Can you say Glee? Can I have an "amen!?"
FOX network executives took the stage yesterday afternoon for their upfront presentation to media execs and advertisers and, not surprisingly, used smash hit Glee to tie their performance together and not so subtly say "we're number one!"
The network's show opened with the Warblers, led by Darren Criss, singing "Hey Soul Sister," and featured other Glee Cast members singing and dancing. Jane Lynch, in full Sue Sylvester mode, followed and, true to form, used her time to insult the audience.
What shows did FOX trumpet? Not surprisingly, The X Factor was the headliner. Simon Cowell's new show will take over the time slot of American Idol this fall with Idol then starting up after the NFL's NFC Championship Game (if there is one) on January 22, 2012.
Terra Nova, another Stephen Spielberg project, was the other new FOX show which received lots of buzz. Nova was promoted at last year's upfront but got delayed--the show is about a family who travels back in time to when dinosaurs ruled the earth.
J.J. Abrams has created Alcatraz, which could be interesting. The premise? No one ever escaped Alcatraz until one night when 302 men disappeared, never to be heard from again.
Other shows unveiled included Touch, a new outlet for Kiefer Sutherland, and The Flintstones, another animated show from Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy.
FOX played to its strengths by showcasing Glee, Idol and the upcoming X Factor, affirming why the network is rated first among adults 18-49. The one-time fourth network has come a long way in its 25-year history.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
NBC at the Upfronts
Perhaps it's fitting that NBC--the network which once gave us "must see TV"--kicks off this week of upfront presentations by the television networks to media planners, buyers and advertisers. NBC has given us anything but "must see TV" of late given the network's fourth place standing among the major networks in terms of total viewership.
Here are the highlights of what advertisers will see today from the network of the Peacock:
- Wonder Woman, the re-make from David E. Kelley and starring Adrienne Palicki (Tyra on Friday Night Lights) didn't make the cut for the fall lineup.
- Christina Applegate, one of my favorite comedic actresses, is back in Up All Night, a sitcom about a working mom and stay-at-home husband, played by Will Arnett. Applegate was last seen on Samantha Who?, an engaging comedy which only lasted one season. Up All Night will air on Wednesdays, followed by Free Agents, a comedy starring Hank Azaria which is about co-workers on the romance rebound.
- Smash will premiere on Mondays next year--it's a musical set behind the scenes of a Broadway show and is based upon an idea from Stephen Spielberg.
- The Firm, based upon John Grishman's novel and movie of the same name, will air on Sunday nights.
- Awake is a brain-twister show set in two alternate realities--one in which the protagonist's wife dies in an accident and the other in which his son dies.
- Mario Bello will star in Prime Suspect. This show is a remake of the British detective series which starred Helen Mirren.
- Finally, The Playboy Club--perhaps NBC's riskiest bet--is a prime-time soap opera about this famed Chicago hideaway and the club's various ties to celebrities and gangster types. There's no word whether Playboy owner Hugh Hefner might be asked to make a cameo.
The shows which didn't make NBC's fall lineup include Law and Order: Los Angeles and The Event.
Here are the highlights of what advertisers will see today from the network of the Peacock:
- Wonder Woman, the re-make from David E. Kelley and starring Adrienne Palicki (Tyra on Friday Night Lights) didn't make the cut for the fall lineup.
- Christina Applegate, one of my favorite comedic actresses, is back in Up All Night, a sitcom about a working mom and stay-at-home husband, played by Will Arnett. Applegate was last seen on Samantha Who?, an engaging comedy which only lasted one season. Up All Night will air on Wednesdays, followed by Free Agents, a comedy starring Hank Azaria which is about co-workers on the romance rebound.
- Smash will premiere on Mondays next year--it's a musical set behind the scenes of a Broadway show and is based upon an idea from Stephen Spielberg.
- The Firm, based upon John Grishman's novel and movie of the same name, will air on Sunday nights.
- Awake is a brain-twister show set in two alternate realities--one in which the protagonist's wife dies in an accident and the other in which his son dies.
- Mario Bello will star in Prime Suspect. This show is a remake of the British detective series which starred Helen Mirren.
