually see teens struggle with raising the baby after it’s born. Maybe it doesn’t make for great drama, but it’s reality, and if we’re going to expect teens to make good decisions, we need to show them what the real potential consequences of those decisions may be. The same should be said not just for sex, but for violence. Don’t just show the dramatic chase scene and shooting: show the grieving family, the longterm disability.

Don’t just titillate: educate.

Note: After I wrote the above post, I picked up my son from the church high school program. He said they had a guest speaker who shared the consequences he faced after getting a girl pregnant as a teenager, and the even more dire consequences a friend of his faced in a similar situation. My son said the topic wasn’t teen pregnancy, however: it was accepting responsibility for your actions, and surrounding yourself with a strong support network. I think he got it. We’re so blessed that our kids can hear good messages from other people than just us.

Jack is Back!

Posted on 23. Nov, 2008 by kchristieh in international, tv

I took a break from my love affair with my new iMac to watch “24 Redemption” this evening. Jack Bauer is saving the world once again, this time from African warlords and the people who fund them.

I was impressed that there were commercials encouraging people to donate to MalariaNoMore and to learn more about the use of child soldiers. Maybe this show will make a positive difference in the world.

It was also cool to see a woman president. I hope Barack Obama’s first day in office isn’t as eventful as hers is. Too bad Obama doesn’t have a real-life Jack Bauer to back him up.

I loved the preview for the upcoming season. My favorite line was Chloe’s: “I’m just a stay-at-home mom.”

Oh, Chloe. Never say “just” a stay-at-home mom. Like all other moms, I’m sure you’ll prove yourself pretty quickly!

Don’t forget the remote!

Posted on 22. Nov, 2008 by kchristieh in local news

Yesterday was the last day of bulky item trash week in La Canada. The local trash companies picked up items that were too big for the regular trash. People piled bureaus, fountains, bookcases and much, much more at their curbsides.

Before the garbage trucks arrived, independent scavengers picked up what they wanted. It was common to see rickety trucks piled high with metal refuse, hopefully with the intent of recycling it.

When I walked my dog today, I saw these two tv remotes lying by the side of the road a few blocks away from each other. I bet that their owners put their big old televisions out in hopes that someone would appreciate them and use them, and were considerate enough to include the remotes. Either the people taking the televisions didn’t notice the remotes, or they didn’t need them since they were scrapping the televisions anyway.

If so, what does that say about how wealthy our country is that people don’t even want a free, working tv? Or that we’re willing to get rid of something that works?

For everything there is a season and a place

Posted on 24. Sep, 2008 by kchristieh in animals, tv

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from the crematorium that took care of my dog’s body. It appeared that I needed to go in and pick up her ashes, so I set the GPS and headed over to the northeast edge of the San Fernando Valley.

You know a location is remote when you can’t even find it with a GPS. I passed the address twice before I finally realized that it was located through an unmarked opening in a fence right next to a junk car lot. The small, non-descript building was hidden behind old cars, and the people inside were surprised to see me. It turns out I’d misinterpreted the letter, and the ashes weren’t ready. But I paid, and got to choose a little box for them. They hand-delivered them to me the next week.

Why am I writing this post? Because here’s how B.J. Novak, writer and actor for “The Office,” describes where this amazing show is created:

“We work in an industrial cul-de-sac in a scary, God-forsaken corner of the valley,” he said.”It is across the street from what appears to be a lot where they strip cars for parts, which is guarded by a pit bull, and next to a bunch of crematoriums, where they cremate bodies. We’ve been in that unglamorous location since before anyone ever gave us a compliment on the street. It fosters a lot of humility.”

It must be near where I was. It was completely absurd. I can totally understand how the creative juices could flow there.

Stay tuned Thursday night, Sept. 25th, for the season premiere of “The Office“!

Is beauty only skin deep?

Posted on 06. May, 2008 by kchristieh in my life, tv

When I got my braces off right before high school, I had a sudden boost in self-confidence. After a lifetime of bad teeth and metal mouth, I could finally smile without embarrassment. I felt a little guilty for being so happy, since my mother had always taught me that what mattered wasn’t how I looked, but what was in my heart. Even so, I knew that I was living in a society that valued attractiveness, and getting the braces off gained me a few points in that department.

