Boniface Blog
Just another friends blog, about love and parents
4 Key Steps to Finding a Job in a Plug and Play Economy
Posted by jongoo81 in Dec 11, 2011, under Marriage
The news on job creation continues to be dim. The latest unemployment report shows that 9.1% of Americans are still without work. This number doesn’t capture the unemployed who have become discouraged and have stopped looking for employment. live chat video Like most Professionals reading this article you have prepared your resume and submitted it to many job postings. live chat video And just like most Professionals you are waiting for a response to your resume submission. This is where I want to share with you four steps that will improve your job search efforts.
1. Target your search: This is a plug and play economy. That means hiring managers are looking for people to take care of very specific problems. So target your search to hiring managers who need what you love to do. If you are a candidate who has a passion for Non- Profit work consider targeting your search to companies and facilities that serve the Elderly, Youth Organizations and the Arts. What is your expertise or passion? This is the time to pursue it.
2. Social Media/Networking: Professionals should be registered with Linkedin?. You should strive to have a minimum of 250 Connections in order to optimize your use of this site. Start working this list. Be specific in your requests. Example: if you want to work in HR for a company in the Telecommunication Industry – ask your Connections about contacts and their experience in connecting with Professionals in this area. You’ll be surprised by who your Connections know; unless you ask.
3. Prepare a Value Proposition Statement – those who know me will tell you that I believe every resume should contain a value proposition statement. What will you bring to the company that will solve problems of interest for the Hiring Manager? In other words why should he hire you?
4. Volunteering – What better way to keep your marketable skills sharp than to volunteer. This is also a great way to avoid employment gaps on your resume. If you are a candidate who is talented in Project Management you may want to consider checking with the local school systems to volunteer. Volunteering with your School System will allow you to do something that you are already extremely knowledgeable of. Let them know what you’re passionate about and how you want to make a living.
Getting a job in the plug and play economy is all about leverage. Use what you have to get what you want while providing something of value to others. I find a lot of unemployed Professionals stuck in their search unable to answer the most basic of questions because they haven’t done their homework. Understand that your job search is a full time job. There are many qualified candidates with skills and qualifications equal to or more impressive than yours. How you go about your job search is the differentiator. Yes you will face rejection from time to time; but continue to be persistent in your search and you will land that satisfying new job.
4 Key Steps to Finding a Job in a Plug and Play Economy
Posted by jongoo81 in Dec 11, 2011, under Marriage
The news on job creation continues to be dim. The latest unemployment report shows that 9.1% of Americans are still without work. This number doesn’t capture the unemployed who have become discouraged and have stopped looking for employment. live chat video Like most Professionals reading this article you have prepared your resume and submitted it to many job postings. live chat video And just like most Professionals you are waiting for a response to your resume submission. This is where I want to share with you four steps that will improve your job search efforts.
1. Target your search: This is a plug and play economy. That means hiring managers are looking for people to take care of very specific problems. So target your search to hiring managers who need what you love to do. If you are a candidate who has a passion for Non- Profit work consider targeting your search to companies and facilities that serve the Elderly, Youth Organizations and the Arts. What is your expertise or passion? This is the time to pursue it.
2. Social Media/Networking: Professionals should be registered with Linkedin?. You should strive to have a minimum of 250 Connections in order to optimize your use of this site. Start working this list. Be specific in your requests. Example: if you want to work in HR for a company in the Telecommunication Industry – ask your Connections about contacts and their experience in connecting with Professionals in this area. You’ll be surprised by who your Connections know; unless you ask.
3. Prepare a Value Proposition Statement – those who know me will tell you that I believe every resume should contain a value proposition statement. What will you bring to the company that will solve problems of interest for the Hiring Manager? In other words why should he hire you?
4. Volunteering – What better way to keep your marketable skills sharp than to volunteer. This is also a great way to avoid employment gaps on your resume. If you are a candidate who is talented in Project Management you may want to consider checking with the local school systems to volunteer. Volunteering with your School System will allow you to do something that you are already extremely knowledgeable of. Let them know what you’re passionate about and how you want to make a living.