- Finally, The Playboy Club--perhaps NBC's riskiest bet--is a prime-time soap opera about this famed Chicago hideaway and the club's various ties to celebrities and gangster types. There's no word whether Playboy owner Hugh Hefner might be asked to make a cameo.
The shows which didn't make NBC's fall lineup include Law and Order: Los Angeles and The Event.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Saturday morning coffee
- Wow, Joe Queenan, who writes for the Wall Street Journal, isn't a fan of the sneaker set. And, I have to agree that the prevalence of sneakers as a fashion statement has gone a bit too far. Queenan writes, "Young people say they worry about their future. This may be because it's hard to muster much optimism about a country where so many adult males in positions of power think that stone-washed denim jeans with white sneakers is still a good look. It is not. It was not a good look when it was introduced on April 12, 1973, and it is not a good look now." Continuing, Queenan opines, "White sneakers, particularly on a tall man, make him look like a duck. A sad, clownlike, poorly shod duck."
- Researchers in Brisbane, Australia, in an attempt to better understand human altruism, went to three T-shaped intersections where motorists who stopped had to wait for an opening in traffic flow. In 959 different interactions, drivers slowed to let the other driver in about 40% of the time. In general, men and women acted equally altruistic, but men were--surprise, surprise--more altruistic than women when the waiting driver was a female. Also not surprising, drivers of high-status cars were less likely to slow down than drivers of average cars. Of all the factors measured, the one that was most important was peer pressure--drivers with at least one passenger acted altruistically 25% more often than those traveling by themselves.
- Sofia Coppola turns 40 today. Francis' little girl is quite the director but her turn in
The Godfather III as Michael Corleone's daughter is still one of the hardest acting performances ever to observe in a major film.
- People, people, people--please...there is no such word as "anyways."
- Speaking of The Godfather trilogy, is anyone else surprised that Al Pacino accepted a role in an upcoming film about John Gotti?
- The media upfronts begin in New York on Monday and today's New York Times has a story about how media executives are more and more working to appeal to the 55+ year old set. The upfronts are the annual preview of the fall television season and kicks off the time period where media planners and buyers negotiate with the network for "upfront" inventory. The focus on this boomer audience reverses what had been a trend of working hard to appeal to the 24-35 year old segment. Why the shift? For one, the 55+ audience is more likely to hold a job, and thus have disposable income, compared to younger audience demos.
- As successful as American Idol has been this season, the process of picking a winner showed its flaws again this week. James Durbin, a competitor who was different than the normal Idol contender, was booted off, following in the footsteps of another worthy singer, Pia Toscano and her premature exit. We are left now with three vanilla competitors who bring little in the way of unique styling--Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, and Haley Reinhart. The show continues to deliver whopping numbers as a total of 21.6 million viewers watched Thursday night's elimination show.
- Researchers in Brisbane, Australia, in an attempt to better understand human altruism, went to three T-shaped intersections where motorists who stopped had to wait for an opening in traffic flow. In 959 different interactions, drivers slowed to let the other driver in about 40% of the time. In general, men and women acted equally altruistic, but men were--surprise, surprise--more altruistic than women when the waiting driver was a female. Also not surprising, drivers of high-status cars were less likely to slow down than drivers of average cars. Of all the factors measured, the one that was most important was peer pressure--drivers with at least one passenger acted altruistically 25% more often than those traveling by themselves.
- Sofia Coppola turns 40 today. Francis' little girl is quite the director but her turn in
The Godfather III as Michael Corleone's daughter is still one of the hardest acting performances ever to observe in a major film.
- People, people, people--please...there is no such word as "anyways."
- Speaking of The Godfather trilogy, is anyone else surprised that Al Pacino accepted a role in an upcoming film about John Gotti?
- The media upfronts begin in New York on Monday and today's New York Times has a story about how media executives are more and more working to appeal to the 55+ year old set. The upfronts are the annual preview of the fall television season and kicks off the time period where media planners and buyers negotiate with the network for "upfront" inventory. The focus on this boomer audience reverses what had been a trend of working hard to appeal to the 24-35 year old segment. Why the shift? For one, the 55+ audience is more likely to hold a job, and thus have disposable income, compared to younger audience demos.
