Monday, August 30, 2010

Hello, everybody. The theme song for Sunday's 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards should've been Ray Stevens's "The Streak", as "Mad Men" continued theirs with three Best Dramas in a row while "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" is now 7-0 on the Variety, Music, or Comedy Series side.

But for "The Amazing Race" and "30 Rock", it was over thanks to "Top Chef" and "Modern Family" claiming Reality-Competition and Best Comedy respectively. The Lead Acting honors went to:

  • COMEDY: Edie Falco ("Nurse Jackie") and Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory")
  • DRAMA: Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") and Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer)"
  • MINISERIES/MOVIE: Al Pacino ("You Don't Know Jack") and Claire Danes ("Temple Grandin")
"Glee" didn't go home empty handed; Jane Lynch collected Supporting Actress-Comedy while Guest Actor-Comedy went to Neil Patrick Harris at last week's Creative Arts awards.

Also at that aforementioned ceremony, Betty White as expected added another Emmy for "Saturday Night Live" while Jeff Probst picked up his fourth straight Reality Program Host for "Survivor."

Now this year's awards were broadcast live from coast-to-coast for the first time including Alaska and Hawaii, but in the case of the lively red carpet, it was awashed in blue. That color looked good on January Jones (Versace) and birthday girl Lea Michele (Oscar de la Renta) though there were other colors on the rainbow including Glenn Close in green, Kim Kardashian and leggy Brooke Burke in white, Kate Gosselin in simple black, and Sofia Vergara in yummy yellow.

So...who was the most colorful of them all? Their show may have lost to "Modern Family", but "Glee's" dynamic duo of Michele and Dianna Agron (the latter in Carolina Herrera) sang my praises as best-dressed. And January Jones and Christina Hendricks...if you're reading this blog, I have a spinoff show for you: "Drab Women"!

Like I said, it was all about the streak as a couple shows kept theirs while two others came to an end. All in all, it was a "Mad"-ly "Modern" night at the Emmys.

Now of course, everybody has been Tweeting while watching all this transpire, and some of this year's nominees like Vergara and Michele as well as Agron have Twitter handles. Of course this year's Emmy host Jimmy Fallon infused some tweets into the show. But they all do not have millions of followers unlike Lady Gaga, who recently surpassed Britney Spears among celebrities with 5.9 million compared to Britney's 5.78 million. And to celebrate that milestone, she put out a thank-you video to her "little monsters".

This was going to be my third Celebrity Twitter/Facebook Wish List, but I couldn't think up of any who are without those two. Maybe next time though.

Five summers ago, I vacationed in North Carolina (for what would be my last visit with grandmother Mildred and later the Mississippi Coast. For the latter, it would also be the last time I would see the coast as we know it.

This weekend was the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which left parts of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast into ruins. Over those years, the area was rebuilt both financially and emotionally, and it all culminated with the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl XLIV victory which resulted in being the most-watched television broadcast of all time.

The entertainment industry helped out in a big way, with movies and shows like "True Blood" and "Treme" being shot in Louisiana thanks to the state's tax credits.

So, what have we learned in the last half-decade. Just like New York City when they fully recovered from their wounds suffered by the September 11 attacks, Louisiana and Mississippi knew how to heal from Katrina with as much resources possible even if George W. Bush's administration dropped the ball on federal aid with several humanitarian organizations stepping in. I remember reading a picture book showing the Mississippi coast post-Katrina with the words "The Coast will be back!" at the end, and yes, the Coast is back...though they have dodged a bullet this year with the BP oil spill.

And last but not least...last Tuesday we had the primary elections, where the attention was focused on Lisa Murkowski's job security in the Senate, with Joe Miller about to take it. At last count, Miller was leading over Murkowski by 2,000 or so votes. By the way, it'll be incumbent Sean Parnell vs. Hollis French battling it out on November 2 for the big job, and early polls show that if the election was held now, Parnell would still be earning an additional four years as our governor.

The absentee and question ballots will now decide if Sarah Palin's gambit will either pay off or backfire, and we'd have 100% of the votes in this week. If I was Murkowski, I better start praying for a miracle right now; otherwise, those prayers will go Joe's way. So long and stay strong.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Hello, everybody. I'm back in business after two weeks with a brand new computer (and with Windows 7!), so let's get right to it.

