Thursday, June 11, 2009

Ashley Niven from the girl group PYT Email

I found Ashley Niven from the girl group PYT on Myspace. I then emailed her.

Date: Jan 7, 2007 1:11 PM

Hi Ashley

Are you the real Ashley Niven from PYT? If you are, then you are really talented and cool. I just found Lauren Mayhew's myspace pg yesterday. Do you keep in touch with the other girls?

Are you in college or are you still pursuing a career in the entertainment industry?

Well I've been a fan of PYT since I first heard you girls sing on the Centre Stage soundtrack and bought the "Down with me" cd. I still listen to it from time to time because it's my fave music pop/r&b.

Well best wishes for 2007!

Tracy


Jan 23, 2007 11:54 PM

Subject: RE: Are you really Ashley from PYT?

Hi Tracy, I hope your well .......... Yes I'ts really me not that Im much different than you but, no Im not in college and yes I hope to sing again but i'ts not something I have been trying to do for the past five years . I am however moving to New York next month to start over again, Kind of give it another shot, you know?

Mabe I will have something for you to hear in the next year, you can tell me if you like my new style.
Ashley Niven

Miko Hughes Email

I was watching Child Star Confidential about this actor named Miko Hughes way back in 2006. I then looked him up on Myspace and emailed him. He emailed me back.

Date: Aug 27, 2006 8:35 PM

Hey Miko

I saw you on Child Star Confidential today and it was very interesting. I was suprised that you had no drug abuse like a lot of child stars do- just kidding. No I was surprised that you were 20 because you seemed 18. Also that you were 5'3" because you seemed taller on tv.

I have seen Mercury Rising. Anyway, I hope to see you in more movies and tv. Good luck.

Tracy


Aug 27, 2006 11:30 PM
Subject: RE: I saw you on Child Star Confidential today


Cool nice to meetcha. :)

-Miko

He then added me as a friend on Myspace

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

TV Producer Career Investigation

Career Investigation

By Tracy Au

Career goal

I am interested in taking the NAIT Radio and Television (Television) program because my career aspiration is to be a television producer. This program is instrumental in obtaining my desired career.

Personal Background and Qualifications

Computer literate in using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Indesign, CorelDraw, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, e-mail and Internet software.
Strong writing and speaking skills which is demonstrated by accomplishing English 30 with a satisfactory mark.
Taken Effective Communications (English) in the Graphic Communications Program at NAIT.
Occupation Research

Work Environment

Producers work in a variety of different environments. They can either, “…work on staff at a network, public, local or cable television station, a production company or in a corporate television department.” [1] A path to get into the industry is through, “…entry-level positions in sales or operations and work your way up to a producer's position.”[2]

Working in a Staff or a Freelance Position

There are two alternatives between being a producer that has a staff position and working as a freelancer. The differences are that a staff job has, “…an annual salary, sick leave, paid holidays and pension rights.”[3] Freelancers are “self-employed, responsible for their own tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.”[4] There is, “…no security of employment, and may be contracted for anything from a few hours to many weeks.”[5] Furthermore, Alberta Learning Information Services states television producers usually work on a contract basis.


How Programs are Produced

According to TV Careers Behind the Screen by Jane Blanksteen and Avi Odeni, a producer’s main responsibility’s to create programs for the network. They introduce ideas to a TV network. The network authorizes a treatment to be made about the show. A treatment contains character descriptions and episode ideas. Next, the network may like the idea and then, “…pay the producers ‘development dollars’ and commissions more scripts. In exchange for the development dollars, the network gets creative control over the program and first refusal rights for scripts.”[6] It is the network that gives license fees to produce the pilot. “Production companies who produce series for the networks actually lease the programs to the networks.”[7] The network acquires their casting directors to choose actors. A pilot episode is produced and shown to test audiences to see what they like and dislike about it and if they would watch it on a regular basis.

A problem that often occurs is that the network doesn’t provide enough financial backing to the producers. According to, A Career Handbook for TV, Radio, Film, Video, & Interactive Media by Shiona Llwewellyn and Sue Walker, the higher the ratings, the more money the network will pay the producers to make the show. Local cable TV gets their funds through advertisements and sponsorship.