Perhaps that’s why I was so struck by the photos below. They’re before and after photos of women in the June, 2006 show “The Swan.” They were treated to every possible beauty treatment, including plastic surgery. I hate to say it, but they do indeed look much better in the “after” pictures. Seeing these makes me wonder whether I would assume different things about the women depending upon how they look. Hopefully I wouldn’t. It also reminds me that it’s no surprise that wealthy women often look more attractive. (Though that can be a chicken and egg thing, too, for our society often rewards attractiveness with wealth.)

Where does one draw the line? Would I be a hypocrite to criticize someone for having a nose job or having Botox injections, when I had teeth removed to get my braces?
Judge not, lest ye be judged.

And besides, my family has made it clear that when my hair turns completely grey some day, they want me to dye it. Ugh. I don’t even like to wear makeup.

Tivo this: “Oprah’s Big Give”

Posted on 03. Mar, 2008 by kchristieh in life lessons, non-profits, tv

Leave it to Oprah to put a fresh and positive spin on reality TV. The kids and I watched the premiere of “Oprah’s Big Give” last night and we’re hooked.

Oprah chose 10 people to compete to most effectively give away money each week. The contestants are all quite impressive. They’ve each got lots of energy and a big heart for helping those in need.

On the first show, the contestants were divided up into five teams. Each team was given $2,500 and the name of someone who needed their help. They were evaluated on the basis of how much of a positive impact they were able to make on the person’s life within a week.

Each team did a great job of using their $2,500 as seed money to generate more money and other important things. I won’t give it away in case you didn’t watch it, but I will say that the sincerity and energy that everyone threw into their challenges was inspirational.

It was great to see something so positive on television, and hopefully it inspired my kids as much as it inspired me.

You can see “Oprah’s Big Give” online at ABC.com.

Wherein I admit my newfound addiction to “The Office”

Posted on 17. Dec, 2007 by kchristieh in quotes, tv, work

The last thing I need is to watch more tv. I have many books and magazines I’d like to read, so I’d prefer not getting hooked on yet another* tv show. Even so, I decided to check out “The Office” since so many people whose taste I trust swore to me that I’d like it. Lisa P. and Leslie J. suggested that I start at Season 1 so I’d understand all the subplots and meaningful looks found in later seasons.

I was hooked immediately. The trials and travails of the humble (not!) employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company of Scranton, PA are laugh out-loud hilarious. My kids and I have spent the past several weeks plowing through the first three seasons, and are eagerly awaiting a way to watch Season 4. (Darn writer’s strike! Darn lack of online episodes!) I love Jim and Pam (“Jam”) and can’t wait for them to find true love. I can’t believe people put up with Michael, but there’s never a dull moment with him. And recently I came across someone who reminded me of Dwight. No, I’m sure you don’t know him.

I was afraid that watching “The Office” would make my kids never want to enter the working world. To the contrary, they say it looks like it can actually be fun sometimes. We’ll see. My husband says the show drives him crazy, and that these people wouldn’t last a day in his office. He’d rather read “War and Peace” than watch “The Office.”

Of course, there are lots of “Office” fan sites. These include ones dedicated to “Jam” and others to the many quotes the show produces. Here’s one of my favorite quotes:

Ryan: Last year Creed asked me how to set up a blog. Wanting to protect the world from being exposed to Creed’s brain, I opened up a Word document on his computer and put an address at the top. I’ve read some of it. Even for the intranet, it’s… pretty shocking.

Now that I’m done with Season 3, maybe I’ll catch up on my reading.

* I already won’t miss “Ugly Betty,” “24,” and “Flight of the Chonchords.”

“Ugly Betty” wedding announcement in NY Times

Posted on 04. Nov, 2007 by kchristieh in tv

Only the uber-rich or uber-famous get their weddings announced in the NY Times, so it’s no surprise that Wilhelmina Slater and Bradford Meade had an announcement in today’s paper:

In case you can’t read the small print, here’s what it says:

Wilhelmina Vivian Slater, Creative Director at MODE Magazine, will marry Bradford Emerson Meade, media mogul and chairman of Meade Publications, on Thursday, November 8 at 8pm. To prevent excessive press coverage, the location of the wedding is not being released, but it will be covered exclusively on the ABC Television Network.

Ms. Slater works in New York as the Creative Director of MODE Magazine. She is a former supermodel who started in the fashion business as the assistant to former MODE editor-in-chief Fey Sommers. Ms. Slater is the daughter of the esteemed Senator Slater. She has one daughter, 17-year old Nico Slater, who is currently attending boarding school in France. The bride will be wearing a custom-designed Vera Wang gown for the ceremony and will be attended to by close friend, global fashion icon and pop superstar Victoria Beckham.