We begin first up with, of course, the investigation into the fatal plane crash in Dillingham late Monday night that killed former Sen. Ted Stevens and four others with former NASA head Sean O'Keefe among the survivors. The NTSB have finished their investigation at the crash site and are now turning their attention to eyewitnesses, hoping to create a concise timeline.

The plane, a 1957 De Havilland DHC-3T, was owned by GCI; one of its executives, Dana Tindall, was among the five perished in the crash. The site was being 800 to 850 feet up a hillside and had slid uphill about 100 feet before stopping. The pilot also didn't file a flight plan with the Federal Aviation Administration before takeoff, and the plane was reported overdue by GCI early Monday evening.

Because of its age, the De Havilland was missing a technology which allowed pilots to to see cockpit displays and weather information, though there were upgrades to the plane. But unlike most planes, it wasn't equipped with a black box.

Stevens of course was the biggest loss of them all, and a funeral is set for Wednesday at Anchorage Baptist Temple followed by a separate memorial the following Tuesday at All Saints Episcopal Church also in Anchorage. Both events will be open to the public and I'm sure a lot of dignitaries will be in attendance to help say their final goodbyes to a senator who knew how to walk the walk and talk the talk representing this very state he loved.

By the way...the last plane crash Ted was involved in, he survived that but his first wife didn't. That was at Anchorage International Airport in 1978.

Now Ted Stevens, like all other high-profile politicans, has always flown first class. I should know because Sen. Lisa Murkowski and I were on the same flight one time while heading to North Carolina for Grandma Mildred's funeral, though a curtain separated us between first class and coach.

And thankfully, it was on Northwest, where their flight attendants have always been cordial. Now why am I bringing this up? Two words: Steven Slater!

Yes, we're talking about the JetBlue flight attendant who literally went gung ho following a flight from Pittsburgh to New York earlier this week by spewing a series of expletives over the loudspeaker, announcing "I quit!", snatched a couple of beers, and slid down the rescue chute at JFK Airport. From there, he headed to his car and went home where he was arrested for criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespassing in various degrees. And there have been other accounts according to passengers that Slater may have one too many before the flight.

So, who is this guy? From what we've learned, his career started in 1994 working for three different airlines including TWA and Delta before joining JetBlue. Since the little incident, Slater has gained a cult following on Facebook with over 160,000 likes and counting. Most of them have applauded Steven for going Peter Finch (well, his character in "Network") on us.

The only times I hear the words "I quit!" are in wrestling matches. But in the case of Steven Slater, this one wasn't fake.

And last but not least...once upon a time, Sonny Bono after years of making music --while making love with Cher -- put all that aside and headed to politics, first as mayor of Palm Springs and later in Washington on the House floor. At the same time, actor Clint Eastwood pulled double duty running things as Carmel, California mayor. Oh, yeah...let's not forget Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Well, guess who's the next celebrity to follow their lead now? Levi Johnston!! That's right; the father of Bristol Palin's baby is back on the market again wants to run for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska -- yes, Sarah Palin's pre-gubernatorial job -- in 2012. But there is one problem: He's 32, and doesn't have a high school diploma!

Levi's also shooting a reality show, "Loving Levi", which so far doesn't have a buyer. As far as wanting to be Wasilla mayor is concerned, you have to start your political career from the ground up; starting with a city council or borough seat, THEN mayor. But if you really want to go all the way, continue with a state house or senate position, followed by the same thing in Washington; and if you think you're qualified enough...THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!

It would be the ultimate nightmare if Levi Johnston takes the Oath of Office on the steps of Capitol Hill, and if he does...well, I'm staying right here in Fairbanks; forget about moving to another country! So long and stay strong.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Hello, everybody. I haven't updated this blog in quite a while, but I have to because of this breaking story:

Former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and former NASA chief Sean O'Keefe were among the nine passengers on board a plane that crashed late Monday night in Dillingham. Sadly, we have learned moments ago that according to former aide and family friend Dave Dittman, Stevens was in fact killed in that crash.

Stevens was one of the longest-serving senators representing Alaska from 1968 until losing to Mark Begich in 2008 in light of the indictments that put a serious crimp on his career. This is truly a sad day for Alaska, but Ted Stevens din indeed leave behind a legacy shared by all.

I'll have more on this later this week; so long and stay strong.