Getting a job in the plug and play economy is all about leverage. Use what you have to get what you want while providing something of value to others. I find a lot of unemployed Professionals stuck in their search unable to answer the most basic of questions because they haven’t done their homework. Understand that your job search is a full time job. There are many qualified candidates with skills and qualifications equal to or more impressive than yours. How you go about your job search is the differentiator. Yes you will face rejection from time to time; but continue to be persistent in your search and you will land that satisfying new job.
Magic Tricks – ‘Now Pick a Card, Any Card’
Posted by jongoo81 in Nov 22, 2011, under Relationships
Say ‘Pick a card, any card’ as you fan out a deck of playing cards and most card magic tricks aficionados are going to feel in pretty familiar territory. You could even forgive someone for suggesting that your act is already looking a little old hat (with or without a white rabbit hidden in it!)
But before you dump this opener forever into the trash-can of historical cliches, take a moment to think again.
Sometimes what appears cliched at first is really one of the foundation stones of a strong tradition. Every day millions of magi across the globe perform thousands of different card magic tricks that all begin with these famous lines. Just think how many times you’ve seen it and enjoyed the trick. David Copperfield, Paul Daniels, Johnny Ace Palmer, David Blaine…name as many famous magicians as you like and you’ll discover that they all continue to use this opener all the time! Why? Because it still works every bit as well as it did when whoever first came up with it, came up with it. And as the saying goes, “If a thing ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
Let’s have a look at why this opener works so well and has become so enduring and why you should not be afraid to use it too in your own magic routines.
Firstly, it states clearly from the start what is going on: we are going to do some card tricks. The fact that it is so comfortable and well known is actually a good thing because it puts people at ease. When they’re at ease, they relax and feel confident. When they do that, their guard goes down. That’s very good for the magician who then has a head start in her/his deceptions and misdirection.
Secondly, it gets the audience involved right from the set-up and it is simply a golden rule that audience involvement in magic tricks is an absolute winner every time. Having someone from the audience directly involved in a trick gives all the other spectators someone they can sympathise with, drawing them in to the show. Having that other person there, also means there’s more for them to watch and every time you ask the involved spectator a question, they will all look at him to see what he says and does. While they’re all looking at him, you can do your secret move, switch, glide, ditch, anything you like because they are not watching you! So, having someone else involved is also great for misdirection.
Thirdly, getting the audience involved helps build rapport between the magician and the audience and a good rapport, a sense of some kind of bonding and relationship is the absolute key to successful magic. Swaggerers and boasters and ego-trippers who try to create magic set themselves up for a very difficult time with critical eyes trained on them like hawks and hecklers firing sly shots at them at every opportunity. Getting people involved positively makes the magic a community affair and people are far less likely to be trying to catch you out.
And the fourth and final reason why you should not ditch this classic opener is that it is simply the doorway into literally thousands of classic, stunning, tried and tested card magic tricks that you really ought to have in your repertoire.
All of these classic lines are classic precisely because they are so useful. You can do them over and over and they will, like trusted friends, never let you down.
Tips for Creating a Video Storyboard
Posted by jongoo81 in Nov 22, 2011, under Readiness
When deciding to create a video or film, it is essential to first create a storyboard to outline the video. Storyboarding is the process of creating visuals of the shots of a script. It is an essential part of video production beneficial to the entire cast and crew. Video production companies use storyboarding to provide an outline for the film. The storyboard is drawn by artists prior to filming the video to provide a preview of the film. When outlining videos, pictures are much more helpful than words. Pictures allow film crews to see where they will need lighting, it helps producers force problems that would have occurred, and it also helps companies visualize the video. This allows for producers to visualize the necessary sets, props and even work out any kinks. It also ensures that the film and scene transitions will flow smoothly.
Clearly, storyboards are essential tools used by videographers and producers. Most professional video production companies won’t even bring their cameras on site until a storyboard has been completed. Using a storyboard increases the speed and production of a video and benefits everyone involved.
Designing a storyboard is a relatively simple, quick task. To create a storyboard, a company will first need to have a rough description of the video plot. Once the general plot is established, a designated artist will sketch out small drawings that visualize the scenes of the video. These slides will represent themes of the scene. To maximize efficiency, slides need to be completed with graphics and captions. Slides can also include a description of the audio, angle, shot, location and time. Establishing angles, shots, location and time greatly decreases filming time, which saves producers a massive amount of money. Storyboarding can save producers money by cutting down days of wasted filming time, which actors and film crew would have been paid for.
