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July 31, 2006
Happy Birthday, MTV
MTV turns 25 tomorrow, celebrating their anniversary of 25 years on the air. According to this article from the Associated Press (and viewed at Yahoo! news), MTV is not celebrating because MTV wants to be "the perpetual adolescent."
With all the aplomb of an aging soap star, MTV staunchly refuses to grow older, preferring, like Peter Pan, to stay young forever.
But I can't forget where I was when I first saw MTV. I was 17 years old. Yes, 17. My boyfriend at the time had parents that liked a LOT of tv and had every cable channel known to man (I think there were three then). We raced home after high school to watch Total Request Video. The "I Want My MTV" campaign seemed totally cutting edge. We really wanted our MTV! I can remember thinking that David Bowie's "Blue Jean" was a cool video, and yes, I do remember in 1983 when the "Thriller" (Dec. 2, 1983) video came out.
MTV debuted on August 1, 1981 in New Jersey. By the time we got MTV on the West Coast and in my little neck of the woods, it was two years old, a toddler, and had mastered most of the basic skills that would serve it well for the rest of its adolescent life - fast editing, loud music, hip images, lots of advertising. According to the article, only a few thousand people on a single cable system in northern New Jersey could see the first video, the Buggles, "Video Killed the Radio Star."
That was "back in the day" when MTV actually played music videos. When it was "thrilling" to see a black musical artist with a video on mainstream tv. Back when "Spring Break" (1985) was the most shocking thing on tv. By the time they invented reality television with "The Real World" and hit a new low with "Beavis and Butthead" (1994 for both), I had moved on from the boyfriend and the MTV.
Since then, I rarely see MTV. I hear that it is still on the air, although my sister says they don't play vdieos. I have never seen an episode of "Jackass" all the way through, never seen the Osbournes, and really don't know whatever happened to Puck. I realize that MTV is revolutionary, and that they made smart marketing decisions along the way (videos are boring, Spring Break and reality tv are not). Sex and violence sell, especially to young white men who want to be black in the midwest. And Martha Quinn was not as horrible as we all thought. Although, she was really, really bad.
In all, I do not celebrate MTV, I do not miss MTV, I do not want my MTV. Happy Birthday, MTV.
Posted by DJWanda at 10:14 PM
July 23, 2006
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
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Even in the sweltering summer temps, nothing can beat the fun of a house party in Fullerton Hills. Rob McCann really knows how to throw a party, and it was awesome to view the lightening bolts flashing down around the city below while listening to the music of the Vaquetones echo throughout the canyon. Perfect acoustics! This guy really knows how to throw a party. Add good eats, good company and good music to the mix and you have a winner of a night. Thanks go out to Ms. Wanda for being DJ of the night, and to Rob and Betsy for hosting this lovely event! Last, but not least, thanks to the Miguel and the guys for bringing us such great music!
Posted by CindyLu at 9:49 PM
LA, Gas Prices and Peak Oil
If gas prices in Calif. are putting a pinch in your pocketbook, here in Dublin the prices are a Euro and twenty cents per litre. That works out to $5.74 a gallon at the best Euro to US dollar rates.
Robert Rapier at R-Squared has written about Peak Oil and LA. Go read it.
Posted by Ms. Jen at 4:27 AM
July 19, 2006
The LA Gay Rodeo
I think this year is the year I'll have to stop being an "LA Gay Rodeo" virgin. I've never been (in fact, I'd never even HEARD of it until I got the press release today), but my friend Tonya says it's a ton of fun. And I can't imagine anything cooler, so why the hell not?!
The LA Gay Rodeo takes place August 3 - 6 at the LA Equestrian Center in Burbank.
Posted by darlin at 4:54 PM
July 14, 2006
Who Is This Masked Woman?
Well.....her beau says she's a Florida retiree, but I heard it straight from the King that she's a bad mamma jamma in cool 70's Elvis glasses. Any guesses on this one?
Posted by CindyLu at 9:56 PM
Unbelievable!
What is it about the illustrious Meet 'n' Greet pass that prompts complete strangers to ask if you have an extra one? Obviously, if you have ONE pass, you must have TWO - and the other has THEIR name on it. Do they really expect you to say, "Why, yes, I do! In fact, I was hoping to give it to someone I've never met before and who I will likely never see again, and all you have to do is accost me as I'm on my way to the restroom, and demand whatever contents you think are in my pockets."
Posted by darlin at 11:03 AM
July 12, 2006
Fairweather
Allison Moorer's latest CD Getting Somewhere, released on Sugar Hill Records, is definitely way more rock-n-roll than any of her previous albums (read: a lot less twangy!), but still good! It's produced by her husband Steve Earle, and you can watch the video for "Fairweather" here.
Posted by darlin at 1:51 PM
July 6, 2006
LG Wants to Help You Stop Drunk Dialing...
LG is about to release a cellphone to the US market with a built-in breathalyzer:
The LP4100 also allows users to set up the phone so on certain nights and after a certain time they do not call certain people in their phone book. Think ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend.If you have a blood alcohol level over .08, the phone will not let you dial that person. So it not only promotes sobriety, but chastity — and probably your dignity, as well.
Link via Schneier on Security.
Posted by Ms. Jen at 10:46 AM
July 1, 2006
DJ Wanda on Wanda Jackson
Read about it in the OC Weekly.
Posted by Big Kev at 11:56 AM | Comments (1)