Skills and Abilities

One of the skills is to be able to manage the cast and crew of the show. Producers need, “…creative skills, communications skills, problem –solving abilities, team skills, a flexible approach to life, tenacity, ability to sell your skills to potential employers, an awareness of the applications of technology.” [8]

Duties

An executive producer hires a producer to complete a program. There are often, “…two or three producers may be responsible for individual programs within a series and may have alternating responsibilities on a daily or weekly basis, depending on the complexity of the productions.”[9] The duties of a producer are to keep the project on schedule and on a budget. “They are responsible for contracts with performers, handle clearances, order technical facilities and equipment, and schedule rehearsals and performances.” [10] Producers also have to plan, “…how many cameras you need, scouting the location, taking stock of the studio to ascertain what kind of movements the cameras can make, finding out what kind of lighting you need, and working out strategies. Pre- production planning also involves the producer and director working together (ideally) to decide where the talent should be, how the scenes will be shot (if it’s a scripted program such as an entertainment special, drama, or comedy.)”[11] Producers also have to obtain all the equipment that will be needed to develop the show before it starts filming. Another duty is hiring writers for the production by meeting with the writer’s agents.

Salaries
According to Alberta Learning Information Services, “The Producers, Directors, Choreographers and Related Occupations occupational group which is expected to grow 1.5 to 2.5 per cent each year from 2004 to 2009 in Alberta. It is forecasted that 20 to 40 new positions will be created each year in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.” Producers who work at television stations, “…earn from $25,000 to over $55,000 per year, depending on their qualifications and the size of the television station (2002 estimates).”[12] The 2003 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey say that, “…most Albertans in the Producers, Directors, Choreographers and Related Occupations group earned from $12,000 to $99,900 per year. The average salary was $37,300 per year.”[13]
Industry Contact
I interviewed TV producer Lori Stewart on May 17, 2005 who works at Dynacor Media Group. She has been working in the industry since 1976. She describes that a typical workday varies, “Depending on what project you’re working on.” The tasks could be from, “Creating a proposal for a shoot, preparing a shoot or working on a shoot.” There are no normal hours of work. It varies on what needs to be done and how the shoot goes. The working conditions can be, “Good or bad depending on the nature of the shoot, the organization you’re working for and how your clients treat you.” The opportunities for promotion are based on, “Luck, timing, what you know and who you know.”
Stewart listed that the skills and abilities that are needed are, “Common sense, technical experience, being creative,” and the ability to multitask. Her dislikes about the job are, “It can be very stressful.” She includes the unreliability and uncertainty about when the next project will come. She says that the education to get into the industry is by attending NAIT. The job can range from full-time, part-time, seasonal and contract. The outlook for this career, “Depends on where broadcasters are at.” If the broadcasters decide not to produce their own show and to employ independent producers, the producers earn cash.
In conclusion, I have thoroughly researched the NAIT Television program and the career of a television producer. I find that I am qualified for the program and career because of my computer skills, creative skills, exceptionally strong reading and writing skills in English.
[1] Jane Blanksteen and Avi Odeni, TV Careers Behind the Screen Pg. 85
[2]Alberta Occupational Profiles, http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/occinfo/Content/RequestAction.asp?aspAction =GetHTMLProfile&format=html&occPro_ID=71002716 (accessed May 21,2005)
[3] Shiona Llwewellyn and Sue Walker, A Career Handbook for TV, Radio, Film, Video, & Interactive Media Pg. 270
[4] Shiona Llwewellyn and Sue Walker, A Career Handbook for TV, Radio, Film, Video, & Interactive Media Pg. 271
[5] Shiona Llwewellyn and Sue Walker, A Career Handbook for TV, Radio, Film, Video, & Interactive Media Pg. 271
[6] Jane Blanksteen and Avi Odeni, TV Careers Behind the Screen Pg. 7
[7] Jane Blanksteen and Avi Odeni, TV Careers Behind the Screen Pg. 8
[8] Shiona Llwewellyn and Sue Walker A Career Handbook for TV, Radio, Film, Video, & Interactive Media Pg. 83
[9] Maxine K. & Robert M. Reed, Career Opportunities in Television, Cable and Video- Second Edition Pg. 45
[10]Maxine K. & Robert M. Reed. . Career Opportunities in Television, Cable and Video- Second Edition Pg. 45
[11] Jane Blanksteen and Avi Odeni, TV Careers Behind the Screen Pg. 86
[12] Alberta Occupational Profiles, http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/occinfo/Content/RequestAction.asp?aspAction =GetHTMLProfile&format=html&occPro_ID=71002716 (accessed May 21,2005)
[13] Alberta Occupational Profiles, http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/occinfo/Content/RequestAction.asp?aspAction =GetHTMLProfile&format=html&occPro_ID=71002716 (accessed May 21,2005)

