Who's On The Line

"I Know What You Did That Friday"

The Writer's Strike - A Union Man's View

I originally posted this as a response to a comment posted by Buffalo, a great guy and blog bud. (If you're unfamiliar with Buffalo, I recommend you check him out at Buffalo's Ruminations)

After I finished, I realized, that while it rambles a bit, it pretty much sums up the way I feel, so I decided to use it as a post. I welcome all comments on this, both pro and con. It might also offer a little peek "backstage", so to speak. So here we go...

Buffalo's comment:
It (the strike) will be settled when the suits have enough write off.

Here's the problem, Buffalo, in my humble opinion. The producers have enough new product stockpiled to last quite a while. All of the episodic TV shows for the upcoming winter season have all of their episodes in the can already. Anticipating a strike, the producers also pushed hard last spring and summer to get as many features done as possible. In order to make an impact, we are going to have to weather the storm until the next Fall season rolls around, when the producers will be forced to air re-runs or more reality shows. As for features, it takes much longer to do a movie than a TV show, so they will feel the bite first. The pictures in release now and those about to be released finished principal photography months ago. Hell, I worked on Disney's Enchanted back in 2006 and it only came out this past Thanksgiving! The point is, in order to have product for the summer season, films need to start now. A search of IMDbPro, (subscription required), shows that many films are scheduled to begin shooting in March, but...and here's the rub, while the scripts have already been written, many, many re-writes are required before a shooting script can finally be generated. Who's going to write them?

Add to this the fact that the Director's Guild, which includes Production Managers, Assistant Directors, Location Mangers, etc., and the Screen Actors Guild also have contracts coming up for negotiation and you can see why the Producers are determined to hold out as long as possible.

Originally, the writers were going to wait for the Director's Guild and SAG and everyone would walk together, creating the "Perfect Storm". By striking now, the writer's hope to settle the issue early and get everyone back to work as soon as possible. Since the Unions and Guilds follow a technique known as Pattern Bargaining, whatever the writers get, the others will want (and get), as well. (My union has a clause relating to new technology that guarantees us whatever benefits any of the other Entertainment unions or guilds secure for themselves.) So the producers are facing a very long stretch of no new product if they remain obstinate. The writers are the most powerful union, in my opinion, because until they script it, none of us can build, paint,light, prop, direct, shoot, or act in it. Kind of like trying to build a skyscraper without blueprints. It simply can't be done.

Just this morning I found a new website, Fancast, which allows viewers to stream complete episodes of their favorite TV shows, such as CSI and Law & Order, complete with commercials! It isn't a stretch to see 10 years into the future when our cable boxes are replaced by computers and any show can be streamed at any time, with, ofcourse, commercials. This isn't just a different slice of the same old pie for the producers, it's a whole new pie! Just as Free TV is going the way of the dodo, so will the way we watch TV and movies go in the near future. Meanwhile our residuals will plummet as advertisers flock to the "new" medium and the advertising rates for "conventional" TV fall.

While I grouse and bitch and moan because two of my jobs are on indefinite hold, I and many, many others who are currently unemployed, (and our bills keep coming in, depleting our savings, btw), realize that we are in a fight for our futures, and in a way, the futures of all working, legal American citizens. And it is a fight that must be won - a fight to the finish. Someone has to take on the greedy corporations that have outsourced our jobs and insourced, cheap, illegal labor, (to replace those of us who work in fields that can't be shipped offshore). For as long as I can remember, the trades provided the ladder by which Joe Sixpack could achieve upward mobility by providing a means for his children to go to college and do better than their parent's did. That has always been the American Way. No more.

My neighbor down the street is a small General Contractor who, while non-union, has tried to provide a decent wage for his employees and hoped to offer benefits as his business grew. Not anymore. He recently confided in me that he may have to abandon his company and seek work himself. He simply can't compete against other, unscrupulous Contractors who use illegal labor. And it's not just Mexicans we're talking about here. It's Irish and Asians and South Americans as well and it's tanking our economy.

