So tonight I have been watching Sunday's Concert for Diana, which we Tivoed, and I have seen about half of it. I was just watching Andrea Bocelli's performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music of the Night, and I had a strange feeling about it. I mean on one hand, my goodness, the man's voice is amazing, and every note was a treasure.

On the other hand, it was a bit disconcerting to hear the words sung with an Italian-influenced accent. This is the third time I've seen this particular bit of the concert, and something had bothered me about it from the first few notes each time. Now I realize that it was the pronunciation of the words.

In that sense, I'd like to apologize to the gods of classical music everywhere for my pitiful American attempts at French, German, Latin, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and any other language I have attempted to sing in in my brief choral career. Considering the difference between Bocelli's amazing talent, and my pitiful voice, I can only imagine how awful my American-accented words must be in other languages, no matter how hard I try....

Here's Bocelli's Music of the Night:

and here is Sarah Brightman and Josh Groban, with All I Ask of You, for comparison:

Posted by: caltechgirl at 09:05 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Fresno's best export in the world of entertainment (NO, not K-Fed. As if) is about to hit the small screen full-time in the Grey's Anatomy spinoff series "Private Practice":

Broadway actress Audra McDonald is set to co-star in ABC's Grey's Anatomy spinoff, Private Practice, where she will replace Merrin Dungey.

The new medical drama centers on neonatal surgeon, Addison Forbes Montgomery (Kate Walsh), who moves to Los Angeles and joins the private medical practice of her once-married, newly divorced medical school friends, Naomi and Sam Bennett.

McDonald will play Naomi Bennett, a role played by Dungey in the two-hour "Grey's" episode that launched "Practice." (Sam Bennett is played by Taye Diggs.)

McDonald has won four Tony Awards, and was nominated for a fifth this year for her lead role in the Roundabout Theatre's revival of the musical "110 in the Shade."  She next appears in ABC's adaptation of the play "A Raisin in the Sun," reprising her role as Sean Combs' wife in the 2004 revival of Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 play about black identity.

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So there's this show on Cartoon Network that's part of adult swim, and hubby and I have been catching it occasionally, and laughing our asses off at it every time we run across it. But we had no idea what it was called...

Last night we finally found out it's called Robot Chicken.

If you grew up in the 80s and had way too many action figures, this show is for you.

Holy crap, it's funny. It's filthy, too.

As proof, I offer Robot Chicken: Star Wars:
(PG-13 for violence and some language)

Part I:

Part II:

Part III:

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This is most severely PG-13 (for BJ references)...

H/T the ever amusing and interesting Baldilocks

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With the author's name on the Birthday Honours List this year, British muslims are renewing their "jihad" on on author Salman Rushdie:

A Pakistani minister says Muslims would be right to carry out suicide attacks over author Salman Rushdie's knighthood.

Religious Affairs Minister Mohammed Ijaz ul Haq told the country's parliament: "The West is accusing Muslims of extremism and terrorism.

"If someone exploded a bomb on his body he would be right to do so unless the British government apologises and withdraws the 'Sir' title."

In Multan, effigies of the writer and the monarch have been burned by about 100 students carrying banners and chanting "Kill Him! Kill Him!"

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Thanks for my earworm.  Good thing I actually like it!

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Two of you so far have expressed that you never would have guessed that I watch Ugly Betty.

Yes, Dammit.  I do. I watch a lot of shows you wouldn't expect me to watch.

