9/11...13 Years Later

Normally for those of you who have followed my blogs in the past, you know I don't make things too personal. While my blogs might reflect my personal views or humor, I refrain from using words like "I" when I write.

Thirteen years ago, I woke up to my stereo that doubled as an alarm at 6AM Pacific Coast time. While popping in my contacts, I listened to Doc and Ralph Garman reporting about a plane that had crashed into the World Trade Center. On this particular day, Kevin And Bean, the normal anchors to KROQ's morning show were on vacation which usually meant they would be playing clips from past shows. It was odd to me that Ralph and Doc had jumped on live and reporting news. I turned on my television to see if the news had video of the accident. Sure enough, within fifteen seconds of my turning on the television at watching smoke billow from the Trade Center, I saw a plane crash into the tower. At first I wasn't sure if what I saw was a replay of the crash, but quickly knew something was wrong when the morning news reporters had freaked out over what had just happened. It was sort of unreal to watch the second plane hit on live television. Almost like a movie scene. I knew all hell was breaking loose, but being a Senior in college, I wasn't sure if the events that were happening were going to cause classes that day to be cancelled.

Driving to Cal State Fullerton, I listened to Ralph and Doc report about the latest rumors that were trickling down to them. They informed the listeners that jets were scrambled all over the country looking to bring down rogue airliners that the air FAA had lost contact with. Flights had been banned from taking off until further notice. When I arrived at my school, I could see school was still in session, as the parking lot was as full as usual. I took some extra time to listen to the radio before going to my class to continue to listen to the latest reports. Ralph and Doc informed listeners that the first Trade Center tower had collapsed and for a moment, both radio DJ's were silent. Reports flooded in that the Pentagon was hit as well as President Bush was already calling the incidents "a terrorist attack". The White House staffers had been evacuated as there was speculation that planes in the air still could have been hijacked as well.

Just before 7:30AM, I walked into my Mass Communications class that was held in a theater style classroom. I took a seat and watched as the news was being projected onto the screen. By this point, there were rumors that a plane had crashed somewhere in Pennsylvania, but hadn't been confirmed. Two minutes before class was scheduled to start, the students in my class collectively gasped as the first Trade Center building collapsed on live TV. Several students broke out into tears. I sat more in a state of shock. By this point, I had known that I was witnessing the events of my generation's Pearl Harbor. Unfortunately for the students of my class, my professor had no heart. Class had started almost ten minutes late and she rushed down to the stage in front of the class, demanding the T.A. turn off the television news. Her exact words were, "Turn this off now. This isn't as important as what I will be teaching today." To this day, I can't remember a specific thing I learned in her class, but I remember every moment of this particular day. She went on to teach class as if nothing big was happening.

Afterwards, I rushed over to my next class, Media Ethics. Unfortunately this classroom had no television or even a radio, so students shared information they heard outside of the classroom. Within minutes of the class starting, a student that worked for the offices of Cal State Fullerton, ran down the hallways of the College Park building yelling for everyone to evacuate. My professor talked to him briefly before turning around to tell us that it was believed that Cal State Fullerton was a possible target for terrorism. While I believed that it was possible for terrorist to target significant targets in the west, I highly doubted that after targeting the Trade Center, the Pentagon, and possibly the White House, that Cal State Fullerton was also on the terrorists' list of targets. Nevertheless, class was over for the day and the campus evacuated. Traffic was intense as a campus filled with nearly thirty-thousand students and faculty were trying to leave at the same time.

Finally getting home, I spent the rest of the day watching CNN report about what was happening. All flights were permanently grounded, Manhattan was evacuated which led to a mass amount of people leaving the city on foot, and by the middle of the day, Seven World Trade Center had collapsed as well. My dad came home from work shortly afterwards, unaware of the degree of the events that had taken place. He had heard rumors that something had taken place, but on a construction site, they weren't privy to hearing any of the exact details. I filled him in on what had happened and spent the rest of the just watching TV which I rarely did back then. I worked on the Cal State Fullerton campus myself and knew that with the evacuation, I wouldn't be going to work that day. I also knew that America itself was never going to be the same.

Photo credit to NASA

Super Bowl Pay To Play

With the new season only starting less than a week ago, the NFL has already taken some major bumps this season. Beyond the most recent developments in the Ray Rice incident, the NFL recently announced that it wants musicians/artists to pay to play during the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Citing free publicity and bumps in ticket sales for up and coming tours, the NFL claims that the music artist is the biggest winner.