The Writer's strike is a microcosm of what is happening everyday, every place, in the United States of America as corporations do all that they can to break the Unions and control the labor market. So it's much more than just a bunch of pampered, Hollywood elites bitching and moaning. It means something here to note that while some writers, like some Contractors, do earn fantastic amounts of money, the majority of writers, like workers everywhere earn an average income. And unlike workers everywhere, very few writers and others of us employed in "Show Biz, have a "full time job". We are constantly looking for work. The only thing that keeps us going is our love for the business, although, lately, I've been thinking of taking early retirement and getting a job as a Nauga breeder. (I'm told it takes thousands of those lil varmints to fashion just one hyde!)

So the write off the producers may gain will most certainly be offset by the losses they face should they stick to their greedy guns. And while it's true that in today's world, films can be made anywhere in the world, they can't be made without writers, and I seriously doubt that any of the producers is willing to trust his lucrative American market share to "creative writers" from India, (have you ever seen an Indian film?). At some point, the producers will have to return to the bargaining table and take the hit or the whole business will go to hell in a handbasket. All of the modern studios are owned by major conglomerates like GE and Sony, and while they could simply divest themselves of their Entertainment Divisions, the lure of enormous profit potential should discourage them from doing so. Compared to the profits enjoyed by the Media Conglomerates, what we are asking for is less than peanuts. This strike is the result of an arrogant corporate mentality supported by a big business owned and operated government who wants it all and to hell with the average guy trying to support a family. Somebody has to draw a line in the sand somewhere - other than George Bush, that is. It also means something here to note that back in 1987, with the emergence of the then "new" cable market, the Writer's Guild voluntarily gave up 80% of it's residuals in order to help the producers transition to the new medium. It is now 21 years later, cable has all but taken over the home entertainment market and it is time to bring everyone up to par. Based on this history who can blame any of us for asking for something from the next "new" media that we have already earned.

Thanks for the comment and your support Brother.

d.
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Motion Picture Studio Mechanics
Local #52
New York City

For continuously updated information regarding the Strike, visit United Hollywood

(The opinions expressed above are solely those of the writer and in no way are meant to reflect the positions of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, it's Locals, Officers or other members.)

Ratings for People's Choice Awards Sink

Ratings for People's Choice Awards Sink



LOS ANGELES — What happens to an awards show forced to scuttle its live ceremony because of the Hollywood writers strike? For the People's Choice Awards, it meant losing nearly half its TV audience.

The two-hour taped show that aired Tuesday on CBS was watched by 6 million viewers, compared with the 11.3 million that watched last year, according to Nielsen Media Research figures.

The weak ratings reflect the damage being exacted on the entertainment industry awards season by the two-month-old Writers Guild of America strike. The Golden Globes also canceled its ceremony Sunday on NBC, which instead plans to air a news conference to announce winners.

Representatives of the People's Choice Awards did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment Wednesday.

The writers guild refused to grant waivers for its members to work on the awards shows, and the Screen Actors Guild said its members would honor picket lines and refuse to take part — depriving the ceremonies of their all-important star power.

The People's Choice Awards replaced its traditional live show and with a taped format, hosted by Queen Latifah, that had its crews deliver trophies to music, film and television stars on location.

Winners included Johnny Depp of "Pirates of the Caribbean" and Katherine Heigl of "Grey's Anatomy."

The guild also has refused to grant a waiver for the premier awards ceremony, February's Academy Awards. Its producer has vowed to stage the show as planned.

Talks between the guild and the alliance representing producers broke off in December and have yet to resume, with production on dozens of TV shows and some movies brought to a standstill.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

(Posted under the "Fair Use Law" or some bullshit.)

Good.

I hope it's costing these greedy pricks in the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers as much, (proportionally), as it's costing me.

d.

Merry Christmas!

To All Of My Friends And My Family

Merry Christmas!

Who Better To Welcome
The King
Of Peace
Then
The
Queen Of Soul!

Enjoy!

See you next year!

d.

Tagged by Moderate!