Mr. Meade, 60, is the founder and CEO of Meade Publications. He has 2 children, eldest son-turned-daughter Alexis and New York bachelor Daniel Meade, both currently co-editors-in-chief of MODE. Mr. Meade’s previous marriage to Claire Meade, the co-founder and co-owner of MODE Magazine ended in divorce in May 2007.

All press requests should go through Ms.Slater’s personal assistant Marc St.James.

For all the nuptials details, visit abc.com.

Darn! My invitation got lost in the mail. Guess I’ll have to watch it on tv. I’m sure it’ll be MUCH more exciting than any wedding I’ve ever attended in person. That probably says something good about my friends and relatives.

Tivo this: “Inside the Living Body”

Posted on 17. Sep, 2007 by kchristieh in health, tv

I’ve seen lots of IMAX / Discovery Channel / National Geographic specials about the human body over the years, but the “Inside the Living Body” show we saw last night on the National Geographic Channel beat them all. Technological advances allow their videocameras to reach far into the human body and produce incredibly vivid images. Also, the computer graphics that simulate various cell and aging processes make complex concepts quite clear.

My “aha!” moment occurred when they explained that perhaps the reason we change as we age is that each time DNA replicates itself, it loses a little something in the process. It’s like making a copy of a copy of a copy…the last copy won’t resemble the original nearly as much as the first copy did. I also shrieked when they did the rapid age progression from 45 to 70. But, I guess it beats the alternative.

Anyway, I highly recommend this for anyone of any age. Not only did I learn a lot, but now I’m more determined than ever to treat my body right. The images of fat surrounding internal organs were quite frightening.

This must be Body Week at the National Geographic Channel: tonight we’re scheduled to start recording a series which includes The Science of Dwarfism, The Science of Conjoined Twins, Brain Child, The Science of Babies, The Science of Obesity and more. I think I learned about them by reading The Week. With the limited space on our old Tivo, it’ll probably start deleting all of those unwatched Colbert Reports soon!

Is that flipped-out boss mean or merely self-centered?

Posted on 06. Aug, 2007 by kchristieh in articles, tv, work

After watching “Flipping Out,” our stunned silence was broken by my daughter, who said, “Well, at least he isn’t mean.” Perhaps, but…

She was referring to Jeff Lewis, the self-professed obsessive-compulsive star of this new Bravo reality series. Jeff is a “house flipper”: he buys downtrodden houses, fixes them up, and sells them for a pretty profit. He needs things to be perfect, whether it be in his life or in the houses he sells. Slate.com has a great review of the show, and quotes Jeff’s lunch drink request to his assistant,

Jeff: I want to change my drink order.

Jenni: What would you like?

Jeff: Ideally, 70 percent lemonade, 20 percent punch, 10 percent Sprite. If they don’t have fruit punch, do like 85 percent lemonade, and 15 percent Sprite.

Brant: All right.

Jeff: If they don’t have lemonade, do 85 percent punch and 15 percent Sprite… or 7UP.

It’s a perfect example of what my daughter was saying. He’s not necessarily mean, but he is self-absorbed and a bit crazy. He freely admits that he’s found a profession that celebrates his OCD, but is that a good thing?

He may not be mean (though it could be argued that he is), but I wouldn’t want him as a boss. I’d prefer a boss who cares about my welfare, not just his own.

Want to learn more about raging bosses? Then check out my old professor Bob Sutton’s Work Matters blog.

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Simpsons in French on YouTube

Posted on 24. Jul, 2007 by kchristieh in articles, my life, parenting, tv, videos

Loyal readers know that I not only speak French, but I can do a pretty credible Marge Simpson imitation. So it was no wonder that upon discovering that there are French episodes of “The Simpsons” on YouTube, I started babbling like Marge in French.

My poor son. He experienced a level of fear and embarassment I’d never seen before. I stopped immediately.

Here’s a link to one of the episodes, (Let’s give him a gift). You can find more by seeing other related videos.

