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2011 in review December 31, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Commentary, Internet, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, TV.
The following is a WordPress post for my blog, edited by me with editorials (like this one) in italics.
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,300 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report (link removed).
Why did I remove the link? It drastically slowed down my browser (Firefox) and repeatedly crashed it. I'm finishing this post in Internet Explorer. Here's the text I copied and pasted, saving in multiple drafts between crashes:
WordPress.com presents
The Mike Chimeri Blog
2011 in blogging
Happy New Year from WordPress.com!
To kick off the new year, we'd like to share with you data on your blog's activity in 2011. You may start scrolling!
Crunchy numbers
In 2011, there were 43 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 225 posts. There were 861 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 1gb. That's about 2 pictures per day.
The busiest day of the year was August 21st with 236 views. The most popular post that day was Bolder & Fresher Tour at Westbury recap.
How did they find you?
The top referring sites in 2011 were:
johnnydollar.us
olbermannwatch.com
magicisland.com
mikechimeri.com
Some visitors came searching, mostly for joyce cooling, empty stage, wwe headquarters, ken navarro, and steve scales.
What is people's fascination with a picture of an empty Parsons Complex auditorium stage that I put in my 2008 Smooth Jazz for Scholars recap?
Most visitors came from The United States. Canada & Italy were not far behind.
Here are the stats I screencapped before Firefox crashed one time too many:
People also visited from other continents, but I can't risk crashing my browser again to see their stats.
Your most commented on post in 2011 was Bolder & Fresher Tour at Westbury recap
These were your 5 most active commenters:
1 notitiae 1 comment Follow
2 smoothjazzdaily 1 comment Follow
3 Marc Gilman 1 comment
4 Grammie 1 comment
5 Bryon 1 comment
Perhaps you could follow their blog or send them a thank you note?
Thank you, even if you disagreed with me. And thank you, Johnny Dollar, for linking to the recap. It was the only one online. Not even Newsday wrote about the show.
Attractions in 2011
These are the posts that got the most views in 2011.
1 Bolder & Fresher Tour at Westbury recap 8 comments August 2011
2 SJFS recap 14 comments April 2008
3 John Tesh Tilles Center concert recap 9 comments July 2009
4 I want my FBN…and some other channels, too. 1 comment April 2008
5 RnR concert recap 3 comments June 2008
Some of your most popular posts were written before 2011. Your writing has staying power! Consider writing about those topics again.
I don't know why that FBN post continues to get attention. Cablevision added it in November 2009.
As always, thank you very much for visiting. Happy 2012!
A NICE gesture December 25, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Commentary, News, Personal, Travel.
The cherry on top of this Christmas and sixth night of Hanukkah was learning that the new Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) bus–the private replacement of the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) Long Island Bus–will be accepting MetroCards on their buses.
More from Newsday (subscription needed):
… [T]he MTA ironed out details of a "memorandum of understanding" with Nassau that will allow the bus system to continue using the MetroCard fare payment system. Under the agreement, the MTA will receive 1.75 cents per MetroCard swipe. The agreement also will allow for free transfers between NICE bus and MTA subways or buses. [Incoming NICE chief executive Michael Setzer] called the agreement "a big win for both MTA and NICE riders."
Also, according to the NICE website, the routes and schedules will remain the same.
I'm ready to make NICE, starting next Sunday, New Year's Day 2012.
My 9/11 experience September 10, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Commentary, Football, Hockey, Media, Music, News, Personal, Radio, Sports, TV.