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

"Take Aim at Your Own Success"

I have saved this old article on my 3.5 floppy disk. It's from this website I used to go to all the time called http://www.youthone.com/. This article is inspirational.

Take Aim at Your Own Success

August 20, 2005

By: Farrah Gray

You have the power. It doesn’t matter if you are whether you are poor or what color you are. It doesn’t matter where you live. You can dream of making money and being successful and you can achieve your dreams. You are the single most important factor that can influence your own success. Your own attitude will determine what you do. It’s not a shortage of brainpower that will affect the outcome, it’s a shortage of hope.

Your belief in yourself is where it all begins. You must put yourself on the path to great success. You can survive and you can solve the problems you will face. You must simply believe that you can become and do anything you set your heart and mind to. There are no limits to what you can do. Anything – and everything –is possible. Your parents may not be able to give you money or connections, but they give you values to live by: pride, respect, hard work, preparation, inspiration, the desire to give back and the strength to never giveup.

Here are some of the ideas and tactics that you can use to put yourself on the path to success:

Plot Your Future. Nothing happens without effort. You must lay the foundation for success. Watch those around you. If the people around you are working hard but not getting ahead, don’t dismiss them as role models. They have a lot to teach you, both about the realities of life and the values that can lead to a better life.

Chose a Name For Yourself. Create a name that represents your future path. Choose the name you want to be known by. Choose your name so that it fulfills your destiny. Never underestimate the power of your name or anyone else’s. There is power in the spoken name.

Stop being critical, down, sarcastic and negative. Get out of the lottery ticket mentality. You can’t buy success with a dollar. Stop saying and thinking “what if.” Start saying and thinking “can do” between you and your friends and family. Eliminate any and allevidence of overwhelming hopelessness from your talk. Tell your friends daily that they are destined for great things. You are the single most important factor that can influence your own success.

Clear the Area. If your life feels like it’s filled with too much stuff, get in touch with the things you can clear out. Do some spring cleaning. If it’s emotional clutter, it could be you are hanging aroundpeople who aren’t contributing to you in a positive way. Negative people are like ticks. They drain your blood and leave you lifeless. Get rid of them.

Focus on what you want. Decide what it is you want and then focus on it like a laser beam. Keep your eye on the prize. Write down your desires and look at them every day until they are branded in your thoughts.Visualize your belief. Create a picture of what you want. Belief begins with a picture of what you want. When you believe, you will see what you have to do.

Never fear rejection. Don’t take no as an answer. Look at it as an opportunity. Learn to do the hustle. Stop watching so much TV. Get off the couch. Get off your butt and get into action. Fear is False Expectations Appearing Real. It is an illusion entirely in your head. You don’t overcome fear, you embrace it and walk through your doubts, knowing you have the capacity to achieve your dreams in spite of your fears.

Never be afraid of your ideas. Don’t be so afraid to talk about your ideas. That’s a loser’s mentality. Correct it! If you’re ashamed of your dream or idea then it’s not worth having. Talk about your ideas. Get feedback. Find supportive people. You don’t have to be a blabbermouth, but you do have to be out there to get anywhere. Never take no as a final answer. Persistence isn’t everything; it’s the only thing. If you are going to be successful in life, you’ll hear no a thousand times. Get used to it and look at no as an opportunity. Success creates confidence.
Remember that the first step is always the hardest. Once you’ve taken it, don’t stop walking-start running. Get out there!