When drawing a storyboard, it is best to begin with pencil when designing the slides, so changes can easily be made. The slides also need to be depicted, as the audience will view them. The entire point of having a video storyboard is to preview and outline the video before it is actually filmed. The audience is also the target of the film; its perception must always be taken into consideration.
Once the storyboard is completed the video crew and producer will examine the storyboard and determine the most efficient filming process. Once this is completed, the cast is ready to film and already has a complete idea of the video and filming process.
Top 5 Cartoon Characters With Fashion Glasses
Posted by jongoo81 in Nov 22, 2011, under Online Dating
Since I am a cartoon fan, today, I will try to list some famous cartoon characters with glasses, and give a simple analysis of their personality. Most of these cartoon characters glasses are good examples for us to refer to in terms of fashion glasses.
1. Conan Edogawa (Case Closed, known as Meitantei Conan)
Without doubt, the first cartoon character with glasses should be Conan Edogawa. Case Closed, known as Meitantei Conan is definitely one of the most influential cartoons all across the world. The image of the main character Conan Edogawa has been engraved in our mind. His usual outfit mainly consists of a blue suit jacket with a single button and a pair of shorts, paired with a red bowtie and his dad’s old glasses. Conan’s glasses have multiple functions, for example, for disguising his identity as Jimmy Kudo, and for tracking position. For the popularity of the cartoon, lots of fans are eager to get such fashion glasses.
2. Nobita Nobi (Doraemon)
Doraemon is also well liked by kids. The two main characters are the robotic cat Doraemon and Nobita Nobi. Being generous and kind, Doraemon always helps Nobita in difficulty. Thus, lots of interesting stories happen between them, which have brought much fun to us. Nobita, who is lazy and timid and likes to read cartoons and watch TV, wears a pair of large round glasses, which looks so cute.
3. Kiminobu Kogure (Slam Dunk)
The sports-themed manga has appealed to a large group of cartoon fans. It tells a story about a basketball team from Shohoku High School. Kiminobu Kogure, Shohoku’s vice captain, is honest, gentle, and team-oriented. He is almost never seen without a pair of glasses, which makes him look very gentle.
4. Spongebob Squarepants
Hah, Spongebob is a cute cartoon character who is extremely energetic and optimistic, living in a pineapple under the sea. Spongebob is endowed with a really cute appearance, which looks like a kitchen sponge except that he wears a pair of glasses mainly for going jelly fishing. Spongebob thinks that he is cool with his fashion glasses. Perhaps this is the only function because he rarely manages to catch anything with his glasses.
5.Takumi Mayama (Honey and Clover)
This is one of my favorite cartoons, a story between a group of students at an art college in Tokyo. As a fourth-year art student, Mayama wears a pair of black frame eyeglasses, looking rather gentle. As one main type of fashion glasses, such black frame glasses have become the favorite of those who have a complex about glasses.
Keep Tabs on the Latest Auto Trends With Automotive Marketing Research
Posted by jongoo81 in Nov 22, 2011, under Love
The role played by an Automotive Marketing Research report cannot be discounted because these reports form the basis of any new launches or developments in the automobile industry. But what makes these reports bankable is the fact that they are made by industry experts and those who have been observing the auto industry for a fairly long period of time. These reports are a compilation of the growth graphs, present trends, future projections and all the other latest happenings in the world of automobiles. There are many such reports that claim to be the best reports in the industry. But some discretion needs to be exercised before you bank on a report such as this because you do not want to be misled by false information. After all, most strategic decisions taken by companies in this sector take these reports into consideration.
So what is the need for an automotive marketing research?
The automotive industry is among the fastest growing industries across the globe. For this industry to make steady progress, it requires an outlook to know where the growth areas of the future lie. Powersports marketing research is an important aspect with the increasing popularity of all terrain vehicles, side-by-side utility vehicles and scooters.
Ever so often, companies want to make new innovations and improvements in their existing cars, bikes and other vehicles. A product design research is a sure way to know what consumers are looking for. While individual companies usually undertake market research before they plan a new product or service, having collated information in the form of an Automotive Marketing Research paper is an unparalleled help.
There are a growing number of new players entering the automobile market and each of them wants to gain an edge over the others and gain a strong advantage in the market. A research is a guiding light for such players.