The following is an excerpt from a written summary of a 9/11 portfolio I made at the end of the Fall 2001 semester (December 16) at C.W. Post for my Broadcasting 1 course, edited for brevity and accuracy:
It was 9:10 a.m. on September 11. I just wanted to see what Regis [Philbin] and Kelly [Ripa] were talking about [on Live with Regis and Kelly]. So, I put on Channel 7 (WABC), and [saw] John DelGiorno in NewsCopter 7 showing smoke rising from both towers of the World Trade Center. I had no idea how it had happened, but after flipping from station to station, and seeing the various replays, I knew. At the time, it was considered that two planes accidentally crashed into the two towers, especially after the first plane hit, and that perhaps these were [small planes]. But, of course, they were two Boeing 767s; one was American Airlines Flight 11, and the next was United Airlines Flight 175. As more time passed, we got a better idea that this was a terrorist attack of some sort. It was made clear when it was reported that two planes had been hijacked and disappeared from radar, and especially clear when at [9:37], there was a fire at the Pentagon, which turned out to be from American Flight 77. As all this was going on, I tried to go about my regular activities and get ready for my day at C.W. Post. At [9:58], I was in my parents' bedroom, standing, towel in hand about to shower, watching Channel 4 (WNBC) and listening to Howard Stern, which my parents had on. We were looking live at the two burning towers, and then, as I looked away for a second [at 9:59], I turned back as my dad made a shocking remark. "The building just collapsed," he said in horror. "Oh, my God." And I indeed saw the South Tower collapsing in on itself. My heart sank as many stories as the tower; it was the most chilling thing I had seen since United 175 crash[ed] into that same tower. I continued to get ready, now further terrorized, and then at 10:29, as my mom and I were getting into our car to head up to campus, my dad came out the front door. I lowered my window, and he told us that the other tower had collapsed [one minute earlier]. I didn't know what that looked like until I saw the replay on CNN at the Hillwood Cinema. As I watched the North Tower, with antennas and transmitters, collapse, I let out a long, horrified groan. That is all I will say about how September 11 was for me. …
Classes were suspended in the afternoon and didn't resume until Thursday. So, I needed a ride home in the mid-afternoon. I couldn't get through to either of my parents for that ride. When I walked past Humanities Hall, I found my Human Values professor from two semesters prior, John Lutz. Dr. Lutz was gracious enough to give me the ride home I needed. We listened to 1010 WINS for much of what turned out to be a long ride. Traffic was heavy nearly the entire way home. Lutz is still teaching at C.W. Post, now as an associate professor of English (9/10/13: and Chairman of the English Department). If you happen to read this, Dr. Lutz, I can't thank you enough for your help on that chaotic day ten years ago.
I was so overcome with emotion that I wasn't in the mood to listen to any music (on CDs or MP3s on the computer) for up to a week. Yet, I had a song in my head that I couldn't repress. As the song looped, I kept visualizing either the two towers on fire after being hit or the image from NewsCopter 7–one that got replayed repeatedly–of United 175 flying diagonally into the South Tower. It was chilling, as I said in my summary. When I wasn't watching the nonstop coverage on that day and the days ahead, I watched syndicated reruns of The Simpsons that I had been taping for a year. (I gave that up in 2006.) It was a therapeutic escape from the insanity of real life.
I'll conclude this post with a few pictures. These were taken on a return trip to Ground Zero while shooting my senior project: a documentary about Joe Falco, a now-retired FDNY firefighter who survived the collapse of the South Tower:
And the following links:
Rick Folbaum Recounts Horrors of Reporting From Ground Zero on 9/11; Reveals Chilling Video From the Scene
Remembering 9/11: Incredible Raw Video Shows Rick Leventhal Interviewing Survivors at Ground Zero as North Tower Collapses
Janice Dean's look back
PHOTOS: 10 Years After Sept. 11 Attack, Amazing Before-and-After Photos of Ground Zero & World Trade Center Site
TV News Reflects on 9/11/01: CNN's Wolf Blitzer, NBC's Anne Thompson
TV News Reflects on 9/11/01: Bloomberg TV's Michael McKee, FNC's Shepard Smith and Rick Leventhal
VIDEO: Flashback: 9/11 as it happened
AUDIO: Steve Somers' 9/10/11 monologue on WFAN
H/T for six of the eight links to Johnny Dollar's Friday and Saturday links pages.
Further addendum: I want to be fair and share this link passed along to me via e-mail by Liz Potter: My Fellow American
Ms. Potter contacted me after I brought up Joe Falco in my Bolder Fresher recap:
I went with my dad and we were joined later by family friend Joe Falco. Joe is a former FDNY firefighter who survived the collapse of the World Trade Center's south tower on September 11, 2001. My college senior project was a documentary featuring his recollections and a return to Ground Zero where he retraced his steps.