This little cardboard Nativity is older than I am. I think my Mother bought it at the 5 & Dime. Funny thing is, Mag's Mom bought the same exact Manger at about the same time, over 50 years ago! What we have today is a combination of the two sets, thus continuing a Tradition that had been observed in both our households.

(Lifted directly from da Mod hisself! Hey I'm lazy!)

Got "tagged" by my buddy Chuck. So here are the rules for you to follow:

Da Rulez

1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share Christmas facts about yourself.
3. Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of "Getting to Know Your Friends."

1. Wrapping or gift bags?
Wrapped.

2. Real or artificial tree?
Real, well, they used to be. Now we just put up the little artificial one seen to the right of the Manger in the photo above.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Varies. I'm not big on decorations and usually won't do squat until Mag's makes me, lol!

4. When do you take the tree down?
I try to get it done before the 4th of July so I have room for those decorations!

5. Do you like egg nog?
Only if liberaly laced with Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
The Ballad of Davey Crockett and a "coonskin" hat. I don't know if I actually got these for Christmas. I do remember driving my parents crazy with the record, especially on Saturday morning when they were trying to sleep. (See Extravaganza below, For my Dad)

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yep. See the picture above!

8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Can't say I ever received a "bad" Christmas gift since every gift was given in love and appreciation. But if pressed, I'd have to say the one Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sargent Caywood gave us Christmas Day back at Parris Island: bends and mothers forever! (Ya gotta be a Jarhead to get that one, lol!)

9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Both

10. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Miracle On 34th Street, the original

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Don't really have a time, whenever I see something I think someone would like or need. The nieces and nephews throw me off tho, because their parents don't know what they want until Thanksgiving. Then I try to shop for everything online.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Whatever they are serving, lol!

13. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Colored

14. Favorite Christmas song(s)?
See next post, the Extravaganza!

15. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Christmas Eve at Mag's Niece Mare's, Christmas Day at her Nephew Jimmie's.

16. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
No, can you?

17. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel, when we have a real tree.

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?
Well, I have a tendency to give Mags her presents as I get them, lol, but generally Christmas Day.

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Gauche, obnoxious light displays and rampant commercialism.

20. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color?
No.

21. What do you leave for Santa?
A glass of Johnnie Black, a Bud and a a "bud", lol!

22. Least favorite holiday song?
Grandma Got Runned Over By A Reindeer

23. Favorite ornament?
Huh? See picture below, lol!

24. Family tradition?
Setting up the Nativity in the picture above. Everything else is "freestyle".

25. Ever been to Midnight Mass or late-night Christmas Eve services?
Yes.

I will be passing this "tag" on to the following blogfriends:

To All and any that wish to participate! Like I said, I'm lazy!

Merry Christmas!

d.

Welcome to...deuddersun's Christmas Extravaganza!!!!

Don't even bother putting her under the tree!
I'll unwrap her myself!

Featuring:
An Allstar lineup of

Dean Martin
Frank Sinatra
Elvis Presley
Bing Crosby
David Bowie
Bono
Luciano Pavarotti
Mariah Carey
John Lennon
Yoko Ono
The Royal Guardsmen
Run DMC
Nat King Cole
George Thorogood & The Delaware Destroyers
Perry Como
Johnny Mathis
The Association
Bill Hayes
&
That Annoying House With Lights Set to Music!


First up isn't a Christmas song, but it is dedicated to my Mags in the Spirit of the Season.

Merry Christmas Baby!

(uh...the picture above???? Just a joke Dear....Ouch!)

The Association




OKAY!

Let's kick it off with those hard rocking boys from Delaware!
Ladies & Gentlemen,

George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers!
(with Hank Carter on sax and John Lee Hooker as Santa!)

Now here's one for the ladies,
Miss Mariah Carey!

Hey! Mag's thinks he's great, uh, Johnny, that is!

Christmas is a tradition with us, and since we're, uh, Children of the '60's, our fondest memories are often of that period of youthful innocence. The next series of performers reflect those cherished memories we hold so dear.

This next performance is dedicated to Sissy and Marge.

We still miss you and love you more than ever!