- As successful as American Idol has been this season, the process of picking a winner showed its flaws again this week. James Durbin, a competitor who was different than the normal Idol contender, was booted off, following in the footsteps of another worthy singer, Pia Toscano and her premature exit. We are left now with three vanilla competitors who bring little in the way of unique styling--Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, and Haley Reinhart. The show continues to deliver whopping numbers as a total of 21.6 million viewers watched Thursday night's elimination show.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Eli
In the wake of the death of Osama Bin Laden, accolades for the Navy Seals rolled in and there was a seemingly insatiable appetite for information about the successful raid. As a result, word that a canine was part of the operation elevated interest in the role of military dogs.
Dogs in Afghanistan are primarily used to sniff out bombs, particularly the homemade varieties which have proved so lethal to U.S. troops in country. By the end of this year, it is projected that nearly 650 dogs will be involved with U.S. troops in Afghanistan out of a total of 2,700 dogs on active duty in the U.S. military.
Pfc. Colton Rusk was a handler of one of these military canines. Rusk, a machine gunner, was a 20-year old Texan who sent his family back in the States a consistent diet of photos and news about his beloved dog and partner—Eli.
In December, Rusk was gunned down by sniper fire in Sangin, one of the deadliest areas in Helmand in Afghanistan. As Rusk’s body lay mortally wounded, Eli crawled on top of his companion in an attempt to guard him from further harm.
When the obituary was written for Rusk, the first survivor listed was Eli, the black Labrador Retriever. Fittingly, Rusk’s parents adopted Eli and brought the dog home to much fanfare in Colton’s hometown of Orange Grove, Texas. After a ceremony at Lackland Air Force Base, the Rusks took Eli home with them.
Upon entering the Rusk home for the first time, Eli made straight for Colton’s bedroom. After sniffing out the room, Eli jumped up on the bed and assumed the spot formerly occupied by his fallen owner, trainer and friend.
The identity of the dog who took part in the Bin Laden raid is still a mystery, except to a chosen few which now includes President Barack Obama. When the President said his “thank you’s” to the Navy Seals last week, the group included the commando dog who was there when the secret raid eliminated America’s, and the world’s, greatest terrorist risk.
Eli, the anonymous dog who helped seal Bin Laden's fate, and the hundreds of others in harm's way each day--these animals deserve our appreciation. Rebecca Frankel, deputy managing editor of ForeignPolicy.com, summed it up by saying "I think people go weak in the knees for these dogs. But, their contribution is significant. These are serious dogs."
(Source: The New York Times)
Dogs in Afghanistan are primarily used to sniff out bombs, particularly the homemade varieties which have proved so lethal to U.S. troops in country. By the end of this year, it is projected that nearly 650 dogs will be involved with U.S. troops in Afghanistan out of a total of 2,700 dogs on active duty in the U.S. military.
Pfc. Colton Rusk was a handler of one of these military canines. Rusk, a machine gunner, was a 20-year old Texan who sent his family back in the States a consistent diet of photos and news about his beloved dog and partner—Eli.
In December, Rusk was gunned down by sniper fire in Sangin, one of the deadliest areas in Helmand in Afghanistan. As Rusk’s body lay mortally wounded, Eli crawled on top of his companion in an attempt to guard him from further harm.
When the obituary was written for Rusk, the first survivor listed was Eli, the black Labrador Retriever. Fittingly, Rusk’s parents adopted Eli and brought the dog home to much fanfare in Colton’s hometown of Orange Grove, Texas. After a ceremony at Lackland Air Force Base, the Rusks took Eli home with them.
Upon entering the Rusk home for the first time, Eli made straight for Colton’s bedroom. After sniffing out the room, Eli jumped up on the bed and assumed the spot formerly occupied by his fallen owner, trainer and friend.
The identity of the dog who took part in the Bin Laden raid is still a mystery, except to a chosen few which now includes President Barack Obama. When the President said his “thank you’s” to the Navy Seals last week, the group included the commando dog who was there when the secret raid eliminated America’s, and the world’s, greatest terrorist risk.