Work and make money. Don’t wait. Taste the sweet smell of success. Work to make money to support your hobbies and so that you can buy personal items. Start a business, work for neighbors, baby sitor mow lawns. Be creative and make things to sell. Experience the thrill of creating something and selling it. Go for it.

Celebrate every day. Be your won biggest supporter. Don’t look for someone else to tell you that you’re doing a great job. Know that you are moving closer to your dreams. Tell yourself, "I’m doing good." It may sound crazy but it works. Pretty soon you’ll find that your inward conversations are powering you to greatness.

Don’t worry if people stare, just keep talking! Real ActionsLay the foundations for success even before you begin to plot your future. Find a mentor. Find a role model. Watch those around you. If you can’t find a role model in your family, then find one in your community. They are there if you look.

Make peace with your family. You may have family members who can lead by example. You may not. Nonetheless, you need to make peace with your family. Let them teach you what to do, and what not to do. Focus on the positive. Identify and congratulate yourself on your positive accomplishments no matter how small. Don’t harp on the negatives. Don’t listen to the negatives. Don’t listen to those who say "you can't." Don’t let the negative people drag you down. Get away from them if you have to.

Hang out with good people. There are always good people who will welcome you and help you. Just keep looking for them until you find them. Don’t give up asking for help. That’s not begging. That’s investing in your future. There are a lot of good people in this world. Find them and put yourself near them. Be your own master teacher. Opportunities are everywhere. You can rise above any circumstance with hard work, integrity, faith and especially persistence.

Say the following out loud three times: Good work, not good luck. Great careers and successful lives start with small ideas. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Keep your eyes open and your mind and body working and be ready to work with the opportunities that come your way. Good work, not good luck. You won’t always hit a home run the first time. But you will never hit a home run if you don’t learn how to swing. You may make only five dollars on their your first job or in your first “business.” But it will probably be the most important five dollars you ever make. Good work, not good luck.

This article comes courtesy of Health Communications,Inc. Farrah Gray is the author of Reallionnaire: NineSteps to Becoming Rich from the Inside Out.

Monday, June 8, 2009

funny/ Eagle Eye/ stripping

June 6 Funny: I read on Yahoo news that a 51 year old guy got a DUI for driving a lawn mower for a beer run in Maine. Danforth Ross driver's license was revoked, so he drove the lawn mower. lol. I mean, I saw this in Pink's music video "So What?" where she does that, but it was a joke. This guy was serious.

Pick up line: I was reading www.twop.com about Law and Order SVU. I then found this line I could totally submit to www.ecrush.com: "I sweat you like a Coke bottle on a sunny day!"

Maybe they'll put it up, they have put my original lines before. I'll admit I got this line from a website, but it does sound like what a lot of people have put up before.

Eagle Eye: Yesterday was my day off and it was raining. I went to my eye exam and it turns out I haven't been there in 10 years. However, I got these eye glasses since 2001. Anyway, nothing wrong with my eyes.

Now onto the movie Eagle Eye. (Ha ha, my eye exam coincides with the movie title.) It stars Shia LaBeouf who is a associate at a copy store. Later he is pulled into this crazy situation where he gets a phone call from this electronic voice telling him to do things like take a train, stop at this place, get this thing, etc. He meets this single mom who also gets a phone call doing things too.

If they disobey that voice, there will be dire consequences. It's a very smart movie about ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. Great action movie with lots of money in it. There is a good car chase scene. As I was watching it, I thought: "I should call that driving school." So I did and left a message. It was some driving academy.

I did call the Young Drivers of Canada, but they told me the Edmonton office closed down last year.

Oz: I saw the character CSU O' Halloran was killed of in the Law and Order: SVU season finale. I was reading about it. There is a link about the actor Mike Doyle who plays the CSU. He talks about dying multiple times on screen.