Here's my TiVo Season Pass List, in case you were wondering:
Around the Horn
PTI
Dallas SWAT
Detroit SWAT
KC SWAT
The First 48
Dog the Bounty Hunter
Intervention
Mythbusters
The Dresden Files
Psych
24
Top Chef
A-Team
Quincy, M.E.
Supernanny
Nanny 911
Poirot
Sherlock Holmes Mysteries
UNC Basketball
Ugly Betty
Project Runway
CSI: Las Vegas
Survivor
The Amazing Race
Mind of Mencia
House
Little People, Big World
South Park
Miami Ink
Pros vs. Joes
Top Design
Deadliest Catch
Dancing with the Stars
Shalom in the Home
The Riches
Planet Earth
Kyle XY
Painkiller Jane
After the Catch
The Universe
The Closer
Dr. G Medical Examiner
Match Game
Ice Road Truckers


Note: these are not in order of importance except ATH and PTI.  I get cranky if I don't get my ESPN.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 05:14 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The lovely Ken S hit me with this one:

Pick out ten favorite movies, then look them up at IMDb. In the overview at the top of each movie's page, there are "Plot Keywords," usually five of them. (Plus more, if you click the link.) Take the first five, and post them. Then the rest of us get to play movie buff and see if we can guess them.

1.Anachronistic/ Jewish Humor / Nazi / Actor Playing Multiple Roles / Nazis
(none of these has much to do with the film. Huh.)

2. Christmas/ Concert Scene/ Choreographer/ Choreography/ Dancer
(this is SO EASY)

3.Badminton/ Happy Birthday To You/ Money / Dungeon / Disney Animated Feature
(good luck!)

4. Moon/ Messiah/ Wilhelm Scream / Wuxia Fiction/ Alien Civilization
(yeah, WTF????)

5. Ex Nazi / Air Base / British / Eccentric / Doomsday Machine

6. Fortune / Dysfunctional Family / Quirky / Friendship / Party
(suckers... that's a hint BTW)

7. Dirty Cop / Dock / Criminal Mastermind / Burn Victim / Manipulation

8. Catholic Church / Catholic / Roman Catholic / Blues Music / Country Music

9. Female Killer / Honeymoon / Police / San Francisco California / Serial Killer

10. Multiple Murder / Sidekick / Blind / Sam Spade / Hercule Poirot

Two Bonus, because they didn't fit in the 10:

11. Severed Arm / British Film / Corporeal Mortification / Severed Leg / British

12. Hungry / Fantasy Life / Hardship / Stylized / Enchantment

Play along in the comments, and answers will be posted tomorrow.

As for tagging, well, I'm supposed to tag 10 people, so I'll tag
Zonker,
wRitersbLock,
Mrs. Who,
Teresa,
Aaron,
Beth C,
RSM,
Christina,
Sissy,
and Richmond.

Mostly because I want to know what your favorite movies are.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:27 PM | Comments (25) | Add Comment
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Velocidude recently posted a cartoon short that was one of his favorites as a kid.

So I tried to find mine, but alas, it is NOT available on the web.  Ugh.

You see, I was always a Merrie Melodies gal.  Not so big on the Bugs Bunny and pals, but I loved the Mel Blanc shorts.  My all time favorite is a bit from 1953 called "A Sheep in the Deep" starring Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf, who many of you will recognize a an early version of Foghorn Leghorn's nemesis George P. Dog and Wile E. Coyote.

And to appease those of you who MUST have a video, my favorite of the modern Warner Bros. cartoons. Pinky and the Brain present "The Parts of the Brain:"

For the curious, this little ditty was actually part of my PhD thesis talk. No, really.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:38 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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The TiVo records 2 things at a time, and we can't watch another channel when it records 2.

Tuesday at 9, however, is a WEALTH of good TV.  What's a girl to do?

House
DWS elimination show
Deadliest Catch (it's back!  YAY!)
Dog the Bounty Hunter

Thank God the cable companies re-run their primetime shows 3 or 4 hours later. DC and Dog each record at 1am Wednesday, while DWS and House record LIVE...

So I'll be seeing both of them tonight.

I've mentioned before how much I LURVE Deadliest Catch.  Don't ask why.  I just like watching these guys go out and try to beat Mother Nature and make BANK in 2 weeks.  Good for them.

Spring is definitely the BEST TV time.  YAY!

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The best F**k YOU indeed. America as it should be: Bigger, Better, and more Bacon!

NSFW! Just to be clear.

I love Penn and Teller.

h/t my man Denny.

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This IS the best hip hop cover since Gin N Juice...