Eli, the anonymous dog who helped seal Bin Laden's fate, and the hundreds of others in harm's way each day--these animals deserve our appreciation. Rebecca Frankel, deputy managing editor of ForeignPolicy.com, summed it up by saying "I think people go weak in the knees for these dogs. But, their contribution is significant. These are serious dogs."
(Source: The New York Times)
Monday, May 9, 2011
Catching up...
I'm sorry, loyal readers, for a slow blog week last week. Let's try to catch up, shall we?
- Mike Wallace turns 93 today. As most know, the broadcast journalist served on CBS' 60 Minutes for 37 years. But, it was his early career jobs which may come as a surprise. In the 1950s, Wallace hosted several games shows--in that era it was fairly common for newsmen to also double as game show hosts. Not only did Wallace follow this career path but so too did journalists like Walter Cronkite, Douglas Edwards and John Cameron Swayze.
- Isn't it amazing the number of Facebook and Twitter messages, posts and the like which were devoted to mothers yesterday? It makes Mother's Day even more special although we know that few were actually seen by the motherly set in the 65 and up age range given this audience's lack of interaction with social media.
- Oprah's last episode is next week and the venue is moving to one suitable for the audience and hype--the United Center in Chicago.
- For all of you Lady Gaga fans, the pop star is releasing a new song, "The Edge of Glory," today at 3:00 p.m. CDT. The song will be available via iTunes.
- Remember the photo released from last weekend's successful raid on Osama Bin Laden's lair which showed President Obama and his national security team in the Situation Room? Well, the Hasidic newspaper, Der Tzitung, has removed Secretary of State Hollary Clinton and another woman, counterterrorism director Audrey Tomason, from this now iconic photograph. The newspaper, which is "ultra Orthodox" (according to Jewish Week), apparently has a policy that it never publishes photos of women because it thinks it could be sexually suggestive. In the photo, Clinton has her hand over her mouth and a look of attentive anxiety.
(Source: The Huffington Post)
- A study released today by the Pew Research Center for Excellence in Journalism found that Facebook is influencing what news gets read online as
users share and recommend content. While Google remains the leader in this space, Facebook and other sharing tools/sites are empowering users to rely upon their circle of online friends and acquaintances to recommend interesting stuff.
- Mike Wallace turns 93 today. As most know, the broadcast journalist served on CBS' 60 Minutes for 37 years. But, it was his early career jobs which may come as a surprise. In the 1950s, Wallace hosted several games shows--in that era it was fairly common for newsmen to also double as game show hosts. Not only did Wallace follow this career path but so too did journalists like Walter Cronkite, Douglas Edwards and John Cameron Swayze.
- Isn't it amazing the number of Facebook and Twitter messages, posts and the like which were devoted to mothers yesterday? It makes Mother's Day even more special although we know that few were actually seen by the motherly set in the 65 and up age range given this audience's lack of interaction with social media.
- Oprah's last episode is next week and the venue is moving to one suitable for the audience and hype--the United Center in Chicago.
- For all of you Lady Gaga fans, the pop star is releasing a new song, "The Edge of Glory," today at 3:00 p.m. CDT. The song will be available via iTunes.
- Remember the photo released from last weekend's successful raid on Osama Bin Laden's lair which showed President Obama and his national security team in the Situation Room? Well, the Hasidic newspaper, Der Tzitung, has removed Secretary of State Hollary Clinton and another woman, counterterrorism director Audrey Tomason, from this now iconic photograph. The newspaper, which is "ultra Orthodox" (according to Jewish Week), apparently has a policy that it never publishes photos of women because it thinks it could be sexually suggestive. In the photo, Clinton has her hand over her mouth and a look of attentive anxiety.
(Source: The Huffington Post)
- A study released today by the Pew Research Center for Excellence in Journalism found that Facebook is influencing what news gets read online as
users share and recommend content. While Google remains the leader in this space, Facebook and other sharing tools/sites are empowering users to rely upon their circle of online friends and acquaintances to recommend interesting stuff.
Monday, May 2, 2011
The devil and Bin Laden
DEVIL: “Welcome, Mr. Bin Laden. We’ve been waiting for you. While I expected you sooner, we’re glad you’re here.”
