8.24.2007

Puppets Rock!



Confession time...

This summer I watched reality TV. WTF?!?! Yes, apparently, even I am capable of sucomming to the horrors that cable brings us in the off season. How did this happen you ask? Well, there I was, flipping around, when I came across NBC's America's Got Talent. There was this dude with a giant puppet wearing a feather boa on his arm. I thought to myself 'Oh goodie. Yet another douche bag who thinks he's capable of getting a couple of yucks from bantering with a puppet. Here's hoping I don't see his lips move.' I settled in with every intention of making a full on negative commentary. Then, the son-of-a-bitch made me eat my words. I was captivated and he totally blew me away!! Shit, I started to tune in just to see him. And then, when it came to down to the final, I freely admit that I voted - multiple times! Yes, I got on my phone and then proceeded to use up my votes on TX ventriloquist Terry Fator.

Needless to say, I'm delighted that he won. I wasn't able to catch Tuesday's finale due to class, but give thanks for the internet. And now for those of you who may not have been sucked into the AGT abyss (or perhaps were spending your evenings on some other guilty pleasure), I give you the amazing Terry Fator and his friends. ENJOY!!!


My first encounter

Simply brilliant (my personal favorite)

The big winner (the final four performance)

The show stopper (too brilliant for words!!)

8.14.2007

Holy Cow...


I lost a hero today. Well, yesterday. But thanks to microbiology, etc... I didn't find out until just now. Phil "The Scooter" Rizzuto died yesterday at the ripe old age of 89. He was one of the greatest shortstops ever to bless the diamond; and he was the best damn sports broadcaster ever. Because of the Scooter, I wanted to be a shortstop and I wanted to be on the radio. Thankfully, I managed both. The first not as well as I would have liked; but with the second I pretty much cleaned up. I honestly believe that I have him to thank for my radio success as he showed me at the tender age of three what could be accomplished by a voice across the airwaves with his unmatched ability to call the game while adding endless color commentary. In addition, this October marks the 29th anniversary of when I hid under my blankets with my portable radio listening to the Scooter call the 1978 series into the wee hours (well, at least for a four-year-old). I gave thanks for my carpet square and made good use of my nap time at preschool just so I could hold out long enough; but I never did make it to a game end. My mom or dad would always have to come in to turn off the radio and my mom recalls finding me more than once hugging it in my sleep. Thus, I can pretty much say without a doubt that the Phil Rizzuto was my first 'real' hero. I will never forget those nights as they are some of my fondest childhood memories; and I will never EVER forget the Scooter.

I never thought I would ever do this, but to quote Steinbrenner:


"I guess heaven must have needed a shortstop,"



And so, in honor of #10, I close with this:
(thanks to Steve Berry's website)




And This...

The Scooter At His Best (Audio)