The King
Elvis Presley!

This next performance is for my Dad. While it isn't a Christmas song, it is one I know he will remember. If you sit there and replay it a couple of hundred times you may begin to realize it's significance here!

Bill Hayes!

The next song is dedicated to Muffin and Mo.

The Smoothest, the Coolest, the One & Only
Dean Martin

This next video brings me back to my teenage years.
It's a bit of fun and while not the original, it's still good.

The Royal Guardsmen!

No Christmas in the '60's or early '70's passed without listening to
the Incomparable
Nat King Cole!

Although it hasn't snowed in Philly yet, I'm still hoping it will by Christmas morn.
I guess
I'm Dreaming Of a White Christmas!

Bing Crosby & Frank Sinatra!

When I was a teenager, you couldn't pay me to listen to these guys, now, well, I just can't seem to get enough. So one more time!

Dean & Frank
Marshmellow World

And in case we forgot, there was always someone to remind us.
Ladies and Gents,
Perry Como

As time wore on, the songs changed, but the Love remained the same.
These guys brought Rap into the mainstream.
A great beat, lyrical magic and a fine sense of humor.

The originals,

Run DMC

It is evident now that Rock & Rap are here to stay. Some of the best Christmas performances combined the old with the new. And the results were truly amazing.

Bing Crosby and David Bowie

Not only did the Old and the New blend together beautifully, the performance below shows how a world renowned Opera Star and a world renowned Rock Star could somehow team up and teach us the meaning of Christmas.

For your listening and viewing pleasure,

Luciano Pavarotti
and
Bono

There was, however, one musical message, that to me at least, seemed to sum it up. It is as relevant today as it was when they made it. I met Yoko Ono in 1985 when I worked on "John & Yoko: A Love Story", for CBS. In spite of all reports to the contrary, I found her to be an amazing woman, full of love. She was kind, gentle and courteous and she believed in what she said.

Listen to her now, with the Light of her life.

John Lennon & Yoko Ono

The next and almost last video is a prime example of what Christmas is NOT about.
Glad I don't live across the street from

The Annoying House with The Lights Set To Music!

Let's all remember that this is a time for love and peace. Perhaps the Most Wonderful Time of 'The Year.

Mr. Johnny Mathis

Last my Friends, is a song I keep dear to my heart, and I hope it is so with you as well.
No matter what may happen,
No matter Where I end up,
Well, I'll let the
Chairman of The Board tell it:

Frank Sinatra

So to all of my friends and loved ones, may you all have a very Merry Christmas, and a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

(This post may undergo editing up to and including Christmas Day!)

d.

Defeat Mitch McConnell

Dear VoteVets.org Supporter,

How badly do you want to send Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, packing? Pretty bad, right? Now, how badly would you love to see an Iraq War Marine be the guy who takes McConnell's place? If you're like me, the very idea of that has you pretty pumped.

Well, I have some good news for you. Lt. Col. Andrew Horne (Ret.), a Marine who served in both the current war in Iraq and Desert Storm, has launched his campaign to beat Mitch McConnell and take this government and country back for the people. The Louisville Courier-Journal wrote of the promise Andrew holds in an editorial this weekend, saying, "Mr. Horne is a serious man, and his candidacy should be taken seriously," and "He would be a credible alternative to the incumbent."

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT ANDREW HORNE IN HIS RACE TO BEAT MITCH MCCONNELL

While Andrew holds great promise for us this cycle, he cannot do this without your financial help. Mitch McConnell is one of the best-funded politicians in 2008, because of the support he gets from his corporate buddies. So, what's all that special interest money gotten us? Let's take just a small walk through the record of Mitch McConnell (Warning: Hold your nose):

• He led the filibuster of the Webb-Hagel "Dwell Time" amendment that would have given our exhausted troops as much time at home as in the field.