BIN LADEN: “It’s a bit hotter than I expected here. I trust that you have superior accommodations for me similar to my palace where those American infidels invaded my privacy and shot me through the eye.”
DEVIL: “Yes, yes, a very nice accommodation for you, sir. And, we have a doctor on staff who can take a look at that nasty looking left eye. I’m sure he can repair it—Dr. Martin Bormann is an excellent physician.”
BIN LADEN: “Good, good…now, let’s take a look at where I’ll live.”
DEVIL: “Live? Hmm…that’s an interesting choice of words. But, yes, follow me down to our special wing of suites. We have a very nice place for you here—you’ll be next to Mr. Hitler and just down the hallway from Pol Pot and Genghis Khan. Watch out for that Khan fellow though—a bad temper, that one. You’ll also notice that we keep the temperature nice and hot for you fine fellows down here. You'll have no square meals a day, zero water and you'll burn here forever. Enjoy!"
BIN LADEN: “It’s a bit hotter than I expected here. I trust that you have superior accommodations for me similar to my palace where those American infidels invaded my privacy and shot me through the eye.”
DEVIL: “Yes, yes, a very nice accommodation for you, sir. And, we have a doctor on staff who can take a look at that nasty looking left eye. I’m sure he can repair it—Dr. Martin Bormann is an excellent physician.”
BIN LADEN: “Good, good…now, let’s take a look at where I’ll live.”
DEVIL: “Live? Hmm…that’s an interesting choice of words. But, yes, follow me down to our special wing of suites. We have a very nice place for you here—you’ll be next to Mr. Hitler and just down the hallway from Pol Pot and Genghis Khan. Watch out for that Khan fellow though—a bad temper, that one. You’ll also notice that we keep the temperature nice and hot for you fine fellows down here. You'll have no square meals a day, zero water and you'll burn here forever. Enjoy!"
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sunday morning coffee
It's been another busy week so let's catch up on some of the action, shall we?
- Did you get a load of the headgear sported by those attending the William and Kate nuptials on Friday? Sarah Lyall, writing for The New York Times, described it best: "The outfits of the guests were generally tasteful and royal-friendly. A few things stuck out...The hats worn by the ladies, which resembled, variously, overturned buckets, flowerpots, lampshades, fezzes, salad plates, tea cozies, flying saucers, abstract artworks or, in one case, a pile of feathers."
- No tweeting was allowed from Westminster Abbey at the royal wedding but in the month leading up to the big event, there were roughly 600,000 posts per day.
- Traveling from midtown to downtown New York in a cab is bad enough but cross-country? Mohammed Alam, a New York cabdriver, received the fare of a lifetime--$5,000 to drive John Belitsky and Dan Weubben of New Jersey from New York to Los Angeles. The trip took six days and was Belitsky's idea for a birthday adventure. Not only did Alam get a huge fare, he also got to see Universal Studios--a dream of his since childhood.
- In our house, we have a hard time getting our cat to use the kitty door. In Florida, a woman discovered that an alligator had figured out the kitty door--she found the creature in her bedroom.
- Katie Couric confirmed that she is stepping down as anchor of the CBS Evening News. That once proud news franchise--the home of Walter Cronkite--is bringing up the ratings rear among nighttime news shows.
- Back to the royal wedding, Christopher Hitchens had this to say on Slate.com: "Every decade or so, the pathetic bunch of scandal-prone, dowdy misanthropes Britain calls 'the royals,' seems to require a 'human sacrifice'--a fresh-faced outsider like Diana or Kate who is forced to live an unendurable existence of constant scrutiny, and then is 'punished or humiliated when they crack up.'"
- Here is another sign of the growing irrelevance of print media: In the past decade, 18 newspapers have closed their foreign bureaus. The Boston Globe, Miami Herald and The Philadelphia Inquirer are among those on this list.
