The Loquacious Limey

An Infrared Sauna is Winter’s Retreat

This time of year is a real mixed blessing; There’s the joy of Thanksgiving and all the Holiday fun, but the weather can be a real bear. Cold, misty mornings that gnaw at your hands, and short, frosty days that keep up the fight. But the life of an Actor demands permanent health, and a far Infrared Sauna might be the key. Whatever may ail you, these things can help - mild pain, arthritis or stiffness of joints, even eczema and weight loss gets better with use. With hi-def soon to debut, good skin is a must, and yours will just bless you for this kind of care.

Don’t be too quick to dismiss this idea, it can do more for your career and overall health than most people would think, so visit the site and decide for yourself…

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November 18th, 2008 | Category: news | Leave a comment

ABC Touches Daisies Twice

The news is not good. According to those who are advised on such things, Pushing Daisies is effectively dead. Rumors of its demise have been rife for weeks, but Daisies completed its current 13-episode order this week and ABC has made no effort to order more, which is usually a bad sign.

The only viable hope for extension would be for ABC to keep the cast under contract, then re-launch the show in the Spring. But that would be costly, especially when, in common with the other major nets, they are blaming huge drops in ad revenue on the economic situation, and the fact that we’re all using DVR’s instead of being the mindless, ad-watching drones they’d prefer.

I’d be sad to see the show close. The idea of its slot being filled with another police drama or the intellectual insult of yet more ‘reality’ is too awful to even conceive. But like most of its fans, I’d rather see it close than be forced to endure in this weakened state. Season one was an iconoclastic charm, replete with fresh ideas, involving plots and copious viewer appeal. Season two is a wafer-thin imitation. It’s almost like the Writers got hooked on Alli. The plot in the Convent was dull and too long, and the story since then just hasn’t picked up.

It just doesn’t make sense: This pie has everything right - the casting is perfect, the writing is strong, the production’s amazing and there’s not a hint of derivation. If anyone has a theory on what [apparently] sealed this splendid show’s fate, leave a comment and let’s chew it over.

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November 14th, 2008 | Tags: abc, Cast, Daisies, season, tv | Category: media | Leave a comment

Janus is Alive and Well

The [temporary] passing of Prop. 8 last week is already having effects. And none of them good. The Artistic Director of a Sacramento-based theater company donated $1,000 to the ‘Yes on 8′ campaign. Gay rights groups learned of the gift and began organizing a boycott of the theater, and after what the Director, Scott Eckern, called ‘prayerful consideration’ he resigned from the post. Mr. Eckern said he made the donation ’so the traditional definition of marriage could be preserved,’ but claimed in his defense that he had no idea his contribution would cause such a problem.

So let’s see if we’ve got this right; A man who has worked in the world of musical theater for over 20-years, a realm whose brooding passion and intense creativity form an irresistible flame to which gay people have responded for generations, had ‘no idea’ that his co-workers and peers would be greatly upset and risk losing their rights if his donation’s recipients achieved their well-publicized goal. If you need stupidity like that, you can probably get it wholesale.

But it gets worse: Ron Prentice, chairman of the ‘Yes on 8′ campaign to whom the donation was made issued a statement criticizing the plans for a boycott, saying the gay rights groups apparently, “cherish tolerance and civil rights, but are unabashedly trampling on the rights of others.”

This from the leader of a group whose sole cause for existence is to revoke any rights Gay people have, to which his self-appointed coven of judgmental retentives do not choose to give their consent.

If that wasn’t such a peerless example of brainless hypocrisy, it would almost be funny. Apparently, plotting to deny other people their freedom is only offensive when playing the victim gets you on TV. When the plot is your own, that’s perfectly fine.

Is it me, or is anyone else having trouble comprehending that logic?

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November 13th, 2008 | Tags: gay, music, prop 8, rights, theater | Category: media | Leave a comment

We Need a 12-step Program

Is it me, or is the Internet taking over your life as well? I use Linux by choice, but no matter what happens I can’t get enough speed to get everything done. If that sounds familiar, a new online review site called Digital Landing could help you a lot; They have impartial reviews of the major Internet Services, and you can do a search of the options and pick the best one. There are also free video tutorials on topics like installing a network and virus protection that could save you hours of frustration and bunches of hair. And it’s all in plain English - no Geek required.

If you’re tired of that hourglass, visit this site – Saving your sanity might cost less than you think.

November 12th, 2008 | Category: news | Leave a comment

Sir Elton Speaks Out…

As the gay community struggles for legal equality and plain, simple dignity, one of the most potentially influential figures in this unfair altercation has finally declared his support…For the opposition.

I mentioned before that Sir Elton John was strangely absent from the nation’s discourse regarding Prop. 8, and that his endorsement would be a great help in the fight. Well, it seems he’s silent no more; At an event last Monday for his AIDS foundation, Sir Elton made it clear he’s against the idea of gay marriage and said that gay people should limit themselves to civil partnerships, leaving the full measure of marriage to us straight guys [and girls.]

For me, this is a shock. Sir. Elton said he thinks the word ‘marriage’ is what probably puts people off, and that gay couples should choose Civil Partnerships instead. But why should they? I’m not a Lawyer so I don’t know the small-print, but for a man of his profile and cosmopolitan influence to suggest that his peers should yield to years of oppression and deliberately choose what is likely to be the second-best option is not only absurd, it’s an insult.

Equality is what their campaign is about, and equality’s what they deserve. The Governor has advised them to continue the fight, and I for one hope their inevitable victory will now only feature another star’s songs.

Photo by Spojeni

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November 12th, 2008 | Tags: elton, gay, law, proposition 8, rights | Category: media | Leave a comment

NPR Deserves Our Support

Despite choking amounts of evidence to the contrary that’s foisted upon us by most TV channels, this is a country with a great deal of culture. And a shining example of this unsung abundance is the radiant jewel that’s called NPR.

It’s a sad reality of modern-day life that things which are the most vital receive the least funding, and even smaller respect; Schools, public health, and especially anything related to culture. As you’d expect from a group that attracts the brightest and best, NPR’s leaders have clever ideas to answer this need. They are about to debut a new social network and have raised over $2m to re-tool their content for a blossoming internet audience. Plans are also in place to allow independent publishers [read 'bloggers'] to use NPR content on their personal sites.

This is a worrying commentary on the staggering apathy of this nation’s leaders towards such an essential and wonderful resource, but at the same time it gives us an achievable way to reverse the damage and ensure its survival. The Federal Government has cut NPR’s funding for the last eight years in a row, and Blogs could be a simple and vital solution; If enough bloggers run this new content, the revenue from the inherent ads will boost NPR’s income and free them from the shrivelled anemia of Government funding. And that’s some wonderful news!

If you have a site - especially a blog - add a few feeds, and tell all your readers to follow your lead. Like that other undervalued American treasure, PBS, the skill and commitment of NPR staff deserves praise and support. not disdain and starvation. The health and survival of intelligent radio is literally now in our hands. Let’s get onto the task - For the sake of our sanity we can’t drop this ball.

The Loquacious Limey

An Infrared Sauna is Winter’s Retreat

ABC Touches Daisies Twice

Janus is Alive and Well

We Need a 12-step Program

Sir Elton Speaks Out…

Photo by Spojeni

NPR Deserves Our Support

Photo by CP Storm