A research report is a reliable source because there are several experts working on it and they collate information from various sources such as journals, magazines, books, newspapers, industry portals, white papers etc dealing with the automobile industry. There are entire teams dedicated by private agencies and companies for this purpose.
As much as an industry player needs to know the road ahead, they also need to know what their competitors are up to. Keeping abreast of the competition is just as important. Research reports are a reliable source for such information.
Every industry has some risk zones. A research paper helps the automobile industry understand what risks they are likely to face in the near future. This gives companies enough leeway to plan their strategies and make provisions to soften the blow of possible crises.
Hence, it can be deduced that Automotive Marketing Research reports are akin to a guiding light for just about any industry and the auto industry is no exception to this. Powersports marketing research is also becoming important with many companies diversifying into ATVs and UTVs and scooters. They provide quantitative as well as qualitative data (such as product design research) on a platter, helping the industry as a whole to move forward.
Online Dating Tips For Success
Posted by jongoo81 in Nov 22, 2011, under Enhancement
So the search for the perfect relationship is tuff. You have tried the grocery market, the coffee houses, blind dates, social gatherings and the Barnes & Nobles. Nothing seems to work.
You have heard many successful stories from friends on internet dating. Online internet dating has been featured on TV and the magazine’s. Now, you want to give it a try. But, how do you start online dating without the pain and frustration of trying something new?
The easiest answer is to jump in with both feet. Don’t be afraid. You really cannot make a mistake or embarrass yourself. No one knows who you are until you are ready to tell them. Just remember anonymity is a very powerful tool that should be used wisely, especially if you want to have success with online dating.
Either go to your favorite dating site or do a search on your favorite search engine for online dating, internet dating or internet dating site. You will come up with many possibilities. Some of the largest dating sites are Match.com, eHarmony.com, Lavalife.com, Friendfinder.com and OneandOnly.com. There are many other good date site online. Just visit the site to see if you like it and you are comfortable with the dating site.
Once you have found a site you would like to try go and check out some of the profiles. Almost all the dating sites today allow you to search for free. And, the major sites have free features that allow you to narrow your search to a city or zipcode and customize your search for a type of partner you are looking for.
You searched and found a few prospects that interest you. So, go ahead and register. Add a profile. Definitely add a picture of yourself. Make sure the photo is accurate and up to date. If you think trying to fool a propective date with an old picture because you will win them over with your amazing personality can work, it won’t anymore. So, don’t do it.
Also, try to be accurate with your profile. If you are a smoker are a little overweight or have kids you might as well confess now rather than let someone you have gotten to like discover you lied to them. That is not how to start a successful and passionate relationship. It will always be in the back of their mind that if you lied about the small things then how can you be trusted if the relationship should grow. Lying doesn’t work so don’t start at the beginning.
Once you have gotten the basics down with your first online dating site why not register with one or two more sites. This will increase your chances of finding that perfect someone.
Good luck in your search. There are a lot of great singles out there and the online dating sites are helping to make a difficult task easier.
Just follow these few simple suggestions and you are on your way to living the life with that special person you have always dreamed about.
What’s Best For The Children
Posted by jongoo81 in Nov 22, 2011, under Domestic Violence
What can I say about divorce that has not already been said? How much can I go into the unjustice or unfairness of custody and divorce? What can I say that has not already been heard? Well I can say many things and so I shall.
I am a 30 year old guy, dude, father, friend, son, worker, husband (2nd marriage), lover, student, father, play buddy, best friend, pet owner, father. Yes I did put father in there 3 times on purpose because no matter what ever else I am, I am a father first and foremost. Now some of you might say, that’s great, bravo for still being a part of your kids lives, but I haven’t told you my story yet. When I say I am a father 3 times it could mean because I have 3 kids which is most certainly the truth. I do have 3 kids. My kids are beautiful, smart, funny, and my most proudest achievements, but yet I did NOT put father 3 times for each of them. In fact that is not how I would describe myself at all if I were talking about all 3 kids. I was referring to my son whom I have with my 2nd wife. Now if I were to describe myself just talking about my two daughters whom I he from my first wife I would say I am a 30 year old divorced guy, loser, best friend, friend, son, worker, ex-husband, ex-lover, ex-student, best friend, pet owner, and then last but certainly least – father.