I discovered these when I read in New York Magazine that

In adorable news, the actors who dub the voices of Homer and Marge Simpson for French television have found love. Phillipe Peythieu (who also dubs Danny DeVito) and Veronique Augereau (France’s Courtney Cox) met while auditioning for the show in 1989 and were married in 2001. Check out this clip from the 1998 episode “Mayored to the Mob”, in which their blossoming romance is clearly audible.

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Girls and their gadgets

Posted on 28. Jun, 2007 by kchristieh in articles, technical, tv

Boys and their toys, girls and their gadgets. The NYTimes recently reported in To Appeal to Women, Too, Gadgets Go Beyond Cute and Pink that manufacturers are learning that making products appealing to women doesn’t just mean changing the color. They need to consider changing the size, the shape, and even how the product functions. For example,

Energizer, the battery maker, went so far as to create a charger for each sex. The Dock & Go, at $33, is aimed at men. Black and gray with shiny trim, the two pods hold up to four batteries each (AA or AAA). A light glows red when it is charging, yellow when it is charged.

The second device, the $20 Easy Charger, is aimed at women, who usually end up managing the household’s batteries. This charger is flat, round and sold with interchangeable faceplates in silver, black and eggshell that help it blend in with kitchen appliances. Large light-emitting-diode readouts spell out what the countertop charger is doing at every phase of the charging cycle. Focus-group testing indicated that men were turned off by the Easy Charger, especially in how its readouts appeared to tell them what they thought they already knew, said Mandy Iswarienko, the brand manger for rechargeable products.

“We found that how people use chargers is very different,” she said. “For her, she wants it to be instantly understandable.”

Hmm. Sounds to me like men would be crazy to spend $13 more for a charger that’s tougher to read. Then again, I’m a woman, so they want me to like the cheaper one.

I wish Sony would re-design my DVD remote control. (see picture) (Actually, it’s an AV System remote, but I don’t like the surround sound so I just use it for DVD’s.) All the buttons look the same, and the text is so small I can barely read it, especially in the dark. Hopefully companies will design for women with declining eyesight too!

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Fun times with the SmileLady

Posted on 31. May, 2007 by kchristieh in education, my life, tv

Debra Johnson is a force of nature! This outgoing, confident woman is also known as the SmileLady. As such, she hosts a weekly cable TV show on Channel 56 (Pasadena Community Network) called “SMILE” that encourages Support, Motivation, Investing, Love and Education.

I met Debra when I spoke about MySpace at the Pasadena Jr. League “” conference at Caltech in March. Debra appreciated that I said that MySpace wasn’t evil, but that it needed to be used correctly in order to be used safely. She introduced herself afterwards, and invited me to be a guest on her show.

Yesterday I took her up on her offer, and had a great time being interviewed on her show. (See picture below.) She asked insightful questions, and was very skilled at filling the space between segments with words of wisdom. I’m not sure how well I did, but I’ll cut myself a break since this is my first real television appearance. (As opposed to the faux ones of my youth and the LCF Educational Foundation video when I was president.)

The show should air next Tuesday at 8:00 am and 8:00 pm in the local Pasadena Charter Cable area, and perhaps at 4:00 am and 4:00 pm on Thursday of next week. Set your Tivos!

“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.”

- Mother Teresa

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“24″ Season Finale: All tied up, neat as a bow

Posted on 22. May, 2007 by kchristieh in tv

I think the producers of “24” have absolutely no idea what they’re doing next season. That’s the only explanation for how well everything tied together last night. Not much was left hanging!

We had lots of arguments here about whether Jack was right to risk many lives to save his nephew. It’s like my Darfur Puppy post: one innocent 16-year-old boy is much more compelling than a whole military base full of people we don’t know. My son and I argued that it was worth it because Jack would succeed. (Yeah, we’re optimists.) My daughter wasn’t convinced. I told her that someday, perhaps her brother would save her child. She still wasn’t convinced. He was.

I recognized Chloe’s pregnancy as soon as she started acting sick. My kids were skeptical, but I was right. Of course, it’s Milo’s baby.

And where did Stewart (Milo’s brother) go? Hmmm…

That’s all I’m wondering about. Not bad! I can actually sleep well for the next seven (!!) months until next season.

Except for all the cliffhangers from “Ugly Betty” that will keep me up at night until September…

 

“24″ should be re-named “17″

Posted on 12. Apr, 2007 by kchristieh in podcasts, tv

I love plot twists, but the detour in Monday’s episode of “24” takes the show to a whole new season. Only 17 hours have passed, but this season’s storyline wrapped up quite nicely in this episode. I should have frozen the Tivo and left it at that.