- And finally, some juicy tidbits from today's Parade magazine: West Virginia has the most strip clubs of any state in the U.S. and is also the state which has the highest percentage of adults who report not getting enough rest; Minnesota is the top state for physical activity; Connecticut's residents visit the dentist most frequently; and Vermont leads the nation in the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
- Did you get a load of the headgear sported by those attending the William and Kate nuptials on Friday? Sarah Lyall, writing for The New York Times, described it best: "The outfits of the guests were generally tasteful and royal-friendly. A few things stuck out...The hats worn by the ladies, which resembled, variously, overturned buckets, flowerpots, lampshades, fezzes, salad plates, tea cozies, flying saucers, abstract artworks or, in one case, a pile of feathers."
- No tweeting was allowed from Westminster Abbey at the royal wedding but in the month leading up to the big event, there were roughly 600,000 posts per day.
- Traveling from midtown to downtown New York in a cab is bad enough but cross-country? Mohammed Alam, a New York cabdriver, received the fare of a lifetime--$5,000 to drive John Belitsky and Dan Weubben of New Jersey from New York to Los Angeles. The trip took six days and was Belitsky's idea for a birthday adventure. Not only did Alam get a huge fare, he also got to see Universal Studios--a dream of his since childhood.
- In our house, we have a hard time getting our cat to use the kitty door. In Florida, a woman discovered that an alligator had figured out the kitty door--she found the creature in her bedroom.
- Katie Couric confirmed that she is stepping down as anchor of the CBS Evening News. That once proud news franchise--the home of Walter Cronkite--is bringing up the ratings rear among nighttime news shows.
- Back to the royal wedding, Christopher Hitchens had this to say on Slate.com: "Every decade or so, the pathetic bunch of scandal-prone, dowdy misanthropes Britain calls 'the royals,' seems to require a 'human sacrifice'--a fresh-faced outsider like Diana or Kate who is forced to live an unendurable existence of constant scrutiny, and then is 'punished or humiliated when they crack up.'"
- Here is another sign of the growing irrelevance of print media: In the past decade, 18 newspapers have closed their foreign bureaus. The Boston Globe, Miami Herald and The Philadelphia Inquirer are among those on this list.
- And finally, some juicy tidbits from today's Parade magazine: West Virginia has the most strip clubs of any state in the U.S. and is also the state which has the highest percentage of adults who report not getting enough rest; Minnesota is the top state for physical activity; Connecticut's residents visit the dentist most frequently; and Vermont leads the nation in the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Is your job stressful? Check this out...
Did you know that April is "Stress Awareness Month?" Don't worry--I didn't either. But, the focus on stress did lead the folks at The Huffington Post to write about the ten most stressful jobs in the U.S.
Job stress was rated on 11 different factors: outlook/growth potential, travel, deadlines, working in the public eye, competitive nature of the job, physical demands, environmental conditions, hazards, own life at risk, life of another at risk, and meeting with the public.
Most of the following professions won't surprise you--what may surprise you is the final ranking of which jobs are considered the most stressful.
In descending order:
10. Real Estate Agent. Why the stress? Well, consider the hours and the "always on" criteria for selling real estate.
9. Emergency Medical Technician. Not only do EMTs save lives, but they often put their owns lives at risk as well.
8. Stockbroker. It's a bad economy, and has been for far too long. Need any other reasons?
7. Architect. For all of you architectural students who pull all-nighters on your final project, guess what--it doesn't get any easier out in the real world.
6. Advertising Account Executive. Deadlines? Check. Competitiveness? Check. Lower than average pay? Check.
5. Newscaster. If you live in this world, you're not only in the public eye and under constant deadline pressure, but you also are under constant pressure to deliver ratings.
4. Photojournalist. In harm's way and deadlines--not a good combination. Plus, is there an SD card in the camera? (Let's hope so...)
3. Senior Corporate Executive. Yep, the compensation can be mind-boggling. And, so can the quick fall from grace if numbers and expectations aren't met.
2. Public Relations Officer. This initially struck me as a high rank for this profession until I thought of BP, Southwest and other recent P.R. crises.
1. Commercial Pilot. Lots of travel, not enough rest, aging equipment, physical demands, dealing with the public, and the pressure of keeping hundreds of lives safe on each flight.