You see when it comes to my girls I am not their father as I am to my son. It took having a child with my wife now and actually being a real father to make me see the difference. When I realized this momentous thought it hurt me and I felt struck down and sad. I will not lie and say that it does not affect me to this very day, because it does. It affects me every time they visit me which is quite often. No matter what, I cannot get over the fact that they are not mine as my son is mine and it really changes the light and my point of view. I do not love them any less, or do I? Certainly I am not the only parent who has felt this or realized it, but am I the first one to admit that it is quite troubling to feel a loss of love or any different toward one child to the next? Now this is not about common favorites here.
This I do not partake in. I respect and love my children’s individuality and try my best to nourish it. But this is different though. This is not I am fond of one child over the others because he is special or has more skills. If we were to go by that gauge then I would have to say my favorite would be my eldest daughter, but that just is not so. This is about knowing one child through and through. I spend every day with my son, whereas my daughters are here every other weekend with the exception of school holidays at which they spend most of their time with us. When my daughters come our relationship is more along the lines of staying with a favorite family member such as an uncle or aunt. When they are away from their mother they complain about things she does which is normal typical household stuff. With us though it is different. The relationship is not the same and that is quite depressing.
Now what really troubles me is that I have tried to rack my brain to find some sort of work-around, or fix for this problem, but I cannot find one. I suppose that split custody or shared if you prefer is the way to go, but even then I am not sure. I guess you could call me selfish in that I dont like having “part time” kids. That’s the term I nicked for it. I mean its the same concept as having 3 wives like on Big Love. That model just does not fit everyone though. After giving this a lot of thought I have found understanding in the fathers who run off and never speak to their children again.
I am not in any way saying that is what I would ever do, but I can understand what would drive men (or women, cant discriminate here even though most people never think of a woman doing those things) to leave. I propose that for some it might be the best thing for kids, to not see their non-custodial parent again. It would stop the pissy visitations, short coming remarks, and sour attitudes before they were ever exposed to a child. It could also create less heartache for all parties involved. The only problem with this is that I would hate myself for doing something like that and could never not be a part of their lives. So for me and many like me I suffer and do the best I can even though in my heart I know there is a difference between being a father and being a daddy. Who ever said being a parent was easy, never went through a divorce.
Moon Goddess Amplifies the Libra Goddess’s Messages
Posted by jongoo81 in Nov 22, 2011, under Dating
It’s been six zodiac months since the Goddess of Love arrived at the March Equinox, the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of fall in the Southern Hemisphere. Now it’s just reversed, fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern.
Matriarch Inspired Era Emerging
Most predicted that the Goddess of Love would not arrive until December 21, 2012 on the December Solstice. The Moon Goddess was her messenger and foretold her arrival, but just two weeks ahead, before anyone had time to try to impede her descent into the physical realm. Now that the Goddess of Love is here, a matriarch inspired era is emerging while the remnants of the patriarch civilization that cannot adapt is continuing to fall apart.
Aquarius, Facilitator of All Zodiac Signs
Aquarius, the facilitator of all the Zodiac Signs, for the next 2100 years, is toiling side-by-side with the Goddess of Love. Aquarius’ first mission is assisting each of the cosmic Zodiac signs to make the shift from their masculine countenance to their Goddess expression, the most feminine and loving aspect.
You Are Transmitter for Your Zodiac Sign
As you are a transmitter for the Zodiac sign that was on the cosmic stage when you were born, your Zodiac sign during its time will be transmitting energies to you to enable you to make your shift also. If you do not put up a wall and resist, the transition can be a new birth, although at first you may experience a definite death of the old that you knew so well. That’s especially true for those that were driven, high achievers, seeking acceptance from the outside through your successes.
The Way to Fall in Love With You
You’ll know if you’re making this shift if you’ve begun to truly care for yourself, include yourself in all that you do. This is your way to fall in love with yourself this year. No longer do you want to “prove” yourself, how good you are to someone else. It’s not about outer acceptance this year, anyone telling you that you are good enough.
Citizen of Matriarch Inspired Era
It’s you telling yourself through the act of caring, including yourself, giving yourself acceptance that lets you know how far along the path you are in becoming a citizen of this matriarch inspired era that is upon us. Don’t be surprised if at first you experience a wave of sadness, feeling unloved when you stop seeking love from the outside. You probably never would have gotten on the self improvement path if you thought you were going to end up with you as your own suitor. Don’t worry, it doesn’t stop there but that’s certainly the first place to begin.
