The "Lost" CHEERS Super Bowl scene

For several years I've been talking about the "Lost" CHEERS scene. David and I wrote it for the 1983 Super Bowl Pre-game show to promote our fledgling series. They ran it just before game time and it was seen by 80,000,000 people. Nothing we've ever written before or since has been seen by that many eyeballs at one time. But the scene was never repeated. It never appeared on any DVD's. It

Heroines With Over Make Up

The best way to watch MASH

When we did MASH back in the Dark Ages (the 1970’s), it was a pre-digital world. The show was shot in 35 mm film. All of the editing was done by physically splicing film. Today everything is edited on computers. Point and click.  You watch the process on monitors. But back in the ‘70s (when dinosaurs still roamed the earth) the only way we could see a rough cut of an episode was to go a

ORGANIC FARMING MEANS FOOD SECURITY

MORE LAND BEING USED 
FOR ORGANIC FARMING

www.voanews.com - (Africa) More land around the world is being dedicated to organic farming. The Worldwatch Institute says since 1999 there’s been a more than three-fold increase to 37 million hectares. “Organic farming is farming without chemical inputs, like pesticides and fertilizers. Instead of using those inputs it uses a variety of natural techniques, like rotating crops and applying compost to fields – and growing crops that will return nutrients to the soil naturally instead of via chemicals,” said Worldwatch researcher Laura Reynolds, who co-authored a new report on the growth of organic agriculture. 
She said it has a range of public health and environmental benefits. “It delivers fewer pesticides and chemicals to what we eat and to the farmers growing the food. It also delivers a range of economic benefits to farmers growing organically because they found they can get a much higher price if their food is certified organic,” she said.

Last year, Stanford University researchers said that they did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives. “I agree that it won’t change the nutritional content of certain foods, probably cereals,” Reynolds said. “That’s not the entire point of growing organically. If you look at chemicals and toxic elements in the food, there’s definitely a huge difference. So, if you’re getting all of your nutrients, but you’re also eating chemicals, then you sort of want to know the whole story. I found that that report looked at a very small element or organic food,” she explained. 
In order to be certified organic, farmers must keep strict records of how they grow their crops. There’s a lot of red tape or bureaucracy involved and it can be an expensive process. “As more farmers grow organic foods and competition increases, prices should fall,” Reynolds said.

The Worldwatch Institute report says that organic farming is an element of food security and sustainable food production will become more important in developing countries, “as the majority of population growth is concentrated in the world’s poorest countries.” The Oceania region has most of the certified organic agricultural land - more than 12 million hectares spread over Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island nations. Europe is next with 10 million hectares, followed by Latin America with 8.4 million. Asia has about 3 million hectares devoted to organic farming and Africa about 1 million. However, despite the increase in land dedicated to organic farming, the total represents just under one-percent of global agricultural land.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Organic food is grown in a natural way, without chemical fertilizers, without pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or any other poison. And, of course, with original, unaltered, unmodified seeds. Nature provides everything to produce healthy, nutritive fruits, vegetables and grains. ... Plants are perfect as they are. They fulfill a purpose in nature. So there is absolutely no need to do speculative experiments with gene-technique on the seeds, in order to modify the plants. ... The customer has the power to support the production of organic food, restrict the production of genetically engineered food and the use of chemical substances, simply by buying natural, organically grown foodstuff and not accepting altered food. And preferably buying directly from farmers or local stores. We have to educate and inform ourselves about how to support local communities.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
"Organic Farming vs Exploitation"
http://conferencias-virtuales.blogspot.com.ar/
http://vrindachats.blogspot.com.ar/
http://asktheswami.blogspot.com.ar/2005/11/organic-farming-vs-exploitation.html

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

BSNYC Friday Fun Quiz!

ATTENTION: A new version of the BSNYC/RTMS/WCRM software is available for your device.  Would you like to download and install it now?

CONTINUE

CANCEL

I love living in the future.  Technology is fantastic.  Remember pencils?  Seriously, how fucking stupid were they?

Have you ever forgotten your sharpener and had to resort to chipping away the wood with your fingernail?  And don't even get me started on the Erasermate.

Don't.  Even.