First off, the point of the music artist to perform at the halftime show is to retain the viewers while the gameplay is on pause. Without the halftime show, just as with many regular season games, fans use this time to grab food, talk, hang out with friends, and various other things which take them away from the television, effectively minimizing the impact the companies who advertise during halftime have. Without the music artist, it's hard for the NFL to justify $4 million for 30 second spots during the downtime from the game. The NFL would like to argue that the performance itself is a form of advertisement, but more fairly, it can be said that the advertisers are drawn in because of the music performance.

Many of the artists that perform at these shows can draw in as high a million dollars plus for one of their own concert performances, but perform three to four songs for free during the halftime show. Performing for free, while the NFL reaps the benefits. Because of the music performance, the female demographic is more likely to watch the game, especially at halftime. The same can also be said for non-NFL fans who are fans of the music artist performing, but not necessarily football in general. These are viewers that the sponsors hit, that normally would be lost if the halftime show consisted only of the standard commentators talking about the highlights of the game to that point.

Years ago, before the NFL stepped up it's halftime show productions, the Fox Network stole away many of the possible halftime viewers by airing an In Living Color special that aired exclusively during halftime. By counterprogramming against the Super Bowl, Fox effectively minimized the impact by the advertisers who (over)paid for 30 second spots on CBS during the halftime show.

During 60's, 70's, and 80's, the NFL primarily used marching bands and generic music to entertain those watching the halftime show. This was a dead zone for advertisers, wishing to wait until the second half to resume their advertising. It was not possible for the NFL to justify charging $4 million (or the equivalent to those particular years). Once the NFL started to invite music artists to perform free of charge during the halftime, they were able to charge a premium for advertising.

Various unions including the NFL Players Association and American Federation of Musicians have also come out publicly against the NFL's proposed idea. Twenty-two unions in all have sided against the NFL citing that no one should ever have to pay to work. For a musician, even if they love what they do, performing is their job.

The trade off for performing for free is the potential bump of people who might pay for the musician's music or attend one of their concerts. It's a fair trade considering how much money the NFL makes from advertisers when the game isn't even being played. It's better for both sides, especially the NFL which will never want to go back to marching bands performing at halftime while losing millions of dollars to the lack of halftime advertising.

Photo credit by IndianBio uploaded to Wikipedia.

10 Things I Learned From Zoolander

1. Nothing in the world is as fun as going to the gas station: If you're spending $4 a gallon on gas, you might as well blast some 80's music and dance. Still cheaper than going to Disneyland.

2. Facial poses by models are often named after condoms: Blue Steel? Magnum? Sounds like the names of condoms to me. What's next? Vivid? Trojan? 

3. Hand models are the smart ones: Hand models have the brains because they aren't trained to please like regular models are. Does this rule apply to foot models too?

4. Guitar Synth players are evil: Why wouldn't they be evil? Just like saxophone players, after the 80's, there wasn't much work out there for them. They'd still be employed if it wasn't for heavy metal and the rise of the grunge scene. Do you think Kurt Cobain needed a guitar synth player? No.

5. If you're a famous model, 1200 messages on your answering machine is only a bit above average: Being famous, everyone wants a piece of you. 1100 messages in a week isn't uncommon. 1200. Something is up.

6. With a small amount of make up, you can look like anyone: When breaking into Ballstein's office, Derek and Hansel use make up to look completely different. Apparently make up can change bone structure. So why is there a need for botox then?

7. A simple look can stop a throwing star in it's path: If this is true, then can a dance move stop a bullet? A hand clap stop a moving car? Yoko Ono singing stop a nuclear missile? Actually I think Yoko's singing promotes being hit by a nuclear missile.

8. Ambiturning is a real talent: Looking for things to put on your resume? Tell your potential employer that you are an ambiturner. You can turn left when need to. 

9. Listen to Billy Zane: Listen to Billy Zane. He's a good guy. He's looking out for you. Unless your name is Jack and you're on the Titanic.

10. David Bowie is the best person to judge anything: You have a pose off? David Bowie will be your judge. He has nothing better to do.

Great Stadium Eats

Whatever the sport, the fan is always number one. They are the ones whom cheer for their teams. They are the ones whom pay for the tickets so their favorite team can afford better players. They are the ones whom become a "twelth man," "sixth man," and whatever else to the players on the field. The die-hards know everything there is about the team and the stadium. They visit multiple times during a year. So what is the best way to make these fans happy? Food.