What are some notable professions not listed here? How about teachers, particularly those in settings which aren't necessarily conducive to learning. Coaching is yet another--a profession where everyone thinks they are an expert. Of course, in that vein there's also sports officials--the folks who referee games and are chided for their lack of eyesight, objectivity and overall brainpower.
Stress comes in many shapes and forms and I hesitate to suggest that any profession isn't stressful. Yet, I think we'd be hard-pressed to argue that any of the above ten don't deserve special recognition for their stress and difficulty.
Job stress was rated on 11 different factors: outlook/growth potential, travel, deadlines, working in the public eye, competitive nature of the job, physical demands, environmental conditions, hazards, own life at risk, life of another at risk, and meeting with the public.
Most of the following professions won't surprise you--what may surprise you is the final ranking of which jobs are considered the most stressful.
In descending order:
10. Real Estate Agent. Why the stress? Well, consider the hours and the "always on" criteria for selling real estate.
9. Emergency Medical Technician. Not only do EMTs save lives, but they often put their owns lives at risk as well.
8. Stockbroker. It's a bad economy, and has been for far too long. Need any other reasons?
7. Architect. For all of you architectural students who pull all-nighters on your final project, guess what--it doesn't get any easier out in the real world.
6. Advertising Account Executive. Deadlines? Check. Competitiveness? Check. Lower than average pay? Check.
5. Newscaster. If you live in this world, you're not only in the public eye and under constant deadline pressure, but you also are under constant pressure to deliver ratings.
4. Photojournalist. In harm's way and deadlines--not a good combination. Plus, is there an SD card in the camera? (Let's hope so...)
3. Senior Corporate Executive. Yep, the compensation can be mind-boggling. And, so can the quick fall from grace if numbers and expectations aren't met.
2. Public Relations Officer. This initially struck me as a high rank for this profession until I thought of BP, Southwest and other recent P.R. crises.
1. Commercial Pilot. Lots of travel, not enough rest, aging equipment, physical demands, dealing with the public, and the pressure of keeping hundreds of lives safe on each flight.
What are some notable professions not listed here? How about teachers, particularly those in settings which aren't necessarily conducive to learning. Coaching is yet another--a profession where everyone thinks they are an expert. Of course, in that vein there's also sports officials--the folks who referee games and are chided for their lack of eyesight, objectivity and overall brainpower.
Stress comes in many shapes and forms and I hesitate to suggest that any profession isn't stressful. Yet, I think we'd be hard-pressed to argue that any of the above ten don't deserve special recognition for their stress and difficulty.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday comin' 'round...
Happy Monday, one and all! Here are some comings and goings:
- Two stars of The Godfather trilogy have birthdays today. Let's give a shout-out to Al Pacino (Michael Corleone), turning 71, and Talia Shire (Connie Corleone Rizzi), who is 65.
- If your thing is dark medieval fantasy, then HBO's Game of Thrones is for you. The first two episodes have been very well done yet dark, violent, and with the typical HBO flare of nudity and "adult language."
- David Brooks has authored a very intriguing book, The Social Animal, about how we form our emotions and character. The book, as told through the lens of a fictional couple, provides fascinating insight into the roots of social behavior.
- And, according to today's Wall Street Journal, "For the second consecutive year, marketers are poised to spend more money in advance on commercials for the coming TV season than they did a year earlier, driven in part by unusually high prices for last-minute commercials this spring." As a result, the cost of buying these advance commercials--known as the "upfront" in advertising land--is expected to rise sharply. So, let's give a shout-out to the ad industry--a hot category amidst others where flat is the new normal.
- Two stars of The Godfather trilogy have birthdays today. Let's give a shout-out to Al Pacino (Michael Corleone), turning 71, and Talia Shire (Connie Corleone Rizzi), who is 65.
- If your thing is dark medieval fantasy, then HBO's Game of Thrones is for you. The first two episodes have been very well done yet dark, violent, and with the typical HBO flare of nudity and "adult language."
- David Brooks has authored a very intriguing book, The Social Animal, about how we form our emotions and character. The book, as told through the lens of a fictional couple, provides fascinating insight into the roots of social behavior.