Modification Occurred For Six Zodiac Signs
This modification has already occurred for Aries who moved from its Ram expression to its Ewe Goddess expression. The Taurus Bull moved into the background, letting the Cow Goddess bask in the limelight; the Gemini Male Twins ushered in the Gemini Goddess Twins; The Cancer Crab turned over to the Cancer Jenny Goddess; Leo the Lion backed up making space for the Lioness Goddess, and Virgo the Virgin turned over to the Virgo Goddess, a full bodied feminine expression.
Libra’s Turn
Now it’s Libra’s turn to swing its pendulum from its Yang to its Yin expression. Both Yin and Yang are fabulous when in balance, but both equally destructive when in the extremes.
Stop the Swing
The Libra Goddess’s first message says it’s time to stop the swing of the extremes. Women, definitely those of you who have been raped, abused, made to feel second class or even lower, you may feel like now getting your revenge.
You may want to balance the books with those that hurt you, passed you by, or wouldn’t accept you by flinging all the hurt you experienced right back at them. Justice could be your cry, but I’m encouraging you to stop the swing from one extreme to the next.
Last Round of Matriarch Civilization
That’s indeed what occurred during the last round of a matriarch civilization. Women became warriors, found their strength by battling the male. Most men were valued primarily for their sperm and were often beheaded just as soon as the woman was sure she was pregnant.
Open Door to Love Through Caring
This matriarch reign needs to be quite different. Let Love take the lead, not the extremes of smothering, emasculating, revenge. You could stop the pendulum swing; stop the dualistic nature which perpetuates war again and again. To do this though, you’ll have to swing into your heart, care for yourself. That’s the entire theme for the whole zodiac year. The swing to Love is not immediate; you open that door through caring for you.
Catapult Yourself Out of the Vibration
You could be quite surprised, as you genuinely express caring for yourself. You will catapult yourself out of the vibration where people take advantage of you and hurt you.
As you do care for yourself, you’ll naturally be dumping out the pain, the hurts that other people have inflicted on you. Then there will be no supply of emotional hurt to throw at someone else. You will have transmuted it, changed it from negative to positive through caring for yourself.
Vibrational Healing
Aquarius’ techy inventors have been working with vibrational healing, especially since the Aquarius Age began in 1994. Search them out, pendants and disks; especially those infused into natural stones can raise your emotional vibration and clear the emotional traumas inside of you. What you spent years doing with therapists during the patriarch civilization can be achieved in minutes now. Once done, first express gratitude as well as amazement that Aquarius’ inventors are making this possible.
Way to Sever
Then you want to forgive the person or persons that harmed you. That may sound very difficult right now, but once you’ve begun to make good progress on caring for yourself, you’ll feel differently quite naturally. Besides, the only way to sever the negative connection is to move out of that vibration to a more positive one.
Compassion Leads to Forgiveness
Compassion is the emotional tool needed to forgive, both compassion and forgiveness are qualities that I’m transmitting to you during my tenure on the Zodiac stage. If you must, start with pity for the person who picked such harmful methods to try to deal with their own emotional hurts and trauma. Pity can then give way to compassion and then you can genuinely forgive. Once you do forgive, the negative connection will unfurl. You’ll be free, ready to be a full on participant in the emerging matriarch civilization.
Learn From Your Sisters
Learn from your sisters of Rwanda who survived the attacks of men who raped them, as well as many times killing their children and husbands. Even though these men were sent to prison, when they were released years later, they went back to the same villages they came from. To emotionally survive, these women had to learn to forgive and go on during the time these men were in prison. The miracle is that they were able to do so and when the men returned, they accepted them back into the village.
Moon Goddess’s Full Moon During Libra
The Moon Goddess will be amplifying the Libra Goddess’s transmissions on her Full Moon October 11, 2011; 7:06 pm PDT. The Libra Goddess says it’s not just about forgiving the other person, it’s also about forgiving you for any and all your harmful actions during the patriarch civilization. Remember, that was a time to find your strength, now it’s about love. Compassion and forgiveness are the Libra method to guide you to caring for yourself, when then leads you to love.