I like the pic that the NY Times put of him. He's lying on the floor and there is a knife in his chest, and he's laughing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/arts/television/03doyl.html?_r=2&ref=television

I was interested. He is good looking. I then went and did something I never did before. I went on Youtube, and watched the HBO TV show Oz. It's about life in prison, and there is lots of swearing because HBO allows that. Sheesh, Prison Break is 14+, and way tame compared to Oz.

I'm getting a flashback of 2003. It was in math class and Mr. Stabile was talking about. This student John talked about it too.

John: It's like The Sopranos times two.
Mr. S: Way more times than that.

News: I was watching TV, and my sister came by and said: "Did you know that they cancelled Privileged?" That show is about a young college graduate who lost her job writing for a tabloid magazine, and then gets a job being a tutor to these high school twin girls.

It's a comedy drama. I will say it was well- written, acted, and good production. However, I wasn't really attached to it. Then I thought about the actor Michael Cassidy. He was written off in the season finale because his character didn't have much to do all season. MC maybe thinking: "Well, I may not be on the show anymore and now no one else is either. Ha, ha." lol.

June 7 Teen pregnancy: Yesterday I was buying bread for my job at Shopper's Drug Mart. There was a line so I read about Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol Palin who got pregnant as a teenager and kept the kid and raised it as her own. They talked to this other teen girl who said she gets govt. assistance about $600/ month so she could raise her baby.

I then got a flashback of this time months ago when my friend Sherry came by at my work. She told me about this friend of hers who's got a really bad case of dyslexia and can't read at all. She can't work the till, and she can't really clean either. She can't read what's soap, and what's bleach. The bottles could be the same color.

Sherry told me that the girl then got pregnant so she could be guaranteed to have money from the govt. coming in. Then this idea came to me. That girl could work as a stripper. There's no reading involved, and she can make a lot of money. You're probably laughing. I don't know if she even has the body for it. Or if she has the confidence or personality to do that.

Good: It turns out Space isn't showing Flash Gordon on Saturday nights at 6pm anymore. Damn. Instead they're showing the new show The Listener. That's good. I then checked, and it turns out they are stilling showing Flash Gordon on Space at 5pm on Sundays. Go check it out.

Wagaami: I was reading The Globe and Mail on Thurs. and I found this article about "meaningless non- physical relationships." There is a website called www.wagaami.com where the creator Ricky Brava made it as a way for toruists to meet good looking locals and give them tours of the city.

The Waagami (or escorts) are charged $50- $100/hr. The clients can't take them home. It's totally platonic. They do mention that it's origin is in Tokyo. Business men go to these night clubs and they talked to smart and attractive women who work there. The hostesses flirt, and listen to their business stories. I remember watching this on 20/20. It was about this American woman who worked at a club like that, and then was later murdered. It was an ep I saw maybe a year or so ago.

Most of the Waagami's are struggling actors and models. Here's an excerpt of the article:

" 'They are sex workers. The minute you're hired for that kind of companionship, there is a sexual element to it,' said Sasha." She then goes on about the site's "look and language" that seems like those escort sites trying to show that they're classy. Also that it's an "acting job." They escort you to the nightclub, theatre, family gathering, etc.

This reminds me of this script I was working on in 2006. This girl needed a guy to pretend to be her boyfriend so she hires an escort. I didn't really get far in this story. Well I am interested in prostitution. That's the only other reason I watch Tyra besides teen pregnancy.

June 8 Stripping: Today I was telling my friend Jen at work about Sherry's dyslexic friend who couldn't get a job, so she had a baby so she could live on welfare. I told her my suggestion of being a stripper. Jen cracked a smile and said: "That's sick." Then we talked about stripping for the rest of the afternoon.

Me: I remember watching W- Five, about this girl who had trouble making rent. She was so desperate she did turn to stripping.
Jen: I would be out on the street before I do that. One time I went to this govt. office in downtown to apply to get money to pay for my rent.
Me: Where's that?
Jen: Like 102 Ave.