Many stadiums have unique food they serve, unlike the other teams in their league. This gives local flavor to the team and the taste buds of the fans. Some teams have horrible food and have vendors outside that cook better than the cooks inside -the street vendors that make the sausage sandwiches outside of Staples Center in Los Angeles for one. Even if the food comes from a greasy looking cart, the food has great possibilities.

My first memorable food experience at a stadium was at Angels Stadium, chowing down on lasagnua from an Italian food booth. I loved that lasagnua and found myself sad when the food server was no longer there after the stadium was remodeled and fitted with national names like Panda Express, Ruby's and more. During my pre-teen years, it was probably my favorite Italian food in general and being at a baseball game made it extra special.

At Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, they serve a capicola and cheese sandwich made on Italian bread, and containing provolone cheese, cole slaw, french fries, and of course, the awesome meat calle capicola. It's a heart attack waiting to happen, but I would eat it in a second.

The peach cobbler, served at Atlanta Falcons games, has a reputation of being one of the best dessert items in football. Any why not? Georgia, the state known for their awesome peaches should be known for a dish using these same peaches.

Can a team be known for it's condiments? Yes. Cleveland stadium mustard is probably the best mustard served in the United States. It has flavor, a little bit of brown sugar mixed with a little spice. It's a perfect combined with a brat and beer.

AT&T Ballpark in San Francisco has the reputation of being the best stadium food in sports, especially if you like garlic. They love spreading garlic butter on many of their sandwiches, have world famous garlic fries, straight from Gilroy, California, sourdough bread right from Boudin, and even some of the best hot dogs, soaked in beer.

Also, if you ever get a chance to go to a minor league baseball game, go. If not for the game, for the food. Most teams have unique dishes that will open your eyes. Even the television show Man Vs. Food did a whole show dedicated to minor league baseball game food.

Stadium eats are unique and part of the fun to a ballgame. People aren't usually satisfied with just the Crackerjacks and popcorn. Don't be afraid to try something new, especially a non-national named brand company. Local food is the flavor to every team.

Photo credit: CrazyPaco from Wikipedia.com

10 Things I Learned From I Love Lucy

One of the most watched television shows of all time is I Love Lucy. Debuting on air in the fifties, I Love Lucy set standards in how sitcoms would be made, how comedy is done on television, and even how people can live in real life. The show was based on the crazy, redhead trying to get into her hubby's show and involving their landlords/best friends in the process. So I present to you...

10 Things I Learned From I Love Lucy

1. Keep your house thoroughly cleaned because you never know when an agent or celebrity might drop by. (Apparently in the fifties celebrities had nothing better to do than to hang out in people's apartments)

2. It is okay to mock a Cuban man's accent. (Credit to Ricky for never actually getting furious with the others for mocking him)

3. Never stop your wife from being in the show. (She will always find a way to get in, whether it's tying up another actress and throwing her in a closet, pretending to be someone other than your wife, or just plain showing up behind you on stage while you sing)

4. Make sure there is a door handle on the inside of your walk in freezer. (Lucy nearly froze to death, trying to freeze a ton of meat)

5. It is okay to spank your wife when she has been bad, not just naughty. (Ricky must have enjoyed spankings because he spanked Lucy nearly every other episode)

6. Country singers were dumb in the fifties. (Tennessee Ernie Ford visited the Ricardos for several episodes, but had not one ounce of common sense in him)

7. Putting on a costume, whig, or different clothes than you normally wear, will make you virtually unrecognizeable to even those you know. (Hell, Lucy dressed as a man, only putting on a suit and a fake mustache, and nearly fooled Ricky and Fred at the man's baby shower)

8. Women didn't have contractions when they went into labor in the fifties. (Lucy simply announced it was time, but never had contractions or pain of any sort)

9. There are towns in New England that are only run by two people. (Remember the mom and pa that played every role from motel owner to mayor?)

10. Clones were running rampant in the fifties. (One minute a guy is your blind waiter, the next he's Freddy Filmore, gameshow host)

What If The Movie Storyline Changed?

Some movie storylines are so epic, that even if you have never seen the movie, you know what the movie is generally about through some weird form of entertainment osmosis through friends and family. Because of a clever idea and/or a carefully thought out process of writing, legendary movies take the best route to make them extremely memorable to their fans. In some cases, fans become so entrenched in this world of fiction, it's as if nothing else matters to them.

But as with many movies, you can ask, "What if," questions that would dramatically alter the storyline. Something that would suggest that if the movie went another route, it might not as be epic.