Who Needs a Life? Trade in Your Free-Time for More TV-Time
Posted by jongoo81 in Nov 22, 2011, under Conflict
People do not watch enough television. Did that get your attention? It most likely did in this day and age of babysitting via the boob tube and blaming the obesity epidemic on sedentary habits (read: sitting on one’s ass watching TV). Well, despite your personal opinion on the issue, I stand by that statement. While I am sensitive to many social issues plaguing this country, my concerns do not rest with what many perceive as a medium rotting our minds. I’m much shallower than that – I just want my favorite shows to survive and thrive for many seasons to come.
You see, I am a professed television junkie, and very proud of it. I’m the person who thinks TiVo is the greatest invention to surface in my lifetime (followed closely by plasma screens and sports bars). And if people don’t start watching more TV, the programs I dearly love (okay, that may be a bit strong – and strange) will not garner the required ratings to earn industry respect and remain on the air. That’s not an outcome that sits well with me. So, I have taken it upon myself to spread the gospel of some shows that have thus far avoided the network executive axe known as cancellation, though their existence remains precarious.
My viewing habits are not solely restricted to ratings-challenged shows, but it seems the ones I like the most are constantly ignored by the majority of television viewers (which says a lot of the tastes of the masses). My addiction is dependent on getting more eyeballs to the TV screens. My social life (or lack thereof) be damned, I need these shows to stick around for a while…
Gilmore Girls
How can one resist the wittiest writing on television today, coupled with a perfectly eccentric cast led by the lovely (and underrated) Lauren Graham? Sure, it airs opposite the rating behemoth that is “American Idol,” but that amateur sing-along contest is loaded with boring fluff (and bad singers) and is better viewed with a fast-forward button (read: record it and blast through it in 20 minutes, or less). For those macho-type guys out there, don’t be off put by the title and the premise of a mother-daughter relationship – it’s so much more than that. There are plenty of funny moments that can be appreciated by both sexes… plus Lauren Graham is really hot.
Currently my favorite show on the air (and possibly of all time), “Gilmore Girls” has been lauded by critics throughout its five-year run (though some argue that the fourth season was below its usual level of excellence). Critical acclaim doesn’t mean squat when it comes to attracting viewers (as pointed out in the aforementioned slam on viewing tastes). However, this quirky little show has benefited from airing on The WB where the standards of ratings are lower than those of the Big Four (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX). Because of this, “Gilmore Girls” is in no danger of cancellation; my rant resides with the fact that it gets little-to-no respect and has been completely snubbed by the Emmy committee year after year. On any other network (save UPN), Graham and her co-stars would have racked up a slew of nominations by now. Maybe with a larger audience, the powers-that-be would stand up and take notice of quality television, regardless of it airing on a network they refuse to acknowledge.
Veronica Mars
UPN, the other bastard-child network, boasted one of the best new programs of the 2004-05 season, giving “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost” a run for their money in the critical acclaim department. “Veronica Mars” was one of the lowest rated shows on television, but mercifully, UPN opted to renew it since it’s one of the only programs to get positive press in the network’s brief history. With an enticing mystery that ran throughout the entire season, and original weekly subplots, “Veronica Mars” is like a cool blend of “Twin Peaks” and “Beverly Hills 90210.” The premise of a high school girl working with her private investigator father might sound a little “Scooby Doo-ish,” but the show’s creators avoid the standard pitfalls with exemplary writing and creative plot twists. The acting is top-notch, led by the cute and perky Kristen Bell in the title role (who is enough to get me watching), and even the most hated characters (Logan) can be endearing over time.
Arrested Development
This FOX comedy, narrated in a hilariously deadpan style by the one-and-only Ron Howard, is the perfect example of a show in search of an audience, but is still showered with accolades. Whereas few take notice of “Gilmore Girls” and “Veronica Mars” over on The WB and UPN respectively, “Arrested Development” has become the darling of the Emmys, winning Best Comedy last year and earning another nod this year. The critical success of this laugh-your-ass-off sitcom has saved it from extinction – there is no way FOX could give up so easily on a show of this caliber. Emmy wins aside, the audience has to take more of an interest in the antics of the Bluth family. If not, the network will be forced to pull the plug and replace it with ratings-generating crap, like another night of ‘American Idol” or some reality show concoction that demeans some segment of the population… and no one wants that!