Jen: I don't go to strip clubs, I wouldn't date a stripper. I had a friend and then I met her sister who was a stripper. She didn't have a lot of job experience so that's why she stripped. Some weeks she can make $4000 a week depending the night. She mainly stripped to get money to buy drugs to get high.
Me: It can be hard to quit that kind of job where you can make so much money. You leave to go and work at a job where you make $9/hr? It's hard to give up that kind of money.

Friday, June 5, 2009

The Listener/ race/ funny

June 3 The Listener: I saw The Listener pilot today. It was good. I've been looking forward to this show for a whoIe year since I read about it last June. I did read a article in the Edmonton Journal about it today. It said it had stock characters like a "bad- guy- who- is- a- cop."

I then thought about my writing. There is a character who later turns out to be a cop. I am reminded of Angel where in the 2nd of the series, Angel meets this woman Kate. Later it's revealed she's a cop. Now back to Listener. Toby Logan is a paramedic who can hear people's thoughts. He then hears this woman cry for help in his head.

He and his EMT partner Oz sees a car that's upside down. They run over and help a woman out. Toby sees in his head that a man had kidnapped her son. Later Toby does some investigating like talking to the woman, but she wouldn't say anything. The kidnapper threatened to kill her son if she went to the police.

Later it turns out the guy who kidnapped her son is a cop. That cop had accidentally shot his partner, and the woman Anna witnessed it. There was this one part that was kind of funny.

Cut to Anna in the car. A shady Guy enters.

Guy: Hi. Are you Anna?
A: Yeah.
G: Do you have the $200?
A: Yeah.
Me: What is this? A drug deal?
G: What kind of a gun do you want?

Oh yeah. It's good to protect yourself. That reminds me of an ep of Tru Calling where Tru's brother Harrison buys a gun from a guy in an alley.

Anna follows the bad cop to his house. Bad cop takes Anna and the son hostage. Toby finds the bad cop's address. He then gets into a convo with a neighbor and hears his thoughts. T then knows that the bad cop is at the cabin. Toby goes over there, and he calls the cops.

Later T hits bad cop over the head. Anna and her son are running in the woods. Bad cop chases after them, and T chases them too. A and her son are at a dead end when they're at a cliff. Bad cop appears and T comes and tries to talk him out of killing them to keep them silent. Then Bad cop lunges at A and son, Bad cop falls off cliff.

Funny: The other day I was watching the MTV Movie Awards. Twilight won most of the awards and Slumdog Millionare didn't win any. Yeah well, Slumdog won nearly everything at the Oscars.

The funny thing is that they did a tribute to the actor Ben Stiller. It then showed a clip of him. It then triggered this memory in me. I remember how they did a parody of how he was in the boy band Backstreet Boys, but he got kicked out because he wasn't talented. Guys, I found the 5 min. video clip. They got the real Backstreet Boys dissing him. They got a fake producer who is played by an actor calling them the "Backstreet Bastards." lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDd-VPmGEl0

June 4 Race: I was thinking about race today. If an Asian person came up to me and asked: "Are you Chinese?" That would be okay. If someone from another race ask that right out of the blue, then it's not really polite. Race and religion are taboo subjects. I remember one time I was working at the $1 store. This young white guy enters and asks where the candy is.

He buys it from me. Then:

Guy: Are you Chinese?
Me: Yeah.
I was thinking: "And why are you asking about my ethnicity?"
Guy: Ni hao.
Me: Ni hao.
(It means "hello" in Mandarin.)
Guy: How do you say "How are you?" in Chinese?
Me: Ni hao ma.
Guy: Ni hao ma.

Well that was good to ask if I'm Chinese before he starts talking to me in it. Unlike that other time at the $1 Store, this old white guy enters and says: "On yong" to me. That means "hello" in Korean. I know this because it's used as a joke on the TV show Arrested Development.

I remember a couple of years, these 2 high school girls got on the bus. One of them stepped on my shoe and apologized. They sat beside me and we started talking. I guess 5 min. into the conversation, one of them asks: "I hope you don't mind my asking, but what are you exactly? Like Chinese-" Me: "Yeah, Chinese." I'm not offended, I know she was curious.