This guy rocks. Here's the band's website.

h/t Cobb. While you're there click through for some of his very interesting thoughts on the mainstreaming of black culture.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 05:20 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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John Inman, best known as the ambiguously gay Mr. Humphries on the BBC series Are You Being Served? has passed away.

Actor John Inman,  died aged 71 on Thursday.

Inman, who later became a pantomime regular, was one of the sitcom's most memorable cast members and his catchphrase "I'm free" became part of popular culture.

In 1976, he was voted "Funniest Man On Television" by readers of TV Times magazine and was also named BBC TV's "Personality Of The Year."

He died at St Mary's Hospital in London after having been ill for some time, his manager Phil Dale said in a statement.

"John, through his character Mr Humphries of Are You Being Served? was known and loved throughout the world," Dale said.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Humphries. You were always my favorite.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:30 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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After a VERY long broken gif hiatus, Boromir and the Ninja Wizards is back online!

Woot!

h/t Michael Williams

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Jen reminds that The Amazing Race is back, with an All-Star edition designed to erase the memories of the pathetic Family Edition season and two subsequent lackluster crap seasons.

So far?  Not bad.  I was super happy to see Charla and Mirna, Uchenna and Joyce, and Team Guido. 

My favorite team ever is sadly absent, the Clowns from Season 4 (Jon and Al).  In fact ALL of Season 4 is absent.  Too bad, as Season 4 was really my favorite personalities-wise, with the Chippendales, Whinies, SteveDave, the Goats, Weezer and Geezer, the Supremes, the Models, and Team Moleymoleymoleymoley (the virgins).

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This search is just wishful thinking.... Too bad I'm #2!

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The latest BNL video is out, and it pays homage to all of your favorite YouTube vids, from Diet Coke and Mentos to the Numa Numa guy!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:20 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Anybody even suspect that this week won't be another disappointment?  I was talking to a friend last night, and we agreed that 24 jumped the shark with that drug season (3 I think.... they all blur....) and redeemed itself with Season 5, but that this season is riding Fonzie's motorcycle on a collision course with the shark tank.

Whatta YOU think?

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:35 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Ugh.

Happy for the Colts, but man what a crappy game. The score was close for a while, but the Colts ran up and down the field on the Bears.

And the commercials pretty much sucked. 24 hours out here's what I remember: Carlos Mencia was funny. I liked the Dalmation ad. And the two animated Coke Ads were pretty sweet.

In the "funny once, but I don't care if I ever see them again" category: Bud Light: No Fist Bump, Sprint's Connectile Dysfunction, and the Garmin Mapasaurus.

DH liked the Tundra ad with the cliff stop. A lot.

In the "vomitaceous" category we have Dave and Oprah in "Honey", Dave and Dr. Phil (all), that Blockbuster ad with the poor little mouse, and especially the Snickers commercial.

Boy that was a BRIGHT idea, Snickers people.  Sell a SNACK FOOD with a commercial that makes people barf. BRILLIANT.

And what kind of rock is this guy under?

No commercial that appeared last night during Super Bowl XLI directly addressed Iraq, unlike a patriotic spot for Budweiser beer that ran during the game two years ago. But the ongoing war seemed to linger just below the surface of many of this year's commercials.

More than a dozen spots celebrated violence in an exaggerated, cartoonlike vein that was intended to be humorous, but often came across as cruel or callous.
...
It was as if Madison Avenue were channeling Doc in "West Side Story," the gentle owner of the candy store in the neighborhood that the two street gangs, the Jets and Sharks, fight over. "Why do you kids live like there's a war on?" Doc asks plaintively. (Well, Doc, this time, there is.)

In case you haven't seen them, most of the commercials can be found at CBS SportsLine.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:29 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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ESPN has bowling, a Dog Show, and Figure Skating today.

TNT has a marathon of "The Closer," which I hear is very good

SciFi has a Ghost Hunters marathon

USA has a Monk marathon

Or you can always watch football on CBS.....

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