Episode 9: The One with the Title Structure Like That Old Show I Used to Hate...

This was supposed to come out two days ago, in fact, I was busy writing it when I received a phone call…it was my mom. During that phone call, I received ANOTHER Phone Call!!! This one was of the game changing sort. Do I have to still dance around that this was about a new job? Christ, I hope not. I can’t honestly imagine anyone reading this who believes I want to stick around the movie house forever. Any who, they wanted writing samples, “Perhaps some papers from college.” Trouble is, I graduated from college in 2007, where does the time go? All of my papers seemed a bit dated, even my fairly well written final paper for Political Behavior rallies against major current events like the Valerie Plame outing and the purging of the US attorneys by the Justice Department, don’t bother looking them up, it’s irrelevant. That’s when I called on the greatest resource I have at my disposal, no not my liquor cabinet wiseass, my friends. Some great individuals, even my creative writing teacher from high school, stepped up to offer advice. I sent in the samples today, and quickly received a response that new candidates will be reviewed after the first of the year. It’s a little bittersweet, there is a big optimistic “To Be Continued” tacked on to this storyline, but damn it would have been great to not have to work on Christmas. Oh well, wish me luck. You religious types say a quick novena for me. Maybe 2012 will be the year…

I got a fairly good amount of feedback from Episode 8. Some was about foie gras. I got the shock/disgust that I have become accustomed to when I admit I haven’t been to NYC. For the record, it’s not that I don’t want to, I just haven’t. I have been to LA, so there’s that… All in all, this tells me I’ve got you guys reading, so thanks. What I could use are some more followers (thanks to the ones I have) and comments, so I can convince Labatt Blue Light to sponsor this blog. “Never take on the world without the cold refreshing taste of Labatt Blue Light: The Official Sponsor of MVTW” See the ads write themselves.

Speaking of beer, Matt Barnaby is in the news this week. He’s a former ESPN hockey analyst who played for the Sabres. I remember watching him with the Amerks back when I used to go with my Grandparents, many a year ago. Barns was an instigator, in non hockey terms, an asshole, but for a while, he was our asshole. Over the weekend, Barns got pegged with a DWI. The police found him driving around suburban Buffalo MISSING A FRONT TIRE!!! The front of the car was scraping on the ground, shooting sparks. To steal a phrase coined by his former employer, “Come on Man!” What concerns me is that this rounds out a particularly bad year for the guy. He’s already gone through a divorce and had a previous run in with the law. Basically it comes down to this, Barns hit bottom and when you hit bottom, you have two options: pick yourself up or fall further down. Here’s hoping he does the former.

I feel the need to expand on a point I made on Facebook earlier this week. My status was, “I can’t be the only one that thinks WARM 101.3’s selection of Christmas music blows, right?” On the off chance I have anyone reading from out of town, state, or country. WARM 101.3 is a local soft rock station notorious for playing 24 hours of Christmas music starting mid to early November and lasting until New Years Eve. Their selection leaves something to be desired. The last five or six times I have turned it on it has been “Jingle Bell Rock” and let’s be honest, that song stinks. Hell I bet if I turn it on now…

Ok no it was Anne Murray singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” See I could have lied and said it was “Jingle Bell Rock” but I didn’t, because this blog has journalistic integrity. Anne Murray also makes my point too. What the hell year is this? You can’t find anything more recent? The most recent stock of music in their play list is that Mariah Carey Christmas album that everyone on earth had. That’s not to say newer is better. I never hear Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please come home)” or anything off of “Phil Spector’s Christmas Gift for You” and quite frankly the only thing that makes that album not perfect, is the fact that a murderer’s name is in the title.

Also, and this may be the most egregious sin, they play the Aaron Neville version of “What Christmas Means to Me.” Son of a Hot God Damn!!! Why on earth would you even think of playing anything other than the Stevie Wonder version!!! No other version should exist!!! But WARM is the only Christmas music station in town, so we have to choke down Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey. I’m not asking them to change their format, I don’t want them to lose their core audience of soccer moms, and broken dads, but maybe sprinkle in a little something now and then. Maybe a little New Found Glory’s “The Christmas Song.” will go far. At least play “Christmas is All Around” from the movie Love Actually-a holiday favorite of mine. It’s sung by Bill Nighy (Davy Jones in the two Pirates movies you didn’t like) and it’s amazing. But what do I know, I’m just an asshole with a blog.

As I have documented, it was my Marketing Manager colleague Joy who bullied, scolded, encouraged me to start this baby up. Her experience in the blogging world comes from her daughter Alyssa, who has a very successful one. We had a very beneficial conversation yesterday in which she offered me some great advice on how to move this forward. Please check out her blog http://chocolateismylife-us.blogspot.com/ It’s smarter than mine and has pictures, and colors, and things I do not yet know how to do on my page. Thanks for reading, and be sure to comment and follow. I would like to have this make me rich by Christmas.

Minch