Since it was a passing reference to 9/11, I politely declined linking. Now that I've made a direct reference with this post, it's only fair that I link.
9/12 UPDATE: I have another video link: Fox Sports and the NFL's 9/11 Remembrance. (9/10/13: Link no longer works.) Just over three minutes in, there is a rousing rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" performed by Jim Cornelison at Soldier Field. Here's a little background on from his YouTube channel:
Bolder & Fresher Tour at Westbury recap August 21, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Audiobooks, Books, Comedy, Commentary, Media, News, Personal, Politics, Radio, TV, Weather.
(2/22/13 UPDATE: For those that found this post by search engine, this is a recap of the original Bolder-Fresher show at Westbury in August 2011. There will be another show there on June 1 of this year, but I won't be attending that one.)
(12/6/14 UPDATE: On the other hand, I will be attending the Don't Be a Pinhead Tour show at Westbury on May 2, 2015. The new name for the tour is the result of retooling.)
(Update at the bottom with viewer e-mails from audience members at 10/29 Mohegan Sun show, 11/2 Miller Time segment, my quick review of Killing Lincoln, and highlights from the 10/29 show.)
Last night, I returned to what is now the NYCB Theatre at Westbury for the debut of the Bolder & Fresher Tour starring Bill O'Reilly and Dennis Miller.
The show was at 8:00, but since it was nearly sold out, Dad and I left the house at 6:45 to be safe. It took about fifteen minutes to arrive. Once in the theatre, we sat down for 50 minutes. Our seats were adjacent to the aisle where Bill and Dennis walked to and from the stage. A few minutes after 8:00, the lights dimmed, and Bill, via the public address system, introduced "the fresh part of the Bolder Fresher Tour, Miller!" My dad said he and Dennis made eye contact during his walk down to the stage.
Dennis' material was toned down a bit. In TV ratings terms, he was TV-14-DL; no s- or f-words but suggestive dialogue. His 35-minute set touched on many topics, including:
The southern U.S. border
What he likes and dislikes about President Obama
Then, it was Bill's turn. Among his topics were:
The Republican presidential candidate field
Who has the best chance to be the Republican nominee
The split in the Republican Party between the Tea Party and the establishment
His upcoming appearance in an episode of Rizzoli & Isles
His upcoming book, Killing Lincoln
Recounting his previous appearance on The View
After a 15-minute intermission, Bill and Dennis returned for 35 minutes of Q&A. At this point, the two sat in stools while the stage rotated. It took Dennis a few minutes to notice that and then he acknowledged it to the audience. They each had stories to tell. Dennis talked about:
How he moved from the left to center-right politically
His old CNBC show and how things fell apart between him and his monkey sidekick Mowgli
His work in Bordello of Blood and on Monday Night Football
Meeting Frank Sinatra
Checking out the room Elvis Presley stayed in at the Vegas Hilton
A story Billy Crystal told him about Redd Foxx
Bill talked about his upbringing, from Levittown to The O'Reilly Factor, and everything in between: working as a lifeguard for the Town of Babylon, going to St. Brigid's, Chaminade High School, Marist (to which Dennis made a Marist/Roger Maris joke), working his way up in TV news.
It was a great show. Bill and Dennis both entered and exited to standing ovations. To be honest, I enjoyed this more than the Bold & Fresh Tour show last year.
If you'd like to see Bolder Fresher for yourself, check the tour's website for upcoming dates and venues. You'll be glad you went.
8/23 UPDATE: Three e-mails from audience members were read tonight on The O'Reilly Factor:
Keith Warhola, Mineola, NY: "Bill, you and Miller killed at Westbury. Loved the show."
Bill's response: "We didn't actually kill anybody. It means that–[in] show biz–we were good."
Gina Serra, Syosset, NY: "Bill, the Bolder-Fresher show was great! You were charming and Miller was a riot."
