- CBS has achieved more success than anyone expected with its new sitcom “2 Broke Girls.” The show stars Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs) as snarky waitresses working at a roadside diner and most observers figured the show would go the way of most freshman comedies, landing in mediocrity or outright failing. Instead, the show has found a solid fan base with its own brand of offensive humor. CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler admits her network has received plenty of criticism about the show's sometimes offensive humor and its broad racial stereotyping of the characters Dennings and Behrs work with at the diner but insists there is nothing to be upset about. "Like any of our new shows, you do take a step back and you let them find their way," Tassler said. "All of our big hits... when they first started, you have multiple characters to service. You want to make sure the audience has time to get the concept, get the emotional arc and really engage with the relationships. And then over time you build out and dimensionalize the other supporting characters.” She further defender the show’s humor with the always-smart rationale that no one demographic or group is being singled out above any other. "[The show] is an equal-opportunity offender. Everybody gets digs," Tassler said. "Our comments and dialogue with [creator Michael Patrick King], is, yes, continue to dimensionalize, continue to get more specific, continue to build [the characters] out. Our track record shows we know how to build comedy hits... and we'll continue to do that with 2 Broke Girls." Oh, so you make offensive jokes about everyone and that makes it OK? Whatever works for you, CBS…………
- Those who can't afford an iPad and are stuck with a Kindle will now have a much easier time sending documents from their subpar-OS-running PC to their e-reader. Amazon, maker of the Kindle and Kindle Fire, on Thursday released a new application called "Send to Kindle" that enables Kindle owners to transfer files from their Windows-based PCs directly to their e-book reader. For those with computers running the world’s worst operating system, Send to Kindle is available as a free download. Amazon said it would launch Send to Kindle for Mac soon, although odds are most Mac users are rocking an iPad instead of a Kindle. Send to Kindle will make the transfer process easier, allowing users to transfer files from Windows Explorer by simply right-clicking on a document and choosing Send to Kindle. Another option for any other Windows application that can print is to select Print, then choose Send to Kindle. Most any type of commonly used document can be sent, including PDF, .doc, .rtf, .txt .jpg, .gif, .png and .bmp files. Users will be able to archive personal documents to their Kindle Library in the Amazon Cloud and re-download them later to a Kindle device or Kindle App when connected wirelessly. Kindle users have always been able to transfer documents to their device, but had to email them to an address assigned to their Kindle account or attach the Kindle to a computer and drag the files over. "Your last page read along with bookmarks, notes and highlights are automatically synchronized for your documents (with the exception of PDFs) across your Kindle devices and supported Kindle reading apps," Amazon said in a company blog post. The company promised that support for Mac is coming soon. Keep on trucking, Amazon……….
- Oh, for great opportunities gone by the wayside. Have you seen all of the drama in Russia the past few weeks over rigged elections designed to keep Prime Minister/actually still President and Dictator Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party in power? There have been massive protests, riots, clashes between dissidents and police and general chaos across Russia with Putin all but certain to be elected to another term as president in March. If Putin is to be believed, though, much of the tension could have been resolved if only his most outspoken critics had showed up to talk with him at a media award ceremony on Friday. Instead, several leaders of recent anti-government protests in Moscow chose not to attend the show where Putin was a guest. Putin’s spokesman said they had missed their chance for dialogue, a dialogue that would have been fascinating after Putin provoked the opposition by comparing protest participants to chattering monkeys. Along with opposition leaders, poet Dmitry Bykov, journalist Sergei Parkhomenko, author Boris Akunin and other prominent opposition journalists also declined invitations to the event. "I just didn't want to go. I was invited but I didn't want to take part in all of this," said Leonid Parfyonov, a well-known television journalist. "I don't think he intended to talk about (the protests). I think he wanted some PR for himself and had no intention to speak to anyone." Wait a second……is he actually suggesting Putin’s recent claims that he was ready for dialogue with the opposition if only the movement could pull together a common platform and a leader with whom to hold talks. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov chided protest organizers for missing their chance for open, honest dialogue with their dictator and actually released a list of participants and the reasons given by those not attending, listing many as on vacation. "Earlier many of them had expressed desire to take their message to Putin. They were given such an opportunity," Peskov said. "They talk loudly about the dialogue but when they are called they do not turn up." Peskov conveniently ignored the fact that the government organized the event on short notice at a time when many Russians are still on holiday and glossed over the fact that invitations were hurriedly sent out on Monday. At the event, Putin self-aggrandizingly presented an award for bravery to a reporter left handicapped by a severe beating while campaigning to save a suburban forest in Khimki. The entire event was an obvious public relations stunt and Putin played it up by promising to step up an investigation into the reporter’s beating. Rather than take part in Putin’s PR stunt, opposition leaders are planning to make their voice heard with another demonstration near the Kremlin next month. Riot on, Russian opposition………….
- Coaches of bad basketball teams in numerically challenged conferences tend not to receive copious amounts of attention. In the 12-team Big Ten, Iowa and coach Fran McCaffrey and his squad are one of those bad teams. The Hawkeyes were absorbing a beatdown from conference power Michigan State at home Tuesday night and McCaffrey decided he’d seen just about enough from his disappointing squad. When a coach is angry, he or she will often look to pick a fight with just about anyone in an attempt to light a fire under the team. McCaffrey started off his tirade by picking up a technical foul for arguing with officials over a call on the court. That was only the start and before the final buzzer sounded on a 95-61 loss, the coach’s rage had transferred from a human target to an inanimate one in the form of a courtside chair. After picking up the “T” for arguing, McCaffrey called a timeout to further berate his team, which trailed 69-41 at the time. As his players saw down in a semi-circle in front of their bench, McCaffrey picked up an empty folding chair and slammed it on the court. Unfortunately the chair did not bend or break apart and merely fell meekly to the floor. None of the players even responded to the tantrum, which would suggest they’ve seen that sort of behavior from their coach before. But maybe McCaffrey would realize how bad the display made him look after he had time to cool down and maybe he would apologize……or not. Two days later, he informed media members that he had no apologies for the tirade and said he would continue to "coach with passion" and fight for his players. If the players had as much fight as McCaffrey, Iowa might be better than 10-8 this season and 2-3 in Big Ten play……….
- Washington could soon be a bag-free state. No, not a D-bag free state, which would be just about the most awesome label any state could ever have. But banning D-bags from your state would (sadly) be illegal in any number of ways, so Washingtonians will have to settle for possibly being the first state in the country to ban plastic bags. State lawmakers formally introduced a bill Thursday to ban plastic bags in the state in what supporters hailed as a move to benefit both the environment and the economy. The cities of Bellingham and Edmonds already have plastic bag bans in place and Seattle will have one as well after its city council approved a ban last month that will take effect July 1. Not only would stores be forbidden from offering plastic bags if the state law is passed, but a 5-cent fee would be imposed for the use of paper bags. That seems excessive because recycled paper bags aren't exactly an environmental hazard. Maybe the state just hates bags in general and isn't so much concerned with the environment. The only people who would escape the paper bag fee would be those on government food assistance. No word on what state officials would have shoppers carry their groceries in once they buy them, but there aren't many options left if paper and plastic bags are out. Backpacks could be an option unless they’re next on the list of bags to ban, but cardboard boxes seem safe for now…………
No comments:
Post a Comment