Don't Take A Whole Day To Recognize Sunshine

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Yesterday, I spent the morning cleaning up my apartment a bit, then went to see my mom, brother & nephew up at the Fortress of Solitude. They'd had a rough week...and Vinny was super excited to see me. We talked...and mostly used our imaginations of how to overcome the odds with regards to the Kairi situation...but yeah, not the most fun time ever...but we were family...and we were there for each other. Also, I had dinner at a very nice restaurant in Eden called Harley & Buck's. Now, the location was at a condominium complex & being told that it was a steakhouse, I was expecting some astronomical prices...but that was not the case. Sure, there were a few menu items in the $20 range like ahi tuna, a full rack of ribs, prime rib steaks, etc...but here's the thing. For about twenty bucks, I got crab cakes for an appetizer, a beef brisket sandwich with all the fixin's, onion rings and gratuity. The proportions were good too. Not bad for a great atmosphere with a beautiful view of Ogden Valley at sunset either. Furthermore, we got Vinny a burger from the children's menu...and I think they actually gave that guy more food than they gave me. He had a man-sized 1/3 pound burger, full plate of fries and a (root) beer...but luckily he had his Uncle $teve to help him with some of those. Good eats. Then we went to a party that my aunt was throwing...and had a good time with my drunken redneck family. The only lame part was when somebody would ask about Kairi...and my mom would instantly start crying. So yeah, other than that, good times. I got a call from Bubbles too, which really brightened up my evening. She asked me what I was going to be for Halloween...and I didn't really have a response other than, "I don't know, maybe Chewbacca again...or I have some dollar store things from a few years ago where I could be a pirate without eyeshadow or something." Apparently she doesn't think those are good ideas...but she also knows that Halloween is one of my least favorite holidays (though tomorrow is definitely my least favorite). So I throw the question upon you. What should Dr Love be for Halloween? Suggestions? In the meantime, here's the news...

Vick Update - Believe me, I've already thought about being Michael Vick...or more appropriately to my skin color, the Ghost of Michael Vick and walk around in an Eagles jersey & a Scooby Doo on a leash...but I thought that it might be a little too soon...and I've already had run-ins with animal rights activists in the past...and that was just for having a leather jacket. They didn't even know that I worked at a dairy for two years. Anyway, what was my point? Oh yeah. The aforementioned Vick will be giving the public an inside look at his life during an eight-part television series scheduled to debut on BET (yes, THE Black Entertainment Television) next year. Tentatively titled “The Michael Vick Project,” the cable show will follow the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback as he tries to redeem himself after going to prison for 18 months for his role in operating a dogfighting ring. DuBose Entertainment, which is co-producing the series (also produce "Hell Date"), and BET officially announced the show Friday. “I think its important to show our youth and our kids that you face adversity but you’re not responsible for falling, you’re responsible for getting up,” Vick said earlier this week. “I’m very remorseful about what happened and what I did. I just don’t want other people to go down that path. I’m trying to make it right and repair past damages. That’s all I want to show.” The show is part reality TV, part documentary, chronicling Vick’s rise from a difficult childhood to becoming a star at Virginia Tech, the No. 1 overall draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2001, and at the time of his arrest the highest paid player in the NFL. Its producers also are promising a stark, candid look at Vick’s precipitous fall, which culminated in his prison term and bankruptcy, and his return to the NFL this season. Vick signed a $1.6 million deal with the Eagles on August 13th, with a team option for next year worth $5.2 million. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave Vick his full reinstatement September 3rd and allowed him to return to the field in Week 3. Vick has played sparingly his first two games, completing 11 of 15 passes for 45 yards with one interception, and running eight times for 36 yards and a score. “Michael Vick’s story is about second chances, and we are excited to have the opportunity to tell his complete story,” BET president Loretha Jones said in a statement. Vick said he began filming the show with his own crew when he was sent to prison, long before BET got involved. He said he wanted the cameras to see “the ugly results of my decisions” so that other people won’t make the same mistakes. “We started filming that a long time ago, not with BET but just on my own. My own film crew. We haven’t been shooting lately, but it’s something we’ve been doing since I was in prison and through the bankruptcy. It was all out then and I was doing it. I think as the season goes on, I won’t have time for it. Maybe some time in 2010 we can pick up where we left off.” Now, I know what you're thinking...and just because it's on BET doesn't mean that it's going to be completely biased (allegedly). I am a huge fan of BET. As I mentioned back when I first started this thing over two years ago, I've watched a lot of programming...and some of it is pretty insightful stuff...and I hope that this is too. I really do hope that Michael Vick becomes a legendary tale of redemption and learning from your mistakes.

On another note, who else besides me thinks that it's weird that there's a BET (Black Entertainment Television), a WE TV (Women's Entertainment Television) and such...but there's not a crazy horny redneck television station? Oh wait, they call it Spike TV. That's right. Never mind. I think "MANswers" is coming on...or a show about things blowing up or hot chicks. Excuse me.