Caryl Taylor, Briarcliff, NY: "Officer O'Reilly, we salute you and Dennis Miller. We were fully entertained by your observations and Miller's stories."
Bill's response: "Well, thank you for all the nice mail, guys; got tons of letters. Clips from the show are now posted on BillOReilly.com for premium members. Next week, we're gonna open 'em up to everybody. So you can see about 15 minutes of the Bolder Fresher show on BillOReilly.com. Info on upcoming shows in Connecticut; Richmond, Virginia; and Atlantic City available on BolderFresher.com. BolderFresher.com."
In addition to those e-mails, a few clips were shown last night in the Reality Check segment. I compiled that and tonight's e-mails into this video:
9/9 UPDATE: The latter half of August 24's Miller Time segment was devoted to the Westbury show:
I would have posted this sooner, but Irene set me back and then I forgot.
11/1 UPDATE: Saturday night, the Bolder Fresher Tour came to Mohegan Sun. As the winds howled and snow mixed with rain here in southeast Nassau, I wondered if the show would even happen, but this tweet confirmed it did:
Dennis Miller & Bill O'Reilly – Bold[er & Fresh[er] Tour (@ Mohegan Sun Arena) http://t.co/UJ475ItU
O'Reilly and Miller weren't going to let a pesky snowstorm/Nor'easter stop them. I'm sure everyone got back home, or home away from home (i.e. hotel room), safely.
One viewer e-mail from an audience member was read tonight on The O'Reilly Factor:
Lynda Hanratty, Selden, NY: "Hey, Mr. O, we drove five hours to Connecticut in that snowstorm to see you and Miller. And it was worth the white knuckle ride! You two were hysterical! Was that your limo that passed us on the ride home?"
Bill's response: "No limo for me, Lynda. I drove up there, just like you did, from Long Island. Glad you liked the Bolder Fresher show. Watch out, Richmond, Virginia; and Atlantic City. We're comin' to you Thanksgiving weekend. Details on BillOReilly.com."
11/2 UPDATE: Tonight's Miller Time only made a passing reference to Saturday's show at Mohegan Sun. Here's the video, anyway. And here's another viewer e-mail:
Mark Underhill, East Aurora, NY: "Bill, my wife and I drove seven hours to see you and Miller in that snowstorm on Saturday. To make the trip go faster, we tried to buy the Killing Lincoln audio. It was sold out everywhere. So we bought the book and my wife read it to me. Excellent."
Bill's response: "Your wife's a trooper, Mark, and I'm sending you the audio for your ordeal. Killing Lincoln is selling out everywhere, but we are printing them as fast as we can get 'em out to you. More than 900,000 copies of 'Killing Lincoln' in print right now. Thank you all."
I pre-ordered the audio of Killing Lincoln before it came out and began listening to it September 28, the day after it was released. It got me through my daily walks and I finished it in two weeks. It reads (or is read by Bill) like a thriller. I vividly remember where I was walking while listening to key passages.
11/3 UPDATE: Highlights from Saturday can be seen on the BillOReilly.com video page. Look for "Bolder & Fresher Tour at Mohegan Sun" and click to play.
For the third night in a row, a viewer e-mail from an audience member was read:
Kathleen O'Gorman, Meriden, CT: "Mr. O, we lost power in the storm and it's been rough. You and Miller were the only bright spots as we caught the Bolder Fresher show."
Bill's response: "[I] appreciate that, Kathleen. The power situation in the Northeast is gettin' desperate. A clip from the Bolder Fresher show on Saturday [is] posted on BillOReilly.com. And Miller and I will see everybody in Richmond, Virginia; and Atlantic City at the end of November."
11/4 UPDATE: Another day, another update. Psychotherapist Dr. Karen Ruskin was in the audience Saturday night and tweeted Dennis this afternoon:
Hi Dennis, Dr Karen Ruskin here, mental health expert- appeared on O'Reilly. Great show w Bill Sat! Will never see ED the same @DennisDMZ
An audience member viewer e-mail all the way from Montana!:
Margot Belden, Missoula, MT: "Bill, I came from Montana to see you and Miller in Connecticut! It was worth the ordeal. You were so funny, I had tears in my eyes."