I'm even going to bring up the girl in a religion that doesn't allow her to talk to boys. If you were going to try to find the girl, and ask an East Indian girl that, she would probably be offended. She would probably say: "No, and don't go thinking just because of my race I'm in a restrictive religion."

Funny and Angry: On twop.com, I wrote this little rant on "TV Moments that Angry up the Blood" thread.

This doesn't totally angry up my blood, but it does annoy me. It's way back in 2001 on Malcolm in the Middle. Hal makes this huge painting in the entire episode. The next day in class, I was talking to my friend Leslie about it.

Me: The episode was funny and all, but the only thing I didn't like about it was that they didn't show how the painting actually looked like.
Leslie: Oh yeah, I hated that too!We laughed.

I don't care if the painting is ugly, but I would like to see how it looked like. It's like they were building something up in the entire episode, without any follow through.

Then I'm going to bring up that Jamie Kennedy Experiment sketch again. I posted this up a long time ago, but there is something else that annoys me about it. It's where they play the trick on these 2 guys who are judges of a TV talent show (and the audience). The 2 guys thought Jamie wouldn't hear their comments on the show, and they said all these mean comments dissing Jamie. Then Jamie comes back on stage, and then hears all the mean comments when it airs on the big TV behind him. The 2 guys act like they're so embarassed that Jamie heard it.

I would like to add that I found the talent show to be really fake. In talent shows, the judges are people who have talent. These are just 2 guys they pulled off the street. In shows like "American Idol" they have music producers and artists do the judging. They should have picked 2 guys with some talent background. These are 2 regular guys giving opinions. It seemed more like a focus group.

Another thing that was fake about the show, was that the judges make the comments when the contestants are back stage. In all the TV talent shows out there, the judges always make their comments to the contestants so they have to hear it. I feel like the guys should have picked on something is up with this show. But that's just my opinion.

Joke: Then I checked on the thread "Unintentionally Funny Moments." Here's one:

"Last month there was a promo for the local news broadcast that was unintentionally funny. First promo was about the arrest of a mother for having a sexual relationship with the 17yo exchange student that was living with the family. This was followed by 'And then, what to get your mom for Mothers Day.'"

It was then followed with someone saying:
"Ah, so it WAS a good idea to get my Mom a 17-year old for Mother's Day!"

lol. Then here's another one:

"Dr. Phil did a show on parents and their kids who don't get along. First up was a dad and daughter.
Daughter: He's always calling me a liar!
Dad: That's not true!"

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

charity/ The Listener/ Iron Man

May 30 Charity: Today at work, I was talking to my friend Ray about an old weekly email. It's about where someone gives you a card that says: "I'm deaf and mute, please donate some money."

Ray: I think I gave a $1 to them one time.
Me: My friend Sherry said in an email that she had a friend who was deaf and mute, and he worked as dishwasher. He never really got the best jobs, but he tried.
Ray: Yeah, a friend of mine's grandparents are deaf and it was hard for them to get jobs. Well, yeah 40 years ago.
Me: Do you ever watch that show Sue Thomas: FB Eye?
Ray: Yeah, my grandma loves that show.
(I remember my cousin Joyce liking that show. It was average for me.)
Me: Yeah, so the lead character Sue is deaf, but she can work for the FBI.

What a coincidence. I have been hitting writer's block so I was reading The Globe and Mail. Did you know that back in 1970s, 10% of Africa was in dire poverty. Now it's over 70%. Here's how you can help poor people in foreign countries. Go to this website:
http://www.kiva.org/

They tell you about these entreprenuers, and if you want to help them, you can donate money to them. They do help the economy. The article mentioned about how China managed to get 300 million people of poverty. They are creating jobs, by working with Africa. It is predicted that Africa's economy will grow by 3%.

School: Today I was reading the National Post about how people are paying for private school. One family goes camping once a year to save money, don't eat out, don't go to movies, or hire baby- sitters to be able to pay for tuition. I would say go to public school. It's not really free, because it is our tax money that's paying for it.