- And, according to today's Wall Street Journal, "For the second consecutive year, marketers are poised to spend more money in advance on commercials for the coming TV season than they did a year earlier, driven in part by unusually high prices for last-minute commercials this spring." As a result, the cost of buying these advance commercials--known as the "upfront" in advertising land--is expected to rise sharply. So, let's give a shout-out to the ad industry--a hot category amidst others where flat is the new normal.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Throwin' it around
As I sit here on Saturday night and watch The Ten Commandments for about the 50th time, let's throw it around a bit, shall we?
- Tomorrow is Easter and on Friday USA Today reported how more and more believers are choosing home worship over traditional churches. The newspaper cited a Barna Research survey of 1,005 results--oddly, from 2007--to note the following: 89% engage in faith activities at home, 75% are active in a house church, 68% tune in a religious program on radio, 45% participate in interactive faith websites, and 42% participate in interactive faith events online.
- Americans spend over $2 million on Easter candy, second only to candy sales at Halloween. Each year, over ninety million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced. (Source: American Confectionary Association)
- Who says that the baggy pants sported by young men these days don't have an advantage beyond being fashion forward? Kendrick Williams, a 17-year old from St. Petersburg, FL, recently was walking home from work and heard a strange hissing sound emanating from a pond. He realized it was an alligator who came after him, snapped at his leg, and only managed to get a snout-full of Williams' baggy britches. Williams credits the baggy look for saving him from serious injury.
- A Harvard researcher proved what most of us would have guessed--a large percentage of congressional press releases are devoted to taunting the other party. He studied over 64,000 press releases, most of which claimed credit for a success or staked out a position of one kind or the other. However, 1 in 4 included such statements as "(The other party) is not listening to the American people."
- Speaking of The Ten Commandments, why does ABC air a movie about a story from the Old Testament when Jesus' resurrection--the reason for Easter--is in the New Testament? It could be that there is no movie which has focused on the crucifixion and resurrection and achieved mainstream acceptance like the timeless movie about Moses.
- R.I.P. Flip. No, Flip is not a person--it's the portable movie camera which Cisco decided to stop producing last week. And, while everyone these days has a movie camera in their phone, the Flip was ultra easy to use--simply turn on, point, shoot, then plug in to your computer via the camera's pop-out USB.
- It's the Six Million Dollar Man's birthday today--Lee Majors turned 72.
- Tomorrow is Easter and on Friday USA Today reported how more and more believers are choosing home worship over traditional churches. The newspaper cited a Barna Research survey of 1,005 results--oddly, from 2007--to note the following: 89% engage in faith activities at home, 75% are active in a house church, 68% tune in a religious program on radio, 45% participate in interactive faith websites, and 42% participate in interactive faith events online.
- Americans spend over $2 million on Easter candy, second only to candy sales at Halloween. Each year, over ninety million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced. (Source: American Confectionary Association)
- Who says that the baggy pants sported by young men these days don't have an advantage beyond being fashion forward? Kendrick Williams, a 17-year old from St. Petersburg, FL, recently was walking home from work and heard a strange hissing sound emanating from a pond. He realized it was an alligator who came after him, snapped at his leg, and only managed to get a snout-full of Williams' baggy britches. Williams credits the baggy look for saving him from serious injury.
- A Harvard researcher proved what most of us would have guessed--a large percentage of congressional press releases are devoted to taunting the other party. He studied over 64,000 press releases, most of which claimed credit for a success or staked out a position of one kind or the other. However, 1 in 4 included such statements as "(The other party) is not listening to the American people."
- Speaking of The Ten Commandments, why does ABC air a movie about a story from the Old Testament when Jesus' resurrection--the reason for Easter--is in the New Testament? It could be that there is no movie which has focused on the crucifixion and resurrection and achieved mainstream acceptance like the timeless movie about Moses.
- R.I.P. Flip. No, Flip is not a person--it's the portable movie camera which Cisco decided to stop producing last week. And, while everyone these days has a movie camera in their phone, the Flip was ultra easy to use--simply turn on, point, shoot, then plug in to your computer via the camera's pop-out USB.
- It's the Six Million Dollar Man's birthday today--Lee Majors turned 72.
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