Bill's response: "I hope from laughing with me, Margot, and not at me. Signed copy of Killing Lincoln coming your way for that big trip. …" That was followed by another reminder about the Richmond and Atlantic City shows in a few weeks.
Bolder & Fresher Tour at Westbury August 10, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, Commentary, Internet, Media, News, Personal, Politics, Radio, TV.
Next Saturday, Bill O'Reilly and Dennis Miller will kick off the Bolder & Fresher Tour at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury. It's the sequel to the Bold & Fresh Tour with Bill and Glenn Beck.
The Tour is billed this way on its website:
Bolder and fresher than ever before… Bill O'Reilly, godfather of "no spin" and in-your-face television, and Dennis Miller, the king of references and rants, are teaming up to take the country by storm! Your town may never be the same.
So far, three other shows have been booked after Westbury:
10/29: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT
11/25: Landmark Theatre, Richmond, VA
11/26: Borgata Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, NJ
I will be in the audience next Saturday. I can't wait.
8/21 UPDATE: Here's my recap of the show.
Tim McCarver auto-tuned July 19, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Baseball, Commentary, Media, Music, News, Personal, Politics, Sports, Technology, TV.
During the last commercial break for the 8PM Eastern airing of last Friday's The O'Reilly Factor, there was a promo for the MLB on Fox. In the promo, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are to be auto-tuned during their broadcasts to appeal to a younger demographic. Tim follows through, but Joe refuses:
This promo has been running since the start of the season, but Friday was the first time I saw it. I initially posted it to my Facebook wall, but decided to post it here, too. As I said in my previous post, I find auto-tune hilarious and always get a kick out of it, especially if spoken word gets the auto-tune treatment.
Rating Improv-A-Ganza games; the ratings May 25, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Comedy, Commentary, Game Shows, Media, Personal, Radio, Theatre, TV.
I have been a fan of improv comedy since I discovered reruns of the British version of Whose Line is it Anyway? on Comedy Central 14 years ago. The American version with Drew Carey and much of the American performers from the British version brought the Whose Line franchise and improv to the stratosphere. My love for Whose Line carried over to Drew Carey's Green Screen Show, which unfortunately didn't last long. But I had the good fortune to conduct phone interviews with Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood while I was at WCWP. Here's how those interviews went:
Brad Sherwood Interview (May 25, 2005)
Colin Mochrie Interview (September 14, 2005)
Brad Sherwood Interview II (November 10, 2006)
(More interviews can be heard here and here.)
Four years into Drew Carey's run as host of The Price is Right, along came Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza on GSN. With a month and a half of the show under viewers' belts, I've decided to choose my favorite, least favorite, and so-so games from the show:
(NOTE: Ratings are subject to change and vary by the episode in which the games are performed.)
Freeze Tag
Kick It!
Question This!
Two-Headed [Expert]
LEAST FAVORITE
Sound Effects – I'm a perfectionist. With the exception of Rich Fields and Steve Kamer, audiences members' attempts at sound effects are tough to watch.
Moving People/Bodies – This is also tough to watch.
Mousetraps – All I can say is ouch! I feel for whatever two performers have to participate.
SO-SO
Bob's Call – When Bob Derkach hears a line that songs like a song, he'll improvise a song and the two performers in the scene have to do the same.
New Choice
Song for a Lady
I'm hoping there will be more Improv-A-Ganza in the weeks, months, and perhaps years ahead. But unfortunately, it may not be around much longer, either, as it is suffering from low ratings. I got so caught up in watching each episode and savoring every moment, I didn't consider looking up the ratings. Since the show's competition includes cable news opinion shows, I'm not surprised. The ratings would probably be higher if DVRs were factored in. I'm one of those DVRers, if that is a word. I watch my Improv-A-Ganza recording later while watching Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor as it airs.