1. Star Wars IV: A New Hope: There are several routes that can be taken here. What if Luke Skywalker follows through with his with to join the Imperial Academy with his friend Biggs Darklighter to become a pilot? Instead of flying an X-Wing and taking out the Death Star, he could have been defending it. Maybe he would become closer to his father Darth Vader. It could have been a, "boy meets long lost father," movie instead. Or even what if Luke picks another android instead of R2D2? Would he still remain a moisture farmer for his aunt and uncle?

2. Back To The Future: At the end of Back To The Future when Marty goes back to the eighties, his mom all of a sudden remembers kissing Calvin Klein (i.e. Marty McFly) at the night of her big dance? How disturbing would that be? Would the whole family need counseling? If so, how would you tell the therapist what happened without sounding like you need some time in the looney bin? Would George McFly be angered at his future son? Who knows?

3. Matrix: Well, actually for this one, I'll jump to Matrix: Revolutions which was the third in the trilogy. After leaving the matrix, Neo seemingly has many of his computer world created powers still. What Neo, Morpheus and the other humans never left the matrix? What if it is revealed that the computers pulled an Inception like move and really created a second matrix within the matrix. Meaning Zion would be a computer created city, rather than the last hold out for the humans against the computers. Also, I guess the obvious "what if" scenario that could be, what if Neo picked the wrong pill when choosing between the red or blue pills?

4. The Crow: What if after avenging the death of his fiancee and himself, Eric Draven doesn't return to Heaven? What if he were to become an undead being? A zombie perhaps. No spiritual being actually gave him a rule book of what would happen when the crow brought Draven's soul back to Earth. Draven technically chose the revenge route, but nothing said that the revenge route would be the end of his journey.

5. The Godfather: What if Sonny was never killed? Would he take over the Corleone empire still? Probably since he was next in line and was the son that Vito was grooming to take over. Michael would have never had to kill The Turk and the cop, which means he would have never had to go to Sicily to hide out, which means he would have never have developed an appreciation for his father's lifework, which means he would never taken it upon himself to learn the family business. He would have been a college professor in a small New England town. This was what he was studying to do in the book.

6. Sin City: What if instead of being hot for Dwight still, Gail is angry at Dwight for going away and hooking up with Shellie? She initially is and after Dwight slaps her across the face, they make out so hard that it looks like their in a battle. What's missed is that the movie is based on the graphic novels of the same name and are almost scene for scene the same as the graphic novel. The movie was based on several of the books and even though there are hints of a past relationship with Dwight and Gail, it's not said in the movie how exactly their relationship formed. In one of the other graphic novels, Gail nursed a nearly dead Dwight back to health, despite the fact that old town is supposed to be only resided by hookers. The other hookers were angry at Dwight's presence, but Gail fell hard for him. After healing up, he leaves and hooks up with waitress Shellie, which is where the movie picks up.

7. Field Of Dreams: What if Ray Kinsella is scared of ghosts? After seeing the appearance of Joe Jackson, he is so freaked out, that he bulldozes the precious land that he really needs for his corn crop. Or on another "what if" scenario, what if he loses his farm to the bank? Would he still have run into his father's ghost somewhere?

Things I Learned From 80's Entertainment

Well, as if I don't have enough blogs, I am starting a third one now that I believe I would be more apt to update more often. This one will be on anything pertaining the the entertainment industry, that should gain more attention. Anything from cinema, television, games, and music. So I start this first blog with something I believe I will do often on here called....

Things I Learned From...80's entertainment

1. The rhythm is going to get you (Gloria Estefan)

2. I can drive a car in reverse to make the mileage disappear (Ferris Bueller)

3. Driving 88 MPH is a key factor in traveling in time (Back To The Future)

4. You can eliminate ground dwelling monsters by inflating them until they pop (Dig Dug)

5. Greek family members will crash at your home forever (Full House, Perfect Strangers)

6. Giant sand worms are all over deserts (Dune, Beetlejuice)

7. Aliens love junk food (ALF, E.T.)

8. Michael Jackson started the decade as a black man and ended the decade a white girl

9. Alien robots will use Earth for their wars (Transformers, Go-Bots)

10. Ducks will eventually take over the world (Howard The Duck, Duck Tales)

11. You will die from diarrhea (Oregon Trail)

12. Communism works (The Smurfs)

13. Still wondering, "Where IS the beef?" (Wendy's Commercials)

14. Ninjas are mortal enemies to talking turtles and rats that know karate (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

15. It was hip to be square (Q-bert, Rubbick's Cube, Huey Lewis And The News)