I'm not saying you don't still need to write on paper once in awhile.  Of course you do.  It's just that if you're going to do it you should treat it like the special occasion that it is by using something like a steampunk pen:

Or even a quill pen:

In places like Brooklyn and Portland, quill pens are the new MacBook.  Walking into a cafe in Prospect heights is now like stepping into the Constitutional Convention, and the barista can hardly hear your order over all the scratching.

I wonder what kind of writing implement Pete Hamill's brother uses to pen his limp anti-bike lane screeds.  Probably some overblown reminder that he's from Old Brooklyn, like a stickball bat dipped in marinara sauce.  By the way, returning to his column this morning to see if it was as stupid as I remembered it (it was), I couldn't help noticing the following testament to The Daily News's formidable editorial skills:

Here's a closer look:

He was lives, now he is dies.  And so goeth the circle of life and grammar.

[Update: I also see according to item #7 that a Parke Avenue penthouse sold for big money.  Where's Parke Avenue?]

Speaking of Ed Koch, since this is sort of a bike blog, I should note that he did have an interesting and disparate relationship with the bicycle during his time in office--from opening bike lanes in Manhattan in 1980:

To closing them a month later and ultimately unveiling the Midtown Bike Ban in 1987:

I'm certainly not trying to pee-pee on his legacy the day after he's passing; it's just an interesting chapter in New York City cycling history that's worth noting, especially given all the current bike lane bickering and the ever-present possibility that municipal support from them will wane.  If you're one of the two or three people who also find New York City cycling history interesting, you may also enjoy this article from way back in 1971:

Here's then-Congressman Koch on bike lanes:

"To encourage bike riding without providing the necessary safety precautions is foolhardy," Mr. Koch said in a statement.  "The only way to insure safety for the many thousands of New Yorkers who want to bicycle is to designate official and exclusive bike lanes, and the city has failed to do this."

And here's some doofus on the idea of opening bike lanes on 5th Avenue:


"Sure," he said, "I can see those matronly women coming to Bergdorf's on a bicycle."

"I favor bike riding like I favor motherhood [sic] and apple pie," Mr. Grosso said, "but we've had it.  I think the city should explore other areas."

Some things never change, and one of them is that people seem to think cycling is too precious for the working class, yet it's also too dirty for the rich.  (And as for the middle class, who has the time?)

While I'm on the subject of bike lanes and smugness, here's how many pedestrians and cyclists "is dies" in traffic in New York City in 2012:

Alarmingly few of the drivers who caused these deaths were charged, though not to worry, because commercial cyclists are going to have to take online safety courses now:

DOT also announced that enforcement of a package of laws passed by the City Council last October will start in April. The new laws, which include a requirement that commercial cyclists take an online safety course, were touted by City Council Transportation Chair James Vacca as a way to end the “wild, wild west” environment on city streets.

I'd love to get a look at some of the questions on that test:

You have sixteen bags of Chinese food hanging from the handlebars of your ebike.  You're traveling at 25mph and the light turns red.  What do you do?

A) Stop
B) Take to the sidewalk
C) Circle in the crosswalk until there's a gap in traffic
D) Close your eyes, twist the throttle, and hope for the best

I'm not sure what the answer is, but the only one of these I've never seen is A.

Speaking of tests, I'm pleased to present you with a quiz.  As ALWAYS, STUDY THE ANSWER, THINK, TURN OFF YOur caps lock (sorry about that), and click on your answer.  If you're right you'll know, and if you're wrong you'll see Andy Rooney's illegitimate child.

Thanks very much for reading, ride safe, and avoid foul odors.


--Wildcat Rock Machine

("I don't see what the problem is.")

1) Due to flooding, the Cyclocross World Championships in Louisville, KY is being rescheduled.

--True
--False

(Landis enjoying a good novel.)

2) Floyd Landis is launching a:

--Bike company
--Apparel company
--Gran fondo
--Sequel to "Positively False" entitled "Negatively Positive"

(Professional cycling: why bother?)

3) Professional cycling is being destroyed by:

--Doping scandals
--Lack of sponsorship
--The UCI
--Deeply embarassing team photo shoots

(Not him, his brother.)