I convert each episode to my MiniDV camcorder then capture those episodes to my computer as AVI video files. The final step is normalizing audio and inserting fades or crossfades then rendering as MPG files and deleting the AVIs to save hard drive space. Unfortunately, the recordings are in SD (standard definition) because Cablevision hasn't added GSN's HD feed. Improv-A-Ganza airs in HD.
If Improv-A-Ganza is in its last days, then there is an upside: there will be more episodes of this show than the Green Screen Show.
5/25 UPDATE: Last night's episode featured those so-so rated games Bob's Call and Compilation Album. I liked them both. Moving Bodies was all right.
5/26 UPDATE: I have a theory about some of the Improv-A-Ganza ratings analysis. The show is not a traditional game show, yet it's on GSN. Therefore, if its ratings can be negatively spun, perhaps that will hasten its cancellation. It's similar to the Fox Business Network (FBN): highlight the channel's low ratings and root for its demise.
I'm probably wrong. It is, after all, just a theory from a fan of Drew Carey's improv franchise, from the American Whose Line to Improv-A-Ganza.
5/27 UPDATE: Look at this post on the MGM Grand Las Vegas Facebook page (h/t Improv-A-Ganza Facebook fan page):
Stand-up comic, producer, writer and host of "The Price is Right," Drew Carey, will return to the Hollywood Theatre at MGM Grand with his Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza. Audience members may appear in an original, primetime GSN (Game Show Network) television series being shot during these special live performances!
Improv-A-Ganza is alive!
6/3 UPDATE: Or is it? Tonight's show was the season finale. Let's hope it wasn't the series finale.
Suddenly off the air: Olby and me January 21, 2011
Posted by Mike C. in Commentary, Jazz, Media, Music, News, Personal, Politics, Radio, TV.
Shortly after 9PM, I learned that Keith Olbermann had done his last show with MSNBC. At first, I was in denial. Without knowing the details, I figured he wouldn't be gone long, as was the case when he was suspended in November. But there won't be a reprieve for him this time. This is really the end.
It came as swiftly as my end came at WCWP last August. On a Wednesday afternoon, August 4, hours before going on the Spirit of New York's Smooth Cruise, it was Rick Braun and Richard Elliot that week, I got an e-mail that stopped me in my tracks. Long story short, six days later, I wrote the following:
Effective immediately, I am stepping aside from "Evening Jazz" on 88.1 WCWP. I wish the best of luck to those involved with the format. It was a privilege to be on board for the first seven months. It was equally an honor to be considered as a host when the format was proposed a year ago.
I stand by what I said then. I will admit that I've had bitter moments since the decision. No one likes to step away from something they love, but that's the business of media. I wouldn't have been part of "Evening Jazz" had it not been for Martin Phillips, who I trust has done a fine job in my place.
There is one glaring difference between Olby and me: I didn't use my show to lob personal attacks at my competition or people I disagreed with politically. For that, I did not like Keith, after loving his work at ESPN and Fox Sports earlier in his career. I'll never forget how listening to the audiobook for The Big Show by Keith and Dan Patrick got me and my family through the car ride to Florida in December 1997, or how listening to the same audiobook got me through an hours-long power outage in September 1998 (though not days long like last March's Nor'easter). That made it hard for me to suddenly dislike him beginning in 2006 when he took liberal blog-inspired shots at Bill O'Reilly. Then, I discovered Olbermann Watch, where Keith's misinformation and embellishments were questioned and debunked. It dulled the pain of the personal attacks, unless I witnessed them while recapping segments for the site.
To the chagrin of his fans, to recap what I said at the top of this post, tonight was the end of the line for Keith Olbermann at MSNBC. You can watch his farewell here.
I don't know where either of us will end up next, but for my sake, there must be some place out there for me. I hope I don't regret posting this.
11:32 PM UPDATE: Here's a supportive tweet from Johnny Dollar:
@MikeChimeri Yin and Yang. A good guy loses a job, and, tho it takes a while, a villain gets his comeuppance. You'll find work B4 he does.
I replied by thanking him for the support. Check out his site's links for today. Since the announcement, it's been Olbycentric.