• He led the all-night filibuster of legislation that would have set us on a real change of course in Iraq, that would have allowed us to give Iraqis more responsibility, while freeing U.S. forces to take on the real threat to America -- al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

• He consistently worked his side of the aisle against the same veterans he's been fighting tooth and nail to keep in Iraq, beating back amendments to ensure a funding stream for veterans' health care, increase Veterans' medical services by closing corporate tax loopholes, and guarantee full-funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

• And, most recently, he callously quipped that we ought not feel too bad about those who died in Iraq, because, afterall, "remember, these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers."

CLICK HERE TO TAKE DOWN MITCH MCCONNELL AND SUPPORT THE TROOPS

We all know these issues are going to come up in McConnell's campaign. When they do, at the debate, who do you want on the stage with McConnell to challenge him face-to-face? A politician, or a genuine patriot who served our nation in Iraq? As Andrew says, "Simply put, while Mitch McConnell carries George Bush's water on Iraq, I carried a rifle in Iraq."

That's the type of opponent that Mitch McConnell fears the most, but this can only come to pass if you get into the fight. That's why today, I'm proud to say VoteVets.org PAC endorses Andrew Horne for Senate, and why I am asking you to please give him your support.

Sincerely,

Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran
Chairman, VoteVets.org

P.S. The above links will take you to Andrew's donation page. If you're in Kentucky and are interested in helping his campaign, or just want to find out more, you can go to his website - www.AndrewHorne.org

Mayweather Destroys Hatton in Stunning 10th Round Knockout

Be Careful what you ask for...

Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, knocks out Ricky Hatton, of Great Britain, in the 10th round of their WBC welterweight boxing title fight at the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

You may remember the post I had up here regarding Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton's destruction of Juan Luiz Castillo some months back. It was an amazing performance, not just in the ring, but in the stands as well, where thousands of Hatton's British boxing fans, who made the journey across the pond in support of their idol, had turned foreign soil into home court advantage. At that point, Ricky was the King of the Light Welterweight division and it is where he should have stayed. He could have continued his unblemished record and retired at some future point an undefeated champion. Instead, he called out Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather and ended up a defeated chump.

"There was more action in those four rounds than you'd have had in Floyd Mayweather's last half dozen fights.", said a laughing Ricky Hatton in the Castillo post fight interview. Unfortunately, Floyd was watching the fight at home. After that, a retired Floyd Mayweather is said to have instructed his manager to "Make the fucking fight."

Be careful what you ask for, indeed.

I knew before the fight that Ricky was biting off way more than he could chew and Mags will tell you I pretty much called it earlier in the day. 9th or 10th round knockout by Mayweather. I knew Mayweather was too accurate a puncher. I knew he was also an under-rated puncher and I knew that unless Hatton got a lucky shot in, ending the fight, Floyd's precision would eventually wear "The Hitman" down.

Nevertheless, I tuned into the $55 pay-per-view event hoping that Hatton would shut the classless, arrogant Pretty Boy down. Hatton is like a bulldog after all, and Floyd had never fought anyone with Hatton's tenacity and aggresive style. Hatton had more than a chance to win if he could keep Mayweather bottled up in a corner and unload on him, as he has done to all his previous opponents. On the other hand, Hatton has never faced the quality of opponents that Mayweather had, so there was an unknown variable thrown into the equation. So I was hoping that Hatton could do what had never been done before, shut the Pretty Boy up. What changed my mind and loyalty happened before the fight even started though. It was the obnoxious behavior of the thousands of British fans when our National Anthem was sung.

They came with a brass band and a big bass drum. They sang and beat that drum constantly from the middle of the preceeding preliminary fight until they exploded when Hatton entered the ring to his trademark song, Blue Moon. They roared with derision when Mayweather entered to Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The USA". All well and good. Support your man and deride his opponent, fair enough. It's what happened next that turned me into a Mayweather man.