Simpsons Update - Aye Carumba! Marge Simpson has done something that Homer might not like but will make Bart the proudest kid in his school: She's posed for Playboy magazine. After more than a half century featuring women like Marilyn Monroe, Cindy Crawford (WHAT??? REALLY???) and the Girls of Hooters on its cover, Playboy has for the first time given the spot to a cartoon character (Take THAT Wonder Woman!!!). And the magazine is giving the star of "The Simpsons" the star treatment, complete with a data sheet, an interview and a 2-page centerfold (wow, really?). The magazine's editorial director, James Jellinek, won't say exactly how much of Marge will show in the November edition that hits newsstands on October 16th or whether she lets that big pile of blue hair down...but, he did say, "It's very, very racy." But he stressed that the mother of three (the youngest a baby for the past two decades, by the way) has a lot to be proud of. "She is a stunning example of the cartoon form," he said on Friday at the magazine's headquarters in Chicago, appearing both pleased and surprised at the words coming out of his mouth. For Playboy, which has seen its circulation slip from 3.15 million to 2.6 million since 2006, putting Marge on the cover was designed to attract younger readers (just remember, the show's been on for twenty years) to a magazine where the median age of readers is 35, while not alienating older readers. "We knew that this would really appeal to the 20-something crowd," said Playboy spokeswoman Theresa Hennessey (who has NOT appeared on a cover...yet). The magazine also hopes to turn the November issue into a collectors' item by featuring Marge, sitting on a chair in the shape of the iconic Playboy bunny, on the cover of only the magazines sold in newsstands. Subscribers get a more traditional model on the cover. "It's so rare in today's digital age where you have the opportunity to send people to the newsstand to pick something up," Jellinek said. Playboy even convinced 7-Eleven to carry the magazine in its 1,200 corporate-owned stores, something the company has only done once before in more than 20 years. "We love Marge," said 7-Eleven spokesman Margaret Chabris. For those who do collect the magazine — and they're out there — the cover will bring to mind another first for the magazine that occurred in 1971 when a black woman appeared on the cover in exactly the same pose and, like Marge, smiling under an impressive head of hair. "We knew it was something all of our readers would get a kick out of," said Hennessey. Jellinek said putting Marge on the cover, while unusual, made perfect sense. For one thing, the cover celebrates the 20th anniversary of the TV show. Further, he said there was an episode in which "Marge bears all," which suggested that she, or at least the people who drew her, would be comfortable with the Playboy treatment. Perhaps most important, the idea seemed like a good one to the magazine's founder, His Majesty Hugh Hefner. "He's a huge 'Simpsons' fan,' said Jellinek. "He's been on 'The Simpsons.'" What HASN'T Hef done? Seriously? This is...ugh, an interesting turn of events...but it is combining a few of my favorite things - The Simpsons, female nudity, beautiful photography & drawing, hard-hitting journalism, female nudity, expanding target demographics, slurpees and female nudity. Hmm, I may have to stop by and pickup a Coke Slurpee and a magazine on Friday. The most intriguing question that I'm sure is on everybody's mind: Does the carpet match the drapes?

Well done Hef. You've tapped into a potentially viable market here with the television crowd...and I have a few suggestions for you (and all I ask is that you invite me to the Mansion a.k.a. Pay it forward). You may want to consider expanding in it a bit...but don't dilute it too much. Maybe a little down the road, a 10th anniversary of Family Guy with a Lois Griffin centerfold...or next year could be the 50 year reunion with Wilma Flintstone & Betty Rubble (tell me you haven't thought about it, I dare you). I mean...the Flintstones was the first TV show to show a couple in the same bed. Think about it. Furthermore, don't forget about the incredibly exploitable...er, profitable comic book crowd. I mentioned Wonder Woman earlier...but there's also the X-Women, Aeon Flux (not really much to the imagination there), Tomb Raider, Cheetara, the Disney Princesses (good luck with getting the rights to that one), Jessica Rabbit, just lots of possibilities...and to prove my point...please enjoy the following PG-13 examples...

I'm just saying, they all have intriguing life stories, incredible personalities, curvy figures...and most importantly to your business, loyal fan bases. Like I said, no need to thank me...but I have always wondered if the legends are true. Besides Hef, I know that you're a religious reader of my blog...and you know that I could use this. Not just a weekend checking out the Holy Land that is the Playboy Mansion...but if you're looking for a young go-getter with great ideas, a spectacular work ethic, an eye for talent, a triple dose of charm and a marketing management degree...then I think when I'm in the LA area next month, you may want to drop me a line. I'll even bring Lilie around so that you can meet her. No, no, she probably wouldn't pose (though there's good money in it) but she's new in town and great at meeting people from around the world who might be good talent. Just throwing it out there. You know how to reach me. We can even shoot the sh*t about Marilyn & the late great Bettie Page.

That'll probably do it for today. The Wingman's coming to hang out for a few days (court stuff with his kids too...weird) but I have tomorrow off work, so we may be able to have a fun day. If only the gentlemen's clubs in Utah weren't absolutely horrible by industry standards. Oh well, we'll make due somehow. And Mrs Wingman, if you're reading this, don't worry. I'll keep him safe & happy...and we're both bummed that you're not up here enjoying downtown Slick City with us. Have a great weekend everybody!!!

P.S. Again, what should I be for Halloween? Discuss.