col’s blog

Writers Unamused by Daly’s Joke Hotline
By Lisa de Moraes
The Washington Post Friday, November 30, 2007; Page C07

If NBC hoped Daly’s return would demonstrate the air was safe on the other side of the picket line, it does not seem to have achieved that result.

Instead, Conan O’Brien has decided to pay below-the-line staffers on his NBC late-night show out of his own pocket after the network stops doing so at the end of this week.

GEORGE: Jerry, look at my eyes.

JERRY: A little less beady today.

GEORGE: Because I’m REFRESHED. I finally found a way to sleep in my office. Under the desk. I lie on my back. I tuck in the chair. I’m invisible.

JERRY: Sounds like a really cool fort.

Do not underestimate your ability.

-Geshe Chekawa, “In Advice From a Spiritual Friend”

Pandora rocks for so many reasons. Here’s one more: now you can listen to holiday music.

Just enter the name of a holiday song you like (Caulk is cheap, that would be “Last Christmas”) and you’ll be off to the races.

To create a station based on an artist who performs holiday music, enter their name, followed by the word ‘holiday’ (for example, ‘Ray Charles Holiday’).

Additionally, here are a few stations created by the Pandora Team.

Classical Christmas
Rockin’ Holidays
Swingin’ Christmas
Jazz Holidays
Country Christmas

you can call me col guevara, but NO, i am not on board with ALL unions. i think a lot of unions perpetuate mediocrity and failure, particularly in our national education system. i loathe politicians — they are corrupt interest peddlers, regardless of party affiliation. i consider myself more of an À la carte thinker and voter. and i hate when dopey celebs start spouting off about complex issues they have very little understanding of. but here’s a case where i welcome the yammering (most of it, anyway) because they intimately understand what’s at stake:

Solidarity! Tina Fey, Tim Robbins, Kristin Davis, John Edwards, And The Creepy Guy From “Lost” Rally For Striking Writers

BTW, Carson Daly going back to work? Really dumb move, brah!

“hi, i’m carson daly, and i’m a massive tool.” – Jimmy Fallon playing Carson Daly (on TRL) on SNL

PS: i really miss jimmy.

speechless on youtube

unitedhollywood.com

1. rich guys ─ get over yourself. it’s cool and all that you made a shitload of dough in software, vc, hedge fund management,banking etc. but that doesn’t necessarily make you interesting or hot or good boyfriend or husband/father material. believe it or not, there are tons of you out there. now i’m def. with gwen guthrie in requiring that a dude have a J-O-B, but material wealth alone does not a rich man make. you’ve also got to be giving, attentive, present, loving and receptive. and bonus points if you say stuff like: i don’t mean to brag, i don’t mean to boast, but i’m intercontinental when i eat french toast.

2. san fran ─ good time overall. we deep fried a turkey and it took so long i ended up getting sick in the bathroom from all the mulled cider (made with a whole jug of crown royal and peach schnapps) in my empty belly. that’s what i get for trying to roll with the 27 year olds. friday i went hiking at land’s end and hung at the beach with tara while kev worked. flew united direct and it was actually quite pleasant. i upgraded my seat both ways to get extra legroom and watched episodes of 30 rock and arrested development on my ipod. dream!

3. don(na) coleone, the godmother ─ liam was a champ at his christening yesterday. i stood up on the altar there, renounced satan and all that as the nudge became a catholic. the party was good times too –50 + people there, lots of kiddies, good eats, good tunes (i did the songlist). always good to kick back and hang with the extended friends and fam.

4. half nelson ─ started watching it last night, and though i am over a year late with this, i’m jumping on the effusively praising bandwagon. it’s a moving story of 20-something crack-addicted inner-city middle-school teacher, dan dunne. ryan gosling plays the role to perfection showing how one can manage to go to work, jog, get dates, follow politics and look ridiculously hot whilst secretly enslaved by a life-threatening addiction. the actor who plays drey ─ dunne’s smart, strong, painfully sweet and earnest schoolgirl protector ─ is also very gifted.

5. “We didn’t know who to hire. I wouldn’t be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me.” — Universal Music CEO Doug Morris to Wired magazine when asked why the music business didn’t work harder to build its own online presence in the early days of file-sharing. rarely do you get to see a major honcho straight up admitting that past swagger and game face masked total ignorance and laziness. he and his high-rollin’ industry peers had no clue what to do in a changing environment, and they didn’t try to figure it out until it was way too late. i also dig how he admits that “anyone with a good bullshit story” can get through. it’s so true. consultant types who peddle ideas to big honchos are often opportunistic shysters.

Daniel Craig Reveals His Buff Body Secrets

the monday after thanksgiving weekend … rainy day in nyc. dk if your ass is draggin’ as bad as mine this morning, but this song always gets me bouncing.

It struck me that everyone I knew, including myself, was always looking for love. ‘Ah, if I could find love, it would solve my problems.’ Some years ago, however, I found myself saying to my children, ‘Don’t go searching for love. Love is not a solution but a reward.’ So long as you go searching for love directly, you will fail, because love is a grace and you don’t pursue grace.

– Norman Mailer, “On God: An Uncommon Conversation”

Read the excerpt in The Times of London — November 16, 2007