1/22, 12:55 AM UPDATE: J$'s weekend thread has more Olbycentric links.
1/22, 5:39 PM UPDATE: The final Olbermann Watch post…for now.
1/23 UPDATE: J$'s Fox Haters Week in Review closed with a segment on Olbermann. Here's a preview:
The End of an Error?
A few words about Keith Olbermann, possibly the biggest, loudest Fox hater on any news channel. We first dealt with Olby back in 2004, and still recall how his behavior then served as a template for so many smears that were yet to come. It was one of Olby's trademark O'Reilly attacks, and this one was about ratings: …
1/24 UPDATE: The Olbermann reportage carried over to today, as documented at J$P. Included in the links is this video:
From NewsBusters, it's Keith Olbermann's greatest hits.
Greg Gutfeld: Olby's Exit.
Despite Keith's departure from MSNBC, Bill O'Reilly still won't mention his name on the air, as we saw tonight on The O'Reilly Factor in the Weekdays with Bernie [Goldberg] segment. Jeff Poor elaborated on that move at The Daily Caller. It's a good move because Olbermann still has Twitter to snipe back on and rally his base. The new #FOK, or "Friends of Keith," hashtag is one way that base is rallying.
1/25 UPDATE: Today's round of links
The Red Eye version of Greg Gutfeld's commentary (Gregalogue):
1/26 UPDATE: Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel replied to Goldberg today.
1/30 UPDATE: Phil Mushnick: The real reason Olbermann lost his show
Fox News Watch on Keith's dismissal:
2/8 UPDATE: Keith is headed to Current TV. With that, attacks on everyone he disagrees with will resume.
2/9 UPDATE:
3/30/12 UPDATE: Keith Olbermann was fired by Current TV earlier today.
4/1/12 UPDATE: From Howard Kurtz: Keith Olbermann's Angry Email Trail Traces Breakup With Current TV
4/2/12 UPDATE: John Gibson weighed in at the end of his Fox News Radio show this afternoon:
Bold & Fresh Tour at Westbury! January 22, 2010
Posted by Mike C. in Commentary, Media, News, Personal, Radio, TV.
Tomorrow night, Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck's Bold & Fresh Tour kicks off at the Capital One Theatre at Westbury. The show sold out only days after tickets went on sale. The same can be said for all other venues on the tour:
Tampa, FL (two shows)
N. Charleston, SC
Pasadena, CA (two shows)
Actually, as I type, the early Pasadena show still has tickets available, but I doubt that will be true much longer.
The Norfolk show will be simulcast live in movie theaters across the United States. For more information, check the Bold Fresh Tour website.
On the website, the tour is billed this way:
It's time for the truth — straight up, whether you like it or not. Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck are teaming up and going on tour.
Your town may never be the same.
I will be at the Westbury show tomorrow night. It'll be the first time I've seen either O'Reilly or Beck in person. It should be great.
I'll update this post after the show.
1/23, 10:55 PM UPDATE: The show was excellent.
The start of it was delayed about 15 minutes because some radical protesters wouldn't allow cars into the parking lot. Traffic was held up during that time, resulting in a long stationary line of cars, including me and my dad, from the parking lot entrance to the Northern State Pkwy. exit ramps in both directions. After the delay, the parking lot was full and attendants made us park in a neighboring lot.
Just as we got to our seats inside, the show began. We were four rows from the stage and four seats from the aisle where Glenn and Bill walked to and from the stage.
Glenn came out first, dressed casually with a mic attached to his ear. He spoke for 20 minutes. After that, it was Bill's turn. I knew he was 6'4″, but I had no idea how tall that looked up close until tonight. Bill was in a suit and tie and held a wireless mic.
Then, there was a 20-minute intermission, during which, I tried in vain to get to the concession stand because the lobby was packed.
Following the intermission, both Bill and Glenn sat in chairs and interviewed each other while the stage revolved.
There seemed to be more Glenn fans than Bill fans, but that's okay.
I'm happy to report there weren't any hecklers during the show.