But nooooo….I had to hear who was on the phone call that Jack took…and I’m hooked for more!

To hear some great “24″ commentary, check out the “Slate Spoiler” each week. It offers an insightful discussion of each episode from some diehard “24″ fans. You can either listen online or download it onto iTunes.

Is Milo the mole? Is Audrey alive?

Posted on 20. Mar, 2007 by kchristieh in tv

These weighty “24″ questions are perfect fodder for Slate.com’s “Spoiling 24: Day 6, Hour 14.” They ask all the questions we’re asking, and it’s great to hear their opinions on these weighty matters.

Here’s what I think:

• Mike Doyle is the mole.
• Audrey is alive.
• Carlos is alive. (I still can’t believe he died. It makes no sense.)
• Milo and Nadia are good guys.

Time will tell. Mysteries will be solved, but I’ll still be strung along until next season. But not nearly as much as Prison Break.

In the meantime, I’ve subscribed to the Slate Spoilers podcast on iTunes.

Bastards of the Party

Posted on 12. Feb, 2007 by kchristieh in tv

Did you know that L.A.’s first street gangs were formed as a survival response to the racism that Blacks faced as they integrated schools in areas such as Compton? Or that Los Angeles Police Chief William H. Parker recruited Southern white police officers with military backgrounds to come work in L.A.? I didn’t know any of this until our family watched Bastards of the Party last night on HBO. (We had Tivo’d it.) It recounts the history of L.A.’s Black gangs from the 1930’s to the present, and does a good job of explaining how and why gangs evolved to where they are today.

The narrator, Cle “Bone” Sloan, presents an intelligent and insightful look at how this translates into his life and the lives of his contemporaries. He’s very introspective, and is searching for ways to help bring himself and his community away from this insanity.

I hope he succeeds, and I hope that more people see this great documentary so they can understand why things are the way they are, and how destructive gangs can be.

ShakespeaRe-Told

Posted on 16. Aug, 2006 by kchristieh in tv

Nothing brings Shakespeare’s plays alive more than placing them in a modern setting. The BBC series ShakespeaRe-Told does an excellent job of staying true to the Bard’s stories while being completely entertaining. We watched “Much Ado About Nothing” recently, and were riveted by this tale set in a contemporary British newsroom. “Macbeth” is waiting for us on Tivo, and we’re looking forward to seeing “The Taming of the Shrew”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “A Waste of Shame” in the next few weeks. We can’t wait!

Back from camp

Posted on 29. Jul, 2006 by kchristieh in parenting, sports, tv

They’re back! One kid was at soccer camp in Santa Barbara, the other was at church camp near Big Bear. Both had a fabulous time, though my son complained that the soccer camp didn’t allow enough nightime sleep. (11:30 bedtime, 6:30 am wake time isn’t enough for a 12-year-old.) The house was quieter and cleaner without them, but not nearly as much fun. It was a taste of what the “empty nest” will be like in five years. We’ll survive it, of course, but I’m not nearly ready. Will I be then?

Both kids slept all afternoon, then we ate dinner and watched a few Tivo’d shows. We discovered that one taste of crystal meth can begin a lifetime addiction, even for a PTA president (Oprah), a rabid anti-illegal immigration Minuteman can open his mind to why illegal immigrants come here (30 Days), Julian Bond will make a great Black friend to Stephen Colbert, and white poodles look best in white outfits (Project Runway). Tomorrow we’ll watch last week’s episode of The Messengers, where contestants spend a night on LA’s Skid Row and then make a speech about it. Yep, it was a regular TV fiesta here tonight. But the kids were a little too tired to do much else.

Jump the Shark

Posted on 11. Jul, 2006 by kchristieh in cool websites, tv

I happened upon Jump the Shark last night when I was trying to prove to my kids that “Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse” really existed. (“The frog see? Nyah, nyah nyah…”)

Jump the Shark is a term for that defining moment when a television show hits its peak, and it’s all downhill from there. Like when Cousin Oliver met the Brady Bunch, or when Scrappy Doo joined Scooby Doo. When the cast of 90210 graduated from high school, or when Lucy & Ricky moved to Connecticut. They have a database of over 2,500 tv shows, and every one we looked up was there. People vote on if/when they think a show has “jumped the shark.”

Watch out – it’s addictive…