After standing quietly through the British National Anthem, which was sung by has-been Rock Star "Sir" Tom Jones, (Sir?), American fans' were shocked when their British counterparts booed so loudly that you couldn't even hear Tyrese Gibson sing the Star Spangled Banner. Maybe they're still upset that we are no longer "the colonies", (after all, we did dump a bunch of their beloved tea in Boston Harbor), or maybe, as some have suggested on British boxing sites, it's just what Euro's do to each other at international sporting events, but either way, "that shit don't fly here". By drowning out our National Anthem the Brits spat in the eye of every American and at that point, dam near every American wanted to shut them up. We Americans are fanatically territorial, as evidenced in all our sports. Just try to get into a Cowboys/Eagles football game in Philly wearing a Dallas jersey and see how far you get. Yet Hatton, with his down home, good ole boy charm had managed to bridge the international gap... until his fans ruined it for him. You just don't disrespect me in my own "house", son. Not if you don't want a good asskicking to follow.

Even Hatton was not above classless antics, when, after being docked a point for hitting behind the head, he bent over and in a stupid display of emotion, wiggled his ass at Floyd Mayweather. I hope he and his fans enjoyed the moment because he would be made to pay for it in the same fashion I described above, with a good asskicking.

While Mayweather was clearly the superior fighter throughout the early rounds, his dominance really began to show in the 8th round. By the middle of the 10th, it was over, with Hatton trying to get up off the mat, his face bruised and his eye leaking blood... and, if only for a moment, that goddam drum finally silenced.

I am not going to describe the action, tune in to HBO next Saturday and you can watch it for yourself. There are also countless other articles which do better justice to the round by round action than I ever could. My point here is an issue of "class", and Hatton and his fans showed little of it.

In the post fight interviews, Mayweather showed his true colors by endlessly showering praise on his vanquished opponent. The most we could get from Hatton was a weak apology for losing and mumbled excuses. Sure, Mayweather acted obnoxiously in the pre-fight lead-up, but, hey, the name of the game is putting asses in the seats and someone has to play the role of villian. A role Floyd is emminently suited for. As his post fight compassion for his vanquished foe clearly showed though, it was a role to sell tickets, nothing more.

So you see, in the end, it was the Brits and Ricky Hatton who showed little or no class. You don't go into someone's home and insult the host. You don't behave like obnoxious, rude drunks. It's not your house, after all. And all the singing and all the drum beating couldn't lift their man to victory over a clearly superior opponent. To paraphrase an old English nursery rhyme, "All the Queen's horses(asses) and all the Queen's men, couldn't put Ricky together again" And to paraphrase the Brit's own Ricky Hatton sing-a-long, (sung to the tune of Walking In A Winter Wonderland"):

There is one Ricky Hatton!
Now yer done Ricky Hatton!
Try talking yer smack,
From flat on yer back!
Mayweather's the Champion Of The World!


And Ricky, be careful what you ask for...you just might get it!

Now limp your tired, sorry, loser asses back across the pond, Brits. History has repeated itself and the mighty British Empire has lost to the "Colonies" once more.

Oh, and take that goddam drum with you.

d.

(Yes, I am once again crossing the picket line, but, hey, this was too important to me to pass on - sorry!)




Champ



































Chump

Here's a little treat for those of you who missed it! Enjoy! Note: Every time I post a video, YouTube deletes it. My guess is copyright infringement or maybe a bunch of pissed-off, hung over Brits are complaining, wah, wah. Well as long as they keep deleting them, I'll keep finding new ones!

"Best Ever" Mayweather can walk away in style

(Great article)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays?

I am breaking my self-imposed "strike" to wish all of my friends a very Merry Christmas, a most Happy Chanuka, an excellent Kwanza...in short, a very Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

There are, however, some Americans who will not be able to share these special days with those they love. Some, who, a million miles from home, will gaze at the stars and wonder if their loved ones are seeing them too. Wonder if some kind of heavenly connection can be made so that the one's they miss will "feel" their love.

Forget not those who serve.

Honor the Warrior. Not the War.


Merry Christmas.


Christmas In Fallujah
Cass Dillon & Billy Joel



This song will be available on iTunes December 4th. Net proceeds to benefit Homes for our Troops.
d.

PS: Notice the "Back-up" Group? Ooh-Rah! Hat tip to the Howard Stern Radio Program on Sirius Satellite Radio

Addendum

For my Brother Spadoman, Merry Christmas!