The Listener: I got this in my Facebook email:

"CTV announced yesterday that THE LISTENER will now receive a special two-night, two-episode premiere, on CTV. THE LISTENER now premieres Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on SPACE and at 10 p.m. ET on CTV (10 p.m. ET). Episode 2 now premieres in its regular timeslot, Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on SPACE and at 10 p.m. ET on CTV. Visit spacecast.com and CTV.ca to confirm local listings. NBC also announced that on Thursday June 4th it will air a special two-episode two hour premier of THE LISTENER starting at 9pm!!!!!! After which The Listener will return to its regualr time at 10pm on Thursdays.We get two episodes in one week! What a way to start!!!!!Please keep checking The Listener (Official) group for exciting daily updated content, and remember to freak your friends out at AreYourSecretsSafe.com!"

I went to AreYourSecretsSafe.com and I sent it to my friends Leslie and Angela. I thought it was funny. I don't know if they did.

May 31 Job search: Today I picked up the Edmonton Examiner. I don't really find this newspaper really interesting or really good, but I needed something to read during a boring day at work. I found this job ad to work on a cruise ship and make $500- $3000/ week. I then emailed them my resume. It did say "free room/ board."

Living on a ship sounds cool. My managers went on a cruise ship a couple of weeks ago. I was told there was a 24hr buffet. I also saw some BNN, they did a piece on working on a cruise ship. It will be like the TV show Breaker High. That's where Ryan Gosling got his big break before he got really big in the movie The Notebook. lol. Applying to this job will be like the most exciting thing I did this month.

Yeah, there are some cons like what about pirates? What if the boat sinks? I'm sure there will be enough safety boats. The women and children always gets on those.

Last night I was talking to my friend Jessica on the phone. I asked if she knows of any jobs.

Jessica: My brother got a job at Le Chateau.
Me: How much does it pay?
J: I think min. wage.
Me: So $8.80.

J tells me to keep the job I have now as the priority.

Cactus Club: I read a restaurant review in the Edmonton Journal about the Cactus Club. It turns out it was on Jasper Ave, and then it closed down after less than 2 years. That's an example of how many restaurants close down within the first 2 years. There was one on Calgary Trail, it closed down in 1995 after 13 months. Now it's at West Ed mall. I thought the restaurant sounded familiar. Then I remember reading about how they're hiring when I was looking at Job Classified a month or so ago.

June 1 Job: It was crazy today. Three people didn't come to work. One was on vacation, and two people were sick. Fortunately, another worker came later in the day and helped us out.

Writing: Today this guy from a production company emailed me back, asking for my resume, and script. I emailed him back with it. He says he'll get back to me in a few weeks.

Music: I borrowed the Ne- Yo cd called "Year of the Gentlemen." He has all these songs like "Miss Independent", "Closer", "Single" with New Kids on the Block on the radio. However, on the cd, he is the only one singing "Single." I like that song "Single", both versions. It's a good R&B album to dance to. I recommend you check it out.

June 2 Good news: I read on Yahoo news that a new bride Georgette Clemons, ran into a burning house and saved a family, while wearing her wedding gown. She was at her wedding reception, and then she was riding home when she saw a house on fire and she got and helped. That's really good.

Iron Man: Yesterday I borrowed the movie Iron Man. I liked it. The Marvel comics guy Stan Lee makes an appearance in it just like he did in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Robert Downey Jr. plays Tom Stark who creates weapons for the American army. He goes to the Middle East and gets attacked. He is then held hostage by terrorists and he has to make weapons for them, then he will be released.

He makes friends with this guy Yessin, and he builds this armor that also shoots fire. He manages to escape with it. He gets a homemade heart surgery from Y, and has this kind of battery that helps him stay alive. Later he builds this huge armor when he gets back to the USA. He then flies to the Middle East and fights terrorists. I really like that part when the terrorists were in a village and they were kidnapping the women and children, and killing the men. Iron Man saves the day.

Tomorrow is The Listener, and the day after that they air the second episode. I recommend all of you to watch it on CTV and Space. Go check your local TV listings. Thanks.