4) What did Pete Hamill's brother used to deliver by bicycle?

--"100 pounds of meat"
--"500 cords of wood"
--"1,000 smiling knuckles"
--"Beets and stuff"

(No, that's not Bruce Campbell.)

5) What is a "prepper?"

--Someone who prepares for the collapse of civilization
--Someone who wears polo shirts and sockless loafers
--Someone who chops vegetables and scales fish in a fancy restaurant
--Someone who helps the actors maintain their erections between takes during pornographic movie shoots

(Photo via yesterday's comments.)

6) Using modern aerodynamic equipment, Greg LeMond beat a bare-headed Laurent Fignon in the final time trial of the 1989 Tour de France, winning the general classification by only eight seconds.

--True
--False

("In your face!")

7) People totally don't want to own cars anymore.

--True
--False

***Special Vintage "Woo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo!" Speed Bonus Video***

VEGETARIANS CUT HEART RISK BY 32%

VEGETARIANISM: REDUCE

RISK OF HEART DISEASE

www.bbc.co.uk - (United Kingdom) Ditching meat and fish in favour of a vegetarian diet can have a dramatic effect on the health of your heart, research suggests. A study of 44,500 people in England and Scotland showed vegetarians were 32% less likely to die or need hospital treatment as a result of heart disease. Differences in cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body weight are thought to be behind the health boost. The findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 
Heart disease is a major blight in Western countries. It kills 94,000 people in the UK each year, more than any other disease, and 2.6 million people live with the condition. The heart's own blood supply becomes blocked up by fatty deposits in the arteries that nourish the heart muscle. It can cause angina or even lead to a heart attack if the blood vessels become completely blocked.

Scientists at the University of Oxford analysed data from 15,100 vegetarians and 29,400 people who ate meat and fish. Over the course of 11 years, 169 people in the study died from heart disease and 1,066 needed hospital treatment - and they were more likely to have been meat and fish eaters than vegetarians. 
Dr Francesca Crowe said: "The main message is that diet is an important determinant of heart health. "I'm not advocating that everyone eats a vegetarian diet. The diets are quite different. Vegetarians probably have a lower intake of saturated fat so it makes senses there is a lower risk of heart disease." The results showed the vegetarians had lower blood pressure, lower levels of "bad" cholesterol and were more likely to have a healthy weight. Tracy Parker, from the British Heart Foundation, said: "This research reminds us that we should try to eat a balanced and varied diet - whether this includes meat or not.

A new study has shown that vegetarians have a 32% less chance of being admitted to a hospital or dying from some form of heart disease compared to people who are meat or fish eaters. The new study performed in Britain found that the risk difference is most likely caused by the effects on the level of cholesterol along with blood pressure, and underscores how important the role of an individual’s diet is in preventing heart disease. But be careful, While vegetarians are less likely to die from heart disease, vegetarian meals can contain large amounts of salt and saturated fats. So, even if you are a vegetarian you should consume in moderation foods high in sugar and refined grains and take a balanced and healthy diet.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Heart attack is the most common cause of death in the U.S., killing one person every 45 seconds. ... The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) - a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. - stated in their 1991 literature, "A vegetarian diet has been advocated by everyone from philosophers, such as Plato and Nietzsche, to political leaders, such as Benjamin Franklin and Gandhi, to modern pop icons such as Paul McCartney and Bob Marley. Science is also on the side of vegetarian foods. A multitude of studies have proven the health benefits of a vegetarian diet to be remarkable." PCRM literature lists a host of health benefits of a vegetarian diet, including the following: Preventing cancer, heart disease and lowering blood pressure; preventing and reversing diabetes; preventing and alleviating gallstones, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and asthma.

Hinduism TODAY :
"How to Win an Argument with a Meat Eater"
Magazine Web Edition - July 1993 
http://www.eatveg.com/argument.htm
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=1044

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

Friday Questions

My posts on writing this week elicited quite a few Friday Questions. Thought I’d answer them while the subject matter is still fairly fresh.

Ron asks:

If you're writing a spec script should you target network or cable and also a specific network, i.e., TBS or FX, etc

Write the best pilot you can and then decide whom it’s best for, not the other way around. Don’t try to outguess the