1/25 UPDATE: Dave Marcus had his own recap yesterday in Newsday. Bill replied to the recap tonight on "The O'Reilly Factor" in the Talking Points Memo:
FOXNews.com Video
FOXNews.com Transcript
BillOReilly.com Summary
The tour website links here for info on the movie theater simulcast. It's live this Saturday at 8PM Eastern with an encore replay next Tuesday at the same time. Three Long Island theaters will carry the simulcast live: Port Washington Cinemas, Farmingdale Multiplex, and Island 16: Cinema de Lux in Holtsville. Farmingdale Multiplex and Island 16 will also carry the encore along with Westbury Stadium 12.
1/26 UPDATE: The following viewer e-mails were read on "The Factor" tonight:
Bob DeFliese, Garden City, NY: "Bill, my wife and I attended the Bold Fresh tour show at Westbury and your talking points was spot on. Newsday distorted what happened. Neither you nor Beck made any political play for the Republican Party. You were fair, entertaining, and informative."
Bridget O'Shea Burns, West Springfield, MA: "Bill, my husband and I drove down to see the Bold Fresh show. You and Beck have great on-stage chemistry and I was quite surprised how funny you guys were."
Bill's response: "Well, I appreciate the good review, Bridget. Glad it was worth the trip. By the way, the Bold Fresh show [in Norfolk, VA] is playing at nearly 500 movie theaters this coming Saturday night. Check the theaters out on the website BoldFreshTour.com. BoldFreshTour.com."
Marissa Singer, Farmingville, NY: "O'Reilly, I know Beck teased you about wearing a suit during the show, but I thought you looked dashing."
Bill's response: (grinning): "Well, Beck is just jealous, Marissa. We all know that. Thanks for coming to see us."
Thank you, Bill and Glenn, for such a great show. Thanks also to those that have checked out this post after I linked to it in the comment thread for this post at Olbermann Watch.
1/27 UPDATE: Thanks further to those that were referred from Johnny Dollar's Place.
1/29 UPDATE: Tonight's Talking Points Memo and At Your Beck & Call segment flashed back to last Saturday's show at Westbury.
The Bold Fresh site has news regarding the Norfolk show tomorrow:
Our January 30 show has been postponed to Friday, May 21 due to inclement weather. January tickets will be honored in May with refunds available through February 6. Call 888-3-COXTIX for help.
As a result, the movie simulcast site said this:
On Saturday, Jan. 30, the Bold & Fresh Tour Fathom in-theater event will now be a delayed broadcast of the O'Reilly and Beck tour recorded in Tampa, Fla., on Friday, Jan. 29. Due to the weather-related state of emergency declared by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, the original Bold & Fresh tour date in Norfolk, Va., has been rescheduled, making a simulcast from Norfolk tomorrow evening impossible. Not wanting to disappoint fans who purchased tickets to the Jan. 30 movie theater event, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Fathom and participating theater circuits worked together to ensure Saturday's theater event will still be held, using the production taking place in Tampa on Friday.
2/3 UPDATE: Excerpts from the simulcast Tampa show were shown Monday night on "The Factor":
I'm hoping the simulcast is released on DVD or Blu-ray.
8/2 UPDATE: Bill and Glenn returned to Westbury on Saturday night. I was not there, but plenty of people were. It was another sold out event. Mediaite's Steve Krakauer and Glynnis MacNicol were among the crowd and have their take on the show here and here.
The following e-mails were read tonight on "The O'Reilly Factor":
Marilyn Fulton, Kings Park, NY: "O'Reilly, attended the Bold Fresh tour at the Westbury Theatre. Loved it. You and Beck are a great team."
Bill's response: "Well, I appreciate that, Marilyn."
Gail Fischler, Bellmore, NY: "Saw the show at Westbury. You were hysterical, O'Reilly."
Bill's response: "In a humorous vein, right, Gail? I wasn't literally hysterical, was I? I don't think I was, but…never know what that word means."
I'll answer that: it was indeed a humorous vein. Bill was joking, of course.
1/22/11 UPDATE: The simulcast of last year's Bold Fresh Tour event in Tampa is now available on DVD!
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