Tag: Gene Simmons

The 21st Century Foxes

I sometimes wonder what my grandparents would think if they could pop in on 2012? So much of what we do in life would be foreign to them.

We are a thoroughly modern family. Though Stef is separated by 2,883 miles&#185 we are tight. She and Helaine speak multiple times every day. When not on the phone we connect via IM or texting.

We got a text message from her last night. A friend, a Vancouver Canucks fan, invited Stef to see the Canucks play the LA Kings.

She sent us the photo you see on the left. Nice seats. They were VIP seats. I mention that though I have to clue what that actually means or entails.

Here’s my theory about LA. There is only one type of seat: VIP. Everyone else in the arena is an extra.

After a while another text from Stef telling us Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed were a few rows ahead of her.

Helaine follows the Simmons family on Twitter. Sure enough Shannon Tweed had tweeted a photo from the game. I forwarded it to Stef a few rows back.

For Stef being in California does not the change communications dynamic with her family.

There was a time I could be out-of-touch for days or weeks at a time. That ship’s sailed.

I sometimes wonder what my grandparents would think if they could pop in on 2012? So much of what we do in life would be foreign to them. Cellphones, computers, GPS, immense flat screen TVs–none of those existed. Coast-to-coast phone calls over landlines were expensive!

We live a life they couldn’t have dreamed of.

It really feels we’re a lot closer than 2,883 miles.

&#185 – 2,883 miles is Google’s estimate. They clock the trip at one day twenty three hours.

American Idol–The Helaine and Stef Director’s Cut

I cannot remember seeing a live stage show as astoundingly well produced as tonight’s American Idol. This is real live TV–no second chances.

american-idol.jpgI work nights–possibly you’ve already noticed this. I don’t get to watch prime time television much. There are no episodic shows I follow. I knew Dancing with the Stars ended Tuesday and American Idol on Wednesday, but not much more.

Oh–I heard American Idol was going to run until 10:07 PM, a perfectly legal weasel ploy to enhance the ratings on all Fox stations whose news would follow. In similar circumstances I’d do the same thing. Bastards.

With all this I was surprised to find Helaine and Stef awake when I got home and beckoning me to the TV. They spoke in code but I quickly caught on they had DVR’ed Idol and had parts for me to watch.

“The gay maybe not gay guy lost,” I said. Like Miss USA this contest will be defined by the second place finisher, not the winner.

That wasn’t where they were going. The DVR zipped along passing some pretty major musical acts and a lot of stage pyro. They stopped as the ‘eyeliner guy’ was singing “Beth” from Kiss. As he finished (only to return later with platform shoes tall enough to dunk in the NBA) Kiss came out in full makeup!

They’ve still got it! Even Gene Simmons’ tongue made an appearance. Stef complained she’d been born in the wrong decade.

Later Queen came on stage. I suspect Freddy Mercury would have loved to play this gig too.

The piece de resistance was Rod Stewart singing “Maggie May.” He is 64 and though his voice is a little thinner than it was in 1971 he rocks too! I wonder if he could identify his real hair color in a lineup?

I cannot remember seeing a live stage show as astoundingly well produced as tonight’s American Idol. This is real live TV–no second chances. I’m sure there were screw-ups they saw in the booth, but little of it was visible at home.

Job well done. Live TV lives.